#i mean it’s not like carlos wasn’t obsessed with her before he saw her but yknow

[tommydarlings]

Little Love Letters | c.s

pairing: dark!neighbour!mean!dom!carlos x sub!reader

warnings: psychotic behaviour, obsessive behaviour, possessive behaviour, pure manipulation, inappropriate usage of ropes, usage of a knife, smut, cnc, dacryphilia, forced blowjob, gagging, brief mentions of killing somebody, brief mentions of stalking

w/c: 3.1k

summary: After receiving multiple creepy letters by an unknown stranger, you scarily run into the arms of your sweet, spanish neighbour carlos — sadly, you ran into the worst embrace you could have possibly ran into.

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Feeling lonely in your 20's is probably something a lot of people feel. The problem is, that literally all of your friends — who are the same age as you — are most definitely not lonely, they are either in a relationship or already married, one of your old Highschool friends just recently gave birth to her little babygirl.

And you are not even able to remember the last time when you talked to a man that wasn’t your gay best friend or your neighbour carlos.

Carlos, the kind Spaniard next door was very sweet and also quite attractive in your opinion, but you still never really felt the specific spark between the two of you when you crossed paths and talked for a bit.

But even though you had no partner and only a few friends that you barely saw since you’ve moved, you didn’t feel that alone.

Especially not since some unknown stranger — or maybe even 'secret admirer' sent you letters, every. single. day.

At first, you thought that it was a joke and ignored it, but after you’ve received the fourth letter, you knew that this was not a joke, this was serious.

Of course it scared and confused you, since nobody expect for your three friends know your new address, but at the same time, it wasn’t that bad.

Sometimes, this mysterious stranger filled the letter with sentences like,

“Each time i see you, you only get prettier.”

“You are the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen, my love, ever.”

“I wish I could kiss you right now beautiful, wish I could feel your lips on mine.”

But sometimes they brought tears out of pure fear into your eyes,

“One day I will get you into my hands and I will never let you go, I promise you that y/n.”

“You will be mine, if you like it or not my darling, you will be mine.”

“I would kill for you, I would do absolutely anything for you y/n, anything you want me to.”

You gulped as you read those words, sometimes even wiping some tears away since some of his letters were filled with dark and psychotic sentences like that.

And since you were so scared — and also since it got everyday only worse and worse — you ran to the only person that you knew in this new town, your neighbour Carlos.

When you knocked in his door on a cold night at around 9 p.m., Carlos looked at you like you were crazy since you were only in a lose pair of jogger and a thin tanktop, making him quickly step aside and lead you into his cozy and especially warm home.

“Cariño, what are you doing here, don’t you have a jacket or a coat? C'mere,” he told you, placing his hand onto your back and leading you into his house, “It’s so cold outside, you’ll probably catch a cold y/n.”

But you only shook your head before you sat down onto the big couch in his living room, biting your lip before he got on his knees in front of you, being almost at eye level with you now.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Carlos quickly raised his brows before he scanned your body with his eyes, rough palms reaching out to grab your hands, turning your arms around and glancing at your unharmed skin.

You sighed before you pulled your arms away from his touch, briefly making him gulp. And if you haven’t lost your mind already, you could have sworn that you’ve noticed that he looked rather mad at you for a quick second as you basically threw his hands away, but you were probably just seeing things by now.

After letting out a long sigh, you shook your head, “N-No, I’m not hurt, don’t worry Carlos,” you spoke up, making him release a long breath, “I guess I’m just a bit…scared,” you admitted as you felt tears building up in your eyes, quickly trying to blink then away as the Spaniard furrowed his brows,

“Scared? Of what?” He asked you, lightly stroking your legs with his big palms now, listening to your voice explaining everything to him,

“It’s just, there are those extremely weird and scary letters that I’ve been receiving for a while now-”

Carlos immediately interrupted you, “For a while? Cariño, for how long? Why have you never told me,” he asked you in a strong Spanish accent.

“About a month now-”

“A month?” The Spaniard raised his brows, caressing your legs, “You should have told me y/n.”

You gulped before you shook your head and muttered a quick 'it's nothing' before you went on,

“Of course I felt a bit…watched as I got the first letter but the letter was actually filled with…really nice and sweet words, so I just smiled before I threw him away,” you continued your story, swallowing down some tears while you felt Carlos squeezing your knees almost like he was mad about the fact that you threw them away,

“But after some while the letters got…worse.”

Carlos tilted his head to the side, shaking his head before he spoke up with furrowed brows, “What do you mean when you say worse?” He asked you, thumb caressing your cold skin now,

You cleared your throat, “Well, they got creepier, sometimes this unknown stranger wrote things like, 'I would kill for you' or 'I am the only one you’ll need for the rest of your life,” you told him before you sniffled, quickly wiping a single tear away, making Carlos change his almost too serious facial expression in a matter of a second.

“Oh no, cariño,” he immediately spoke up as he noticed your wet eyes. Carlos raised one of his hands and wiped your tear away, cupping your cold cheek with his big, warm hand afterwards.

“Don’t cry, I know that all of this is very scary for you,” he mumbled reassuringly, “If you don’t feel save enough in your house, you can stay at my place tonight,” he suggested as you looked down at him, “I will keep you save, I promise,” Carlos told you with a sweet smile, making you laugh into his palm.

Carlos briefly laughed along before he stood up, towering over your sitting figure now, hand brushing your hair out of your face now,

“I will always keep you save, mi cariño,” he told you with more of a serious tone, only a tiny smile covering his lips now, making you quickly furrow your brows before you smiled up at him,

“Thank you, Carlos.”

“Oh,” he chuckled before he made his way to the kitchen, “No need to thank me.”

You wiped some more tears away before you stood up, Carlos standing in front of you now with two glasses filled with probably very expensive red wine, making you gasp.

“Only one glas, cariño, c'mon,” he smiled at you, basically pressing the glass filled with the alcoholic beverage already in your hand without giving you a chance to say anything.

You chuckled and flashed him a wide smile before you mumbled a quick 'okay', both of you saying a quiet 'cheers' before you emptied your glasses, Carlos closely watching you while you just enjoyed the wine.

“Wow,” you spoke up as you handed him the glass, “That was a really good one, not gonna lie…definitely needed that one,” he laughed at your statement, cleaning the glasses while you just stood in the big kitchen, slowly blinking your eyes.

Carlos turned his head and looked back at your slightly stumbling figure. And if you weren’t hallucinating, you could have sworn that you saw him smirking at you.

You gulped before you released a deep breath, smiling in his direction, or at least you tried to smile in his direction, “That w-was a s-strong one,” you chuckled before you heard Carlos chuckling as well, making you furrow your brows as you felt like the entire room was spinning around you, groaning as you squeezed your eyes shut.

“Oh really?” He asked you, honestly, you were very surprised that you were even still able to understand him.

You swallowed before you touched your head, desperately trying to stop the spinning, “Y-Yeah, a very, very s-strong one, c-carlos,” you whined out, gulping a second time.

you blinked another time, and another time — and this time, your helping neighbour stood right in front of you.

“C-Carlos, I don’t feel,” you breathed out as you felt like you were on the brink of fainting, “so g-good,” you finished your sentence, quickly falling straight into the arms of the Spaniard, passing out in his warm embrace.

Carlos sighed after he caught you, “Each time I see you, you really do get prettier mi cariño.”

- - -

Waking up with a headache, with the feeling of a bit of dizziness and ropes around your wrists and ankles, was definitely something new for you.

Desperately, you tried to get free by tugging on the ropes that are attached to the wooden bedposts but no matter how hard you tugged on them, I didn’t work, there was no chance for you to escape any of this.

“Oh, you’re awake,” Carlos suddenly spoke up, making you lift your head and look with wide eyes at your Spanish neighbour. You gulped before you spook up with a trembling voice,

“C-Carlos,” you nervously breathed out, furrowing your brows as he stood next to your tied up figure, fingertips now gently running up and down your bare leg since he only left you in your underwear. “W-What is g-going on?” You asked him as you felt his hand creeping closer to your barely covered pussy.

Carlos only grinned down at you before he answered your question, “Let’s play a little guessing game, alright?” He tilted his head to the side, waiting for your answer.

Suddenly, Carlos pulled a little but sharp pocket knife out of his pocket, opening it, clearly wanting to make sure that you know how serious he is about his 'little guessing game', so you quickly nodded your head.

“Good,” he replied before he went on, “Do you think that… a man, send you those letters?” He asked you curiously, making you slowly nod, “okay,” he nodded along your silence answer, “Do you think that the man that send you those letters, knows you? I mean, like, has seen you before in person?”

You gulped before you nodded again, briefly squeezing your eyes shut as his big fingers started to circle your clit,

“Do you think that you know him?” Carlos asked you, briefly focusing his gaze onto his moving fingers now before he looked back at you.

You nodded again as tears build up in your eyes, hands tightly gripping the ropes as you felt like you were getting close to your release.

He nodded along again, “okay,” he quietly muttered, “Listen, I’ll give one last hint, alright?” Carlos asked you, making you quickly nod again,

“He said that if he gets you in his hands one day, he will never let you go, he promised you that,” he told you with a wicked smile on his lips right before you widened your eyes, tears gliding down your heated cheeks as he made you come through your panties with the tip of his fingers.

You wildly trashed around as you gasped and choked on your cries, sniffling and whining while Carlos slowed his movements down, eyes still looking at your face. He groaned,

“Just like that, mi cariño, that’s my good girl,” he whispered before he asked you, “Who do you think wrote those letters now?”

You gulped with fresh tears in your eyes as you looked up at him, squeezing your eyes shut as the realisation came over you, “Y-You did.”

He nodded, “That’s right, smart girl,” he quietly replied with a smile as his fingers left your pussy, gliding down to you ankles now,

“Since you were so smart and won the little game, I’ll get you out of those ropes now, okay?” He raised his brows as he lowered the little knife towards your ankle.

You barely had enough time to nod before he already removed the ropes around your ankles, quickly freeing your hands as well, giving you the ability to slowly sit up and look at him,

“What do we say? Thought you were so smart, baby.”

You gulped with tears in your eyes, “T-Thank you,” you slowly and softly replied, making him proudly smile down at you,

“No problem,” he replied with a nod of his head.

Then, Carlos stepped away from the bed, taking a few steps backwards until his back almost hit the door, making you furrow your brows before you wiped some of your tears away, focusing your gaze on his movements.

Carlos wiggled his pointer and middle finger in his direction, “C'mere,” he demanded in a quiet but stern tone, making you gulp before you stood up as well and slowly took cautious steps in his direction.

As soon as you were right in front of your fucked up neighbour, Carlos raised his head, clearly showing you that he’s visibly taller than you, making you feel unbelievably small in front of his broad figure.

“Get on your knees.”

You opened your mouth as you raised your head and looked up at the Spaniard, biting your lip as new tears made their way into your already wet eyes, “Oh no, no, no, mi cariño,” Carlos suddenly spoke up in a way softer tone as he cupped your cheeks, wiping some of the tears with the pad of his thumb away, “Está bien, solo ponte de rodillas por mí.” It’s okay, just get on your knees for me.

Without saying or doing anything else, you lowered yourself onto your knees since you were genuinely scared of him at the moment, knowing he could do anything he wants to you.

“Fuck,” Carlos mumbled under his breath, slowly running his finger through your hair, “Such a pretty sight, mi cariño,” he whispered in a deep tone while his other hand slowly unbuckled his belt, quickly freeing his very obvious erection.

You blinked some tears away since it all got so blurry by now, gulping again as he put the tip of his big cock in front of your still closed mouth.

“You know what to do, c'mon.”

Sniffling one last time, you opened your mouth, letting him shove himself into your mouth, hearing him groan and moan as he shoved himself so far into your mouth until he hit the back of your throat, making you gag around him.

“C'mon,” Carlos whined a bit, faking a pathetic pout as you just focused yourself on breathing through your nose, “J-Just like that, f-fuck yes,” he groaned as you squeezed your eyes shut and took him as far as you possibly could, briefly making him smile down at you.

“Buena chica.” Good girl.

You whined around his big, wide dick, fingers squeezing his navy blue slacks as fresh tears blurred your vision again as you looked up at him while he forced himself down your throat.

Your neighbour groaned as he caught your gaze, briefly chuckling under his breath as he noticed your smudged mascara under your eyes. Suddenly, he quickly removed himself from you, having a tight grip on your head by the roots of your hair, “Apologise,” he demanded in a deep tone, making you furrow your brows as you sniffled.

“W-What?” You spoke up in a quite and unsure tone, “For what, c-carlos?”

Carlos threw his head back before he growled, harshly grabbing your head and forcing your face towards his erection again, mercilessly shoving his cock into your mouth and down your throat, making you gag again.

But he only forced himself for a split seconds down your throat, then he pulled out again and forced you to look up at him, “Apologise,” he harshly repeated but you were still confused.

You whined, “F-For wh-” but before you were able to finish your sentence, Carlos forced his cock down your throat again, holding your head in that exact position for a few seconds before he let you go and pulled away again, groaning as he did so while you only whined and sniffled, quickly wiping some of your tears away.

His next move suprised you a bit, Carlos slowly bended down so he was eye level with you and wiped your tears away, pouting a bit and actually looking sad and sorry, “Do you really don't know what I mean?” He asked you in a rather kind tone, quickly making you shake your head as he wiped new tears away, stroking your cheeks afterwards.

He slowly nodded, “okay mi cariño, I’ll give you a hint again, alright?” He tilted his head to the side before you nodded your head, “o-okay.”

“What did you do with the first letters after you’ve read them?” Carlos asked you in a deep but kind tone, making you bit your lip as you through about what you’ve done after you’ve opened them and read them — and then it made click.

“I-I threw them a-away,” you slowly answered as soon as Carlos rose to his feet again, sternly looking down at you now, “exactly,” he nodded.

You gulped before you squeezed your eyes shut and quickly spoke up, smiling a tiny bit to make it seem more believable, “I am s-so sorry, c-carlos,” you wildly claimed, “I regret t-throwing them a-away! I swear t-that as soon as I-I'm home, I’m g-gonna get them o-out of the trash b-bin and f-frame them in my b-bedroom, I promise!”

Carlos only furrowed his brows and confusingly tilted his head to the side, “As soon as you're home? Mi cariño, you are at home! And don’t worry baby, I’m gonna go over to your house then and get them out of the trash bin for you and frame them myself,” he proudly told you, “and then we can hang them up! Either in the living room or the bedroom, wherever you want pretty girl,” carlos stated with a small smile as you gulped before you slowly nodded,

“O-Okay,” you answered before Carlos spoke up again, “Does that sound good for you, baby?”

You quickly nodded, “Y-Yes carlos,” you said, “sounds g-great.”

He stroked your cheek, briefly bending down to kiss the top of your head, “Perfect, I love you,” he claimed with a happy smile.

You looked up at him, briefly furrowing your brows before you replied, “I l-love you t-too.” You mumbled as you leaned into the touch of his palm with salty tears in your eyes.

#fanfic #fanfiction #fem!reader #f1 #carlos sainz imagine #carlos sainz #carlos sainz x you #carlos sainz x reader #carlos sainz jr #carlos sainz jr x reader #carlos sainz one shot #Carlos sainz angst

[theemporium]

Heyyyy,

Hope you’re doing well, i am literally obsessed with your works. And i am a certified Daniel girlllyyyy soooo 😘

Could i request a Daniel x Sunshine where Daniel is out on a boys night, and sunshine is out with her friends but they both can’t stop thinking about each other and end up leaving early to get home, and just as soon as they see each other they can’t stop saying how much they missed each other lmao

Thank youuu

thank you so much!! and thank you for requesting!🫶🏽

.

He was halfway through typing a message to you when he felt his phone be ripped from between his fingers. 

“Oi!” 

Daniel sent the Dutchman a pointed look, one that looked borderline murderous. However, Max just looked pleased with himself as he held Daniel’s phone just out of his grasp. 

“Mate, give it.”

“No!” Max scoffed and shook his head, passing the phone to Lando next to him. “You’ve been on the damn thing all night.”

Daniel rolled his eyes. “No, I haven’t.” 

“Yes, you have,” Charles piped in with his hands raised in mock defence when the Aussie’s glare whirled onto him. 

“I just wanted to make sure she’s okay!” Daniel defended. 

“She’s with her own friends,” Lando pointed out, almost a little too smugly. “Who are probably giving her as much shit as we are giving you considering you’re—oh, I don’t know—meant to be enjoying the night with us.”

The Aussie only scoffed slightly. “Sorry for being a caring boyfriend.” 

“More like a helicopter boyfriend,” Max grumbled under his breath, only to wince slightly when his teammate reached out to pinch his side. “Ouch!”

“Just give me back my phone,” Daniel asked with his hand extended out. “Please. I’ll send one more message and then I’m done for the night.” 

The boys all looked at each other, an unspoken conversation exchanged between the glances before eventually Lando sighed and handed him the phone across the table.

“One message,” was all he said and Daniel didn’t bother hiding his grin. 

However, when he looked down at his phone, he was surprised to find a handful of messages from you already, sent in the short amount of time he had been bickering with the other boys. His eyes glazed over the messages, suddenly glad the dark club couldn’t really pick up on his blushing cheeks.

sunshine: i miss you :( 

sunshine: these margaritas are strong af

sunshine: fuck i wish you were here

sunshine: i wish i could kiss you rn

sunshine: i wish i could do more than kiss you

You weren’t an overly affectionate person. It just wasn’t in your nature and Daniel had always respected that, he hadn’t minded all that much that you preferred to show your love behind closed doors where it was for him and him only. Yet, that being said, all of that went out the window the second you had some alcohol in your system. 

