#a game which turns the hidden mickey game you can play at the parks into a collectible

[aeondeug]

a thought i have had is that i don't quite get the complaints that the disney worlds are just filler. even ignoring that some of them are actually tied to the plots of the games with things like maleficent learning about darkness and hearts and keyblades i don't think that is often the case? because if it is not plot stuff that is going on then a lot of the time some sort of character development and emotional thing is happening. which is honestly what i think is kingdom hearts' strongest suit.

like the coliseum in the first game isn't as plot impactful as, say, neverland but it does still matter in terms of like sora's growth as a character. specifically where being a hero is concerned. which is why i think the world recurs as much as it does. it makes for a useful shonen training arc world and also allows the game to wax on about what being a hero actually means. also deep jungle is literally in the same game.

and even outside of things like seeing aqua work through her cop brain issues with stitch and finding out that riku is working with the villains to try and save kairi in neverland i still think the things matter. because it's a crossover series. things like attraction flow and the lifetime passes to disney town or the fucking hidden mickey crater in the keyblade graveyard exist because they are fun nods to disney shit. and the world's themselves are that. i do think things like the kingdom of corona go a bit too far with just recreating the movie while sora stands there gormlessly. but like part of the fun of kingdom hearts and part of what drew me to it as a child was the idea that i'd get to run around in disney worlds. i am there in part to essentially do what i do at disneyland: look at cool themed shit.

[aria-chicken-flugget]

Disney World with The Brothers (+ Undateables)

HCs that no one asked for, i’m just self indulgent✨

Link to Undateables post

*Based on Disney World Orlando Resort*

The Brothers

Lucifer 🔥

The Mom TM

Has a fanny pack with all the tickets

Made a detailed itinerary of where each of you will go when, with whom and for how long

“Our scheduled break’s not for another 10 minutes”

Says he doesn’t need to go on the rides/ doesn’t enjoy it etc

Squealing inside at how much fun he’s actually having

“Wha - is Diavolo going on that train again?”

He literally wouldn’t even go to the parks if he didn’t enjoy it, wouldn’t see the point

“I’m busy enough as it is at home do you think I need this on top?”

This Sadist TM would force people on the rides they didn’t want to ride because It IS iN THe iTinERaRy

Would jam pack the days to get the full experience, wearing most out

But you request a rest day to which he’ll oblige

“Ugh why are we going here -“ “Because MC requested it, complain again and i’ll tear your ticket.”

Tears up when it’s the last night/ fireworks display

“MC, this was a rather fun idea. If you’d like to come again don’t hesitate to ask, i’ll take you.”

Mammon 💵

Goes against everything The Mom TM has worked in the itenerary, but is quickly stopped

Easily distracted and stops in the middle of walking to an attraction.

“Hey don’t stop in the sidewalk, genius.”

Literally bounces with excitement around the parks but blushes furiously when it’s pointed out by the brothers

“Oi quit that, I don’ know what ya talkin’ about”

Would sour real fast when having to queue, getting caught by The Mom when trying to cut the queue

“Why do we have to queue, huh? This better be worth it”

It is

Has the most expressive/funniest ride photographs

“Mammon that ride wasn’t that scary -“ “Who says i was scared, huh? I was making MC feel better about being scared...” Blush

Would push the other brothers out the way if they tried to sit with you on a ride

“But it’s my turn -“ “your turn my ass, that’s MY HUMAN”

Would sour when your attention is divided by the fireworks and him

Soon perks up when you ask to explore the park together and run around like kids at night

Is probably the most fun at this time as there’s not much queing when it gets late so he’ll grab your hand and take you everywhere

Levi 👾

Woooooooaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!

“This is like FINAL BOSS level cool! It’s almost worth being outside.”

The Vlogger TM

Literally documents anything and everything. Even when Beel’s eating a snack- makes it sound like the coolest adventure which it is

“Why are we going to THAT attraction? It’s the literal worst on all the reviews online.”

Secretly LOVES the attraction, would turn into a tomato when called out, fiercly denies it

“Y-you wanna ride with me? Uhhh ok, i guess... no no wait!”

