#why did so many fly over to paris when she’s doing 6 london shows

[muffingnf]

truthfully the only americans who have enough money to fly to another country for a ts concert are the obnoxious rich ones haha

it is crazy how much money they must have to fly so far and get a hotel and i wouldnt be surprised if they were going to multiple over here. no wonder they were lowkey insufferable

[justcourttee]

The Ice Queen

So, @long-lost-peace was messaging me and they came up with this brilliant idea that Marinette leaves Paris and transfers to the school that Felix attends. When the class visits one day, they’re shocked to see the Marinette they once knew is gone, and in her place is an Ice Queen. 

This is Felinette and my best attempt at doing their amazing idea justice.

Marinette had no idea how she had gotten there.

Well, that was a lie. In all honesty, it had happened so fast. The minute she told her parents that she was applying for the design program in a London school, they were more than happy to help her pack weeks before she even received her acceptance letter. They knew she needed a break from the school and what better way than throwing herself into something she loved?

The train ride was only two hours and sixteen minutes.

Her parents helped her set up her new room in the campus suites and exchanged tearful goodbyes before she found herself alone soon enough. She took it upon herself to explore the new city, snapping pictures and jotting down all of her quick bursts of inspiration that came from the beauty of the sights. When she had returned, she found a small brunette rummaging through her closet as if it were her own.

“Uhm, I’m sorry, but can I help you with something?”

The girl didn’t even bother responding as she pulled out a top, holding it against herself for a moment before shaking her head, placing it back in the closet. Marinette looked down at her purse where Tikki’s head was peeking out in curiosity, their head cocked to side much like how Marinette looked.

“Well, uhm, I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng and I am assuming you’re my roommate?”

The girl finally looked up from her rummaging, offering Marinette a half cocked smile.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived. You’re the new fashion major right? Do you think you could help me pick out an outfit that would impress even the most stone hearted person?”

Marinette opened her mouth but shut it just as quickly as the girl pulled out yet another one of her tops.

“Is that a no fashion major?”

Marinette shook her head, trying to regain her voice.

“I’m sorry but could you stop going through my clothes?”

The girl shrugged before stepping backwards, taking a seat on the edge of Marinette’s bed. “My name’s Kayla, guess I kind of forgot that. Anyways, I need your help, new girl. Felix is coming to the party tonight and he’ll never notice me if I keep dressing in the same drab. I need something new and exciting, can you manage that?”

“Kayla! I thought we were going to greet her together!”

Marinette spun around to face the girl that stood in her doorway pouting. Her head was swimming as two girl’s bickered about her arrival, completely oblivious to the shade of pale she had turned.

“-you are just so rude! I mean going through her clothes without her permission? A woman’s closest is an extension of their soul and, hey, Marinette, are you alright?”

Marinette’s eyes came back into focus as she loosened the tight grip she had on her purse. She managed a small nod, before lowering herself into the chair by her desk.

“Okay good, omg, where are my manners? I’m Delilah! And I’m sure you’ve already met Kayla, I’m so sorry in advance, my friend has no personal boundaries and refuses to learn them.”

Kayla simply shrugged from her spot on Marinette’s bed, her eyes still scanning her closet as if willing the perfect piece to fall into her lap.

“It’s nice to meet you both, I’m sorry it’s just, it’s my first day here and-”

“And that’s perfectly okay! You take all the time you need to get ready for the party tonight and if you need any help at all, Kayla and I are right down the hall! Let’s meet in the living room at 7 so that we can all go together kk? Great!”

Without another word, Delilah gathered Kayla’s arm pulling the girl out the door before she could protest, slamming it shut behind them. Marinette waited a moment to be sure no one was going to pop back in before she opened her purse, allowing Tikki to fly out.

“Oh my, they were very lively huh?”

Marinette simply shook her head, a tired smile gracing her face.

“Tikki, I think I need a sympathy nap for Delilah. I mean, she talks so fast and in such an upbeat manner, I don’t know how she can keep that up for hours on end.”

The kwami chuckled, their eyes scanning over Marinette’s room.

“Wow Mari, this room is huge! You can totally keep up like three projects just in that corner alone!”

“I know Tikki! This school takes their majors very seriously. If I remember right, Delilah is a gymnastics major and Kayla is a business one. I wonder how their rooms look.”

“Well, why don’t you go find out?”

Marinette shook her head as she stood, taking the few steps before collapsing face first on her bed.

“Nap first. If I’m going to some party tonight, I need this time to recharge.”

Tikki rolled their eyes at Marinette, opening their mouth to sass the young girl, but closing it instead upon seeing their chosen one already knocked out.

“Sweet dreams Marinette.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Delilah wasn’t joking.

She was already standing in the living room at 6:50, her foot tapping away as she waited for her roommates to join her. She practically had a heart attack when Kayla was one minute late, dragging both girls by their hands down the stairs in full lecture mode.

“-and we’re gonna miss him arriving! You know he always is so over the top!”

Marinette had no idea who this ‘him’ was, but it was beyond obvious that both girls were crushing hard. She tried to remember the name Kayla slipped earlier, but her brain refused to provide it to her. She simply listened intently to their many stories, biding her time until she could meet the mysterious him.

“Ah, we’re here. Quick, ladies, how does my hair look? You know Felix is a perfectionist, he can’t have his future wife with one strand of hair out of place.”

Kayla muffled her laughter with her hand as she helped Delilah brush a few strands behind her ear.

“You know Delilah, he can only be your future husband if he chooses you over me right?”

The girl’s face morphed into one of mock hurt as she placed her hand dramatically over her chest. Marinette couldn’t focus on their interaction though. Instead her head was somewhere else.

They couldn’t mean Felix Graham de Vanily right? She wasn’t that unlucky to transfer out of one school that housed Lila into another that housed Felix right?

“Omg, there he is!” Delilah’s squeal broke her thoughts as Marinette turned slowly to where both girl’s gazes sat. Instantly, she felt her heart stop.

“Hi Felix! Have you met Marinette yet? She’s my new roommate!”

Marinette’s face reddened as she tried to back step and hid behind Kayla, but both girl’s were insistent on showing her off. She saw Felix’s eyes narrow in on her, only confirming what she already knew.

“Marinette right? Would you care for a dance?”

It was her turn to narrow her eyes. What did he have planned? Felix was no gentleman offering the new girl a good time, no, he was a lying and deceitful scoundrel who couldn’t be trusted and-

“She would love to!” She felt Delilah’s hands on her back, pushing her into him. Her panicked eyes shot back to where the two girls stood giving her thumbs up. If only they knew.

Felix led her to the middle of the floor, his hand resting at the base of her back as they gently swayed to the music.

“Dupain-Cheng, tell me, do you desire my cousin so much that you had to move to London in hopes of the distance making him long for you? It’s quite the elaborate plan.”

“Excuse me? Exactly how pathetic do you think I am?”

“Do you want me to honestly answer that question?”

Marinette cut her eyes to the boy’s smug face, every fiber in her begging her to smack that look off.

“Besides, I don’t even like Adrien any more. He chose what was more important to him and in the end, that wasn’t me.”

Felix cocked his head to the side as if seeing the girl in a new light.

“So you’re done with your sorry crush on my cousin?”

“Isn’t that what I just said?”

Felix’s smirk grew with every passing moment and honestly? It was starting to freak her out.

“Can you please wipe that stupid look off of your face?”

He didn’t respond. Instead, he spun her out, drawing her in so that her back was pressed against his chest. His ear dropped down to her ear as her breath hitched in her throat.

“Let me tell you a little secret Marinette. You care too much. Try caring less, it would be a much more fitting look.”

As the song came to an end, Felix released her hand, offering her a mock bow before slipping into the crowd, leaving a flustered Marinette replaying his words on repeat in her head.

It would be a much more fitting look.

She wanted to pull her hair out in frustration. This was only her first night and he was already under her skin. In that moment, Marinette made up her mind. She would avoid speaking to Felix Graham de Vanily for the rest of her time here in London, even if it was the last thing she did. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Unfortunately, her vow didn’t even last one day.

Her roommates swooned over that first night, insisting that she was coming to every hangout as the newest contender for Felix’s affection. She tried to brush it off, tell them she wasn’t interested, but it was useless.

“You two had so much passion when you were dancing, the looks on both your faces, ah, beautiful. Even you can’t deny that he’s pretty!”

Delilah’s words set her fate in stone as she began seeing Felix regularly from lunch dates to movie nights to days out on the town. Their friend group welcomed Marinette with open arms, ready to drag her off at every chance.

When it came to their outings, she almost could attempt to ignore Felix’s smirks and sly comments all thrown in her direction. Her new friends helped her outgrow her fears and insecurities, Felix helped her become better at ignoring and dishing out insults. By the end of her first year in London, Marinette felt better about herself then she had in years.

At least until her teacher pulled her aside delivering the worst news she could’ve possibly imagined.

“Marinette! Your old class from Paris is coming to visit next week and we were wondering if you could translate for them. They’ll be touring our institute before continuing on with the tour of the city and to my knowledge, you are our only student who speaks fluently in both French and English.”

Marinette’s head was shaking before the teacher could even finish her sentence.

She didn’t want to see them again, she had finally gotten to the point in her life where all the damage they had done was gone. It was like a terrible dream, a relapse into her old self. She couldn’t do it, she-

A gentle hand settled on her shoulder bringing her back down from her near panic attack. Sheepishly, she peeked up to where Felix stood, his face unreadable.

“Mrs. James, I would like to translate as well. My cousin is in that class and taught me French quite some time ago. Between the two of us, Marinette and I can take on this assignment.”

Marinette felt her heart skip a beat as she focused in on where his hand still sat perched on her shoulder. What was that feeling of warmth slowly coursing it’s way through her body? No, absolutely not, it couldn’t be.

She watched as the teacher walked away leaving the two of them in an abandoned hallway, a silence filling the space. Slowly, Felix withdrew his hand before shoving it into his pocket, taking off in his usual brisk pace.

Marinette stood dumb founded in her spot, unsure whether to follow when his voice snapped her to attention.

“Come on Dupain-Cheng, we haven’t got all day.”

She shook off her nerves before practically jogging to catch up to the blonde. Falling in line with his pace, she kept her eyes straight forward, even when she felt his fingers interlock with hers. She swallowed hard, willing her heart to stop somersaulting through her body.

“We’re going to face them together okay? We’re going to show them the ice queen that you have grown to be.”

Marinette couldn’t trust herself to speak, instead choosing to nod in agreement.

“Good, after all, this new you is a much more fitting look.” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A week came and went and Marinette found herself in front of the school building swallowing her nerves and steadying her face.

Taking Felix’s advice, she ditched her usual pigtails and outfit for a much edgier look complete with a high ponytail and more make up than she cared for. At first, she wanted to argue saying a new look could do nothing for her, but as Kayla finished placing the scarlet red on her lips, Marinette couldn’t stop staring at herself in the mirror.

The girl looking back was beautiful, confident, and most importantly cold. A befitting look for her new title as Ice Queen.

When the double decker pulled to a stop in front of the school, Marinette’s nerves began to swallow her. She wanted to ditch her position, trust that Felix could handle them and hide in her suite until she was sure they were gone. But a certain hand on her shoulder calmed her every frayed nerve as she straightened her posture, willing her face to remain as unexpressive as possible.

As the first of them began to unload, Felix leaned in, his breath tickling her ear.

“After this, they won’t forget you Marinette.”

He straightened back up, his small smile fading back into his own expressionless gaze.

Alya was the first to recognize her, her face contorting into a look of horror as she shook Nino’s shoulder, pointing him in Marinette’s direction. Slowly but surely, the word spread through the class the Marinette was here, waves of emotion crashing down.

Her old friend began to make her way toward where Marinette stood, but Madame Bustier reigned her back in, allowing the guide to welcome the class through Felix’s translation. Marinette scanned the crowd looking for one face in particular but alas she was nowhere to be found.

Adrien was though. Front and center, his mouth agape as he stared at Marinette’s new look. Through the day, Marinette could’ve sworn she counted over a dozen flies that he caught, but that didn’t stop from his hanging jaw.

It was easy work, translating. She would speak as nonchalantly as she could, never making eye contact and always looking as bored as she could. The waves of agitation spilling from Alya almost made her break character several times, but she kept reminding herself that her and Felix could laugh later, now was for taking a stand.

“Alright everyone, take an hour of free time but please, meet back in front of the school at 3:00 on the dot.”

This was the time Marinette had dreaded. It was easy to fake her new persona when there was nobody to face directly, but this was a different story.