You had various personalities that popped out when you were drunk, but the most common one and Daniel’s personal favourite was your clingy drunk side. The side of you that just wanted to melt against him, to wrap yourself around him and kiss him every thirty seconds like you’d die without him. 

Selfishly, he wished he was with you the second he saw those messages, knowing that was the exact state you were in. He glanced around at his friends, a small pang of guilt working through him before he promised himself he would make it up to them. 

grumps: come home, i’m waiting for you

He slid his phone into his pocket, clapping his hands against the table to catch the other drivers’ attention before he gave them a sheepish smile. Lando was the first one to pick up on the meaning behind his expression. 

“Seriously?” The Brit whined. “We just got here!”

Daniel shrugged. “The missus gets what the missus wants.” 

Carlos rolled his eyes. “Is it what she wants or what you want?” 

“Listen, when you have a super hot girlfriend waiting for you, you’ll understand,” Daniel simply stated, ignoring the way a few of the boys opened their mouths to reply before he quickly made his way towards the exit.

He was home before you, which was unsurprising considering the club he was at was a walking distance from your shared apartment. The second he had made it through the door, he made his way into the kitchen to slide a pizza into the oven that would be done by the time you arrived home, though he decided against the glasses of wine he was about to pour. 

Daniel made a beeline towards the door the second he heard the lock clicking, a grin already on his face before you all but threw yourself against him. He laughed, sliding his arms around your body and lifting you off your feet as he hugged you close. 

“I missed you,” you mumbled against his chest before nuzzling yourself closer. “You smell nice.”

“Thanks, Sunshine,” he murmured with a grin, leaning down to kiss the crown of your head. “I missed you too.”

“Next time you’re coming with me,” you sighed.

“Or you come with me,” he suggested, laughing slightly when you lifted your head.

“My friends are more fun,” you said to him, glaring slightly when you noticed him struggling to hold back his amusement.

“Nah, you’re just still pissy that Max beat you at the shotgunning contest,” he teased, one arm still wound around your waist to hold you off the floor whilst the other raised to push some hair behind your ear. 

Your eyes narrowed. “He’s a cheat.”

“He won fair and square, baby,” he murmured before leaning down to kiss your lips before you could say anything else. “C’mon, the pizza is almost ready.” 

You sagged against him, the glare long gone and now replaced with a massive grin. “Did I mention that I love you?”

Daniel grinned. “Not nearly enough, Sunshine.”

.

#daniel ricciardo #formula one #f1 #daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo x you #daniel ricciardo x y/n #daniel ricciardo fic #daniel ricciardo one shot #formula one x reader #formula one x you #formula one x y/n #formula one fic #formula one oneshot #f1 x reader #f1 x you #f1 x y/n #f1 fic #f1 one shot

[bellewintersroe]

Carlos Sainz x Celebrity OC… Part 3

Part 3!! Here’s the link for part 2. Woop, woop, we’re back and this chapter continues on from the first chapter, the last chapter was just a recollection of Carlos and Jenna’s first interaction. Thank you for reading, hope you enjoy! This is just a cute filler chapter, the next one will be spicyyyy 🌶️ Jenna’s first day at the Emilia Romagna GP goes down a treat with both celebrities and the general public. Twitter and TikTok are popping off about her being there, and some fans even notice the semi-strange interaction between her and a particular driver.

There was no partying for me tonight. I was exhausted and dipped after two hours, feeling the urge to unwind by myself in the luxurious hotel room Sky had paid for me to be in. It had never felt better to be in bed, my eyes closing for a few moments as I mentally recapped my day. It was a whirlwind from start to end and I was overwhelmingly excited to do it all again in Portugal. I knew my team were extremely happy with what I’d done, and I was popular amongst the drivers and many teams I’d spent the whole day talking to, but there was one group of people I was particularly interested in. The general public.

My heart would always skip a beat whenever I searched myself on Twitter. It was a scary place, and I always expected it to be a lot worse than what it ever was, so I found myself scared to read through the countless tweets about me. Some of the top were update pages, posting pictures of me with supportive comments, before I scrolled down, relieved at the lack of hateful comments. Jenna Ashley looking BEAUTIFUL on the grid today wearing Gucci! Dress and shoes are tagged below. Miss Ashley proves to be a complete hit with all the F1 Drivers.

You can’t tell me Pierre wasn’t staring at Jenna Ashley’s tits that whole interview 🫤🫤🫤🫤

Jenna Ashley for Playboy 2019

Anybody notice the tension between Carlos Sainz and Jenna Ashley?!? I can’t be the only one that saw his reaction

My eyes furrowed, clicking on the tweet that had been liked thousands of times. I was intrigued, looking back at the pictures of us both in the interview.

Omg she’s blushing

Carlos has deffo pulled our girl nah I think her and Max are a thing, did you see how friendly they were?

Carlos looks in LOVE and ohmygodddd same Carlos I’d be just as nervous around her He’s so nervous around her omfgggg

I clicked my phone shut, staring back to a blank screen with brows raised. Was it that obvious? I mean there always was going to be speculation, I’d been trained for that, but how do you react when speculation ends up being true? That sent me on a whole spiral, going onto Carlos’s Instagram and noticing the option to ‘follow back’. “Oh my god.” I dramatically sat up, clicking the icon to follow him back. He most likely didn’t even run his social media accounts, but I sure as hell was acting like he did.

I was guilty of doing a small stalk, well, not so small. He’d been single (from what the internet said) since 2019, two years ago now, and from what I had seen was super unproblematic. Of course, I recognised who his dad was, but his whole family looked like they came from old money. They looked rich, all beautiful and dressed up. Most of all, Carlos’ instagram was beautiful. The man looked like a model, or even a Greek god, sculpted by the gods. That evening he ignited a fire inside of me, leading to me a never ending path of pure lust and obsession for the Spanish driver.

*******

“Hello and welcome to Monaco!!” A woman greeted as I stepped off the plane. “Thank you!” I exclaimed, mouth dropping at the beauty of the small country I’d landed in. It was my first time in Monaco, and I already guaranteed it wouldn’t be my last.

“My name is Amanda, I am a chaperone here with Sky, I will be showing you to your apartment.” “Oh, amazing! Thank you.” I nodded, holding my hair down due to the blustering of the plane jets that were slowing down gradually. I was here to run through some interviews with a couple of the drivers, showing some behind the scenes footage of the race tracks and practice. I was just as intrigued as everybody else, I had so many questions I wanted to ask, and so many places I wanted to venture into.

“Are you ready for your meal tonight, yes?” She asked as I looked at her, smile still lifted on my face. “Meal? Are we- are we going out?!”

“Yes. To Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris…”

It was safe to say the resteraunt really lived up to his name. I felt out of place as I was guided through the overwhelmingly large hallways, decorated with the most beautiful, expensive paintings and designs known to man. They even had their own Lobster pool, c’mon. This felt too fancy for me, and I made several panicked Tik Tok’s in the process of wondering around.

I alongside the other Sky reporters, had been invited for a meal with some of the other reporters, team principles, CEO’s, men with big amounts of money- and most interesting of all, drivers. I couldn’t lie, I had no idea why I was here, it felt like I’d stumbled in during a Royal family having their Christmas dinner, everybody was sat straight up, borderline like statues as I nervously rubbed my clammy palms along the fabric of my sleek black dress. No wonder they’d dressed me up so classy.

Everybody’s accents were fancy, and not to forget their names. Oh god, there was so many names and faces to go around, I was so overwhelmed by it all that I drunk my champagne a little too quickly. Once we were seated, I almost choked on my drink seeing who I was sat across from.

Carlos Sainz Jr.

The whole 50 or so people that filled this room and I was seated across from a man I’d slept with only weeks prior?! My eyes were focused on his name card on the table before I actually realised he was looking at me. His eyes roamed up my front, lingering over my face, mid sentence as he seemed to pause from pure surprise. Poor guy probably felt awkward.

“Hello.” I cleared my throat, gaining several other greetings in response. Carlos smiled and nodded towards me, taking his glass of Estrella and smiling down to it. He was dressed very smart, like all the other men here, his hair was tidied and he was cleanly shaved, playing his role here perfectly. “I’m glad you’re sat next to me.” Anise whispered as I nodded, relieved to have the comfort of my friend nearby. “Thank god. I’m scared I’m going to spill something.” “I’m scared I’m going to sneeze!” She dramatically whispered as we both giggled, earning a few glances from the posh looking men around us, including Carlos. I felt intimidated under his stare, I was fidgeting and biting down on my lip, chewing the inside of it nervously. I’d felt embarrassed whenever my eye caught his, the way he made my heart race was humiliating. Worst of all, my mind easily wandered to places it shouldn’t have. His fingers that tapped quietly on the table were the same ones that had brought my to orgasm, the same ones that had been in my mouth, running over my breasts… I was getting distracted from the conversation I initiated with Anise and another young woman sat across from us. Next to Carlos. She was very pretty. “I am from Spain.” She smiled. “Ah no way, hablo un poco de español!” (I speak a little Spanish). “Ah!” She excitedly spoke, grabbing Carlos’s arm, my eyebrow twitched slightly. “¡¿Vives ahí?!” (Do you live there?!” “No, no, soy de Inglaterra. Mis abuelos eran españoles.” (No, no I am from England. My grandparents were Spanish). I glanced back to Carlos who was now listening, eyes lingering over my face. “Uh-“ I stammered, losing my Spanish as I looked back to the girl besides him. “They taught us.” I then added as the young woman smiled. “You are Jenna? Yes?” She smiled, offering her hand over the table. I reached forwards, wobbling my empty wine glass as I shook her hand gently. “Yeah.”

“Nice to meet you, I am Blanca. You have met my brother, Carlos?” Oh. Oh!! My eyes landed on the dark featured man who was smiling back to me, shame on me for ever thinking his sister was anything other than that.

“Ah, yeah, we met in Italy.” My hand tan over the back of my bare shoulder nervously. I heard Anise let out a soft laugh, kicking me from under the table. Way to make it obvious! “Carlos told me-“ Blanca began, a low smirk stretching as Carlos’ mouth opened to cut her off, but the waiters began heading through the doors, endless trays of foot plated up for us. I glanced back to the brother and sister, watching him mutter something to her before the dishes were set in front of us, trays covering the food below. I was starving, border lining ravenous.

“Thank you.” I told the waiter, watching him pull the tray off my food. The disappointment must have been obvious because I heard a slight grunt of laughter from across from me. Carlos had noticed and pursed his lips, I shared a moment of eye contact, only breaking it when I felt an amused grin attempting to reveal itself on my face. Don’t get me wrong, the foot made my taste buds literally orgasm, but there was such a tiny amount, so was the next plate, and then the next one, and then the fourth and final plate which left me rather confused. Everybody was using a different knife and fork, digging into their small chocolate contraption as I realised I didn’t have the right fork and spoon people were using.

Anise was occupied, delving into the food, so was Blanca. My panic was only resolved when Carlos held out his clean fork for me. “Ah.” I gently spoke seeing him let out a small breath of laughter causing a few people to glance over in confusion. People were so snooty, it was scary.

“Thank you.” I whispered, offering him a flirtatious smile for the first time since we’d seen one another in the bar. Carlos nodded, swallowing harshly as my fingers grazed over his, taking the fork to eat my two bite desert with.

At the end of it, there was a few speeches, in many different languages. All I could think about was how hungry I was. The food was 10/10 but the portion sizes were crazy small and it was more like eating four appetisers. After, I stood outside, waiting for a car, borderline desperate to get out of there. Somebody cleared their throat behind me, so when I turned, I was startled to see it was Carlos, lingering around. “Where are you going?” He asked as my lips tugged up, hand resting against my chest. “Um… McDonald’s.” I quietly admitted seeing his eyebrows perk, an amused laugh escaped his lips, catching me off guard.

“I’m really hungry.” I then spoke. “Oh, that is a good idea.” He sighed after a bout of laughter, I nervously laughed, tucking my hair behind my ear as I watched over the Spanish man. “Can I come?” Carlos asked, glancing back to me as I cocked my head to the side.

“Yeah. You like Mconalds?” I for some reason found it super amusing, watching him strip his tie off with a satisfied groan, one that sounded very familiar to-

“Who doesn’t?” “Maybe the people we just ate with.” I shyly joked hearing him snigger again. “No me sorprendería.” (It would not surprise me). He added on unbuttoning his top button. His blazer was slung on his arm, his movement causing the scent of his cologne to float in my direction. I felt weak in the knees.

“You never told me you were- ah what’s the word, reporting on the grids?” He then spoke as I smiled again, back in his direction. “You never asked.” I quietly spoke, hoping my comment came off more flirtatious.

“Estaba un poco ... distraído.” (I was a little… distracted). I only seemed to blush harder at his words, pursing my lips. “Miss, miss, excuse me miss!” A man called out, hurrying from the inside, just as my car began pulling up. “You forgot this.” He panted, handing me over a piece of paper. “Oh-“ I didn’t have time to respond before he scurried off back inside.

I could feel Carlos’ eyes lingering over me, so I frowned, opening it up.

tu español es impresionante llámame

(Your Spanish is impressive… call me).

I gasped in amusement, reading the number scattered on the paper below, the driver pulling up as Carlos opened the door for me. “Thank you.” I giggled, still a little amused from the note I’d just received, but it was fair to say my eyes were only on the man who climbed into the seat next to me. “You left a paper?” He pointed, a little confused.

“It’s somebody’s number.” I awkwardly laughed, handing it over. He furrowed his brows reading over the small piece of paper. He let out a soft laugh, handing it back to me with a hand sliding over the back of his hair.

“Ahora me siento bajo presión... ¿puedo darte el mío antes de que tomes este?“ (Now I feel under pressure… can I give you mine before you take this one?) I sat up straighter, a large grin beaming on my face as he looked away, clearly nervous as he awaited my answer. I would never have imagined a man like him to be shy.

“Sí. Yes.” I giggled, pulling out my phone, forgetting all about the paper number that I’d accidentally dropped onto the seat besides me. “Yes?” Carlos repeated as I nodded, seeing him attempting to bite back a smile whilst pulling out his phone from his back pocket. “Perfect.”

#carlos sainz jr x reader #carlos sainz jr #carlos sainz #carlos sainz x reader

[chronically-unlucky]

If I Made a Second Gen of Disney Characters

Villains

Maleficent would have a child specifically to steal the fairy godmothers wand and probably with Hades too based on the house of mouse canon. I don’t see her having a relationship with him, just using him and vanishing. As I’ve said before, her naming her child after herself makes sense so I think her daughter is still named Mal but with full name being Mal Violet as both a play on malevolent and a reference to Malvolio from Shakespeare’s Twefth Night who hates parties (such as the one Maleficent wasn’t invited to) and Violet as a reference to her own color scheme.

Making Jafar a salesman of stolen goods made no sense at all so I’m scrapping that. So he would’ve been trapped in the lamp and since magic doesn’t work on the isle he was freed but he is powerless. I don’t think he would try to make romantic connections with the other villains though I feel like he was extremely antisocial for a while and then saw Maleficent gaining some power around the island so he schemes to get on her good side which is unsuccessful because she sees right through him and she’s nobody’s trophy wife. so if he were to have a child they would be from before his exile so possibly an illegitimate son with one of the brothel workers? Since we don know how long he was grand vizier the window for this child’s birth could be anywhere from near Aladdin and Jasmine’s births to just before the events of Aladdin. But for the sake of not making things more complicated than we need to, we’ll say the kid is born just before the events of Aladdin which does make him older than Mal’s generation, but much younger than Aladdin. Since this kid would’ve grown up without his father around his mom probably wouldn’t name him an offshoot of jafar’s name. I looked up a couple Arabic names and I think maybe Majid would be good? From what I read it means noble or glorious and I think maybe his mom was hoping to use Jafar’s son to get herself some status before he got exiled. Also since her son’s father wouldn’t be well known she would’ve been allowed to stay in Auradon which means we have someone from the “good” side who might want revenge adding in to the message of Descendants 3 that good and evil can come from anywhere.

House of Mouse has Cruella on a date with Beast so I suppose a one night stand isn’t an impossibility. It does seem like her attraction to him is because of his fur so maybe her and the big bad wolf have a little fling? Which now that I think of it would explain Carlos’ lil tail clip.. also maybe his fear of dogs comes from Cruella subtly bad mouthing his father? “rabid vicious animals that attack little boys who don't behave” to keep him from leaving her to live with his dad. It would actually explain why her son would be afraid of dogs instead of obsessed with them/ their fur like his mom ah ha ha what if she had multiple kids since dogs usually have litters rather than one offspring at a time and Carlos has a sister who is obsessed with furs like maybe she wants to steal rapunzel’s magic hair which is definitely the museum with the wand

Evil queen eh I think if she were to have a child it would’ve been with Snow White’s father so technically the kid would have grounds to live in Auradon since they could’ve been born pre uniting the kingdoms so there’s no reason to send them to the isle. However the timeline could also be that evil queen was pregnant at the end of her film and gave birth after her movie tbh both could be interesting. I do think that puts that child (I recommend her name be Rose Red) in Snow White’s generation instead of Descendants’ current gen since Mal would’ve been born after exile and Rose Red would’ve been born just before or just after exile.

