#she's living the romcom dream compared to everyone else

[ddarker-dreams]

i had a dream that all of my MCs got so fed up with the awful situations i put them in that they unionized ...

[michwritesstuff]

Kiss Me (The Outer Banks: Rafe Cameron)

a/n: ahhh i just love this song! I just imagine my own 90s/early 2000s romcom moment when I listen to it. So this piece is exactly that :)

summary: female reader (she/her) x Rafe Cameron Y/N loves midsummers! Out of all the outrageous events put on by the figure eight community, midsummers was far by her favorite. The lights the flowers, and of course the expectation of dressing up in beautiful dresses. It was her own way of pretending she was a fairy living in the forest with wild flowers and cottages. And as a plus, it was always nice to see her male peers dressed in anything other than their golf polos, khaki shorts, and sperry’s. tw: mention of drinking word count: 1,076 k

Ahhh another midsummers, it was your favorite time of year. Now, sure, there were plenty of figure eight events that consumed of getting dressed up, pretending to put on a happy face in front of others and of course underage drinking, but none of them compared to midsummers. The atmosphere at the Island Club as the sun is setting, music playing, and the rows of flowers and string lights above the patio, not to mention everyone dressed as if they’re from a Shakespeare play. Which, since you had finally read A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the understanding of aesthetic and appeal has significantly increased.

When your family arrived, everything had already been set in motion. As they had done for the families before, you stood at the top of the stairs, along with your two brothers and parents, waiting to be introduced and announced. You gazed around, your eyes taking in everything around you. Your eyes glancing over a group of students, you caught eyes with Rafe. He looked you up and down quickly before returning his eyes to yours, to which you blushed and looked away. “Welcome, the Y/L/N family,” you stepped forward as your family’s name was called.

Ascending down the stairs, you followed your parents over to greet everyone else and their families. As your dad shook Ward Cameron’s hand and your mother greeted Rose with a small hug and cheek kiss, you mingled with Sarah and Wheezie. You and Sarah had been friends for a while and you were often over at her house, which lead you to become close with the often-forgotten Cameron, Wheezie. She was the little sister you never had, always coming to you for advice about boys and fashion, not that you were inclined to give advice about either of those topics. “How’s it going wheezie?” you asked as you gently messed up her hair, just enough so that she could easily fix it. She pushed you away before she replied, “Fine, Rafe wouldn’t shut up about the possibility of seeing you tonight.” This perked your ears more than before, you tried to play off your interest, “Really, of course I’d be here. It’s my favorite event of the year, I think everyone knows that” you laughed. You took another sip of your champagne. It was Sarah’s turn to speak, “Yup, Y/N loves midsummer, the dresses, the aesthetic, our brother in a suit,” she mumbled the last part. You spit your drink out onto the ground as Wheezie and Sarah burst out into laughter. You were quick to lightly shove her away, “Sarah Cameron, you are not so innocent either, don’t think I didn’t notice that pogue John B always around now.” It was Sarah’s turn to spit her champagne out before giving you a sly smile and nod, “touché,” she laughed. Rafe walked up to the three of you, “What’s going on?” he asked, messing up Wheezie’s hair the same way that you had. “Nothing!” you and Sarah replied simultaneously. Rafe looked at the both of you skeptically before looking to Wheezie for reassurance. “They were gossiping about their love lives and crushes,” she ratted out. “Damn it wheezie,” Sarah hit her arm slightly. Rafe looked at you expectantly, “What?” you questioned. “Don’t I get to know about your love life?” he asked. You laughed before speaking again, “Definitely not!”

You walked around the dance floor, observing adults and teens, couples alike. As you made your way through you were slightly pulled to the side. Following the hand on your wrist and up the stranger’s arm you were met with Kelce, another one of your friends from school. “Want to dance Y/N?” You looked around briefly, you were hoping Rafe would ask you, but with him nowhere in sight, you agreed, “sure!” you smiled. Little did you know that Rafe had been in the corner, watching you and working up the courage to come over to you before Kelce had decided to interrupt. That asshole, he thought to himself. Kelce was a good friend and trying to motivate Rafe to make a move, besides being friends, he really had no interest in you. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You began to play. You swayed across the dance floor, laughing and tumbling into other couples since Kelce wasn’t the most graceful partner. With one turn you made eye contact with Rafe, to which he politely waved and smiled. You smiled back, from that point on your focus was no longer on your dance partner, but constantly scanning the crowd for another glimpse of Rafe. A few seconds passed before you saw a tap on Kelce’s shoulder, “Mind if I interrupt?” he asked. Kelce, nodded before releasing your hand, “About damn time!” he laughed. You giggled at his response before taking ahold of Rafe’s hand, the other resting gently on his shoulder. You could feel how tense he had become with the sudden proximity. You squeezed his hand a little harder and he looked down at you before smiling, his hand on your lower back sinking a little bit til he rested his hand on your hip. Kiss Me had begun to play, “I love this song!” you exclaimed. He chuckled before bringing you closer, this caused you to step on his shoe, “ahhh, sorry,” you said shyly while looking down. He removed his hand from yours, lifting your chin up slightly so that you were now looking at him. As you continue to move across the floor, he began to sing along to the song.

…beneath the milky twilight

Lead me out on the moonlit floor

Lift your open hand

Strike up the band and make the fireflies dance

Silver moon's sparkling

You giggled as he began to spin you around. As the song was slowly coming to an end, you began to sing along with him.

So kiss me

So kiss me

So kiss me

With the final line you looked up at Rafe, taking in how his features had looked under all the lights and night sky. He leaned forward slightly, bumping your nose with his own. Taking in the smell of his cologne, as you had done the whole dance, you closed your eyes quickly before looking at him again, you whispered so that it was loud enough for only the two of you to hear, “kiss me.” He smiled before leaning down further, “as you wish,” and he pressed his lips softly onto yours.

a/n: If you like my work please support by liking/reblogging. Also, feel free to message me about ideas. I haven’t written in a while because I don’t have a lot of time, but when inspiration hits i’ll sit down for hours :)

Masterlist

[deputy-ajay-ghale]

Legit. Scream at me if u don’t want too. But I loved ur headcanons about OverWitch. (Aka Abigera. Aka Abimel) and I was kinda wondering if u could do some more? Like maybe focus a bit on if Abby actually lived in the house with them? Also! I totally headcanoned that Abby hated Thunder and Mel got nightmares. Do u agree? I mean I think Abby gets nightmares too. But she never wakes up from them. And Mel kinda just holds her closer. And then Abby completely ignored what happened. Also. Abby is A.J.

