#when chantelle said; i do love you arthur just not like that.. and arthur said i can only love you like that

[fleckficgirl]

Heartthrob | Arthur Fleck x reader 💗 CHAPTER 12

Summary: Attempting to conceal her checkered past, a young dancer in Gotham (Y/N) lands a job at Ha-Ha’s and finds herself increasingly drawn to a shy, lonely clown named Arthur Fleck.

Warnings: sex, age gap, language, violence, mental illness, assault

Word Count: 2093

Chapter List: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11

Arthur's Note (see what I did there?): Thanks every so so much for the kind words and encouragement. I didn't realize the new trailer was coming out today but I started writing this fic again about a week ago and I think I'm on a roll! I <3 Arthur Fleck so much and hope you enjoy!

Arthur had insisted on walking you home, had kissed you again at the front door of your apartment building and promised to call you the next morning; you both had the next day off and planned to see each other.

When he pressed his body into you. You could feel he was hard, but restraining himself. Arthur was nothing if not a gentleman. It only made you love him more.

“I'll call you in the morning,” he hummed into your ear.

“First thing in the morning,” you corrected him with a sly grin.

Arthur smiled, blushing. “First thing in the morning.”

You hated to pull yourself away from him. It was crazy: You'd never cared that much about sex, but for the first time in your life, you understood what it felt like to want to ask someone upstairs, what it felt like to actually want someone to spend the night in your bed. But of course, you had your parents to think about and they'd never go for it in a million years.

Arthur watched you get into the elevator. When the doors closed, you felt like you might cry. Reminding yourself you were gonna see him again in twelve hours was the only thing that put your longing heart at ease.

***

It was almost midnight, and your parents usually went to bed around ten, so you were surprised to find them both sitting up on the sofa in the living room, watching what had to be the last half hour of The Murray Franklin Show. They never watched Murray. They never even stayed up this late.

“What’s going on?” you asked as you locked the front door and hung your coat up.

“We’ve been worried sick!” your mother cried as your dad muted the television.

Oh boy. This was already off to a great start.

“Why?” you asked, cocking your head to one side. “I mean, I know it’s almost midnight, but-”

“There’s been another killing on the subways,” she continued. “They think it’s related to what happened to those three Wayne boys a few days ago.”

“You’re kidding,” you sat down on the sofa to face them. “Who’d they kill?”

“A man,” your father answered. “But they don’t know anything else yet. You were out all night and didn’t hear anything about this?”

You shook your head. “No. But it’s getting crazier out there.”

“What exactly did you do tonight?” your father raised an eyebrow.

“Met up with friends,” you answered breezily. Technically you weren’t lying. Arthur was a friend. Sort of.

“That’s interesting,” he continued, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. “Because those so-called girlfriends of yours called here looking for you. Two different times in fact.”

“They did?”

You gulped, trying to scan your mother's face for some kind of hint to help you navigate the choppy waters of your father’s suspicions. But her “worried sick” face had morphed into her “I’m just gonna stay out of it and keep the peace” face.

Typically a bad sign.

“First Tina and then that other girl…” your father said. “The one with the silly name…”

He looked to your mother who shrugged in response.

“Chantelle,” he finally remembered. And Chantelle said she was calling to find out how your ‘hot date’ went tonight.”

Damn that Chantelle. You knew she had a champagne-and-dial addiction - it was why she was still hooking up with at least five of her ex-boyfriends - but you could still murder her ten times with a hatchet. She had no idea how crazy your dad was.

“I told your father it must have been some kind of practical joke,” your mother finally interjected. “You know, those telephone pranks kids these days like to play on one another?”

You could see she was trying to help you out. And for one crazy second, you considered telling them the truth:

Mom, Dad…I’m in love with a beautiful clown.

No, that wouldn’t go over well at all. They’d hit the roof. In fact, they'd go through the roof.

The less you said about Arthur the better. At least for the time being.

“I did go out with friends,” you explained in as even a tone as you could muster. “I don’t know what Chantelle’s talking about.”

“Which friends?” your mother asked.

“Just some friends…from…from…” you struggled to complete the sentence. You never went anywhere besides work these days, so where the hell would you meet any other friends?

“Some friends from GU?” your mother asked hopefully.

It was perfect. You could have kissed her right then and there. Saved by the mama.

“Yes!” you nodded. “Yes, some friends from college.”

“Honey, that's wonderful!” your mother smiled.

Your father nodded approvingly. “Those are the kinds of people you should be spending time with. People who are serious about their future…as opposed to a couple of strippers.”

“They’re not strippers, Dad!”

He smiled at his own dumb joke and you pursed your lips. Your father never approved of anyone if he didn’t deem them “serious about their future.” The problem was, most of the kids you’d met at Gotham University were entitled assholes from rich families who didn’t actually care about their futures: no matter how badly they fucked up, their privileged parents could afford to yank them out of hot water and they knew it. Your dad had it all wrong. But you didn’t have the heart to correct him.

“How come you look so disheveled?” your father’s voice broke into your thoughts once more.

You blinked. “Excuse me?”

He pointed at your rumpled clothes.

“Your outfit’s wrinkled, your hair’s a mess. And your makeup…”

“Did something happen tonight, honey?” your mother asked. You could sense the growing concern in both their voices, and it brought you right back to when you’d started having problems at GU. Your poor parents had to watch as their star student daughter - who’d never given them a lick of trouble - suddenly turned into someone they didn’t recognize. Someone they were afraid of.

“Sweetheart,” your mother prodded gently. “You didn’t happen to get into a…a fight or an altercation with anyone tonight, did you?”

You shook your head and laughed, trying your best to put them at ease. “Not that I can remember.”

It was a true enough answer. More true than they needed to know, anyway.

“You can tell us if you’re…struggling,” your father added. “We want to know if something’s going on.”

You shook your head again. “What happened was, the subway was totally jam packed. Maybe it had to do with the killing tonight, I dunno. Anyway, we were stuffed like sardines. I got all pushed around on the train. You know how the people in this city can be.”

“Fucking animals,” he muttered under his breath. You glanced up at the TV where a still-muted Murray seemed to be delivering his closing words. “You’re alright though, aren’t you?”

“Of course,” you assured them both. “Nothing a shower and some shampoo can’t fix.”

You breathed a concealed sigh of relief as you watched your parents breathe one of their own.

You popped up from the sofa and stretched.

“Gonna get ready for bed,” you announced. “See you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, sweetie,” your mom called out. “We love you.”

“Love you, too.”

You turned to go to your room and heard your dad unmute the TV, Murray Franklin’s voice ringing out over the orchestra as an organ struck up the groovy chords from his signature closing song:

“Goodnight, and always remember: That’s life!”

You laughed softly to yourself. “That’s life!” you whispered as you dance-glided down the hall and into your bedroom, shutting the door behind you.

Life really was something, wasn’t it? Especially life in Gotham, a life like yours: one that now had a beautiful man named Arthur Fleck in it.

After the crazy night you’d had, the shower felt like a balm to your soul. You crawled under the cool covers of your bed, still giddy from your date with Arthur and the promise of seeing him tomorrow. As you drifted off to dreamland, you thought about even though your parents drove you up the wall, you loved them and would do anything for them. You hated the toll your problems at GU had had on them - how scared and defenseless they’d been, not knowing how to help you when the shit hit the fan. They didn’t have the resources and privileges of your ex-classmates’ parents, but they’d stood behind you when no one else had. You’d never forget that.

After the nightmare at Gotham U - after everything it’d put you and the people you loved through - you’d vowed to yourself that you’d never be powerless again.

Although you felt powerless to stop the freight train of emotions you felt for Arthur, you decided he was a worthy exception. Arthur also knew what powerlessness felt like. He wasn't like the rest of them. He was the salt of the earth, just like your parents. Just like you.

And as long as you and Arthur had each other’s backs, you told yourself as sleep enveloped your being, nothing could ever take either of your power away again.

Together, you were unstoppable.

***

The phone rang first thing in the morning, just as Arthur promised. Thank GOD your bedroom had its own phone line.

“Hey you!” you answered playfully on the first ring.

“There you are. We’ve been calling you, bitch!”

“Chantelle?” you paused, your breath hitching.

“And Tina’s here,” Chantelle said. “We’re at Ha-Ha’s. You didn’t call either of us back last night so we decided to ambush you first thing in the morning.”

“Oh yeah,” you shook your head. “And by the way, thanks a lot for telling my dad about my ‘hot date’ last night. He was real happy to confront me about that when I got home.”

“So you did come home last night!” Chantelle gasped.

“I told you a million times!” Tina’s annoyed voice rang out in the background. “She wasn’t gonna have sex with him on the first date.”

“So how was it?” Chantelle asked. “Tell us everything!”

“It was…great,” you answered. “He’s…wonderful.”

Chantelle squealed. “Y/N’s going out with a college boy!” She sang.

“Let’s not blow this out of proportion,” Tina countered. “College boys are a dime a dozen. And most of ‘em wouldn’t know how to please a woman even if they majored in it. Gimme the phone, Chantelle.”

You heard the receiver scuffle on their end and Tina’s no-nonsense voice rang in your ear.

“How was the outfit, hair and makeup?” she demanded. “Any mishaps?”

You paused. It would take too long to explain the whole blacking out thing to them, you reasoned. And you didn’t want them to worry.

“Everything went fine,” you said. “You guys did a great job. I can’t thank you enough.”

“I have some very exciting ideas for the next date outfit,” Tina said. “When are you getting here? I’ll fill you in. We’ll try on some samples.”

“I’m off today!” you sang into the phone. “And I’m actually seeing him again this afternoon.”

“What? You slut!”

Chantelle grabbed the phone back. “You’re seeing him again? So soon? Oh my goodness, Y/N, I feel like you’re gonna marry this guy.”

You heard Tina groan in disgust behind Chantelle before snatching the phone back again.

“Then my outfit ideas will have to wait for your third date,” Tina said. “Assuming there is one. What were you planning on wearing today?”

“I dunno,” you glanced around your messy room helplessly. “I haven’t even thought about it.”

“Okay, listen to me, Y/N. You’re an autumn. That means warm skin tones. Understand?”

“Warm skin tones,” you repeated back, even though you had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

“I’m talking greens, I’m talking yellows…come to think of it: do you have anything in peach?”

You shook your head. “I don’t think so.”

“Black is fine. Accessorize with those gold hoop earrings. A full face of makeup just like we showed you. But go easy on the blusher, for the love of God.”

“Thanks, Tina.” You laughed.

“Shit. Hoyt’s coming,” Tina warned. “Call us immediately after today’s date ends. We need a detailed play by play so we can mastermind the plan for date number three.”

“I thought you said these college boys were a dime a dozen,” you countered.

“Mastermind your outfit for date number three,” Tina corrected herself. “If you’re gonna date a college douche, the least you can walk away with is a killer wardrobe.”

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[lonelier-version-of-you]

Back to series 15 of Holby - this time, I’ll be watching S15E24 “Journey’s End”. I don’t know what it says about me that I just keep thinking “oh, there was also a Doctor Who episode with that title” lol.