Ursula has the best birth control magic can make ain’t no way she has a kid. And even if she didn’t, she seems like the type to keep her pleasure in her own hands. But I love the idea of her raising a child so we’ll say after her banishment she couldn’t collect souls as payment since the isle doesn’t allow magic so someone gives her their baby. Since life on the isle is like super awful maybe they’re pirates and they needed her permission to have a boat without her destroying it. And possibly after she gets the baby she realizes the only chance for fresh food in the isle is fish and that’s when she opens the restaurant and forces her new daughter to work there. I don’t think she would really put much thought to the kid’s name so we’ll say her original parents named her Uma and Ursula let her keep it.

Captain James Hook had that weird vibe with Zarina so he’s definitely capable of seducing someone if he has something to gain from it. (I acknowledge that Disney’s descendants canon has him having children with Jane Darling but given that’s dumb as hell I’ve decided to ignore it.)But I can’t think of anything he might want on the isle since he’s not really power hungry he just wanted Peter dead. Except there is one thing he might want: safety from Ticktock the crocodile. So I think he would find someone associated with crocodiles. Like Madam Medusa. He gets to live without fear of the crocodile and she gets whatever probably fake diamonds hook has however he can’t exactly ghost her without risking ticktock getting him so he’s stuck in this relationship with her. Win, sorta win. And now we’ve got our boy Harry, (and yeah his sisters prob exist too) destined from birth to be a pirate and covet diamonds raised by unhappily married parents. Also, I’m giving him a juvenile’s crocodile as his animal sidekick and no one can stop me.

Heroes

Having Beast and Belle be rulers of Aurodon felt so random to me and there’s never a reason for it to be them. They could be replaced with any couple and make zero difference. Also they both seemed content in their castle away from everyone else I don’t think they would enjoy all the attention royalty entails. I think their kingdom is part of auradon but I don’t think they’re In Charge. As much as I hate it, I feel like Belle would name her son Maurice after her father. I think he would probably be a lonely kid having no siblings and probably not be very good at relating to his peers, “mature for his age” and all that so I think he could be drawn to the dark side for friends or maybe vengeance against some of his peers for excluding him?

I feel like Cinderella and Prince Charming wouldn’t raise someone like Chad, but maybe I’m biased since Charming is my favorite Disney prince. Personally I feel like their kid would be the one pushing for the kids on the isle of the lost to be given a chance to live in auradon and I do think that his parents would still be resistant to the idea because there is very real potential danger from opening the barrier to get the kids much less letting these kids live in auradon. Also I’m aware Cinderella isn’t the first Disney princess but she is widely considered the “leader” of the princesses so I think she and her prince are a better fit as rulers of auradon also it makes more sense for fairy godmother to have such a prominent place in the kingdom

Okay so i did some digging and apparently in Enchanted Tales Aurora is kinda spoiled and in love with the idea of being royalty which since she was raised in the woods, kinda makes sense so I could see her being disgruntled that someone else is in charge of auradon and wanting her kid to be queen and being disappointed when it doesn’t work out. However I think king Stephan rather than Queen Leah would be the one to kick up a fuss over Maleficent’s daughter being allowed in Auradon.

I don’t understand why the dwarves have kids in the descendants canon and even though I loved Doug I can’t work my way to any of them having kids. At best they would babysit Snow White’s kid(s) I think and teach them to mine and stuff. I think probably her kid(s) would be a little naive and easily misled or manipulated. I don’t know why but I like the idea of her having two kids so I’ll say the older is naive and delicate and the younger wants to explore. I think both would be easy pickings for a villain to trick though, but I think the explorer might turn to evil himself so he can get some freedom similar to Melody in the little mermaid 2 giving Morgana the triton.

Let’s see, both Mulan and Shang wanted kids according to Mulan 2, he wanted lots and she wanted “maybe one or two” so I am giving them three. They have a son named Ping who was supposed to be a girl. I will accept zero arguments on this. Mulan gave birth to a boy and she and Shang looked at each other and named him Ping. Their youngest will be a girl with Lonnie’s personality but Mulan would not deny her daughter her own identity like that so we’ll say.. An. It means peaceful. Also there’s a female tennis player named An Li who I think Mulan would admire if she knew she existed. The oldest child I think Shang would’ve wanted to name after his father but since we don’t have a canon name for his father we’ll say Zhou after Milan’s father.

I actually do think Jane fits the person I would expect Fairy Godmother’s child to have but who to put as her father.. um I’m actually not really sure. It could be anyone.

#disney descendants #descendants #Disney #disney princes #Disney princesses #descendants au #harry hook #mal bertha #evie #prince ben #princess audrey #aurora #why tf is beast the ruler of aurodon? #belle #Cinderella #Snow White

[solraneth-archive]

don’t let your children wander alone in the fontainebleau forest, they could meet their fiancee there and actually fall in love which will cause you a lot of problems when you decide to marry the aforementioned fiancee

#don carlo #opera tag #i mean it’s not like carlos wasn’t obsessed with her before he saw her but yknow

[organic-guacamole]

episode 209 spoilers below

I'm so late today but here it is

I love EJ, he's finally learning to be happy. I'm so proud.

Ms Jenn = every boomer during zoom calls, like jeez yes we can hear you stop shouting at me.

LOVE THE SUBTLE JOKE ABOUT QUARANTINE "these dark times" "you mean spring break?"

ah yes, remember when we thought covid was just gonna give us a longer spring break? good times

SEBLOS

damn the passive aggressiveness from Carlos and the absolutely over it tone from seb✋

CASWELL COUSINS!!!!! THEY'RE THE BEST!!!!

we needed more if this kind of goofiness for the first part of season 2 that only such an iconic duo can provide.

old old movies-

is it even that old, or is Nini being a gen alpha rn-

i choose to imagine EJ being scared of the movie and hiding in Ashlyn's shoulder while she keeps a straight face and then EJ pretending to be tough afterwards

aww redlyn are soulmates.... yknow, if gingers had souls

(please ignore me)

y'all saw how EJ's face *lit up* when Gina logged on? how dare you tell me he doesn't like her

ofc she's no damsel in distress, she's Gina porter, she's amazing.

so do we think she'd be the type to just glare at suspicious people? or bark at them

do they not know that Rini broke up? or is Ms Jenn just wanting Nini to suffer through her heartbreak to make her a better actress....

speaking of, why is Nini in the call? she's not in the show anymore. Unless she is, even after the rose and the song got cut, which would be so unfair to all those that auditioned properly before she even came back but whatever, she's the main character I get it 🙄

big red is a hero honestly, Nini better thank him for changing the subject like that

I can't-

i won't work you over the break-

this woman would 100% work her kids 24/7 if it was legal and idk how to feel about it.

YES GINA USE THAT CHARM

QUEEN

FRENCH QUEEN

SHE LEARNT FROM THE BEST (antoine obvi)

smh the airport lady, eavesdropping on Gina's call.

The way she was so happy to answer EJ's call, "eej"

I love them your honour.

EJ WITH PAINTED NAILS YES PLEASE

great now we need to see Gina, Ashlyn and EJ having a complete spa day and EJ getting really into it and Gina and Ashlyn take pictures of him when he's laying down in a robe with a mask and cucumbers on his eyes.

finally we get to see Gina's side of portwell

the way she considered it as flirting, this is the sign she asked for in episode 6 come onnnnn

no is Asher/jack really doing tiktok dances in an airport-

Ricky is me. I am burrito.

oh Lynne, sweetie, I'm sorry but the blonde hair is not it

is that even the same lady or-

THE BEAN

THE CHICAGO BEAN

THE BIG OLD METAL BEAN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY 😭

jetlag is my go to excuse for anything... I haven't travelled in 2 years.

"welcome to the Lynne and Mike gossip show. where we talk about our depressed son that we both neglect in certain ways! And now a word from our sponsor, Nord VPN..."

SO MANY CANDLES

WHAT DEMON IS LYNNE TRYING TO SUMMON IN HIS ROOM-

is Nina becoming social media obsessed EJ from season 1? AND SHE LIED ABOUT HAVING SONGS TOO PLEASE WHY ARW THEY RECYCLING THE SAME PLOT-

Gina smiling at the picture of her family on Instagram makes me so happy, idek why.

EJ's nails are so pretty, we needed to see it more (unless he had it on for the rest of the episode and I just.... didn't notice🧍🏽‍♀️)

oh not the tiktok kid✋

yes ma'am end this strange mans whole tiktok career

sir take a hint and leave

GINA NO DONT SAY YOUR LAST NAME HE COULD BE A HUMAN TRAFFICKER

Ricky, walking in style✨

weird kid, ok then Lynne, can't you see he's this close to the edge?

not all your fault baby Ricky, Nini sucks a bit more

RICKY YOU DIDN'T COME DOWN HARD ON THE SONG-

YOU ASKED WHAT IT WAS ABOUT AND SHE SHUT YOU DOWN-

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF

ok but the deleting comment thing was very bad

still don't know if I like Jack honestly

hmmm so Nini's calling herself Nini instead of Nina in her little egg seat, while trying to write a song without inspiration.... Nini, honey, Ricky was your muse, he inspired you to write all those songs, even if it wasn't good for the relationship.

that doesn't mean you gotta get back with him, or that you can't write a song that not about him butttt it'll take some time

the rainbow sticker in her box and her rainbow shirt-

anyways wbk she's not totally straight

Jack are you a criminal?

quick, Gina, check his ankle for a tracker

THE YES AND PRACTICE STRIKES AGAIN

the way Gina wasn't into it in episode 6 but she's used the technique twice now

stole her grandma's Pomeranian-

Jack where the hell did you pull that out from-

the fake crying killed me, that looks like so much fun though

anyone wanna raid a first class lounge with me?

wait so is jack not gonna go in with her?

wouldn't he go in too? help look for the credit card? SO CONFUSED

the first class lounge guy was so into the drama though, watch his face when they start arguing 😭

sorry to break this to you Kourtney, but you haven't even blocked the second act yet soooo...

take that as you will

I love how all of them are totally dissing the dance off

that's the most realistic part of this show tbh

shouldn't Nini have asked how she knew....since the start? why is the fact that her best friend has knowledge of a North high secret now dawning on her...

Howie is sweet honestly, at least he's trying to help. but I stand with Kourtney, don't take him back just because he sang an amazing song, and is giving you a heads up on what's gonna happen...

KOURTNEY IS ME TRYING TO LEAVE AN ONLINE CLASS

I hate school

ooo Nini's writing a song about bad internet connection 🤩🤩🤩

I never lie, except when I do-

son that is the creepiest thing you could say to a stranger that you've been "helping"

2 truths and a lie👀

he's an Ariana fan 100%

called it.

OLDER BROTHER-

WHAT-

free spirit? damn so brother porter was in that horse movie

so has she been kissed or not?????????

I feel like she's moved more than 15 times though so possibly

but then if she's moved so much, and before east high she never opened up to anyone, she's never been kissed then?? damn

same though Gina so let's be besties please

heartbreak president is a great song title idea, give Nini a call rn

but wait

is the no strings attached feeling thing about her telling Ricky she liked him? she thought she was moving away so she thought it'd be no strings attached???

guys I think I figured it out insert the "I've connected two dots" meme

THE DUKE SWEATSHIRT

IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S

OMG I LOVE I LOVE

NOT THAT I KNOW OF???

ma'am did you just kill me

yes you did

Lynne and Ricky have such a weird relationship

YES IT DID SUCK

TODD SUCKS

LYNNE SUCKS

yeah I get that you wanted Ricky to like Todd BUT THAT WASN'T THE TIME

right so we already know that Ricky was so desperate to keep Nini cuz he didn't want to be like his parents, and now Lynne's talking about this-

Richard needs a long hug

yes Lynne, it is your fault. thank you for finally admitting it.

YES DYE YOUR HAIR

BLOND HIGHLIGHTS RICKY WILL RISE AGAIN

"sometimes the best, last thing you can do for someone you love, is let them go."

gotta admit I teared up at that point

not me thinking big red was calling ms Jenn cupcake for a hot second-

Carlos please omg, you're at the "beach" and they're leaving for the pool?

also, why not just do the call from the hotel room please omg

"don't ask me"

"Carlos"

OMG WHAT HAPPENED

big red wants the tea

O M G

SEB IS JEALOUS

JEALOUS SEBBY IS MY FAVOURITE THING IDC

I'm surprised ms Jenn knew how to give Nini permission to screenshare tbh

So lily's been stalking the East high kids and spending time editing this video while she's supposedly in an immersion trip.... right

EJ and Ashlyn's picture is so chaotic, what even is happening there

"slacking off" bestie its spring break, obviously they're confident enough that they'll get it done in time so why not focus on your own musical.

jealous seb = sassy seb

please what if those guys Carlos is posing with are his cousins or something and that's why he's so confused about Seb

6 YEAR OLD EJ I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM I LOVE HIM

Nini saying she's obsessed with her ex, that's not weird at all 👍

I can just tell Matt had a blast harassing Julia with those puppets.

Jack please dont be like that, "yet"

chances are you'll never see eachother again 🥰

(honestly sometimes I really miss those friends I made on trips and stuff when we'd spend the day or week together, only to never see them again....those were the good days though)

Ashlyn and Nini should write more songs..... something better than this one at least

Nini: "im good"

cue the Tia Mowry (please I can't spell) crying gif

oh I forgot Ricky was in the show for a hot second

1. where did Gina get to film this without people being around

2. did she just... randomly change her clothes???

ok but the transition between Carlos and EJ

*chefs kiss*

now everyone shut up, EJ's singing

oh i think I'm pregnant

HIS MUSCLES

YES KOURTNEY

I love how big red and Kourtney went from being "the best friends™" to the couple in season 1, to kinda close themselves and having their own plots

sebby makes me so happy

props to biggies editing skills honestly

PORTWELL BEING SIDE TO SIDE I CANT

AND SEBLOS OMG

big red lives for the drama

"wow" so true Ricky

no he is not cute, stop it

"holding" ok that's kinda cute

yeah EJ's a lucky guy😌

jokes aside, it's not that hard to exchange numbers-

keep in touch if you want

ok I really like Jack now

if he comes back in season 3, maybe have him be LGBTQ+ ?

like the only out characters they have rn are Seb and Carlos and they're like the sterotypes, yk?

I'd love to see jack kinda break the mold

Ricky's breaking my heart

that song just hurts

the only thing

now I don't hate Lynne????????

HOW DARE THEY WRITE IN A PROPER REDEMPTION ARC FOR HER

UGH IM SUPPOSED TO HATE HER FOREVER

I mean I don't live her now but she's good

but honestly

"mom can I show you something"

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL

THE PICTURE AND EVERYTHING OMG

I'm sobbing please help

Gina saying she's just waiting for the right guy and then EJ coming to the airport to pick her up late at night without her asking, offering to bring her back in the morning so she won't have to Uber, bringing her a granola bar (WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT SHE FORGOT TO PACK) and without expecting anything in return???

ms ma'am you've got a keeper right there

her smile at the end was so heartwarming I really can't.

this episode was great.

it felt really short but I liked it, great character development for Ricky, Lynne and Gina.

Cant wait for next episode to see more of EJ being the ideal boyfriend /hj

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts season 2 #hsmtmts spoilers #ej caswell #ricky bowen #gina porter #seblos #nini salazar roberts #jack hsmtmts #carlos rodriguez #seb mathew smith #kourtney greene #big red #ashlyn caswell #caswell cousins #portwell will be the death of me #guac's episode text blocks :)

[fangirlfics]

What a Pirate (Harry Hook x reader)

summary: After the core four leave for Auradon y/n is left to fend for herself on the isle, it’s a hard and lonely life-then her path crosses with certain flirty pirate.

word count: 3,660

Evie tool y/n’s hands in hers, “don’t worry y/n, we’ll be back in no time.“ She assured her friend. Slowly she pulled her into an embrace before turning and ducking into the limbo from Auradon. 

“Yeah in no time.“ Jay confirmed with a smirk and a quick wink. He ruffled her hair lightly before getting in the limbo-hat in hand. Then y/n realized that the gold crown that was on the front of the limbo was gone. Smooth Jay, smooth. 

“I don’t even wanna go.“ Mal said-throwing her bag into the limbo. “Going to school with a bunch of prissy princesses sounds...gross. No way am I staying there long...“ With a wink she got into the limbo too.  

Carlos’s mom came running out after him but he had made it into the limbo quickly. “We’ll miss you!“ Evie shouted out to y/n and she smiled sadly.

“You guys better not forget about me.“ y/n joked.

Carlos stuck his head out of the limbo, “catch“ he said, tossing a shiny thing her way. 

y/n looked down at the item in her hand-a small silver pocket watch.“What’s this for?” She asked, looking back.

Carlos shrugged, “Now I have to come back to get my watch.” y/n smiled, nodding at her friend. Then the limbo drove off.  

Well that was almost four months ago now.

“We’ll be back in no time.“ y/n reminded herself, taking a big bite out of an apple. It was more bitter than she would have liked it to be but this was the Isle, and at least it wasn’t the worst meal she had eaten. She forced herself to swallow the food, trying to think of something positive. The only thing that she could think of were her friends-the hope that she’d see them soon.Without them she felt sad, forgotten...alone. But at least they could have better lives in Auradon. And if the cost of that was her being lonely- then so be it.  

 y/n continued to take bites out of her apple, eventually dropping the core when she finished. She stood, catching a glimpse of Auradon in the distance and stared for a moment. She reached in her pocket to feel Carlos’s watch, but it wasn’t there. Oh no. She checked her pockets suddenly feeling a small wave of panic when it wasn’t there. Great going y/n you lost it. She sighed, looking up at the sky and took a deep breath.

y/n got down from the building’s roof and was making her way through the cluttered market, keeping her hands in her pockets when she caught a flash of something shiny a couple of feet ahead of her. She stopped in her tracks, looking up and her mouth fell open. That was without a doubt Carlos’s watch. It’s chain hung motionless from someone’s pocket. A small boost of confidence made it’s way into y/n as she approached the person. Then she saw who was in possession of the watch and her confidence faded.

