#i think i just like actresses. or love rather. i find them so enchanting

[britneyshakespeare]

can you believe there was a time in my life where i wanted to be a professional actress

[hiitsm]

Transient Connection: A Meeting of Worlds

You meet a beautiful woman at your workplace, who isn't a professional actress like you.

Fluff

Note: I'm not very well-versed in the acting world, so it's not described in great detail.

Request here

-

You just stepped out of the small makeup trailer, ready to shoot a brief scene. However, you didn't know who you would be acting with. You were aware that a character would be making a cameo, but no one had informed you which character or which actor or actress would be playing the role. This lack of information left you feeling annoyed, as you needed to know for your preparations.

You practically sprint to your manager’s trailer and burst inside. "Valentina, I love you, but please tell me how I’m supposed to prepare without knowing some important key information," you say, your voice a bit raised, though unintentionally.

You’re just a little nervous. This is your first big movie, your first major role, and hopefully, your first big breakthrough. While you’re not entirely unknown as an actress, having played roles in small series, you've never been the lead. This is different, and you want everything to be perfect.

"It wasn’t finalized until just a little while ago. She almost got cold feet and didn’t want to do it anymore," your manager Valentina says, her attention focused on her managerial tasks. Valentina is more like a best friend to you, and her multitasking nature is something you've grown accustomed to.

"That's just great," you say, rolling your eyes sarcastically. The last thing you want is to play this role with an unprofessional actress who would rather not be there. You believe that someone who is fully committed deserves the role. But maybe that's just your selfishness talking.

"I think she’s a professional football player. Everyone on this set loves her, really," Valentina says, wiggling her eyebrows at you.

You walk over and playfully smack her arm. "Why would they hire a professional football player? Doesn’t she just want to play football?" you sigh heavily, worried. The last thing you want is for this to go badly because they chose a football player instead of an actual actress.

"Just have some faith in the writers and everyone else who thought this was a good idea. And be nice and kind, just like your mother taught you," Valentina says, pointing at you accusingly.

"I’m always nice and kind. And since when do you talk about my mother? You don’t like her," you retort, taking a bite of your banana to fill your stomach before heading on set for a few hours.

"We both don’t like your mother," Valentina adds, raising her eyebrows. "But she did teach you manners, so use them." With that, Valentina hops out of the van, and you follow right behind her.

"We will first have a reading with her and her manager, getting to meet them now," Valentina tells you, almost running, which is unusual for her. You think maybe the two of you will be late, because Valentina never runs.

"I did hear that she’s very pretty," Valentina turns her head towards you, waggling her eyebrows even more.

"Of course she is, Val. She's a professional football player," you reply, shrugging your shoulders a little. "Maybe she has a nice manager," you tease, and before you can add anything else, Valentina shoves you while you're running, almost causing you to trip.

"Ah, there are the two of you. We were already wondering where you were," you hear a man's voice say.

You find yourself staring into a pair of beautifully greenish eyes.

That's not a man, you think.

Momentarily lost in their captivating gaze.

Where did the man's voice go?

Her eyes are stunning, and you can't seem to look away. Lost in your thoughts and dreams, you only snap back to reality when the man's voice returns.

"Hello, my name is Joseph, and this is Alexia," he says, indicating the woman with the enchanting eyes.

Ah, there's the man. Her manager.

Valentine nudges you slightly, bringing you out of your trance. You extend your hand for Alexia to shake, then Joseph's. "Hi, my name is y/n," you say a little sheepishly, feeling completely out of character. But as soon as you notice, you push the feeling aside, eager to make a good impression.

Valentine talks all three of your heads off, explaining a little bit to each of you as you walk to get the reading done. Alexia is walking beside you, and when you glance down at her hands, you notice they shake a little. You assume it's from nerves, and an urge to help her feel more at ease washes over you.

"Have you ever done something like this before?" you ask her softly. She blushes a little, quickly becoming shy. "No, this is all new for me," she says, with a hint of irritation.

You realize she probably doesn't want to be here, she just wants to play football. "You want to be back on the football field again soon?" you inquire quietly, careful not to overstep.

"Si, but we're in America right now, and my favorite football field is in Barcelona," she replies, her confidence growing at the mention of Barcelona.

"I love Barcelona. When I'm off, I love to go there," you share with a smile, watching as her eyes light up. You decide quickly that you want to see her eyes like that more often.

"Barcelona is great. I'm glad you like it already," she responds, wearing a huge smile, visibly more at ease.

"We both flew in only a few hours ago, so we are both a little bit jet-lagged. We have a strict schedule, in four hours, we need to get on the plane again because she has an important match in two days," Joseph tells Valentine.

You almost feel sad hearing this. You only have a few hours with her. But you can't dwell on it, right? You're a professional actress playing a scene with a professional football player who is now dabbling in acting. It's only professional to play the scene and part ways again after.

"The two of you can prepare for you seen there" Valentine's points to the secluded beach. It was be a beach scene anyway. Just a small talk scene. But you still notice that Alexia is appearing very anxious so you will still try and do you best to ease her nerves.

"The two of you can prepare for your scene over there," Valentine says, pointing to the secluded beach. It was going to be a beach scene anyway, just a small talk scene. However, you still notice that Alexia appears very anxious, so you resolve to do your best to ease her nerves.

The two of you walk over to the beach and start a small conversation. "So, if you're a professional footballer, what brings you to acting today?" you ask, hoping your tone sounds as kind as you intend.

"Just for the brand," she replies curtly, but you sense there's more she wants to say, though the words don't come out.

"That's nice," you respond, unsure of what else to add.

"I just want to play football, but this is part of it too," she says, her gaze shifting to the waves crashing onto the shore.

"I understand that a little bit. I love to act, but I don't love the interviews and all the promotion stuff that comes with it," you admit a bit shyly. This woman makes you feel shy, which is unusual for you.

"Yeah, I feel the same," she says, finally meeting your eyes again and giving you a big smile.

As you arrive at the beach, you initially wanted to offer her some acting tips, but you realize she's doing really well. The only issue is that she's a bit shy and awkward. However, with the preparation time you have, you know it's going to be okay.

The two of you were feeling at ease in each other's company, chatting about everything and nothing, and laughing a lot. She made you feel special, a different kind of special. After a while, Alexia received a phone call. You could only see a lion emoji as the caller ID, no name.

"Lo siento, that's my best friend," she said as she picked up the FaceTime call.

"Hola Ale, have you made a move on her yet?" you heard through the phone, and Alexia's cheeks turned bright red. "I mean, you love that show and you always tell me how good she looks," her best friend added, unaware that you were sitting right beside her.

"No, sí, no, ella está sentada a mi lado, idiota," she responded, switching to Spanish in her embarrassment.

"Well, just to let you know, she just picked up all her stuff from your apartment. I just wanted to tell you. Have fun!" And with that, the phone call ended abruptly.

There was a moment of silence between you two—comfortable for you, but maybe not for Alexia. You tried to break the silence without crossing any boundaries. "So, who picked up stuff from your apartment?" you asked quietly, hoping not to be too direct.

"My ex-girlfriend," she replied softly, and you noticed she wasn't ready to discuss it further. The silence settled in again. After a little while, you saw a tear streaming down the right side of her face. "Is this okay?" you asked, moving your finger toward her cheek to wipe it away.

"Sí," she said, looking out toward the shore. "Lo siento, she just hurt me a lot," she whispered, barely audible.

"It's okay to let yourself feel your feelings," you said gently.

"But I don't want to feel so sad anymore," she whispered again.

"You know what usually helps me feel a bit better?" you asked, and she shook her head softly. "Dancing on the beach. Come on."

You put a random song on your phone and started to dance. Alexia looked up at you with wide eyes, then a bright smile spread across her face as she watched you dancing so silly, so freely, so uncaring of what anyone might think.

"Come on," you encouraged, holding out your hand for her to grab. She finally took it, and both of you ignored the tingling sensation that passed between you. But you both felt it.

You didn't let go of her hand, and the two of you danced freely to the music. You were laughing and smiling, feeling an unburdened joy. It was wonderful to see her eyes light up and her smile brighten the world around you. Hearing her laugh was like music itself, a melody of pure happiness. Watching her, so beautiful and full of life, you felt an incredible connection growing between you.

"Are you guys done?" you hear behind you. It's Valentina, and you give her an annoyed look. She smirks at you, clearly aware that you've caught feelings for the blonde professional footballer rather quickly.

"Just a second, we'll be right there," you say, gently pushing her away from the beach.

"Hurry up!" she playfully screams back at you. You roll your eyes, but when you turn around again, you're greeted by a breathtaking sunset you hadn't noticed before due to your dancing.

Alexia stands there, bathed in the warm glow, looking stunning. You wish you could do something, wish you had the courage to ask her to spend more time together. But you also know she's heartbroken, so you decide to give her the space she probably needs.

"The sunset looks beautiful," she tells you.

"Yes, it does. Do you want a picture?" you ask, and she nods excitedly.

It's a beautiful moment, and you secretly hope she'll share it on social media so you can see it again, maybe a thousand times more.

"Gracias," she says, grateful for the offer.

"Now, we should go shoot our scene." She grabs your arm and pulls you with her, and you follow, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.

-

Maybe a part 2 in the works if y'all want to?

[threelionsgirl]

hiii i hope you’re okay x idk if your taking any requests at the moment so feel free to ignore this if your aren’t, but if u are could u write something for mason mount where the reader is an actress or model or something and masons had a celebrity crush on her for ages but then he finds out they’re going to meet for the first them at an interview they have to do together! u can decide everything else like if he’s nervous or really flirty when they meet xx

the interview | mason mount

warnings: none word count: 1527 notes: hi anon, yes the requests are open, it's just been a long time since I've written, and I wasn't sure how to get back, but I'm on vacation so fuck it, feel free to send more requests!!! by the way, I couldn't decide whether to do nervous!mase or flirt!mason then I did both! masterlist | requests are open!

The knock on the door caught Mason's attention. He was in his dressing room waiting to have his makeup done. That day he was going to be on an interview talk show, and he was excited.

"Mason?" was the producer of the show, poking her head into his dressing room. "Is it okay if you share the dressing room with someone else? We had a little incident, it would just be for makeup."

"Sure no problem." He agreed without elaborating. The only information he had received before arriving was that he would only be one of two special guests for the interview that night.

When the door opened again and Y/N walked in, Mason couldn't believe his luck. Mason had had a crush on Y/N for years. He had seen all of her movies, especially those that were part of the Marvel franchise, and had fantasized about meeting her, and now here he was, about to share a dressing room with her for an interview that they would do together.

As soon as Y/N entered the room, Mason's heart skipped a beat. He tried his best to stay calm, but he couldn't help but feel nervous around her.

"Hm, hello?" she smiled, and he tried not to look like an idiot.

"H-h-hi." Shit. Why the hell was he stuttering? It wasn't in his profile to be so nervous in front of a woman, but Y/N's beauty was really otherworldly.

"Sorry to invade your space like this, but they left something rotting in my dressing room, and now it's the biggest stink in there." She laughed, waving her hand in front of her nose, remembering the smell. "I'm Y/N by the way, actress." Mason only realized that he had been drooling for so long, enchanted with Y/N that he barely noticed that she had a hand outstretched toward him.

"I-I know who you are." He faked a cough to try to get that damn stutter to stop, as he squeezed her hand.

"Oh you do?" She raised an amused eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think I've seen all your movies." He was sure he had seen them all.

"Oh, so I have a fan?"

"Yeah, I guess you do." He laughed gracelessly and decided to complete. "I'm Mason."

"You play football, don't you? I was told that's what it was."

"Yeah, I play for Chelsea."

"I'm not very familiar with the sport, but you're one of the best players in the country, aren't you? It must be hard to deal with all that pressure."

"Yeah, it's complicated sometimes, but I love what I do…" Mason had to confess he was in heaven to have Y/N there with him and so interested in what he was saying, but that nervousness didn't seem to want to go away, and he seemed to prefer to look everywhere rather than look at her and do something silly. "Sorry… Do you want something? I swear I didn't finish like all the stock in the fridge."

Y/N laughed lightly noticing his nervousness and moved a few steps closer towards him and touching his shoulder which made Mason shudder.

"No need to get nervous in front of me, Mount, I usually treat my fans very well." She blinked with one of her eyes, and Mason arched his eyebrows.

Wait a minute, was that a flirtation? It had to have been a flirtation by the way Y/N said the last sentence, with a certain malice. But Mason didn't have time to find out because the make-up artist, Margot, entered the trailer, interrupting them.

They didn't have much more time to talk alone because in minutes they were being driven to the studio to start recording the show, but the glances they had exchanged since Y/N's last sentence had not gone unnoticed by Mason.

The interview went well, he and Y/N had already talked about almost everything involving their lives while the host alternated with jokes to lighten the mood. The one this time would be Mason, who would participate in a "Marry, kill or kiss?"

"So Mason, Gal Gadot, Scarlett Johansson and Y/N. Who do you marry, kill or kiss?" The host asked, and Mason looked at the audience. The idea was to make him look dull, but he didn't because he saw an opportunity there. He looked at Y/N who was sitting next to him. She raised an eyebrow at him, really interested in his answer.

"Hm, I think I marry Scarlett, kill Gal and kiss Y/N."

A chorus coming from the audience filled the room and Y/N looked slightly positively surprised.

At intermission, when they returned to the dressing room, Y/N asked the first thing she thought of:

"So, you would kiss me, but not marry me? Why?"

"Because kissing you is one thing I can do now." He winked, confidently, taking Y/N by surprise. She had expected to hear anything but that, but she smiled witlessly, so Mason realized that she had enjoyed it. She wanted him to flirt with her, and that was enough to make him put all nervousness aside. He knew he had to make the most of this opportunity.

Margot appeared to touch up his makeup, and soon they were back on the couch to restart the interview. Y/N felt that the second half was being different, Mason was different with her, he seemed more at ease, more playful, and she couldn't ignore the shivers she felt every time her hand accidentally brushed against some part of her skin.

What she didn't know was that everything Mason did was on purpose.

The interview must have been almost over when a blackout covered the entire studio, leaving almost everything dark except for the lights coming from the cell phone screens.

The director warned them that they were having a problem with the power outage, and the producer turned to the one of those still sitting side by side.

"Mason and Y/N is it okay if you guys hold on for a bit? It's a minor technical problem, and we are already fixing it."

"No problem" Y/N replied, staying a little longer than planned would not be a problem for his schedule.

"With Y/N's company, I can wait all day." He replied simply, and Y/N looked at him. Even in the dark, she could see the wink he directed at her.

"Okay what's this?" She asked, sitting up so that she was facing him. "Stop flirting with me."

"Why? Is it working?" He laughed, getting a little closer.

"You don't seem like the same shy guy from half an hour ago."

"I'm not shy, but I confess that meeting you made me nervous." He said low, just so she could hear. Mason ran his fingers up her arm, making circles on the bare part of her shoulder, and that time Y/N didn't know if she could concentrate on his words and the touch at the same time. "Because I have to admit, I've had a crush on you for a few years now."

"Oh yeah?" Y/N asked, licking her lips. She thought the nervous Mason was adorable, but the flirtatious Mason was thought-provoking and much more interesting. "I have to admit that I think you are very sexy, and I would also kiss you in 'Marry, Kill or Kiss'."

That was all the fuel Mason needed to put all shyness aside and follow Y/N. It was dark enough to sneak back into the trailer without anyone noticing.

He just waited for her to close the door tightly before pulling her around the waist and pinning her to the wall, his body keeping her from moving. He brought his mouth close to hers, trying first to feel her breath, and almost laughed at her anxiety.

In the dark, they kissed passionately, Mason's hands traversing Y/N's body as she gave herself over to the moment. The sound of their quickening breaths was the only thing audible as they crumpled together in the trailer.

The touch of their hands and the pressure of their bodies against each other were a mixture of sensations that left them breathless. They knew they couldn't stay there forever, but they wanted to enjoy every second of it while they could.

"Let me know if you want me to stop." Mason whispered as his hands moved down from her waist to her hips. When he squeezed her ass while distributing kisses on her neck, Y/N found herself unable to ask him to stop.

The return of the light was the only thing that could separate them, reluctantly, knowing that they had to get back to the studio before someone came for them. But the gleam in their eyes showed that the moment they shared would never be forgotten.

"So…" Mason began half-heartedly, but extremely pleased.

"Now you're going to have to give me a lot more than a kiss, Mount." She said before they went back into the studio to wrap up the Talk Show.

When they said their goodbyes, Y/N gave Mason a mischievous smile and told him to keep in touch. Mason left the interview feeling like he was on cloud nine. He knew he had just had the best day of his life and couldn't wait to see what the future held for him with Y/N.

[therk900]

📷 May TC Challenge (Day 1 - 31) 📷

1. Have you ever said something embarrassing to/in front of your TC? Thankfully no. I’m careful what I say and do most of the time

2. When did your TC start teaching you? Does he/she still teach you? B started teaching in 2022 and left at the end of 2023, S started teaching at the start of 2021, M started in 2020, and N started in 2022

3. Do you know anything about your TC’s childhood/youth? B had a cat when he was younger and S used to live in the country. N used to be so shy during school which is a surprise, since he is the complete opposite now!  

4. Describe your TC’s eyes. Gentle

5. What’s your favourite outfit on him/her? B had this blue jumper that he wore most of the time over his formal clothes. S wears formal clothes with these boots and he has 3 jumpers that I love. N’s one is a green jumper and formal pants and a white button up shirt with this brown jacket he has! A had this nice jumper that I LOVE! It’s a navy blue jumper with some white writing on it. My favourite one for M would be a dark navy blue button up shirt, and dark formal pants! 

6. How do you try to impress your tc? I try anything and everything really

7. Describe what you think your wedding would look like. What are you both wearing? Who’s invited? What’s for dinner? Hopefully in some sort of lovely garden with a modern feel to it. I feel like we would invite our friends and family to the occasion. For dinner, salad with some fish maybe. 

8. Have you ever caught her staring at you? How did you react? Yes Yes YES! Multiple times with B! One time earlier last year, B was taking a class of mine, and when I looked up, I saw him completely staring at me. I looked down in an instant. When I looked up 30 secs later to see if he was still looking, and he was!!!! I was just doing some sketching and he was sitting at the table diagonal to me. I looked up a few more times since and he wasn’t looking for some but for most of them, he was!

9. would you run away from home and leave your entire life (friends, family etc.) behind just to be with your TC? Maybe

10. what does your tc teach? B: English S & M: Science G: Media

11. If you lived together, would you rather have kids or pets with him/her? KIDS! And maybe one pet

12. are you in love with your tc or is it just a crush? I think it’s just a crush. Not 100% sure

13. do you think your tc could you like you back? Well, for M and N, they both have a wife, so no. But who knows for the others.