As she thought, Alya, Nino, and Adrien made a beeline for her the minute Madame Bustier had dismissed them. Marinette turned around as if she couldn’t see them, hoping she could outwalk them, but instead she came face to face with a familiar chest.

“A queen doesn’t run Dupain-Cheng. They take a stand and fight. Now turn around, chin up, and let them have it.”

Marinette let out a slow breath before she turned back, straightening her posture and narrowing her eyes. Alya collided with her first, crushing her in a hug that Marinette didn’t bother to return.

“Girl we are so sorry, Adrien finally fessed up to us that Lila was lying a month ago and we all tried to reach out to apologize but it said your phone was disconnected-”

“That’s because it was. What makes you think I would want to hear from you now?”

Alya’s mouth blubbered like a fish out of water as she tried to gather her words together.

“Because dudette! We’re friends! And we needed you to know that we’re sorry and that you can come back to school!”

Marinette examined her nails lazily, slightly shaking her head.

“Oh Nino, we haven’t been friends for a while. In fact, I’m only here today because I was asked to translate.”

It was Nino’s turn to gape as he and Alya shared confused looks.

“Marinette, have you spending time with Felix? You know he’s not the best influence, look at how cold he’s made you.”

Adrien attempted to grab her hand, but Marinette pulled it just out of his distance. She felt the fury building up inside of her wanting to explode. She felt an arm fall over her shoulders, lightly pulling her into their side. She risked a small look up at Felix’s face that remained expressionless as he casually pushed Adrien back.

“Marinette! Don’t tell me you’re dating my cousin! I mean, he’s not even your type! I-”

He paused at the sight of Marinette’s playful smile. His eyes widened as she reached up, her hand gently grasping Felix’s jaw, pulling his lips down into hers. The kiss was short, but she swore she felt her head spinning. She was almost positive she would have fainted if he wasn’t already supporting her with his arm.

“But, Marinette, you’re my- we’re uhm-, you and me are friends! You can date your friends’ cousin!”

Marinette felt a smirk pull at her lips at the sight of her former friend’s distress.

“Watch me.”

She turned, ready to walk away, Felix’s arm still round her shoulder, but something stopped her in her tracks. Turning her head back slightly, she managed to make eye contact with the trio, their faces the perfect mixture of regret and confusion.

“Just to clarify. Felix didn’t make me cold, you all did when you turned your backs on me when I needed you the most. A frozen heart doesn’t happen overnight” she paused, her eyes meeting Felix’s, a warmth spreading through her at the sight of pride shining, all for her. “But it can be thawed in one.”

And without another look, Marinette took off, relishing in the feeling of being at her boyfriend’s side.

“Well done Dupain-Cheng, I would be kidding myself if I didn’t admit that I prefer this version of you than the stumbling girl I met years ago.”

Marinette let out a small laugh as she stood on her tiptoes, placing a quick peck to Felix’s now red face.

“I prefer this me too, and lucky for the both of us, the Ice Queen is here to stay.”

Permanent Tag List:

@ash-amg @rebecarojas07 @heaven428 @long-lost-peace @thequeenofpotatoeunicornss @moongoddesskiana @nach0ava @iamablinkmarvelarmy

[itsmyregularcat]

Influenced by @white-cat-of-doom, and his Cats dream cast (please check it out), I have made my own.

This is going to be a tough one to figure out, but here is my Cats dream team, as of today.

I wish to see more productions to be better informed in my choices, so I need to get on some bootlegs I guess! (Some choices are actually going to be based off of assumptions of how the actors portray them).

I already know a bunch of my choices are going to be from the Broadway Revival (because I really like that production), and almost all are going to be from newer productions because I am way more familiar with them.

In alphabetical order:

Admetus / Macavity: Thomas Inge (Asia Tour 2017/2020 and UK International Tour 2018/9)

I quite like the Macavity redesign for Vienna 2019 and Asia 2020, so he gets the nod just for this. Otherwise, he is an established Admetus and seems to have fun with it.

Alonzo / Rumpus Cat: Fletcher Dobinson (Asia Tour 2020)

I have never seen him perform as Alonzo, but he has this energy about him I cannot really describe. From short videos I have seen, he seems to have a 'snarky' side, and just has a hell of a time flirting about with everyone during curtain calls. He has the moves.

Bill Bailey / Tumblebrutus: Kolton Krouse (Broadway Revival 2016 / Cats 2019)

They can fly with the best of them. Their flip in with the ball during the end of the Old Gumbie Cat is a cool addition. No strong feelings for this character though.

Bombalurina: Rosemarie Ford (Cats 1998)

If anyone exemplifies what it means to be Bombalurina, I think Rosemarie wins. The duality of caring attitude and scornful nature, combined with her moves and her voice all make her a top pick. Also, slightly older Bombas I feel are better?

Honourable mentions: Christine Cornish Smith (Broadway Revival 2016) for sure, Suzie Melloy (Asia 2017/2020), and Tanya Valenzuela (Mexico 2018).

Carbucketty / Pouncival: Joel Morris (South Africa 2008 / UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014 / International Tour 2016)

He does a relatively good job being juvenile, but not annoying in his role. Him screwing around during Tugger's song, Moments Of Happiness, and Skimbleshanks is actually endearing to a point. No strong feelings for this character though.

Cassandra: Mariah Reives (US Tour 6)

Another pick I have never seen during performances, but she looks like a good Cassandra. She is really pretty and appropriately tall, so ¯\_( ツ)_/¯. Bonus points for her lighting up during Misto's song.

Honourable mentions: Jessica Buckby (2013 UK Tour), Danielle Cato (International Tour 2019), and Emily Pynenberg (2016 Broadway Revival)

Coricopat: Corey John Snide (2016 Broadway Revival)

He pairs up very well with my top Tantomile pick, and cannot realistically be separated. This legend was also a dance captain, involved with Cats 2019, and did a split track cover of Coricopat and Jennyanydots during his run.

Demeter: Zizi Strallen (London Revival / Palladium 2014)

Real talk, I love her as Tantomile in Cats 2019, and her singing voice is beautiful and distinct. Her as Demeter is a good bet, and she gives off a happy vibe during less serious points of the show. That happiness she puts in 2019 Tanto is what she did with 2014 Demeter.

Honourable mention: Lisette Pagler (Gothenburg 2006 / Stockholm 2009). The OG grey Demeter. She is absolutely beautiful, and her non-rep portrayal design is neat. She is also an actual singer in Sweden, so her voice is top notch. I really like her as Demeter. Also, Ella Nonini (International Tour / Asia 2020).

Electra: Leah Sue Morland (Cats 1998) or Lili Froehlich (2016 Broadway Revival)

I cannot reasonably pick one over the other, I have disproportionately strong feelings for both. Lili made me fall in love with Electra as a character (and I mean, look who my icon is!), and Leah cemented it before and after me seeing the Broadway Revival. They both make a modest ensemble cat seem so much more important. One of my favourite Cats across any production.

Etcetera: Jo Bingham (Cats 1998)

Boundless energy and happiness rolled into one bouncy cat. No one had a better time during Cats 1998, and for a cat that does not appear in many production afterwards, Jo just said f*ck it and did whatever seemingly came to mind to forge a legacy. Biting Coricopat’s ass remains a landmark moment in cinema. One of my favourite cats in the film without a doubt.

George: Frank Thompson (Cats 1998)

He is sort of always there, enjoying himself. If I would cut a cast member, George would be it. Sorry George.

Gus / Bustopher Jones / Growltiger: Rory Campbell (UK Tour / Zurich / London)

Dignified Busto. A good Gus that does not play off too much about being old and decrepit. If done properly, Growltiger (for the sake of Griddlebone) should make a return to more productions. Remove the total racism and the open misogyny inherent to many portrayals of Growltiger, and make it strictly about the lovers.

Grizabella: Jennifer Hudson (for real) (Cats 2019)

I know this one will ruffle feathers, but her sad sap performance is quite unrivaled in Cats. She brought the gloom and the dejection of being casted out to life. Her singing Memory is powerful as all hell, and filled with emotion. She wins the screaming match.

Jellylorum / Griddlebone: Freya Rowley (Cats 2019)

At this point you are probably thinking, ‘my lord, what the hell is this person on about?’. Freya does not sing in the movie, and is just a background cat, but my god is she the best cat there! During her time with actual stage productions, she was a principle Tantomile, and covered Demeter, Jelly, Jenny, and Cassandra as swing. I know she can sing (even though I have never heard it), and I want to hear / see her as the most novel Griddlebone around. Big orange energy - get with it.

Honourable mention: Sarah Jean Ford (2016 Broadway Revival)

Jemima: Veerle Casteleyn (Cats 1998 / London / Dutch Tour)

The most vanilla choice, but she was the face of Jemima / Sillabub and the Cats ‘franchise’ when the 98 film first came out, and rocketed her character to great importance and notoriety. They used her for promo shots after the movie came out realizing how popular her character had become. Veerle is the innocence of youth personified. By the way, I am taking her without the overdub.

Honourable mention: Arianna Rosario (2016 Broadway Revival / US Tour 6) and Dawn Williams (UK Tour 2013)

Jennyanydots: Eloise Kropp (2016 Broadway Revival)

A younger Jenny still as wild as any other. Her greater involvement during the show is also cool to see. The changes they made to the Broadway Revival may irk some, but the Gumbie Cat scene with the choreography change is my favourite I have seen so far. Eloise does a really good job, and has a chaotic energy that draws me to her.

Mistoffelees: Laurie Davidson (Cats 2019)

On my pursuit of pissing off the purists, here is another controversial choice. He provides a character development that I think would work out well on stage. Imagine it for a second, with Tugger or Munk hyping him up. No Mistoria though.

Honourable mention: Joseph Poulton (UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014)

Munkustrap: Jack Rebaldi (London / Madrid / Paris / Dusseldorf / German Tours)

The man is a serious Munk, who is versatile with his portrayals. He gets so into playing the character, and seems to be having a great time doing it. Plus, how the hell can someone do Munk in English, Spanish, French, and German in the course of three years? Madness.

Honourable mentions: Robbie Fairchild (Cats 2019) and friend-shaped Michael Gruber (Broadway / Cats 1998)

Mungojerrie: Drew Varley (Australia 1993 / London / Cats 1998)

One half of the chaotic duo present in Cats 1998, with an oustanding level of dumbassery and foolishness that encompasses Jerrie. He encapsulates that attitude very well, and pairs perfectly with my top Rumpleteazer.

Honourable mention: Dante Hernandez (Mexico 2013 / 2018)

Old Deuteronomy: Nicholas Pound (London / UK Tours / Palladium 2014 / International Tour)

A bit of a different choice, considering most people would likely pick Ken Page (and for good reason). Mr. Pound has a great voice, and welcoming vibe. Behind the scenes, he is a chaotic Old D. Plus, his name is Dick Pound.

Rum Tum Tugger: John Partridge (UK Tour / London / Cats 1998 / Berlin / Dusseldorf)

Velvety smooth voice, swagger coming out the hip thrust, and a playfulness suitable for the rockstar cat. No contest with this choice. He also does not play of RTT as being childish or over the top (*cough 2016 Broadway Revival / US Tour 6*), which is appreciated. Sorry Tyler Hanes, your vlogs were delightful, but your Tugger was a bit too much.

Rumpleteazer: Jo Gibb (London / Cats 1998)

Jo Gibb is the reason I became super obsessed with Cats, and probably why my favourite character is Rumple. Having initially seen the 2019 movie before the 1998 film, seeing her smiling face and adorable portrayal made me sort of fall in love with her. She is a perfectly mischievous Rumple, and I feel is the benchmark for most others. Her engagements with other characters is awesome, and she is just the ideal actor. Also, Cockney accent Rumple is best Rumple I do not make the rules.

Honourable mentions: Every other Teazer. All of them. There is no bad one. They all have my heart.

Skimbleshanks: Steven McCrae (Cats 2019)

Big daddy Skimble, with the red pants and the moustache. Tap dancing and ballet powerhouse. WOO WOO. Enough said.

Tantomile: Emily Tate (2016 Broadway Revival)

Given all Tantos do not really have an opportunity to set themselves apart because they are more of an ensemble Cat, I liked Emily from the beginning I saw her, and I think she is really cute. Her, paired with CJS, make a pretty ideal Cori and Tanto. Maybe I am swayed by the amount of lifts and spins they do together during the show? They have a beautiful synchronization and grace with their movements. 

Weaponize your Tantomiles, helicopter her above your Coricopats and take over. Kill Macavity. Become the Everlasting Cat.

Honourable mention: Kaye Brown (London / UK Tour / Cats 1998), Melody Rose (US Tour 6), Helen Gulston (RCCL Cruise). Realistically, all Tantos are good. I like Tantomile.