Oh??? You want me to flex my lovey dovey softie skills???? During quarantine when my brain cells are usually focused on homeschooling a six year old?? Don't mind if I do~. ♡ฅ(ᐤˊ꒳ฅˋᐤ♪)

- OKAY, SO Abby joining the Vera Household. Macy's worst nightmare, low key Mel's dream come true because she's Finally gotten to this stage of a relationship. She's making progress, ladies.

- The decision to let Abigael move in is a Controversial one, even Macy's distrust of her doesn't compare to the obvious danger of having a half demon being hunted by her kind under their roof. It's purely pragmatic that there's protests about it, and Abigael will never let them know it kind of hurts that this is a discussion even if she understands why it's happening. But Maggie, the lovable empath she is, advocates well for Abigael to come live with them.

- Assimilation? As whacky as it should be because not only is this Charmed, but you came to me for headcanons and I consume romcoms like it'll make me pretty.

- Said half demon is an early riser and likes to sing loudly in the shower. Everyone else likes to sleep in until their alarms go off and do not appreciate Abigael's lovely voice traveling three rooms away because she has to sing Welcome to the Moulin Rouge at the top of her lungs.

- Abigael, as someone who has grown up using magic since she was a little kid, uses it in her daily life like this is the introduction to the Burrow in Chamber of Secrets. Her first day as Mel's bedmate, she uses magic to help her in the kitchen make enough food for a small army. You think she's just making cereal and bacon? Nah, bitch. She's got standards and they're going to be chowing down on juicy strawberries she grew in five minutes and Japanese soufflé pancakes.

- When Parker returns from Finding Himself: Electric Boogaloo, he is floored when he goes to the Vera house to visit Maggie, and his dear, demonic half sister answers the door in a silk nightgown and one of those cute Korean bow headbands all the beauty gurus have.

[“Well isn't this funny."

"Abigael?"

"No, Mother Teresa. What do you want?"]

- Honestly, whenever Parker comes around, Abigael resists letting him in until he either pushes her out of the way or one of the girls tells her to knock it off.

- Of course if it’s Papa Vera or Jordan, she lets them right in with a cheery smile and offers to make tea.

- Mel has taken to throwing her legs atop her girlfriend's which Abigael doesn't mind, and sometimes she'll stroke her thighs while reading or watching TV.

- To everyone's surprise, Macy and Abigael never fight. There are raised voices and "well this is MY family's house", but Macy refuses to let Abigael's presence ruin the serenity of her home. In reality, Macy has taken up meditating to keep from flinging Abigael out the window for eating the last of Harry’s cheddar and chive scones.

- Okay, but if this is COVID time, Maggie throws a self care beauty salon party in the living room to paint their nails and do facemasks. Abigael teaches her cosmetic spells to dye hair and it's the most fun they've had since Abigael moved in. They also, as a team, do Harry's makeup and paint his nails.

- On the subject of Abigael knowing more spells than the Charmed Ones, Mel tells her she loves fireworks. And on one of their date nights, Abigael pulls her onto the roof and uses a spark spell to make a firework adjacent display and watches Mel out of the corner of her eye.

- Macy accepts Abigael as a member of the household because she has a Hulu subscription.

- This is too nice actually. Abigael would try to change some of the furniture and shit, so she and Maggie/Mel get into arguments because "that's Mom's!" Let's be real, Abigael would get rid of something LIKE THE MOM BONG BECAUSE IT LOOKS TACKY AND THEN HAVE TO RETRIEVE IT AND MAKE AMENDS WITH THE VERAS.

- More. British. Bickering. Manchester United vs Arsenals.

- Mel is one of those people who loves watching garbage movies and no one will watch them with her, not even her girlfriend. No, Mel, Abigael will not watch Fateful Findings with you.

- I could see Abigael being afraid of thunder, everyone's afraid of something, and the Big Bad Demon Overlord being afraid of Thor striking his opponent with his hammer? Thunder is never associated with things Nice and Sweet, they're ominous, they scare animals and little kids. Not only would it humanize Abigael to give her such a normal fear, but also when I think of people being scared of thunder, I think of those scenes from OHSHC where Haruhi gets scared by thunderstorms and Tamaki and Hikaru have to comfort her??? Good shit right there, pal.

Thanks for the ask!

[lawonderlandwriter]

Just got back from watching Last Christmas!! My full review!

 MAJOR SPOILERS BELOW

Yesterday, while bored at work, I got to reading through Last Christmas reviews and I was surprised to see that a majority of major publications reporting on it were panning it and even more surprised to see that those who liked the film were “meh” on Emilia’s performance. So if you’re like me and are worried because of what the critics are saying, here’s my take. 

1) Last Christmas never pretends to be anything other than exactly what it is. Though I knew the “twist” going into the movie (cuz it’s pretty obvious and I had read other reviews), the film never tries to trick its audience in any way or try to hide what the major “twist” will be at the end. It’s actually pretty in your face from the get go and as I’ve been averse to twist endings lately (thanks GOT), I appreciated this. 

2) I can see why some people didn’t like it...for about the first third of the movie. Going in, obviously I had ridiculously high expectations because, duh, my girl Emilia Clarke. And that was dumb of me. I went in wanting to LOVE the movie but for the first act, I ended up feeling “meh” about it. 

3) BUT, about a third of the way through, the movie really picks up and hits you HARD. At least it did me. Maybe it’s because I’m a late twenty something with a job I never intended on having, still trying to make a dream come true, looking for love, blah blah blah, but I just felt so much while watching this movie. I should have brought tissues, seriously, because for the rest of the film I was holding back tears the entire time. 