14. have you ever dreamt about your tc? The amount of times I have dreamt about them is concerning

15. imagine that someone wanted to make a movie about your life with your tc - what actor/actress would play you and your tc? For A, maybe Alex Wolff With B, maybe Seth rogan I’m not sure about myself, S, M or G

16. have you ever had an argument with your tc? Nope

17. how did you find the tcc? I was just searching up “teacher crush” on tumblr and found it! I was a viewer of the Community and didn’t have the courage to post anything until the start of last year

18. can you remember the moment you fell for your tc? Kind of. It was an end of one of B’s classes, and I was listening to a song called "Get into it (yuh)" by Doja Cat, and all i could think about was B. With S, it was just a realisation when I was speaking to him one time. I found out with A via a dream. And with M, I was just in class. i forgot how with G and N

19. Think of a song that reminds you of your TC and tell us your favourite line from it.  B: Here with me - d4vd “As long as I'm with you I've got a smile on my face” A: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Elton John "So goodbye yellow brick road Where the dogs of society howl" S: Enchanted - Taylor Swift “This night is sparkling, don't you let it go I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home I'll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you” N: Just Like That - THAT BAND HONEY "Baby that's just why we can't commit, maybe And our back and forth makes me want it more" M: Guys My Age - Hey Violet "Guys my age don't know how to treat me... Guys my age don't know how to touch me Don't know how to love me good Guys my age don't know how to keep me" G: Love In The Dark - Adele "We're not the only ones, I don't regret a thing Every word I've said, you know I'll always mean It is the world to me that you are in my life But I want to live and not just survive"

20. does anyone else know about your TC? Only one of my friends know

21. Have you ever stalked your TC online? If yes, what did you find? If no: do it and tell us what you find, it’s fun! I haven’t stalked them online.  Edit: I just found S and B's accounts. They are both private. 

22. what outfit would you most like to see your TC in? A SUIT! I wonder how they look in a suit

23. what is the best outfit they’ve ever worn?  B used to wear these brown formal pants with a nice formal shirt and also a dark blue jumper that I loved For S, he had these nice jumpers, and when he wore that with his formal outfit, it looked so good on him For A, jeans and a navy blue jumper that he owns With N, and G, anything formal For M, he has this green jumper, and he wears it all the time, and it really suits him

24. your best friend tells you that they have a crush on your tc - how do you react? I wouldn’t be surprised!

25. has your tc ever helped you with something that’s not school related? Yes. B has helped me with my drawings since he knows how much I love drawing

26. do you want to get over your tc or are you happy with it for now? I am very happy with it for now! it has made me know them better 

27. If your life was a book series/tv series/movie and you had a fan base, would your fans realistically ship you and your tc?  Depends really

28. What’s something that always makes you think of them?  A: Have no idea yet!  S: Anything to do with science for some reason G: A movie called “Alien” N: Have no idea yet!  M: DILF (because he is one)

29. Let’s chat for a sec! What’s something you’ve been dying to talk about regarding your tc?  How nice they are

30. How often do you think about them?  I think about them here and there

31. What’s something you’re manifesting happening between you two? (If you don’t manifest, what’s something you hope happens?)  That I get to see them outside of school, like in a cafe or something.

[marvelouspeterparker]

pretty special

PAIRING: pornstar!sebastian stan x pornstar!reader

SUMMARY: you shoot your first scene with the acclaimed and widely admired adult film star, sebastian stan.

WARNINGS: cliché porn scenario (dad's friend) + daddy kink + age gap + dirty talk + oral (m and f rec.) + unprotected sex + creampie

WORD COUNT: 4.3k

NOTES: this was part of this fic for tom but i extracted it in case some sebastian fans that don't read for tom wanted to read it, since i'm going to be writing for him now :)

––✧––

You were a bit nervous walking into work––working with one of the biggest stars was understandably a daunting experience. You didn’t want to seem like a complete amateur next to him, especially not when you were working with him. And on top of that, you’d been watching his videos for years now, since you were a teenager, and he never once lost his charm or his spark.

You could see how he’d evolved throughout all of his videos––when he was just a young fresh face that captured the hearts of many, to his long-haired phase, to his short hair and stubble phase, each and everyone one was just as enchanting and seductive.

You’d seen the way he managed to have chemistry with every actress he worked with––how they would all fall under his allurement, get flustered from just one look. If you were being honest, you could see Tom becoming the next actor of that status––he’d already had such a good reputation among the industry and the viewers seemed to love him as well. So the fact that you were going to get the opportunity to be with both of them? Well not at the same time, but if you did, you would most certainly melt on the spot. But even separately––You felt like you were going to combust.

Sebastian was now in his late thirties, but he looked better than ever, his eyes just as smoldering, even through a screen. He kept his hair short now and often let his beard grow out, which you personally loved. Since he had a very promising reputation––and everyone that he’s worked with has only had enticing things to say about him and his skills, you couldn’t say that you weren’t excited and honored to work with him.

The scene you were filming today took place in multiple places, all of which were in a home––so for work today you showed up to one of the many unfinished houses the agency used for filming. Within no time you were dressed and in the makeshift makeup room in one of the spare bedrooms with Olive, the makeup artist, putting the finishing touches on your face. Your look was supposed to be more natural today so it didn’t take too long since you only needed some light coverage.

“You nervous sweetie?” She asked, dabbing the beauty blender under your eyes.

You looked up at her, a sheepish smile on your face. “Of course I am, it’s Sebastian Stan.”

She waved you off, “Oh don’t be. He’s the sweetest thing, really.” She placed the beauty blender on the vanity. “You know a little birdie told me that he asked for you personally.”

Your eyes widened in shock. “What? Are you serious?”

She nodded, pursing her lips. “And he doesn’t do that for just anyone, so he must think you’re pretty special.” She started cleaning up her station. “That should put you at ease, right?”

“I mean…” You looked into the mirror and trailed off when you noticed a familiar face walk into the room. You’d never seen him in person until now, so far only watching him on the screen of your phone in the privacy of your room––but seeing him in front of you was something else.

Olive noticed you trail off and turned curiously before her eyes settled on the man walking towards her. He walked over to your makeup artist, a big smile on his face as he opened his arms. “Olive! How are you?”

She smiled, hugging him back. “I’m good honey, how are you?”

He bit his lip, failing to tame his grin when they both pulled away. “I’m good.” He turned to you, “Especially since I’m going to be filming with this one today.” You got up to walk over to him and he smiled, placing a hand on your waist and kissing your cheek in greeting. He looked down at you and you could genuinely feel yourself drowning in his eyes. How were you going to manage looking into them while he was literally inside of you?

“Hi doll, how are you? It’s so nice to finally meet you.”

“Hi.” You cleared your throat when your voice came out weaker than expected but before you could continue, Olive interrupted you.

“She’s a little nervous, Seb.” You looked over to her like an annoyed daughter, berating her with your eyes as she walked away from you both, a glint in her eyes, but Sebastian’s eyes never left your face. You looked back to him to find a smirk on his face and you smiled awkwardly.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about honey,” he brought a hand under your chin and tilted your head up when you looked away. “I promise I don’t bite,” he leaned in to whisper in your ear. “That is, unless you want me to.”

You felt a shiver run down your spine and he chuckled as he pulled away to look at you. “Seems like you want me to, hm?”

You licked your lips subconsciously and he smiled, taking your hand in his. “Well you know, I asked for you personally?”

You blinked up at him, “Yeah I heard.”

He smiled, rolling his eyes as he pointed his thumb behind him at Olive’s retreating figure. “From that one I bet.” You smiled and nodded and he shook his head pretending to be exasperated, but the smile on his face contradicted that.

“Why did you? Ask for me?” You asked sheepishly, not wanting to come off as rude. But it was a little strange to have such a big star ask for you when you’re not even that established of an actor yet.

His thumb rubbed the back of your hand soothingly but the action was only sending tingles down your body. “Well I’ve seen your work,” he tilted his head. “And I know talent when I see it.” He stepped closer to you so that his breath was teasing your lips ever so slightly, his eyes piercing yours. “I also know a good girl when I see one.”

Your breath hitched, your thighs pressed together and he squeezed your hand playfully. “We’re gonna have some fun today.” He started to tug you along. “Let’s go, okay?”

You nodded, the nerves in your stomach quickly turning to excitement and lust. “Okay.”

–––

You weren’t going to take pictures before the scene today––Sebastian, having been in the industry for some time now, and having made a name for himself, was able to pull some strings nowadays and have more control over what he wanted. He didn’t really like the idea of faking for the camera, so much so that he didn’t take photos before the scenes he shot, he convinced the crew to take action shots while they were filming, so the reactions were real.

The directors knew not to rush him or the actresses he worked with during his scenes, and for that reason, no one that ever worked with him had to hurry up and fake their climaxes for the camera––they were all completely genuine and just as mind-shattering as they appeared on screen.

The scene you were filming today was different than anyone you’d done before. You were playing a young daughter who’s come home from college for the summer, and Sebastian was playing your “father”’s friend. It was a slightly controversial theme and story, but at the end of the day it wasn’t real so.

After greeting everyone, going over a few last minute things, and getting settled, the scene began.

Your “dad” and Sebastian were in the living room, talking while they watched tv for a few minutes, and you waited for your cue to step out. You came down the stairs and the camera followed you as you descended and panned out to show the three of you as you walked past them to go to the kitchen. You could feel Sebastian’s gaze trailing down your body as scripted, the camera focusing on him as he checked you out, your body also in focus as you moved by the lens.

“Excuse me young lady,” your fake father recited his line and you turned back a sweet smile on your face as you looked at him.

“Yes daddy?”

“Don’t be rude,” he chastised, “Say hello to our guest. My buddy from work, you’ve met him a few times over the past couple years, remember?”

You let your eyes fall to Sebastian and your smile widened. “Oh, right!” You walked over to him. “I’m so sorry. So nice to see you again!” You bent down and watched him take a sharp inhale as his gaze fell to your breasts before you wrapped your arms around him in a hug.

He brought his arms around you and squeezed tight, his hands lingering when you pulled away, his voice low. “Yeah it’s really nice to see you too.” He licked his lips before looking back up into your eyes and you felt your stomach flutter from the look in them. “You’ve really grown up since I last saw you.”

You shrugged as well, turning to see your “dad” not paying attention to your conversation before leaning in to whisper in Sebastian’s ear. “Way more than you know.” He bit his lip and you giggled before walking off, feeling his eyes stuck to your ass that was peeking out of your shorts.

You went to the kitchen to get a snack, conveniently walking so that the camera didn’t pick up the unfinished portion of the house, nearby. You followed the script, pretending to look around, a thoughtful look on your face as you picked up random fruits while Sebastian stared at you from the other room. After a minute or two, you turned around and went into the fridge, scanning the almost empty shelves before bending down to look near the bottom.

You felt a pair of hands slide over your ass to hold your waist and a rather impressive bulge press into your backside. “Pardon me.” You could hear the smirk in his gravelly voice as he reached over you, your body still bent over and pressed into his front. He grabbed a bottle from the top shelf before pulling away and leaning against the counter next to the fridge. You looked to the side to see him opening a bottle of water, a cheeky smile on his face as he shamelessly checked you out. “Just getting water.” He sipped from it without looking away from you and you bit your lip.

“Of course.” You closed the fridge and walked up to him as he was tilting the bottle down from his lips. You reached over behind him on the counter, while subtly grabbing his bulge in his jeans. He gasped and looked down at your hand, then across to the other room to make sure your “father” wasn’t watching before turning his head to you.

You bat your eyelashes up at him, teasingly innocent and brought your hand back to show the banana you’d just gotten. “And I was just getting a snack.” You squeezed him harder and pulled away completely, leaning on the kitchen island across from him as you peeled the fruit. His eyes were mesmerized as he watched you lick along the banana, your gaze unwavering. You slowly put the fruit into your mouth as far as you could go and his jaw dropped as you started bobbing your head up and down.

Just as it stated in the script, ever so distracted and preoccupied, his hand “accidentally” squeezed the water bottle and water splashed everywhere and all over the floor. He cursed loudly and your “dad” perked up.

“Everything alright?”

Sebastian looked up, convincingly looking flustered and you turned. “Yeah! We just spilled some water, but it’s okay I’ll clean it up!”

“Okay. Thank you sweetheart.”

You turned back around and grabbed some napkins, getting down on your knees in front of Sebastian and his eyes followed you all the way down. You half heartedly wiped down the tiles before looking up at him. Your eyes trailed down his body and you smirked, grabbing his hand. “Your hand is all wet. Let me get that for you.” Before he could say anything, you swiped your tongue along his fingers. You kept your eyes on his as your tongue made its way around his hand. You slipped two of his fingers into your mouth and he paused before slowly sliding them in and out, almost making you gag and you smiled up at him as you pulled off.

Your hands slid up his legs, one of them grazing his bulge as you made your way up to his zipper but his hand stopped you from going any further. He clenched his jaw, looking ahead before looking back down at you. “Your dad––”

You shook your head eagerly, “He won’t see anything.” The kitchen island was conveniently tall enough to hide you, so you weren’t lying. “You just have to be quiet.” You blinked up at him. “Can you do that?”

He bit his lip. “Shit––” He brought a hand up to rub the back of his head and let go of the hand of yours that he was holding. “O––Okay.” His hand came down to caress your cheek gently and you quickly turned your head to kiss his palm before reaching up and slowly unzipping his jeans. You pulled his pants and briefs down a bit before pulling his cock out and stroking it lightly but he quickly captured your attention again before you could gawk at his size, his hand firmly grabbing your jaw to make you look up at him. “Keep your eyes on me baby girl, got it?” You nodded immediately.

“Yes, got it.”

His grip tightened. “Yes who?”

You tilted your head, pretending to be confused. “Yes… daddy?”

He smiled, cooing down at you. “Such a good girl.” He briefly glanced up to the living room before looking back at you. “Now spit on daddy’s cock. Get it nice and wet for me.”

You nodded, “Yes daddy.” You gathered the drool in your mouth before spitting on his cock and stroking it. You licked along the base before wrapping your lips around his tip, swirling your tongue around it and sucking hard, making him grip the counter behind your head.

He cursed, “That mouth is fucking amazing, doll.”

You smiled as best you could around him, knowing that that line wasn’t in the script––you were just doing a good job and he felt the need to let you know. You felt yourself get wetter in your shorts and luckily enough, your next instruction was to bring a hand down to touch yourself in the scene. Your hand slipped past your cotton shorts and you brought your fingers down to swipe through your wetness and spread it along your slit before rubbing your clit. You hummed around Sebastian’s length and he pulled you into him, a hand around the back of your neck as he shallowly thrust into your mouth, not wanting to hurt you or make you gag too hard.

“God, are you touching yourself baby girl?” You looked up at him, pretending to be embarrassed and he chuckled breathlessly. “Such a filthy little slut aren’t you? Touching yourself, sucking my big cock and calling me daddy while your real father is sitting just in the other room…” He tutted playfully. “What a naughty fucking girl you are.” You whined and his mouth dropped open as you started sucking harder.

“Gonna make me cum. Keep doing that. Yes, just like that.”

Your “father” spoke up, asking Sebastian if he was coming back and Sebastian gulped, looking up at him with wide eyes as you stroked him quickly, your mouth sucking his tip loudly and harshly. He coughed in a useless attempt to cover the sound and looked around awkwardly. “Uh yeah! Yeah, just uh in a minute.”

“Okay but the game’s getting good man! Don’t wanna miss it.” He paused, “Hey have you seen my daughter around?”

You hummed around Sebastian and his eyes rolled back for a second before he straightened out. “Uh no, nope I haven’t seen her.”

“Huh, well I’m sure she’s fine. She knows how to take care of herself.”

Sebastian looked down at you, your hand still between your thighs. “Damn right she does.” His tongue swiped over his bottom lip as he locked eyes with you. “Know how to take care of me too, don’t you?” He nodded, “Mhm, yes you do.” Seeing him above you like that, hearing the praises he was whispering to you in his deep voice were enough to get you worked up. You could feel yourself getting closer and just as your cue came to orgasm, you didn’t have to fake it. You moaned and your back straightened out, your thighs closing around your hand as you came in your shorts. You blinked, snapping yourself out of your reverie and started bobbing your head up and down and Sebastian bit his fist, his hand gripping your neck as he thrusted a few times before cumming in down your throat.

You sucked around him as he throbbed in your mouth and he breathed out roughly as he pulled out. You smiled up at him, showing his release to the camera before swallowing it and showing him your tongue afterwards. He pulled you up and took the hand that was in your shorts, bringing it up to his lips before slipping your two fingers coated in your wetness, into his mouth. He kept his eyes on yours as he licked and sucked them clean, a seductive look in his stare.

Your lips parted in arousal and shock as he pulled away, a smirk on his face. “Delicious.” Your hand fell down to your side and you blinked a few times, looking up at him.

“Come find me in my room so you can return the favor.” You smiled and walked up to your room without looking back.

He tucked himself back into his pants and went after you after a few minutes, excusing himself to use the bathroom upstairs.

The director yelled cut and you had a ten minute break to freshen up before the next part of the scene. You didn’t have a lot to touch up so by the time Sebastian came up you were already in the bedroom for the next part. He came into the room a few minutes before you had to film again, eyes finding you as you sat on the bed.

He smiled softly, licking his lips and you pressed your thighs together which didn’t go unnoticed by him. “That mouth really is something else, doll.” He laughed, “Almost made me forget where I was.”

You bit your lip as the camera crew came in, setting everything up. You looked up at him and smiled sheepishly. “That’s a good thing, right?”

There was a glint in his eyes as he looked at you. “A really damn good thing, yeah.”

Feeling the heat of his gaze, you averted your eyes and you could sense him smile as he walked out of the room, preparing to film the last part of the scene. The crew made sure the lighting was alright and set up the cameras and the microphones before the director called action.

The camera focused on you as you pretended to scroll mindlessly on your phone as the other camera followed Sebastian up the steps. He paused, making sure no one was around before opening your door, slipping in and shutting it behind him.

You looked up and smirked, setting your phone aside. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show up.”

He pulled his shirt off as he walked towards the edge of the bed. “And miss my chance to taste that sweet pussy? You must be crazy.”

You laughed breathlessly as he climbed onto the bed and pulled you down to his level by your ankles. You smiled up at him and he captured your lips in a passionate kiss and you found yourself getting lost in the feeling of him on top of you. You slid your hands up to tug his hair and he growled, taking your wrists and pinning them above your head, making you gasp as he pressed himself into you and tilted his head to lick along your neck.