That was Harry Hook.

Harry freaking Hook.

Out of all the people that could have had the watch, it just had to be Harry. Pick pocketing him probably wouldn’t end well, it never did for anyone. But she glanced back down at the watch then to him, then to the watch again. He was distracted-talking to some girl. y/n bit her lip, feeling desperate. Just take it and leave she told herself, easy peasy. But that didn’t stop her legs from shaking as she made her way towards the pirate. Her eyes remained ahead of her as she lightly brushed against the boy’s side-fingers quickly slipping the watch from his pocket to hers. Ok go get away. She mentally yelled at herself, but she forced herself to keep her pace the same-not wanting to draw any suspicion.

Once she was a few feet away she looked back to Harry-he was gone. Her jaw dropped for a moment before she quickly hid behind the nearest wall. She quickly scanned her surroundings-noticing a ladder on the side of the building in front of her. Quick escape. She stepped towards it, reaching her hand out  but before she could grab hold of the ladder someone grabbed her wrist from behind, stopping her. Before she could react a she felt something cool on her shoulder and was spun around before being backed into the wall. Now against the cool wall,  goosebumps formed up her spine as she looked up towards her captive. Then she was face to face with Harry Hook. He had his infamous grin as he looked down at her-obviously pleased about having successfully trapping her against the wall. He was really quite attractive-but he could also be annoying. 

“Well, well...well.” He whispered in his Scottish accent. Raising his hook up to her face slowly, he stroked her jawline with the cool metal as a form of intimidation. “y/n...” He said widening his eyes a little.

“Hook.” y/n spat in response.

His smile widened at the tone of her voice. “aww...” He pouted sarcastically, “ye mad?” y/n stared directly at him with an impassive expression. Harry shook his head, “tsk tsk tsk. It appears ye’ve taken somethin’ of mine.” He lowered his hook, keeping her pinned against the wall. 

“What could I have possibly taken from you?” y/n sneered.

“Oh I don’t know....” He said glancing up in thought. “Maybe this?” He held up the pocket watch that had been in her pocket with his hook. y/n’s eyes widened as her mouth gaped open. “Ye know, ye should really be more careful when ye pickpocket someone...especially if that someone is me...” He breathed in her face, glancing down at her lips.

y/n got her expression under control again “Actually, you took that first. It’s mine.“ 

Harry chuckled lightly, “Well, now it’s mine.” He told her seriously now. “But that doesn’t change the fact that ye tried stealing from me.” He let his hook go back to her face, brushing her hair to the side. “And ye know what happens to people who steal from me?”

y/n smiled-only making Harry even more pleased-If anyone else was in y/n’s position they’d be trembling but she wasn’t, he smiled-enjoying the change in reactions. “I’m guessing you ‘hook’ them?” y/n answered.

“Correct.” He whispered, brushing her jaw lightly once more with his hook-he was really enjoying this. “But...” He thought, lowering his hook. “Maybe I can make an acception...for ye...maybe we can make a trade.”

“And what do you propose goes into this trade?” y/n asked.

“Well...ye get to walk away and keep this watch that you seem to be so obsessed with.”   

y/n raised a brow in suspicion, “that sounds too good to be true, what’s the catch?“

“Catch?“ Harry asked, pretending to be offended. “This is a deal, there’s no catch.“

“I mean what do you get? Why would you let me go?“

“ah...“ Harry’s smile only widened as he leaned closer to her. “Ye get to go because what I want...is a good price“

“And what do you want?” y/n questioned, “whatever it is can’t be good.”

Harry leaned in even closer, brushing his nose against y/n’s. The close proximity made y/n nervously shift her eyes to the side before quickly looking back at him-she hoped he didn’t notice, but he did. And he loved that he could make her nervous. “What I want...“ Harry said pausing for dramatic effect, “is...a kiss.“

y/n’s breath hitched for a moment as her mouth parted in surprise. “wh-” she closed her mouth again.

“Speechless?” Harry asked the girl, tilting his head he brushed his nose against hers once more. “It’s a fair trade if ye ask me, lass.” He whispered into her ear, making her shudder. Knowing the effect he had on her, Harry smiled-leaning away again he let his lips lightly brush against her jaw line. “So what do ye say?”

y/n looked at the boy then to the side. “I get the watch?” She asked. 

“That was what the deal...” Harry confirmed, smiling mischievously.

y/n stared at nothing for a moment before snapping her attention back to the pirate. “Fine.” 

Harry smiled wider, before making his move. He slowly leaned in closer, bringing his hand up to her chin to tilt her head back then placed his lips against hers. The kiss was way different than she thought it would be, it was slow, soft and Harry was gentle. He brought his other hand-he must’ve set his hook down earlier-to the small of her back to pull her away from the wall and closer into his chest. Then a voice rang out from somewhere further away-pulling the two back to reality. “Harry! Uma wants you!” Yeah that was Gil. Harry pulled away with a menacing look in his eyes-looking towards the direction where the voice came from. Strangely, y/n was disappointed with how fast that had happened.

“Well then.” y/n said quickly recovering, she put her hand out to Harry, palm up. Harry’s arm was still around her as he looked down, but he stepped back letting her go and pulled the watch out of his pocket.

“On second thought...” Harry smiled, looking down at the watch. “Of I keep this, ye got no choixe but te keep seein-”    

“Hook.“ 

“Ye can call me Harry ye know.“ Harry said, placing the watch in her hand. “Why’s that thing matter so much to ye anyway?“

y/n put the watch in her pocket, crossing her arms over her chest before looking back up to the pirate, “Someone important wanted me to hang on to it for a bit.“ She said truthfully, “as a promise.“

“A promise, eh? Who gave it to ye? Boyfriend.“

“That’s none of your business.“ 

Harry grinned once more, tilting his head to the side. “Nah, couldn’t have been a boyfriend. If ye had a boyfriend ye wouldn’t like me...yer not the cheatin’ type.“

“And who says I like you?“ y/n asked with a laugh.

“Well nobody had to say it.“ Harry responded, then he leaned in whispering into her ear, “If ye didn’t like me, ye wouldn’t’ve kissed me the way ye did.”

y/n opened her mouth in shock much to Harry’s entertainment. “Got to go.“ He said casually, putting his hook back on, “I trust that I’ll be seein’ more of ye.“ He started to walk away.

“What makes you think that?“ y/n asked louder so that he could hear.

He turned his head back to answer, “Well cuz I have this.” He held up one of y/n bracelet. For the third time y/n’s mouth fell open as she looked down at her right wrist-which now had no jewelry on it.

What a pirate.

#descendants #Descendants 2 #descendants 3 #descendants fanfiction #harry hook #harry hook x reader #harry hook imagine #Isle of the Lost #disney descendants #auradon #vks

[bluefirewrites]

‘Wake Up’

May have been inspired by WandaVision...

********

Julie rolled out of bed that morning in high spirits. Despite having to wake up early for school, she had a bright smile on her face the moment the alarm rang. 

She went for her closet but, as she passed the mirror, was quite confused to find herself already wearing the outfit she was planning to wear. 

Strange. 

But she still opened the door to her closet, sliding her hangers around to find her jacket while humming some nonsense tune. Every few articles or so she sifts through, Julie would keep coming across a white shirt. 

“Sunset Curve?” she read the logo aloud, not sure why that sounded so familiar... 

She didn’t think any of it.

Her jacket was right next to this white shirt she didn’t remember owning. 

Shrugging it on, she ran downstairs were Carlos was already going on to her dad and her aunt about whatever this week’s obsession was. 

“I’m telling you dad, there’s proof!” 

Her dad laughed as he cooked breakfast (or more like burnt it...), “Whatever you say, mijo,” 

“What is it this time?” Julie groaned, already picking up a banana from the bowl, forgoing whatever mess her dad was making in the kitchen. 

Carlos was already by her side, shoving his tablet in her face, “I saw it online! These guys went into this house at like 3AM and caught a ghost on camera! A ghost!” 

She didn’t so much glance down on the screen, already dismissing her brother’s words, but before she could open her mouth, a new voice butted in their conversation, coming from the front door. 

“Oooh a ghost? Now that’s interesting...” 

“Luke!” Julie beamed at the arrival of her boyfriend and their two friends, who had just walked in. 

He waltzed over, dumping his backpack onto the couch, and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, “Mornin’, Jules. Now what’s this I hear about ghosts?” 

Reggie pushed past Alex, who was still kicking his shoes off in the foyer, “Oooh. Show me!” he said excited, huddled over Carlos’ tablet, “Woah. That’s creepy!” 

“Do not encourage him, Carlos,” Alex finally made it to the table, “Reggie’s convinced aliens are real too.” 

“They are real!” 

“Just cuz you watch Star Wars-” 

“-Not because of Star Wars! Ask NASA-” 

“-Wh-okay. I just go and ask NASA-?” 

“-Yes. Just go and ask-” 

Luke rolled his eyes at his friends’ arguing. He reached over and picked up a piece of overcooked bacon on Carlos’ place. He took a bite. 

Julie’s eyebrows furrowed at the sight. 

“You can eat?” 

Luke raised one of his own, finishing off the bacon, “Yeah. Of course. Why? Am I not supposed to?” he joked. 

“Yes,” Julie found herself saying, “You can’t... you’re not...” 

She stopped. 

She didn’t even know what she was going to say next. 

“Julie!” 

She looked up, not realizing that she had been staring off into space, “Yes, Alex?” 

The blonde wrapped his arm around her shoulder, “Back me up here, would you? And tell this guy” he points to Reggie, who stuck his tongue at them, “that ghosts (and aliens) aren’t real.” 

“Um... er...” 

Julie... couldn’t answer that. Finding the question, and this conversation, completely absurd. 

Luckily she was saved from answering when her two besties rounded the corner, talking animatedly between each other. 

She didn’t remember hearing them come in... 

“Julie!” Carrie chirped, hugging her from behind, “Love you. Good morning, but we have a situation.” 

“What’s up?” 

Flynn settled next to her on the table, “We need a band to play at the dance this week. I’m DJ-ing of course. But we need like a killer closer.”

“But I thought Dirty Candy-?” 

“We can’t,” Carrie interrupted, and that was all she could explain, “Any chance Julie and the Phantoms could fill in?” 

“A school dance?” Luke grimaced, “Not exactly the Strip...” 

Julie couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of deja vu when she heard him say that... 

“I don’t know,” a woman’s voice carried over, appearing behind Ray, “You gotta start somewhere right? Build a following?” 

Julie nodded, “Mom’s right.” 

“She always is,” Ray remarked before kissing his wife, making Carlos gag but making Julie feel...

...sad. 

There was something so bittersweet about this moment, but Julie couldn’t put her finger on it. Even when she stood up and hugged her mom, something was telling her... to not let go. Not even for a second. 

“What’s wrong, Julie?” she asked, realizing that they have yet to break their hug. 

Julie blinked away tears that started to form against her better judgement. 

She pulled away, straining a smile, “Nothing. Mom.”

Julie took a look around the room, where all her loved ones were watching her with fondness in their eyes. Her gaze lingered on the three teenage boys, her boyfriend Luke among them- her boyfriend of... how many months? Years? 

Weird. She couldn’t remember how long they had been together. 

She shook her head to rid of that slightly distressing thought. And she took in the room again. 

“Nothing’s wrong...” she reiterated aloud, “Actually, everything’s... perfect.” 

Her mom beamed at her, rubbing her shoulder, “Glad to hear it. Now I think we should all get some breakfast before we send you kids off to school.”

Suddenly, Julie was back at the table, that had somehow grew in length and had just enough chairs for everyone. 

Looking down, she was surprised to find a yummy looking breakfast, completely different from what her father had cooked before...

Julie lifted the forkful of fluffy looking pancakes to her mouth when she heard the doorbell ring. 

Everyone froze. 

Julie did too. 

She turned to Luke, who clenched his jaw staring at the front door. In fact, everyone had stopped what they were doing to stare at the door, acting like the ringing was some sort of... hindrance... 

“Um... is anyone gonna get that?” she asked tentatively, put off by everyone’s reactions... 

“Why?” Victoria said, voice cold, “Everyone that’s supposed to be here is here.” 

“I know but-” 

The doorbell rang again. And Julie made the move to get up. 

“Hey,” Luke uttered softly, hand holding hers, “Just ignore it. They’ll go away. Let’s finish our food-” 

“You can’t eat,” Julie blurted out again, which only upset Luke more.  

His grip on her tightened, “Yes... I can.” 

The doorbell kept ringing. In short intervals, repeating in an almost desperate pattern. 

Her curiosity got the better of her. Julie wrenched her hand away from Luke’s hold and practically ran to the door, much to the loud protests of everyone. 

“Don’t!” 

“Julie, get back here right now!” 

“It could be important!” she shouted back at them, hand on the handle and opening. 

A guy with long hair and a hoodie was standing there. His eyes had a frenzied look to them, he kept taking short, ragged breaths- all in all he looked like hell. 

Eyes widened and hands already on her shoulders, “Julie! You got to listen to me-” 

“Who even-?” 

“Don’t fall for it, Julie. We have to-” 

The strange boy tried pulling her along, but she stood her ground. 

“I don’t- I don’t know you.” 

The boy sighed, kept looking wildly around himself, “You- you don’t have to. He’s gonna find-” 

“She said she doesn’t know you,” Alex was now by her side, staring down the stranger, “What seems to be the problem here?” 

The stranger stumbled backwards, eyes widening, “A-Alex?” 

“You know him?” Julie gaped at the stranger. 

“Yes- I mean, no.” The guy shook his head furiously, “No! That’s not- That’s not Alex, Julie!” 

“What do you mean?” 

“He’s not real! This isn’t- this isn’t real. It’s all in your head,” 

Julie shook her head, “No. That’s not- this has to be, Willie.” 

The guy straightened up. 

“Yes. Yes! That’s me!” 

How- how did she know his name? But once it spilled out.. it felt right. 

It was the only thing that had felt... right. So far. 

The guy- Willie, took her by the hand again, and this time Julie wasn’t wary. She sort of wanted to follow him. 

“Look, we don’t have much time before he figures out what I escaped-” 

“Escape? He-?” 

“But we need to get you out of here. We need to-” 

“William?” 

Willie whirled around and a man stood there. In a dress shirt, holding a cane. 

“No.... no,” Willie held his arm out in front of Julie... as if he was trying to protect her, “Caleb. Stop this right now! Let her go, you psycho!” 

The man, Caleb, smiled a sickly sweet smile, “Now that isn’t a way to speak to your old man, is it?” 

“What-?” 

Julie blinked and Willie faced her now, cleaned up and wearing new clothes, clothes more... befitting for the time. He stood next to Caleb, who had an almost death-like grip on the boy’s shoulder. 

“Apologies for that, miss,” Caleb greeted, “My son and I just moved in next door.” 

Willie wiggled under the Caleb’s hold, “You’re not my-!” 

“Anyways, it’s nice to make your acquaintance...?” 

“Julie,” she said, eyes on Willie the whole time. He appeared to be afraid. 

And somehow Julie knew that she should be afraid too..

She was slowly stepping backwards into the house, “Nice to meet you... But I have to go-” 

“Ah yes, get back to breakfast. Hopefully no more...” The glanced down at Willie, “interruptions.” 

“Right,” She was already inside, ready to close the door... she didn’t like how Caleb looked at her. She wanted him gone. 

“We’ll be making our leave now. Have a lovely morning, Julie,” 

With that Caleb was dragging Willie by the scruff of his shirt down her steps, the boy kept bucking trying to escape. 

“Julie! Julie!” he kept calling out to her, “You need to get out!” 

“Quiet, you!” Caleb hissed. 

Julie’s heart beat rapidly, hands shaking the doorknob, “What-? H-how?” 

“Wake up!” 

Wake up. 

Wake up?

“... if it’s all you do...” she sang softly, the words coming out along with the melody that she had been humming earlier. 

Both Caleb and Willie stopped. 

“No,” the man uttered, “Stop that.” he ordered. 

Willie grinned, “Yes. Julie! Snap out of it!” 

“Look out, look inside of you...” 

Julie turned her head, Alex was no longer next to her, back with everyone in the kitchen, who stared at her in disbelief. Her mom had rose from the table, telling her to stop. 

That made Julie’s blood run cold. 

Her mom. 

She would never... she would never to tell her to stop singing. Especially not with this song. This song that she had written for her before... before she-

Julie gasped in realization. “You’re dead.” 

Luke got up, making his way towards her, “Julie, what are you talking about?” 

She backed up, “No. You’re dead too!” 

This wasn’t real... 

None of this was real. 

She had to leave. 

This wasn’t- this wasn’t what was supposed to happen... 

Emboldened by the revelation, she kept singing, “It's not what you lost... It's what you'll gain raising your voice in the rain...” 

The house, her house, began fading away, replaced with any inky blackness that gave Julie more relief upon seeing it. 