Edit 1: Oh, Tara. :( And Ollie being so worried about her. :’))

Edit 2: It’s Chantelle’s birthday! This episode aired on the 26th of March 2013, so unless they go on to say it’s set some other day (but it definitely seems like it’s been a week since the previous episode), that’s when her birthday is.

Edit 3: That scene with Chrissie and the patient was lovely.

Edit 4: Tara 😭

Edit 5: Chantelle thinking her ex (maybe Torchwood Boy, maybe another ex, it’s not clear) is the only one to remember her birthday. :(

Edit 6: Henrik and Tara scene!!

Edit 7: It honestly didn’t click with me until just now that Jake doesn’t know (at this point) about Malick being gay.

Edit 8: I’m so obsessed with this whole “secret birthday party for Chantelle” plot. This is the kind of fun later Holby almost always lacked in.

Edit 9: This episode is leaning really hard into the whole ‘Arthur is autistic’ thing, lol.

Edit 10: Jing Lusi being brilliant again. I love Tara (and her relationship with Ollie) so much.

Edit 11: I hate how this dad on AAU is behaving towards his daughter.

Edit 12: Arthur and Ollie scene! I do miss when people from different wards would interact.

Edit 13: Speaking of autistic Arthur, he just said: “The thing is, I just - I tend to find that being myself doesn’t really work for me.”

Edit 14: “Technically that’s four words, isn’t it? Two contracted.” Why is Arthur in this episode acting just like me.

Edit 15: Okay, so apparently Torchwood Boy is indeed the ex who called Chantelle earlier. And she’s going out for a meal with him. Chantelle, turning Arthur down is one thing, but don’t give Torchwood Boy the time of day! He never deserved you! You deserve better!

Edit 16: Henrik calling Tara by her first name 😭 He almost never went by first-name basis with people at this point, especially not at work. So you know he’s worried when he addresses her as “Tara” and not “Dr. Lo”.

Edit 17: Wow. Just... wow. That final monologue from Tara just blew me away. The writing, the delivery... the whole thing is just heartbreaking.

Also, just... see, this is why I don’t understand “Henrik saw Sahira as a daughter!” takes (or the fact that his actual Wikipedia page says that - I really need to update it at some point). For one thing, Guy Henry himself has said that Henrik was sexually attracted to Sahira.

But even if he hadn’t - Henrik was very clear on his interest in Sahira being romantic (he freaked out so much when she asked him if it was for a reason, he wouldn’t have been so bothered if it wasn’t the case), he repeatedly compared himself to Sahira’s romantic interests (both Greg and Rafi) with comments like “why would you be [dependent on Henrik for emotional validation] when you can derive your self-esteem from the fawning attentions of our finest beta males?”, or “What you felt in there [theatre] just now... you won’t feel that anywhere else. Or with anyone else.” (this was literally part of a rant about how if she left Holby and moved away with her husband, she’d come to resent Rafi and want to still be with Henrik instead!). Even just the way he looks at her - that’s not the way you look at someone you think of as a daughter.

I mean, I know fundamentally abuse and harassment is more about power than attraction - and it’s about power in Henrik’s case too - but in this case, attraction was most definitely a facet in the whole thing. It would still have been sexual harassment and emotional abuse (yes, I said the words, the words fandom utterly refuses to apply to Henrik and his treatment of Sahira! Actually, there might be some interesting analysis to apply here about how people struggle to accept that someone can be an abuser to someone in their life and also have genuinely loving and positive relationships with others. Because Henrik’s not a complete monster all the time, and has had plenty of moments of care and compassion, people struggle to accept that he can have done all of that and still have abused Sahira.) if he wasn’t attracted to her, but he was.

Whereas if you look at his relationship with Tara - he genuinely loves her, worries about her, and treats her like a daughter. He cared deeply enough that even Roxanna felt the need to tell him how sorry she was after Tara’s passing. I don’t know why people say Sahira was the one he viewed as a daughter, when he was so much more parental to Tara.

I might edit this again later to cut down this meta, because the rant’s gotten longer than I intended. I have a lot of feelings about the Henrik/Tara relationship.

[woahkana]

this was so heartbreaking chantelle was definitely the one that got away for arhur his soulmate.

anyone else thinking about chantelle and arthur with that bus exit

[thewidowstanton]

Archive feature from 2012: Lynne Essex – The Lana Sisters

One of the UK's greatest-ever singing stars, Dusty Springfield, (pictured left) was born on this day – 16 April – in 1939. To mark the occasion we are posting one of our favourite archive features, which came about after a friend met Lynne Essex, née Abrams, (right)… in a swimming pool of all places. Lynne had been a member of the Lana Sisters – a "girl harmony act" founded by Iris Long (later known as Riss Chantelle) – who gave Dusty her first professional job.

By Liz Arratoon

It is common knowledge that a 1994 advertisement in The Stage launched the Spice Girls’ careers, but more than 35 years earlier another girl group, the Lana Sisters, placed an ad in that newspaper that gave a much greater star her entry into showbusiness. In 1958, roughly 30 girls applied for the vacant position with the close-harmony trio. From their shortlist, Lynne Abrams and Iris Long chose 19-year-old Mary O’Brien, who would later become Dusty Springfield – the White Queen of Soul. But in those early days, as Abrams – now Lynne Essex – remembers, she was their last resort: “I loved her dearly; she was lovely but I have to say she certainly wasn’t glamorous and was very awkward then.”

Long had started the Lana Sisters, and Essex explains: “I was the first girl Iris took after she saw me singing in a little cabaret at a holiday camp. She’d originally worked with Ivy Benson, who led an all-female swing band, and learnt the business side of things from her. We were the Iris Long Trio for about a year, then established ourselves as the Lana Sisters and were very successful. We’d done all the donkey work, the touring and summer seasons up in the top of Scotland to iron our edges out. We had lots of work and a recording contract with Fontana Records.”

But with the departure of another girl they turned to “their bible” The Stage. The ad said [something like] ‘Well-established female singing trio, the Lana Sisters, require another member. Please apply by letter, enclosing a photograph’. A photo was vital, as Essex points out: “You can’t look like the back of a bus in this business and we didn’t have all the facelifts and things then.”

Thirty were whittled down to a dozen. “One particular girl seemed OK but we didn’t like the look of her photograph… and that was Dusty, or Shan, as she liked to be called. We’d auditioned the others and for whatever reason, they were useless. They couldn’t sing the harmonies, they couldn’t hold the notes; they were maybe very pretty but not up to it. In desperation really, I said to Iris, ‘Well, we’ll just have to have a look at this Mary O’Brien. She plays guitar and can sing. We’ll have to phone her.”

A rehearsal studio was booked in Leicester Square for 5pm and on a chilly day the girls waited. Five o’clock came, five past came, ten past, quarter past, with still no sign of her. “We thought, ‘She’s going to be useless; she can’t even keep time’. But as we walked down into the street we saw this little bundle of fake-fur coat coming towards us.” Full of apologies, Dusty, who was living in Ealing with her parents, explained she’d been delayed on the Underground.

Essex and Long returned to the studio to see what she could do. “We gave her an idea of the sort of songs we sang and, of course, when she started to sing she could do the harmonies off the top of her head. I could tell she had a very good voice, a unique voice. I said to Iris, ‘It doesn’t matter what she looks like, we can do something about that, and her stage presence’, which was pretty ghastly.” The Lanas were playing the Metropolitan Theatre in London’s Edgware Road, and decided to rehearse her running on and off stage. She managed that “without falling over” and they took her.

Dusty had only previously played tiny clubs in the West End with her brother, Dion. They played Latin American music and she would sing in Spanish. Her first professional appearance was with the Lanas at a show in Lincoln. Essex recalls: “All the big names of the day were there. We used to dress in lamé trousers and high heels, which were quite raunchy for those days. We weren’t twee like the Beverley Sisters. We had three minutes to get onstage down some pretty nasty concrete stairs. Dusty tripped, of course, fell, and tore the front of her lovely blue lamé trousers.”

After that inauspicious start, things went well. “She definitely improved our sound but it was a terrible shame that Iris wouldn’t let anyone sing the solos. We’d sing in unison. Dusty was only allowed to sing the bottom harmony, Iris sang the melodies and I sang top harmony, but to have a girl in the act with such a tremendous voice, it was criminal. They all have individual mics today but we had one central mic. You couldn’t wander off and sing on your own.” Long also wanted them to look similar and they had their hair dyed blonde just at the front by Raymond, Mr Teasie-Weasie.

The Lanas may not have matched the dizzy heights of Dusty’s later success but they were right up there with the likes of their “arch rivals” the Kaye Sisters. They did big summer seasons and their famous records include (Seven Little Girls) Sitting in the Back Seat and My Mother’s Eyes. They were the only supporting act for Nat King Cole’s London date at what is now the Apollo Victoria Theatre. “We did an awful lot; a whole series of Six-Five Special and a series of Ready Steady Go! on TV. And we’d play the American air force bases at home and in Europe.”

Dusty stayed with the group for two years but when the end came it was sudden. “We were always together and it was very strange. We were playing Taunton in Somerset and Dusty kept disappearing. At the end of the week she said, ‘I’m sorry girls but I’m leaving’. She set up the Springfields with her brother, now Tom Springfield, and Tim Feild. We couldn’t believe it. It was just before a big summer season with Adam Faith, John Barry and Emile Ford. They’d been rehearsing in a field and it was springtime. To this day I don’t know if that influenced the name. She’d gained an awful lot of experience with us and had all the grounding. Quite rightly she decided she should be singing the solos. It didn’t take long before they became very famous. That’s when she changed her image.”

But Essex says they had nothing to do with Dusty’s trademark blonde wig and heavy black eye make-up, and reveals: “She didn’t like her hair colour, which was red, and she didn’t like her looks. She thought she looked like Peter Ustinov.”

Six months later Essex met Arthur, her husband to be, got married, left the Lanas and had two children, Amanda and Michael. Iris changed her name to Riss Chantelle, found two new girls and started the Chantelles. Dusty and Essex, as close as real sisters – she was Amanda's godmother – stayed in touch until Dusty left for America. “Even today I have to pinch myself to think that I actually did take this young lady on. When I hear one of her records it just amazes me that that little bundle of fur that ran across the road, looking like Peter Ustinov, turned out to be such a huge, huge star. I’m so chuffed. I can’t believe I was part of it.”

Pictures of the Lana Sisters and the one above courtesy of Lynne Essex

A version of this feature first appeared in The Stage

[doof-doofblog]

"It Might Be Too Late By Then!"