Gets you two matching Mickey ears, along with any and all the possible merch

“In TSL, Henry went to an amusement park with all the Prince’s brothers and they had the best time and it was all Henry’s plan to help them get along and it worked, making their journey more -“ *Belphie Snores*

Looks for hidden Mickeys with you after he bought the book on them, as recommended online

*starts vlog* “Day Three and MC and I are yet to find the elusive hidden Mickeys -“

Can only really last til early afternoon before the heat/ social interaction gets too much for him and he may need to go

Recovers lightning fast when he sees you having fun with his brothers without him whilst he was taking a break

Snatches your hand to take you elsewhere, where d’you wanna go? What d’yo wanna do? Name it and he’ll do it lol Envyyy

Everyone is grateful for his vlogging by the end of the holiday, as it meant you all got to watch it back fondly when it was over

Satan 📚

Unlike Mammon, he successfully escapes The Mom and the itinerary when he wants to

However if you wanted him to stick around, he’d blush, “Alright, just for a while.”

Has a subdued smile on his face, enjoying it much more than he anticipated he would

Smiles widley at the parades, mainly because your smile was so bright as you watched

If he saw you eyeing up a giant Disney Balloon he would buy it, ignoring any protestations

Would back up any discourse over the itinerary just to mess with The Mom

“Perhaps the itinerary is not as ‘well thought out’ as you’d anticipated.”

Would begrudgingly play along with your waiting games whilst queing, secretly loving your company

Would be the one with the maps, and wouldn’t give one to Lucifer lol

Though somewhat gimmicky in his opinion, he’d deeply enjoy the Around the World showcase

Would last longer than anyone expected and would want to see the parks at night

“MC would you like to join me?”

Whilst taking your hand to explore the park’s atmosphere at night

LOVES the Haunted Mansion ride and the way you cling to his sleeve when riding with him

Asmodeus 💋

“Don’t forget to put on sunscreen! Protect your skin 💕”

Whilst Lucifer has a practical, generic fanny pack - Asmo’s is psychedelic and glittery

Packs lip balm, antibacterial gel and a mini fan

Serves all the Best Looks TM each day and takes amazing photos of everyone, with everyone

“Oh no, honey. It’s gonna be hot today you’ll want to wear something lighter like cotton or linen.”

Would whine when he starts to get sweaty around the parks

Would peck your cheek when you suggest a bathroom break to freshen up

LOVES the around the world showcase. All the people, all the culture all the music and colours!

Unsurprisingly, isn’t a fan of rollercoasters as it messes up his hair

Would buy you the cutest souvenir and gets matching bracelets with a small, sophisticated silver Mickey charm on each

Would spend lunch with you, checking on you ensuring your keeping your water up etc and feed you

Also intrigued by the parks at night but would be more interested in getting a good night’s sleep for his skin

However if you asked/wanted time in the parks at night he’d find a secluded area to watch the fireworks with an arm around your waist

Beelzebub 🍔

Would give you piggy back rides when you get tired

“When’s lunch?” “We just got here, Beel...”

Would wrap you in a bear hug if you packed snacks for him

*munch* *munch* “Do you want that? - thanks!” *munch*

Would stop at all the food stalls. Every. Single. One - “ThIS iSn’T iN ThE iTiNeRaRY”

“Here MC, try this! This looks good too, do you want one?”

Would help carry people’s belongings

Wouldn’t notice you put Mickey ears on him until he looked at the photos later

Would notice you eyeing up a parade and when you kept quiet as not to disrupt the itinerary, would speak up

If it doesnt go your way, he’ll sneak away with you “Then we’ll go see it together.” Puppy eyed smile

“Beel we gotta get in the queue or we won’t make the line in time!” “Just a second -“ *munch* *munch*

Wouldn’t mind if you wanted to ride with others, but would eventually get sour if you weren’t with him at all

Would hold your hand around the parks with one hand and eat ice cream with the other

Would put you on his shoulders so you could see the fireworks better

He LOVES the fireworks and wonders what they’d taste like “Beel, no.” “:(“

“Someone’s having fun, i’m glad!”