Victoria: Georgina Pazcogiun (2016 Broadway Revival)

A prominent soloist with the New York ballet, renowned for her distinctive style, and you can appreciate that if you watched a 2016 bootleg show. She has also pushed out against ballet norms by being "The Rogue Ballerina" as a means of embracing the qualities that make her unique as a dancer, such as her 'bigger' (in terms of ballet) body type. Her unique style as Victoria makes her my choice. Plus, she be sneaky.

Honourable mentions: Hannah Kenna Thomas (UK Tour 2013 / Palladium 2014 / International Tour / Vienna Revival), Tyler Lotzof (Asia Tour 2020), Alicia Beck (UK Tour 2013), Phyllida Crowley Smith (London / Cats 1998). Realistically, all Vics are good.

Any way, there is my shitshow of a production.

[thecircusofyourmind]

Ya know what -- since you did it to me, imma do it to you ALL 170

UGH I deserved this

1: How tall or short do you wish you were? I’m fine with my height tbh2: What’s your dream pet? (Real or not) PENGUIN3: Do you have a favorite clothing style? I literally wear nothing but musical T-Shirts4: What was your favorite video game growing up? oh god. that’s a tough one. Prolly Kingdom Hearts or the Pokemon games5: What three things/people do you think of most each day: uhhh... the girl I like, my snapchat streaks bc i suck at them, and sleep6: If you had a warning label, what would yours say? Warning: forever alone7: What is your opinion on [insert person/thing here]? no8: What is your Greek personality type? [Sanguine, Phlegmatic, Choleric, or Melancholic] I have no idea9: Are you ticklish? I think? no one has tried in a while so idk10: Are you allergic to anything? nope!11: What’s your sexuality? straight af12: Do you prefer tea, coffee, or cocoa? Hot Cocoa 13: Are you a cat or dog person? DOGS14: Would you rather be a vampire, elf, or merperson? Vampire15: Do you have a favorite Youtuber? nope16: How tall are you? tf if I know. Maybe like 5′8″ I think?17: If you had to change your name, what would you change it to? I wouldn’t18: How much do you weigh? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] like 130ish I think19: Do you believe in ghosts/spirits? YES THEY ARE TERRIFYING20: Do you like space or the ocean more? Space!21: Are you religious? not really22: Pet peeves? people leaving me on read and ignoring me and avoiding me. 23: Would you rather be nocturnal or diurnal [opposite of nocturnal]? I already am nocturnal so24: Favorite constellation? I have no idea25: Favorite star? Also have no idea26: Do you like ball-jointed dolls? wat27: Any phobias or fears? SPIDERS. 28: Do you think global warming is real? I mean, it’s January 9th and we’ve yet to have actual snowfall so29: Do you believe in reincarnation? I don’t know30: Favorite movie? no clue31: Do you get scared easily? HAHA YEP32: How many pets have you own in your lifetime? a few fish, 2 dogs, a hamster33: Blog rate? [You’ll rate the blog of the one who’s asking.] ∞/10 obviously34: What is a color that calms you? uh. purple maybe bc it’s my favorite35: Where would you like to travel and/or live? I would LOVE to travel to London and Paris36: Where were you born? Holyoke, MA37: What is your eye color? Brown38: Introvert or extrovert? kinda both39: Do you believe in horoscopes and zodiacs? idk40: Hugs or kisses? never been kissed so... hugs41: Who is someone you would like to see/visit right now? The girl i like obviously42: Who is someone you love deeply? no43: Any piercings you want? no44: Do you like tattoos and piercings? I don’t mind them45: Do you smoke or have you eiver done so? never have, never will46: Talk about your crush, if you have one! even if she’s been a pain lately and stuff has been rough... she’s wonderful and makes me happy and i adore her and talking to her and the fact that I get to work with her makes my awful job a little tolerable knowing there’s one good thing there I get to look forward to seeing at work when the job sucks. 47: What is a sound you really hate? tf if I know48: A sound you really love? quiet49: Can you do a backflip? nope50: Can you do the splits? LOL nope51: Favorite actor and/or actress? jfc uh I don’t know there are so many to pick from! I never really pick favorites52: Favorite movie? why is this asked a second time?53: How are you feeling right now? awful lmfao54: What color would you like your hair to be right now? I like it the way it is55: When did you feel happiest? 2 years 3 months ago even tho that shouldn’t be my answer.56: Something that calms you down? sleep57: Have any mental disorders? [Only ask this if you know the user doesn’t mind!] not that I know of?58: What does your URL mean? It’s a song from Finding Neverland!59: What three words describe you the most? useless, uglyaf, yeah60: Do you believe in evolution? I mean, we had to get here somehow?61: What makes you unfollow a blog? I don’t ever usually62: What makes you follow a blog? no idea, just kinda do63: Favorite kind of person: nice people64: Favorite animal(s): dog, penguin65: Name three of your favorite blogs. @thewomaninlilywhite @putawaythefairytales @thoughtsofabasketcase66: Favorite emoticon: 😂 this is my most used one67: Favorite meme: NO68: What is your MBTI personality type? i have no idea69: What is your star sign? Scorpio70: Can your dog roll over on command, if you have a dog? LOL NOPE71: What outfit out of all your clothes do you like to wear the most? literally any musical related thing72: Post a selfie or two? NO73: Do you have platform shoes? why would i74: What is one random but interesting fact about yourself? I’m not interesting75: Can you do a front flip? no76: Do you like birds? penguins77: Do you like to swim? I never really go swimming78: Is swimming or ice skating more fun to you? prolly swimming bc I’d prolly die ice skating79: Something you wish didn’t exist: me lol jk... but spiders80: Some thing you wish did exist: my happiness ahaha81: Piercings you have? none82: Something you really enjoy doing: sleep, sing, perform83: Favorite person to talk to: the girl i like..?84: What was your first impression of Tumblr? this is stupid lmao85: How many followers do you have? 101 bc i don’t do anything on here86: Can you run a mile within ten minutes? prolly87: Do your socks always match? yes88: Can you touch your toes and keep your legs straight completely? nope89: What are your birthstones? Tourmaline and Opal90: If you were an animal, which one would you be? a penguin91: If a flower could aesthetically represent you, what kind would it be? i have no idea92: A store you hate? MY JOB93: How many cups of coffee can you drink in one day? 094: Would you rather be able to fly or read minds? read minds95: Do you like to wear camo? nah96: Winter or summer? summer97: How long can you hold your breath for? never counted98: Least favorite person? lol99: Someone you look up to: every talented person100: A store you love? idk101: Favorite type of shoes what102: Where do you live? Massachussets 103: Are you a vegetarian or vegan? If so, why? nope104: What is your favorite mineral or gem? no idea105: Do you drink milk? yeah106: Do you like bugs? eh107: Do you like spiders? HAHA NO108: Something you get paranoid about? literally everything in my life109: Can you draw: nope110: Nosiest question you have ever been asked? uhhh idk111: A question you hate being asked? “omg you’ve never been with a girl are you gay???” jfc people it gets old and annoying112: Ever been bitten by a spider? who hasn’t...?113: Do you like the sound of waves at the beach? suree114: Do you prefer cloudy or sunny days? depends on if it’s nice or not even with clouds115: Someone you’d like to kiss or cuddle right now: -_- obviously the girl i like116: Favorite cloud type: the ones that don’t produce snow117: What color do you wish the sky was? it’s fine the way it is118: Do you have freckles? a few119: Favorite thing about a person: honesty.120: Fruits or vegetables? veggies prolly?121: Something you want to do right now: die I mean sleep122: Is the ocean or sky prettier? ocean123: Sweet or sour foods? sweet124: Bright or dim lights? dim125: Do you believe in a certain magical creature? dragons are obviously real126: Something you hate about Tumblr: idk127: Something you love about Tumblr: also idk128: What do you think about the least? *shrugs*129: What would you want written on your tombstone? idk130: Who would you like to punch in the face right now? A LOT OF PEOPLE131: What is something you love but also hate about yourself? I don’t 132: Do you smile with your teeth showing for pictures? no133: Computer or TV? computer134: Do you like roller coasters? yesss135: Do you get motion sickness or seasickness? nope136: Are your ears lobed or attached? lobed 137: Do you believe in karma? YEP138: On a scale of 1-10, how attractive would you say you are? -10000000000139: What nicknames do you have/have had? Joey lol140: Did you have any pretend or imaginary friends? I have friends?141: Have you ever seen a therapist/shrink? no142: Would you say you are a good or bad influence to others? I try to be a good one143: Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts/help? giving144: What makes you angry people145: How many languages do you speak fluently? one146: Do you prefer boys, girls, and/or non-binaries? girls147: Are you androgynous? what?148: Favorite physical thing about yourself: nothing149: Favorite thing about your personality: also nothing150: Name three people you would like to talk to right now in person. no151: If you could go back into time and live in one era, which would you choose? uhhhh152: Do you like BuzzFeed? eh i don’t hate it153: How did you meet your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend/partner? [If you have one.] FOREVER ALONE154: Do you like to kiss others’ foreheads or hands for platonic reasons? never kissed155: Do you like to play with others’ hair? forever. alone. 156: What embarrasses you? my face157: Something that makes you nervous/anxious: idk158: Biggest lie you have ever told: I try not to159: How many people are you following? 64160: How many posts do you have on your blog(s)? 647161: How many drafts do you have on your blog(s)? 0162: How many likes do you have on your blog(s)? 460163: Last time you cried and why: Last day of Little Mermaid I literally SOBBED when I said bye to my Jetsam and Ursula bc they were literally my rocks over the previous 3 weeks to that because my life was just downright horrible and they were the only good part about it at the time164: Do you have long or short hair? short165: Longest your hair has ever been: not too long166: Why do you like, dislike, or have neutral feelings about religon? just don’t care lol167: Do you really care how the universe and world was created? eh168: Do you like to wear makeup? no169: Can you stand on your hands or head for more than thirty seconds? prolly not170: Did you answer the questions you were asked truthfully? yes

[voyages-extraordinaires]

C:R ~VE~ Chapter 6

I look at the folded piece of paper in my hand. I don’t know when, but sometime during our embrace Nemo had put it in my pocket.

“He made sure I saw,” Barbicane said with a proud smile. “Nemo’s a weird guy, but he can be sneaky when he wants to be!”

I can’t help but feel a little conflicted when I hear this. Our first time touching, and it was a ploy. No, I shake my head. Besides, how long did he hold me? How long did we stay touch, palm-to-palm? In the end, all that matters is that he communicated safely with us and we will get him out. I should not be selfish, not with someone I care about. A dear friend.

Speaking of communicating with us…

“What did he tell you?” I asked. “When he kissed you?”

Barbicane’s jovial expression quickly falls. “P-Please don’t remind me of that, Polly-chan… I was so worried I’d have to wipe his weirdo lipstick off me!”

He rubs his cheek with an expression of pure agony on his face, but he stops when he sees the look on my face. “A-Anyway, he just said ‘tonight’. Not giving us a lot of time, but it’s better to act quickly if Victoria-chan has convinced herself that Nemo’s some kind of rebel prince.”

I unfold the paper and look down at it. He has surprisingly neat handwriting, even if he does accentuate it with little drawings of stars.

A.–

Sponsor will drop off ship tonight, specs below for

I M P E Y  B A R B I C A N E. This is so cool!

“Why did he write my name like that?” Barbicane squints over my shoulder.

I will take you to our M Y S T E R I O U S  I S L A N D. There we can have lots of fun!

“Is… is that a drawing of himself winking?” Cardia asks.

I suddenly regret letting the two of them read over my shoulder.

X O X O,

–N.

I hear Barbicane begin to chuckle, and he winks knowingly at me. “Lots of fun, huh…? Wow, a bold love confession! His bravery is motivating me, too!”

Barbicane suddenly gets down on one knee and takes Cardia’s hand.

“Cardia-chan, my angel! Will you have fun with me on a mysterious island?!”

Cardia initially doesn’t respond. Finally, she glances at Impey and says, “I think your definition of ‘fun’ is different from Nemo’s…”

“H-Hey hey hey! Don’t say that I’m worse than that pervert! That stings, Cardia-chan!”

I knew that Cardia was right, but I was surprised to find that I felt disappointed when I heard her say it. Of course, the discoveries that will be made on our voyage will be lots of fun. Being with someone who is as passionate about science as I am will be fun, even if our favorite subjects are different.

But, I’m shocked at how I was hoping that there was more to it, with that cute little drawing he did.

What kind of ‘fun’ was I hoping he meant…?