Friday 5th February 2021

Hello again everyone! I hope you've had a good weekend and are keeping safe! I have a little bit of news to share with you, I'm sure you've all heard this news by now, but with this being an EastEnders blog, I feel I cannot not ignore the news which was announced over the weekend. It's been announced that after a staggering 20 years on the Square, Laila Morse is going to be leaving her role as Mo Slater (Big Mo). I am a little gutted, but it has been known that Mo has come and gone from Walford quite regularly, plus the fact that it's been stated that her role will be left open for her to return in the future - I guess there could always be the hope that she will return one day. Her departure is set to air in the Spring. Will guys miss Big Mo? Will you be hoping she'll return to the soap one day? Its fair to say that she's been one of the main comedic performances on the soap, she's a brilliant character, always up to mischief but her heart has always been in the right place when it comes to looking after her family. I'll be sad to see her go, but I will pray that she will return one day.

Focusing on the soap, Thursday's episode ended on such a cliff hanger, I'm excited to write about Friday's episode. The first thing I'm going to focus on is Ruby. It's clear that she's lying about her pregnancy, but it looks as if she's had enough of Kush living with herself and her husband. Once again she attempts to get intimate with Martin, only for Kush to waltz in and completely ruin her chances of actually getting pregnant. The one thing I have to mention though, that little song that both Kush and Martin sung together about getting a chippy - everyone needs to sing like that when they get a takeaway!! I bloody loved it, a bit of comical bromance that we need! "Fish, chips and mushy peas! - Salt, vinegar? - Yes please!" - simple but very catchy! Haha! I loved it, the highlight of the episode for me! But where Ruby is concerned, it's clear she's wanting Kush out of the house so she can get some very much needed intimacy with Martin. Whilst at the club, Dotty informs her that she's desperate for more shifts as Whitney is pestering her about the bills, instantly it looks as if the cogs are spinning in Ruby's mind as she comes up with a plan, almost manipulating the situation, she suggests that Dotty and Whitney look for someone else to move in to help with paying the bills, to which she just happens to mention that Kush is looking for a place. As much as Dotty is grateful to her boss for helping, Kush is less than impressed, when later he confronts her acknowledging the fact that Ruby has never wanted Kush living with them in the first place, even though he only did to cover Ruby's back - as she was the one who manipulated him again into leaving the Square with Arthur. I think it's fair to say that Ruby is a brilliant manipulator, as once again she uses the lie of her being pregnant and how Martin deserves to be able to enjoy his new child to coax Kush into thinking that she's right and he should move out. I really don't think it's going to be too long until her secrets are revealed, what do you guys think?! 

The second thing I need to talk about is Billy. Oh Billy, Billy, Billy! Is anyone else feeling sorry for the guy? I kind of am, but also feeling that the choices he's making really isn't going to help, it's just going to spiral out of control. After getting jealous of Jay buying his children trainers, Billy seems desperate to make some quick cash, so he can also provide for his children and treat them as much as Jay is. However, he seems to have turned to Vinny, informing him that he's interested in doing some dodgy deals. In this particular episode, we see both Billy and Vinny meeting up and they both make an exchange, drugs for money. Billy reassures Vinny that he knows exactly what he's doing. Later on Billy is seen waiting in the park, only what happened next seemed to really shock me! I don't know about you guys but I was expecting a big tough guy or someone who's vulnerable and desperate to make a quick fix to approach Billy out of the blue - but instead we see a group of young looking teenagers approach. I have to say, I panicked for a minute, thinking would Billy really stoop that low to give young teenagers drugs? I was so shocked, they looked so young! Thankfully, Billy did the right thing, portrayed himself as an under-cover cop and stated that he ever saw them again, he'd nick them! At that moment, I felt like maybe he knew he wouldn't be able to go through with the drug-dealing, especially if it means the clients would be as young as those teenagers! He bins the drugs and eventually approaches Jay, even though he does not offer an olive-branch, he simply states that he wants to continue working on the stall. Which is pretty bold of him I think. However, something inside me is thinking, is Billy going to get in huge trouble now for throwing away drugs? Is his actions going to cause him some kind of consequences and is he going to be in debt to Vinny now, or Vinny's "Mate"? Who knows?

The next thing I need to talk about has to be Gray!!!! How on Earth is still being able to hide his secret that he might've actually in fact killed Tina?! I think it's fair to say that during this episode, he's clearly been backed into a corner and he's having to think on his feet. He's been confronted by Phil, Sharon, Mick and Linda and being asked some very awkward questions about Tina - Where did she go? What did she say? When did he last see or speak to her? He's obviously trying to cover his tracks as best he can. Eventually he seems to be able to convince everyone in the room that he simply has no idea where Tina has gone, only that she left her at an airport. However he does seem to mention Spain and Italy, and Mick is instantly suspicious as he claims she doesn't know anyone in those countries, so why would she go there?! It looks almost as if Gray is struggling to keep his story together. However, later on in the episode, as he's informing Whitney about his quick meeting with Phil, young Mack finds a plane ticket which just so happens to be in Tina's name. Whitney confronts Gray with the document, once again Gray's face is a picture, in fairness it's another piece of evidence which could be used against him if Tina was to ever be found. He comes up with a ludicrous story that Tina actually doesn't want to be found!! Claiming that he can't tell that specifically to Mick and Linda as it would break their hearts, and that Tina felt so lost and unwanted that she felt it was in her best interest to leave and not tell anyone where she was going, even trying to make Whitney understand, stating that she too has also been in that situation, after what she went through with Leo. I have to say, even this is a bogus explanation, he tells it very well to which Whitney is convinced he's telling the truth, speculating that Tina must've felt safe putting her trust in Gray. Later, when Gray is alone in his household, he takes it upon himself to burn the plane ticket, obviously in an attempt to hide his involvement in Tina's disappearance! Ooooo if only people on the Square knew what Gray was capable of!! If only they'd knew about Chantelle, none of this to Tina would be happening. I said this before, but I am SO excited for when Gray gets his comeuppance and his secrets will be discovered, it's going to be so explosive, I can feel it! 

The final thing I need to talk about obviously, is the fact that Denise has gone missing! As Jack and Chelsea come to the realisation that Lucas has potentially kidnapped Denise for a second time, Jack is frantic in trying to find her. Unfortunately, as he's too close to the individual who has gone missing and also to the alleged perpetrator, the police can't allow him to get onto the case of searching for Denise. Jack is desperate to get involved, eager to make calls and make sure the police are doing all they can to find her. Chelsea is visibly shaken, it's understandable that she's feeling she's to blame, Jack is absolutely furious and actually does blame her for bringing Lucas back to the Square. If Chelsea hadn't returned with Lucas, this probably would've have happened to Denise. Eager to try and reach out to her Dad, Chelsea calls Lucas, pleading to bring her Mum home. But this is where things get really interesting, lurking in the shadows as he slowly approaches the Square and notices the police outside his apartment, Lucas lurks behind the wall as he watches the scene in front of him. Does he look confused? Scared? I'm not so sure, it's difficult to tell how he's possibly feeling, he takes his phone out and listens to Chelsea's voicemail. Suddenly as he begins to walk away, both Jack and Callum spot him, which leads to an exciting foot chase! Jack is desperate to get some answers, as he catches up with Lucas he grabs him and leads him to the Arches when he and Callum can ask him questions privately. Jack is adamant that Lucas is behind Denise's disappearance, but interestingly Lucas claims he has no idea what he's talking about. He claims that they did have an argument but before anything horrendous could happen, he left the apartment to cool himself down and get some air. He still claims that he's a changed man and is trying to stay off the dark path he once lived. As I'm watching this scene, as much as Lucas is denying having anything to do with Denise going missing, my mind begins to wonder - It's still not easy to tell whether Lucas is a changed man or not, he could be telling the truth? Does he really have no idea where Denise has gone? Could he have ran from Jack and Callum just out of fear? Could he have really left the apartment and left Denise alone in the room? Is there someone else who's actually after Lucas and has taken Denise hostage to get back at him? There are all so many different theories. I feel, because EastEnders have already done the storyline where Lucas kidnapped Denise, it would be kind of pointless, and maybe weird to do that again?! As Jack and Callum are arguing amongst themselves on how to question him, Lucas makes a sneaky escape, much to Jack's frustration. 

The final scene we saw of this episode, Denise is sat on her own in a cold dark room, almost looks like an old office which has been cleared out. Suddenly the door opens ever so slightly and all we can see is a hooded figure looking inside at her. Poor Denise looks at them in absolute fear. Who is this figure? Another theory I'm thinking of - could Lucas have lied about his son passing away, could this be Jordan? Is he also out for revenge on his Father?! Or has Lucas absolutely duped everyone and could he be up to his old tricks? I find this very interesting and very exciting! I'm looking forward to watching more and having Denise's captures revealed. What do you think folks? Overall a brilliant episode, manipulation, excitement and drama! Brilliant! Thank you all for reading, I apologise for this post being a bit late! I'll be back again tomorrow following Monday's episode. Thank you again everyone, enjoy the rest of your day! Love you all xXx

[vigilante-rpg]

Welcome Rachel! We’re pleased to announce your audition for Garrett Hall / The Heir has been accepted! Please send your account into the main within the next 24 hours. We can’t wait to have you join us!

{{ PLAYER INFORMATION }}

NAME: Rachel

AGE: 19

TIMEZONE: PST

PRONOUNS: She/her, though I’m pretty relaxed about pronouns addressed to myself.

ACTIVITY LEVEL: I’m not normally busy over the summer. I could write at least once a day unless executive dysfunction takes hold, which isn’t a normal situation for me. My free time will slim during the weekdays when September starts due to school, but I keep my schedule spaced out so I can get writing and other things done.

PREVIOUS ROLEPLAY EXPERIENCE: I first made a role-play blog in 7th or 8th grade, and have rped for several years afterward on Tumblr and other platforms such as Google Drive, Discord, and RP Adventures. While I’ve had good times and made a couple close friends online, I have admittedly left Tumblr altogether because none of the communities I found were safe spaces for me. But I’ve had Karo, Lance, and Rachel advocate for this group and I’m really missing a quality rp experience

PERSONAL TUMBLR CONTACT: Removed for Privacy

TRIGGERS: None that I know of right now. I have some pretty strong trypophobia? But the things that I see as triggers are very personal, and not something that can be easily set off online.

{{ CHARACTER INFORMATION }}

CHARACTER NAME: Garrett Hall

PRONOUNS: He/him

AGE: 30

ORIGIN: The Heir

FACE CLAIM: Dan Stevens (Primary) or Arthur Darvill (Secondary)

QUOTE: “I never wanted this destiny. But now, I need it more than ever.”

OCCUPATION: Having recently left a lofty career as a lawyer outside of Newhaven, Garrett has recently gained a job as an accountant for a humble bakery. The explanation will be included in his biography.

PERSONALITY: [Intelligent] Even without the dual wielded powers inherited from his parents, Garrett grew up a prodigy of all kinds. From a young age he mastered languages from the English, Russian, and French he heard daily, to Spanish, sign language, and Mandarin. Kinesthetic intelligence developed in his training and play, both effectively honing his body for a future of constant movement. In school, he set academic records that have yet to be beaten. For much of his childhood, he was educated in classes above most children his age until his parents moved him back down, rightfully fearing the neglect of his emotional needs. With the focus on his own growth, Garrett came to brush off those who seemed lesser than him, whether he meant to or not. Sometimes he did. Without establishing connections with the rest of the essentials for life, Vlad and Chantelle worried for his future. However, Garrett refused to ease his burdens, continuing to cultivate his mind and the skills he proved good at. After all, it’s what all the people wanted from him, right?