You arched your back under him and he continued to rub himself against you, only making you more desperate. After a few moments and a change of camera angles, he pulled your shirt off and slid down to pull your shorts off as well. He spread your legs slowly but firmly, his hands digging into your thighs as he glanced up at you, moving his head to press teasing kisses to your soft skin.

He kissed his way up your leg before licking a long stripe up your heat, his lips soon coming around to leave wet kisses to your slit. You brought your hands down to grip the sheets and he was quick to let go of your thighs and held your hands in his, by your sides.

Normally in these videos, the actors wouldn’t actually eat the actress out properly, only flicking their tongue lightly, wanting to show the camera and the viewers everything––but Sebastian wasn’t a fan of that method, so he buried his face between your thighs, eating you like you were his last meal.

“Taste so fucking sweet.” He smirked up at you when you whined, your fingers squeezing around his hands, as you squirmed under his hold. His tongue was lapping you up loudly but purposefully as he shook his head ferociously, groaning into you as your hips started to buck into his mouth.

“F––Fuck!”

He growled and quickened his pace before he wrapped his lips around your clit and sucking hard. Soon, your head fell back and your mouth dropped open, your back arching as you let out a silent cry. Your thighs tightened around his head when he let go of one of your hands and palmed your breast, tugging and teasing your nipples. He kept going until your legs were trembling, and only then did he pull away, licking his lips as he unbuttoned his pants and hastily tugged them off, throwing them off the bed.

He stroked his cock a few times before getting back between your legs and sliding it through your wetness. He tapped the tip on your clit and smiled when you jolted from the sensation. He then slid into you slowly, bottoming out smoothly, his hands pressing your thighs open so he could see all of you. He thrusted into you a few times slowly before picking up the pace gradually.

His eyes were transfixed on the way your pussy was swallowing him whole, clenching around him but one glance at your blissed out face had him twitching inside of you.

“Look at you. Taking my cock while your dad’s downstairs. Naughty girl.” He pounded into you hard and you moaned loudly. He brought a hand up to cover your mouth, leaning close to you as he kept pounding into you, your pleading eyes looking up at him. “Gotta be quiet baby girl, okay? Just stay there and take my cock like a good girl.”

You nodded, your hands coming up to hold his wrist as your eyes rolled back. He brought a hand down to rub at your clit and thrusted into you faster and you moaned behind his hand, your hips moving of their own accord.

“That’s it. Take that cock.”

In no time, he had you coming around his cock, his eyes watching you as you came undone, your body tensing before dropping back down to the bed gracefully, as if it were deflating. Just as you caught your breath, he pulled out and flipped you over onto your hands and knees.

“You okay baby?”

You nodded, smiling back at him. “Please fuck me.”

He groaned and slapped your ass before sliding back inside your tight walls. He grabbed your hips and fucked into you hard, the sound of your skin slapping against each other loud and enticing. He was moaning and cursing, pulling your hips back into his as he thrusted his cock into your opening. Your walls were tightening around him, coaxing him to tip over the edge.

His movements became more frantic, his fingertips turning white from the force he was using. “Fuck fuck fuck, gonna cum––”

You moaned at the ragged nature of his voice, the desperate pleas falling from his lips as he used you. “Please cum inside me, daddy.”

He cursed and came with a loud groan, his head falling back as he kept fucking you to prolong his high. His pace faltered and he soon slowed down before pulling out and moving aside to let the camera show the cum dripping out of you.

Once the camera got the shot, he slapped your ass playfully and grabbed it before pulling you up to sit on him. “Such a good girl.” He brought his hands up from your ass to your jaw and pulled you in for a reeling kiss. He licked into your mouth languidly, your tongues playing with each other as you both sighed and moaned into the kiss. He slipped a hand back down to play with your ass and you giggled, giving each other two more short kisses before pulling away and looking at each other, your eyes still cloudy with lust.

The director yelled cut and the shoot was over. Sebastian kept his eyes on you for a moment longer, his hands caressing your body. He kissed your cheek and whispered in your ear. “Knew you’d be a good girl for me.”

You whimpered and he grinned pulling back to look at you. “That was fucking amazing, doll. What’d you think?”

You shook your head, a smile on your lips. “I feel like I’m on cloud nine honestly.”

He smirked. “We’re definitely doing this again.”

––✧––

@ marvelouspeterparker 2021 –– please do not repost anywhere

[skiyoosmi]

if fate permits

chapter twenty-one

i'm casting a spell on you

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The winds have begun to get colder and today, people who were planning to go outside were advised to put at least an extra layer of clothing or two. Apparently, the snow will begin to lightly fall anytime this month; however, Atsumu felt the exact opposite– he was boiling in the searing anger jealousy he was feeling as he watched you and that spiky-haired boy get cozier with each other from across the room, giggling together like teenagers while you added some finishing touches on the props you were both so “focused” on. He never took notice of it before, but for some reason, Iwaizumi Hajime really gets on his nerves every time he sees him, especially when with you; but he’ll never admit that to anyone, of course, not to a single soul, not even to Osamu (he can already picture the smug face of his twin brother, all while saying: “Serves you right, you egoistic little shit!”)

He thought of stomping his way towards you, but all his plans remain in vain because once again, the director of the play is calling them for yet another round of rehearsals. The play will commence the day after tomorrow and they really couldn’t afford to waste time. “As much as possible, let us fix what has to be fixed, improve what has to be improved; because in less than two days, there will be no room for those things,” said Miyu, the head as she pushed them towards the stage, where some of the backdrop had already been set up. He grimly follows the other actors, unaware of Yui’s presence as she followed each and every bit of his movement (and trail of vision) before rolling her eyes, “So, it’s you, huh, YN?”

On the other side of the room, Hajime stared at you and listened as you asked – more like rambled to – him for what felt like the hundredth time today, “So basically, you remember every single thing that happen in your life except those that are connected to your ex-soulmate… ex-soulmate sounds so weird, gosh…” Unlike with Tooru though, he can’t bring himself to snap at you no matter how repetitive you get. If he were being honest, he finds you a bit too adorable for your own good (not that he’ll tell you that because he’d rather die than be seen as creepy by you). So, he opts to simply watching you babble like a child; it’s more bearable than having to see you cry over that pissed-haired lad who can’t lower his pride for you (personally, he feels a little odd that he remembers who’s your soulmate instead of his). Silence engulfed you two as the actors and actresses began their rehearsals, letting the emotions flow out of them as they spoke their lines.

Miya Atsumu was a wonder to your eyes, enchanting you with magic you would’ve never imagined to feel as he caught your eyes, holding his stare as if to say: “I’m casting a spell on you, you won’t be able to get rid of me now.” It was as if acting was second nature to him and for the umpteenth time in your life, you found yourself going down a rabbit hole deeper than what Alice in Wonderland went to as your heart throbbed, feelings all over the place; pain, anxiety, love and all other things you can think of, it’s all for him– always for him.

“How pathetic,” you whisper to yourself, wiping the tears that persistently flowed down your cheeks. Why, why, why… why can’t I just unlove you? Your mind screamed as all the other crew members gave their applause, signifying that they have finished their practice and soon, you can see him making his way towards your direction, gaze fixated right where you and Hajime were standing, confusion and worry swimming in the pool of his eyes as he watched you cry for a reason he has no idea of.

He was almost there, less than one feet from you but fate decided to play with your heart once more as Yui appeared out of nowhere, linking her arms with Atsumu’s, who in turn looked at her in surprise, obviously not expecting a sudden display of affection from the girl, “Atsumu-kun, let’s eat lunch together!” She exclaims, barely giving you and your companion a glance (although Hajime could’ve sworn, he saw her give you a very deathly glare. What a strange woman, he thinks).

“W-wait… I need to talk to YN…” the blonde tries to reason but like persistent person she was, pulled him to the opposite direction, whining about how she was “so hungry” all of a sudden. Why, why, why… why can’t you just choose me?  And as fast as they came, they went away. How is it that every single time Atsumu walks away from you, it feels like your heart is being ripped out of your chest too? Like he’s just taking it and leaving you with nothing?

“Well, that was interesting,” Hajime comments before turning to you, gasping when he saw your form; trembling and clutching a piece of the skirt you chose to wear in hopes of getting noticed by Atsumu, the waterworks flowing from your eyes once again. Aahh, it’s just hurts so damn much I feel like dying, you thought, just when will this sto–

A sudden warmth engulfed your whole body as Hajime hugged you, “You wouldn’t want anyone to see you cry, would you?” You nodded, burying yourself deeper in his arms, hoping that the pain goes away… But it never does, not before, not today, not ever; and just like that, you hate yourself for never telling Atsumu the truth because it seems like you were a bit too late now.

In the middle of the cafeteria sat Atsumu and Yui, who merely poked her food with the spoon she was holding, eyes looking up at her companion (even accompanied with the bat of her obviously fake eyelashes) who seems to be too preoccupied of waiting for you to appear in the area. She clicked her tongue in annoyance at his indifference towards her, before calling the blonde with that sickening sweet voice everybody just seemed to fall for.

“Atsumu-kun~” She calls out, even having the audacity to prolong the last syllables. She remains unheard though, much to her dismay; she rolls her eyes and tries for a few more times but all were in vain.

She clenches her fist that was beneath the table, “Atsumu! Are you freaking listening to me?”

Alas! The boy finally looks at her with uninterested eyes, mind obviously still flying in the air, “W-what?” he replies absentmindedly. She scoffs at his pathetic state; if anyone were to look at their way right now, it would look as if she was forcing Atsumu to sit with her – like it was torture to be with her right now.

“You’re making me feel really bad about myself right now, Atsumu-kun,” she whined and pouted, smirking mentally when Atsumu seemed to finally wake up to his senses and give her an apology, “are you sure you don’t like YN more than me? Cause I feel like you’d rather be with her right now.”

“No! Uhm… it’s just that we’re not in good terms right now and she’s my best friend; but I like you Yui… I really, really do,” he claims while staring straight into her eyes, ignorant of the evil that was behind them.

“Then prove it, Atsumu…” I don’t care about your attachment with that silly girl, “show me that you really like me.”

“What? How?” The boy furrowed his eyebrows, unable to think of ways to confirm to Yui that he, indeed, is interested in her. Hasn’t he been showing it with his words and sweetness since the day they met? How could she still doubt him? The said girl only smiled, eyes glinting with nothing but malice and wickedness: Miya Atsumu. I’m casting a spell on you; you can’t get rid of me now.

“Your best friend is a Moíra, isn’t she? Ask her to cut your thread so we can become soulmates.”

marga's notes. istG i tried to make yui a good girl but the plot line said no sksks so here's me trying to make you hate her instead >:)

taglist is closed

[fashournalist]

Conquering the Crown: Who Will Be The Next Miss Universe Philippines 2021?

Are you ready, Universe?

Tomorrow, the next Miss Universe Philippines will be crowned in Bohol, and I'd like to share my bets with you (as well as my thoughts on more candidates other than my Top 6. :)

But first, I have to admit I do have a bias for Cavite, Aklan, and Laguna because

1) Cavite is my birthplace and where I spent the first 16 years of my life;

2) Aklan is where my five dear brothers are from;

3) Laguna is where I spent seven eventful years as a UPLB student.

However, these biases aren't the sole reason I'm rooting for these representatives. I believe Victoria Velasquez Vincent, Leren Bautista, and Christelle Abello are really among the best candidates of this year's batch! VVV is actually my top one, followed by Katrina Dimaranan, Maureen Wroblewitz, and Ayn Bernos.

One of the smartest and most eloquent candidates of this batch, Victoria Velasquez Vincent from Cavite has emerged as the Interview Challenge winner, and rightly so. But she caught my attention even before that phase; her Runway Challenge was really impressive as well. As a heritage conservationist and architect, she's committed to solving environmental problems across the globe.

I really wish the winner would be a pure Filipino, but it so happened that VVV impressed me the most. She's half-Irish and half-Filipino, raised in New Zealand.

Now this one's a powerhouse. A pageant veteran, model, actress, and television host, I think (and thousands of others think, too) Katrina Dimaranan from Taguig is the most prepared of them all. She was appointed as USA's Miss Supranational 2018 and finished as 1st Runner Up at the world stage. She was also one of the title holders way back in Binibining Pilipinas 2012.

Kat's charming, authentic personality captivates anyone watching her or listening to her voice. You can see this through the way she nailed the challenges. And though she grew up in the US, she is a pure Filipina.

This woman needs no introduction--Maureen Wroblewitz, the winner of Asia's Next Top Model Season 5. Born in Saudi Arabia, she's a half-Filipina, half-German model and actress who is now representing Pangasinan as she fights for the crown. She has emerged as the Casting Challenge winner, but aside from that, all the results of the other challenges prove how excellent and enthralling she is as a model. Her intelligence can also be seen with every answer she delivers during Q&As.

The most inspiring candidate of all, Ayn Bernos of San Juan, proves that barriers can be broken and stereotypes can be shattered. Proudly standing at 5'3 with morena skin, Ayn represents the majority of Filipino people who are not influenced by foreign blood. I've closely followed her journey from the day she submitted her pageant application, and I'm so happy for her every step of the way. Her millions of followers on TikTok surely feel the same. We feel seen, we feel represented, we feel inspired to also reach for our dreams--no matter how impossible they may seem.

Ayn is a natural Filipina beauty, and she glowed further as she embarked on the road to the crown. Her wit, intelligence, and cheerful personality radiate in every appearance she makes, whether it's an interview or a commercial special by some of MUPH's sponsors.

With enchanting eyes, a driven attitude, and several beauty pageant titles under her belt, Leren Mae Bautista of Laguna is one of the most prepared candidates to represent the nation at the Miss Universe pageant this December.

I started knowing her through the tarpaulins in LB eight years ago. I was still in college, and Leren just won the crown of Miss Los Banos. She conquered the Binibining Laguna title as well. Since then, I knew this classic Filipina beauty and brain would one day captivate the world. Years later, she has placed as a 2nd Runner Up in Miss Globe 2019 and won in other pageants, too. Today, she's aiming for the universe and we all know she's ready.

Armed with an unstoppable grit, this dreamer put her life in the US on pause to once again fight for the crown of Miss Universe. Christelle Abello of Aklan has placed in the top 16 of last year's MUPH, and she has come back stronger this time around. Though she wasn't part of the Top 7 in the Interview Challenge, I think she's one of the most fluent and confident candidates.

Although she was born in America, she embodies the beauty of a real Filipina. I have to mention that I'm not a fan of her evening gown's design, but she still carried it well.

So there, now you know my Top 6! :) They've been my Top 6 for several weeks now, but this doesn't mean I'm not impressed by other candidates.

Michele Angela Okol of Siargao Island nailed the Preliminary Interviews! I haven't watched all the interviews since the KTX pass is just too expensive for me, but I was able to see a few on YouTube. And of them all, Michele's answers were the best. She was certain with her answers. Ingrid "Sam" Santamaria of Paranaque and Chela Grace Falconer of Misamis Oriental are some of the smartest and most fluent candidates as well. Sam placed second in the Interview Challenge.

The Filipina beauty of Janela Cuaton of Albay, Maria Corazon Abalos of Mandaluyong, Mirjan Hipolito of Angeles City, Simone Nadine Bornilla of Marinduque, and Princess Krista Singh of Pasig are some of the most outstanding in their batch. But I think the most outstanding beauty of all, is Jasmine Umali of Manila. She's like a living Mulan, or Barbie. And all these phenomenal women are smart and graceful, too!

Anyhow, if Gianne Asuncion of Cagayan Province wasn't diagnosed with COVID-19, for sure she would make it here and she'd be one of my bets. I hope she comes back next year, same with Maica Cabling Martinez of Nueva Ecija, who didn't make it in this year's Top 30.

You might be wondering why I haven't mentioned Steffi Rose Aberasturi of Cebu Province yet.

Honestly, I can't deny she's gorgeous from head to toe, well-prepared, talented, and confident, but I just cannot stomach supporting someone who supports Rodrigo Duterte. If she wins tomorrow, I will not bash her--I can see why she's one of the frontrunners--but I just cannot see myself rooting for her because of her political stance :( If she was not a DDS though, she would easily be one of my top bets, maybe my top 4 or top 5.

Steffi carries every outfit effortlessly, and her beauty can go from sweet and endearing to regal and fierce. I wish, before the national elections, her eyes would be opened to the atrocities of Duterte's war on drugs. (I also find Bea Luigi Gomez beautiful, but she said during the preliminary interview that the government is doing well. So, I'm afraid she might be a DDS, too. I hope not)

I know, people tell us to separate the pageant from political views, but the thing is, when a DDS gains more influence, they can influence voters to support Duterte, too. That's a real danger our country can no longer afford.

As for Kisses Delavin of Masbate, I'm inspired by her drive to pursue her dreams, not letting bashers stop her. But I just cannot see her wearing the crown, sorry :( I'm not a basher, I acknowledge she is beautiful, sweet, talented, kind, and smart. But I just don't see the fierce, palaban aura that we all need in a Miss Universe candidate. Never thought being baby-faced could be a disadvantage.

But anyway, if Ayn is slaying while breaking barriers and stereotypes, why can't Kisses, right? Kisses did well in every interview she handled. Although, I really didn't like her runway challenge where her hands were stuck on her waist. Good thing her walk improved in the swimsuit competition. Despite getting bashed and doubted, she fights with courage and passion, and that's something we can all learn from--whether we're part of Kissables or not.

Who will win tomorrow? I just can't wait to find out :)

I really wish I have the budget for a KTX pass so I could watch the coronation night in real-time. Sigh. That's 600 pesos! I'd rather spend it on samgyup. HAHA my love for food beats my love for pageants, even when I once dreamt to be Miss Universe myself lol.

How about you, guys? Who are your favorites? Who are your bets? Comment down below :) (wow youtube lang? haha)

Regardless of who wins, let's support her way to the crown. :) Go, proudly raise the Philippine flag, Miss Universe PH 2021!

PS. Photos came from Miss Universe Philippines' page, Philippine Star, and PeoPlaid. And I thank MS Paint because that's where I combined some of the photos haha.

[the-hilda-librarians-wife]

A familiar Soul - Chapter Nine

Summary: Hilda decides to be completely honest with her mother, surprised when she seems to be a lot more in on magic than Hilda had expected her to be.

With her daughter’s association with witches, Johanna is forced to face some secrets of her own, bringing her back to feelings and people she’d rather have left behind

Dealing with insecurities and inner demons of her own, Kaisa finds herself face to face with the very issues that brought her to be so displeased with her own abilities

Or: the one where Johanna is Kaisa’s familiar

Notes: I suppose this is more of a filler chapter, but I hope you could enjoy some shippy fluff anyways. And look! We’re over the half way mark now :D

Read it on ao3: (chpt1) (chpt2) (chpt3) (chpt4) (chpt5) (chpt6) (chpt7) (chpt8) (chpt9)

The second time Matilda hears that story, the atmosphere is astoundingly different.