…….

I’m so ashamed that I don’t even flinch when Barbicane plucks the paper from my hand.

“Let’s see, ship ship ship… ohh-hooo! Looks like we’re going to be getting a pretty good one! This sponsor Nemo got ahold of isn’t messing around! We’ll be sailing through the sky in no time!”

My stomach drops.

“When you say ‘ship’…”

“Mm-mm!” Barbicane closes his eyes, imagining the metal curves. “A gorgeous, gorgeous airship will be our getaway chariot!”

It’s rather hard to put into text the sort of noise that comes out of my mouth at this point. It isn’t a happy noise, that’s for certain. I sit down on a chair and stare at the ground.

“Hm? What’s wrong, Polly-chan?” Barbicane puts a hand on his hip. “Worried about being held captive like a cute princess by the scary airship captain, Nemo? A~aahh! I’ll rescue you, Cardia-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!”

Cardia looks at Barbicane. “If Aronnax is the one being kidnapped, why would you talk about rescuing me?”

“Ho ho ho! Because Polly-chan would only resist to save face, of course!” He strikes a pose that almost reminds me of Nemo. “Oh no~ how horrifying! Please be gentle with me!” He gives a thumbs up. “So that would give me lots of time for a super love rescue for my angel! All’s well that ends well, right, Polly-chan?”

“I have no idea what you just said,” I reply.

Cardia ignores Barbicane and looks at me. “Do you not like flying?”

I nod and take a deep breath.

“I have no specific reason for it, and my fear makes no logical sense,” I say. “I just hate the sight of the ground getting smaller…. and the only thing that separates you from falling into that eternal blue is a thin piece of metal.”

“And science!” Barbicane flicks down his goggles. “If you want, I can explain how airships are put together and what makes them tick. I can eeeeeeeeeven taaaaaaaaaaalk liiiiiiiiiiike thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis if it’ll make you feel better.”

“…. Never do that again,” says Cardia.

“I appreciate it, Barbicane, but I think I’ll pass,” I say. “All I have to do is take my sleeping draught before take-off and I’ll be in dreamland in about an hour.”

I stand back up.

“Doesn’t help quell the anxiety beforehand, though.”

I shake my head and dismiss my worries with a wave. “Seems silly to be anxious about that while we’re plotting a jailbreak!”

“That shouldn’t be too difficult,” says Impey. “Just have to sneak an explosive in and ka-boom, no more cell!”

“Just sneak in an explosive,” I repeat.

“Impey and the others do things like this often…” Cardia states flatly.

“That’s a little worrying,” I say.

“Are you surprised at this point?” asks Cardia.

I think about it for a moment.

“Not really.”

—–

Stealth has never been one of my skills. It’s a little unnerving to see the beautiful man in front of me weaving in and out of shadows like he belongs there. When Barbicane told the Count about our plan to rescue Nemo, he had simply smiled and said, “Oh, how fun!”

So now we’re walking through the grounds of Buckingham Palace. It’s strange how easily we are able to get around, but the Count is moving with the experience of someone who’s done this many times. I think I would be too frightened to ever ask him what his hobby is.

“Count, there’s a guard ahead!” I hiss.

“Yes, I know,” the Count just smiles as he walks up to him. Before the guard can comprehend what’s going on, he falls to the ground unconscious.

I didn’t even see the Count move. He just looks back at me with a smile and gestures for me to enter. I run past him and the Count follows in case there are more guards inside.

Of course there are more guards inside.

“My, my,” says the Count. “So many.”

At that moment, there’s a crash and smoke fills the room.

“Aronnax, go on ahead! San and I will hold them off!” I hear Frankenstein’s voice amidst the smoke.

“Thank you!” I call out to them before running in the other direction.

It’s hard to navigate through the smoke, I have to grope at the walls and pray I’m going the right way. How do they make it look so easy?

Eventually I make it to the door and open up into the cells.

“Nemo!” I yell.

I’m greeted with booming laughter.

“It’s time, it’s time, it’s tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!”

There’s another explosion, and I see a warped cell door go flying across the hall.

“Fwahahahahahahahaha!!” A familiar silhouette steps over the rubble from the blast and stands triumphantly.

“H-How did you…?” I trail off.

Nemo’s teeth glinted.

“Did you reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaally think that my resources were limited to a few mere scraps? Why, Professoooooooooooooooor, I’m insuuuuuuuuuuuulted!” But the wide smile on his face showed me that he was anything but insulted. In fact, he balanced one of his feet on the rubble and leaned back in mad laughter.

“I could have escaped aaaaaaaaaany time I wanted!” he shrieked. “I stayed put like a good boy so that I could triuuuuumphantly return and show that I’ve surpassed the greatest mind of Steel London: Isaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac-sensei!”

I’m stunned. I just stare in surprise as he continues to laugh.

“But I’m afraaaaaaid their change of plans forced me to action! So I must go, for my sun is setting over Steel London and dawning above the deep bluuuuuuuuuuuuuuuue!”

He thrusts out one of his hands.

“Noooooooow, Pauline Aronnax! Come with me on the joooooourney of a thousand lifetimes!”

I swallow and gingerly reach out to take his hand. However, his eyebrow twitches and he pulls his hand back. He steps over the rubble and stands in front of me, so close that fine strands of his hair brush my cheek.

My heart is pounding.

“I’m afraid, with these developments… the terms of our promise have changed,” says Nemo.

A bolt of coldness runs through me. “W-What are you saying?”

The grandeur of the scene is ruined by him biting his lip and shifting his weight—he’s nervous.

“If you go with me,” he starts. “You’ll likely be branded as a criminal by the British Empire.”

He reaches out and takes me firmly by the shoulders. “I—I wanted you to know, before we left—there’s still a chance! If you…”

His voice darkens.

“If you reject me now, you’ll likely be able to go back to the way things were. You could go back to Paris, you could go back to your studies and work. No one would have to know that you assisted me.”

His grip on me tightens, and I can’t stop myself from whimpering from the pain.

Is this a reminder of just how dangerous he is? A glimpse of the madman who built a battleship to cover the sky in darkness?

I try to seek out his eyes hidden behind his goggles. Even this close, they’re completely obscured.

For some reason, I suddenly recall the conversation that I had with the university’s headmaster, and I say the same words:

“It’s too safe for me here.”

Nemo’s expression falls in shock, his mouth slackens and he lets go of my shoulders.

“What…” his voice is higher than usual. “What are you saying?”

“I’m going with you,” I say. “Nothing will make me change my mind.”

He looks like he’s trying to process what I just said.

“Discoveries require risks,” I continue. “The greatest discoveries require the greatest risks. Besides that…”

I feel my face redden as I look down at the ground.

“I don’t want to go on this voyage with anyone but you, Nemo.”

I hear him make a confused noise.

“I don’t think anyone else could make me feel so happy about what I’m doing, about the science I’m pursuing. You … you love science so much. Being with you makes me feel like there’s so much left in the world to be discovered. By us.”

I hold out my hand.

He looks down at it, then looks back up at me. I try to reassure him with a smile.

He slowly reaches out for me, and we’re finally palm-to-palm again.

The only bars around us now are open, and we look at one another for what feels like an eternity.

Both of us move at the same time, closing the space between our bodies—

“Aronnax! Impey is coming in with the airship!”

Frankenstein is standing in the doorway, the Count not standing too far behind.

“MYYYYYYY ETERNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL RIVAAAAAAAAAAAAAL! VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICTOOOOOOOOOOR FRAAA---”

“The prisoner’s escaped!” guards pour in from the door on the other side of the hall, interrupting Nemo’s passionate greeting.

I keep a hold on Nemo’s hand as we begin running for the door with the others. I don’t ever want to let go of him. We were so close to holding each other again.

Surely this passion is the beauty of science!

… At least, that’s what I wish I was thinking.

As we escape from Buckingham Palace, I realize that I’m losing the battle against my own feelings. But thinking it, acknowledging it… Nemo and I are companions who will go on a great journey in the name of scientific discovery.

I can’t sully the beauty of that by admitting to myself that I’m falling in love with him.

The airship is waiting for us, hovering above as Frankenstein and the Count hold off the guards that seem to be pouring in from all directions.

“Ahoy there! Everyone ready to go, then?!” Impey’s voice is broadcast through the air.

I find it hard to move as I realize that we’ll be boarding that thing and sailing and plummeting and tossing ourselves through the unforgiving sky. My body becomes even more rigid when I see a rope ladder dropped down from the ship.

“Miss Pauline, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” says the Count.

“Don’t forget us if you ever find yourself in Steel London again,” says Frankenstein. They turn their backs to us to fight the guards who run to stop us.

I yelp when I feel an arm wrap around my waist and lift me.

“Hee hee hee! Noooooo time for being sheepish!” Nemo hoists me up and grabs ahold of the rope ladder, sandwiching my body in-between him and the rope.

I can feel the rise and fall of his breathing. It’s calming, even if only a little.

The airship begins to rise into the air.

“O-K! Reel us in!” Nemo yells upward.

The ethereal boy standing above the airship trapdoor looks down at us and narrows his eyes.

“Sister… if we were to drop them, we would be rid of so much noisiness.”

My throat goes dry. I can’t even scream at the horror that fills my core at that terrifying joke.

I feel Nemo lean in close to me. “Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing.”

The ladder vibrates and then is slowly reeled in by someone turning a crank.

“Finis, this is no time for that!” I hear Cardia yell to her brother.

“In and out…” Nemo continues. “I won’t let my precious friend fall, so just keep on breathing.”

It still feels like an eternity before I feel Cardia grab ahold of me and pull me inside the airship. As soon as I’m inside I collapse to the ground in a heap.

“Hoooooooooooooooo! It feels so gooooooooooooood to be back in the sky!!” I hear Nemo’s joyous shriek.

“Pipe down back there!” shouts Barbicane.

“Get away from that steering wheeeeeeeeeeel!” Nemo cackles. “Out, out, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuut!”

“You should show a little more gratitude to the genius who rescued you!”

I feel the ship lurch as Nemo grabs the steering wheel away from Barbicane.

“I’m going to be sick…” I murmur into the floor.

[miraculoussideblog]

Ways To Say I’m Sorry-Chapter 6

Chapter [1][2][3][4][5][you are here]

[AO3]

Chapter Six- I hate that I love you/I love that I hate you

“Here.” Chloe placed the God awful brooch on Sabrina’s desk. “My Great Aunt Millie passed away last week. She left me this in her will. It’s yours now. Get it out of my sight”

“This looks expensive,” Sabrina said. “I can't accept this.”

The diamond and gold flower brooch was obnoxiously large and clunky. It looked like it was straight from a costume jewelry store, but it was worth almost one hundred thousand Euros. She didn't want to ruin any of her finery with that ugly thing. “It's worth a fortune. Try not to get it stolen..”

“Thank you so much Chole. You’re the best.”

“I know.” She flipped her blonde locks over her shoulder. “What are friends for?”

Nathaniel slumped down on his couch, this was a day for the books. Flying, a picnic on the Eiffel Tower, that Kiss. He was in love.

He had to end things with Sabrina before he could tell her. What they were doing was wrong. Chloe was doing much better, there was no reason for Sabrina to interfere. He called her over to tell her to her face. Sabrina, stated she���d get what she needed and left. She’d grown cold over the years. Whatever happen between the two really screwed he up.

A banging on the door startled Nathaniel. It had to be Chloe, she was in such a panic when she ran off. Something had to be wrong.  He opened the door. Chloe’s tear stained eyes were red and swollen. “What happened.”

In a fit of rage, Chloe pounded her fist into his chest. “How could you,” She screamed. “I trusted you. Bastard.”

“You’re hurting me,” Nathaniel seized her hands.

“Good.”

“What’s going on?”

“She kissed you!”

“Who?”

“Sabrina!”

Nathaniel, released her. Chloe proceeded to pound away at his chest. He shouldn’t have let Sabrina come over. He was so desperate to end things, he wasn’t thinking.

“Why did she kiss you?”

“We’re French!”

Chloe stopped hitting him. “Then why was she here?”

Nathaniel paused; it was now or never. He took Chloe’s hand and lead her to the couch. “Chloe, I care for you so much. Believe me, I would never do anything to hurt you. When you came back to Paris, Sabrina approached me and asked if I could help you out. She set up with Marinette job and a place to stay. My job was to get you to the bakery, and keep an eye on you. That’s all. I’m swear I only called her over to end it. I couldn’t stand lying to you anymore.”

Chloe sat expressionless. Her eyes completely blank. “All this time…” she mumbled. “All this time you’ve been helping me, not because you wanted to, but because you had to.”