[Blunt] One of the few things Garrett struggled with has always been social interaction. He can and has come off to others as rude and irritable, not just because he is, but also because he lacks the understanding of sensing others’ emotions and following that to a proper response. As a result, he simply says and does what is on his mind.

[Emotional] While he would argue his brain to be his greatest strength, Garrett is almost entirely emotionally driven, and rather impulsive at that. He is the type of person to act first and apologize later than to ask for permission or another’s point of view. As much as he pretends to be an impervious wall to those around him, Garrett is prone to wear sad eyes and scrunch his face to avoid a fit of helpless snickers. Plus, there’s the avoidance of sad films; he has made many people uncomfortable with gross tears. He has also grown acutely aware of his personal traits and needs, as well as the ways his actions affect the lives of others. This may be the biggest cause for his return to Newhaven.

[Observational] This trait is somewhat tied to those addressed before. Garrett is smart; he sees things and does everything he can to understand the who, where, when, why, how, and what to do next. It is much easier for him to go through this experience with the theoretical, scientific, mathematical, and rhetorical than it with the human mind. Humans are not so predictable, and Point A does not always lead to Point B with them.

[A Grade A Asshole] That’s it. This is him. We’re done here. In slightly more seriousness, he can really be a jerk. This is important when connected to his impulsivity and inability to understand people. Garrett has made a number of mistakes that hurt other individuals in his own self-destructive spiral. When he says and does what he believes needs to be done, his methods can be… questionable at best. 

[Troubled] Both Garrett and Legacy behave complete differently for the same reason: he doesn’t know how to amend the person he is with the person he wants or needs to be, as well as what is expected from him. His entire sense of self has been fractured, and it shows. Garrett attempts to push himself almost completely from the kind of person most would accept, much less want to be around. Legacy is quite the opposite, the golden boy he was fated to be since the very beginning. But neither of them are the real him. He doesn’t know how to get that back.

BIOGRAPHY: On March 28, 1990, everyone in Newhaven knew about the first son of Gryphon and Bogatyr, heroes of The Guild. The journey of Gryphon’s pregnancy was followed by the public since she first left the front lines to preserve her health and that of the baby. His name was never released, of course, lest the heroes, his parents, would be revealed.

They called him Fledgling, born with the beak of an an eagle and destined to follow in the footsteps of his father and mother.

Behind the mask, the Halls were a loving, if somewhat overinvested nuclear family. Vladimir Hall, cheerful father and knightlike superhero, lived as an interpreter of numerous Slavic languages for immigrants such as himself. Chantelle Prevost-Hall had more of a challenge to balance out her heroics and her civilian life as a popular stunt actress, but she was more than up to the task for what she felt was the right thing to do. They adored Garrett, and later their second son, Vincent, who inherited none of the family’s powers. But if Chantelle were to look back, she would see that her presence in the boys’ emotional conflicts was a place she fell short, and where she was needed more than ever. For Vlad, he was kind, he was affectionate, but the man simply could not empathize with his sons of a different generation and culture. Where they faltered to meet their children’s needs, they compensated in support of their education, social lives, and especially Garrett’s own unique abilities.

Along with his astonishing prowess throughout his years of education, Garrett was trained in his superhuman abilities — plural after his secondary power manifested at age 4 — so that he would flourish as a sidekick to the heroic power couple Gryphon and Bogatyr, and eventually ascend to become a hero of The Guild. Everybody knew this. People gossiped, journalists followed the masked child’s every move, and where they failed to catch anything of note, they could glean some off of the proud parents themselves. Nobody was more excited for Fledgling’s next development than them.

That is why Garrett never told them how he really felt. His fears, his anxieties and insecurities were clutched to his chest, and he never spoke a word of his peers and other adults who saw him as the loner, a shortcut to their own successes, or the perfect target to push into the dirt. When he came home with a soggy bookbag and a busted lip, he said he fell into a fountain. When given the silent treatment by his younger brother, powerless and painfully average in everything but heart, he said he had eaten the last of Vincent’s favorite snack. When someone spoke about Fledgling and his sparkling future, he smiled and kept his mouth shut, even though he screamed on the inside, “Does anyone care what I think?!”

The last flickering light of hope turned to smoke when he learned the answer. Almost 18 years old, freshly dubbed a hero in his own right, and he had nobody. Even his best friend, his favorite person, his first love, only looked up to the heroic side of the mask. Just like everyone else.

Fledgling was so lucky, wasn’t he? To be the child of heroes, to be anywhere close to Spectrum, to be a hero himself.

That’s not me.

The rest of that day was a blur. He went to his room, threw on a jacket, got in his first — and only — fight with his dad, and then he was gone. He doesn’t remember what he said that evening. Only the rage, the guilt, the fear, but not enough to pretend he could ever make his family proud. Fledging was declared to have stepped down a week later, when the Halls had to realize that Garrett wasn’t coming home.With no contact, no leads, no motivation for him to completely run away, it was as though Garrett simply dissolved into thin air.

The years following were just as foggy when Garrett tries to look back. He wandered the streets, learned what it’s like to fight for his life, hitchhiked out of the city, and worked the odd job here and there until a kind samaritan had pity and took him in. He got into college with a double major in law and accounting, then law school because you can take the boy away from heroics, but you can’t take the hero out of the boy. He became a lawyer in the city on the outskirts, and a good one at that. It wasn’t until the last year that he was found by his brother, now an officer who begged and bothered for his return.

He got through to Garrett. This was not the life he wanted to lead anymore. In the span of a day, he quit his job, said goodbye to the person who took him in those years back, and disappeared into the night. The second time he ran, this time to the very place he yearned to leave behind.

His abrupt resignation would not bode well if he applied to another law firm, and between the deskwork and the effort outside of the office, he would hardly have time to have a full night’s rest. It was Vincent’s suggestion to start small instead, so Garrett pulled out his second degree and took the first accounting job he could get, at a bakery just mere blocks from the apartment he rented out. It was the perfect foundation to slip into the evening sky for the first time in years, wings bared for all to see.

After everything he did, it all lead back to putting on those golden shackles.

{{ VIGILANTE INFORMATION }}

VIGILANTE NAME: Legacy

PRONOUNS: He/him

APPEARANCE: In his teens, Fledgling was designed by his parents a fun little getup of dark gray nylon striped with scarlet lightning bolts beneath his armor. The material of the armor (described in powers) remains a mystery to both Bogatyr and his son. It appears as strong meteoric iron, but has never been broken beyond a few significant dents, which is repaired on its own when released from the wielder. In that time, he always wore his helmet to conceal his identity, shaped like the head of an elaborate eagle for his gryphon traits within.

Years later, it is hard to tell if the newly named Legacy has changed completely or not at all. The body armor stays the same as it was, though larger to fit his grown physique. Underneath, he bears a flexible black shirt with a jagged gold stripe up the front and two slits near his shoulder blades, a fairly plain pair of snug black trousers, golden bracelets that reach from wrist to mid-forearm, and a set of sandals that shift to wrap around his legs when his feet transform into the claws of a lion. When without his helmet for protection, Legacy wears a gold and silver masquerade mask of a gryphon, similar to the kind his mother used to own.

SIGIL: A heraldic emblem of a gryphon in silver.

COLOUR SCHEME: Goldenrod (#DAA520), silver (#ACACAC), and black (#000000)

FIGHTING STYLE: Close combat, minimalizing serious damage.

CLASS TYPE: Offensive 

MORAL ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral

POWERS: [Gryphon Physiology] From his mother, Legacy possesses a genetic structure that can shift from fully human to a more animalistic form. This ability is not powered by emotions or the person’s control, but is merely another body for him to inhabit. However, the more he changes at once, the more painful the process becomes. He has to physically make alterations to his muscles, bones, and every part of his body, which is hardly a natural effort. The most he can accomplish without causing significant injury to himself is manifest his wings, talons, claws, and bird-like eyes. Garrett has only tried to fully transform once as a teenager, but he failed impressively and never made an attempt since.

His strength and other physical attributes rely on his own fitness, except for the strength of his wings, massive and powerful to carry the weight of a grown man and then some, thus entirely capable of blunt damage should he risk injury to one of his most sensitive body parts. Another consequence is that his clothes get torn from the transformation if they are not specifically altered for this ability.

Gryphon and Bogatyr discovered his inheritance as soon as he was born; it was undeniable when they saw a beak in place of a wrinkled nose and mouth, and a head of pale, downy feathers. His parents made the decision while the medics tended to the newborn. They kept his identity a top secret from the disappointed city, known only to the doctors and the closest members of The Guild as they trained him parallel to his growing up.

[Armor/Weapon Manifestation] “He is his father’s son,” said Gryphon, hiding a smile behind her hand as Bogatyr slammed the door open with 4-year-old Garrett swinging a knife behind him.

“Mama! Look what I made!”

Bogatyr is able to create a full suit of armor around his body as well as an impressive range of weaponry as long as they are predominantly composed of metal. Legacy, on the other hand, can only make himself a sophisticated shortsword, shield, and the very basics of armor: visor, breastplate, shoulder guards, and simple coverings for his arms and legs. This ability also lasts for no more than a couple hours without causing significant strain (one and a half hours while part-gryphon), and can only bear up to the force of twice its mass without visible damage, likely due to a weaker version of the mutated gene. But the flexibility works well when he shifts forms with Gryphon’s power. For both men, the properties of their manifestations has no match to any known type of metal, but most closely resembles heat treated L6 Bainite. Between them and those who worked on research with them, they suspect the armor may be connected to iron and other materials from their bodies. For obvious health-related reasons, though, there have been no tests on either Bogatyr or Legacy.

{{ STATS }}

OBSCURITY: 1/5 (-1 obscurity)

CONTROL: 4/5

LUCK:  3/5

---

STRENGTH: 3/5

SPEED: 4/5

CHARISMA: 2/5

INTUITION: 3/5 (-1 intuition)

AGILITY: 3/5

STAMINA: 3/5

INTELLIGENCE: 5/5

DURABILITY: 4/5

{{ EXTRAS }}

HEADCANONS: -Even though he contains enough issues to fill a personal Pandora’s Box, Garrett does not come from a life of abuse or neglect. At this point in time, he’s come to accept that a number of different causes – miscommunication, insecurity, undiagnosed anxiety and depression, and outside forces that would take a second list to name off – resulted in his ultimate act of running away. He only wants to make his round of apologies and decide where to go next.

-He’s a devoted night owl, for better or for worse.

-Those from the Guild are likely to know his real identity.

-Because his father’s Russian, his mother’s French, and he was raised in Newhaven, poor Garrett speaks with an accent that is an unholy amalgamation of all three.

-Sometimes he tries to meme. Don’t let him.

