& death by a thousand cuts

MANNERISMS:

What words or phrases do they overuse?

dude, man, COME ON, and my kid. 

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?

she’s definitely a glass half empty kind of gal, but she owns it. 

What bad habits do they have?

pushing people away, using humour to deflect from feelings, chewing straws (which is why she won’t do metal), using her kid to get out of doing things, swearing at bad drivers, NOT RETURNING TEXTS.

What makes them laugh out loud?

animals videos and seeing people wipe out. also her kid is pretty funny.

How do they display affection?

doing things for people, giving them dumb nicknames, letting them into her space for any length of time -- she doesn’t do mush. 

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider?

she’s typically pretty level headed about things, she’s got a kid and her decisions effect him so she likes to think things through but can be super impulsive when she’s pissed. which is why ollie’s dad isn’t in their life.

How do they react to praise?

depends on the day -- some days praise is weird and she doesn’t know how to take it, others she’ll be right there with you agreeing and pointing out her awesomeness. 

How do they react to criticism?

again, depends on the day and what is being criticized. she’s got pretty thick skin so criticism of most of her work (personal songs are another story!!) and her looks, but don’t make fun of her kid or she will destroy you.

What is their philosophy of life?

life’s too short to eat kale smoothies.

When was the last time they cried?

when she and ollie watched the movie frozen ii, and she would appreciate it very much if you didn’t bring it up tyvm!! 

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

eh, she’s pretty great, nothing to change!! 

What is their obsession?

she was pretty into game of thrones until they messed up the last season. 

What are their pet peeves?

honestly? soooo manny!! those moms that are like obsessed with their kids and have zero life outside of them especially grind her gears. 

FRIENDS&FAMILY:

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of?

it’s not huge but it’s not tiny either and consists of her mom ( martha ), two older brothers ( jason and robert) and her son ( oliver ). her father ( frank ) left when she was pretty young so we don’t talk about him and her baby daddy was never given the chance to be one so he’s not really family. 

What is their perception of family?

eh? she loves hers best from a distance. she gets along with her brothers fine but even as adults they are liable to wind up in a wrestling match if left alone too long. her mom comes to visit two weeks a year and it is both the best and worst time of the year. 

Do they have siblings? Older or younger?

two older brothers. 

Describe their best friend.

cool enough to put up with her bullshit, caring enough to call her out on it. 

Do they have any pets?

turtle and a hamster. but both are technically ollies. 

PAST&FUTURE:

What was your character like as a teen?

sarcastic but loveable, super passionate about music and her boyfriend. 

Did they grow up rich or poor?

lower middle class, mom never let them know they weren’t rich but they didn’t go on family vacations or anything. 

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected?

nurtured, martha allen is mom goals, just don’t tell her aves said so. 

What is their greatest achievement?

cheesy as it sounds, her kid. but hearing her music on the radio is a close second. 

What was their first kiss like?

awkward, way too much tongue. 

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved?

she robbed ollie of a dad, and she does kind of hate herself for it. 

What are their ambitions?

she doesn’t really have any. successfully raise an independent adult?

What advice would they give their younger self?

men ain’t shit. 

What smells remind them of their childhood?

beeferoni. 

What was their childhood ambition?

to be joni mitchell or maybe gwen stefani.

What does their five-year plan look like?

keep her kid alive.

LOVE:

Do they believe in love at first sight?

no. not even a little. she’s not even sure she believes in romantic love anymore. 

Are they in a relationship? Are they in love?

no, most of her relationships end when her partner realizes it’s not going anywhere bc she refuses to introduce them to her kid. 

How do they behave in a relationship?

very casual, sexy meetings at their place and then sneaking home before ollie’s up. 

When did your character last have sex?

maybe a month ago? she’s getting pretty grumpy about it. 

Has your character ever been in love?

totally, but she won’t admit it. 

Have they ever had their heart broken?

1000%, but again good luck getting it out of her. 

Are they crushing on anyone now? Tag them!

pls, crushes are for the weak but she wouldn’t mind someone hitting her up. 

WORK&LIFE:

What is their current job?

songwriter. 

What do they think about their current job?

pretty okay, maybe not a great as headlining somewhere, but it allows her to be with her kid and is creatively satisfying. 

What are some of their past jobs?

she worked at a call centre and was shit, scooped ice cream in high schoool.

What are their hobbies?

watching tv, drinking wine, babysitting dylan. @sonderbound​

Educational background?

college. 