“It’s not like that--”

“Did she tell you what happened the night I left town? Is that why you took pity on me?”

“I don’t know what happened between you two and I won’t ask. I know it’s hard for you to even say her name. I should have told you sooner.”

“I should go,” Chloe stood up.

“No please. I love you. I’m so sorry.”

Chloe paused. “I love you too. And I hate that I love you.”

“What?”

“You’ve given me so much. I don’t know if I love you because of you or everything you’ve done for me. I get it now. You’re Sabrina’s replacement. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not Sabrina. I want to be your boyfriend.”

“Relationships are about give and take. And I keep taking and taking. I don’t want to be that person anymore.”

“Chloe, you are not that person anymore.” He pulled her into a hug. “The fact that you can’t see that, and are still trying to improve proves you’ve changed. And I love you for it.”

“Nathaniel…” She pulled away. “I’m sorry.”  

“Ugh.” Chloe rummaged through a jewelry box filled with cheap costume jewelry. She needed to wash her hands, her skin could not stand touching such cheap accessories. She already felt a rash coming on. She checked the final drawer. Found it. “Thank you Great Aunt Millie.”

“What are you doing?” A voice said from behind.

Shit.

“Sabrina,” Chloe slipped the brooch in her pocket before turning around to face her friend. “I came to tell you I'm leaving the country.”

“What's in your pocket?”

“I have a friend who offered me a place to stay until this blows over. I'll keep in touch I promise. I have a plane to catch.” Chloe tried to push past Sabrina, but she didn't budge. “Sabrina, move.”

“Chloe, what did you put in your pocket?

Chloe’s finger grazed the slight bump in her pocket the brooch. She had two options lie or run and she already did a lot of running today.

“You're being absurd. Get out of my way.” Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, hoping she would back down. Sabrina reached for Chloe’s pocket. “what are you-" Sabrina pulled the brooch out.

“Aunt Millie’s brooch.” She muttered, placing the gaudy piece of finery on the dresser beside her. “You did say it was worth a fortune.”

“I just want to keep my the memory of my Great Aunt Millie alive while-"

“Save it.” She said sharply.

“You never wear it anyway. It's more useful to me now than you.”

“So you were going to steal it?” Sabrina looked livid. Chloe hadn't see her this upset since the Vanisher episode.

“Borrow. As soon as Daddy’s lawyers  get everything straightened out I'll buy you something better.”

“I don't want another gift. You betrayed my trust. You don't care about anybody but yourself.”

“Don't you care about me? My life imploded today.”

“And the first thing you do is steal from your so called “best friend” rather than ask for help?”

“I don't need your help.”

“You just need a hundred thousand Euros and a first class ticket to London.”

“How did you-"

“I know everything that involves you in this city. Call it intense loyalty or whatever, but I am hurt you didn't come to me first.”

“If you knew everything about me you would know I've been pretty preoccupied today.”

“Oh I know, but that's no excuse. You book a ticket out of the country as soon as thing get hard.”

Chloe checked her phone. She needed to get to the Orly Airport soon. Without the brooch she won't have enough money to live comfortably until she could figure out how to get her money back. “I need to leave. I'll call you as soon as I-”

“Don't bother. If you take that brooch, I never want to see you again.”

Chloe’s eyes darted to the brooch and back to her friend. Five years ago, this would have been an easier decision. She was bond by a sense of duty since getting her Miraculous, since becoming Ladybug’s friend. Ladybug wasn’t here. She didn't give a rats ass about Chloe, no one did. She had to look out for herself.

“Goodbye Sabrina.” Chloe picked up the brooch as she pushed passed her former best friend.

Chloe laid in her bed and stared at the ceiling for God knows how long. Pollen buzzed up to her fave to check to see if she was still alive. She didn't want to talk to her, or anybody right now. So many thoughts raced through her head.

Why was Sabrina helping her if she never wanted to see her again? Why bring Nathaniel into this?

“Chloe?” The trap door creaked open.

“Go away Marinette.”

Marionette sighed as she climbed up and shut the door under her. “I wanted to apologize for this afternoon. I was out of line.”

“I'm not upset about that anymore.” She rolled over to face Marinette. “Why did you give me a job and apartment?”

“You needed help.”

I was terrible to you and your family. Why did you say yes to Sabrina?”

Marinette sat beside her on the bed. “So you know.”

“Did she tell you what I did?”

“No.” She shook her head. “But I decided to give you a second chance. I know what ever happened with Sabrina is over, she's giving you a second chance.”

“I stole from her,” Chloe finally said. The action weighed down her heart the second she walked on the plane. “Right before I left Paris I stole an expensive brooch from my late Great Aunt. I gave it to Sabrina a few years ago. I took it right in front of her face. And we ended our friendship there.”

“Did you apologize?”

“Up until now I thought she didn't want anything to do with me.”

“Well, she cared enough to make sure you had what you needed when you returned. Right now, she's probably just giving you space until you're ready to apologize.”

“I don't know how. People say actions speak louder than words. But old Chloe would just buy Sabrina’s forgiveness. I am not that person anymore."

“Then use your words,” Marinette said. “I'm sure that's all she wants in the end. Show her you changed.”

“You sure?”

“You won't know until you try.” Marinette’s phone rang between them. She checked the caller ID. “It's Fu! Hello,” she answered quickly. Marinette listed intently. Her face didn't give away any emotion. “We’re on it.” She hung up. “Wayzz was watching Nooroo and he coughed up another akuma. It's loose.”

“Nathaniel!” Chloe jumped up.

“What about him?”

“I found out about the Sabrina thing and some other stuff. He seemed upset, but not ‘lock me up in a tower so I'll never leave him’ upset.” She dialed his number. It went straight to voicemail. “Shit.”

“Go to him,” Pollen said.

“I'll let the rest of the team know. It might not get to him. There must be someone in Paris more miserable than him.”

“Thanks...I guess.” She turned to her kwami. “Pollen Transform me!”

Golden light showered her body as she transformed into Queen Bee.”

“Good luck.”

Chloe raced to Nathaniel’s apartment. All of his lights were off. Shit. He left. She should have warned him if the possibility of a loose akuma. She was just so hurt she completely forgot. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

She called him again. The phone rang once, twice. “Hello?” He finally answered.

“Nathaniel where are you?”

“Chloe?”

“There's an akuma loose. It's not tied to Hawkmoth so it's unpredictable.” Nathaniel didn't respond. A shriek rang through the phone. “Nathaniel are you okay? Nathaniel!”

“I'm at the Seine,” he whispered. “It's here.”

Shit. Nathaniel's apartment as in the opposite direction. She released her wings and flew as fast as she could. She could hear the commotion as she got closer. She prayed Nathaniel was okay.

From the distance, she could see Nathaniel hiding behind a tree. He was okay for now. She needed to get him as far away from the attack as possible.

“Nathaniel!” she shouted, trying to get his attention. “Nathaniel.”

He glanced in her direction, his eyes wide with terror. “Look out!” He pointed behind her.

Out of the corner of her eye, the akuma appeared behind her. Before she could react, a green ray of light shot from its pen, knocking her out of the sky.

[leah-jeffries]

I think the biggest thing that I looked forward to after Book Expo and Book Con was the launch party for Sarah Dessen’s ONCE AND FOR ALL at Books of Wonder. I had been on the fence about being able to go, but things worked out and I was so excited to also see both Jenny Han (ALWAYS AND FOREVER, LARA JEAN) and Jennifer E. Smith (WINDFALL) again. I knew that it was going to packed since it had been one of Sarah’s first appearances in NYC in a while and good gosh, I was right. 

I think that the Penguin staff had gone all out for the launch since the date (6/6) was also Sarah’s birthday. So there was a huge banner where people could write messages and take photos (w/photo-taking opportunities to hashtag them #SayYestotheDess), balloons, flowers, and cake (of which ran out before I could partake L) The energy in the bookshop was really buzzing and I could certainly feel the excitement everyone felt.

Once the three authors came out, the attendees sang a chorus of HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Sarah which really did seem to touch her and it was so nice to see how happy she was to be spending her birthday this way. Jenny sat in the middle of the three because it seemed that she was going to be moderating the panel, which I find so freaking awesome because she’s just so funny and always has a great repartee with whoever she talks to. She went over how Sarah’s book was about weddings, her own book had a wedding, and Jennifer’s book…had a lottery! If you were in that room, you could feel the ease at which these three authors were at while they talked – it was just so funny and easy going.

Jenny kicked off the event with what each of them would do if they won the Powerball lottery:

Jennifer: We’ve actually talked about this. Jenny thinks my ideas are impractical. I would wanna buy a little cottage in Scotland. I would want to give a lot to charity. I’d want to do random acts of kindness. And I would also just want to travel a lot. I travel a lot anyways, but I would wanna do even more and potentially in first class.

Jenny: Just for the record, it is impractical to have a cottage in Scotland when you could just go visit there and stay in a lovely hotel instead of committing yourself. What about you, Sarah?

Sarah: I would travel also. I was asked during one of these five hours’ worth of interviews where I’ve always wanted to go that I’ve never been. I’ve never been to Italy. I haven’t been to Europe since I was twelve. I was really afraid to fly for many years and so now I have a daughter and I don’t really wanna put an ocean between us and I’m just a little nervous about that. But she’s getting old enough for us to go. We’ve been watching MASTER OF NONE and now I’m just like we’ve got to GO. But I think the first trip for us is London – lottery or not. I feel like it’s user friendly for a nine-year-old moreso without the language barriers. I would definitely travel because I haven’t done that. I would just yank my kid out of school and pay for an awesome tutor because then I wouldn’t feel guilty about dragging her around the world with me.

Jenny: I have to say that these are very modest wishes.

I think one of the things I really love and admire about Jenny is that she can be so extravagant and have these beautiful and expensive things, but at the same time – she’s just so down-to-earth and relatable. If she had won the lottery, she would have wanted to start her own production company focused on stories about people of color and women (to which Sarah emphasized that Jenny would always best them). It’s an answer like this that just enforces why she became a NYT Bestseller and became so widely appreciated for both her thoughts and stories. They enforce the idea of #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

They went back to talking about Jennifer’s book and we heard a little more about what it was about. It’s pretty much about a girl who gets a lottery ticket for her best friend (who she’s obviously in love with) as a joke but he really ends up winning. If you have not read this yet or have yet to put it on your TBR pile, then do it now! It’s very much in the same essence as her bother novels and it just grounds you into realizing that things are more than romance (but romance doesn’t hurt). It was then that the news was dropped that WINDFALL as optioned for a movie which earned plenty of collective gasping and applause. I am very excited to see how it comes across film. Both Jenny and Sarah expressed their excitement for the news. Sarah, in particular, thought Jennifer had done a good job of showing what effect the lottery can have on someone and what dreams could really come from winning so much money. Jennifer talked a little more about what she had done as prepwork for WINDFALL (in terms of research). She spoke about the more research she had done, the more happy she was that she hadn’t won. When you get past the idea that there’s just so much money won, there’s also a grim side to it too. There are winners that have lost the money and gone broke and winners that were taken advantage of as well. However, she’d apparently done a questionnaire and asked multiple people what they would do if they won the lottery. She had been surprised by the responses, most of them being very big-hearted and generous. I imagine that if I won $140 million, I would definitely spend a million of it first and give half of it to my parents so they could live happily and without worry. What would you do if you won the lottery?

I think the conversation grew much more lighter when Jenny asked her second question: In a few words, describe your ideal bachelorette night.

Sarah: My wedding anniversary is actually June 10th. So my birthday is today and my wedding anniversary is 4 days later. We don’t ever celebrate our anniversary because it’s right after my birthday. But gosh, I had a really good bachelorette party for my actual wedding back in 2000. My friends from high school and some girls I’d made friends with since high school – we just went out and had a big dinner and went to a bar and danced. And we had this big joke that I had all these leis around my neck, or maybe they were bracelets. So at the bar, the deal was that I had to give these bracelets away to different boys…or men.

Jenny: Did you kiss them or no?

Sarah: No, it was a kiss on the cheek!

I couldn’t help but laugh as she talked about how there was a box of Polaroids (hidden away from her daughter ;)) of her kissing various people on the cheek that were not her husband. I do think that Sarah hit the nail on the head about the essence of bachelorette parties – that beyond the risqué plans that it’s a night about a woman and her friends having her last hurrah as an unmarried woman.

Jennifer: I’d go to the cottage in Scotland.

Jenny: That’s not a bachelorette party – that’s a writer’s weekend away in the woods…Mine would be like…Paris. We’d get a suite at the new Ritz and they would be photoshoots and cake.