-Legacy is surprisingly good at working with others. Garrett’s just an ass.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: -Garrett is part of Dimetre’s ex-lover/friend plot, but with a couple minor changes. He’s the character who inspired that plot, haha!

-Songs: Luck by American Authors, Stroke by Stroke from Jasper in Deadland, I Was Me - Imagine Dragons, You Don’t Know from Next To Normal, May I by Trading Yesterday, Lullaby for a Stormy Night by Vienna Teng

-Aesthetics: Papers and folders on a tabletop, the constellation Lyra, tears smearing the ink on a letter, golden wings, fallen angel, coffee with foam art, snowfall on a veranda, gleaming steel.

[thevampsupdate]

The Vamps for 1883 Magazine

Are you aware of chart-topping sensations, The Vamps? With two albums already under their belts and multiple singles soaring through the top 40 charts worldwide, it’s safe to say these boys have earned their success.

Two years on from their last album release, the band have returned with a number one album Night and Day, smoothly dethroning Mr Sheeran to snatch pole position in the process.

I know what many of you oblivious to the band must be thinking, (unless you are one of the many enthusiastic Vampettes’ out there). These guys look like a knock off “One D”, or maybe even The Wanted. Yet, these lads aren’t just another cliché pop group following the boy band road to stardom. They, unlike many, write and co-write their own music. In my eyes this proves their musical ability is beyond just hitting the right notes. James, aged just seventeen at the time, approached other members, finding one another through their respected YouTube channels.

Ahead of dashing off to Camden for an MTV interview, we managed to nab some time with the fresh-faced group amidst their world tour, for which Brazil beckons next in the schedule, just a few days away.

Their now daily routine of performing to thousands around the world — with female teens being a familiar sight amongst the crowds — was completely out of their minds as the boys joked around, relaxing into the shoot at the Chapel of St Barnabas House in Soho; an unlikely location for the group, however the stained-glass windows make a damn good back drop.

You guys are in the middle of your world tour. How’s it been so far?

James: This venues’ been a bit dead … (the boys snigger in agreement) Actually, a week today we fly to Brazil. We did the UK and Europe in April, May and June. We’ve been in some summer shows but The Vamps tour has mostly been put on hold for a couple of months, but we start again on Monday. I think we’ve probably forgotten all the songs so we might need to have a little recap before we go… but yeah, it’s been going really well thanks.

You said you’re off to Brazil next, which country is your all round favourite to perform in?

Bradley: Australia’s really nice, our days off are really great in Australia. Tristan: Canada’s good, really fun. Connor: Norway? James: I think everywhere’s really good!

Is there a country that stands out as having the best crowd?

Bradley: The Philippines and Brazil, those are the two ones that are crazy. 

James: India was quite good as well.

Congratulations on your new album Night and Day reaching Number 1! You pushed Ed Sheeran off the top spot too, that’s a pretty good way to get in there…

James: Thanks! Bradley: Yeah, well he was back there the week after!

The album is released in 2 parts: Night Edition and Day edition, what’s the story behind the 2-part release?

Bradley: Usually we write a big batch of songs before each album. We’ll have like forty, fifty songs and you’ve got to cut that down to a fifteen-song album. So, this way we get to release more music. There’s a concept to the night and day: “the night” is a bit more sultry and moody whereas “the day” is a more upbeat and sunny. We were originally going to release the day" part in December before realising that would be a bit weird, so we’re releasing that next summer. It will be a summer album.

This album is your first to reach Number I why do you think this?

James: This album has been the most honest and the one we’ve taken the longest time on, eighteen months as opposed to just under a year. So yeah, I think this album has had the most effort put upon it and I think that can be heard and appreciated. We did some album promotion, we did a fan rally tour, an acoustic thing where we played the whole album before it was released in its entirety. I think hopefully fans are just really excited to hear what is our favourite album. Well, hopefully it’s our best album!

You guys all write and co-write all of your music, do you guys think that this is something that makes you stand out against other boy bands?

Bradley: Maybe. I think there’s a lot of songwriters in the industry and a lot of them go unnoticed. The ability to write a good song is the important thing. We try to pride ourselves on songwriting and that’s what we’ve done from day one. Hopefully we’ll just continue to get better and better.

Did you write your own music when you were younger?

James: Yeah, we were all in bands before The Vamps. I think Tristan was the youngest starting, but we were all in bands sort of from ages eleven, twelve. I think throughout that time we developed the song writing side of things, We started off playing a few chords and then we got more into watching bands on TV and seeing bands live and realised that song writing was really important for us. It’s what we’ve done for the last ten to fifteen years. 

The Vamps were formed through YouTube. How did this happen?

Bradley: We were all kind of doing own thing and then James found me on YouTube and we met up and went to my house for the weekend. We started writing some songs and it was the first thing we kind of bonded over. I’d never co-wrote with anyone before and James was the first person I connected with on a songwriting level. So that’s when we knew we’d found something quite cool, quite special. Then we found Tristan on YouTube and saw him when he was doing a drumming competition, we formed the band, got signed and then we found Connor a couple of months later again through YouTube. It all just kind came together from there.

How has your music changed from the beginning?

Bradley: As a band we have always wanted to challenge ourselves. It’s interesting to see popular music, popular culture and how we can approach it, put our stamp on it and make it sound ‘Vampsie’. So there are always challenges, taking new, exciting things and putting our twist on them. That’s what we’ve tried to do with each album. Hopefully that’s why this album is the best because it feels so authentic but also very current.

What’s part of ‘band life’ do you enjoy the most? Being in the studio, touring, stage life…?

James: Studio Bradley: We’re all a bit different James: We go through cycles, well not so much anymore. Certainly, at the start we spent a lot more time making the first album rather than touring, but now it all kind of happens all at once. There is a feeling now that after we’ve finished the tour and we’ve been writing for four months we want to get back out on the road again. The nice thing about the industry and the technology now is that we can make music whilst we’re touring, so we never get bored of doing one thing, it’s nice to do it all at the same time. Yet there’s something nice about being in the studio and seeing how a song develops, through to it becoming a single.

How do you guys stay entertained whilst on tour?

Bradley: We’re building up to the shows on show days and then days off we make sure we’ve got cool stuff planned. Sometimes we’ll hire a boat. James: Like when we went fishing and didn’t catch a single fish … Bradley: Little things like that keeps things interesting.

I hear you guys also have your tapping ritual before stage - where you tap your chins.

Bradley: Yeah, it’s a bit weird. Who came up with that? Tristan: Well we couldn’t do the hands in (eeeh lets go’ sort of thing, so not sure how but we somehow came up with that instead.

You recently presented the 47 show for Radio 1 at V fest, how was Presenting for a change?

James: It was really good but we actually had a lot of technical issues so we had to hold our mic packs in the air as we spoke throughout the whole thing, but it was really cool! It was also chucking it down with rain It was nice to see it from that point of view because we always see people go around festivals with mics interviewing people. We interviewed James Arthur and Ella Eyre and just had fun for three hours basically!

Do you hang around at festivals after you’ve played? Who have you enjoyed the most?

Tristan: I saw Pink the other day she was cool. Usually artists get access to go on stage whenever they want to so in India we went up to see Jay Z and then Coldplay were playing after. We were playing before those two acts so we just stayed on after which was pretty cool.

What are your favourite festivals to play at?

Bradley: V was a first for us this, that was really really cool. Isle of Wight we’ve played at a couple of times that we loved.

Do you have any particular artists you want to collaborate with?

Connor: We have loads of different ones. I’m really into James Blunts’ new album. Weirdly he was part of the writing process for one of our old songs, but we never got to meet him. His music’s sick so I personally would love to work with him. He’s done some stuff with Ed Sheeran, so it would be good to get something going like that.

So, as we come to the end of this interview we’ll finish off with your favourite sock?

All: Sock? (in unison)

Yeah

Tristan: I’m rocking the Nike’s at the moment, they’re like ankle socks cause you don’t want them too long and showing above your trainer but then you don’t want any rubbing or for them come off. What about you?

I’m just wearing some black ankle socks. I don’t want them rubbing either, but they do fall down a bit which is annoying.

Bradley: I’ve got like some peppered grey, woollen ones. They go quite high, down below it’s a seventy-year-old man look and then above is more a twelve-year-old boy. Connor: I usually just go for black but today me and James are copying each other.

The Vamps new single Personal is out now.

Interview by Miranda Bunn  Photographer: Joupin Ghamsari Grooming: Chantelle Philips Video: Logan Irvine-Macdougall Location: House of St Barnabas, Soho

[daisydoctor13]

17-27, 56-66, and 80-82

Ah thank you!! My notifications were playing up and I didn’t see this, so sorry if it’s taken ages haha.

17: Favourite current storylineAs much as I loathe and detest Frederik with every fibre of my being, I love the storyline, and seeing Hanssen as a father. 

18: Least favourite current storylineRaf/Essie and Parker… no interest whatsoever, also please don’t shoot me but I really don’t ship Dofty

19: All time favourite storylineOoooh this is tricky! I think Malick after the accident and losing his hand, Arthur’s death (although it was horrible and I didn’t want him to die it was well handled and gripping) and Jac/Jonny 

20: All time least favourite storylinePenny Valentine and Ollie Valentine, because it was so unfair, and stupid and I am still very very very angry about it.

21: Favourite seriesahhh that is hard, I started watching around 11, probably 16? (although 18 gets a special mention for our great ladies haha)

22: Least favourite seriesI don’t really have one, because all of them have good and bad storylines in them, but probably 13 would be the one that i’m most meh about

23: Favourite episodesYou’ll probably think I’m weird but Arthur’s death, just the emotion in it and everything. Also Back in the Ring (Berena scenes) and also the episode when Elliott Hope left (again, for the emotion etc) 

24: Least favourite episodesMy least favourites are the ones I don’t really remember and didn’t make an impact, I don’t have a particular one apart from the one where Penny died (again, not over it)

25: Favourite sceneOhhhhh so many to chose from! When Harry Tressler was dangling off a building, when Frieda left a patient with a flower in their arse rather than a thermometer because he’d been rude to her, any Berena kiss, the Bernie David Attenborough scene, the crash with Malick and Chantelle, anything with Chantell because she’s an absolute babe

26: Saddest sceneArthur’s death, although i cry in almost every single episode so that’s like the worst of the saddest bits. 

27: Funniest sceneSee 25. Frieda is my hero. 

I’m going to put a cut because this is long haha

56: Most entertaining characterPast: Jonny Mac, Current: Dom

57: Most relatable characterOh I wish I could be like Jac with patients sometimes (and not get struck off by the GMC), and I also use sarcasm to cover my true feelings. 

58: Most misunderstood characterProbably Eddi 

59: Character you feel most sorry forActual babe Morven Digby, who has gone through hell and back in the last two years. 

60: Character that annoys you the mostOllie bloody Valentine. He is such a wet blanket, mopey and urgh nope cannot deal with him

61: Character you’d most like to slapGuy Self, Isaac Mayfield, Nina Karnik

62: Character you have mixed feelings aboutMatteo, I kind of liked him when he came into the show, now I’m a bit meh but I’d like him as a doctor

63: Character(s) you’d like to see get their own spin off showGive me 24 hours in Bernie and Serena’s life as a spin off please and thank you.