She pretends to never have heard about the recent happenings in the sewers, of course, because Frida sounded so excited about her success that she wanted to give the girl an opportunity to ramble about it all she wanted, without leaving any detail out. Tildy would be the first to admit she was no actress, but she thought she did quite well with making exclamations of surprise, worry and wonder at just the right times, all the while feeling the warmth of pride fill her chest.

Hilda had come with her that day, and even though she wasn’t as thrilled with the recent adventure as her witch, it was stark clear that she wasn’t traumatized or scarred from it like any other person would be. If there was anything bothering her, it seemed to have been her mother’s attitude, but she hadn’t talked much about it and Tildy hadn’t pressed her. Still, the sorceress couldn’t deny that the outcome could have easily been tragic had her apprentices taken any longer to arrive, and as someone who cared about Hilda that truly didn’t sit well with her. Besides, she had made a promise to Johanna, after all.

Having been told that story by Kaisa right after it had happened, she had had enough time to prepare for the girls’s next visit. On top of the small table by the door, there were two miniature drawstring velvet bags, the sort that was used to carry crystals when a witch wished to take them on a trip. Inside those two, however, there were no precious stones, and Tildy picked them up when she had finished congratulating Frida for her magic feat.

“Only one thing worries me.” As nonchalantly as she could, Tildy weighed the two bags on her hands, making sure they felt the same. “If something of the sort happens again, you might not be as close to Hilda, or vice versa. I made some of this for both of you, and it would make this old woman a lot calmer if you could promise to keep it with yourselves at all times.”

Frida took the bags from her hands and passed one on to Hilda, whose curiosity immediately led her to opening it. A bluish glow lit up the underside of her face as she stared inside, amazed. It looked like Tildy had captured all of the stars in the sky and trapped them in that tiny satchel.

“What is this?” Frida asked as she looked over Hiilda’s shoulder and into her friend’s bag. The scent of seawater tickled her nose, and traveled down to her lungs making her feel like she was on the beach on a stormy day.

“Enchanted kraken shell powder.”

Hilda gasped “Kraken shell?!”

“Enchanted powdered kraken shell. Should one of you ever be in danger, the other needs only to step on some amount of the powder and find themselves instantly by their side. Crafty, isn’t it?”

Blinking, Frida tried to get past her surprise. Yes, it was crafty, but most of all it was impossible. Wasn’t it?

“Tildy, how on earth did you get this?”

Her mentor shrugged. “I know people. And the kraken was already dead, so worry not for that.”

While Frida tried to comb her mind for any spell that had a similar end and could be manipulated to have that same result, attempting to figure out how such an awe inspiring feat was done, Hilda’s head was already filled with ideas of how useful that could come in the future.

“That’s so cool!” She exclaimed. “Could it work with other people too?”

Dialing Hilda’s excitement down, Tildy moved her head left to right in a negative gesture. “This powder only works between witch and familiar. That’s why it's so rare. Familiars are usually treated as pets, so they rarely stay away from their witch at all.”

“But how are we supposed to know when the other will need help if we’re not close by?’

“But that’s the exciting part!” Tildy clasped her hands together in glee. “I think it’s time for you two to learn about the call!”

Though she herself didn’t know what that was about, Hilda noticed Frida gasp softly; no doubt her witch had already read about that.

“That’s really true? I tried to send the call to Hilda one day to test it but… I don’t think it worked.”

“Wait, what?” Hilda turned to her friend while her mentor watched them with amusement. “I never got any call from you.”

“That’s why I’m saying it didn’t work, Hilda.”

“The call isn’t something you get, darling.” Moving past them, Tildy began walking in the direction of the room where they did their magic training. It was the girls’ cue to follow her. “It is something you feel. The bond between witch and familiar is so strong that you are able to send a signal of sorts to each other, but you have to properly learn how to do it first. Once this ability is activated, you never lose it.”

“So cool!” Both of them gasped at the same time as they followed on the sorceress’s tail.

Turning the brass knob clockwisely and sending a jolt of magic through it (after all, what kind of witch would she be if her spell room was protected only by mundane ways?), Tildy opened the door to allow them in.

“It’s good to see your excitement! Shall we begin?”

_#_#_#_

Even though Kaisa would be the first to say that rainy days were her favourite, she had to admit to being glad for the sun shining brightly that afternoon. The event would be ruined otherwise, and that would make Johanna terribly upset.

Children of different ages ran excitedly through the stands that were put up in the field near the Sparrow Scouts Hall, playing games which Kaisa couldn’t recognize or gathering close to said stands. The Raven Leader had had the idea of introducing the children to different crafts, in order to try and make them interested in parts of their culture that weren’t given much attention. Being one of the senior Sparrow Scouts, Johanna had taken upon herself great part of the responsibility for organizing that event, and Kaisa even had accompanied her to those professionals’ houses to be with her when she made the invitation. Artisans with a wide range of different abilities now showed their skills to the children, and Kaisa was sure her girlfriend must be feeling really proud of the result of her work.

As she looked for Johanna among the swarm of similarly dressed scouts, Kaisa could only imagine how livid Henrietta would be if she learned that a witch so close to being fully trained was attending such a human event; mingling with non witches was not something she was encouraged to do, and the feeling of rebellion made being there even more worth it. Of course, that still couldn’t compare to the chance of seeing her girlfriend doing something she felt comfortable with.

Kaisa found her in the middle of the crowd, giving information to a trio of children who didn’t know where to begin exploring the event. After sending them on their way to a woman who was demonstrating the making of julehjerters, little decorative hearts of weaved paper, Johanna lifted her gaze and noticed the witch observing her. With a smile on her face, she beckoned Kaisa closer and closed her in a tight hug.

“I’m so glad to see you here!” She chirped into Kaisa’s cardigan, both of them taking a couple of seconds to just hold each other.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Answered Kaisa, looking around without dislodging herself from the embrace. “Are you sure I can be here, though? I only see other scouts around.”

Granted, the witch knew she wasn't the best of influences when it came to following rules, but she still wouldn’t want Johanna to get into any kind of trouble because of her. There were no other outsiders around her, and Kaisa didn’t think stealing a sash from some random kid would be a good solution.

Johanna took a step back, though she kept herself close enough that they were still holding each other’s waits, and smiled. “Don’t worry about it! We were encouraged to call people for the event. I just asked you to come earlier so we could make the most out of it, but people will begin arriving soon enough.”

“‘The most of it?’” Kaisa lifted an eyebrow.

“Of course!” Johanna’s eyes glittered as she tugged on her hand, guiding her girlfriend through the gathering. Kaisa didn’t resist, trusting her girlfriend knew where she was going as she began feeling a scent of flour and hearth in the air, which got stronger with every step they took. “There are things we must try before there are queues! Have you ever eaten a traditional lefse?”

_#_#_#_

Johanna had been right; it didn’t take long before a crowd began gathering on the field, both people who seemed to be there for their Sparrow Scout loved ones or those who only happened to hear about the event and showed up to enjoy the activities. As she’d already worked hard to make that event happen, not much else was expected from her except helping a confused younger scout every now and then, leaving her with time to spend with Kaisa.

Already eating their second serving of lefse with butter, they were discussing a way to find the recipe (Kaisa had offered to use a spell to steal a copy from the stallman, but unfortunately Johanna had stopped her before she had the chance) when one of the faces among the ones surrounding them caught their attention. Not because it was familiar to them in any way, but because there was something unquestionably strange about it. Framed by eerily red bangs, the girl’s eyes seemed to reflect no light at all. Johanna tried to point her out subtly.

“There’s something weird about that girl.” She said, watching Kaisa’s eyes narrow as if she was staring right through the other teenager.

“She’s a marra.” The witch stated with not an inkling of doubt in her voice, even though Johanna couldn’t tell what kind of magic she might have used to reach that conclusion, and turned to her with a sly smile in the corner of her mouth. “Should we do something about it?”

“No, I don’t think we should. Let’s not ruin our lovely day.”

“Anna, where is your sense of adventure?” Kaisa lifted an eyebrow, only half joking. She had noticed that with each passing day her girlfriend became less and less excited about the things they used to do together. It didn't mean that they were drawing apart, since they still always enjoyed simply being together, but sometimes Kaisa worried that things were changing too fast; while Johanna got more mature, she still felt moved by the same things she did as a child. She could only hope Johanna would never outgrow magic. It’s not like Kaisa had anything else to offer her.

“Right here, as always.” Johanna tapped her chest playfully, making Kaisa giggle, and then slid her arm across her girlfriend’s back to keep her close. “But the only adventure I’m interested in right now is being with you.”

Rolling her eyes, Kaisa leaned her head against Johanna’s shoulder and resigned herself to not doing anything. She watched the bustling event with little interest, focusing only on Johanna’s comments about school, her family, the Sparrow Scouts and all the other things happening in her life. Adventurous or not, she would have loved to spend the whole evening like that. Soon, however, Johanna took her arm away from around her witch, which made her look up questioningly.

Johanna was wearing an apologetic expression, trying her best to not look away from Kaisa’s face. The few strands of curly copper hair falling in front of her eyes made her seem disheveled for a moment. “We should probably get going. People are leaving, the place will be deserted soon.”

“Right.” Kaisa sat upright on the bench. “Want to come over for dinner? Tildy said she was making stew.”

The smile that Johanna had managed to put up wavered. “I’d love to, but… not today.”

After so many years, Kaisa recognized that tone of voice, and her own happiness faltered. “Your parents?”

“Yeah.” As a cooler breeze brushed against their skins, Johanna shivered. “They don’t like it that I seem to be out more often than before.”

It took Kaisa effort not to huff. Of course Johanna was going out more; she was trying to get extracurriculars under her belt for when the time came to send out college applications, not to mention how she had taken to helping some of her friends with their studying. How it escaped Johanna’s parents' notice that they were lucky to have a daughter like Johanna, Kaisa didn’t know, but she did take them for fools for it. Though Kaisa had to admit that their wariness of her didn’t get them any points with her either.

She did, of course, know that Johanna was certainly more upset with this than she could be. It was her problem to deal with, after all, and Kaisa wouldn’t make it worse by protesting. As they lifted themselves up to their feet, she tried to smile reassuringly.

“You could come over some other day, then. Don’t worry about it.”

Despite her mood, Johanna’s spirits were lifted by Kaisa’s thoughtfulness, and she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend sweetly on her lips, uncaring of who could see them. She tasted of coffee and of the lefse they’d had some time before, leaving Johanna slightly breathless when she drew back. Their hands interlaced between them as their foreheads touched, they had to make an enormous amount of effort to let go.

“Good evening, then.” Kaisa whispered, wondering how on earth the day had passed by so fast. If she thought such magic even existed, she would have suspected of some wicked witch casting a spell to steal their time from them. “And good luck.”

[brief-candle]

ᴛᴇᴀꜱᴇ - Laito Sakamaki

request info: succubus reader plays around with laito and makes him jealous on purpose.

they wanted her to become his girlfriend but i couldn't find a way to fit it in without the conversation looking kinda weird. and i also didn't write the scene where they did the devil's tango because this was on quotev and we gotta be family friendly pg clean over there.

i’m just posting the two things i did for dialovers bc i have nothing else to post atm,, after i finish the last request in my inbox i might write something self-indulgent... haven’t done that in a while so hmm

series: diabolik lovers.

notes: probably ooc laito, female reader, slight yandere, heavily implied nsfw (under the cut!!).

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ♫ ⋅.} ───── ⊰

There was interest sparked from the moment they met eyes. Well, perhaps interest wasn't the correct word for it. Not for someone like Laito Sakamaki. To be truthful, he wasn't truly very interested with many people. Not when it was exceptionally easy to get what he wanted from them before he could move onto another of his victims.

For a short while, she seemed just as simple and easy as the rest of the people he'd bedded. Flirting back easily, smiling coyly as she did so. It was a telltale sign of interest, wasn't it? Many responded to him in that way, and from then on didn't seem to hold interest in anyone else. Only him, such a reaction born from minimal effort on his part.

What he wasn't expecting was for her to show others the same treatment with such ease, giggling along to lame jokes and getting very touchy as she did so. Everyone she seemed to interact with appeared to fall apart at the seams, heeding to her every beck and call very soon after. Seeing such a thing was strange to him, perhaps as he was not used to seeing someone else have such an effect over people. People that he was so used to controlling with the slightest lilt to his voice, the upturn of his lips having them fawning over him in an instant.

He found himself competing with her, silently declaring a war over the attention of their schoolmates. But no matter his determination that he would not lose- pride in that charm of his- he found himself losing every battle. The smallest input into a conversation from her would drive people insane with glee, the smallest of smiles raising people's moods for the entire day. Laito truly couldn't fathom how she could possibly do it, really.

For a moment he had deliberated that it may have been simply natural charm. That she simply wasn't aware of her effect on others, and had no idea that he was competing with her in the first place. However that was all very obviously disproved from the smug look in her eyes when she knew no one but him was looking. It was gone in a second, as someone had turned to talk to her once more, but there was no question that it had been there.

It seemed he'd have to up his game.

Rather than playing it tame with his ploys to steal the attention from her, he began to explore different tactics. Instead of outright fighting for attention (though no one seemed to notice that they were fighting for it), he started to use rather underhanded moves. Seducing more and more people than he'd done before, intimidating those that still stood by her, sometimes even going so far as to blackmail them. He was determined to be at the top of the food chain again, being the one that people thought of all day every day. Laito never really appreciated it, and chances were that he still wouldn't even after all of this. What he was appreciating was the entertainment- the challenge- that came from it.

What he would appreciate more is seeing her gradually break down because of it. Because of him. He was striving to reach a point where no one would even look at her, lest they risk his fury. But he'd still hold a hand out to her, to take her in and break her beyond repair, all under the guise of sympathy. Even just thinking about it got his nonexistent heart racing; her face, beautiful without a doubt, with reddened cheeks and puffy eyes that couldn't even cry any more than they had already. Those eyes, so vibrant and rich in their colour, filled with such despair and agony because of him. Though he couldn't decide if he wanted to show her off in such a state or keep her all to himself.

"What are you playing at, Mister Sakamaki?" Speak of the devil, and she may appear. Indeed, as he turned, he caught sight of you. Not that he needed to turn and face you, really, especially not with a look of confusion so feigned and practised upon his face. Yet he did so anyway, and internally delighted in seeing her.

He continued to play the innocently confused, answering: "Whatsoever do you mean?"

Though she was an exceptional actress, some of the irritation seeped through the cracks in her façade and tainted the usually affable tone in her voice as well as the sense of enchantment that lived in her eyes. She was visibly unimpressed by his faux guiltlessness, eyebrows furrowing just enough to form the slightest of creases before they were gone. Face back to neutrality, though not as beautiful as her brief frustration had been to him.

"I see," she paused, closing her eyes as he did so. If only she wouldn't do that, for she was much harder to read with her eyes closed. They were such a lovely colour, too. Thankfully she opened them once more when she continued, "I wouldn't recommend that you continue with what you're doing." As she spoke, that amiable smile came to her face again, one which didn't reach her eyes and distracted one very easily from her venomous emphasis which she delicately placed upon each softly spoken syllable.

That piqued his interest then, the threat spoken so mildly and the consequences left silent. He felt almost obligated to ask, failing to hide rising amusement, "Oh? And what will you do about it?"

She didn't rise to his challenge. Not immediately, anyway. But when she did, it was with a cutting civility and a long, cold stare: "I'll put bugs in your pants."

It was a child's threat, yes, but it was a threat which worked against the likes of Laito. Though he didn't reveal how much he detested at the mere idea of such a thing coming true. He hated the idea of insects being anywhere near him- never mind on him!

"The biggest ones I can find."

She was visibly trying very hard not to crack up at his reaction. No matter how much he tried to hide his discomfort, his pale skin paled even more. It was very tempting to tease and prod at him for it, but she resisted; it looked as if she'd be getting her way. She'd have got it one way or the other- that was something she was very good at- but it was always a pleasant surprise when it was this easy.

So, with an easy grin upon her face, she turned and headed down the hallway, left hand waving lazily, "pleasure doing business with you."

Oh, but it wasn't pleasant for him. He did keep his side of the one-sided bargain, but it was with extreme reluctance that only seemed to grow as time went on. With every fleeting touch she inflicted upon another, every simpering smile that they received- hell, every look she gave people began to grate on him. Why did she seem to give little bits of herself to everyone but him so freely? She barely even looked in his direction since their little exchange and days had began to merge with weeks, and he didn't know if he could take them forming months.

Especially since she always knew exactly what she was doing. The only times she would spare him a glance was when she did something that she knew would particularly annoy him. That was when she'd look in his direction, see him looking and stare just as smugly as she'd done before, with the same smugness that used to irritate him for different reasons.

It was still there now, poorly buried under false irritation as she tilted her head upwards to stare him in the eyes. Her eyes were somehow even more pretty up close, especially when looking in his direction.

"What are you doing, Sakamaki?" She was more relaxed this time, most likely due to having nothing to lose. Intrigue was very much present under layers of fake boredom, yet he didn't call her out on it.

"I could ask you the same question." Though he sounded relaxed, he wasn't as relaxed as he sounded on the inside. He'd acted on a whim, here, and even though the action wasn't unexpected of him, it felt rather foreign to him with her. There was something about her that seemed so different from anyone else he'd talked to in this school (apart from his brothers, of course), but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it might be.

She hummed in question, leaning forward until her nose nearly met his. So close, yet so far. How he wanted to lunge forward and take her lips in his, hoping it would satiate him somewhat.

"And why is that?"

He chuckled, not looking away from her for a moment; to break eye contact would be to admit defeat to her, and that was something he'd never do.

"You're full of questions today." Was all he responded with, barely acknowledging her question. She wouldn't have the satisfaction of knowing what he was thinking- how he was feeling- in the slightest. If he were to tell her then her ego would only grow, and that was the opposite of what he wanted.

He wanted her to squirm. To squirm like all the others when he pushed them so.

But she didn't.

"And you're dodging every single one of them." Finally, she broke eye contact, staring at his dark, loosely-tied necktie for a moment. Then she reached for it, twirling it around and around her finger with almost absent eyes. Around and around and around and around it went, and he mused that perhaps she'd never stop.

It did. Only when she reached up the tiniest amount to grip it in her hand, pulling it towards her. Their noses were very much touching there, and the slightest of friction from skin against skin had never felt so good to him before. Hell, he could've moaned from it had he not been so surprised.

Her eyes were so close, a colour so indescribably beautiful that he felt that he was drowning in an ocean of it from the sight alone. Especially so close. It was too close to be considered friendly- too close to even be considered aggressive. Well, not the type of aggressive that'd lead to a fight, anyway. Perhaps the other type of aggressive, though.