She could hear Caleb shouting at her, and Willie’s encouragement to keep doing what she was doing. “It’s working! It’s working!” 

“Wake up your dream and make it true... Look out, look inside of you...” 

One by one, her friends, her family started to fade too, getting lost in the darkness.. 

Her eyes met her mom’s, and she almost stopped.

But no. 

Her mom wasn’t there. She was already gone... 

Swallowing hard, shutting her eyes, she... kept going... “It's not what you lost... Relight that spark, time to come out of the dark...” 

She took a deep breath...

“...Wake up...” 

When she opened her eyes, she found herself tied to a chair in some luxurious looking office. Jazz music playing faintly in the background. 

Caleb glowered at her from his place behind the desk. 

The memories came flooding back to her. 

The flowers, Nick- 

Poofing. 

To the club. She was in the Hollywood Ghost Club. 

She had been there for hours. 

Julie struggled in her bindings as Caleb stalked over to her menacingly, “Now, now, now. You shouldn’t have done that.” 

“Where’s-” she looked around, “Where’s Willie? How did he-?” 

“Somehow he had found a way out of his little holding cell and came up here to cause some trouble...” he knelt down in front of her, “I’ll make sure that won’t happen again.” 

Julie scowled at him, wanting to slap the smug grin off the ghost’s face, “Again?” 

He wagged a finger at her, “You need to be preoccupied, my dear Julie. While I figure out a way to relinquish your hold on those boys.” 

“I told you, I don’t even know!” 

“Ah, but there is a way to break it. I will find out. And since you’re here” he procured a velvet bag from his back pocket, “the boys would come running in trying to save you.” 

The perfect trap... 

Julie wanted so badly to tell Caleb off, to tell him that they wouldn’t fall for it. 

But they would come barging in to come get her no hesitation. They had risked everything for her before. 

And they would do it again. 

“Now,” Caleb stuck his hand inside the bag and gathered up some purple dust, “We’ll do this one more time. And don’t fight it,” 

Her eyes widened, realizing what was happening. She squirmed some more, but to no use, “No no no-” 

“You should be grateful. I could have easily made it... unpleasant,” 

“I’ll find a way out!” 

“Let’s see how you fare without Willie’s help,” 

Then Caleb blew the powder into the face. And her eyes fluttered closed. 

“Nighty night...” she heard him say before it all went black. 

****

Julie jerked, hunched over her plate of breakfast. 

She felt Luke’s hand on her back, “Are you okay, Julie?” 

Lifting her head, she saw her loved ones laughing with each other, enjoying the morning. The sunlight dancing behind their heads, and her mom- 

She lifted her cup of orange juice in her direction, smiling before taking a sip. 

Julie nodded, “Yeah... I’m fine.” 

“Something wrong?” 

“Uh... no.” she said, ignoring that nagging feeling in the back of her head, “Actually everything’s great.” 

Luke smiled at her, “I’m glad. Now, pancakes?” 

“Right,” she smiled back at him. 

Then she dug into her breakfast, marveling at how good it all tasted. 

Yes, it tasted perfect. 

Everything was just... perfect. 

#jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie molina #caleb covington #willie jatp #juke #julie x luke #luke x julie #caleb's mind games #inspired by wandavision

[pochiperpe90]

Points of view – The Interview: Luca Marinelli

How do you approach your characters. 

Sometimes I also wonder how I get to the character. For “Non essere cattivo”, I had a very detailed script and a fascinating director at my disposal, so I didn't struggle to relate. It was a very brave script for the way it dealt with reality. At first my auditions went in the direction of Vittorio's character but also knowing the figure of Cesare, more than once I thought I would like to play him. I saw the auditions of others and I stopped to think how I could have done Cesare. Then at a certain point I remember that Claudio looked at Valerio and told him that it would be better to reverse the roles, to let me try Cesare, and so it went. When I read the script of “Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot”, the first thing that struck me, besides the courageous imagination, was to understand how a film of this kind could be made. 

In the first part of your career, you brought an image of introverted and staid youth to the screen. Was this a choice. 

Absolutely not. Or rather yes, it was the choice of those who met me first. Perhaps a part of my personality has been seen that could best marry the characters in question. It happened both in “La solitudine dei numeri primi” by Saverio Costanzo and later with Virzì in "Tutti i santi giorni", then it can be said that with Casare of “Non essere cattivo” and the Zingaro of “Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot” I was allowed to turn things around slightly, to play a character who had a disposition and behavior that was completely the opposite of what I had faced previously. 

What do you remember about your debut with Saverio Costanzo. 

He was my initiation into cinema, I came from the Academy and I had no idea what it was like to work on a set. The best memory, in addition to the experience of the film with him and Alba, is the first meeting, the first audition, where I really understood that I strongly wanted to work with him and that if this had happened I would have ended up in the hands of a great author. 

With that film you found yourself in the main competition of the Venice Film Festival. What memories do you have of that first time at the lido. 

Of a huge confusion and a big headache. We were tossed around from one interview to another and not only that, because the worst thing was always answering the same questions, and I was terribly worried not to make the situation even more boring for the machine operator, who never changed, and I don't think could take it longer to hear the same phrases over and over. Fortunately, Alba was there as well and saved me in more than one interview. The experience helped me because the following times I knew slightly more what I was going through and how to manage situations and keep stress at bay. Or maybe not yet, it's a long way. 

I noticed that when you talk about your job you do it using the verb “to play” (giocare). Is it a coincidence or the choice has a precise meaning. 

Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that in English the term recite is said precisely in this way because in my opinion to play, or the French jouez, represents the feeling of freedom and fun that is inherent in the job I do, better. As far as I'm concerned, the moment of the take is when the actor has to stop thinking, abandon worries, to be able to bring out the energy of his character. He has to play with the same seriousness and commitment with which a child does. I remember a piece of advice from Carlo Cecchi on the fact that in acting counts listening and the here and now. Being actively present to oneself and to others at that exact moment.

You have a method for achieving this condition. 

If someone asked me something about technique, I wouldn't know what to answer, apart from listening. On the set of Andrea Molaioli's film in which I am the father of the young protagonist, the actor who plays him, Ludovico, who is really good, full of talent and very smart, once asked me what was the technique to make the best of the character, and the only thing I felt able to advise him was to try to be present in that moment and then to let go, listen and not think about the rest. 

But I imagine that there are also practical aspects in the preparation that precedes the start of filming. 

As for me, I try to prepare as much as I can before arriving on set because at the start of the shoot it would be good to be ready. But not everything happens automatically, in the sense that you can’t always find the character immediately. However, I have always been lucky enough to have more or less long periods of rehearsal before starting a film. I remember this moment with Saverio and Alba, where we spent weeks among us and also with the kids who would have played us as children, to try the various scenes and to create a union and harmony between the characters. The same happened with Paolo Virzì, Thony and I, more than once we gather, facing the script, to clarify all the passages and moments of the scenes. 

And how did things go with Claudio Caligari. 

The same thing also happened with Claudio even though the illness made everything more complicated for him. He asked us to change our bodies, to participate in the auditions of the other actors. This allowed all of us, the cast, to integrate and develop a unity of purpose and a truly rare familiarity. So in front of the camera it seemed to me that the gang, to which Cesare and Vittorio belonged, was really part of my life, that it wasn’t hard to pass from Luca to Cesare, because I had found him. And always to identify with the environment of the story, I preferred a house in Ostia, and Alessandro often came to me from Rome to spend time between the two of us. Claudio, in addition to having reading meetings together, also showed us films that were a source of inspiration for him for this film, such as “Accattone” by Pier Paolo Pasolini, “Rocco e i suoi fratelli” by Luchino Visconti and “Mean Sreet” by Martin Scorsese.

Instead, I wanted to ask you what happens between takes, for example when you come home after a day of work. You stay inside the character as it happens to Daniel Day Lewis, or you put it aside and think of something else like Marcello Mastroianni did. 

I try to disconnect from the set. I try. I go home and try to do something else, but the last thought before falling asleep always goes to the next day's work plan and I leave myself a few minutes for the memory and concentration useful for tomorrow and then I close my eyes.  

We asked Roberta Mattei and we ask you too. During the processing you were aware of the exceptional nature of what you were doing. 

Yes. Let me explain: I saw with my own eyes that what was happening was exceptional, a man who was dying wanted to give his latest work to the public, to his audience, to his people, to people. This has no equal for me. Don't think about yourself in such a situation but about others.

Then it was the turn of Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot. 

I shot Jeeg Robot in March 2014, and therefore before “Non essere cattivo”. The fact that Mainetti's film is only coming out now is due to the long post-production period necessary to assemble the shot with the special effects present in the film. 

Here as well it was an interpretation and a character who completely overturns the transparent and pristine image of the first part of your career. 

To make Jeeg Robot we had to convince each other, Gabriele Mainetti and I, about my success in the character. I pushed him towards a theatricality and Gabriele towards a real madness, a pure pain. In the end, I think we have found the right amount. 

The construction of the Zingaro was already very clear in the writing and it was up to us, however, to find its true aspect. 

Guiding him is this crazy and boundless ego, and the obsession with having to leave a mark. The Zingaro's eccentricity is partly reflected in his look, halfway between a rock star and a suburban bully. For the costumes and make-up we were inspired by the great rock icons. We dared in some choices, such as the black coat with pink leopard lining that characterize the wardrobe. For the aspects related to the way of performing, his model was Anna Oxa and in particular the video of her at Sanremo, when she sings “Un’emozione da poco”. 

In part you have already answered, but I wanted to know how you choose to accept the proposals that are made to you and if you have any foreclosures towards television, or more generally towards commercial cinema. 

I choose the proposals on the basis of love at first sight that must happen with the film, with its screenplay. Then figure out who will be leading the film, meet the director. I don't have any kind of foreclosure, let's say that if I don't like something I don't do it and if I like it I do. And it doesn't matter if it's cinema or television. 

As a spectator what is the cinema you love. 

I like films that have something to say and that I also choose based on who directed and starred in it. Usually when they ask me to name some titles I have a void. Think that the same thing happened to me also during the audition to enter the experimental center, when Lina Wertmuller asked me the title of a film I had seen recently. I was struck by a cosmic void and instead of naming her an authoritative and important film I left her stunned by citing Batman, I think Nolan's first, still a good film, but I still had Wertmuller in front of me... But to go back to what you asked me, I tell you that in general I always like to watch films that come from Sundance, of which I remember, for example “Like Crazy”, which I found disarmingly beautiful, the films of P.T. Anderson, Wes Anderson, the Cohen, there are many, and among the Italians those played by Alba Rohrwacher, Valerio Mastandrea, Elio Germano, Kim Rossi Stuart and directed by Alice Rohrwacher, Costanzo, Virzì, Sorrentino, Garrone, Salvatores. Without forgetting those of the great Joaquin Phoenix. But in reality I look at everything, let's say that I try not to lose anything of these. 

Despite the certificates of esteem you have received for your performances, the impression is that of an understatement that almost seems not to be aware of what you have achieved so far as an actor. 

Whenever I see a film of mine I always think there is something I could have done better. But basically I'm happy with what I've done so far. Having said that, I think that the films alone should be enough to explain everything and that the interviews don’t add anything new to what there was to say before making them. But when I am in the dance, when I need to promote, I am committed to doing it in the best possible way. I strongly think that in life and at work it’s important to demonstrate that you know how to do and not to show at all costs that you do.

DREAMINGCINEMA

Just wanted to translate this old interview for the non-italian’s fans ^^ (sorry for my English)

#Luca Marinelli #interview #english translation #mine #english #non essere cattivo #lo chiamavano jeeg robot #slam tutto per una ragazza #la solitudine dei numeri primi #Tutti i santi giorni #actor #cinema #film

[marshvlovestv]

Eric in the Pod Room - An impassioned defense of a man at his worst

Big tw for discussions of suicide, suicidal ideation, and mental illness, and lots of me projecting my own issues onto a terrible fictional character

I’m in a really bad place mentally right now and I’m immersing myself in a Zero Escape Let’s Play series to distract myself from it. It definitely isn’t the healthiest thing for me to be hyperfixated on right now - the series has a chummy relationship with the concept of suicide, after all, and suicidal thoughts are my worst symptom at the moment. But you know what, it’s twisted, but I’m so dangerously comfortable with my own suicidality at this point that the themes of suicide in Zero Escape almost feel warm and welcoming, to the point where I’d even consider them a factor in why I am so obsessed with the series.

I was working on a larger meta, which most of this post is an excerpt from, about the many suicides from Zero Time Dilemma specifically - none of them influenced by Radical-6, all of them with some interesting psychological analysis to be done concerning them. But the Let’s Players have reached the Pod Room, the puzzle that seems to singlehandedly give players the most reason to hate my favorite character. They turned out to be no exception, and they spent the length of the puzzle going on and on about how they despise Eric. I got really tense and upset and thought, “You know what? Forget about Diana, Carlos, and Delta. I can talk about them later. All I want to do right now is come to Eric’s defense. I want to talk about my boy.”

Like, I get it, you know? The first time I saw the Pod Room, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Eric, either. He bullies Sean, he actively refuses to be of any help in solving the puzzle, he makes lewd comments about Mira (and for the record, the problem I have with this is the fact that he says these things around a child, not the comments themselves; people should be allowed to experience and express sexual attraction and that is a hill I will die on). After the puzzle itself, we learn about Eric’s deepest trauma and after that I see people either feel bad for hating him and begin to sympathize with him fully, or go, “Yeah, that sucks for him, but it still doesn’t forgive a damn thing. He’s the worst and I hate him and I hate this game for making him exist.” I am firmly in the first camp, if you couldn’t tell.

Lest we forget: This is the route at the end of which Eric commits suicide. A murder-suicide, granted, but still. He takes his own life. The Pod Room is the start of Eric’s descent into rock bottom and I just... can’t hate him for that, especially not when I recognize some of myself in him. I have never killed another person (I promise); I don’t have homicidal thoughts. I don’t know personally what would compel someone to commit a murder-suicide and I don’t even want to speculate. But his homicidal tendencies aside, Eric and his suicidality have always spoken to me personally.

I’ve done plenty of analysis of Eric in the past under the lens of personality disorders, and my most general conclusions are that he suffers from PTSD, dependent personality disorder, and possibly borderline personality disorder as well. Suicidality is highly correlated with all three of those disorders, and as such I find it highly unlikely that his decision to kill himself in this route is a spontaneous one. If he is anything like me, when he isn’t actively, imminently suicidal, he probably still spends a lot of time imagining worst-case scenarios in which suicide would be a no-brainer. For me, my worst-case scenarios often involve the loss of my parents; they are my Safe People, people around whom my AvPD symptoms are less extreme and my behavior is less inhibited, and I seriously fear for my ability to function without them in my life. Sufferers of many different personality disorders have “special people” like this in some way or another. DPD and BPD have, respectively, Depended People and Favorite People, the objects of the sufferer’s attachment. Mira clearly fulfills both of these roles in Eric’s life, and lots of his worst-case scenarios must involve the loss of her.

Before her death is even confirmed, we can see how much he struggles to function without her there in the puzzle room. I read Eric’s behavior in the Pod Room as him flailing in the absence of his special person. The Let’s Players I’m watching have even made derisive comments about how he doesn’t even know how to be a person, and I’m sitting here like, yeah. You’re right. He doesn’t know how to be a person, not right now. His identity and self-worth are tied to a person who has disappeared under mysterious and stressful circumstances; without her, he feels useless and helpless, which is why he’s overwhelmed by something as simple as a sliding block puzzle. Without her, he loses his grip on his self-control, which is why he has no filter to stop him from saying inappropriate things and why can’t stop his worse impulses to mistreat people. I’m not trying to say that anything he does in the Pod Room is right, but there is a reasonable explanation for why he acts the way he does.

And then, they find Mira’s body. One of Eric’s worst-case scenarios has come true, and in the process he has lost not only the person most important to him but the very sense of self that said person helped him feel. It’s just as bad as he always imagined, and even worse, she was killed in exactly the same way his brother was, triggering a PTSD flashback. His trauma is further compounded by being shown graphic video of Junpei and Akane’s deaths (and later just being shown their dismembered bodies in person).The devastation he must be feeling in this moment is beyond what I can even comprehend and I fully understand why he snaps.

Again, I don’t want to speculate as to why his mind goes “revenge first, suicide second” and why he kills people he could be reasonably sure are innocent. All I can say for sure is that, when he does ultimately kill himself, it’s not out of guilt and it’s not out of fear of consequences. His last words are promising Mira that he’ll be with her soon. The suicide is about her. It was always about her. It’s not just that he’ll miss her; he genuinely cannot picture a life for himself where she is not a part of it, at least not a good one.

(Quick sidenote here to talk about one other thing that Eric does in this route: shooting out the X-Pass authenticator. Once Mira’s body is found, six people have died, meaning that Eric, Sean, and Q are free to leave. But Eric shoots out the authentication device before this is possible. When this happened in the Let’s Play, the players called him an idiot for destroying his own means of escape, which really annoyed me. Here’s the thing: Eric is already actively suicidal at this point. He destroys his key to the outside world because he can no longer imagine a life for himself in the outside world. Shooting the authenticator was in itself an act of suicide, even though he wasn’t pulling the trigger on himself.)