64: Characters that you’d like to see interact moreMorven and Jac, bonding over Jasmine’s death. Also love Donna and Fletch’s friendship

65: Character you would bring back from the deadI’ve said it already, I’ll say it again. Penny Valentine did not deserve to die. (I actually don’t mind the other deaths that have happened, and although I feel bad for Serena that Elinor died, I wouldn’t want her to continue being a little bitch either)

66: Which character’s death would you never get over?Does this mean if they were to die, who would I not get over. Berenice Wolfe, Serena Campbell, Jac Naylor, probably Fletch too

80: How did you get into the show?I don’t really know, it was before I wanted to do medicine at university, I was about 13, I think I just saw an episode because there was nothing else on and it kind of spiralled from there because I got invested in characters haha

81: Which colour scrubs do you think would suit you the most? I am a fan of Darwin blue, funnily enough the scrubs I wore on placement last year were pretty similar colour to AAU and they were horrible. I don’t really suit maroon. 

82: If you could choose one of the current characters to remain on the show forever, which character would it be? Current as in actually on the shows at the moment: Jac Naylor, current as in filming right now, Serena Campbell, queen of AAU (and also that means even if she’s not on the show, Bernie is present so that’s nicely done by me). 

[100 questions about Holby City]

[relationshipmarketing467]

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Last updated on February 4th, 2021

Full hook-up sites, which come with WiFi, are $39 per day with partial hook-up sites also available. Via sunrvresorts.com New York: Adirondack Gateway RV Resort & Campground. I am 100% serious so should you be too. I am not looking for a one- night stand but rather something ongoing. A GFE relationship I guess. Or a Friends with benefits kind of a situation. You can pick up single girls in New York City at places like bars, lounges and nightclubs such as dive bars, neighborhood bars, popular bars, hotel bars, cocktail lounges, hookah/shisha bars, dance clubs, player's clubs and house clubs.

Best Club to Impress a Client: Rick’s Cabaret Midtown West Rick’s Cabaret is an institution, with a reputation as the best strip club in NYC. It’s famous for its dancers (100 work daily.

If you are looking for the best places to meet girls in New York City and a dating guide for this massive metropolis then you are in the right spot. The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island will all be covered here.

The good news is that there is you will never be lacking for things to do. You can go out at any time on any day and always find a good place to try and pick up single women or a fine date spot.

The bad news is that you might have to wait a really long time to get in and spend a whole lot of money on your night out. But that is what this city is all about and if that bothered you then you probably wouldn’t be here.

When it comes to trying to meet single girls in New York City most of the best nightclubs in town are found in Manhattan. This is the prime real estate where some of the sexiest women in the world go out to see and be seen.

If you have the money to get into the club and the game to pull one of the models then you will be in for the night of your life. But most guys can’t afford that scene too often, and hooking up with a model isn’t the easiest thing to do either.

Luckily there are plenty of cheaper singles bars around town that are still packed with sexy ladies that are much more attainable. After we cover the great singles nightlife this city has to offer we will then mention some good day game spots, those aren’t hard to find either but it can be a bit tricky which we will get into later.

Table of Contents

Obviously since it is the 21st Century online dating is going to deserve a mention. If you aren’t using the internet to help you meet girls and get laid then you aren’t maximizing your chances and are ignoring one of the best resources a guy could ever find.

Once we finish talking about where to pick up women we will move on to the dating guide section. Whether you are looking for a romantic bar, restaurant, a cheap date idea, dates in the day, or some form of entertainment for the two of you to do we have plenty of suggestions coming up. Before we get going here is a map of the subway, make yourself familiar with it if you are new in town.

Nightclubs & Pick Up Bars

The first thing we want to point out is that in a city like this one the hottest nightclubs or best pick up spots can change quickly. One may be ‘trendy’ one month and closed the next. We will do our best to keep up with the current nightlife scene, add new spots, and delete the closed ones but here that can be difficult.

We will go through the districts in alphabetical order, lets start with the Bronx.

Pick Up Girls In The Bronx

If you are looking to go out and pick up girls in the Bronx there are plenty of singles bars you can visit. Some of our favorites would be:

Skyline Bar & Lounge Bx at 1511 Wilkinson Ave

Illusions Hookah & Mixology Lounge at 3229 Westchester Ave

Mingles Restaurant & Lounge at 4012 Boston Rd

Bronx Beer Hall at 2344 Arthur Ave

The Punch Bowl at 5820 Broadway

Rulay Lounge Bar at 2959 Webster Ave

Mott Haven Bar at 1 Bruckner Blvd

Evo Cocktail Lounge at 1306 Unionport Rd

Is Brooklyn Still Cool?

It wasn’t long ago that Brooklyn was the new cool place to be in this city. Lots of young entrepreneurs were moving in, there was a vibrant singles nightlife scene, and many would tell you it was the best place for a guy to get laid in this city.

Of course in this day and age many people hate everything, and now Brooklyn is considered too hipster and not near as cool as it once was. Is this really true? Who knows, but we still think it is a great spot to try and pick up single girls, there are plenty of awesome bars here like:

Mood Ring at 1260 Myrtle Ave

Barcade at 148 West 24th Street

House of Yes at 2 Wyckoff Ave

Skinny Dennis at 152 Metropolitan Ave

Bembe at 81 S 6th St

Black Flamingo at 168 Borinquen Pl

Just stroll around Williamsburg any day or night and you should see plenty of cute girls that you can try to hook up with.

Best Nightclubs In Manhattan

We aren’t going to say it is cheap to go out and try to pick up girls in New York City at bars in any bureau, but if you are on a budget stay out of Manhattan. This is one of the most expensive places in the world, your wallet will probably be empty by the time you finish the night.

With that said you can find the best nightclubs in NYC here and plenty of good bars as well so getting a hotel here would be best if you can afford it. For good bar districts head to the areas around St Marks Place between First Ave and Ave A, and Ninth Street between Third and Second in the East Village. Some specific singles bars in Manhattan and around the East Village we really like are:

Solas at 232 E 9th St # 1

Hotel Chantelle at 92 Ludlow St

The Wren at 344 Bowery

Belfry at 222 E 14th St

13th Step at 149 2nd Ave

The Dead Rabbit at 30 Water Street

The Back Room at 102 Norfolk St

Some good bars in the Upper East Side are:

Penrose at 1590 2nd Ave

Stumble Inn at 1454 2nd Ave

Dorrian’s at 1616 2nd Ave

If you prefer to try to pick up girls at New York City’s hottest nightclubs then visit:

Le Bain at The Standard, High Line, 848 Washington St

Avenue at 116 10th Ave

1 Oak at 453 W 17th St

PH-D Lounge at 355 W 16th St

Lavo at 39 E 58th St

Marquee at 289 10th Avenue

The INKwell at 760 8th Avenue

If you plan to do a lot of clubbing try to make friends with a promoter (or give them some big tips) to see if they can make your life a little cheaper and easier in the future. Either way it is probably best to go out early as you can avoid the longer lines and sometimes get in for cheaper.

Trying To Hook Up In Queens

It is pretty much impossible for anywhere to follow up the great singles nightlife in Manhattan, but if you want to try to hook up with hot girls in Queens visit these bars:

Elevate Sky Lounge at 123-07 Liberty Ave, South Richmond Hill

Tropix Bar & Lounge at 9532 Queens Blvd, Rego Park

Donovan’s Pub at 57-24 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside

Leaf Bar & Lounge at 133-42 39th Ave, Roof, Flushing

Lic Bar at 45-58 Vernon Blvd in Long Island City

Dutch Kill’s Bar at 24-27 Jackson Avenue in Long Island City

Pick Up Spots In Staten Island

Lastly we will cover Staten Island. The great thing about trying to meet girls in New York is that no matter what area of the city you are in there are always going to be lots of singles around you, Staten Island is no exception:

Craft House at 60 Van Duzer St

Above Rooftop at 1100 South Ave

1001 Nights Cafe & Lounge at 2025 Richmond Ave

The Coupe at 379 Van Duzer St

Bootleg Mannings at 2645 Forest Ave

Burrito Bar at 585 Forest Avenue

While not in this city there are more opportunities to try and pick up women in Newark as well.

Day Game May Not Be Easy

Trying to meet women in New York City during the day can be easy in some ways but also difficult in others. Lets start with the positives, there are chances to meet single girls near you everywhere you turn.

Exit your hotel or apartment, walk in any direction, there are day game possibilities galore. But on the negative side when you have so many people crammed into a small area that doesn’t make for great pick up spots.

Space and time are at a premium in major cities, people walk faster here and don’t want to pause their life to give you the time of day. As a girl walks from the subway to her destination she probably doesn’t want a stranger to come up to try and hit on her.

Lets just say people in this city aren’t known for being outwardly friendly on the street, but that is understandable. So while there will be foot traffic all around you and cafes with hot single ladies sitting around don’t be surprised if you get blown off more often than not.

If you wanted to try to pick up the hottest girls in New York City head to Fifth Avenue. This world renowned shopping district will have plenty of locals and tourists and can be a good place to start your search.

Hanover Square around lunch time or after Wall Street shuts down is another good place. The bars will fill up after the closing bell, get a seat a few minutes before and let the professional ladies come to you.

Other good day game spots can be:

Central Park

Hudson River park

Murray Hill

Soho

Union Square Green Market

Williamsburg in Brooklyn

Chat With New York City Girls Online

This city can be great but it can also be a pain in the ass in some ways. So many people and such expensive prices can start to weigh on you after awhile.

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It is much easier and more relaxing to log on to a dating site and chat with girls near you instead of having to go out and try to pick them up. Not only does it save you money but it is also a whole lot faster, you can message more girls in a matter of hours then you could approach in a month.

There are many sites out there that can help you find your soul mate to settle down with. They are easy to find, but we are going to tell you about one that is more about hooking up. You surely have seen Adult Friend Finder around the internet and wondered if it was worthwhile or not right?

In some cities there aren’t many users, but this isn’t most cities. There are literally thousands of New York City girls looking to hook up on Adult Friend Finder. They don’t want a husband, they don’t want to move in, they want to get laid and are looking for guys to help them with that problem. Does that sound like something you could do for them?

Best Places To Hook Up New York Times Square

New York City Dating Guide

Best Places To Hook Up New York State

If you were interested in finding a long term relationship instead of just a quick hook up you can check out this list with more sites on DatingAdvice.com. Now you know about more than enough places to meet single girls, it is time for our New York City dating guide to begin. We have mentioned it a few times already, but in this city finding places to go won’t be a problem.