"You've been staring at me for a while," she stated, slightly tilting her head as she did so with an amused smile upon her face, "is there something you need from me?"

He, too, was amused by the situation. If he was not a vampire then he was sure his heart would've been beating out of his chest by now. It was a strange sensation, feeling so on-edge yet so immensely excited. Was this what it was like to play with fire? If so then he hoped it would never be extinguished.

"Perhaps," he cupped her chin in his hand, stroking it gently with long, slow movements of his thumb, "though I fear it's something only you can provide."

His gaze briefly strayed to her lips, lingering there intentionally longer than necessary, before flickering back up to her eyes. They narrowed in mirth.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Her movements were serpentine, head now close to his ear, so much so that her warm breath began to fan across his ice-cold neck.

"Well, then I can't deprive you if you're that desperate, now, can I?"

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

The sun was beginning to rise, yet neither of them noticed such a thing through the thick, dark curtains.

"I didn't think you were the dominant type," Laito spoke, the girl he was speaking to busying herself with dressing herself. He wasn't disappointed by any means, which was evident by his usual teasing, flirtatious tone of voice.

She snickered, "you certainly didn't seem to mind."

He grinned, waving an arm around in the air for emphasis, "of course not! It was a pleasant surprise."

"Though," he continued, staring at her whilst resting his face in the palm of his hand, "you still haven't told me what you are."

Completely unfazed by his question, she stared back with a smile still upon her face, "really- you haven't figured it out yet?"

Clicking her tongue, she strode over to her now-creased blazer that had been flung haphazardly onto the floor and shrugged it on, "I'm surprised. Surely you of all people have come across a succubus or two before, no?"

"A succubus?" He repeated, almost dumbfounded. As far as he knew, they were just some fantasy creature. But her being a succubus would answer a lot of his questions about the whole situation which had so far gone unanswered.

"Yes," she merely commented, slipping on her shoes now. At this point she was fully dressed, whereas Laito hadn't even bothered making an effort to put any clothes on.

With one final glance, she opened the door, "well, I hope to be seeing you a little more, Laito."

And with that, she left.

He hoped to be seeing a bit more than a little more of her. Let's just hope he doesn't get too greedy now, though.

[ohtheseboysilove]

The greatest actress I [ Ben Hardy x F!Reader]

Words : 2, 300 K +

Warnings : fluff, few naughty moments, angst

Summary : Things aren’t always as they seems.

  Note :  I litteraly just write that today and I’m pretty happy about it! I will maybe turn it in a mini-serie if you guys what, I have few more ideas so we will see :) Hope you enjoy it lovie, don’t forget to tell me what you think, I survive on retweet and reviews ;)))

And for those who wonder, I didn’t forget about the requests I have, I will write them eventually !

(gifs aren’t mine!)

"Well, hello there" You raised your head from your book to see Ben entering the living-room, wearing his adorable beanie. "Always a sight for the eyes" He winked at you, taking his shoes and coat off before walking toward you.

"Hey you" You smiled fondly and tilted your face to let him delicately caught your lips for a tender kiss, his mouth always soft and warm against yours.

You could never get tired of his feeling every time Ben was around. Your belly twisted with pure love when his hand went stroking your cheek, his pads slightly cold from the outdoor.

"You’re alright, baby ? You look a little off" Baby. Your heart missed a beat at the nickname and your cheeks were probably already way too hot.

"I’m okay, just a little bit tired from work" You murmured as he sat next to you on the sofa, putting your book away. His arm immediately came around your waist, dragging you closer.

"You work too much, baby" The blond man mumbled, his lips lazily trailing pecks on your jawline which had the same effect as if had directly kicked the nest of butterflies in your belly. "We should order take-out and watch a movie, good for you ?" His mouth was now on your neck, the cold tip of his nose gently rubbing on your skin.

You almost forget to answer.

"Perfect, love" You swallowed quietly as he gently cradled your face, his beautiful green eyes and boyish smile sending chills all over your body. "Why are you looking at me like this ?" You asked with a slightly trembling voice, the closeness of his pretty face was always making you weak.

"Because I love you" His raspy voice murmuring these four words to you made your heartbeat quickened so fast, you were scared Ben could hear it.

Before you could reply anything, his mouth was on yours, giving you a long and sweet kiss. His palms found your waist again, pads slightly brushing against the barely exposed skin of your hips. Soon enough the kiss turned hotter and more urgent, his tongue finding yours hungrily and you couldn’t help but sighed with pleasure. Your hands were lost somewhere in his pretty blond curls, noses gently bumping against each other but it was absolutely perfect.

Too soon for your taste the kiss was over and you both parted, breathing loudly and chests going up and down after the intense kiss. His cheeks were wearing a delicious shade of pink and could honestly kiss him all day long. You looked at him with adoration before remembering what he said to you before the kiss, you were supposed to reply.

"I love you too" It was the absolute truth, you were deeply and irrevocably in love with the man.

How could you not ?

A large smile blossomed on his face, sending the butterflies in your stomach wild.

"I know, you’re an open book, baby" He giggled softly, his fingers twirled a lock of your hairs. You smiled nervously and hoped you weren’t as obvious as he said. "What do you want to eat tonight ?" He grabbed his phone and opened one of the food app, scrolling through it mindlessly.

"I’m not sure" You said and put your chin on his shoulder to have a good look at the screen. The feeling of Ben’s cheek against yours spread goosebumps on your skin. "What about Indian ? Or...hey, let’s try this new sushi place !" You exclaimed excitedly and Ben turned around, grinning at your enthusiasm.

"Whatever my girl want" My girl. There was it again, this intense twisting in your belly, turning your whole body into jelly.

He kissed you again, god these lips ! It was fairly sweet, dropping several pecks on your mouth and you couldn’t help but chuckled at the cheesiness of the moment. You were secretly loving it. Once he was done he looked at you expectingly and for few seconds you couldn’t focus on anything but the amazing shade of green sparkling in his eyes. You felt him slightly shifted against you and suddenly your remembered that you were supposed to actually answer him. Again.

Get your shit together (Y/N)!

"Sushi" You breathed and discretely wiped your sweaty hands on your jeans then cleared your throat and repeated louder. "I want to eat sushi tonight"

"Sound perfect to me" The British blond replied and went back on his screen as you tried to control the beating of your heart.

You grabbed the remote next to you and switched on the tv, putting on the next episode of the series that you and Ben were supposed to watch. It was silent for few minutes before he dropped his phone, focusing his attention back on you.

"Done" He grinned at you and a smile matching his immediately appeared on your face. The man had too much power over you. "Let’s watch our dear Benedict and Martin doing stupid yet genius things" He raised his arm and you immediately took the hint, cuddling his side, enjoying it way too much.

You watched Sherlock for only few minutes before Ben’s attention weren’t on the screen anymore but instead on your pretty exposed throat. It started innocently, few kisses here and there. A hand brushing against your thigh then rubbing it slightly. You tried to not pay attention too much, the man was always tactile and sweet. But soon enough, the mood had change drastically. His hand moved to back, sliding cheekily under your tee-shirt.

"Love" You said in a small voice, a chill rolled down your spine at the touch against your bare back. "I thought we were watching the tv show" You weakly protested as his lips softly sucked on the skin of your throat, not enough to leave a mark but enough to turn you on ridiculously quickly.

"Yeah but I can’t help myself, baby" The blond man inhaled sharply against your neck, the hand which wasn’t on your back was currently pushing you flat on the sofa. "You’re so...distracting" He practically purred and you were literally melting. 

He was hovering above you, his frame supported by one of his strong and deliciously muscular-shaped arm as his hand cockily toyed with the hem of your top.

"Wait" You grabbed the remote with difficulty as he didn’t listen to you and instead of waiting like you said, he was busying his mouth with your, ignoring your little whine. You blindly switched off the tv and slid your arms on his larger shoulders, pads digging into his skin. "You’re a really pain in the ass, you know that, mister ?" You giggled against his lips, body slightly bucking against his, totally out of control.

"I heard that before" He broke the kiss to reply and helped you sit, hands tugging off your top. You raised your arms and swallowed discretely as you ended up in a cute and yellow lacy bra, gaining the immediate attention of the British man. "But I’m sure I can convince you that this" He delivered a sharp slap on your backside, a loud moan falling from your throat for all answer. "And what I’m about to do to you is much more entertaining that any tv show" Your whole body felt like it was on fire, Your legs opening automatically and Ben slid between them, dropping a kiss right above the valley of your breast.

It was becoming harder and harder to just breath. Then he moved back, his hands reaching to take his own top off and you knew you were utterly fucked. The sight of Ben’s perfectly carved chest knocked the air out of your lungs. He laughed fondly as you eagerly ran a hand on his torso, savouring how smooth and warm his skin was.

If only he knew how eager you really were.

The muscular V on a man had always been one of your weakness but Ben’s was particularly making you weak, the dirtiest thoughts crossing your mind at the sight.

And the way he was looking at you...dear god. You felt like a four-course meal under his intense gaze and he just looked like a starving man, ready to devour all of you.

"Stop looking at me like that, baby" You shivered as he laid on you, his warm skin flat against your burning one. One of his hand found your jaw, grabbing it rather firmly and the hotness of the gesture soaked your already probably ruined underwear. "I swear I’m gonna cream my pants with that look" He playfully added as he ran a thumb on your lower lip and you had to refrain yourself to suck on it right there.

"Aww, just like a teenager, love, really ?" You teased back and he rolled his eyes but still smirked anyway. "And I thought you were..."

Your teasing died in your throat as his mouth fell on your sweet spot, right on the junction between your neck and shoulder. You roughly grabbed his hairs and sighed loudly, your face breaking in an expression of pure pleasure.

"Not so much to say anymore, hum ?" He smugly smirk but you ignored him and instead pushed him lower on your body. He chuckled but gently kissed your stomach until his lips reached the waistband of your jeans. His fingers expertly pop open your button before zipping off your pants. "Lift this pretty ass for me, baby" You said as he told like he was done kind of enchanter and he quickly helped you get ride of the jeans, leaving you in matching knickers.

"Fuck baby, do something please" You whined pathetically and winked at you, dropping a kiss on each of your knees.

"I’m gonna take a good care of you, babe" He murmured with a predatory voice, his face slowly lowering itself between your thighs.

You were about to explode.

"And cut !" The director yelled enthusiastically and suddenly the moment was gone.

You didn’t know if you were bitter or thankful that the scene was over. You weren’t sure how long you could have keep doing that.

"Here" Ben stood up and handed you your shirt with a smile as he was putting his own back on. "I think we totally nailed it" The British man grinned and helped you stand up, always a sweetheart.

It wasn’t helping your poor, suffering heart.

"It was amazing ! (Y/N), you’re star and you Ben, excellent performance. Well done, both of you" The director excitingly said, clapping a friendly hand on the actor’ shoulder. "We don’t need to do this scene again, it was even better than what I have in mind. Your chemistry is just unbelievable you guys"

"Thank you" The blond smiled widely, his cheeks reddening a bit under the compliment as the director walked away, telling whoever was around how good these two are together! "Wanna get lunch ? I’m craving sushi now" He joked and you imitated him, zipping on your jeans.

"Can’t say no to that" You replied and Ben and you walked away toward the lunch room, your body still burning from his previous touch.

As always the gentleman, he opened the door for you and playfully said : "After you, baby"

You let out an awkward chuckle, not showing at all how much this stupid nickname was affecting you. And as you weren’t feeling uncomfortable enough, a nice surprise was waiting in the room.

Isis. Ben’s girlfriend. Ben’s drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend.

She squealed loudly at the sight of the blond and immediately ran to him, jumping in his open arms. You looked at the scene with a churning stomach, the urge to throw up deeply needed.

"Oh my— Doll, what are you doing here ?" The giant smile on Ben’s face made your throat dry.

"Wanted to surprise you, silly" Isis giggled and pressed an eager kiss to his lips, immediately returned by her boyfriend. You moved your gaze away when the kiss went deeper, if you could just disappeared right now you would be grateful. "I missed you too much" She let go of his lips but kept a firm hand around his waist, dreamy eyes looking at him.

"Me too, doll" He dropped a kiss on her forehead and he caught the sight of you, awkwardly looking at the meals available for the day. "Sorry (Y/N), we...hum gonna eat lunch in my trailer I think" He checked with Isis who eagerly nodded, clearly hungry for something else than lunch.

"No worries guy" You said with a fake smile as Isis smiled back, gratefully before Ben tugged her toward the exit quickly.

You understood very well that lunch in the trailer was the name code for we’re gonna shag in my trailer. And the thought of that honestly brought tears in your eyes. You found yourself incredibly pathetic, actress and actor who crush on there co-star happens all the time, your situation weren’t unique but it still hurt like hell. Especially when somewhere during the filming you developed real feeling for the man, falling hard and fast for him. Even if you knew since the beginning he wasn’t single. You just couldn’t help yourself. And now, only two months into the filming, you didn’t know how you were supposed to survive the next following months, playing all lovey-dovey with Ben.

"(Y/N), you’re incredible !" You almost jumped as Molly, your assigned makeup artist and now friend, hugged you, rambling about your talents. "I swear this scene was so hot ! And the way you were looking at each other, oh my— the sexual tension was literally palpable !" She giggled, bubbly and excitedly as always.

You laughed nervously and scratched your head, avoiding eyes contacts and instead focusing on the pouring yourself a glass of fresh water.

"Hey, you know I’m kidding right ? I know you’re both just actors but you’re really good, like super good" She pressed a peck on your right cheek and tussled your hairs. "Honestly, if I didn’t know you any better, I would think you’re in love with Ben"

Her words felt like a punch in the stomach and you could only reply with a weak chuckle and a poor :

"Yeah I’m just doing my job"

**

[auditionsuggestions]

Show Breakdowns - Little Women: The Musical

Here’s a new thing I’m trying! Basically breakdowns and descriptions of characters in a show along with the audition songs I suggest for them! I figued I’d start with a show I know inside and out.  Below the Cut for length. This is specific to the 2005 Jason Howland/Mindi Dickstein version.

Josephine “Jo” March

Playing age: 15-22 (character ages through the show)

Lead. A Star Vehicle role. Jo barely leaves the stage (I should know, I’ve played her before).

Range: E3-A5, Belt to E5. Mezzo Belt (or strong mix)

Dance Requirement: Some movement

Jo is fiery, exuberant, and passionate. All her emotions are extremes which can lead her to be rather blunt or brash and very headstrong. She starts as a complete tomboy and keeps a lot of that as she grows up. The show begins with her in her 20s living in a boarding house in New York City and then Act I flashes back to her teen years in Concord, MA with Act II coming back to her 20s. Her journey is tied to  finding her own unique voice as an author rather than just writing what she thinks will sell. 

Suggested Songs:

Uptempo: Spark of Creation, Children of Eden; Watch What Happens, Newsies; I’m Your Man, Meet John Doe; Times are Hard for Dreamers, Amelie; The Writing on the Wall, The Mystery of Edwin Drood; Live Out Loud, A Little Princess

Midtempo: Journey to the Past, Anastasia; 

Ballad: Woman, The Pirate Queen;  He Threw Me, Meet John Doe;   A Change in Me, Beauty and the Beast

Theodore “Laurie” Laurence

Playing age: 15-22 (ages through the show)

Supporting Character. Doubles as Roderigo I

Range: Bb2-Bb4 (A youthful, contemporary high Tenor)

Dance Requirement: Some movement

Laurie is the quintessential boy next door. He lives with his grandfather and his cat across the way from the March sisters and quickly becomes enthralled by the love, warmth, and joy in their family that he feels lacking in his own house. He and Jo are best friends and almost too alike. After Jo rejects his proposal, he goes away to Europe where (after reuiniting with a now grown up Amy) he matures and he and Jo are able to resume their friendship (now as brother-in-law and sister-in-law). As Roderigo I, he starts as the generic hero of the story Jo is writing.

Suggested Songs:

Uptempo: Top of the World, Tuck Everlasting; Partner in Crime, Tuck Everlasting (Originally duets, can be arranged as solos)

Midtempo: My Petersburg, Anastasia; Corner of the Sky, Pippin (overdone)

Ballad:  Proud of Your Boy, Aladdin; I’ll Be There, The Pirate Queen

Margaret “Meg” March

Playing age: 16-23

Supporting Character. Doubles as Clarissa

Range: Bb3-B5 (Legit Soprano)

Dance Requirement: Some movement

Meg is the eldest of the March sisters and takes it upon herself to try and teach her younger sisters how to act like a proper lady--though she’s still really a kid herself . Meg is the only one of the sisters with a solid memory of what it was like when the family was wealthy and often finds herself yearning for the ease the money would bring to her life. She wants to be accepted and admired in society, but learns that her own happiness is much more important than status or money. As Clarissa, she is the heroine of the story Jo writes growing with Jo’s skill as an author from a generic damsel in distress to her own knight in shining armor.

Suggested Songs: Till there Was You, The Music Man; I’ve Never Been in Love Before, Guys and Dolls; Goodnight My Someone, The Music Man; I Saw Him Once, Les Miserables; I Could Have Danced All Night, My Fair Lady

Elizabeth “Beth” March

Playing age: 13-21 (character ages through the show)

Supporting Character. Doubles as Roderigo II

Range: A3-G5 (Mix Soprano)

Dance Requirement: Some movement

Beth is the third-born of the March sisters. She is the peace-maker of the family and can always be counted on to support or uplift her sisters whenever they need it. She is constantly willing to go out of her way to help those who need it (such as their poor neighbors, The Hummels) and has a deep love of music through which she bonds with Grandfather Laurence. As Roderigo II, she is the twist that shows Jo’s unique flair as a writer, turning out to be the heroine’s sister in disguise rather than another generic swashbuckling hero.

Suggested Songs: How Could I Ever Know, The Secret Garden; The Girl I Mean to Be, The Secret Garden; Much More, The Fantasticks (overdone); Far From the Home I Love, Fiddler on the Roof; The Secret of Happiness, Daddy Long Legs; In My Own Little Corner, R&H Cinderella

Amelia “Amy” Curtis March

Playing age: 12-20 (sometimes cast with 2 actresses as younger and older Amy)

Supporting Character. Doubles as Troll

Range: G3-G5 (Bright, Disney-esque Soprano or Mezzo)

Dance Requirement: Some movement

Amy is the youngest of the March sisters. As a 12 year old, she longs to be grown up and elegant. She normally feels forgotten or left behind as the youngest. Very feminine Amy often butts heads with tomboy-ish Jo as they’re both headstrong and impulsive--two sides of the same coin. As a 20 year old, Amy has been chosen by Aunt March to accompany her to Europe to become cultured and (ostensibly) to be educated in painting (though it’s really more that Aunt March wants Amy to find a suitable husband). Amy returns still headstrong and impulsive, but also now the refined lady she dreamed of being as a child. She eventually falls in love with Laurie as their personalities compliment each other where Laurie’s and Jo’s clashed. As the Troll, she is an obstacle for Clarissa to overcome, representative of conquering materialism.