All of this is not to say that Eric is okay in the true end and should be left to his own devices. He’s a man in pain, a man in constant crisis, and he’s in desperate need of intervention to prevent him from harming himself or others. I like him and Mira together and she will likely always be a special (Depended, Favorite) person to him, but he can’t and shouldn’t rely on his relationship with her to keep his head above water and keep him from acting the way he did in the Pod Room. Eric needs professional help; but call me optimistic, I think that learning from Sean about how he acted on the other routes, what it looks like when he is truly at rock bottom, might inspire him to seek that help.

Anyway. Sorry for the rant, I hope it was interesting at least. I’m going to go refill my medications and schedule an appointment with my therapist because, as fun and cathartic as this was to write, it’s definitely not healthy to get this riled up over fictional characters; plus, I can’t rightly advocate for a fictional character to get help when I’m not taking care of myself, can I?

#zero escape #zero time dilemma #eric ztd #suicide #suicide tw #don't worry about me btw i'll be fine #i know this gets really personal but feel free to like rb interact whatever #i'm not shy about this stuff

[evakuality]

Mia, episode one

Okay, so as I have said numerous times and at length I haven’t seen Mia’s season before.  I can’t stand Noora’s season so I’ve never wanted to watch this one.  But I’m giving it a go because apparently it’s better than Noora’s.  I already really really dislike Alex, though.  He’s gross to the last moments of Hanna’s season so this may be an uphill battle getting me to like him.  Plus, this is likely more a live reaction thing since I really have no idea what’s coming (except that it’s based on Noora’s things)  We shall see.  Anyway, let's get to this:

1. The opening bits just reminds me how ridiculous kissing looks like up close and from the outside.  I don’t know what the point here is, but I’m vaguely uncomfortable rn, so if that’s the intention, then well done I guess!  These tongues are really bothering me for some reason.  Kiki really needs to have more self respect.  I mean, I know she gets there, but this is not it, child.  He’s really not great.

2.  Seeing a shot of the girls: wow I missed these people so much!!!! (It’s been a couple of days, self.  Chill out!!)  Again, this is super pretty.  The colours etc of this scene are lovely.  More cool and cold than Hanna’s (I guess because of the time of year????) but lovely anyway.  I do not like this swinging camera though; it’s making me queasy.  I am also seriously side-eyeing the ‘kissing’ thing between Hanna and Mia.  Like, I want to believe the creators were leaning into the gay vibes the two gave off last season, but... eh.  It feels off a bit.  Still.  Mia’s gaze when she says ‘why not?’ when asked if they should all be lesbians is... well, I think a case can be made that Mia is into Hanna at least.

3.  Oh.  Hans my love.  It seems this place is a mess and disgusting, but aww I do love him!! ‘I’m finished in a second’ - lol.  Poor Mia, but she knew he had a visitor and she pushed her way in anyway.  She deserved to cop what she saw.  But she’s right of course.  If they keep doing the gross clean ups for him, he really will never learn.  I love Hans, but ‘tomorrow’ is waaaaaaay too late in a situation like the one they have here.  He really needs to start thinking about other people!!

4.  Aww I do love Mia and Hanna, and I’m glad we still have their friendship here.  But is this sort of awkward not-quite-hug thing normal in Germany?  None of these people look like they want to hug each other and are just doing it out of some sort of obligation.  I get that between Hanna and the boys (there’s some history there after all), but Mia and them?  Still, it’s nice to see these storylines continuing from season one so fluidly.  Like there’s very little awkward ‘so let’s summarise the previous season in stilted dialogue for you’ and yet new viewers should be able to pick up on what’s going on through context and in the ways they have integrated and alluded to it all.

5.  Alex comes on screen and I’m all ‘ugh’ and then sadly he says some stupid stuff.  Mia is super pretty in this scene, though, and I’m a bit baffled about why they chose to film her in such a gorgeous way and then to put Alex in pale colours against a pale background.  He doesn’t stand out at all.  ‘He’s insecure, he just wants his parents’ attention’ - I kind of like that this is coming from Kiki because she sees him with rose-tinted glasses and so it can be seen as biased and excusing him for no reason.  But since I assume this is heading in the direction that Noora’s did, where William didn’t ever have to change but we were expected to excuse him because we found out bits about his background, I’m also assuming that this is going to be a case of ‘Kiki, while being obsessive and too naïve about him in some ways, was right all along about him’ but I guess we’ll see.  Also, he’s basically with Kiki and yet he’s still looking at Mia like that?  He’s clearly not changed at all since last season.  

6.  I just realised we haven’t had any moments with Mia alone yet and we’re already more than halfway through the episode.  I don’t know where I’m going with that but it’s just interesting.  Hanna was so in her head and by herself so often, and it was really nice to be so tight in with her.  It’s a bit odd to not have that anymore.  I know that the two characters are different but I miss that getting-to-know-you stuff of the main character.

7.  The stuff with Kiki is really good, though.  I like the way her issues are being highlighted but in a way where it’s clear that her thought processes aren’t immediately obvious as toxic.  It’s really good that what she says and does is logical and can be seen as ‘healthy’ and so dismantling that thought process is really important to teach.  Now, I only saw Noora’s season once so I don’t know how much is coming from the original but even if this is coming through from there, I like the way it’s going.

8.  Alex again.  I do not like him.  His attitude to girls is so shitty.  I mean I know this is William’s fault but I still really really do not enjoy this type of guy.  Again he’s shot in faded out and pale colours vs her darker and stronger ones.  I don’t know what the point is, but I assume there is one.  Maybe that she doesn’t really know him and so she’s only seeing a pale and washed out version of him.

9.  Hanna, darling, I’m with you.  I too hate volleyball and when I was at school our PE teachers were obsessed with it and we had to play it FAR too often for my liking.  Also these looks they are giving each other are super gay.  I don’t make the rules!

10.  This Christmas scene is so super cute!!  The colours etc are glorious.  Hans’s little festoon of lights is adorable.  This little hug with Carlos and Kiki; it’s nice to know where that’s going.  She definitely deserves someone like him (someone who is a bit messy and has some faults but who grows and is under it all a loving friend, and above all is someone who genuinely cares about her).  I know 50 billion people have pointed it out, but I love that Matteo is off to the side and away from the group and that although he’s sort of joining in, he’s not a full part of it.  It’s nice the little hints of how his season is going to go.

11.  Boo Alex.  Blackmail isn’t cool.  It wasn’t cool in Hanna’s season and it’s not cool now.  

And we’re at the end.  We still have very little time just with Mia, just this little moment right at the very very end.  I miss that tight PoV and I hope we see more of it soon.  I still really really dislike this type of love interest and this type of romance.  Alex may not be as bad as William (mostly because he’s better acted) but he’s still a few million miles away from any guy I’d want anything to do with romantically.  Let’s see if that changes as we go on.

#druck #og druck #mia - episode one #update on Alex feelings - I still really dislike him #stay away if you like this character #because you won't enjoy what I have to say about him

[pluviophile-bookworm]

HSMTMTS 2x12: Don't say we'll have to let it go...

After a very stressful morning and several moments in which I was close to a full sanity slip completely unrelated to this, it is high time (heck, it's the highest of times, if you know what I mean) I got to the new HSMTMTS, the last one for a while.

I'm honestly scared, though. This morning I thought nothing could make me more nervous today than the whole ordeal I had to go through, but now that I'm here, I'm super scared and anxious. I don't even want to say it, but... what if this is... you know what I'm thinking. We're all thinking it. I just hope we're wrong in a good way.

I feel like I might die of anxiety, so I guess I'll just dive in. Whatever will be, will be.

Supportive Nini is best Nini. Honestly, I haven't liked her all season as much as I do now. The background, behind-the-scenes role seems to fit her a lot better than the lead. I hope to see more of her like this when (fingers crossed!!!) the show comes back.

Ashlyn, on the other hand, is a perfect lead. She was born for this, and it shows. It shows so much that everybody has finally noticed it. They took their time, didn't they?

Ugh, I hate, hate, hate this kind of moment that happens every time when someone has prepared a surprise for someone else — and we saw that twice this season — once with Carlos at his Quinceañero, and now with Ashlyn. I mean the moment before they find out about the surprise and they feel like they've been forgotten and it's all so sad... at least I know whatever my boy Reddy has planned for his girl will make up for that sort of feeling. I can't wait!

Ahhhhh @redlyncentral you called it! You called it big time! I can't say I wasn't expecting it to be something like this, though, because I trust your sixth sense more than I trust mine — and I trust mine a lot. Also, if anyone deserves to have their name in lights, it's Ashlyn. And remember when she told Big Red that, to make things light up, he just had to walk into a room? Or when he told her that the only thing he'd throw at her was a brighter spotlight? You know, I think that, just like airports are Portwell's thing, lights are Redlyn's thing. And that is so beautiful... I am legitimately crying.

Yikes... see, it's one thing when Nini calls Ricky 'Richard'. But it's another thing entirely when Kourtney calls Howie 'Howard'. Gosh, I hope they clear things up. If Howie has something to say (as in, some secret to come clean about, if you catch my drift), he'd better do it now. I was never too invested in Kowie, but it still hurts to see tension between them.

Ok, but... these two are too dorky for words! I mean, you're telling me Howie was acting that way just because of how nervous Kourtney's talent made him? Oh well, I feel like I can understand that, actually. She's a powerhouse. But also, everyone around here needs to learn a lesson or two from Redlyn. About communication, reciprocity, expression of feelings... it's no accident that they're the parents of the drama club. But this is not about them. Oh, who am I kidding? With me, everything is about them. Unless it's about Seblos or Portwell. Never mind. Moving on.

I am trying very hard not to have a visible or audible reaction because my brother is in the room and I'm supposed to be working, but... EJ had his dad put in a good word for Mr Mazzara at Caltech. And that is something that makes me feel feelings I can't very easily put into words. Also, what does that mean for Mr M's future at East High?

As clear as the imprint of Jamie's words is to see on EJ's face, I feel like he's not giving up on Portwell quite yet. 'Play it by ear' sounded quite promising to me, all things considered.

Not Ricky and Nini writing the same thing in slightly different words... again! I absolutely get why people ship them, at least on the surface level I do, but I really can't see them as a couple anymore. That is not to say, however, that I'm not rooting for them on their way to figuring out how to be 'just' friends. (See, I'm not a big fan of the expression 'just friends', as if it's something less than a romantic relationship, so...) They could be the best friends ever. If, and only if they learn to communicate properly. All kinds of relationships require good communication. I feel like I'm saying that a lot, but, you know, if it's true...

I can't look at Miss Jenn the same way after last week's episode. The Menkies have turned her, quite frankly, into a monster. She's too obsessed with beating Zacky Roy to notice how she's treating her students who have always been nothing but devoted to her and the play. Well, some of them anyway... I feel like it's time for Carlos to reconsider his opinion of her... and I know it must be painful, and the least thing I'd ever wish for him is pain, but... sometimes certain painful things are necessary. I just hope everyone comes out of this alright. I think I might not, though. I've been crying for a while already.

No... why is Gina crying? My girl needs a hug... Oh, here comes Nini. This seems like it's been a long time coming.

This was beautiful... only one character played by an actress named Olivia will be redeemed today. And it's the right one, if I do say so myself.

Alright, who called it? Gina connecting Nini with her brother about her music, I mean. I know for a fact someone here called it. If you happen to be that genius and you read this, please come forward in the notes to get the credit you deserve. This is... a little too perfect to be true, but I feel like it's the best way to connect and wrap up several storylines with one blow. And I love when that happens. Gosh, why does this feel like a series finale? Please tell me I'm wrong. I am not ready. I will never be ready. Ok, maybe one day I will be, but not anytime soon. Please tell me my feeling is deceiving me this time.

Oh, good, it's being addressed. The 'jump off of something high' comment, I mean. It would have been wrong not to address it. I kind of really liked the way they did it, too. Also, 'getting there' really is the most accurate answer to the question whether Ricky is happy. I feel like he's got a long way to go before he does get there, but he really is closer to that destination than he's been in a while. This boy deserves all the happiness. He's been through way too much. And I'm glad Miss Jenn is finally seeing her part in his struggles throughout the year.

Ahhh it's the song! I've been so excited for it all week, ever since that teaser leaked. But, once again: why does this feel like a finale? I want to curb my anxiety and watch this episode with a free mind, but the episode itself just isn't helping me. Ok, let's go back to the song for now. Whatever will be, will be.

No... EJ's verse... just no. Somebody tell that boy not to be so hung up on the words of somebody who doesn't even know who Gina is today. I've had 'the majestic S.S. Portwell' for a couple of weeks and I'm not ready for it not setting sail after it was almost out of the... port(well). Have I ever told you I make bad puns when I'm anxious?

Carlos doesn't even remember being on stage... that's too relatable to be overlooked. See, I used to perform on stage (I've decided to quit for good now and it makes me cry only slightly), and that has always been how I've felt about it. I feel like my favourites are who they are because I relate to each one of them to an extent — some are who I think I am, some are who I used to be, and some are who I wish I could become... and so much more on top. I'm being so emotional. I'm not ready to let these kids go. Please someone tell me I won't have to, at least not quite yet.

The Wildcats' reaction to... Capital-B-witch and Fake-French-Git-who-is-apparently-French-for-real (as I've taken to calling those two because calling them by their real names would mean showing them respect which they don't deserve) was exactly the same as mine. No one invited them there. They're not supposed to be there. Someone kick them out.

'Big Red... you were... also there!' Um, excuse you, he was not just 'there'! I mean, I know we didn't get to see him on stage (we've been robbed!!!), but I'm sure he was the most amazing LeFou to ever grace a theatre stage. That being said, we have been robbed! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I want to see what Big Red's reaction will be. I've been fantasising about this moment for weeks now.

Ok... so I said a couple of weeks ago, in my post on 2x10, that Ricky has been given a chance to prove what kind of friend he is right then and there... and, well, this wasn't exactly how I envisioned it, but it was nice. I think that's the word for it. Nice. Ricky is just too nice to do what I kept seeing in my fantasy. And Big Red is doubly too nice to do it. But I... I surprise myself sometimes with how aggressive I can get in defence of other people. Maybe it's better this way than my way.

Did that capital-B-witch just say what I thought I heard her say? Because there's no way she just said that. Also, 'sometimes people deserve a second chance'... well, yeah. And sometimes they don't, you... well, I don't use words like that, but you guys can put two and two together, right?

'I'd trade it all for this group right here tonight'... me too, Eej, me too. I'm not even going to pretend I'm not crying because, guess what, I'm bloody bawling my eyes out! I kind of stopped for a moment when you-know-who and her second-in-command came in, but now I'm crying again. I am so not ready to let these kids go.

So... they're dropping out? Just like that? Well, that was anticlimactic! But hey, I absolutely get it. That's the Wildcat spirit, after all, isn't it? They did win already. They won something that some of North High's students can never understand. And that's more important than just about anything. [side note: I've got to say I appreciate the fact that my boy Reddy is now able to joke about his opening night predicament. See, that's another thing I relate to. I go through the craziest stuff, and then I laugh and tell stories to anyone who will listen. And I think that's the best approach to that kind of stuff. I just wish I could be less dramatic about the little things, too. It seems to me it's easier to laugh about the big, serious stuff once it's over, but not about some things that most people would deem unworthy of their attention. But hey, I'm working on that. Also, this post is not supposed to be about me. Moving on.]

Bless Ashlyn and the fact that she's good at communication. Even if she's a little late. She's not too late yet. Portwell might still be saved.

No, Ricky, you so did not just call you-know-who! I will not stand for any of that. Unless it's to shut her off once and for all, in which case I say go for it and go full steam. But why do I get the feeling it's not going to be like that? Ok, never mind, let's set that one aside and focus on Portwell for a second.

Ok, that was... that was going to be so beautiful, and then they cut it off. Is Portwell about to be Redlyn 2.0? Oh well, if it really is, that isn't going to be so bad after all. But now all I can think about is... when are we getting the renewal? How am I supposed to sleep at night until we know for sure?

Not them making me cry with a BTS montage... as if I wasn't crying hard enough already. I'm not alone in the house, you guys! In fact, we're having a bunch of guests from overseas in... wait, I think they're at the door. I'm not ready for people! Not now. Pray for me, you guys! (In all seriousness, though, don’t pray for me. Pray for a season 3 announcement to come soon)

#hsmtmts #hsmtmts s2 #hsmtmts spoilers #ricky bowen #nini salazar-roberts #gina porter #ej caswell #ashlyn moon caswell #big red redonovich #carlos rodriguez #seb matthew-smith #kourtney greene #hsmtmts howie #hsmtmts miss jenn #hsmtmts mr mazzara

[riderunlove]

Part 12

A happy moment

The bright sunshine woke her earlier than she’d planned. She’d gotten so used to the windowless dorms on base that she’d forgotten to pull the curtains. If she got up to do it now she’d never go back to sleep. Nothing for it, gotta get up. She told herself. She crept downstairs carefully, needing coffee before she made any plans for the day. There was something almost magical in this quiet morning. She wanted to bask in it for a little bit. The previous night had been so wonderful. She’d brought her boys home with her. University was in the middle of a session so Carlos wasn’t home, but it had felt important to bring her two families together. Her Dad had been so worried when she decided to join AI. He feared she would get hurt, but even more he worried she would regret giving up her music dreams to chase bad guys around the world and that the decision was based only in her grief and anger over her Mom’s death. That was the impetus that tipped the scale, but Julie had been thinking about joining the agency for some time. It was the family business after all. 