Carries you over one shoulder and a sleeping Belphie over the other

“I - want to come here again... with you.” Blush

Belphegor 😴

Much like Satan, Belphie would deliberately go against the Itinerary with success, and would take you and Beel with him

Would make everyone late to the park by sleeping in

If you wanted everyone to stick together, you’d convince him with a promise to let him nap on your lap later

Would say he hates being there and would actually hate being there

For the most part... what coaxes him is seeing how happy you are, and Beel being happy too

“Belphie, look how cool this ride is! Wanna go?” ‘Begrudgingly’ agrees with a smirk

Would fall asleep at lunch and would have to be slapped shaken awake

Hell would freeze over before he admitted to it... but he started to have a good time

Starts to get more involved if you hold his hand and encourage him, a small smile on his lips

LOVES Tower of Terror and any boat ride - he can fall asleep on the boat rides

He HATES the water rides but having convinced Lucifer on one under false pretences, his expression makes it worth it lol

That one Joker TM that ‘pretends’ to be asleep in any rollercoaster attraction photograph

Some times he is actually asleep in those photos, but no one knows which ones are real or fake

Doesn’t mind queues because it gives him time to chill and nap

Falls asleep on your shoulder at the fireworks

I will do the Undateables in a follow up Post! Might edit this one but have them for now because I hope they make you smile! ✨

[cherrypieships]

the amusement park: chapter two

A/N: whew omg it’s been a while since I posted! Anyway I’m back and better than ever with part two, the finale of the amusement park!! This chapter includes a trigger warning for fake blood and cult mentions. It's a haunted house, so it isn't a real cult, but I'd rather be safe than sorry <3

Ship: davey jacobs x pepper simmons (s/i), featuring my best friend V and my gf Khourey and their respective f/os, race higgins and jack kelly!

Summary: When the sun sets on Canobie Lake park, the amusement park turns into a Halloween extravaganza, where Pepper and Davey find themselves paired up once more.

Once the sun had dipped onto the horizon, the last dregs of color fading from the sky as the stars came out, the group found themselves heading towards the sides of the park, where the haunted houses were set up. Mickey looped their arm through Pepper’s, pulling her close and pointing out the performers walking past; a clown with a chainsaw, a long-haired girl in a tattered hospital gown, a man wearing a pig’s head as a mask.

“So they basically walk around the park and try to scare people.” She explained, and nudged V so they could listen in as well. “But little kids sometimes wear these little glow-y ball necklaces, see? And the performers can’t scare them.” She pointed out a pair of kids walking past, both of their t-shirts illuminated by spiked plastic spheres attached to long black cords. Sure enough, the actors walked right past them.

Vi pushed their bottom lip out, turning towards Mickey. “That’s so fucking cute.” They cried.

Pepper smiled. It was pretty cute, and a good idea on the park’s part. “Do they wear them into the houses?” She asked curiously.

“I fuckin’ hope not.” Jack scoffed. “I wanna get scared, I’m not here to miss a good haunted house cause of some kid.” He smiled when Mickey swatted him. “What? It’s true!”

Mickey’s eyes rolled. “Yeah, but don’t be a dick about it.” They chastised, going to swat him again, and as their hand made contact, Jack snatched it and brought her fingers to his lips for a kiss.

Averting her gaze, Pepper felt something cold swirl in the pit of her stomach at the casual intimacy. She focused on the gum wrapper on the ground beside her shoe instead of whatever that feeling was.

V’s knuckles rapped against Pepper’s forearm, a gentle knock for her attention. “Hey, I gotta hit the bathroom, you wanna be my buddy?” They asked, though the raise of their eyebrows gave the impression that the question was simply a formality; there was no option.

Making the journey to the restrooms a short one, Vi didn’t even pretend they had to pee, instead moving to stand in front of the mirror and check their eyeliner. “So are you gonna make a move tonight?” They asked, voice quieter than usual.

Pepper sighed, of course this was the reason she was in here. “Dude, I don’t fuckin’ know.” She said, exasperation travelling across her features at even the thought of confessing her feelings. She’d talked a big game about it before, about how she loved Davey, about how she’d confess her feelings for him the second she got the idea he liked her back, but truthfully she was… well, she was scared.

Vi barely looked up from the mirror, but their expression softened. “Obviously you don’t have to,” they reassured. “But I bet that if you don’t at least ask how he feels he’ll never tell.”