Sarah: I want to be invited to this bachelorette party by the way.

And how do you follow up a question about your bachelorette party? Well, who would be your bridesmaids? I’d taken this to mean a whole, OH, WE WOULD BE YOUR BRIDESMAIDS! Like each other. Of course, Jennifer answered Jenny and Sarah automatically. Jenny was a little more extravagant with her picks, (Oprah, her sister, a few of her friends like Morgan Matson and Siobhan Vivian). I laughed when Jennifer countered this by saying she would have family and friends, but not Oprah because she probably wouldn’t be invited.

Sarah explained how she only had one bridesmaid because she had been to so many weddings that it was either pick one or have twenty people in her bridal group. But I couldn’t agree more with her fantasy picks of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. This segued into Jenny asking about Sarah’s research on wedding planning since both she and Jennifer were impressed by the amount of detail that went into that side of the story – to which she confessed that she made up a lot of it, haha (especially the acronyms). She did mention that some details were from her own wedding and the planning that went into that for her. I mean, have you seen THE WEDDING PLANNER? Or even 27 DRESSES? But it was kind of fun to listen to her talk about the downsides of her wedding (like how hot it was in the Carolinas and uninvited people that her guests invited). Of course, then there was talk of Instagram and Pinterest and the pressures of having the perfect photo wedding that was not present back when Sarah got married (to which I felt like she was grateful for, XD).

I thought one of the most interesting tidbits was when she brought up how she had gone to her first wedding since writing ONCE AND FOR ALL and how she was very aware of the wedding planning aspect. The wedding had started an hour later since there was an accident on the highway and this would not have been a good thing for Natalie (the wedding planning mom in OAFA). She emphasized that since she knew what it was like to go through a wedding that she was far more sympathetic and enthusiastic about the endeavors of a bride (like how “This is a beautiful napkin.”). She just notices everything now.

AND THEN THEY TALKED ABOUT FOOD. What food they would have at their wedding:

Jenny: What are your visions for the food?

Jennifer: I would have funfetti cake. Just kind of your…standard…

Jenny: Carving station?

Jennifer: I’m just gonna have Jenny plan my wedding.

Sarah: Jenny would be a great wedding planner.

Jenny: I would definitely wanna do Korean food meets Southern. So there would be kalbi with the barbecue. You know…corn on the cob, potato salad, and that kind of thing. And a late night nacho bar.

Can Jenny and I just be friends? I want to go to her wedding and pretend to be Oprah and partake in pink champagne and a nacho bar where I would pile on the sour cream and cheese. Mmmmm. All of the food talk is making me hungry as I write this (even after having a cupcake and a turnover).

I think there was definitely a chorus of AWEs when Jenny asked Sarah about the first song she and her husband had danced to – which was AT LAST. When I think of that song, I think of two things entirely – it’s for cheesy moments on television, or it’s definitely for romantic moments like Sarah’s wedding which seemed really low-key despite the trials and tribulations she went through. She talked about their relationship and how they had gotten together in college, broke up a few times, and by 1989 – no one thought they were going to get married because they’d been together for so long. To me, that is a very fitting song.

And of course, she delved into the drama side of weddings – the bridesmaid that has to make it about herself, the crying, when something doesn’t go right – and she told us the most adorable story of when her daughter was four and she had been a flower girl. Sarah had given the people in the procession before her M&Ms to lure her daughter so that she wouldn’t stop or veer off the aisle – which earned a lot of laughs.

I was pretty sad when the discussion was coming to an end – but Jenny definitely ended with a great question:

Jenny: If you could pick your signature cocktail, what would you call it and what would be in it? I’ll start. (which earned a lot of ooh’ing and laughter)

Jenny: Mine would be…True Love Waits. And it would have a delicious raspberry – fresh raspberry with strained, no seeds and a premium vodka and a nice champagne on top and taste really refreshing and delicious.

Sarah: How am I supposed to follow that? I’m a wine drinker. So I would probably have a really nice wine and just call it…At Last. I’m not a signature cocktail drink. I would probably outsource that. My sister does that. She would do it for me. It’s fantastic.

Jennifer: I’m not a cocktail drinker either.

Sarah: She would have a really nice beer.

After that, there were a few questions from the audience that were written on index cards prior to the event starting which I will do a quick recap and talk about the conversations I found really interesting.

1.       Because they had all written a number of books, they were asked if they ever went back and read their old books.

a.        Sarah does not – her philosophy was that once the book is printed, there was nothing that she could go back and change. There’s so much time spent writing, editing, and copyediting that it would only make her wish she could go back and improve upon things she wasn’t 100% about. She told this hilarious story about being on a plane a while ago and her seat mate had asked her what she did for a living (trying to get her to divulge more and more information). When Sarah told him/her that she was a writer, she was asked if the book she was reading was written by her. The answer was no. I am constantly surprised by the way that people go through their thought processes and how they come to ask the questions that they ask.

b.       Jennifer expressed the same sentiment, especially as an editor as another job for her. For her, she spoke about how it’s hard to read anything that’s finished without wanting to do something to it.

c.       Jenny – being the only one that’s written series, she has to go back and read. She made a great point in saying that despite having three different series, she thinks of those separate books equating to one whole story which is definitely a concept that I’ve never realized until now.

2.       How do they feel about reviewers tagging them when reviewing their books?

a.       According to Sarah, there seems to be a lot of discourse about this. She said that she doesn’t often click on the links and learned that Googling yourself is like looking for your name on the bathroom wall. She expressed that she’s a curious person and would always have that urge. Because OAFA is her thirteenth book, the idea of negativity is easier to roll of her shoulders, but she still resists.

b.       Jennifer answered that she appreciates when people take the time to review her book, but she tends to not click and if she does, it’s just to read the first few sentences. I felt like a lot of authors would agree with her – that when a review is like…90-99% positive, it’s that fractional remainder that hits the hardest to a writer. I so agree with her because reading that sort of thing can become addicting and unhealthy. She equated that kind of moment to someone walking to her front door and just saying, “You suck.” It came off as great comedic timing, but at the same time – it’s so true.

c.       Jenny believed that reviews are meant for readers and not for authors to look at. She’s looked at reviews for some of her books before but does not make it a habit because of its ability to squander her enthusiasm for the rest of the series. There was a brief moment of laughter when she talked about reviewers who don’t leave the best reviews, but then show up at said author events. I didn’t even know that sort of thing happened!

d.       Sarah’s words of wisdom (borrowed from Meg Cabot) – You’re not a $100 bill, not everyone’s gonna want you. She led with an anecdote about how people had been complaining about how similar her books are to one another and when she wrote THE MOON AND MORE, she had meant it to be different than her other books. When that came out, people were also dissatisfied and frustrated with how different it was from her other works. SPOILER ALERT for THE MOON AND MORE – The girl and guy don’t end up together and Sarah expressed a sense of female of empowerment: the girl doesn’t need to end up with a guy in the end.

3.       What book did they write was their favorite and why?

a.       Sarah – To her, it was hard to pick a favorite since each one was a representation of a different part of her life and where she was at. But she did say that ONCE AND FOR ALL was special to her. After writing SAINT ANYTHING, she hadn’t been sure that she had another book left in her since she’d been writing for 20 years and all good things come in 12, but ONCE AND FOR ALL was just that bonus book that made her happy to be where she was.

b.       Jenny – SHUG was her very first book to be published and that probably had a special place in her heart.

c.       Jennifer – the same sentiment was expressed from her as Jenny – THE STATISTICAL PROBABILTY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT (which is being made into a movie if you hadn’t heard! And it’s starring Hailee Steinfeld whom is an ultimate fav of mine).

4.       This question was to Jenny Han and Asian representation in teen lit (which I have a deep interest in ;)):

a.       She spoke about TATBILB and how it was something that she remained thoughtful about. She had the idea about a girl who wrote love letters to boys and how she wanted to cast the girl as an Asian American because she thought the idea had enough effervescence to it that people would be drawn to the idea. And she asked herself why the main girl couldn’t be Asian? Why did the story need to be relevant to the fact that the girl was Asian? This was a story about an American girl that just so happened to be Asian. She talked about the girls who came up to her and talked about how meaningful it was to them that there was an Asian character, but also girls who were not Asian that came to her and talked about how relatable Lara Jean was to them. Something that hit me really hard was Jenny’s whole goal behind TATBILB was that when someone walked into the bookstore that this Asian character was front and center on the cover. It was something that you couldn’t hide. As an Asian American girl, I found this so freaking important and even when I sit here writing thing and thinking back to that moment, I truly find myself bonding with this idea and just how thoughtful Jenny Han is. I am so happy that she and this series were so warmly and well-received because she has done so much for the diverse reading community as a whole.

After one last question, Jenny presented flowers similar to the ones on the cover of ONCE AND FOR ALL with the intention of having her throw them over her shoulder like a bride with a bouquet. I have to say that I love these sort of spontaneous (but not really spontaneous) things that transpire and it was so great to watch her do that to just round out her launch event. I will say that there is nothing to end an event than giving the birthday girl her birthday cake. When her cake was brought out to her and she made her wish, everyone was surprised to see that she had gotten frosting all over the top of her white dress. How can an event end anymore perfectly than this? Of course, Sarah seemed to brush it off and it was in such good humor that people wanted to make sure she was okay.

Once the signing line started, I was grateful that I was in the first ten so that I could leave sincem y commute is long. I had a fleeting moment with Sarah since I only had one book to sign and I loved chatting with Jennifer and Jenny because they’re both such personable and down-to-earth. I couldn’t help but mention to Jenny how much when she talks about the spot gloss on the covers of the new editions of THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY just because I’m in production and I totally understand the effect it has on a book’s aesthetic.

I left in such good spirits and it was another great event to remember for me. Were you at the same event? Let us know how your experience went!

[loveunbreakable-blog1]

Chapter 6

I went home. I wasn’t hungry anymore not after that. I was feeling the worst person in the planet but at the same time I felt free I was feeling free cause I knew that it was over. Maybe not for so long. But it was over for now. I could breathe easily. I could see things clearing up. Maybe there really was a light at the end of the tunnel.

When I got home I saw something I really didn’t expect. Today was being a day full of surprises. Thais was sited next to the door of my apartment she was probably waiting for me. But there was something different. I couldn’t see what it was until I got closer. She was crying. Her eyes were swollen and covered in tears. I couldn’t think about something else I just ran there and held her.

-          OMG. Are you okay? What happened to you?

-          I… I…

-          Shiiiu. Come on let’s go inside. – I said. I saw she wasn’t ready to talk yet and I wouldn’t be the one to push her. – I’m gonna make you some tea. Everything is gonna be fine.

Thais wasn’t like me. She was strong all the time or at least she was pretending to be. She was decided. She never kept feelings to herself cause she was afraid of hurting people. That was one of the things I admired in her. I simply couldn’t do it. If something shows up in her mind she just says it. She doesn’t care about what people think. And sometimes that’s good cause you don’t have to carry with you all those terrible words people throw at you. You don’t have to analyze every freaking second. That was the difference between the two of us.

-          Alright. Just stay here. I’m going to the kitchen I’ll be right back, okay? – I said while she was sitting in the couch.

I was preparing the tea in the kitchen when I hear a noise. It was my cellphone’s alarm. That means I had to shower to go to work. Work I’ve just forgotten about that. Today was Monday what meant that both me and Thais had to work. But she couldn’t. Not that way. So I dialed my boss’ number.

-          Hey Geremy, that’s Jackie. I need to talk to you.

-          Hi Jackie. Did something happened? – He said on the other side.

-          Yeah. Something happened with Thais I can’t explain what it was yet but we won’t be able to show up today.

-          Is she okay? So you’re just not coming to work today?

-          I don’t know yet. But don’t worry I’m taking care of her. Of course it’s not that. I thought we could maybe work from here today. I mean. We have some projects to finish and we wouldn’t be able to get any new ones today cause the deadline is close so today we were planning on finish these projects in the company and let Tiffany handle the new clients. We really need to see if she’s ready for that. Anyway, we could finish the projects here and Tiffany could handle the rest. I think she can do it. It’s just get the clients cellphones and the basic ideas they have. What do you think?

-          You proved to me that you’re not a lazy person last time you asked to project at home so I’ll let you do it again. I hope you don’t let me down. Tell Thais I am here if she needs me.

-          I will. Thank you. I see you tomorrow.