They had all stayed up late, playing board games and watching movies. Reggie was obsessed with the game of Life because the whole concept was so weird to him. He’d never had that normalcy. His enthusiasm made it hard to resist. Luke and Alex had gotten into an extremely heated game of Battleship that Ray ended up having to mediate as they both cheated furiously. Her dad had ordered all of them to bed around 2, like they were a bunch of unruly teenagers. The guys had hugged her goodnight and a sleepy Luke had pressed a quick kiss to her forehead as well. The sweet moment had filled her stomach with butterflies and her dad’s knowing look had her blushing bright red. 

She paused at the base of the stairs, feeling her dad’s gaze on her back, “Mija, I don't know why you worried. They helped you find yourself again.”

“They are ridiculous though,” she joked. 

He’d snorted and raised an eyebrow, she had rolled her eyes and gone to bed. 

In the peaceful morning, she felt the music spark in her soul. It’s warmth flooded her chest and she realized she was ready. Her mom’s  studio was still set up, and it was time. 

//

Luke woke up earlier than planned. Something just whispered he needed to be awake. He threw on pants and wandered downstairs. Surely no one else was up so he wouldn’t have to hear about his old Green Day cut off.  He was not too old to dress this way thank you very much Alex. nothing downstairs so why? Then he heard it. Piano. It was soft, almost timid. He followed the sound like a moth drawn to a flame. Down the driveway to the garage. That wasn’t a garage. The volume had picked up a little, whoever was playing was gaining confidence. Just as he slipped into the garage, ready to discover the mysterious musician, they started singing. He knew instantly that it was Julie. She was incredible. Angelic, powerful like a wrecking ball. He was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open and he didn’t dare breathe. He could listen to her sing forever. 

And you use your pain 

‘Cause it makes you you

Though I wish I could hold you through it

I know it's not the same

You got living to do

And I just want you to do it

So get up, get out, relight that spark

You know the rest by heart

Wake up, wake up if it's all you do

Look out, look inside of you

It's not what you lost

It's what you'll gain raising your voice in the rain

Wake up your dream and make it true

Look out, look inside of you

It's not what you lost

Relight that spark, time to come out of the dark

When she finished she hugged the sheet music to her chest, and he realized her mom must have written it. Julie had told him once that her mom was a musician. It had been late at night after a bad op and he’d been toying with a song in the music room. She had come to hang out with him. Julie hadn’t mentioned she was a musician as well, an insanely talented one at that. As she pushed away from the piano and stood she saw him and froze, tears still tracing down her cheeks. His fingers twitched with the urge to trace their path and wipe them away. He willed his arm to stay still and tried to rearrange his face into a normal expression. He wasn’t sure he succeeded. 

“I-” they both started at the same time. She nodded for him to speak. 

“I didn’t mean to intrude. You’re incredible, by the way.” 

“Thanks. That’s the, umm, first time I’ve played in awhile,” she sounded so hesitant. 

“No one would know that. No rust. I’m impressed,” he kept it light, unsure how much pressure she could take. 

She giggled a little. 

“Also, now instead of just hanging out when we jam, you will be participating.” he winked. 

“You are not the boss,” she snarked back, rolling her eyes. 

“I’m well aware of that, but I need you,” he pouted. 

��Fine. I will deign to elevate your garage band.” 

He didn’t bother to try hiding his huge grin, he couldn’t even if he wanted to.

* yes i cheated and Julie is playing wake up. It is the only choice really.

#this didn't go as I had envisioned it #then when does anything ever #winter soldier au #jatp #mere pretends to write sometimes #don't worry this is almost finished

[flyingstar360]

Bittersweet Memories

So, Happy Thanksgiving and I’m really sorry for Alex angst/ooc. There’s a little bit more adult-ish content in it,  and by that, I mean we have boys kissing, mentions of teenage drinking, a few colorful words I may have forgotten to edit out, and mentions of some pretty serious homophobia topics. Also, I’m straight, so I’ve never had to come out or anything, and this is my first time writing openly gay characters. Hopefully, I did okay, and I don’t offend anyone! Any way, it’s a long one, so sorry!

Bittersweet Memories

              Alex twisted his drumsticks between his fingers. Julie and her family weren’t home. She told the boys she was going to go volunteer with her dad and brother, but honestly? Alex’s anxiety post Orpheum had been at an all time high. Between secret meetings with Willie, trying to avoid Caleb and save Willie’s soul, band practice and their growing fan base, and the fact that the holidays were coming up? Alex felt like one of the strings of Luke’s guitar, right before it snapped.

              He knew Thanksgiving had always been Reggie’s favorite holiday. It was the one day his parents didn’t scream all day, because there was just enough distraction and alcohol to keep them from going after each other. He and his brother would play flag football and watch the parade with their cousins.  The delight was practically oozing off him as he and Luke were curled in front of Julie’s laptop, rambling on about the musical acts performing. Ironically, it was a show about hell, or something?

“Dude if musicals had been like this? Yo, I would never have given you a hard time about them.” Luke said to Alex, looking up from his spot on the ground.

              Luke’s relationship with Thanksgiving was a little more complicated than Reggie’s. It wasn’t his favorite, but he didn’t hate it. Plus, now that they were dead, Luke had never been closer to his family. Even though they had no idea Julie was actually helping him leave little clues around for them to know he was there with them.

              “Are you gonna go see your parents today?” He asked Luke.

              “Already done. Julie helped me leave a little message for my mom.” Luke grinned.

               Alex rolled his eyes. “Please tell me it has nothing to do with cranberry jelly.”

              Emily Patterson made the best homemade cranberry sauce Alex had ever eaten. The Thanksgiving he’d spent at the Patterson’s was one of the best meals Alex had ever eaten. But Luke, for some reason, didn’t like the cranberry sauce his mom made. It was one of those fancy ones, with real cranberries and orange in it. To Alex, it smelled and tasted exactly like he always dreamed the holidays would. Sweet, with a hint of spices. But no.Luke wanted processed cranberry jelly. Alex remembered seeing the two of them arguing about it the last Thanksgiving they’d been alive. Luke had run away a few weeks later, and they’d died in July.

              “Julie got me a can of cranberry jelly to leave on the counter. Mom’ll know.”

              Alex hated canned cranberry jelly. All he could think about was the way it had clung to his button down shirt the last Thanksgiving he spent with his parents. He remembered the sounds of the plates crashing, the way the glass pie plate had shattered as it hit the wall and smashed next to his face, and the way his father’s voice spit out the words as he- No, Alex didn’t want to think about it.

              Alex hated Thanksgiving, actually.

              It was two Thanksgivings ago- or two Thanksgivings before he died, instead. His dad’s coworker had come over with his family. Alex didn’t mind. Mr. Marsters’s son was a little older than him. And he was cool. Seth Marsters was a baseball player at the fancy private school in town. He was class president. He was handsome. He liked good music. And he was honestly really nice. Alex never minded spending time with him, and their parents were good enough friends that it happened pretty frequently. The two had ended up in Alex’s room while their dads talked work and their moms finished the dinner and drank wine. Sometimes they’d play Super Mario Kart on Alex’s Nintendo and the TV he had in his room. Other times, the boys just sat around and talked and listened to music.

              “Okay.” Seth had said as he opened the tape deck Alex had in his room. “Don’t laugh, but I made you mix tape with some of the other songs I thought you’d like. I would have burnt you a CD, but Dad wouldn’t let me use the computer, because he was too busy with work.”

              Alex grinned and flopped himself across his blue bedspread as he watched Seth fiddle with the tape deck. Alex didn’t have a lot of friends. His anxiety made it hard to make friends at school. So, the guys in band were his best friends- and so far, the only people who knew he was gay. Luke had actually been the first guy Alex ever kissed- after they’d snuck a bottle of something that had made Alex’s eyes water and throat burn out of Mr. Patterson’s liquor cabinet. Reggie would turn up at the backdoor in the middle of the night sometimes, with cuts or bruises Alex never questioned but would clean up nonetheless. And Bobby would show up at lunch with extra food packed for the guys, and his mom always made sure Alex had something without nuts in it. It was that kind of stuff that made Alex feel normal. And not like a freak. Even though he knew he was different from everyone else.  But besides the guys, he didn’t feel comfortable with almost anyone else. Except Seth.

              “Okay, but I can’t promise not to laugh until I hear what songs you picked.”

Seth grinned back and hit play as he plopped himself next to Alex, resting on his elbows, face to face with Alex. It took everything Alex had not to blush as Seth went on and on about why Nirvana was a better band than Poison. Nodding dumbly, he didn’t even register what was playing- until he heard a familiar voice whose CD was hidden behind his copy of The Hobbit on his bookshelf.

              “I’m sorry, is this Whitney Houston?” Alex sat straight up. Seth was the one blushing now, as he fumbled to skip the song.

              “Yeah, it’s dumb, I just-“

              Alex reached out to stop him. “Dude, I love Whitney Houston. She’s got a killer voice.”

              Seth turned a shade redder than before. Alex had never seen him flustered at all before. Seth was normally the one all put together, and Alex was the anxious mess. It was honestly pretty endearing, and Alex felt the butterflies in his stomach.  “I heard this on the radio and I kind of thought of you instantly.” Seth said quietly. “It just.. well. It makes me think of you every time I hear it, I guess.”

              Alex just kind of blinked for a moment, processing what that could mean, as Seth watched him carefully. But Before Alex could really say anything, Seth leaned in and pressed his lips against Alex’s.

Oh.

OH.

Alex closed his eyes as Seth wrapped his hand around the back of Alex’s head and pulled him in closer. His lips were soft and Alex thought he could taste a hint of Chapstick, and root beer. It was a million times better than the clunky teeth and lips kiss he and Luke had shared. This was like a movie kiss, in Alex’s opinion. The butterflies in his stomach, the way his heart was pounding- suddenly he felt like he really got why the guys in the band were so obsessed with girls  Being able to have moments like this, feel like this, without anyone judging you? Without anyone thinking you’re spreading a deadly disease? It felt almost as good as playing music.

              “And I will always love you-“ Whitney’s long hold of the note drowned out the sound of Alex’s mother’s heels clicking down the hall, but not the screech she let out after pushing his door open and seeing the two boys’ moment.

Alex wouldn’t forget that sound. Or the sound of the front door slamming as his Dad sent Seth and his parents away without even eating.

              “Dad, it’s not his fault.” Alex said as his father stormed back into the dining room where Alex stood next to his mother. As his dad started to yell again, Alex cut him off.  “Dad! It’s not his fault. I-I kissed him back.”

His father froze, eyes wide, face purple. Veins were bulging on his neck. Alex hadn’t meant to say that.

              “I’m gay, Dad.”

He sure as hell hadn’t planned on saying that. He took a deep breath and continued. “Look, I know it’s upsetting, but I’ve known for a while and I didn’t know how to tell you guys. I didn’t want to disappoint you, and-“

              That was when the glass pie plate with his mom’s famous cherry pie hit the wall next to his face. Alex ducked to avoid the plate of cranberry jelly that followed it. His father only stopped hurtling dishes at Alex because his mom stepped in between them and told him to leave the house. He ran out, shirt covered in cranberry goop splatter and cherry pie filling. He must have looked like he’d murdered someone when he’d shown up at Bobby’s house. Bobby’s mom brought him clean clothes and let him spend the night. After that Thanksgiving, Alex noticed Luke’s parents looking at him strangely after church. Reggie’s parents didn’t let him come over anymore, not that he did much anyway. And Seth got accepted to a “boarding school” that Alex had heard whispers about. He never saw him again.

~

             “Alex?” Julie stopped just inside her bedroom, by the door. Alex jumped up from where he was sitting by the window. Somehow, during his trip down memory lane, he’d wandered into her room, absent mindedly tapping on the bongo she had by her window.

              “Ah- Sorry. Boundaries. I know.” He mumbled, putting the bongo back on her windowsill.

Julie shook her head and sat on the edge of her bed, opposite the chair Alex had found himself in.

              “It’s okay. Carlos told me he heard drumming coming from in here and went to distract dad. When I didn’t see you in the studio, I just figured you went to spend Thanksgiving with Willie or checking in on your family or something.”  She looked at him intensely and he shifted uncomfortably. “Are you okay?” She asked quietly and reached her hand out to rest on top of his. It slipped right through him, and he pulled away, embarrassed. Here she was, trying to be a good friend, and he was lying to her and being an anxious wreck again. He started to protest, tell her he was fine, when someone knocked on her door. Ray stuck his head in.

              “Hey, niña.” He smiled at Julie. “Pizza should be ready in about ten minutes.” Julie nodded. “You did some good work today. Thanks for coming to help out.” She smiled back at her dad.

              “You know it’s always been my favorite part of Thanksgiving.” She told him. Alex noticed Reggie and Luke peeking out from behind Ray. “I’ll be down in a minute.” The guys slipped through the door as Ray closed it, both standing awkwardly.

              “We’re sorry, dude.” Luke started. “We kinda both forgot that Thanksgiving isn’t a great day for you.”

              “I got really excited because it’s always been a good day for me. I didn’t mean to brush off your feelings.” Reggie shifted his weight from side to side. “I just really love the parade and I heard there were puppies after it now and puppies are way better than football and-“

              Julie cut Reggie off. “You don’t like Thanksgiving?”

              “You work on Thanksgiving?” Alex countered. He knew he was being a little short, but there was no way he could handle Julie looking at him the way other people did when they found out he was gay.

              “We volunteer at Marsters House every year. We serve dinner and hang out.” She said. “And you’re avoiding the question.” Alex stiffened in his seat when Julie mentioned the word “Marsters”. Luke and Reggie went pale. Julie noticed all of it. “Please don’t tell me the Marsters’s stole music or something from you guys too.” She groaned. “It’s bad enough knowing Carrie’s dad isn’t who I thought he was, if Seth and Cory are liars too, I couldn’t handle it.”

              Alex was pretty sure he was going to throw up. Could ghosts even throw up? He tried to take a few deep breaths. “Julie.” He whispered. “I need you to tell me where this place is.”

              She jumped up. “No. No way. Last time you guys were upset and I told you where something was, you got sucked in by Caleb and I almost lost you to those stamps. No way!”

              “We’re going and you can’t stop us!” Alex raised his voice at Julie. “Wait, what are you doing?”

              Julie was grabbing her sweater. “I’m not letting you go alone. I’ll take you there. But you guys aren’t going alone!” Alex looked over at his bandmates.

              “Okay.” He said.

              “Dad?! I just realized I left my phone at Marsters’ House, I’m gonna go grab it!”

~

              It sounded like the aftermath of Thanksgiving dinner from just outside the building. There was yelling at football games and possibly video games. There were lots of people inside- most of them around his age. But the man who opened the door was decidedly not his age. But it was absolutely Seth.

              “I’m so sorry to bother you, but I think I may have left my phone in the kitchen?” Julie lied without a blip in her demeanor. Alex was both impressed and terrified. Looking over at Luke, Alex would be willing to guess Luke felt the same way. As they went inside, Alex knew he wouldn’t be going to the kitchen. Instead, he turned down the hall, and followed adult Seth into an office. On Seth’s desk was a photo of him with another handsome man- blond. Seth had a type.

              “Alexa?” Seth said, as he settled himself down at his desk. “Play Alex’s Mixtape.” Suddenly, Whitney Houston came from the speakers. Alex couldn’t breathe. Someone grabbed his hand. Julie. She squeezed it tight.

              “Thanks Seth! Happy Thanksgiving!” She yelled over her shoulder as she pulled Alex away. Reggie and Luke were waiting outside. He brushed past them for a few yards, pulling his hand free of Julie’s grasp, before having to stop. He crouched on the ground, arms wrapped around his knees, rocking back and forth as sobs ripped from his throat. He felt the rest of the band catch up, wrap their arms around him. He turned his head and sobbed into Luke’s flannel. Reggie rubbed circles on his back. After a few moments, as the sobs subsided, he realized Julie was murmuring something to him.

              “Alex, it’s okay. You’re okay. We love you, and you’re okay.”

He inhaled and wiped his face and looked right at Julie.

              “I’m gay.” She blinked a few times. Gave her head a little shake Looked at Reggie and Luke, who were holding their breath next to him.

              “I- Was-was I not supposed to know that?” She asked.

All three boy’s jaws dropped.

              “You knew?” Alex asked. “How long have you known?”

              Julie shrugged. “Since like, day one? Anyway, you talk so much about Willie too, so I just assumed that-” She stopped suddenly. “Seth. You’re Seth’s Alex. Oh my god.” She stood up and took a few steps back, then started pacing. “There’s no way. None. I don’t understand.” She looked at the guys. “Seth has seen the video my dad made for Edge of Great. How did he just not notice?”

              “I noticed.” A voice came from behind her. Julie whipped around. “Your dad called. Wanted to make sure we found your phone. I told him you had left already, but I figured I’d check to see how far you’d gotten. Didn’t expect you to have company.” Seth stuffed his hands into the pockets of his trousers.

              “Can you see them?” Julie asked.

              Seth shook his head. “No. But I mean, you’re talking to air. And it sure sounds like you’re trying to talk Alex out of an anxiety attack. Lord knows I’d done that a few times.” He got quiet for a minute. Alex stood, and walked slowly until he was face to face with Seth. He had more wrinkles around his eyes than Alex remembered, but of course. He was twenty-five years older. “Is he here?”

              “Tell him I tried to take the blame.” Alex turned towards to Julie. “Please.”

              She nodded. “He says he tried to take the blame. He didn’t want his parents to blame it on you.”

              “I mean, I did kiss him first. Anyway, they were going to send me for conversion therapy no matter what.” Julie winced. Alex looked back and forth between Julie and Seth.