Suggested Songs: Love is an Open Door, Frozen; That’s How You Know, Enchanted; A Lovely Night, Cinderella; I Could be Happy With You, The Boy Friend; Follow Your Heart, Urinetown; Beyond My Wildest Dreams, The Little Mermaid; Much More, The Fantasticks (possibly overdone)

Marmee March

Playing age: ~42-50 (Flexible as Marmee’s age is never given)

Supporting Character. Doubles as Hag

Range:D3-E5 (a warm Mezzo or Alto)

Dance Requirement: A little movement (one number).

Marmee is the mother of the March girls. With her husband away at war (and not featured in the show at all), it falls on her alone to raise the girls to be strong, brave, and compassionate young women. Marmee is wise and loving, but not overly indulgent or lenient with the girls. She hides much of her grief and struggles (and temper) from her daughters so that they feel they can always lean on her. (Fun fact, Meg and Amy are both named after Marmee, whose given name is Margaret and maiden name was Curtis). As the Hag, she is an obstacle for Clarissa to overcome, representative of conquering vanity

Suggested Songs: Back to Before, Ragtime; What Kind of Woman, Ragtime; Sensitivity, Once Upon A Mattress; When There’s No One, Carrie: the Musical, Close the Door, Anastasia

Aunt March

Playing Age: ~65-73 (Flexible)

Supporting Character. Doubles as Mrs. Kirk

Range: D3-E5 (Character Mezzo or Alto)

Dance Requirement: Optional (Possible in “Could You”)

Aunt March is the girls’ formidable, crabby, and very wealthy Great Aunt for whom Jo was named. While she is stern and rigid, she genuinely does love her great nieces and wants to see them succeed in life (granted: “succeed” by her definition). Jo works as a companion for Aunt March, reading to her and fixing things around the house. Amy later takes over this job as she gets older. Mrs. Kirk is Jo’s landlady and employer in New York. Jo is governess to Mrs. Kirk’s daughters. She can be a bit of a busybody, but  is overall very kind to and supportive of Jo.

Suggested Songs: Perfectly Nice, Jane Eyre: the musical; A Slip of A Girl, Jane Eyre; Liaisons, A Little Night Music; So What, Cabaret; Brimstone and Treacle, Mary Poppins; Haven’t Got a Prayer, Sister Act

Professor Friedrich “Fritz” Bhaer

Playing age: 34-35 (but looks older.)

Supporting Character

Range: G2-F#4 (A high Baritone/Baritone with a strong upper extension--should sound older than Laurie and Mr. Brooke)

Dance Requirement: None

Prof. Bhaer is another tenant of Mrs. Kirk’s boarding house in New York. Originally from Germany, he emigrated to America upon his sister’s death to raise her two sons. He and Jo strike up an odd friendship and he becomes her beta-reader. He is nonconfrontational by nature, but will give his honest and blunt opinion when asked (much to Jo’s chagrin at times). He finds himself fascinated by the adventurous young author and eventually they fall in love--a union of equals rather than simply being in love with the idea of Jo as Laurie was.

Suggested Songs:  Some Girls, Once on this Island; I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face, My Fair Lady; Love Sneaks In, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Emma, Emma the Musical; Charity, Daddy Long Legs

Mr. John Brooke

Playing age: 20-28 (Flexible, no age is given in the story).

Supporting Character. Doubles as Braxton

Range: C#3-Gb4 (A darker tenor than Laurie, but sitll lighter than Prof. Bhaer).

Dance Requirement: None

Though he starts off as Laurie’s rather stiff tutor, Mr. Brooke is a romantic at heart and a big dork. He and Meg are immediately smitten with one another. He later shows off his latent courage by joining up with the Union Army and endears himself to the other sisters (Jo was not particularly keen on his and Meg’s relationship) by escorting Marmee to Washington DC when her husband falls ill. As Braxton, he is the classic over the top melodrama villain in Jo’s story who Clarissa vanquishes with the help of her sister.

Suggested Songs: Everything To Win, Anastasia; There She Was, The Scarlet Pimpernel; Her Voice, The Little Mermaid

Grandfather Laurence

Playing age: ~65-73 (Flexible)

Supporting Character. Doubles as The Knight

Range: C#3-D4 (Gruff Character Baritone or Tenor with a strong lower extension)

Dance Requirement: Optional (possible in “Off to Massachusetts”)

Laurie’s distant and rather foreboding grandfather. Mr. Laurence took Laurie in after the boy was orphaned and is very strict with him. He originally sees his grandson’s involvement with the March girls as an unnecessary and detrimental distraction from Laurie’s studies, but is won over by Beth with whom he bonds as she reminds him of his dead granddaughter in both demeanor and love of music. He eventually becomes a surrogate grandfather to all the March sisters. As the Knight, he is the final obstacle for Clarissa to overcome, representative of accepting self-sacrifice and putting the needs of others first.

Suggested Songs: A Sentimental Man, Wicked; No Matter What, Beauty and the Beast; Something Was Missing, Annie

[moonlightreal]

Fate episode 4

Welcome back to Fate Elemental Academy!  Or should I call it Fate: The Elemental Academy Saga? Fate: Tales From Elemental Academy?  I kinda wish I had an actual following now, we could push changing the name all over the fandom. Fate’s a bad Winx show but it’s not a bad show.

When we left our cast Beatrix just murderized a dude, Terra was suffering, Musa was finding love, Stella was mysterious, Bloom was destiny-ridden and Aisha was getting bored with it all!  What will happen now?

Also, is Rosalind evil?  I assumed she was the “she” who got rid of all the Burned Ones and thus was a hero, but she’s got some serious resting evil face.

Episode 4 opens with a gorgeous shadowy shot of Alfea in the twilight of day twelve-ish I assume.  In Dowling’s still badly lit office the adults are investigating Callan!  Whose real name was Callum, I think, but he’s dead and so won’t mind what I call him.  But Dowling says he hasn’t been seen “for days” so we’ll jump to it being day twentyish.  They’ve searched Callan’s room and found “metal-amalgam” which seems to be mercury, which someone would use to try to get past the trap on the door to the undercroft. Harvey charmingly starts a lecture on its properties before realizing Silva and Dowling want to get on with the infordumping.  Dowling says Callan wouldn’t have known about the mercury, it’s “archaic fairy knowledge” and he’s not a fairy.  

But couldn’t anyone study the lore even if they don’t have powers? Dane was doing potions/chemistry in the greenhouse with Terra and he’s not a fairy.  There’s usually some magic stuff that muggles can do just by having an enchanted thingamabob.  Fate, your worldbuilding leaves much to be desired.

Silva guesses Callan had help.  And Harvey’s made magical fingerprint mist!  He’s got a pitcher on a stick and smoke is coming out to track the magic used in the room!  Does that make Harvey a fairy?

The smoke outlines Callan’s vanished form, where he was sitting paralyzed before Beatrix zapped him.

Dowling: “At least we know where he went.”

Silva: “And that there’s a murderer in our school.”

The murderer herself is looking at her phone, scrolling through Bloom’s social media selfies.  Bloom’s online name is bloomerang04 which is a dumb online name.  Of course the fact that we pick our online name at age 15 or thereabouts means most of us have dumb ones.  Riven asks B what she’s obsessing over and Beatrix says, “Your fault for spreading it around that she’s a changeling. She’s now the most interesting person at school.”

WHAT is it about changelings?!

Riven says everyone will move on in a few days and asks Beatrix if this is “one of those movies where you dye your hair and take her life...” and Beatrix looks… hmm.  

Do I smell Plot or am I imagining it?  But then Riven decides to claim Beatrix’s attention in smoochy ways and I’m pretty sure they’re Doing The Sex.

Opening!

In the cafeteria, people stare at Bloom as she gets her breakfast!

Aisha has taken over Callan’s job to snoop on what he knew!  Bloom “suggested” she do it.  Or more like, begged.  And thought Aisha is such a suckup she’d do it just to get brownie points with the headmistress.

The vibe of this scene is like nails on a blackboard.  Bloom, you are awful people.  And Bloom wants to eat breakfast in here to avoid the stares because she’s a changeling.

Musa comes in cheerful, “Bloom still pretending she’s not upset by the gossip?”

Bloom: ‘still pretending you’re not dating your roommate’s brother?”

And Terra comes in right in time to almost hear that.  Bloom, you are awful people.  But Terra’s got her own gossip: Stella’s mom is coming!  Stella is “dreading being outshined by her mom” and Terra is kinda loving it.  For which I can’t entirely blame her since Stella is also awful people even if my suspicions are right and there are circumstances that made her that way.

Bloom tries to be non-awful and says the girls don’t have to come eat breakfast with her “like I’m some kind of loser-mess.  I’m fine.” Friendship music plays.  The girls smile. Then Bloom heads off to finish her “poison paper” before the assembly.  Musa says, “For the record, she’s not fine.”

In the arched walkway above the cafeteria Riven, Dane and Beatrix and talking about changelings!  B: ‘Changelings were a way for pissed-off fairies to get revenge on the first world.  Swap a fairy for a First world baby and wait for it to wreak havoc.  Changelings are bad news.  That’s why we stay on their good side.”

One of the boys had asked about “is that true about changelings?” presumable Dane, since Riven knew enough to spread the truth around. So not everybody knew all this.

FINALLY! Thank you, show.  And, this is neat!  Those would have to be some very pissed-off fairies to sacrifice their own baby, what’d the first worlders do to them I wonder!  Though it still doesn’t explain why Bloom should be “bad news” any more than any other fairy.  Does growing up in the human world make for more powerful fairies?  I mean, that IS the lore, human food, human milk, human soul… but did the writers of Fate know that?  I’m not trusting the writers of Fate to know much of anything at this point, even if they did get all those Yeats episode titles.

But we get interrupted by teen drama, Dane sees Terra down below and goes to see her.  Sigh.

But then to muddy the waters, riven says Dane “believed all that changeling bullshit you just fed him!”  but B says it “isn’t all bullshit, changelings can be dangerous.  You did everybody a favor.’ warning them about Bloom, I assume she means.

Show, I hate you now.  WHY are changelings dangerous?  What was true and what wasn’t?  Bloom’s changeling nature is the central bleeping worldbuilding of this story and we get dragged around?

Next I see black SUVs, tell me it’s Silva and his army people coming to do cool competent stuff so I can like this show again!

Nope, it’s Stella’s mom.  Stella and Sky are waiting to greet her, Sky says it’s only half a day and Stella says, “Half a day of everyone adoring her like she’s literally the sun.”  Sky says, ‘She is the queen of light.” which is an awesome title.  She’s here to do an assembly about Burned Ones… what, like those  PSA assemblies we had about the dangers of drugs?  Hahahaha!  That kind of PSA might be more apt, I’m pretty sure there’s more drugs at this school than there are Burned Ones.

But Stella is terrified, I think, behind her Stellaishness.  Says her mom is really here to “check on my progress.”  Sky suggests getting the rest of the girls to be a buffer but Stella says, ‘I don’t need them.  I have you.”  But Sky can’t stay physically, he leaves Stella to meet her mom alone

Stella is wearing a long coat of pale pink with gold and diamond star barrettes in her hair.  I would love it if at the end of Stella’s character arc when she grows past whatever it is that’s squeezing the life out of her, she’ll switch to bright bold colors and teenage rather than middle-age fashion to celebrate her freedom.  At the moment it makes sense that she dresses rather dumpy and too-mature, she’s dressing under pressure.

The black cars, they’re not all SUVs, pull up.  there’s a flag, faded blue above, red below split by a diagonal line with some kind of crest in the middle.  Solarian flag?  No yellow, no sun or moon.

Stella’s mom looks noting like Queen Luna, she looks like a middle aged lady with brown hair, her hairdo and clothing juuuuust like Stella’s! In season 8 the real Stella designed a dress after her mother’s gown out of love, but I think this Stella dresses like her mother because of pressure.  Also there’s nothing queenly about the queen. She’s wearing a business skirt and jacket, big chunky necklace, no crown.  Political royalty not magical royalty.  She gives Stella a kiss on the cheek and says, ‘You look stunning.” and Stella grins.

In the greenhouse Harvey, Terra and Sam hang out.  Where’s their mom? Harvey wears a wedding ring but no mom in sight.  Harvey is working on a special project, filling a vial with something.  Terra asks if she can help but Harvey says he’s got this.

Dane comes to see Terra.  Both her family members give Dane a serious Look.  Heh.

Terra: “Whilst I appreciate that it is the historical perspective of the patriarchy to save women from upsetting situations, I’ve got this.”

Props to Terra’s actress for delivering that in a not at all groan-y way. Every time this show tries to be woke it is groanworthy and awful and they should just not, but every time the actors pull it off.  

So Dane says “You didn’t answer my texts… you’ve been really great to me...” and Terra shuts him down!  “Yeah I have.  I’m a good person, Dane.  I think you are too, but I’m not really sure I care to find out.  Anymore.”  and leaves him with “A word of advice.  Be careful who you trust.”  

Sam: ‘Still kinda want to punch him.”  Heh.

Harvey gets a text and takes his project off to meet the queen.  When he’s gone Terra immediately goes to his workstation to check out what he’s up to.  

The queens party goes to Callan’s office, which is now Aisha’s office.  Aisha greets the queen, whose name is actually Luna!  And she knows Aisha’s name, but does not need any help.  The adults go into Dowling’s office to talk.  

Aisha accidentally knocks some papers off the desk then, grumpy at this spying job she’s taken on and isn’t having any luck with, slams a filing cabinet door.  And finds something.  A mechanical ring the size of a jewelry ring, stuck in between two parts of the filing cabinet.  Aisha thinks it’s part of the cabinet, but then it begins to whir and she hears voices.  It’s the receiver for a bug!  Callan bugged Dowling’s office and now Aisha can listen in on the adults!

Only she… hides the receiver back under the cabinet?  

The only thing she overheard was the fact that Callan is dead.  Seems that Dowling’s telling everyone he left for a family emergency. Aisha tells Bloom this and Bloom is even more keen to get at those old records, from before Dowling became headmistress.  Maybe they’re in the east wing, and everyone’s going to be at this mandatory assembly so now would be the perfect time!

Aisha says it’s a bad idea.  Bloom says it’s a better idea than getting stared at by everybody and “I can’t just sit and listen to people make stuff up about me.”  

WHAT are they making up?!  I wanna hear these rumors!

Anyway Aisha is finally convinced to cover for Bloom, say she was too sick to come to the assembly.  But for reasons of Plot Beatrix was right above them on the upper walkway so she knows where Bloom’s off to.

Gorgeous outdoor shot of the castle.  Pardon me while I look it up… it’s a stately home!  You can go there, they have a farmers market and everything!  Ok, mark that down on my travel list between my Lost Crown tour of Polperro and my Higurashi tour of the real Hinamizawa…

Whilst I dream of seagulls and cicadas, Bloom is back in the dark east wing past a keep-out looking for clues.  Sky catches her!

Beatrix is outside looking for Bloom.  Riven catches her.  She says, ‘mandatory assembly’s a mandatory ditch.”  they pass a keep-out sign on some big doors as rain begins to fall.

Mysterious big doors in the school!  Another Winx Club sort of thing here at Elemental Academy.

In the cafeteria benches have been put in for the assembly,  Lots of students chat and the adults talk together.  Outside the arched windows we see bright blue sky.  Are the windows enchanted?  That’d explain why I never know if it’s day or night around here!

Queen Luna walks in her heels on a sort of stage in front of the windows. She holds up her hand and snaps her fingers and the light in the room goes purple and the sunlight streaming in from outside dims as if dusk has fallen outside.

Stella, wearing a brighter pink coat and double star pin, sits in the very front between two of her mother’s bodyguards.  The pin could be just because of Stella’s name, but in Winx Solaria does have two suns.  I like this pin, for Escape to Witch Mountain reasons, so I looked it up.  Stella’s pin is gold but the silver version is… oh dear… three dollars on amazon!  Methinks this show spent its whole budget on the Irish castle!

Terra and Aisha admire the queen.  “Massively powerful fairy, zero ego, boss goals.  Bet it drives Stella crazy?”  Stella glances back. She can hear them.  

Musa and Sam are knee-nudging each other, it’s pretty cute.  They text with phones on laps, sam asking if Musa’s into all the sneaking around hiding their relationship from Terra.  He asks, ‘is it a kink?’ and Musa texts back, ‘Meet me after the assembly, you’ll find out.”  Tell me you two aren’t dumb enough to start Doing The Sex in the same suite Terra lives in too!  Maybe they’re just gonna hang out and make out.

Hilariously Queen Luna is saying, ‘I’m here to treat you like the adults you are” as these two plot that most teenage of plots, meeting up to have a good time!  Luna says she’s here to talk about the Burned Ones, it’s been years since one was sighted…

Terra nudges Musa.  “What’s Stella going through right now?  She’s miserable, right?”  Terra has noticed what I’ve been suspecting! Poor Musa, distracted from flirting with the cute guy, sighs a little and says a polite, ‘Please wait.’  

She turns her powers to read Stella’s emotions… but there’s interference.  Dowling is walking by and she’s using her mind powers as well!  Musa says, ‘This assembly isn’t just about the Burned Ones.  Something else is up.”  Harvey is standing in the audience and Dowling takes a position among the students also

Queen Luna is talking about, “...for decades, families and villages suddenly torn apart by one of these monsters that left our world in chaos...”

The teachers are here to scan for Callan’s killer, I assume.  Since it’s a mandatory assembly every student will be present… except for Bloom and Beatrix, who ditched!  Gee, I hope Beatrix doesn’t try to pin it on Bloom!  But how could she when Dowling can read minds?

Back with Bloom and Sky, Bloom says she was born in 2004—the year Winx Club was first broadcast, seventeen years ago!  Our beloved show, may it survive to see eighteen.  Bloom’s idea is to look for pregnant teen fairies in the class photos, and she has oddly specific details to look for: baggy clothes, girls holding books in front of bellies.

There’s some conversation about how Bloom is tired of being whispered about and wants to yell at people they’re all assholes, and Sky agrees that most people are but you have to find the good ones.

Then he finds a picture of adults.  His dad is in it, along with Rosalind, Dowling, Silva and Harvey.  Bloom says, “you look like him” although we don’t really get a good look Andreas at the photo.  Sky mimicks Silva’s accent, “And act like him, and maybe one day if I work hard enough I can be half the warrior he was.”  Heh.  Bloom also giggles at the accent.