-          See you

I called him knowing that he wouldn’t say no. He knew that we were the base of the company without us he is lost. I mean Thais won Three international awards of best designer of the year. One award for best project in the United States. I just have been working in this for one year and already got the best environmentalist project in Europe. Also got an international award for best designer of the year. That was just crazy. We didn’t live in US or in Europe so that was huge for everyone. People kind of new us. But it wasn’t like we were superstars. We were famous for people in our area. People that care about architecture and design. That’s why we always had a lot of projects to finish. That’s also why Tiffany was a lucky bastard. She was working with the two most admired designers in the world. And she was still trying to take advantage of us.

People look at us and think we’re perfect. We’re super happy cause we got these awards. People think we have the perfect life. I would think that too If I weren’t me. Being the best in something doesn’t mean you wanna do that for the rest of your life. It doesn’t mean you found yourself. It doesn’t mean you’re happy. That’s what people can’t see. People care about money. Having a job that can give you lots of money. But there’s much more than that. Thais and I were similar when it comes to our jobs not just because we work together but because when were into something we tend to do the best we can. We tend to make it perfect. That’s why we got all these award.

Geremy tend to treat us like any other normal employ in the company. He didn’t want our awards to give us any privileges there. But he knew that it would. I was happy he wasn’t a scrapper. I never wanted that. If I got those awards it was because he gave me the opportunity to work and learn in his company. And I was thankful for that.

When I finished the tea I went back to the living room. She was still there in the couch. But know she looked peaceful.

-          There you go – I said giving her the mug

-          Thank you.

-          Do you wanna talk about what happened?

-          It was my dad… I don’t know what to do anymore. I can’t keep doing this.

Thais always had a complicated relationship with her father. He was never there for her and when he was it was just to criticize her. He never gave her any support. And it would just break her even more. She couldn’t do the things she wanted to. She couldn’t be herself. She could barely breathe when he was around.

As you can see I’m not very good with relationships. I didn’t have a father. My mom was away. A lot of guys had hurt me. I wasn’t even doing good with myself. So I knew how she was feeling. I had been in her place so many times. But my problem wasn’t my father it was myself.

I didn’t want her to go through all that pain. The last thing I wanted was see my best friend suffer.

-          You know what? You don’t need to do this. You really don’t.

-          What do you mean? I don’t get it

-          Why don’t you come live with me? I mean, this is a good apartment. I have two extra rooms upstairs. You could move in. I admit it would be good for both of us. I know why you never wanted to live alone. Why you chose to stay with your parents. But I’m here now. I would never let anything happen to you. You can trust me. – She kept looking at her hands. She seemed to be analyzing the situation. It was a really big thing. It’s not like you could just look at the sky in a sunny day and say “I am moving in with my best friend today” I knew that and I wasn’t expecting her to accept the offer. I knew it would be hard.

-          I guess it’s time, hun? Birds must fly.

-          Wait. So you’re saying yes? – I said surprised

-          Yeah. I am. But I have some rules.

-          Okay so what are they?

-          We have to divide all expenses. I don’t want to depend on you.

-          I never thought about that – I said smiling. I knew she would say that. She didn’t like to depend on people.

-          So I guess that’s it. I have a roomie now. This is gonna be fun. So I think you should figure out how to break the news to your parents.

-          I guess I just did. When I left home I said I was gonna get out of there. I don’t think they believed even I didn’t but it’s happening.

-          Yeah. You have to be prepared cause this won’t be easy for both sides you know?

-          I know. I don’t wanna hurt them. It’s just I can’t do this anymore.

Her cellphone rang

-          Crap

-          What?

-          It’s Geremy. We should be there at this time. – She said standing up and checking her outfit.

-          Hey, don’t worry I talked to him. We’re working here today.

-          Really?

-          Yep. I told him you weren’t okay. And he allowed us to finish the projects here.

 The phone stopped. She still had it in her hands.

 -          But what the hell he wanted if you told him we were gonna work here today?

-          I have no idea

 My phone started to ring on my pocket

-          Let’s find out – I said answering the call

-          Geremy hi. What happened?

-          I just wanted to call you to give you the good news! I wanted to be the first one to break out this to you girls!

-          What?

-          You’ve been nominated to best design project in London. And Thais have been nominated for best sustainable project in Paris! I guess you girls are going to Europe next week!

-          Omg I can’t believe that – Thais looked at me still trying to figure out what was going on.

-          Congratulations girls. Tell Thais I am very happy for her too. As a reward from the company you can take the rest of the week to prepare your speeches in case you win the awards! The best of luck girls!

-          Thank you! I See you in two weeks then.

-          See you.

I was still shocked. Another award. And I wasn’t even expecting that. Geremy was being really generous giving us the week off. And the thought of going to Europe again was making my day. There was just one little problem. The university.

-          So? – Thais broke me out of my bubble

-          We were nominated for award in Europe

-          Whaaaaaaat? Omg

-          Yeah. You have been nominated in Paris for best sustainable project. And I was nominated for Best design project in London. So we’re going to Europe next week.

-          I can’t believe that! Really.

-          Crazy right?

-          Yeah. You said see you next week in the phone. Are we working here all the week?

-          No. Even better. He gave us the week off to prepare our speeches.

-          Seriously?

-          Yep.

-          So who’s gonna take care of things there?

-          Alex is there. And there’s also Tiffany. – Thais’ cellphone started to ring

-          Talking about the devil – She said looking at the phone

She picked the call  

-          Hi

-          Hey Thais I am calling you to congratulate you for your new nomination!

-          Oh. Thank you.

-          So you already knew about it?

-          Yeah. Geremy called us.

-          Oh. I thought I was the first one. Anyway, congratulation boss you deserve it. You’re the best designer in the whole planet you are…

-          Ah.. Tiffany I gotta go now – Thais said interrupting an expected endless speech.

-          Oh. Okay. Congrats again.

-          Thanks

She hangs up

-          She just texted me – I said looking at my phone

-          Argh. She’s no annoying.

-          Yep. She’s asking us out again.

-          That wouldn’t be a bad thing.

-          What? Go out with her? – I asked confused

-          No. Definitely not. But we should really go out and celebrate it.

-          Yeah. That’s not a bad idea. What do you have in mind?

-          I don’t know yet. But we can figure it out. I have to go home now and start packing. I will probably be here with everything before 7 pm.

-          Do you want help?

-          No my parents won’t probably want to see you for a couple of months hahahaha

-          Oh yeah I’m stealing their baby girl – I said laughing – Alright so I see you in a few hours. I need to fix somethings at the university too.

-          Alright. See ya. – She said opening the door and leaving.  

[lindyhunt]

We Talked to Huda Kattan, Jen Atkin (and Others!) About Why Dubai Should Be On Everyone’s Beauty Radar

When you think of the beauty industry and its capitals, you likely think of the usual four cities: New York, London, Milan and Paris. They also happen to be the fashion capitals of the world. Or at least they were, once upon a time.

But thanks in large part to social media and the access it offers us, inspiration and influence now comes from, literally, all around the globe.

And one of the cities that’s playing a major role in the beauty industry right now is Dubai, boasting beauty trends that are very different from those coming out of the west. Middle Eastern beauty in general tends to take a “more is more” approach. Bold brows and false lashes aren’t reserved for special occasions—for many women, they’re part of a daily routine.

And as a Middle Eastern woman myself, I know this firsthand. While I rarely step out in a full face of makeup, some of my favourite childhood memories involve gathering at a family member’s house before a wedding, where all the women in the family would get ready together. That’s where I was introduced to things like lip overlining, hair extensions and enough kohl eyeliner to fill a drugstore aisle.

That’s why when Emirates invited me to explore Dubai and get to know not only the city, but also its budding beauty scene, I couldn’t say no. So I happily hopped on a 13-hour-long flight in search of beauty secrets from the industry experts in Dubai, land of bold brows and flawless contour.

Dubai – where the world comes to meet | Image Credit: @JordHammond #MyDubai #EmiratesAirline #HelloTomorrow

A post shared by Emirates (@emirates) on Oct 26, 2017 at 8:01am PDT

What I didn’t realize was that my glam education would start before the plane even took off. Emirates prides itself on its comfort, glamour and excess. In fact, I learned that a single first class seat on an Emirates flight—complete with on-board showers, a Bulgari kit of amenities, the largest on-flight screen of any airline (32 inches!), loungewear that uses Hydra Active Microcapsule Technology to release motion-activated, nutrient-rich sea kelp which prevents dehydration and stimulates circulation (!!!)—is valued at around half a million dollars.

Pack even more into your trip to Dubai when you fly with us. ‘My Emirates Pass’ gives you access to over 250 exclusive offers across the city, simply by showing your boarding pass. For more details, click on the link in our bio. #MyDubai #EmiratesAirline #HelloTomorrow

A post shared by Emirates (@emirates) on Jan 3, 2018 at 8:05am PST

Then there are the flight attendants, who I learned have a major beauty trick up their sleeves. A well-known Emirates rule is that the women working the flight must wear a matte red lipstick (of any brand) that perfectly matches the red accents of their uniform. Since they’re flying for long periods of time, the matte lipstick has to be long-wearing and ultra comfortable, even in the dry, harsh air of a flight cabin. The most popular lipstick choice? Write this down: Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in 01 “Always Red.”

Imagine the amount of swatching and trial and error required to find the perfect red.

We're looking to expand our cabin crew team. If you're passionate about delivering an award-winning customer service experience while discovering the world’s most exciting destinations then we'd like to hear from you. Click on the link in our bio to apply today.

A post shared by Emirates (@emirates) on Feb 4, 2018 at 7:04am PST

Now that the (chic and actually really relaxing) flight was behind me, it was time to talk to some beauty industry experts about what they love about Dubai and why the city is on its way to becoming a major player in the beauty scene.

Huda Kattan

OMG!! 25 Million Followers!!! You guys make me so happy!! I love you guys beyond words! Thank you for making this dreamer into a creator and for being such a special part of my life! We are proof that hard work and passion are all you need to succeed! When I first started, I was broke and scared to try something new, and now find our company competing with giants, and that’s all because of YOU!! You guys inspire me so much and I love each and every one of you ❤️❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Huda Kattan (@hudabeauty) on Apr 15, 2018 at 7:41am PDT

Dubai’s most famous beauty industry insider is Huda Kattan, Iraqi-American makeup artist and brand founder. About ten years ago, Kattan was working in L.A, where she became a go-to makeup artist for celebs like Eva Longoria and Nicole Richie. Upon moving back to Dubai, she launched a blog called Huda Beauty, and later, in 2013, a successful cosmetics line of the same name. Today, Kattan is considered the richest Instagram influencer, raking in an impressive $18,000 for each sponsored post that she shares with her 25 million followers.

On Dubai’s love of glam “Beauty in the Middle East is very glamorous, and the women living in this region love to pamper themselves. Many muslim women wear a niqab or a hijab, so the eyes really are the focus. [We also] have strong features and tend to play them up with eye makeup. Middle Eastern women can get away with wearing false lashes on a daily basis, having a dramatic winged liner, or being really bold when filling in their eyebrows.

We love to take chances and be quite daring. Women in Dubai love going full glam on any regular day; that means lashes, contour, highlight, prominent brows and a perfect eyeliner. European and [North American] women are definitely a lot more natural when it comes to their makeup.”

I’ve been straightening my hair for years, but sooo ready to just let my natural curls take over! Which style do you guys prefer: straight & polished? Or wild & curly?

A post shared by Huda Kattan (@hudabeauty) on Apr 11, 2018 at 6:30pm PDT

On skincare “When it comes to skincare, we love natural ingredients–like using coconut oil to remove our makeup, castor oil for our brows, or using rose water as a toner. A lot of Middle Eastern women use ingredients from around the house because it’s what their mothers and grandmothers did for so many years and they trust it!

However, in the west, women are more aware of ingredients lists and if there is SPF in their products.”

Guess who I spent the day with?! The stunning @oliviaculpo 😱❤️❤️❤️ She’s perfection @oliviaculpo @oliviaculpo

A post shared by Huda Kattan (@hudabeauty) on Feb 25, 2018 at 6:55am PST

On Dubai as an up-and-coming beauty industry hub

“I think Dubai will be the [leader in] ‘modern beauty.’ You can get the very best products here, some of the best Hollywood doctors and dentists practice here, and because the city is very young, it leads the way with beauty trends. Dubai offers unlimited possibility. I moved here permanently in 2008 and it was a really interesting time in my life. It was a time of self-discovery and what the UAE represented for me was limitless opportunities.

The Middle East is a really vibrant market and the beauty industry is fast-growing, particularly when it comes to indie and niche beauty brands. I feel like beauty is a necessity in the Middle East. Because of their amazing features, women in the Middle East wear more makeup to enhance their big beautiful eyes and bold brows. They’ve always loved makeup. Being very glam and over-the-top is a part of Middle Eastern culture and history; it’s as though it’s in your blood to love beauty.”