               “What’s that? They sent him to a school. That’s what they told me”

              “No, Alex.” Julie said quietly. “It wasn’t a school.”

              Seth sighed. “Of course, that’s what they told him.” He looked at Julie and the empty space around her. “Um, where…”

              “Oh! Um, A little towards your left, just kind half turn, and he’s right in front of you.”

              Seth shifted and looked at Alex. “It wasn’t a school. It was a group of people who thought that, through a bunch of therapy and medical procedures, they could make me not gay anymore. Clearly, it was not successful, as I am still a flaming homosexual.” Julie giggled at that, and Alex couldn’t help but smile as he saw Seth’s face break into the familiar grin he once knew. His heart ached a little as it faded away. “I was worried they’d sent you to one too. And when I heard you had passed away from a bad hot dog, I worried- well, I was scared that it was a cover-up. That you’d… Anyway.” He trailed off. “I have no idea how you’re here. Or why. But I’m happy. I love Colby. He reminds me of you sometimes. You’d have been great friends. We met at a Whitney Houston Concert in DC when I was in college. He spilled his beer on me during I’ll Always Love You. I said you were sending me a sign.”

              Alex blinked back tears. “It was the best kiss of my life.”

              Julie smiled. “He said it was the best kiss of his life.” Luke pouted and crossed his arms as Julie’s eyes got wide.

              “It is a long story.” Alex laughed, as he wiped away some tears.

              “Want a ride home?” Seth asked Julie. “Something tells me you’ve got a lot going on.” Julie nodded.

~

Later that night, there was a knock at the studio door. Alex did not expect to see Julie, in her pajamas and with a blanket and pillow outside the studio.

              “Hey! Are you okay?”

              Julie nodded. “We’re watching a movie.” She held up a copy of The Bodyguard on DVD. “I knew my mom had a copy somewhere.”

              As they snuggled on the couch, Julie’s back against Luke’s chest, her legs draped over Alex’s lap, Reggie sitting on the ground in front of them, holding Julie’s hand and leaning against Alex’s legs, he realized something.

              Maybe Thanksgiving wasn’t so bad after all.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp fanfic #Alex #alex jatp #I am the cruise ship of willex #even though I gave him an OC in this #i love my dead gay son #I love my emotional support ghost band #fanfiction #Julie and the Phantoms Fanfiction #Thanksgiving

[locoluv96]

So I may or may not have binged the entire series yesterday and caught up. Sit back and relax. I have a lot of thoughts.

CHARACTERS

RICKY

Ricky needs help. The first season he seemed a little unhinged. He was focused only on Nini and how to get her back, even though she was with EJ, who I have a lot to say about. It was borderline obsessive. Suddenly, Gina, again a lot to say about her, befriends him and they seemingly click but he still focused on Nini. Then they do get back together at the end and Gina isn’t even a lasting thought. By the second season he has completely cracked. Nini is his sole obsession and completely disregarded Gina, knowing how she felt towards him. Let’s not forget how hateful he acted towards Miss Jenn when she and Mike were starting to date. He was horrible. Now he and Nini are broken up and he will go into a depression I’m sure. He needs to focus on himself just for a while. He needs HELP!!!

Nini

Nini is great but she’s a little self involved. Not so much in the first season but in the second season she really kind of of is. Like all she had to do was be honest with Ricky but she wasn’t and it made that whole scene worse. Overall she’s a good character and I like her. I’m glad we're getting a more in depth look at her character and hope we get some more growth. There isn't much to say on Nini, other than she's great.

Ashlyn

Ashlyn is a sweet soul and is one of my favorites. I will say she needs to be a bit more observant to the people around her, especially Big Red. She has one of the best personalities of the characters and I can't wait to see what they have in store for her.

Carlos

Carlos is the most complex character yet also very outspoken and knows what he wants in life. I appreciate how amazingly blunt he is. like he says what he means and means what he says.

Seb

Seb is the literal definition of adorable. He must be protected at all costs. Also, Miss Jenn needs to leave him alone. He's the sweetest and cutest thing. That is all that needs to be said about him.

Kourtney

Kourtney is almost the male version of Carlos in the way she is outspoken. Like Carlos she says what she means and means what she says. She doesn't take any crap but will sure as heck will give it if it's deserved. I love Kourt, she's a spitfire and I really appreciate that in a person.

Big Red

Big Red is also the definition of adorable. He's playful, sweet, and loyal, in the best possible way. I love everything about him. I could go on and on about how much he should be protected at all costs. I won't though, but just know, he must be protected.

Miss Jenn

Miss Jenn is the teacher everyone wants but no one needs. She's relaxed but also stern. She loves all of her students, though sometimes it feels like she has favorites. I love her though, she's the best.

EJ

One of my two favorite characters. His development has been amazing. The changes in him have been great. His awareness of his mistakes is the best thing ever. They way he critiques himself is not okay though. EJ your perfectly imperfect and that's okay. My favorite thing about him though is his willingness to right all of his mistakes and to do better. EJ smiling is everything especially when it's at Gina. He's also a sweet guy, that thought of himself a lot but now thinks of others. EJ is just great and complex in the best possible way. Matt's portrayal of him is the icing on the cake because anyone else wouldn't do EJ justice. Matt is he embodiment of EJ. Also, Gaston, was truly immaculate and the flexing from Matt, um hello.

Gina

The other of my two favorites in the show. Her development has been outstanding. She went from being sketchy and closed off to being sincere and slowly opening up. I love how there showcasing a lot of her layers and really letting us know what she's about. The fact that she acknowledges what she did in the past was wrong and strives to be better is great. Even after being used by Ricky she chooses to open up to EJ and Ashlyn, which really is character development. Sofia's immaculate acting really accents who Gina is and what she's feeling at all time just by the expression on her face.

RELATIONSHIPS

Rini

They are cute together but they need to get their crap together before trying again. Not a fan of a super clingy boyfriend who wants to do nothing but talk to you or about you. I get it Ricky, you love her, she's everything to you, but dude, you have a life outside of her, live it a little bit. I also am not a fan of a girlfriend who doesn't communicate with said clingy boyfriend and instead caters to his behavior only to throw it in his face during a fight, not cool Nini. If they can find themselves outside of each other and then try again it will be a better deal for them. Just saying.

Rina

Not a fan at all and I'll tell you why. First off, I get and understand why there is a following but they were nothing but a tool to get Ricky and Nini back together. Ricky never actually cared about Gina, and even knowing how she felt about him, (don't come at me saying, "oh she wasn't clear about it with him." she literally said she wouldn't give up on them if she wasn't moving. She told him.) continued to ignore it in favor of asking her advice about Nini. He went so far as to say if we were dating, who says that to someone they know likes them. That was an absolute trash thing to do. So I am not a fan nor do I support this ship.

EJ and Nini

Another stepping stone to put Ricky and Nini back together. They never clicked and honestly there wasn't trust between them because she clearly still had feeling for Ricky and displayed that constantly. Yes, he had no right to take her phone, but Ricky had no right leaving that voicemail for her knowing she was seeing someone, not cool on either one.

Seblos

They are cute, but Carlos needs to watch what he says to Seb. dude hurt his feelings and that is not okay. Seb must be protected.

Kourt and Howie

There cute but rushed and aren't shown much, which I hope changes after this last episode because that was adorable and she needs to forgive Howie. Not much else to say on that.

Redlyn

They are very wholesome and I'm thankful that we saw that even they aren't perfect in this last episode. I do feel like we didn't get much development between them before they started dating , so that throws me a bit but other than that there very cute.

Miss Jenn and Mr. Mazzara

Adorable and I'm rooting for it.

Portwell

This has become my OTP. I love the slow burn of it all. How it was hinted at during season 1 and really highlighted after Gina told Ricky off. All of their scenes together are chef's kiss. The directions during practice was cute. The snorting laugh in the class room was absolutely adorable. The couch scene was immaculate and so wholesome. The fact that she was helping him but he still asked about her in an effort to know her better, was fantastic. Instead of pulling a Ricky and making all about him he actually made her feel needed and wanted, but also safe enough to open up to him. Following that with him putting his hoodie over her while she was sleeping was just wonderful and gave me all the feels. The promo showing that it's possible she's wearing said hoodie is too cute to handle. I love Portwell. Love, Love, Love them. I want more of them and will riot if we don't get it.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Hsmtmts is a great show and I'm living for EJ, Gina, and Portwell. I can't wait for episode 9. I need to know if she's wearing his hoodie. I think she is and that her talk with Jack will help her realize how much EJ means to her and that she hadn't thought of Ricky in the longest time because she's so happy around EJ. Fingers crossed Ricky is no longer on her radar, he is trash for her.

#hsmtmts #ej x gina #hsm the series #portwell #ej caswell

[telli1206]

You’re So Fine, You Blow My Mind (Part 2)

Tourney player Jay is smitten with the new cheerleader, and Evie and Mal help get them together.

Click here for Part 1: Jay

Part 2: Mal

Evil, there’s so much about tourney that Mal just can’t stand.

First off, the uniforms? They make sense to wear during games, kind of, but could they look anymore pansy-ish? Shiny blue and gold jerseys and shorts in silky soft materials? Not her idea of threatening or intimidating. These Auradonians make everything look so overdressed and...fancy.

And the games? With people watching and chanting stupid rhymes about defense and winning, with their faces painted blue and gold? It’s embarassing that anyone would want to act like that, especially to cheer on a fight over a ball. It would actually be similar to watching fights break out on the isle, if people here weren’t so weird about dressing up and singing for it.

For those reasons, and a few more, it took A LOT of convincing from Jay to get Mal to try out for tourney. But he won her over, of course. Jay always knew how to get through to Mal. 

Not that she’d ever admit to that.

But at the end of the day, how could she turn down the opportunity to take her aggression out on a few Auradonian boys on the tourney field? 

Especially Chad. Damn, Jay really knew her weaknesses.

But she’s a good friend too, so she’s VERY familiar with Jay’s weaknesses. And right now, his biggest weakness is ruining her practice and annoying the hell out of her.

She’s referring, of course, to the brain in his pants.

And that brain has completely taken over Jay today. Just one look at the new cheerleader boy, and her new best friend and teammate has been reduced to a clumsy, awkward, stuttering mess. Drills were a disaster, every play they ran was a complete failure, and Mal’s limping off the field now that Jay managed to trip her and knock them both into the ground during laps. 

She hisses quietly as she brushes the dirt off the scrape on her knee, scowling at Jay, who simply shrugs at her and jogs towards the locker rooms, stumbling again on the way when he catches another glimpse of the freckled cheerleader in his peripheral vision.

Ok, fuck this shit. Mal’s fixing the problem, RIGHT NOW.

“Babe!” She calls to Evie as she waves, sprinting over to the pretty bluenette cheerleader.

Evie turns with a bright smile, already leaning forward to meet her girlfriend in a sweet kiss.

“You were fantastic out there today, Mals. The star of practice,” she raves, giving her a wink.

Mal loses her train of thought for a second, smiling and blushing furiously at the compliment.

“Thanks, Eves. I thought it went well today.” Her face turns serious as she remembers her problem. “For me at least. I don’t know if you saw, but someone had a really off day today.”

Evie purses her lips with a slight nod. “Jay? The poor guy, he couldn’t catch a break today. I guess everyone has a day that goes all wrong, right?”

“Sure, that can happen,” Mal surmises with a tilt of her head. “But in this case, it wasn’t just a bad day. Jay’s, problem, has a face. A pretty one.”

Evie giggles, shaking her head. “Of course. When doesn’t it? Who’s the goof all twitterpated for now?”

Mal spins on her heel, crossing her arms as she eyes the boy, now chatting with Jane, arms gesturing wildly in a passionate discussion. She hears words like ‘cosine’ and ‘tangent’ and has to chuckle. Her bestie’s fallen for a hot little nerd.

“Your new guy over there has my best friend tripping over his own feet. We need to do him a favor and introduce them. I don’t think he’ll manage this time without us. The guy’s a little hopeless right now.”

Evie’s eyes light up when she sees who Mal’s talking about. “You mean Carlos?!” She squeals and jumps happily, clapping her hands. “He’s ADORABLE, and the sweetest thing! Oh, he’s perfect for Jay!”

Mal smirks and drops her hands to her hips. Her girlfriend will forever love playing matchmaker.

“Good, but we’ll need to be there to help loverboy. I have a feeling this won’t go smoothly without us. But don’t worry, I have a plan,” Mal adds with a calculated grin.

-----

“So, why do you want to eat lunch in the courtyard today? I thought you liked the middle garden cause it’s less crowded.” Jay follows Mal, grabbing an apple on  their way out of the cafeteria with their trays.

“What, is it so wrong to want a change of scenery one day? I’m not a creature of habit, Jay. I can be spontaneous.”

“Ok,” He chuckles, shining the apple against his vest. “Except you can’t.”

Mal glares at him but keeps walking. 

“Evie’s already saved us a table,” she adds as they turn the corner. She smiles when she spots the girl at the table right in front of them. “And” She nods her head, gesturing for Jay to look. “She brought a friend to join us.”

Jay’s about to take a bite out of the apple, but freezes when he looks up ahead. Evie’s at the table with...his freckled cheerleader boy. He stands there, mouth agape, refusing to move.

Mal rolls her eyes and grabs at his arm, pulling him along. He finally stumbles into step with her up to the table.

Evie and the boy both look up, smiling. Mal smiles back and drops herself in the seat across from Evie, leaving Jay in front of his crush. He quirks a smile and slowly plops himself down, catching himself when he almost drops the apple in his hand. He swings back up quickly with an awkward chuckle.

“Mal! Jay!” Evie sings sweetly. She reaches for the boy’s hand on the table and squeezes it gently. “I’d like you to meet Carlos! He just transferred here last week. And he’s our newest cheerleader.” She comments with a wide smile, which Carlos returns.

“Hi! It’s nice to meet you. Both of you,” he says cheerfully, offering a tiny wave.

“Carlos! I saw you at practice yesterday, you’ve got some pretty sweet moves,” Mal comments.

Carlos’ smile widens at Mal’s praise, and a light pink flush spreads quickly across his cheeks, starkly brightening his face against the pale skin and freckles. 

He’s cute. Really cute. Mal can definitely see why Jay’s so smitten.

“Thanks, Mal. I really love dancing. It was super exciting to make the squad. Evie’s put together some great routines.” He leans into Evie as she smiles and throws an arm around his shoulders for a side hug.

“And you’ve had some great ideas already, Carlos! I can’t wait to see what we can do together.”

Jay clears his throat, grabbing everyone’s attention. Mal sees his hand under the table between them, clenched tightly and at his side.

“Y-Yeah, Carlos.” He says weakly, curling his lips into a half-smile. “I saw you too. You’re...really good.”

Carlos spins back to meet Jay’s eyes with a warm smile, cheeks still flushed and adorable.

“Thanks, Jay.”

Mal bites back a laugh, shaking her head at Jay. He’s so shaky and nervous, totally not the suave flirt she’s used to seeing. And he’s joining late to the conversation and being SO awkward.

He’s so fucked for this kid. It’s time to step in and help.

“So, Carlos. Are you just new to our school, or new to Auradon City too?”

“Both!” He answers brightly, turning to Mal. “We lived in Camelot Heights before, but Roger and Anita thought it would be better for me here. Auradon Prep is known for their Math and Science programs.”

Mal quirks a brow. That explains his excited math chatter with Jane earlier. She peeks at Jay, who’s still listening intently to Carlos, resting his head in his hands with a stupid grin on his face. Obviously the nerd vibe hasn’t phased him at all.

“That’s great! Math and Science aren’t really my thing, but they have a lot of options here to keep you happy if you’re into that stuff.”

She leans in a little, offering a tiny smille. “But have you had any time to explore the city? There’s a lot of great restaurants and shops and stuff.”

Carlos shakes his head, waving his hand around in a circle. “This place is so big, and between tryouts, getting my schedule and taking the tour, I’ve barely even had time to get settled in my room.”

“Well! That’s got to change.” Mal pops back upright. “Evie and I are obsessed with the Auradon City Grille. They have the best burgers around.” Evie’s eyes widen as she nods excitedly at Carlos.

“Yes! And then we always hit up Mrs.Pott’s after for coffee or tea and some of her cupcakes. They’re my favorite,” she gushes, clasping her hands gleefully.

“Ooooh. That sounds great!” Carlos’ eyes light up with excitement. “Do they have chocolate cupcakes? I’m a sucker for chocolate.”

“Yes!” Mal jumps in. “You have to try it.”

Carlos nods eagerly. “I’m in! That sounds like fun! When are we going?”

Before Evie can respond, Mal reaches out to clasp her hand. She smiles knowingly, and Evie closes her mouth, perking her eyebrows in silent agreement.

“Actually, Evie and I are going to be pretty busy this week. I’m bombing Chemistry at the moment, so she’s going to help me study.”

“Oh, ok.” Carlos’ face drops a little in disappointment.

“But!” Mal claps Jay on the shoulder. “Jay here should be free.”

Jay chokes on his water, sputtering as he swallows his mouthful. He looks at Carlos, who’s staring back, and looking, hopeful.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah, I’m free.” Jay swallows loudly. “D-do you wanna go t-t-tomorrow night?”

Carlos smiles full and wide, showing a mouth of gleaming white, perfect teeth.

“Yeah. It’s a date.”

#jay descendants #carlos descendants #cheerleader carlos #jaylos #descendants #mal descendants #evie descendants #malvie