It’s not that the love aspect of the movie is particularly intense. I actually didn't buy into the love story that much, if I’m being honest. But it was Emilia’s character Kate’s life ups and downs and emotional arc and change that struck me. Of course, it’s a Christmas movie. It was always going to have some upbeat message, reason-for-the-season kinda deal. You sign up for that going into any Christmas movie. 

But I suppose I liked Last Christmas’s so much because it just seemed so...relevant. Maybe not relevant in the world, but on a personal level. Seriously, any lost and confused millennial/twenty-something looking for a film to make you feel motivated to get your life together, go see this. 

4) The movie had other worldly “messages” too, but they didn’t really stick. Not saying that I thought the movie had a “liberal agenda” or anything because nothing felt forced or shoved down your throat. It’s just that some things seemed a bit superfluous or never really paid off or felt unrelated to the rest of the film. 

The Brexit thing probably was the most obvious of these “superfluous” plots, but I guess I can see what Emma Thompson (screenwriter) intended with it. Kate’s character kind of has undertones of an identity crisis tied up with her heritage (insisting she be called “Kate” when her name is actually “Katarina”) but it just didn’t seem relevant to her changes toward becoming a better person. 

Especially since the movie doesn’t go into much in detail in regards to her parents and her mother specifically. It’s mentioned her mother has depression and that her father avoids being home to avoid her but it’s never stated why and we’re never shown how that conflict is resolved. So because there was no pay-off, I could have done without it. But it in no way seemed distracting or took away from the film in any way.

5) Emilia’s performance was EVERYTHING. I have no idea what the people saying she wasn’t great are smoking. One review I read said something about all the other characters in the film stealing the show and Emilia just being kinda there but I felt the total opposite. Emilia IS the movie. Every emotional beat, every tear-jerking moment is because of Emilia’s amazing performance. Everyone else, including, sadly, Henry Golding, just kind of gravitate around Emilia. Some of the other characters have silly one-liners but none of them are “show stealingly” good. 

Some critics are talking about Emilia’s character not being “likable” enough and I call bullshit. Yes, she’s abrasive in the beginning of the movie. She’s supposed to be. That’s the whole fucking point. But she’s a character you do end up caring about, caring about a lot, and end up fully rooting for throughout the film. The thing I loved about Emilia’s character and Emilia’s performance, is that Kate is just so relatable. 

6) The romantic element of the film was a little odd and honestly, didn’t feel very important. Anyone saying Emilia has more chemistry with Henry Golding than Kit Harington is just saying that to spite Jonerys fans cuz it ain’t true. But I think the lack of chemistry was probably due to the nature of their character’s relationship rather than genuine lack of chemistry between the actors. Tom (Henry Golding’s character) is dead. It’s not explained what he is (ghost, vision, hallucination), but he’s dead. He knows he’s dead. He knows they can’t have a romantic relationship. He’s. Dead. 

7) But the lacking “romance” in the film, again, doesn’t take away from the movie in any way. It’s not about the romance. It’s about Kate’s character and her making changes in her life for the better. For this reason, I can see why people are comparing this to “It’s a Wonderful Life” except, rather than be shown an alternate timeline of her life, Kate is just living a shit life, but one that she fully is capable of turning around all on her own - just with a little friendly nudging from Tom.

Overall, I really really enjoyed Last Christmas, weirdly way more than I was expecting to but mostly because I wasn’t expecting the film that was delivered. Had this been the straight romcom it was advertised as, I actually might not have enjoyed it as much as I did. 

It you’re looking for that Christmas romcom with ooey-gooey lovey-dovey feels, this may not be the film for you. You may be better off re-watching the Collin Firth storyline from Love Actually, or your generic Hallmark movies. 

But, if you are in the mood for something Christmassy and something pick-me-up/feel-good a la “It’s a Wonderful Life”, definitely go see Last Christmas. 

Or just go see it anyway cuz duh it’s Emilia Clarke!

[fics-for-my-heart]

Convention Handling (p.3)

Summary: Working a convention is always a bit stressful, but what happens when you’re asked to be your celebrity crushes handler

Word count: 2222

Warning: implied  sex

A/N: Wow. Okay so I think this will be the final installment of this story. It’s been a blast doing it, and as I’ve said I love all the feedback. Thanks guys for reading!

Masterlist

Part One   Part Two.1   Part Two.2   Part Three

*two year later*

“Y/N.” Toms finger poked your hand. “Y/NNNN” he dragged, poking your cheek. You pushed your head further into the pillow, refusing to give into his pleading voice. “Y/N Y/L/N it’s time to get up.” His hand made its way to your hair, pushing loose strands out of your face. Much like the many wake up calls he loved to receive from you.

“No, ’m too sleepy.” You blindly made grabby hands at him. “Come back to bed.” He sighed, but the bed dipped anyway as he wiggles his way close to you. “Thank you.”

“Only for a few minutes. We have a flight to catch. Your parents will be waiting for us.” He kisses you forehead, cheek, nose, then your lips. “Plus there’s a good chance I miss them more than you do.” He kept his voice soft so he didn’t ruin the cozy early morning feeling that filled the room. You push your way under his arm, using him as your new pillow.

Shortly after your “teenage romcom” moment, you and Tom started officially dating. You split your time between staying in LA with him while he filmed, and at home with your parents keeping up work with the family convention business, which Tom had become a recurring guest. Tom was fortunate enough to have a week off filming for the third Spider-Man movie, so the two of you decided to go back to your place for some seriously needed R and R.

“Love, we really should get going.” But his hand was drawing light circles on your back, pulling sleep closer and closer.

“Fine. But, I’m wearing your clothes.” You look up at him to find him already watching you. “They are much more comfortable for plane rides.”

He kisses your nose again, one of his favorite things to do. “Anything that will get you out of bed.”

Twenty minutes later the two of you were out the door, forty minutes after that you were comfortably seated, and six hours later you were making your way through the airport to the waiting car of your mother.