There are so many cafes, bars, and restaurants that will be great for a date. If you are looking for some nice, romantic, and not budget friendly bars and restaurants for a first date you could try:

Auction House at 300 E 89th St

One if by Land, Two if by Sea at 17 Barrow St

Salinas at 136 9th Ave

The River Café at 1 Water St in Brooklyn

Peasant at 194 Elizabeth St

La Lanterna di Vittorio at 129 Macdougal St

Then there are some good bars and restaurants for a cheap date in New York City like:

Patricia’s at 1082 Morris Park Ave

Pete’s Candy Store at 709 Lorimer St in Brooklyn

Alameda’s at 195 Franklin St in Brooklyn

Brooklyn Night Bazaar at 150 Greenpoint Ave

Spin Ping Pong Bar at 48 E 23rd St

Spin can be a fun spot for a day date as well. Just know that after dark and on weekends the raise the rates to rent a ping pong table, so it isn’t as budget friendly during peak hours.

You can find some of the best comedy clubs in the world here and they can make for an awesome date night. Some we recommend are:

Gotham Comedy Club at 208 W 23rd St

The Stand at 239 3rd Ave

New York Comedy Club at 241 E 24th St

The Bell House at 149 7th St

Carolines on Broadway at 1626 Broadway

Best Places To Hook Up New York Right Now

For something a little classier take her to a show on Broadway, here are links to some great theaters where you can catch a show:

You may want to walk around Broadway and look for a specific show that is playing now that interests you.

Day Date Ideas

Then if you are looking for some more good day date ideas any of these should do the trick:

Gantry Plaza State Park at 4-09 47th Rd in Long Island City

Brooklyn Botanic Garden at 990 Washington Ave

Museum of Interesting Things at 177 Prince St

Gallow Green at 542 W 27th St

The Cliffs at 11-11 44th Dr in Long Island City

Deep Tanks Studio at 150 Bay Street, St. George

Bagatelle at 1 Little W 12th St

Another fun place to go on a sunny day would be the Bronx Zoo. Deep Tanks Studio is only held on the 2nd Saturday of each month, and Bagatelle has some great Sunday brunches that can be good for a date or as a place to look for single girls. A weekend getaway to Atlantic City could be a lot of fun for the two of you.

Enjoy Dating New York City Girls

We don’t like to come off as a broken record but this is one of the great cities for nightlife and entertainment in the world and is probably our longest American dating guide. While you do have plenty of options for pick up and date spots that doesn’t mean lots of guys don’t struggle with how to get a girl in New York.

Check out some of the links above to find out which spots fall within your budget and give it a go. If you see a sexy lady anywhere go say hello and see what happens. Maybe it won’t work out, but if you don’t try then it definitely won’t work out. Don’t forget about the thousands of single women using Adult Friend Finder to get laid either, they can help get you through some dry stretches.

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Best Places To Hook Up New York Strip Steak

That wraps up our best places to meet girls in New York City and the dating guide, enjoy your time here.

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[lonelier-version-of-you]

It’s time for me to continue my series 15 watch, with S15E32 “Divided We Fall”.

Edit 1: Harry has been added to the intro. 😩 He annoyed me enough in his debut episode alone, and now I have to put up with him for another 20 episodes or so. Sigh.

Edit 2: Ah yes, the “previously on” replaying Malick and Dom’s locker room kiss. Lol, why do queer moments always happen in that locker room? Just yesterday I was rewatching Henrik and Russ nearly kissing there! And of course it’s where Dan and Malick kissed a couple of series ago too.

Edit 3: Ooh, this is a Justin Young one!

Edit 4: That Rachel and Sacha scene. :(

Edit 5: Patient to Sacha: “Anyone ever tell you you have a lovely smile?” I think everyone has told him that. They’re right though, he does.

Edit 6: A patient said he’d prefer a male doctor to examine him (Harry and Gemma were treating him) and Harry was like “I don’t blame you, you don’t know where she’s been!”. What the fuck, Harry. Not only is it a misogynistic joke but it’s not even a funny one. I love Gemma’s response, though - “Well, we all know where you’ve been!”.

Edit 7: Malick and Dom having an awkward moment in the lift!

Edit 8: Oh, Rachel. :(

Edit 9: Sacha asked Harry to clear a side room for an isolation case, Harry just asked Gemma to do it instead and get Mary-Claire to help her. How much of a misogynist can this man fucking be?! If he didn’t have the time to do it that would be one thing, handing it over to Gemma because it’s a supposedly womanly task is quite another.

Edit 10: Chantelle telling Mary-Claire about how she likes doing word search puzzles, Arthur joining in and saying they “keep the brain active”, and Chantelle repeating “Keeps the brain active!” after him. Cute. I’m gonna call this Chantelle doing echolalia because why not.

Edit 11: Mary-Claire try being nice to Chantelle for once challenge.

Edit 12: Ah, Sacha wanted the side room for Rachel.

Edit 13: Bob Barrett is such a great actor.

Edit 14: A good old patient parallel, and this one is painful.

Darwin patient, to Jac: “Do you know what it’s like to be completely on your own? When there’s no one in the world you can trust except yourself?” :(

Edit 15: Ahahaha omg. Jac walks in on Jonny reading fairytales to a patient’s kid and says: “Glad to see children are still being fed misogynistic patriarchial lies about the female need for codependency.” I love her.

Edit 16: Jac and Gemma in the same scene!! I repeat, Jac and Gemma in the same scene!! <3

Edit 17: Malick showing Chantelle Arthur’s mixtape without realising it’s for her.

Malick: “What would you say if a guy gave you this?”

Chantelle: “I’d say ‘thanks, but I don’t have a cassette player’.”

Edit 18: Oh jeez. The Darwin patient is actually 15, not 18 like she said, and the girl she claimed was her daughter is actually her sister but she’s been bringing her up basically by herself. They haven’t revealed the reason she had to bring her sister up as of the point in the episode I’m at, but whatever it is, that’s incredibly sad.

Edit 19: Nathan talking about losing his mum. :(

Edit 20: The girl on Darwin has been raising her sister because their mum walked out and abandoned them when she (the older sister/Darwin patient) was 13. :(( That’s just heartbreaking. The obvious parallels with Jac (the patient’s even saying she doesn’t want anyone to find out because she’ll go into care and they might put her and her sister in two different homes!) make the storyline even sadder.

Edit 21: Oof, Ollie snapping at Jac.

Edit 22: Jac’s argument with Jonny about the patient is interesting: Jac says “do you really think she’d be any better off in care?”

Edit 23: The Jac and Sacha scene with Jac ranting in theatre is absolutely brilliant. Rosie Marcel and Bob Barrett were both just incredible.

Edit 24: I hate Jonny so much.

Edit 25: Chantelle watches Glee??

Edit 26: I really want to punch Jonny.

Edit 27: Chantelle’s figured out the mixtape is for her!

Edit 28: The Rachel storyline is just heartbreaking.

Edit 29: Oliver is reminding me of myself more than I’d like.

Edit 30: Jac and Sacha ❤

Edit 31: Awwwh, Sacha shaving his head to make Rachel feel better about her fear of losing her hair from the chemotherapy. <3

[doof-doofblog]

"Anyone'd Think You Ain't Pleased To See Me!"

Monday 21st September 2020

Hello again folks! I've decided, seeing as I've had a lot of catching up to do, I'll do last night's episode tonight and tonight's episode tomorrow. That way I should be all updated for Thursday and Friday! The previous episode was such a hard hitting one, very powerful and the performances from all the cast were phenomenal!

Of course, this episode is going to focus on the aftermath of the events of Chantelle's death. I am once again feeling excited yet nervous to see what's in store. So let's get straight to it! The episode opens up with soft music being played, the imagery is all blurry as we can flashing blue lights. As the image becomes clear, the camera approaches the Atkins household which appears to have blue police tape all around it. The camera moves to left as Kheerat exits his house and sees all the commotion on the Square. He clearly has no idea what has happened the night before, as he sees a body bag being wheeled out of the Atkins home, he is clearly shaken and visibly devastated by what he has seen. He knows deep down that is Chantelle's body they're moving from the crime scene.

Meanwhile Gray at the police station, has he been arrested? We can see him changing his clothes as his personal belongings have been bagged by the police. While he's there, his home being photographed, the crime scene is being investigated. The investigators are taking pictures the glass of water on the counter, the dishwasher door, the children's toys (which we know were placed by Gray!) The children are being looked after by Whitney, of course to keep them from seeing the scary police men investigating their home, she has taken them to the cafe! Mia can be seen drawing, Whitney asks what it is, the little girl holds her drawing up "Just Curly Queen!" - are the children aware of what's happened to their Mum? They must be, obviously they wont know the full details, everyone will do everything they can to keep them from finding out that Daddy killed Mummy.

In Ruby's club, Ruby is still having problems with her money. Someone or something is clearly taking money from her account, she insists that it's not her who is doing these big transactions. She's shouting down the phone when Martin enters the room, he asks if there's a problem and if there's anything he can do to help. Ruby once again lies to him, keeping him from the fact that she is slowly going skint! She instead tells him the issue has to do with one of her suppliers. Martin falls for the story, and suggests that he and Ruby take Arthur out for the day. Ruby at first is unsure, of course due to her money worries, but Martin insists that it'll be his treat.

Meanwhile, in the Mitchell house hold, Callum receives a message from his boss, asking whether he had made his mind up about bringing in Phil Mitchell to him or not. Of course, Callum doesn't want to turn his boyfriend's Dad in. Suddenly Phil can be heard entering the house from the back, he and Ritchie enter the kitchen, you can make out that instantly Phil is worried about his boy. He's worried whether he'll be charged for his involvement in the robbery. Ritchie explains that clearly Ben was thinking that it was either Danny Hardcastle or him, Phil is distraught to hear that Ben didn't follow his advice. But the next thing that Ritchie says really does surprise me, "How much do you trust the boyfriend?!" - Instantly I am thinking that that is the most ridiculous statement to make, Callum has said over and over again how much he loves Ben, of course he doesn't want to see his boyfriend banged up. But in all seriousness, has Phil even gotten to know Callum properly? Not really, so of course because Callum has now joined the police, he's going to put two and two together and think it was all a plan, perhaps Callum pretended to love Ben just so he could get him arrested? Us as viewers know of course that that's not the situation at all, but who knows what's going through Phil's mind right now?!

Back at the police station, Gray is being questioned by the police. As far as I can tell he's only told the police that he and his wife have come back from a family holiday in Southend. Suddenly as he's explaining to the police, it dawns on him that none of the Taylor family have been told. The next thing we see is Karen and Mitch arriving back to the Square, Karen exits the car holding a huge big bunny teddy bear. The first thing she claps her eyes on is the police tape round the Atkins house and all the flowers and tributes left for Chantelle outside the house. She knows instantly that something has happened, she drops the teddy and suddenly every noise around her goes all muffled. Gray can be heard giving his events of the night, explaining he went out to get milk for her hot chocolate. While Karen is slowly making her way towards the house, you can see the figure of Billy approaching her in the background, he's clearly calling out to her but she doesn't seem to hear a word he says.