Do they have a natural talent for something?

singing, beer pong. 

Do they play a sport? Are they any good?

sports suck, but she did pretend to play soccer once to impress her kid. it didn’t go great. 

MISC:

What is in their fridge?

leftovers, mostly take out but she does make some stuff! ollie’s favorite lunch meat, four half used bottles of ketchup. 

What is on their bedside table?

a book she’s not reading a probably never will, the pair of glasses she’s in denial about needing. 

What kinda car do they drive, and is their car messy or clean?

something cheap and practical, and it’s always got wraps and cd cases scattered in the backseat. 

Do they carry a purse? What is in their purse or wallet?

depends on the outfit, but not if she can help it. everything she needs is in her wallet - debit card, about 20 rewards cards, a picture of her kid. 

What is in their pockets?

her hand, probably. 

What is their most treasured possession?

MANNERISMS:

What words or phrases do they overuse?

she uses the word ‘basically’ a lot. she also definitely overuses her britishisms but that’s mainly because she’d been living there for the last few years. favouite curse word is ‘fuck’. ends too many sentences with the word ‘me’.

Are they more optimistic or pessimistic?

ellie will tell you she’s a realist, though she does tend towards optimism, particularly when it comes to the outcomes of certain events in her life. 

What bad habits do they have?

speaking before she speaks, drinking way too much coffee (and as a result has developed an unhealthy addiction to breath mints, seriously she’s always gone some on her person!), nail biting/picking (particularly when she’s nervous/bored), flirting before thinking (she’s sure your partner is great, she just didn’t consider their existence), pouting until she gets what she wants.

What makes them laugh out loud?

friends reruns, friends in general, lana sullivan. she’s also the sort to laugh at her friends embarrassments/trip ups but would also be the first to bail you out in a bind so figurers that balances things out. 

How do they display affection?

little touches (on your arm, your shoulder, your lower back), little gifts/things she’s seen that remind her of you, sending random texts/pictures throughout her day, sharing anecdotes/gossip. 

Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider?

she’s an impulsive little sun of a gun, just ask lana. she detests feeling stuck and that has driven her to make many questionable decisions and has resulted in the breaking down of some important relationships in her life. 

How do they react to praise?

she THRIVES off of it. like tinkerbell she needs applause and praise to live. 

How do they react to criticism?

she’ll tell you she can take it, and that’s not totally untrue, as an actress she has developed a fairly thick skin but she only really takes constructive criticism well. trolly comments on the internet will send her into a tailspin and often result in her seeking some outside affirmation of her awesomeness (often in the form of hookups or friendly cheerleaders). 

What is their philosophy of life?

work hard and be kind. 

When was the last time they cried?

professionally? daily, her current project requires a lot of mental gymnastics. personally? after meeting up with lana. 

If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be?

apart from forever appearing ageless?? physically she wouldn’t mind being a little taller, but she thinks her face is nice and her ass is good so she happy with her appearance. there are a lot of internal things she’d change about herself but mainly she’d like to be braver and a little more vulnerable about the things that matter with the people she loves. 

What is their obsession?

herself?? sex?? skin care??

What are their pet peeves? 

she does get annoyed easily and pinning down what will set her off from one day to the next isn’t an exact science but some things that never fail are slow walkers, people who talk on their phone in public, traffic (she probs shouldn’t drive bc the road rage is real), and people who insist on continuing conversations when she’s clearly checked out. 

FRIENDS&FAMILY:

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of?

pretty small, just her dad, step mum and gran left. 

What is their perception of family?

family used to be everything but after her mum passed ellie hasn’t been super connected to her family, with the exception of her gran who is her favouite person in the whole world. 

Do they have siblings? Older or younger?

she’s an only child, i’m sure this surprises no one. 

Describe their best friend.

the real yin to her yang and the one person she will never put the moves on because it would totally ruin their vibe. also it would be weird because they are basically sisters at this point. if ellie is ever able to sit still long enough to sit and think things through things it is down to this person. big mom friend vibes. 10/10 angel on earth. 

Do they have any pets?

oh god no, she shouldn’t be trusted to care for a living creature. 

PAST&FUTURE:

What was your character like as a teen?

not unlike herself now, which speaks to her emotional maturity but much more moody and reckless, very little regard for the consequences of her actions, and pretty listless/unmotivated. she’s since learned to reel some of that in as she’s focussed on her career. 

Did they grow up rich or poor?

middle class, they were comfortable, but they didn’t go on holiday every school break or anything. 