“Hello honey!” You mom called the moment she saw you, holding her arms open for the comforting embrace. “Welcome home. Hello Tom!” She let go of you, hugging him even tighter as she kissed his cheeks.

“Hello Mrs. Y/L/N. How are you.” He asked, taking your bag along with his to the trunk.

“I’m well. Your father is busy working. He wished he could be here but they had a few people cancel coming to the convention so he has to find some replacements. But enough chit chat. I have lasagna cooking for dinner.” She used her arms to usher you and Tom into the car and off for home you went.

-

“That was amazing.” Tom said, wiping the corners of his mouth before dropping his napkin on his empty plate. “Don’t tell Y/N But your cooking is so much better.”

You kick his leg. “I’m right here you doof. But that was exactly what I had been missing, your cooking.”

“I was only kidding, love. You have your mother's cooking skills for sure. Here, I’ll take the plates and make one for your dad. See how he is.”

“He’s a keeper.” Mom said once he walked out of the room. “Truly. He looks at you just like your father use to look at me.”

“He’s not too bad.” You laugh, shrugging your shoulders. Smiling wider as he walks back through with a plate fixed up.

“I heard that.” He kisses your head as he walks by. “Don’t have too much fun without me.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

“So.” Your mother starts, arms submerged in soapy water. “You guys are staying this week, correct?”

“Yeah, Tom has to be back next Monday to start wrap up filming, but I’m thinking of sticking around a bit, with the convention coming up dad will need all hands on deck.” You put the plate you were drying away, taking the next. “I think Tom is going to go home in a few weeks to spend some time with his family, he misses them so bad.”

“I’d imagine. I miss you when your gone, I can’t even begin to think about going months without seeing you.” She washes the last dish, passing it to you and pulling the drain in the sink. “I’m glad you’re here, and I would spend some more time with you tonight but I’m going to head to bed.” She kisses your cheek. “Get some rest honey.”

After stopping by your father's office to say goodnight, snapping a quick photo of him and Tom with their heads together discussing who knows what, you start your nightly routine before climbing into you bed with a book.

About an hour later the door slowly opened and Tom tiptoed in. “Oh, sorry love, I thought you might have been asleep.”

“Nope. Just waiting for you.” Your head lulled over toward him, watching as he gathered his pajamas making his way to the bathroom.

“So, what’s tomorrow’s plans?” He asked, flopping himself next to you, instantly pulling you as close as he could.

“Whatever you want to do. It’s your week to do what you wish.”

“In that case.” He rolls you around, noses touching, as his fingered creap over your side. “I wish for you.”

-

That week was the definition of lazy. The two of you were either in bed or on the couch watching movies or laying outside enjoying the warm breeze. Tom was able to convince Zendaya, Jacob, and Robert to be surprise guest at the convention. Your father was over the moon, and you were excited to be able to see the people you had grown to consider a second family over the past two years. Sadly, you were right, Tom was going to be home in England during the con so he wouldn’t be there. But family is a bit more important.

Before you knew it, it was time for Tom to head back to LA. It was always harder to say bye when you knew it would be a bit till you saw him.

The two of you spent that morning laying in bed just looking at each other.

“I love you.” He said, playing absentmindedly with your fingers. “I hate that I can’t stay and help you guys with the convention prep, and that I can’t go to the convention. But I hate more that it’ll be almost a month without seeing you.” He pouted his bottom lip out.

“I know babe, but it’s okay. I know how much you miss you parents and brothers and Tessa. No need to worry about it.” You kissed him slow. Trying to savor every last moment together.

“I’ll FaceTime you every day, and we obviously have to Snapchat to keep that hot streak we have going. But it’ll be nothing compared to being able to hold you in my arms and kiss you whenever I waaaaaant.” He dragged before attacking your face in kisses.

-

The weeks leading up to convention time were filled with FaceTimes with Tom. Snaps from him and Z talking about how much he missed you. Last minute conformation checks with those attending the event. Running to the hotel to make sure they were prepared, and setting up the convention floor. It was hectic but it was what you lived for. Having everything come together was one of the best feelings.

Zendaya and Jacob showed up a day early, wanting to help behind the scenes and hang out with you. When Robert got there that night he insisted on taking everyone out to dinner. They had become such great friends since you and Tom started dating that it was so nice to look around the table and see your two words merging.

You volunteered to be Zs handler, so the first day of the convention you bounced up to her room, ready to start the day.

“Good morning gorgeous!” She answered the door, already ready to head out. “I’m ridiculously excited for this week. Toms told me all about how awesome it is and when he asked me to come I couldn’t pass the offer up.” She looped her arm in yours as the two of you made your way to her booth.

The first two days were booth days. Z left each day with her arms full of gifts from fans. You got a similar feeling in your heart seeing the excitement of people coming through her line. It always made the stress of planning worth it. Always

The next day was a panel day. Her, Jacob, and Robert were set to attend, and you had planned it with Tom to get him on the big screen via Facetime.

“Hello everyone!” You spoke into the microphone, having been asked by your father to lead the panel. “How is everyone liking the convention so far?” Cheers erupted from the audience. “Awesome. Awesome! Well we have a very exciting panel for you today. Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, and Robert Downey Jr are here to talk about the upcoming Spider-Man movie!” As you said this they walked out, waving and smiling at everyone as they took a seat on the couch. “And! As an extra surprise! Tom Holland is with us via FaceTime. That away, if he starts to spoil anything we can quickly end the call!”

“Hey! I can hear you!” His voice sounded from the speakers before his face showed up on the screen.

“Sorry, honey!” You laughed. “Turning the camera so he could see everyone.

“Hello guys!” Cheers yet again. “I wish I could say that I’m sad I’m not there. But.” The back door opened. “Surprise!” There stood Tom, as beautiful as ever.

“What?” You couldn’t think of anything else to say for a moment. Then you looked at the three on the couch who weren’t shocked at all. “Did you guys know?”

“Maybe.” Z smiled softly. Tom had made it to the stage, climbed the stairs and was by your side when you looked up.