Sky also said, ‘his commander was a woman” presumably Rosalind.  So Rosalind was a leader of soldiers.  Was she a fairy or a specialist?

Bloom asks if it’s weird that everyone knows his dad better than he did, and Sky says ‘Alfea’s been my home my entire life” so I guess he grew up here with Silva being much more father than mentor. Wonder what happened to Sky’s mom.  They’re having a nice moment and here come Riven and Beatrix to join the party!

Back in the assembly, Musa scans the adults.  Dowling and Silva are on edge, and Harvey is really scared.  Terra says her dad was making something with the crystals from the vessel, so he was putting crystals in a little vial.  A magic tracking device.  Now Dowling’s got it.

Queen Luna is saying, ‘conflict is now on the horizon!  We are tracking at least five Burned Ones throughout Solaria.  The threat is serious. And growing.”

Back in the vaults B says, “people who think history is rubbish are rubbish.  Don’t be rubbish”  Ah Beatrix, there’s the like 10% of your personality that I like!  Then she reverts to the other 90% and suggests Bloom and Sky were down here to have The Sex.  Riven says nah, Sky’s not that interesting.  Bloom, who heard all that, says ‘But we were alone and that was pleasant.”  Heh.

They find a locked door.  Sky says he can ask Silva what’s behind it but bloom wants to get through now.

Riven: ‘The more you say no the more she wants it.  Give in.”

Beatrix: “Do we need to have a talk about consent?”

The more this show throws woke verbiage into random conversations the less woke it looks. 9_9

Bloom sensibly: “Why are you guys down here, again?”

Anyway Beatrix says she’s on Bloom’s side, which I do not believe for a minute.  Bloom says no thanks, don’t need help from someone who posted a nasty video about terra, Beatrix says she was an innocent bystander which I do not believe for a minute, and says Bloom should be mad at riven for starting the Changeling rumors.  Bloom and Sky look at Riven.

Riven: “Not exactly the way I thought you’d screw me today, B.”

Sky if it’s true, Riven flees to escape a lecture from “Saint Sky” and Sky goes after him to deliver the lecture.

And he does, out in the rain.  Riven says he really likes Beatrix, that B is the only one who likes him the way he is.  That Sky thinks he’s better than riven.  And that Sky should maybe not be talking about bad life choices while he’s chasing Bloom while still having Stella.  Sky says that’s not what’s really going on and Riven says that’s what everyone else sees, including Stella.  And Riven says, ‘that’s probably why she told me Bloom was a changeling in the first place.”  And he walks off, leaving Sky in the rain with the knowledge that Stella is mean-girling Bloom.  Unsurprisingly.

Sky of Elemental Academy is having just as much trouble here as his animated counterpart keeps having with Diaspro!

Back inside the girls haven’t figured out what the adults are after. Terra finds it hard to believe they have “some big ulterior motive.” and Musa says, “people have more stuff going on than you’d think, especially parents.”  Heh.  Then she takes off for a snog session with Sam! Sam says he’s like to make their relationship public, but Musa likes the secrecy.  If everyone found out, she’d have to feel everyone’s reaction, ‘good bad, positive or negative.”  Sam says she has to feel it bu does she have to care?  And says being an empath seems to suck, which it sure does seem to!

Would “everybody” even care that they were dating?  I mean Terra would but at a school full of teenagers dating how many people would care?

I read a book… Burning Glass, about an empath so powerful that when a starving mob approached she let them in the gates because she forgot she wasn’t one of them, caught up in the mob’s need to get in to where the food was.  She didn’t just feel people’s emotions, she acted on them because she couldn’t tell which of the things she was feeling were coming in from outside.  I keep thinking the writers are trying to imagine Musa like that and failing completely.

Over in the east wing Beatrix guessed that it was Rosalind who left bloom in the human world and Bloom realized that Beatrix lied the night of the party about not knowing who Rosalind was.  B says Rosalind was “a fierce bitch.”  I’m still feeling this great big hole where someone should say “Rosalind destroyed the Burned Ones in the war with her great magic.” or something and nobody says it.  Bloom knows Rosalind was headmistress before Dowling and is dead, we viewers know Rosalind is not dead, did something important with the Burned Ones, and has an evil face.  I dunno, like the changeling thing it feels like there are these weird blanks in what the show is giving us.

Beatrix suggests Bloom light the locked door on fire as a way to get it open. She knows Bloom’s powerful enough.  Bloom says power is not the problem, lighting the whole school on fire is the problem.  Then sky texts and Bloom lies and says she’s not down here anymore which will definitely be back to bite her later.  She suggests she could “fry” the hinges off the door, but Beatrix has already picked the lock.

With a machine custom made for picking locks, not with bobby pins.

On the other side of the door they find… a war room.  A round sand pit that, when B enchants it, the sand lifts up to create a miniature of the school.  Beatrix calls it, “A place where dangerous, shady-ass people decide who lives and who dies.”

Dowling is giving Stella a magic lesson.  She creates an arc of colored light between her hands, mimicking the chains on her brooch.

Queen Luna is not impressed.  A little mini rainbow is not much of a display of power.  Luna and Dowling proceed to ignore Stella and talk over her head.  Luna sent Stella back to be “fixed”--the same word Stella used about bloom after she taught Bloom the way of the Sith—after the “incident with Ricki.”  Dowling says rehabilitating magic is a process and it takes time.  Luna: “would you like me to recite the list of threats we’re facing while you take time?”

Me! I would!  1)Burned Ones 2)???  And how much can one fairy do about them?

Stella tries to interrupt and Luna says, “Do not speak when I’m speaking.  Solaria is the strongest realm in the Otherworld, she is its heir, an extension of that strength.”  Stella protests that it’s working, she is getting stronger, and her mother just snaps at her not to speak again.

Stella says she blinded a Burned One and Dowling has her back, praising her for how skillfully she did it.

Queen Luna makes a full illusion, disappearing the room and leaving Stella in a VR forest.  With wind-howling sound effects, not sure how light did that!    Stella is terrified.

Queen Luna: ‘when you control light you control what people see.  And despite what anyone says matters in this world, appearance is everything.  You know that better than anyone, Farah.  Especially given my efforts to help you maintain them.”

Dowling just says they’ve both done a great deal to preserve Solaria’s reputation.  Hmm!  That’s interesting!  And she lets Stella go.

Outside the office, Aisha is working at her desk.  She asks Stella if she’s ok and Stella says of course she is, but Aisha’s using the listening device again!  She overhears Queen Luna basically threatening to have Dowling removed as headmistress!

Outside in the still cloudy day, Sky is taking his mood out on a punching bag.  He gets a text from Stella saying, “She’s a monster.” before Sky can go give her some much deserved sympathy Silva walks past demanding an update.  On what?

In the greenhouse Harvey is worried.  His magic bottle, which is very pretty, didn’t work.  Terra comes to ask if everything’s ok and he yells at her, then apologizes.  Terra turns to go then turns back and asks, ‘if there was something going on you would tell us wouldn’t you?”  and Harvey lies and says of course he would.

Aaaaaaaand now I’m looking up potion bottles on amazon wondering if this prop is also something I can have.  Not obviously.

Terra, Musa and Aisha are talking about it in the suite.  Aisha is sure the grownups are doing what they think is best.  Terra would rather just be told there’s a secret rather than be lied to.  But they do work it out.  The crystals read magic, there’s a dead person, the adults were looking for someone who kills by magic but didn’t find them.

Then Sky bursts in looking for Bloom.  The girls ask if Silva told him what’s up, but Sky is out of the loop.

Terra: “Dowling’s assistant died, the faculty think a fairy did it. They held the assembly to find out which fairy, but they didn’t because he or she wasn’t there, so now we don’t believe or trust literally anyone.”

Sky: “Shit.”

Sky, smart cookie that he is, realizes immediately that it’s Beatrix.

The murderess and Bloom are reading scrolls in the war room—in the DARK, everything’s shadowy how are they even reading?

In 2004 Rosalind was “leading the crusade against the Burned Ones” Beatrix says so finally there’s that laid out.

Bloom was born December 12 2004, just like the real Bloom.  Beatrix seems oddly interested in that fact.  I’m beginning to have a suspicion.

Bloom’s phone is blowing up with messages but she’s busy reading.  Beatrix stealth zaps bloom’s phone to break it so she doesn’t get Sky’s warning call.  

Rosalind was in a place called Aster Dell.  This also seems to interest Beatrix, who suggests they just go there right now.  She knows where it is, it’s not far.  Bloom has a rush of common sense to the head and hesitates to leave school with someone she barely knows but Beatrix points out that they’ve already broken into a secret war room and maybe now is not the time to stop before they get somewhere. Not completely without a point there, so Bloom agrees.

Sky finds Riven and demands the whereabouts of “The unstable sex addict who’s been leading you around by your dick.”  Pfft!  Also, not very understanding after Riven admitted he really does like Beatrix and feels accepted by her.  But Riven doesn’t know, anyway.

Stella bursts in, “I sent you twenty texts and you’re here looking for Bloom?”  And Riven gets to say, ‘Have fun with that!” as he escapes.  Sky blames Stella for starting the changeling thing, Stella says, “I didn’t want to hurt her.” which is not true.

Sky: “You say you don’t want to be like your mother but all I see is someone who treats others exactly the same way that Luna treats you.” And he says he’s done with this.

Harsh but true.

Beatrix stole a car.  Bloom is very impressed!  Heh.

The other three girls have had a rush of common sense to the head and gone to Dowling to tell her about Beatrix.  Dowling’s first response is to ask why Bloom was down there but Terra pulls out their deductions and says “can we please drop the bullshit?” and when her father tries to stop her she calls him out for putting them in danger by not telling them!  Go Terra!  Silva comes in to tell them someone knocked out one of the queen’s guards and stole an SUV.

Beatrix must be extremely badass to take out a bodyguard!  we’re only in episode 4 but I don’t think she’s planning on coming back to school after this.

Black SUV drives on a dirt road between trees.  I do love how there seem to be no other buildings and no paved roads in the Otherworld.  I guess I’ll take what worldbuilding I can get.

Bloom and Beatrix have arrived at an absolutely stunning location, a cliff over the sea.  Bloom wonders if this is the right place.  Isn’t Aster Dell supposed to be a town?  Then she realizes there are skulls at her feet among the heather.

But no time to ponder it, Beatrix is getting lightningy!  She throws lightning—shorting out an invisible barrier concealing ruins. Aster dell was a peaceful town until it was attacked by Burned Ones and “a military unit from Alfea” decided to go all scorched earth on the place and killed everybody.  Queen Luna set up the illusion to hide the ruins.  “Leader of our realm tried to cover up a war crime.’

Beatrix says this is where she was from, and where her family died.  Two days before Bloom’s birthday.  This is where Bloom is from.  Rosalind rescued Beatrix too, and gave her a memory of the Alfea adults destroying the town.  Rosalind was the only one of the adults with a conscience about killing innocent people.

Bloom protests, the adults are lying but they aren’t monsters.  I’m skeptical too, because us viewers know that Beatrix is Beatrix and has said all sorts of things. 

On the drive back Bloom asks Beatrix if she’s a changeling too, but no.  Rosalind left B with “a close friend” and Bloom in another world.  Bloom asks why Dowling would recruit her as a student after killing her family and Beatrix says she doesn’t think Dowling realizes yet what Bloom is, and Bloom shouldn’t tell her.

Bloom: “Which is exactly what you’d say if you were making this up.  To keep us from comparing notes.”  go Bloom!   Beatrix asks what she has to gain from making up a story about murderous teachers, and the two of them can work together to find out more.  Rosalind is alive and imprisoned at Alfea, and Beatrix came to break her out.

...for “him”?  Mysterious “him” not mentioned yet.  And where does the return of the Burned Ones fit in?  Hmm.  I admit my main reason for not believing Beatrix’s story is that it’s Beatrix telling it.

Also in these sorts of stories the birth parents are never dead.

But no time to ponder it, the teachers are here!  They stop the car, Dowling slaps some magical cuffs on Beatrix and Silva and Harvey grab Bloom.  They deliver her back to Alfea into a group hug from her suitemates.

The girls were worried that Bloom was off with a murderer but they heard that from the adults who Bloom just heard are liars and murderers themselves.  We know the adults are telling the truth about Callan but Bloom doesn’t.  Sky is there, also worried that she’d been kidnapped by Beatrix—but Silva calls him away.  Paranoia intensifies.

As they head for bed Terra rants about her dad lying to her and acting like it was for her own good.  Terra ends with, ‘you don’t lie to people.  Not if they matter.’

And Musa feels guilty and spills the beans about her and Sam!  It’s been weeks!  Terra bursts into giggles and hugs Musa and says Sam looks just like their dad and he went bald early.

Looking down from the walk they see the queen’s guards rolling Stella’s suitcases towards the door.  The one thing the two Stella’s have in common apparently is their love of lots of luggage!  Yep, Stella’s been moved out.

Stella is in the car.  Back home her mother will teach her.

Stella: “You could’ve let me say goodbye to my friends.”

Luna: ‘”They’re not your friends, Stella.”

Which, evil mum kinda right.  Apart from taking out a Burned One together, every interaction between Stella and the others has been nasty and catty and mostly Stella’s been avoiding them whenever possible. They aren’t friends.  They might be later, but they sure aren’t yet.

Beatrix has been thrown in a cell.

Silva locks the door—with Sky there watching, and I’m sure Silva’s trust in Sky will come back to bite him later.

Then interesting conversation.  Silva asked Sky to keep an eye on Bloom, and now he wants Sky to get all the details of what just happened out of bloom and report back.  Silva actually says the “a soldier’s job is to take orders” and “your loyalty is to me, no one else.” which, I like you Silva but that is the wrongest tack you could take right now!  Silva is very scared and it’s making him make bad choices.

Bloom has gone to Dowling’s office to ask what she did to Beatrix.  The cuffs were “runic limiters” which prevent a fairy from using magic.  Bloom says ‘They were barbaric” and “You tore her skin open.” which I guess the cuffs did kinda burrow into her skin.

Dowling is just worried if Bloom’s ok and then asks what they talked about. Bloom says it was just a joyride, she and Beatrix talked about clothes and boys.  Bloom leaves.

Dowling immediately phones up Bloom’s parents on Earth and says Bloom’s been having a bit of trouble and would they please report to her if Bloom says anything weird.

Sheesh. Could these otherwise smart, capable adults who have years of experience with teenagers be handling this any worse?

Well that was… something.  Terra is badass.  Stella’s mom is exactly like I expected her to be.  Beatrix spilled a lot of important Plot and I’m sure some of it was true and some of it wasn’t.

Next time on Elemental Academy!  Will the girls rescue Stella from evil mum?  Will Bloom bust Beatrix out of the dungeon?  Will Sky be forced to choose between his father figure and his crush?  Will Bloom’s parents accidentally betray her?  And what’s Riven gonna do now that his smoking and boinking buddy is under arrest?  Half the cast is being set up to make some really dumb life choices!  Tune in next time!

[rpgexperience]

My servant Devil - session 24

The session ended in...well... as many times before. So check out Wattpad for the proper smut. 

“Abigail? What’s wrong? Are you crying?” Ambrose asks worried, hugging her so she can hide in  his chest. “N-no. I- I’m fine.” Abigail sniffles, quickly trying to dry her tears. She is surprised that he’s back. He claims that he has just arrived and went to see her but she wasn’t home, so he went to the town, hoping to bump into her. He asks what happened and why she’s crying, worried, brushing her tears away and handing her a handkerchief. “It- it doesn't matter… Can you take me home?” Abigail looks up at him desperately. He nods: “Of course,” puts his arm around her and guides her through town to his horse, a beautiful tall grey stud. He helps her up on the horse, then elegantly gets up himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her torso. 

During the journey, Abigail questions him about his journey, trying to keep the conversation away from her. Ambrose says that he had business meetings in Edinburgh, made contracts with new tea suppliers, met up with the Elvish tribes from the North, who seem worried about the current situation. Apparently there were some attacks, but the Elves are strong and know how to protect themselves. He assures Abigail however that she doesn’t need to worry about them, sounding very annoyed. There is something more to this, something hiding behind his eyes but Abigail is too distraught to notice. 

When they reach the mansion, Ambrose elegantly slides off the horse, helping Abigail down as well. She thanks him but he just smiles, happy that he found her. He places a kiss on the back of her hand: “Abby... I wanted to talk to you. About what happened... before our travels. But I understand you are distressed today,  so I would like to make a proposal. Why don't you accompany me tomorrow to watch the race?” Race? Abigail isn’t sure what he talks about but simply nods. He grins fondly and tells her to be ready the next day at lunch, then gets back up on his horse and leaves. 

Abigail sadly walks to the office and takes out Ambrose’s book about demons, hoping to find something to mend her broken heart. She reads for a while and learns to perform a ritual to summon a demon. She sets the book aside and thinks for a moment. Does she want to bring him here? After a while of hesitation, she decides against the idea. What would she tell him anyways? How would he appear? Naked in a middle of something? No. She doesn’t want to see him now anyways. 

She shuts the book and walks to her bedroom. Somehow manages to get rid of her dress, then curls up in her bed, hits the pillow few times. Idiot! What was she thinking? Trusting a demon like that… Of course he had no interest in her! Tears stream down her cheeks, crying herself to sleep.

She sleeps very long, until eventually she is woken up by a soft knock on the door. It’s just Kathy, announcing Ambrose’s arrival to the mansion. Still no sign of Lucian. Kathy leaves to bring Ambrose to the tea room while Abigail gets up. She’s lucky and manages to dress herself without anybody’s help, smiling proudly when she sees that she managed to get herself looking all pretty and needs no Lucian for it. 

Ambrose is waiting in the tea room, looking out of the window. “I apologise, I didn't mean to surprise you, I just couldn't wait to see you again,” Ambrose greets her and compliments her looks. He then offers his arm and leads Abigail outside and into a beautiful white carriage waiting outside the mansion. 