Jen Atkin

Holy ship we did 75 haircuts this week!✂️🤯 Thx to @styled and all of the staff and clients at @sashspa @bellefemmedubai for being so sweet! Also thx @hairinel and @amandaleehair for all of your bomb AF blowouts👯‍♀️… and last BOAT not least thx @jumeirahalnaseem for taking such good care of us! ⛵️👋🏼 #jumeirah #MyMadinat #rediscovermadinat

A post shared by Celebrity Hairstylist (@jenatkinhair) on Mar 9, 2018 at 10:26am PST

Celebrity hairstylist and founder of Mane Addicts and Ouai Haircare, Jen Atkin, visits Dubai regularly, as many of her clients are located in the UAE and are willing to pay serious cash to have her cut their hair.

On what draws her to Dubai

“I’ve been traveling to Dubai for 5 years now. I go four or five times a year, for a week at a time. A lot of my followers [and clients] are in the Middle East.”

On the retailers and industry in Dubai

“The beauty industry & retailers are so glamorous and savvy. Everyone does their research and knows about the best beauty regimes for gorgeous hair and skin.”

🚀 to Dubai for my @dysonhair masterclass, @sephoramiddleeast @theouai meet up, and 3 days of 💇🏻‍♀️💇🏽‍♀️💇🏾‍♀️ at @bellefemmedubai. I'm going to IG live tmrw so leave any hairdrying or styling questions 👇🏼

A post shared by Celebrity Hairstylist (@jenatkinhair) on Mar 5, 2018 at 9:27am PST

On what she’s learned from Middle Eastern clients

“Middle Eastern ladies tend to have hair that’s twice as thick as, and longer than, that of my clients back in Los Angeles. My clients here have taught me a lot about what women need. I learned about hair masking from them! They told me they have weekly masking nights at home with their family. That inspired me to create the Ouai Treatment Masque.”

Sonia and Fyza

Caption this

A post shared by Sonia & Fyza Ali (@soniaxfyza) on Jan 27, 2018 at 5:11am PST

You may know Sonia and Fyza as the Instagram influencers who have a striking resemblance to Kim and Kylie. But while they don’t personally see the similarities, they’ve used the Kardashian-Jenner association to build an impressive following and brand. Fyza, a makeup artist, posts photos of her work (which she does on her sister, Sonia), to their 781,000 followers, many of which come for the Kardashian-Jenner resemblance, but stay for the lewks.

On how they got their start

Fyza: I’d had a passion to move to the States from a young age. I wasn’t getting any opportunities as a makeup artist in the UK, where we were born and raised. I wasn’t getting any jobs because my last name was Abdullah. I feel bad for it now but I took my last name out. It was stopping me from getting any work.

Sonia: When she’d send an email, she’d use my name because it’s universal.

Fyza: Her name sounded European, so I’d use her name. That’s why the [Instagram] page is called Sonia first. Anyway, I wanted to move to the States because I always felt it was more accepting than the UK, for muslims especially. They say it’s harder but when you look a certain way in America, you’re accepted.

So we were on vacation in Miami and a woman who worked at M.A.C stopped us and said she loved our makeup, which I had done. She said, “There’s an app called Instagram. I want you to upload images of your work on Sonia or your mom.” She was the head of the region—from Canada, I think. She told us, “I want you to upload your work as much as you can so I can show my coworkers why you should come over here.” Every few days, I’d do a look on Sonia and we’d upload pictures with my mom’s digital camera onto the app.

Sonia:No hashtags. Nothing.

Fyza: All of a sudden people were following us and requesting Kim Kardashian-inspired looks. I started getting these makeup bookings from all over the world. I’d do a billionaire’s wife’s makeup every weekend in Vienna. I’d be flown out to Morocco and Spain and to the royal family of Saudi Arabia. All of them wanted a Kardashian look.

On whether or not the Kardashian-Jenner comparisons bother them

Fyza: No, it doesn’t bother me. They’re the most beautiful women in the world at the moment. They’re getting the most attention. I’d rather look like them than Paris Hilton.

Sonia: Because of them, our look is okay now. It’s accepted.

Fyza: Growing up, I was a hairy Arab girl that no one wanted. Now…

Sonia: But people don’t see our personalities now. We’re each just seen as someone who looks like someone else. Later on, when you get to know us as people, the image of Kim and Kylie disappears. Our personalities are nothing like theirs. We don’t really watch them so we don’t know how they act or their mannerisms.

Fyza: They’re very Californian. We’re British. It’s totally off.

Sonia: People expect us to speak in an American accent when they meet us. They’ll say, ‘You guys sound nothing like them!’ We’re not trying to act like them…

had the loveliest time talking to @soniaxfyza (the dubai-based sisters you probably know as the kim and kylie lookalikes on instagram) about beauty trends in the UAE, working in makeup pre- and post-kardashians, and why middle eastern women rarely talk about their skincare routines. full story coming soon…ish 🙃

A post shared by suzie michael (@suziemichael_) on Feb 4, 2018 at 10:29am PST

Fyza: I really admire them so much. If it wasn’t for them, blonde hair and blue eyes would still be the only thing considered pretty.

Sonia: No one would work with influencers before them.

Fyza: They get so much shit for what they do, but no one can do what they do. The amount of hate they get…I would quit if I was in their shoes. They came on the scene not knowing if they’d be laughed at or hated and still did it. They made people love them without having any talent. That’s the hardest thing to do.

We want to follow more beauty accounts! Please tag your fave ones so we can check them out 🌸

A post shared by Sonia & Fyza Ali (@soniaxfyza) on Apr 5, 2018 at 2:13pm PDT

On the differences between beauty trends in Dubai (where they now live) and the UK

Fyza: Girls here are wearing full coverage foundations from 8am onward.

Sonia: Many English girls would never wear full coverage makeup before. They’d save that for special occasions. They used to only wear tinted moisturizer and mascara. Now, they’re wearing Fenty and Huda foundation and going all out. They’re even wearing lashes, which is a lot for them—but that’s my everyday makeup.

On Middle Eastern beauty trends making their way west

Fyza: I think Huda started the trend of full-coverage makeup. She’s also a really good voice for the Middle East. Huda was the first in the Middle East to do the whole Kardashian thing. She’s put us on the map. Before that, I don’t think anyone gave a shit about girls from Dubai and what they were doing.

Sonia: Now brands are making more Arabic-influenced things that consumers can feel comfortable buying. When we were younger, you’d never see an oud perfume [in the mainstream market]. Now it’s everywhere. We went on a press trip with a group of bloggers from the west and all the girls were like, ‘What’s that smell? Ew, it’s so strong!’ Now everyone’s got oud perfume.

Fyza: We’re setting trends here. You know when someone laughs at you first and then copies you later? That’s the Middle East with beauty trends.

summer is here 🍭☀️ which city are you from? 💜

A post shared by Sonia & Fyza Ali (@soniaxfyza) on Mar 27, 2018 at 6:10am PDT

On why skincare doesn’t have as much of a pull in Dubai

Sonia: People here like what’s on trend. If an influencer writes about something, they’ll all go buy it.

Fyza: Women here generally have great skin. It’s so humid, so you’re forced to drink a lot of water. That’s the best thing for skin.

Fyza: I’m so into skincare but I’m not open about it. I’m very private when it comes to skin because it’s an insecurity. When Sonia posts a picture of makeup and you look at the insights, the likes are way more than a skincare post. But when you look at the insights, my skincare post is saved by 3000 girls while her makeup post is saved by 1000 girls. Girls are private here and don’t want their friends to know that they’re following skincare or surgery pages. Girls in Europe or America are more open with their insecurities and skincare routines.

Sonia: I’d never post pictures of my bad skin. It’s about modesty. It’s nice to have secrets [and not put that stuff on social media]. The mystery is very attractive.

On whether or not green beauty has taken off in Dubai

Fyza: It’s not doing very well here. Here, you can’t get past the term “mineral makeup” because girls think it’s not full coverage. I’m trying to tell girls it’s not just about covering your skin with makeup. You want to have a good base.

On what makes a beauty brand successful in Dubai

Fyza: Social media, 100%.

Sonia: Everyone here just follows trends on social media. If Huda’s wearing something, they’ll buy it. If we’re wearing something, they’ll buy it.

Fyza: That’s all that matters. Social media.

Shawna Morneau, Founder of Hammamii

☀️Reminiscent of the vast desert.. Hammamii’s gentle SAHARA Body Exfoliant combines an aromatic blend of clove, cinnamon and finely ground palm date kernels ~ rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3, magnesium and Vitamin K ✨ This exfoliant leaves the skin gently smoothed and remineralized 🙌🏽 #hammamii #madeindubai #sahara #bodyscrub #exfoliate #natural #skincare #skincareaddict #skincareproducts #skincarejunkie #careforyourskin #beautyproducts #skinbenefits #skinfood #health #wellness #relax #lifestyle #skinluxury #hammam #girlboss #entrepreneur #beauty #musthave #blogger #beautybloggers #picoftheday #dubai #mydubai

A post shared by Hammamii (@hammamiispa) on Apr 9, 2018 at 1:08am PDT

Originally from Windsor, Canada, Shawna Morneau traveled all around the world (no really, she’s lived in North America, Australia, Africa, Europe, Russia) working in the spa industry (going from therapist, educator and trainer, to spa consultant and director of spa for The Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts), before settling in Dubai. Combining her appreciation of fresh regional ingredients (like za’atar, sumac, saffron, salt from the Arabian Sea), her love for the hammam and her knowledge of cosmetic chemistry, Morneau launched luxury beauty brand, Hammamii, in spas a year and a half ago. Currently, the brand is carried at the Fairmont Fujairah and Sharjah Ladies Club and Armani at The Burj Khalifa, with plans to expand.

Take home a piece of the desert with Hammamii’s gentle SAHARA Body Exfoliant.. an aromatic blend of clove & cinnamon, combined with finely ground palm date kernels ~ rich in Vitamin E, Omega-3, magnesium and Vitamin K ☀️ This beautiful scrub leaves the skin gently smoothed and remineralized 🙌🏽 #hammamii #madeindubai #sahara #bodyscrub #exfoliate #natural #skincare #skincareaddict #skincareproducts #skincarejunkie #careforyourskin #beautyproducts #skinbenefits #skinfood #health #wellness #relax #lifestyle #skinluxury #hammam #girlboss #entrepreneur #beauty #musthave #blogger #beautybloggers #picoftheday #dubai #mydubai

A post shared by Hammamii (@hammamiispa) on Apr 14, 2018 at 1:06am PDT

On the inspiration behind Hammamii

“I wanted to come up with a nice range of cleansing rituals that were a merriment of North Africa and the Middle East. We do all our own manufacturing, and everything is made here in Dubai. I wanted to take my experience in cosmetic chemistry, my experience traveling through the Middle East, and my experience in plants and herbs and make a regional offering that was quite cool.”

On the conversation around skincare in Dubai

“Your skincare routine is something you wouldn’t do in front of anyone. However, the tradition of the hammam is basically seen as a social gathering. It’s the cleansing before Friday prayer. Organic and natural skincare is a new conversation here. People are starting to wake up and care about what’s going on their face. Before, it was more like, ‘Chanel is hot? I’m going to use Chanel. Shiseido is hot? I’m going to use Shiseido.’ Now, instead of using things that are so complicated, they’re going back to their roots. That’s what we found with Hammamii. People like the fact that these were their grandmother’s recipes that have been rebirthed and reproduced in a way that’s not so rough and more refined.”

Your perfect skincare companion when exploring the beautiful Emirates ���🇪 100% natural and 100% Halal, all of our products are compatible for all skin types 💆🏽‍♀️ As the first homegrown luxury spa brand, our raw materials are sourced locally within the region and our entire collection is formulated to be used in this dry desert climate ☀️ #hammamii #madeindubai #dubai #mydubai #skincare #summer #spabrand #luxury #natural #skincareaddict #skincareproducts #skincarejunkie #careforyourskin #beautyproducts #skinbenefits #skinfood #halal #wellness #spalife #lifestyle #desertlife #skinluxury #health #hammam #beauty #musthave #blogger #beautybloggers #instagood #instadaily

A post shared by Hammamii (@hammamiispa) on Apr 3, 2018 at 10:13pm PDT

On the ever-present glam factor

“I can’t imagine any of my friends going to a drugstore to buy skincare or makeup. Maybe at a specialty drugstore. Overall, it’s not really done, but this is just from my personal experience. Dubai is still Dubai. The glam side will always be more in the limelight.”