“Hello, love.” He kisses you, before grabbing your hands. “Here stand up for a moment.” When you did, you noticed your parents and Tom’s family standing by the stage.

“What are you doing here?”

“Well,” He took the microphone from your hands. “I have a secret.” The entire room went quiet. “I. Tom Holland. Love Y/N Y/L/N.”

You blushed. “That’s no secret silly. But I love you too.”

“Well that’s only part of the secret.” His eyes never left yours as he reached around to his back pocket. “Do you remember my first convention here?”

“Very well actually. It was the best week of my life that has turned into the best two years of my life so far.”

“That’s exactly how I feel.” He kisses you again before continuing. “I knew the moment I opened the door that I would be in deep. I knew with that first wake up call that I was deeper than deep. But. I knew when I opened that fortune cookie that there really was no going back.” He opened his wallet, pulling out a faded piece of paper. “I never told you what it said. I actually found this about two months ago when you surprised me on set. And that was when I knew it was only ever going to be me and you.”

Tears had started to blur your vision, Tom was sappy sometimes but never this sappy.

“What’s the fortune say!” A voice from the back of the audience yelled.

Tom laughed. “It says ‘The love of your life will appear in front of you unexpectedly’.” A mixture of aws and woops filled the room. He put his wallet back in his pocket, reaching into his front pocket at he continued to talk. “This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and when I found that fortune again the day you showed up on set, I knew it was something that I had to do. Had to do it in front of our families,” he motioned behind him and at the three now standing by the couch. “And something I had to do where it all started.” Tom dropped to his knee, holding open a box with a beautiful ring. “Y/N Y/M/N Y/L/N. Will you marry me?”

Your hands shot straight to your mouth, everything started moving slower. Was this really happening. Words couldn’t form. Tears started to fall. You nodded your head over and over, watching a huge smile come across Toms face. “Yes.” You finally squeak. “Yes.”

The room went absolutely nuts as Tom slipped the ring on your finger. Your family’s joined you on stage to pass hugs around. Z, Jacob, and Robert joined in.

“Sorry guys, but I’m going to have to steal my fiancée away. I appreciate all of you and I’m so glad I was able to share this special moment with you all!” The room cheered again as Tom grabbed your hand, pulling you out of the room, down the back way, and up to a hotel room. Making sure to slip the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the door before locking you both away.

[letsstayyoungforever-blog1]

If you thought you knew Dodie, then you thought wrong. (or exactly right)

note: everything’s written from her point of view except from the “A few situations” category

« ° B A S I C S ;

name ? Oh, it’s Dodie Grant !

nickname ? Someone called me Goldilocks once.

when’s your birthday ? I was born on the 27th of June, 1999

birth place ? Mum says I was born safe and sounds and that’s all that matters. Although I heard her talk with my auntie about the stain on our car’s backseat once.

age ? 18! Yay...

sexuality ? I like nice people but I want to kiss boys 😊

preferred pronouns ? You can refer to me as a “freshwoman”. Just kidding, you can use she and her

which grade are you in ? My first!

is your current hair colour your natural hair color ? if not, what is your natural hair colour ? It’s always been this blonde! Maybe a little blonder as I grew up from playing in the sun.

eye colour ? Well, I can’t really see them but normally they’re green!

height ? A solid 5 feet.

what are you complimented on most ( physically & persona-wise ) ? That I make people smile and feel young at heart.

do you have any tattoos or piercings ? Oh no, I definitely don’t. Not that there’s anything wrong with them!

if not, would you like one/some ? Okay, no... MAYBE I don’t like them THAT much.

what do you do for fun ? Loads of things! Skipping rope, talking to little babies and kittens, blowing soap bubbles, playing board games, making flower crowns OH- pillow fights! I don’t know, just loads of things!

what’s your preferred clothing style ? Bright colours! And I like clothes that have little doodles or a funny message on them, as well.

left handed or right handed ? Just right.

when free, people will most likely find you … up in a tree (that rhymes hihi)

« ° P E R S O N A ;

how would you describe yourself in five words ? Uh, let’s see... Happy, helpful, honest,  hearty and... I’m looking for another word with an H other wise this will seem silly. Hm, high spirited! Does that count?

are you a flirtatious person ? Oh, no. No, no, not really. I get all nervous when I like like someone.

do consider yourself unique ? Yep, everyone is unique and so am I!

are you talkative or rather shy ? I love talking for sure!!

biggest dream ? I really want to help my family out with all their worries. Then maybe they’ll stop treating me like I’m too young to understand everything.

are you good at keeping secrets ? I really want to say yes, because I get so curious about secrets and I know others won’t trust me with them if they tell me! But some may have slipped my mouth already…

are you happy ? Very!

do you consider yourself book-smart or street-smart ? Books usually teach me things. However, the streets have learned me that the grass is softer to play  on, does that count?

main character trait ?  I guess I’m rather what they call… innocent.

worst habit ? I may or may not throw a tantrum every now and then when I don’t get my way...

biggest pet peeve ? People jumping the queue.

if your life would have a title song, what would it be ? Forever young!

who do your friends compare you to ? I honestly don’t know, you should ask them! Sometimes to Kimmy Schmidt from this TV show ‘Unbreakable’

life motto ? Well, on my closet back at home I had this sticker that said: “Life’s too short to wear boring clothes”. That’s something to live by, isn’t it?

« ° L O V E ;

are you in love ? Yep. I fell in love with Korrina’s dog.

do you have a crush ? No, silly! I was just kidding about the dog.

celebrity crush ? Ryan Gosling will always have my heart.

do you believe in love at first sight ? Oh, yes, it’s why I’m not afraid to make eye contact with people!

thoughts about marriage ? It’s lovely. I always cry when I see a wedding.

what does your ideal partner look like ( inside and out ) ? Oh... He should be charming and friendly, I guess. Someone whom I can do all sorts of activities with! I hope he’s taller than me and has soft hair... But honestly I don’t really care for anything other than his smile.

would you consider yourself a flirt ? Not really... Besides, I think the boy should flirt with the girl, as in the movies, right? Not vice versa?

cuddling or making out ? Cuddling is so warm and cozy!

when i was 18 i had my first kiss and it was unexpected

make out song ? Make what out?

turn ons/offs ? Uh, are you asking me about a light switch?

best love song ever ? Everything I do by Bryan Adams

dumper or the dumped one ? I have never had a relationship before but I hope neither?!

ever experienced heartbreak ? Not really, luckily.