Pepper rolled her eyes. “That’s because there’s-“

The door to the bathroom flew open and Mickey blustered inside, annoyance clear on their face. “Okay, how dare you two leave me alone with those idiots.”

V grimaced. “Oh shit, sorry. I just wanted a minute to see what was up with Pepper and Davey.”

Mickey’s lips pursed, eyebrows raising onto her forehead. “Oh shit okay what’s the deal?” They asked, moving closer.

Against her better judgement, Pepper leaned her head against the bathroom wall. “There’s nothing to tell! I don’t have any plans to tell him, and there’s no way someone who talks as much as Davey would have a crush on someone and not say something.” She looked pointedly at her best friends.

“That… is an excellent point.” Mickey acquiesced.

Vi lifted a finger. “Or! Maybe that’s the way you can tell that he does like you.” They moved toward the sink to wash the eyeliner remnants from under their fingernails.

“What?”

Mickey nodded. “Oh, no, I totally get it.”

“Get what? What are you talking about?”

V smiled, turning to put their damp hands on Pepper’s shoulders. “You just said Davey never shuts up.” Pepper nodded slowly. “He’ll talk to you about anything, right?” Another nod.

“But he never talks about what’s up between the two of you.” Mickey finished. “Literally, even if Jack asks, he brushes him off.”

Brow furrowed, Pepper turned back to Vi, who was grinning. “If you don’t ask, he’ll never tell.” They clarified, an echo of their earlier statement. “Don’t fucking focus on what he says, bitch, you have to ask about what he’s not saying.”

Terrifyingly, that made it click. Something welled up hot and thick in Pepper’s throat, hope or fear she couldn’t tell. Whatever it was, she wasn’t budging at her friends’ optimism. “You two are reading too far into this.” She countered weakly.

Mickey grabbed her hand, squeezed it a few times. “Listen, we’re not pressuring you.” They explained, and Violet hummed in agreement. “You don’t have to ask him anything or tell him anything, if you just wanna vibe tonight, that’s totally cool.”

Just like that, the tension melted from Pepper’s body, her psyche apparently pleased at being left alone for the moment. She looked between her friends, Vi’s warm smile and Mickey’s kind eyes, took a deep breath, and went back out into the park.

Back where the boys were waiting, the curtain to the first haunted house had lifted, and the line began to move. Jack waved them down with a smile, and they gapped into the line. He pulled the park pamphlet from his back pocket and flipped to the back, where the haunted house attractions were listed. “Okay so we started next to the big spinn-y thing. Which is… the cult one, The Culling.” He announced.

“Yeah, Jack.” Race deadpanned. “It’s on the sign.” He pointed above the line, which, sure enough, boasted the name of the site.

Jack swatted his friend with the pamphlet before tucking it into his back pocket. “I knew that.” He grinned, throwing an arm around Mickey’s shoulders and pulling them closer.

Davey nudged Pepper’s side. “Partners?” He smiled, offering his elbow as their group stepped up to the banister blocking off the entryway.

She ignored the wink that Vi threw at her, and looped her arm through Davey’s with a blush and a simper. “Hope we don’t die in there.” She mused.

He patted the hand she’d placed on his bicep, warm in contrast to her poorly-circulated own ones. “If we do, we’ll die doing what we loved.”

Her head tilted. “What’s that?”

“Kicking and screaming.”

Pepper crumpled into a fit of laughs as the employee lifted the bannister. “Have fun.” The woman at the entryway smiled, her eyebrows raising mischievously.

Race and V went first, obviously, Race throwing his arm across their shoulders and pulling them close. Mickey and Jack went next, Jack’s hand curled protectively into the back of her shirt as they ducked through the curtain. A billow of dry-ice smoke kicked out at her and Davey as she gripped his arm tighter, moving through the curtain and into a room flooded with red light.

There was a man in the corner, a pair of bloodied goat horns protruding from his head, who growled lowly at them as they walked past. Davey cast a look in his direction, following in the footsteps of his friends, and they heard Race scream further up ahead. Pepper laughed a little at that, the adrenaline beginning to swirl hot in her veins.

The next room was full of actors, at least a dozen kneeling frozen in mock prayer, and the woman to Pepper’s right let out a broken wail, making her jump. Davey’s hand came to grab hers again, this time his fingers tangling with hers. He was laughing gently at her fright, something that might have pissed her off if it had been anyone else.