Did they grow up nurtured or neglected?

nurtured, but when she lost her mum she an her dad started to neglect each other. 

What is their greatest achievement?

winning a bafta. 

What was their first kiss like?

awkward and the result of a game of spin the bottle gone wrong -- she’d really wanted to kiss matt jones but instead the bottle had landed on rory tyler. 

What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved?

LEFT THEM AT THE ALTAR?! 

What are their ambitions?

she’d really like to have a career that lasts past her 35th birthday

What advice would they give their younger self?

hang in there, be kinder to mum, go easier on dad, don’t forget to keep your promises. 

What smells remind them of their childhood?

cinnamon sugar and french toast, mum would make it every sunday. 

What was their childhood ambition?

to be an actress and a unicorn doctor, so she’s definitely lived up to some of her childhood ambitions!

What does their five-year plan look like?

become a house hold name, successfully bake banana bread, take a dance class, learn to play piano, take someone she loves to an awards show. 

LOVE:

Do they believe in love at first sight?

no, not even a little which is funny because she is definitely the sort to fall quickly. 

Are they in a relationship? Are they in love?

no, but she is still in love with her ex so that’s fun. particularly for someone whose default is to seek vey surface level/fun ‘relationships’.

How do they behave in a relationship?

depends on the relationship and the person, honestly. ellie hasn’t been in many serious relationships because she typically bolts at the first sign of feeeelings as she tends to lean towards her need for freedom rather than commitment but on the rare occasion her heart has fallen before her brain was able to catch on she’s been quite happy to hermit with her partner. she becomes so smitten the idea of wanting someone else escapes her completely. 

When did your character last have sex?

probably last night. or this morning. she’s a ho and she doesn’t like to be alone. that’s when things like thinking happen and that’s no good! 

Has your character ever been in love?

yes, twice. and both instances left her gutted. 

Have they ever had their heart broken?

she has, but in the end it’s usually by herself as she has the tendency to leave before she gets left. 

Are they crushing on anyone now? Tag them!

lana (and also probs sabrina lbh): @lauralaword​ , sean: @gapsofsvnlight​ , quinn: @sonderbound​ , and probs pyper: @chvrryglcss​ bc she seems emotionally unavailable and ellie likes a challenge, plus she a babe. guys i said she’s a ho. 

WORK&LIFE:

What is their current job?

actress, she’s also an aspiring screen writer/playwright and director, but that’s mainly born of fear of what she’ll do when the industry decides she’s too old to play a lead

What do they think about their current job?

loves it, a +, everything she’d hoped it be even if the hours are maybe a bit longer than she’d like and she doesn’t always love feeling like she has to hide parts of herself from rabid fans/news sources, but she likes her privacy. 

What are some of their past jobs?

bag girl, ride attendant, bartender (at uni), nanny, waitress, and snow white for a tick!

What are their hobbies?

she likes to read and netflix, but her main hobby is bugging her mates until they entertain her. 

Educational background?

went to the royal academy of dramatic art in london where she studied acting. 

Do they have a natural talent for something?

photography, the written word, charming her way into your pants. 

Do they play a sport? Are they any good?

no, she does not sport well nor does she understand any of the rules. her disdain for football is just another point of contention between her and her father. 

MISC:

What is in their fridge?

a half drank bottle of vodka, seltzer, diet coke, some probiotics she never takes and a variety of take out containers. she does not cook. 

What is on their bedside table?

cellphone charger, a book she’s been trying to finish for ages, and a sound machine. 

What kinda car do they drive, and is their car messy or clean?

honestly she couldn’t tell you the make or model unless she read the manual butt it gets her to auditions and that’s all that matters. it’s basically always got at least three changes of clothes and a takeaway coffee cup and/or wrapper somewhere so if you think that’s messy...  

Do they carry a purse? What is in their purse or wallet?

usually, but if she’s out at retrograde she’ll pair her essentials down to things that can fit in her pocket -- basically that means a lip (red if she’s feeling feisty or insecure), her debit card, her cell and some mints. her purse has at any given time four different lips, a chapstick, some gloss, three packs of gum, mints, a pack of emergency smokes (for when things get intense and she needs to break her clean streak), her wallet, a compact, an umbrella, and so many receipts! 

What is in their pockets?

if she has her purse they’re likely empty, if she doesn’t all the things. also sometimes her hands when she doesn’t know what to do with them. 

What is their most treasured possession?