 They ride to the races, Ambrose sitting shamelessly close to Abigail inside the carriage, their knees brushing. Abigail thinks about moving away but in the end she stays, this is nothing compared to what he did, right? Ambrose asks about her mission to Germany, doesn’t seem particularly fond of Lady von Lichtenburg, apparently he had asked her for help and she refused.  They arrive at the races, exit the carriage and he offers that Abigail should take him with her instead to which she admits that she was ashamed in front of him and hence needed a bit of a change of scenery. “You don't have to be ashamed in front of me Abigail,” he says, then leans down to whisper to her ear: “I very much enjoyed our night together and I would very much love to see you entirely relaxed like that again.” He runs his fingers down the side of her ear and neck. She giggles and grabs his hand: “We’re in public Ambrose!” “Oh but who would say something? You are lady Maglocke you can do anything you please.” Abigail blushes and suggests to go to the area where all the guests are gathering, hoping to stop his inappropriate behaviour. Ambrose leads her to the running court and up a terrace where all the fancy people are relaxing and lounging. They look very surprised to see them there and soon start whispering and giggling. Abigail looks down ashamed and walks to the front to pretend to watch the horses interested, trying to ignore the gossiping people. Ambrose stands next to her, placing his hand right on her bum. “Ambrose…” she hisses at him, saying that she would like a drink, hoping to make him walk away and stop this. But he instead just calls one of the waiters walking around. Fortunately he at least has to grab the two drinks, handing on to Abigail. After that he doesn’t return his hand to her bum but rather steps right behind her, pressing his crotch against her, at least this way shielding the view from all the people. 

Abigail complains that people are already gossiping about them, so there’s no need to feed the rumours. He leans down and whispers into her ear: “Oh but the people are desolate when they have nothing to gossip about. Just let them have their fun.” He brushes hair behind her ear and softly nibbles on it. “It's been way too long that I had to be without you. Every night I have been dreaming about how it felt, to hold you in my arms, to be so close to you, close like nobody else before me.” He wraps his arms around her, pulling her closer, sneaking one hand to cup her breast, mentioning that her chest is larger than he remembers. He leans down and nibbles some more on her ear while massaging her breast, while he’s getting a little hard, twitching against her bum. Abigail is looking around nervously, hoping for nobody to see. 

A very quiet moan escapes her lips as he slips his hand down her tummy to stroke her core through the dress. “I knew you secretly like it,” he whispers seductively into her ear. She grabs his hand to stop him: “That’s not the point though. We are in public and there's a crowd of noblemen right behind us.” Ambrose doesn’t let that stop him though and argues: “So? They have not even half the fortune you have. Compared to you they are peasants. Nobody would ever dare to raise their voice against a Maglocke. Besides... if you would finally make our engagement public there wouldn't be a need to worry about this at all.” Abigail pulls back a bit and looks at him surprised, engagement? Since when were they even engaged? 

Suddenly Ambrose makes a step back and falls to his knee, taking her hand. Abigail watches him frozen, oh no, no, no, no, don’t do this. But he did: “Abigail Maglocke, I have already made my intensions very clear to you. You have fully enchanted me the first moment I saw you and ever since then I am under your spell, I cannot think about anything else. I will not find peace until you will finally accept my courting. So please, will you end my suffering and marry me?” He then takes out a little black box and reveals a large diamond ring. Abigail looks at all the people watching, not knowing what to do. Her mind and heart are racing. She’s not ready to tell him yes! She cannot say no in front of all the people, especially since they all know what happened. She comes up with no other plan, then fake fainting. 

Abigail faints like a bad actress, enough to convince the people in the back rows but people have seen this before and some make the conclusion that she has only fainted to escape from having to give the lord an answer. Ambrose catches her in her arms. He carries her over to a lounger, a few butlers start to tend to her, fanning her, while Ambrose sits next to her, holding her hand. While she continues pretending to be out, she can hear the gun being shot and the horses start to run. This catches the attention of the crowd which moves to the railing. She assumes it to be safe to slowly start waking up now. Ambrose looks at her worried, cupping her cheek. He helps her sit up and suggests going home. He refuses to let her stand up and instead picks her up bridal style and carries her to the carriage. He lies her down there, placing her head on his lap. He strokes her hair as they quietly return to the mansion. He then also carries her to the mansion and to her bedroom, placing her on the bed. “Let me help you get out of this dress to be more comfortable,” he offers and without waiting for confirmation or permission, he starts undressing her, completely destroying her dress,  until she’s only in her under-gown. 

He grins down on her: “Oh Abby, you really have matured in the best way since I last met you.” He cups her breasts again, massaging them in rough motions, squeezing them a bit in his hands, then leans down and starts kissing her roughly, hungrily. He roughly parts her lips, thrusting his tongue into her mouth and behind her teeth. He pulls her dress up, caresses her tummy for a moment, but then continues running them up to her breast and pinches her, until her nipples get very excited while she moans from his touches on her over-sensitive breasts: “You can deny it as much as you want, but your body is speaking to me, I see how excited you are to see me again too.” He takes her arms and pins them down, now climbing up on top of her and attacking her again with his rough kisses: “This is what you get for fainting on me like that in front of all the people.”

[...]

Abigail lies deadly in the bed under Ambrose. He watches her for a few moments, then gets up, buttons his trousers back up in a very business manner and clears his throat. “Well then, I will leave you to recover. I hope to see you again soon, lady Maglocke,” he bows his head lightly and walks out. Abigail stares after him shocked that he just got up and left like that, opening her mouth emptily a few times. In the end she just wraps herself in her duvet, turning away from the door, taking a nap, relaxing for the rest of the day. 

[cherubcow]

“Wild Mountain Thyme” (2020) Movie Review

This was a beautiful one :)

The script moves very quickly with a lot of meaningful dialogue that doesn't really get center stage in the direction (like, for example, a character will say something poetic that you can easily miss if you're not paying attention; like, "I'm half-dying with living for you"), so it may get better with multiple viewings or better with the subtitles on. I suspect that this understating of dialogue was part of why this movie isn't doing well right now (current Rotten Tomatoes: 27% critics / 44% audience); people may just not have heard what the actors were saying.

Another factor may be that this movie rejects the cynicism that's become mandatory in America cinema. The central character, Rosemary (Emily Blunt), actually believes in love, which has become something rejected by the American (pseudo?)-intellectual class. This puts her character in contrast to NYC American Adam (Jon Hamm), who considers marriage in terms of beneficial contracts. Adam is, nevertheless, enchanted with the romanticism of Ireland, being drawn to Rosemary and to farming even though he has no rational reason to pursue business in Ireland (a "blood from a stone" situation). So it's both a matter of city versus country and of its underlying rationalism versus romanticism — a good bounding for a story, particularly in times when overzealous declarations of most "rational" practices can reduce one to imagination-stifling thoughts.

(( Spoilers ))

This overly self-absorbed thought pattern emerges through Anthony (Jamie Dornan), who, like Dostoevsky's "Notes from Underground" character, finds himself all too concerned with what is correct or whether or not he is right to even want the things that he wants. This is summed nicely in one particular exchange between Rosemary and Anthony:

[Anthony]: (Speaking of manual labor that Rosemary has been doing alone) "It's a two-man job." [Rosemary]: "Or one woman." [Anthony]: "Yup, that's the world now. Men are useless." [Rosemary]: "It's not so." [Anthony]: "What?" [Rosemary]: "Men aren't useless." [Anthony]: "What's a man for now? What's his place?" [Rosemary]: "That's for you to say." [Anthony]: "I'm not talking; maybe the quiet around the thing is as important as the thing itself."

This exchange points out the difficult position men (and people in general) have been put in by today's social conventions. Perhaps some would like to think that adherence to social convention ended in Jane Austen's time, yet here Anthony finds himself threading a needle. All the roads have been closed behind him, and he feels like he has no voice. People cannot even talk about the things that ail them, because pitfalls emerge at every step. Like the crows above them, no amount of answering to the mob will produce clarity of action. But Rosemary tries to guide him:

[Rosemary]: "Do you still hear the voice in the fields?" [Anthony]: "I dunno." [Rosemary]: "It's not a modern idea." [Anthony]: "I'm not a modern man." [Rosemary]: "You have the farm." [Anthony]: "I do?" [Rosemary]: "Are you happy?" [Anthony]: "No." [Rosemary]: "Why not go ahead, be happy?" [Anthony]: "I— I don't know how." [Rosemary]: "There is no one left to catch you laughing, Anthony." [Anthony]: "True." [Rosemary]: "How many days do we have while the sun shines?" [Anthony]: (Looking at the weather) "It's not shining." [Rosemary]: (Looking at Anthony) "I believe that it is."

The "voice in the fields" speaks of Anthony's romantic desire for freedom, and it is revealed near the end that the voice tells him not just, "Go," but, "Go to her." Meaning, Anthony knows that he loves Rosemary and wants to be with her despite the obstacles that others and he himself construct, but, like the fence was revealed to be in this particular scene, his "Notes from Underground" social conscience is the great barrier between himself and Rosemary. And he wants to be able to love her *not* because a marriage would be useful or to otherwise manage the practical considerations of a farm — he is instead *waiting* to clear his conscience of these worldly affairs so that he can look directly at her. Essentially, like many people trapped in Hamlet inaction, he is waiting to be forgotten and to die.

It later takes a concerted effort by Rosemary to break Anthony from this mental trap. Comedies have all the time in the world, but the timeline has to be compressed into tragic logic because Adam will be arriving to propose marriage. Rosemary hints that she cannot wait for Anthony forever. They've arrived at a Thanatos / Eros crossroads where Rosemary can either kill herself with a hidden shotgun (albeit not immediately), due to the burdens of isolation, or end up like Fiona — pulled away from Anthony by the world and another marriage opportunity. Rosemary has Anthony's ring, so she knows that he wants to marry her, so she wants to help him work through his conscience to find her. The metaphoric "fences" will remain, but it's not hopeless:

[Rosemary]: "We say what's meant. Life is here. We name it."

Like I mentioned with the cynicism above, American culture has attempted to crush this level of devotion. The very idea that someone could love someone this much for so long has been treated with general critical derision. But the story alleviates this perspective through Anthony's own incredulity, Emily Blunt's performance, and a charming Irish backdrop.

Even so, the movie has its issues. A lot of the scenes were directed like one might direct a theater play rather than a movie. Errors like the actors having to move in overly blocked (positioned) ways or the lines being too melodramatic for the moment occur. Of the blocking issue, one scene in particular was the near-end scene of Anthony and Rosemary in a home together. 

There was a little too much attention on standing and sitting here, with the object awareness being a little too simplistic — the sort of imagery which works on stage but not on film. Like, "[Oh, you sit now while I stand. Then I tell you to sit, and you sit. When you stand, I notice how tall you are.]" These make sense on stages where the script fell together with basic props like a table and chairs, but in a real home they end up feeling artificial. These sorts of scenes should have been re-worked when this story was brought to screenplay.

The background music was also often problematic. In many scenes it was just *too* responsive to the on-screen events, which speaks of low production value. This seems to fall on the musical direction of Amelia Warner, because much of the Irish folk music (which was good) was already incorporated into the script. Those organic moments made sense and worked, like Emily Blunt singing the movie's title song in probably the most emotional scene of the movie.

And casting issues cannot be ignored. This was not exactly a "Waking Ned Devine" (1998) Irish story that recruited mainly unknown or lesser known quirky actors from Ireland and Scotland. Christopher Walken, for instance, should not have been in this movie, though his performance did come together for the pub singing scene. Weirdly, Emily Blunt gave the best performance in this movie, and she's from Britain. Jamie Dornan is Irish, so that made sense, but while viewers could believe Emily Blunt's loving glances in his direction, whenever Blunt and Dornan actually touched each other there seemed to be no chemistry. Those scenes looked more like two actors not sure how real vs. respectful they should be and defaulting on the side of "[make just enough contact to get us to the cut]." This falls to both casting and (again) to direction. A better cast may have had chemistry, and a better director could get the actors to show that chemistry. Personally, I think they should have gone full local and hired only unknown actors and actresses from Ireland. Extra points if even the American character had been played by an Irishman pretending to be American ;D

Still! All said, despite these issues, it has a very strong script. *Reading* the words really shows how much was here. Long though this review may be, it doesn't show just how much material was in this script. And Emily Blunt's performance can't be ignored; it was really her movie. So I'd ignore the current rankings and recommend this for a good romantic movie with clever dialogue and a few moving moments :)

[crazygirlsworldofbooks]

Review: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is 'you're safe with me'- that's intimacy.” 

Book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid

My Rating: ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ (5 Stars)

Read: September 22, 2020

Synopsis: Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. When she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one in the journalism community is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband, David, has left her, and her career has stagnated. Regardless of why Evelyn has chosen her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn’s Upper East Side apartment, Monique listens as Evelyn unfurls her story: from making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the late 80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way. As Evelyn’s life unfolds—revealing a ruthless ambition, an unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love—Monique begins to feel a very a real connection to the actress. But as Evelyn’s story catches up with the present, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

My Review:

There is only one word I can come up with to describe this book- mesmerizing! It grabbed me by the heart and enchanted me in every way possible! I thought this read was going to be mainly romance but it had everything- romance, mystery, suspense....you name it! I have literally never read a book that had everything I have ever wanted in one single novel and this book did just that! Safe to say I will be reading Reid’s other books, sooner rather than later because this one was by far one of the best I have ever read and I don’t say that lightly!

To begin with, truthfully I wasn’t completely in love with this book until closer to the very end of the novel. The reason for this was because I wanted to dislike the main character Evelyn so much, I really did, but after going on her whole life journey I couldn’t deny the fact that she was clearly and very plainly relatable to anyone. All of her life trials, seeing how they changed her into the person she became as a result, they made you hate and love her at the same time. Nothing was simple about this heroine and she’s as complicated as they come and yet I don’t think I’ve related to a character more in a very long time. All the characterization, for both of the main heroines was superb and I found myself sad when the story ended because it was like having to leave two close friends after you find out everything about them and what made they who they are in the first place. 

Further on, I loved how the book was written with Evelyn, at the very end of her life, telling her life story to Monique, even the bad parts, I think that made for the most exciting read because it revealed a little bit at a time and kept me interested to find out what really makes her tick and how she got to be where she did in life. Also, this is where the suspense came in, something I did not expect from this novel whatsoever, because there were countless mysteries tied into the plot and we got some answers with almost each chapter, which made it hard to put the book down and lose interest. I think this book would make for a very good movie or even a show. 

Also, the writing style was top-notch, precise and to the point without being too over simplified, where important details are sacrificed. The chapters were the perfect length and the content in each chapter was just what it should be, what a masterpiece. I really can’t say enough good things about this book because it was exceptional.

All in all, this book was something otherworldly, in the best way. It has something for everyone, that you can be certain off and even all the key themes and messages about life are masterfully interwoven to make a tale that will undoubtedly remain for a long time to mesmerize future readers and make massive impressions on them!

[agateophilia101]

Since I'm in the middle of re-exploring things that I used to love a decade or so ago, to again see in them what I saw, and to perhaps see in them what I missed, here is one that falls under the rubric of music. This is an Egyptian singer and actress called Ruby (her actual name is Rania). Back in the mid-to-late 2000s, Ruby, and a lot of the music she made, occupied a space in my world, for a variety of different reasons that I think I now understand better than I did back then. First off, she has got that distinct Egyptian beauty, that is in her eyes as well as in everything else, not to mention that girls who dance will save the world from misery one day, and maybe from that chronic disease called the Abrahamic religions. Ruby enchanted the guys, and made the girls dance; girls would watch her with joy on their faces, because you can tell that they wanted to be as seductive and beautiful as her. Ruby sang and danced in her little corner of the world, and little corners of the world danced with her. She had a good sense of Egyptian culture, and her songs had a folkloric tinge that made them addictive, and that now makes them nostalgic. Ruby sang in a clear Egyptian language, language both in the sense of the Modern Egyptian Language that we currently speak, and language in the broader sense that includes the things for which there are no words. It also helped that she worked with equally talented people. Now in my late 20s, a little over a decade later, it seems that not only did Ruby occupy a space in my world, but that she occupied that space permanently. Unfortunately, Ruby stopped making new music a long while ago, but I think she is slowly coming back. [Note: as per usual, the video players and the music players below may not show on the dashboard, so view the post on my blog, and if you are using your phone, then they probably will not work, even on the blog. Also, I tried to find better qualities of the music videos below, but these are the best I could find. I did not attempt to translate anything here. Oh, and if you get an error instead of the video, just refresh the page.] Let us start with the following song, where she describes a certain kind of beauty with the aforementioned sense of culture; as an aside, our magnificent Bayoumi Andil astutely noted that the Egyptians tend to sing for the sun in their poetry and folk songs repeatedly, always equating it with beauty in one form or another. It is something that seems to be embedded in our psyche, and its ubiquity cannot be "un-noticed" once it is noticed; this song too equates the sun with beauty. This song is perhaps just Ruby singing to herself. The music video was shot in the ruins of Siwa, western Egypt:

And here is a recent live version of it from an interview (three years ago):

This next song's music has a nostalgic tone here and there, specially near the end. Ever since the discovery of the bust of queen Nefertiti, we are guilty of seeing the specter of Nefertiti in every beautiful Egyptian girl, but come on, I think you too will see it. This is her being wonderful at the Pyramids of Giza. The "darbuka (goblet drum)" is an ancient Egyptian musical instrument that is still in use in Egypt today; this song has one of sexiest incorporations of the darbuka that I have heard; if you are clueless, it is that "rolling" drum sound that starts at 3:21; this song combines electronic music, a classical instrument, namely the violin, and the darbuka, but most importantly, it is sung and performed by Ruby (ignore the director's cheesy quote):

And here is her recent live version of it:

This next one is in a set that is a "modernized" imitation of an ancient Egyptian temple; back in the day, this song was a bit surreal to me for some reason, I think it was the temple setup, her attire which has touches of ancient Egypt, and some aspects of the editing, combined with that snake, and with Ruby's beautiful voice and seductive performance:

And here is her recent live version of it:

Here is one of her earliest, and one of her most catchy, songs, this music video has that characteristic low-tech feel of the early 2000s, and I think it adds something, rather than detracts:

This next one is her very first music video; if I'm not mistaken, it was shot in Prague:

And here is her recent live version of it:

Here is another one of my favorites of hers (which has no music video), it is an enticing mix of different instruments and styles, there is a country blues style harmonica, along with the aforementioned "darbuka", and another ancient Egyptian instrument, namely the "ney" (the Egyptian ney has younger Persian and Turkish counterparts that sound a little different), it is that flute-like instrument at the beginning with the darbuka; also, this song has a sexy bassline: Let us end this with Ruby singing an Egyptian folklore song. This folk song is about 130 years old, it was written by a peculiar Egyptian woman who was born in 1865 in south Egypt, after a handsome young man greeted her with a bit of flirtiness, hence the name of the song: "He Greeted Me"; she wrote many songs that were sung throughout the 20th century, one of them was sung by the Egyptians in the streets during historical events in Egypt at the turn of the 20th century (during the aftermath of the "Denshawai Incident", if you are curious; it is sometimes referred to in Egypt as the "Denshawai Massacre"). She was not widely recognized for them, however, and she did not profit from them, but her songs outlived her, and outlived those who failed to recognize her. Ruby's beautiful and wistful cover of this song is, by far, the best I have heard: In my little corner of the world, Ruby was, and still is, something special.