« ° T H I S OR T H A T ;

tea or coffee ? Tea. Coffee makes me to hyper...

frozen yoghurt or ice cream ? Ice cream! Vanilla preferably.

chocolat or vanilla ? Oh, look at that, I answered a question before I got it! Hihi, vanilla, please.

shower or bath ? You can dance best in a shower. But you can have floating duckies in a bath. So both.

movies or books ? Movies for sure. I’m too slow of a reader to keep up with the story.

comedy or adventure movie ? Ah, I usually watch the romcoms so comedy it is, I guess. Laughing’s healthier than suspense anyways.

day or night ? I’m a day person for sure. 

black&white or color ? Colors!

chinese or italian ? As people, I have no preference really. But when it comes to food, I’m gonna have to go with italian cause I love pasta.

hugs or kisses ? Hugs!

spring or fall ? Both are lovely! Maybe spring because then flowers blossom. But in fall you can jump around in the leaves...

tattoos or piercings ? Neither please.

money or fame ? Money, that way I can help my parents!

romantic cuddles or hot sex ? Oh, gosh, definitely romantic cuddles hihi.

fair or theme park ? Oh tough one! I’m going to say the fair.

love or lust ? L.O.V.E.

« ° F A V O R I T E S ;

song lyrics ?  "Call 1-800-STEEMER, Stanley Steemer gets carpet (or 'your home') cleaner!" It’s just such a catchy tune! I can’t get it out of my head!

song ? Walking on sunshine

quote ? Youth is happy because it has the ability to see beauty. Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

actor ? Tom Hanks

actress ? Oh, I’m not very good with names actually. I only knew Tom Hanks because my mum praises him whenever mentioned. That lovely one from The Notebook perhaps?

movie ? Love actually

book ? Peter Pan

memory ? Oh that story about Halloween from 2000 always cracks me up! With the halo and feathers, oh gosh- and then that pumpkin! *cracks up laughing too hard to talk*

joke ? Knock Knock! Who’s there? Egg! Egg who? Eggcited to meet you.

guilty pleasure ? Making things rhyme

« ° A  F E W  S I T U A T I O N S ;

how would your character react if… (note: out of character)

if they walk into the shower and see a huge spider sitting right in the middle of it ? Give it a name and make a bit of small talk with it while walking to a door/window to put it outside. Maybe show it off to some people on the way as well.

they found out they won the lottery ? Trust her parents with it completely. Maybe keep a little to buy a popcorn machine.

if they find a someone’s wallet on the floor which holds lots of cash ? Go to the lost and found on campus, or the police station so that the person who lost it, may get it back.

they hear a knock on their door and when they say “enter” their ex walks in ? That would completely depend on how they became exes. She might get rather upset/sad though.

if their house was on fire and they had 60 seconds to leave ? what 5 things would they take with them ? The cat, her unicorn onesie, her flower crown, a fire extinguisher and the towel that she’d used in an attempt to save the cookies in the oven that had caused the fire in the first place

« ° O V E R - A L L ;

when was the last time you tried something new ? Was it that time I tried to dance on someone’s lap?

would you ever give up on your life if you could save someone else’s with it ? I actually think so, yes. I’ve got to enjoy life a lot already. So especially when it’s someone close to me and/or who still has his whole life ahead.

are you happy with yourself ? Very! Well, mostly.

what chances do you wish you had taken ? I once had a really good come back but it seemed a little rude so I kept it to myself.

what’s the first thing you think when you see yourself in the mirror ? Goodmorning me!

[pinelife3]

Nightmare Fodder: Celebrity Edition

In 2015, Mary Louise Parker released a memoir in the form of a series of letters written to various men she’d encountered during her life. The juicy part of the book which people were anticipating was a fuck you for her one-time partner Billy Crudup who, in 2003, left her while she was seven months pregnant for young, luminously gorgeous, un-pregnant Claire Danes.

The players in our tragedy:

This is all hallowed legend in gossip lore. At the time, Parker and Crudup weren’t that famous (even now they’re hardly household names) but everyone knew what happened - even The New York Times covered it. It was huge news. You know what must really sting: even though Crudup didn’t leave Parker until 2003, he first met Danes in 1999 when she was 19. They worked together on the English dub of Princess Mononoke. How long had he been thinking about her?

Parker never publicly spoke about what happened. Danes did though - she dated Crudup for four years and later said in a radio interview: “That was a scary thing, that was really hard. I didn’t know how to not do that. I was just in love with him and needed to explore that and I was 24... I didn’t quite know what those consequences would be."

What kind of asshole doesn’t know what’s up by the time they’re 24? Like you never had a family? Like you’d be able to forgive your dad if he dipped out on your mum while she was pregnant? Why would even want to be with a guy who would behave this way? Anyway: people anticipating the fuck you to Crudup didn’t quite get the vat of vitriol they expected: Parker never mentioned him by name, but instead tells a story of a confrontation with a NYC taxi driver while she was pregnant and feeling profoundly alone.

In the story/letter, she’s in a cab. The driver keeps going the wrong way and she starts yelling at him: "Shit, goddamn. I mean, why, I mean why the hell - NO! Where are you going now? This is still wrong."

The driver asks that she tone down the profanities, but she keeps berating him until he kicks her out of the cab, saying: "I don't want you anymore."

And then there’s this sequence:

No one does

My voice was shot and I barely got out

Look at me

You turned and looked, I think for the first time...

My life is worse than yours in this moment.

I wailed

I am alone. Look, see? I am pregnant and alone. It hurts to even breathe.