As Karen gets closer and closer to the scene of the crime, her bottom lip begins to quiver, she shakes her head in disbelief as we hear Gray lie to Police and say that when he got back to the house, she was already dead. Karen makes her way under the police tape and notices a drawing of Chantelle from one of her children on the railings, it becomes clear to her what has happened and she whimpers as she slowly sobs. Gray also sobs to the Detective, "My beautiful girl - dead!"

Back at the club, Ruby is joined by Martin, Kat is working away, cleaning in the background. Ruby has been struggling with money the past few weeks and it's only now Martin has clocked on that something isn't right. He asks her straight out whether she is having a problem with money, it's then she comes clean to her boyfriend that someone is stealing her money. Someone somewhere has made an account in Ruby's name and is stealing money from her, and the only way they can steal big amounts of money from her is knowing her personal details. While Ruby is explaining this to Martin, Kat's ears prick up and she listens in to their conversation. Does she know who could potentially be taking Ruby's money? As Martin as hearing the news his girlfriend is revealing to him, he clearly thinks that she is blaming him, she admits that the thought had crossed her mind, leaving Martin hurt.

OH MY GOD!!!!!!! SHE'S BACK!!!!!! The next scene we see Stacey, the Queen herself - she's holding up a piece of jewellery and she claims she thinks ruby's are tacky, but she'll take the necklace anyway, she hands over the card and assistant says "Thank you Miss. Allen!" - It's Stacey who's nicking Ruby's money! First thing I'm wondering is how and why?! Of course they're friends, but clearly news must have gotten back to her that Ruby has moved in on her ex-husband Martin. I am so delighted to see Stacey back, it's been a long time coming!!!

In the cafe, Callum is talking with Jack about Chantelle, he asks how Denise has taken the news. Jack reveals that Denise is in bits, she's devastated for the children also. Callum can't even begin to get his head round it, it looks as if no one can, Jack is visibly devastated as he mentions Denise. Callum asks Jack one of the most important questions next to Jack, "How do cope though, with someone you love that much, just dropping out of your life like that?" - Jack takes a sigh and responds "You learn to live with it!" - as viewers will know, he lost the love of his life, Ronnie, on their wedding day. Ronnie sadly drowned trying to save her sister, Roxy, from drowning in a hotel spa swimming pool. Ronnie jumped in the pool in her wedding dress, but the dress and veil was so big and heavy she got dragged down and drowned along side her sister. As far as I'm aware, Callum never knew Ronnie, so Jack can fully understand how the Taylor's are feeling, perhaps in his mind, Gray also. The conversation then changes to Jack asking whether he had spoken to Ben, Callum reveals he hasn't. Jack then advises him to keep it that way, he explains to him the less that he's involved the better, otherwise it could jeopardize his whole career. Callum tries his best to explain that he can't just turn his back on his boyfriend, Jack seems to come to the conclusion that Callum is free to do whatever he chooses to do, but he does warn him to be prepared.

Oooo a place we've no seen for a while, in the Slater's household Kat is seen on the phone to Stacey. Kat knows it was Stacey who was nicking Ruby's money. She's shouting at her down the phone, trying to persuade her not to carry on, because it looks as if Ruby might get the police involved, but Stacey doesn't care. Stacey hangs up the phone. While Kat and Stacey have been having this conversation, Kush has been overheard some slight bit of information. He asks Kat straight out why Ruby would have the police after Stacey. Kat can no longer hide, she needs to come clean. She reveals to him that Stacey just borrowed a little bit to begin with, but then Kat informed her about Ruby and Martin and suggested she'd take revenge. So Stacey started nicking larger amounts from Ruby's account. While Kat is giving Kush this information, little Arthur can be seen making his way down the stairs, as all little children do, they hear things they shouldn't really hear. Kat also drops the bombshell on Kush that the money used for pay the rent on his stall was also money used from Ruby's account. Kush instantly instructs Kat to phone Stacey back and tell her to come back to Walford, because the situation needs to be resolved now before it gets any worse!

In the Square, Callum finally bumps into Phil. This is the moment I think Callum respects Phil, he explains that Callum should've stopped him from going ahead with his plan, but Callum is ready to defend himself and reveals to Phil that he suggested to Ben he'd speak to him first. I think Phil realises that Callum does have Ben's interests at heart, he's trying to be the decent boyfriend and stand by him. Callum throws the blame on Phil, if Ben hadn't have wanted to prove himself the big man to his Dad then he wouldn't be caught up in all this mess. Phil sighs and admits to Callum that he has made some mistakes with Ben in the past. He explains that Ben was very young the first time he was sent to prison, he feels sad for his son that he might've missed out on some of the best years of his life, but there's nothing he can do that can change the past but all he will do is hope that he doesn't make the same mistakes.

Back at the Taylors, all the family members are absolutely devastated to learn about the passing of Chantelle. Bernie is seeing tearfully cradling the big teddy bear. Karen is on the phone to police wondering why the Police have kept Gray in for questioning, wanting to know whether he's going to be charged. Keegan is in his room down the hall from his Mum, Mitch enters his room to check if he's okay, he explains he's going to go and see Bailey so he can tell her face to face, and then he'll pick up Chantelle's children so they can all be together as they grieve. Keegan's voice breaks as he explains to his Dad that because they all left so quickly, he never got a chance to say goodbye to his sister. That moment, I found really heart-breaking. Chantelle was always caring for her younger brother, looking out for him and making sure he was okay. Keegan would obviously be absolutely broken by the lost of his big sister.

While the Taylors are grieving on one side of the Square, Kheerat is also struck with grief as he repeats the voice message from Chantelle on his phone, over and over again. Suki walks in on him listening to the voice message, she tries her best to console her son, explaining that he needs to stop listening to the message and try and move on. Kheerat knows he can't back away from this, he knows something isn't right - he can tell be the stress in her voice, he knows that Gray made her make that call. Suki is in shock and she seems to realise that her son is suggesting that Gray might've killed her. Kheerat is sobbing as he explains to his Mum that he had fallen in love with Chantelle, that their plan was to run away together. I love how Kheerat is explains it all, he's right - it can't be a coincidence that the night he sneaks into the Atkins house to grab a memory box for her, for then to be sent a voice message from her and then for her to pass away so suddenly, for all those events to have happened in the same night, something just doesn't make sense. I really do hope that Kheerat will be the one to expose Gray, he will find out what's happened and he will do everything in his power to get justice for Chantelle.

Back at the club, Martin is spending some time with little Arthur, Ruby walks in and gives him daggers as she makes her way behind the bar. Martin pretty much demands an apology from Ruby. He explains to her that the only money he gets from her is his wages he'd paid at the end of the month and that's it! But Ruby instantly mentions the day out he has planned, she questions him on how he'll be able to afford it. To prove he's being honest with her, he pulls out a load of vouchers from his back pocket and plonks them on the counter in front of her, she instantly feels guilty for even thinking it could be him. She apologises and Martin explains that if someone was stealing her money she should go straight to the police. It's only then little Arthur speaks and reveals what he has overheard "Mummy does! Mummy stole your money!" ..... Okay, as cute as that was, part of me kind of thinks, a child of Arthur's age, how would he know? If you were in that situation, wouldn't you sit them down quietly and try and get them to explain what they mean? It's a big accusation to make, but of course, Arthur doesn't understand what he's just said, he's just repeating words that he's heard. Martin and Ruby look in shock as they realise there could be some truth in what the little boy is saying.

On the Square, a police car is pulling up with Gray in the backseat. Have the police let him go, for now? Mitch watches from a distance as Gray leaves the car and looks at the scenery around the house. On the other side of the Square, Kheerat turns the corner and watches as Gray turns around and they both stare at each other. Mitch watches on and looks in the direction of where Gray is looking and clocks Kheerat, again both men share a look from across the Square as they watch as Karen falls into Gray's arms and they both sob.

Next, Callum is seen leaving the police station, his boss calls after him as he walks away from the building. At first the conversation focuses on the death of Chantelle, Callum informs the Detective that he didn't know Gray or Chantelle that well but knows that they are both very likeable people. His boss then turns the conversation to his offer. Callum admits to his boss that he can't do what he's asking, it would tear Ben apart if he was to grass his Dad up to the police. His boss then warns Callum, "Have you got any idea what they do to grasses in prison? I'll charge him tomorrow morning, you've got until then!" Callum really doesn't know what to do for the best, part of me hopes he doesn't grass up Phil! It's going to be the worse thing he could do for all involved if he does!

The last scene of the episode, we're back in the middle of the Square, Ruby is making her way through the street as Kat is watching her, Ruby approaches her and Kat mocks that she's not walking up to give her bonus. Ruby then reveals to her that she knows, she knows exactly who's been stealing from her. She wants to know exactly where she is, of course Kat plays dumb and asks "Who?" As this conversation goes on, in the background we see a call pull up, a ladies foot is exposed as someone leaves the car. Ruby is determined to get information out of Kat, suddenly, Stacey makes herself known - walking up to them both like a model on a cat walk! All glammed and looking absolutely fabulous! Ruby watches in shock as her ex-friend makes herself know, Kat watches with the most tiniest little grin on her face. Stacey is back with an almighty bang!!

I'm really excited to see what's going to go down between Ruby and Stacey, they were once the best of friends and now they look like they can't seem the bare the sight of each other. As I've explained, I will follow up tonight's episode tomorrow, and I will do Thursday's episode on Friday as unfortunately, I am back in work. I will do my absolute best and keep up to date for the rest of the week. Enjoy folks and I'll be back very soon! xXx

[lonelier-version-of-you]

I bet I'm just saying stuff you've said before but it got me thinking. before Holby toned down how they wrote Hanssen he fit the "tortured asshole genius" stereotype that also tends to go hand in hand with representation of autistic characters (not saying anything about the quality of that rep). *male autistic characters. and that's the thing, right, because if Jac was a guy how she's written would stand out even more. but because she's a woman it's easier to over look her symptoms (of whatever)

you’ve already gone over how she isn’t canonically autistic, she’s traumatized, but it’s interesting to me to think about how her gender influences how people perceive her character and her behaviour and whether they put it down to a disorder like autism or mental illness, and the parallels to how Hanssen was written and reacted to.

No, I 100% agree with you on the Hanssen front. He was an asshole genius stereotype early on (though his behaviour then makes more sense in light of what we found out later on, i.e. it was all just an act), and then when they toned that down they took a lot of his autistic traits with it, because he can’t be a decent person and visibly autistic I guess. *rolls eyes* It’s why I’m so grateful for how obviously autistic Hanssen has been throughout the Oskar storyline. But that’s another post.

But yes, it is interesting. I once had someone reference Jac’s “big ego” to me even though it’s made very clear and explicit in the show that it’s just a front, and I was seriously wondering ‘would they have made the same comment if we were talking about Henrik, who also often acts very self-important as a coverup for his depression?’. (Probably not.)

I’d love to hear more thoughts on this, if you have any you want to share. (Or if anyone else does!)

(On a similar subject, I always felt Chantelle showed a fair few autistic traits too, but it’s been overlooked because she’s a woman and she doesn’t present ‘typically’ like Henrik and Arthur do.)