Your hand slowly went to your mouth

I’m trying to get through it but I’m by myself every night and every morning and no one, nothing helps. I’m sorry I yelled. I can’t get my shoes on anymore. Please, I know I am awful, it’s been made clear but look at me please

Look at me

...

I don’t know what you thought, if you had a daughter or a wife or if my little drama was a hangnail compared to your life. What I wish I could tell you is that I know it may have been. I don’t know what happened to you that morning, or that year, or when you were six. I didn’t know your tragedy or hardship and it was grossly unfair of me to compare my life to yours. I am aware of my good fortune. What I don’t have to struggle for that makes my life easier than most. I have thought of you and know you wouldn’t remember me but I am sorry...

About writing memoirs or autobiographies: if you’re the kind of person who would ever want to write about yourself that way, do you think you would also be the kind of person who would be tempted to create drama in your life to spice up your autobiography? For e.g., maybe I would go out tonight and take a bunch of cocaine and get involved in some kind of epic bukkake gang bang all with the conscious goal of making chapter three a bit more interesting after having two slow opening chapters focused on my family and work life. If my romcom body disposal story idea never pans out, my back up elevator pitch (scenario: I hire goons to cut the power to the building, the film exec is stuck in the elevator with me for half an hour - I am wild-eyed and, frankly, frightening) is this:

Have you ever wondered why the documentary crew chose to film the lives of the people in The Office? Out of every office in every company in the world, why them? Why that family for Modern Family? Why the Parks and Recreation office in Pawnee? Picture this: a mockumentary crew picks a mediocre office based in a mediocre town with the hopes of creating an 11-season syndicated ca$hmonster. Instead, the people are average looking and uninteresting. They diligently do their jobs and no one plays pranks, shares sparkling dialogue or falls in love with each other. After 10 episodes of excruciatingly dull television, a young production assistant is ready to risk it all. She murders the office’s secretary. When the film crew and office workers arrive in the office for work on Tuesday morning they find her horribly mangled body displayed in some bizarre and upsetting way (I can’t be bothered dreaming up some fresh new atrocity but you get the idea). What follows is a Dan Brown-esque chase across the countryside with the film crew and office workers solving clues because for some reason they can’t call the cops and have to catch the killer themselves (maybe the killer threatened to kill Bo Obama if they called the cops or something?.. although all of this is being broadcast so um maybe that won’t work hmm plot hole). Little do they suspect that the killer is in their midst... no one suspects the production assistant. The show gradually becomes about the film makers who are desperate for attention, wealth and success and don’t care about catching the killer, they just want great ratings. 

Enough about that. What about this: is it so bad that Billy Crudup left Mary Louise Parker? I mean, the alternative is that he stays with her because she’s pregnant (not because he loves her) and continues to stay with her because they have a kid (not because he loves her) and he never really loves her again so they’re living a lie (at least on his end) - and one day she’ll figure it out: he stayed with her out of a sense of duty. Their photo albums are full of lies. Her wedding ring turns to ash. This is why he always fucks her from behind with the lights off. This is why he took a job that meant he was always travelling. This is why he didn’t care when she put on 15kg. This is why they have separate arm chairs rather than a sofa they can cuddle on. This is why he never introduced her to his friends. This is why his mother never liked her. This is why he never put her name on his life insurance policy. This is why he never holds her hand. Isn’t this so much worse? Wouldn’t you rather he left you than stay with you out of pity? She gets hurt either way and he looks like a bad guy either way. But he did the right thing in this scenario, right? At least according to gossip magazine covers: if leaving her while she’s pregnant makes him a bad guy then staying is what makes him a good guy.

Or I guess not falling in love with someone else.

(But he probably can’t help that.)

He’s stuck. What can he do? He can’t make himself love her again. Maybe having to make this kind of decision is just as bad as being dumped. (Although obviously not really because Mary Louise Parker was heavily pregnant and alone while Billy Crudup got to drill Claire Danes and fall in love.)

[carnegiestout]

Book or Movie? “Warm Bodies” review

If I know I’m going to see a movie based on a book I usually read the book first, knowing full well that the movie will probably not live up to my expectations. However, I saw Warm Bodies in the theater before reading the book, so I had no preconceived notions about casting or characterization. In fact all I knew about Warm Bodies was that it was a take on Romeo and Juliet, but with zombies. I went to see this film with a group of friends who also happen to be co-workers. Of the six of us who went, only two of us really enjoyed it. So, she (Allison) and I decided to review the movie and book, which we read later.

The Movie "Warm Bodies" Directed by Jonathan Levine. Starring  Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer, Rob Corddry &  John Malkovich

Amy: I don’t care what anyone else said, I loved Warm Bodies. It was funny, sappy, and a little bit gross. Exactly what one might expect from a zombie romcom. Allison: Thank you! I loved it! It was exactly what I wanted it to be - funny, cheesy, with only a few bits of horror! I also really liked how short it was - I’m sick of three hour long epics! Amy: I'm totally with you there. The thought of sitting in a theater for three-plus hours makes me dread going to the movies. Another thing I loved about Warm Bodies was R’s inner monologue. It was just funny and kind of sad. Yes there were parts that were kind of stupid, but again, it is a ZOMBIE romantic comedy.

Allison: Yes! A similar movie, Shaun of the Dead, was marketed as a romantic comedy with zombies, although that one was more about the living people than the dead. But the idea is the same - this isn't a gore-filled Romero movie. Yes, there are horror elements, but that’s not the crux of the story. While we’re on the subject, one difference between the movie and the book is the outfit R wears. In the movie, he wears jeans and hoodie (setting up a great joke) but in the book, R wears black dress pants, a white shirt and a red tie. I like to think this is a hat-tip to Shaun of the Dead, since that’s the same outfit Shaun (Simon Pegg) wears. Amy: Also, it was leaps and bounds better than Twilight. People need to stop comparing it to Twilight. Allison: I admit that I haven’t read Twilight, but I was forced to see the movie version and I agree 100%. It’s unfortunate that every movie with supernatural elements that centers on a romance is now, apparently, doomed to be lumped together with Twilight. I think many people who would really enjoy the movie haven’t or won’t see it because of that false association. Amy: Another thing I loved about this movie was the relationships between the main characters and their BFF’s. M stood by R when the rest of the zombies wanted to eat Julie and Nora stood by Julie when the rest of the humans wanted to kill R. Allison: Rob Corddry really stole the show as M; some of the best lines were his, whether they were funny or frightening. Both he and Nicholas Hoult expressed more in a grunt or a gesture than most other actros could. M’s character in the book is a bit different (at least physically) than how Corddry portrayed him, but the loyalty, humor and hope are there in each version.

M (Rob Corddry) and R (Nicholas Hoult) in deep conversation at an airport bar. Via Filmofilia.com

Amy: I think Rob Corddry had about five spoken lines in the movie and I absolutely agree that he stole the show. I read somewhere that the cast studied with Cirque de Soliel to get the zombie movements down. I think they did an excellent job. Amy: Speaking of best friends, Julie's best friend Nora says during a dream sequence that if she could be anything in the world she wanted to be a nurse. As we were leaving the theater several members of our group were commenting that it was sad that she said nurse instead of doctor. I realize that being a nurse is considered to be a "typical" female profession but I think being a nurse is a truly noble profession. I have several friends that are nurses and they worked incredibly hard to get their degree. So, lets not disparage a woman for wanting to be a nurse instead of doctor in a film, especially a film about zombies. And now I will get off my soapbox. Allison: Yeah, I know some viewers really objected to that! In the book, Nora goes on to explain that she doesn't think that civilization will around long enough for her to finish medical school. Nora’s character is a bit different in the book - she’s older than Julie and a bit wiser - so her reasoning sits well with me, at least. Amy: I’m choosing to ignore the really terrible CGI from the movie because I don’t think it took anything away from the story.

One of the many "bonies" that menace the Living and the Dead. Via IMBD.com

Allison: I was pleasantly surprised that the CGI wasn't as bad as it could have been given the film’s budget. It reminded me of the mummies from the 1999 movie The Mummy - good enough for the purposes of the movie. And honestly, I thought they were pretty damn menacing! Allison: One last thing about the movie - Richard Roeper (of Ebert and Roeper) gave the movie 3 ½ stars. In his review, he says that he preferred Warm Bodies over other zombie movies and TV shows (The Walking Dead, etc.) because those zombies are predictable. A mutual friend who saw the movie with us took exception to that, and thought that Warm Bodies was no less predictable than other zombie fare. While I can see why someone might say that, I think Roeper meant that the movie didn't follow the usual formula of zombies being your standard unfeeling monsters, devoid of any humanity. Having zombies that retain or regain their humanity (as well as a human falling in love with one) deviates from the standard horror formula, where the story isn't at all about the zombies, but only about the human survivors, and the zombies can easily be replaced with aliens, giant robots or whatever. You're not going to find any multi-dimensional zombies staggering around in The Walking Dead. The Book "Warm Bodies" by Isaac Marion (Fiction Marion)

Amy: My first thought about the book is that while the movie could be considered YA, I wouldn't classify the book in that way. We have it shelved in adult fiction and I believe that is where it belongs. Allison: Agreed. The writing style is more complex than what you might find in some YA - the use of terms like "Escheresque" and "vertiginous" might throw younger readers off. A good portion of the book is spent with R describing what life as a zombie is like and R’s thoughts on what caused the dead to rise. In these passages the author, I think, is using zombie life as a metaphor for depression - the alienation, the lack of interest or ambition, even the dulled senses of the Dead. Of course, this isn't a theme restricted to “adult” literature, but some younger readers might become bored with R’s continuous ruminations. Amy: At the end of the movie you get a sense that everyone will live happily ever after. At the end of the book you get the sense that although things are getting better, it will take years and years before life returns to pre-plague conditions. Allison: One of the key plot points that happens very differently in the movie and books - and which we can’t really talk about since it’d be huge spoiler - definitely contributes to that. Without giving too much away, what ultimately happens with General Grigio (Julie’s father) in the book as opposed to the movie sort of sums up the ultimate message of each. Amy: Allison mentioned that in the book the character of Nora is different, older and wiser.  I liked both characterizations of Nora.  I liked her sense of fun and humor in the movie and how she was wise beyond her years in the book.  Maybe it is because I saw the movie first, but I think I liked the movie better. Allison: I’m having a hard time deciding which one I liked best, since they’re both so different in tone. The movie is much lighter and the focus is on the romance between R and Julie. The book delves deeper into the inner lives (such as they are) of the zombies. We hear a great deal more from R on subject other than Julie and learn that there is even a zombie society. The zombies hold worship services, have sex, marry and raise children. At the beginning of the novel, R meets and marries his wife and later they are given two zombie children to feed and teach. There’s much more world-building in the book than in the movie, which works really well. If the movie had too much of that - aside from R’s introduction at the beginning - it would have been bogged down and much too dark. One section I really enjoyed and illustrates the side of zombie society we don't see as well in the movie was R's (internal) explanation of why he dislikes being called a "corpse" or a "zombie." When Julie first calls R a "corpse" R thinks, "...I realize she can’t possibly know the sensitive cultural connotations of the word 'corpse' …" R also dislikes it when Julie refers to herself as "human," as opposed to a corpse or a zombie. R thinks of himself as human; a Dead human, but human nonetheless. Amy: Marion did an excellent job giving his characters depth and making the reader feel that the "Dead" were also human. He also did a great job relaying that both the Zombie and Human populations were dead in the sense that there was very little hope that either population would survive.  That being said, I would tell people to read the book and see the movie in any order they choose. Allison: Absolutely! After I read the book, I found the short story that inspired it, I Am a Zombie Filled With Love online. I'm also planning to read the prequel Marion is writing, The New Hunger which right now is only available as an eBook from Zola Books, but you can read an excerpt on Entertainment Weekly's website here. And if you can't get enough of romance and/or zombies, click here for a list of similar books and movies! ~ Amy and Allison, Adult Services