They passed through a hallway full of strobelights and white walls painted with bloody handprints, the thrum of electricity the only noise for a moment, and Pepper opened her mouth to ask when the Cult Stuff would start, when a man wearing a decaying goat’s skull for a mask barrelled around the corner, making both her and Davey scream.

She curled into his side, awkwardly stepping on his shoe as she did, and watched the man with enormous eyes as he tilted his mask curiously at them. Davey laughed a little, and whether he was trying to laugh off his fright or genuinely enjoying himself, Pepper couldn’t tell.

They rounded the corner, careful of the actor who’d popped out at them, and turned into a room seemingly devoid of anyone, except for Mickey and Jack, who were giggling as they shuffled into the next room. The walls were tall and painted white, a hidden projector playing a black and white video reminiscent of those old war propaganda commercials. It was too loud for Pepper to hear anything properly, but she could catch snippets of the voiceover, “Join us in… the great and powerful… be afraid…” as the video flicked between church services, goats on farms, hypnotic black and white spirals.

Davey tilted his head at the screen. “Christians, am I right?”

Swallowing a laugh, she jutted her elbow into his side. “This is not the time, David.” She snorted, coyly tugging him closer by the anchor his hands provided. Fuck it, why not get close to him while she had the chance?

The end was in sight, she could see the cool blue light of the outdoors pouring in from the other side of the final room; one that was lined with pews, with a goat-headed preacher at the front, holding a black leather-bound book and screaming about the end of days. The church (cult?) -goers were in various stages of worship, some with their arms in the air, some reading their scripture, some sobbing towards the sky. A shudder ran through Davey, one so intense that she felt it in her own skin, and she wondered, briefly, what was so freaky about this particular scene that he-

SLAM

The actor in the pew she’d just passed closed his book with a deafening bang. She jumped, screamed so loud it felt like the sound had been ripped from her teeth, and didn’t realize she was shaking until Davey’s arm encircled her, speeding past the latter half of the room and out of the first haunted house.

Pepper swallowed a mouthful of fresh air, held it for a few seconds, and released it with a pleased laugh. She turned her face up to Davey’s, ready to ask him if his heart was racing the way hers was, when he cut her off, gripping her shoulders like she’d disappear. “Are you okay?” He demanded.

Her eyebrows pinched together, her smile melting at the way his eyes were blown wide. “Yeah? I-I’m fine?” She said, reaching up to grip his wrists. “What’s wrong, are you okay?”

Every hint of expression faded from his face. The fire left his eyes, his hold on her softening, his jaw and browline going slack at the realization. “Yeah, I… I thought he-”

Race’s hands landed on either one of their shoulders. “Hey, Jack wants to know if you guys wanna do the hotel one or the factory one next, we’re at a tie.”

Pepper turned to him, blinking back the heat in her cheeks. “Oh fuck, okay, we’ll be right there.”

There were four more haunted houses, each of them with a bit of walking distance between them. Davey didn’t release her hand until they’d cleared the last attraction.

---

Still reeling from the adrenaline rush of the haunted houses, the group made their way toward the back of the park where the Ferris Wheel resided. Violet and Race were skipping down the lanes, their laughter fluttering in the cool autumn wind. Mickey and Jack were walking in front of them, their pinkies linked as they recounted their haunted house experiences.

Pepper tried to ignore that Davey was still so close to her.

His voice broke her out of her thoughts.

“Which one was your favorite?” He asked, the back of his hand brushing against Pepper’s as they walked. He was looking down at her, nose all rosy and cheeks flushed. He wore autumn so well.

She pursed her lips as she thought. “The cult one.” She settled after a moment.

Davey grinned. “Mine too. Or the hotel was really good.” He turned to her once they reached the line for the ferris wheel. “Y’know, when that guy back there slammed his bible closed I thought he hit you.” His fingers twitched, like he was waiting to reach for something.

There it was. The reason for his earlier freakout.

Laughing lightly, Pepper shook her head, curls falling in her face as she tried to dispel any of his remaining worry. “Oh God, no. Isn’t that illegal, anyway?” She focused on the ferris wheel ahead of them, the eighty feet of blinking lights and rocky baskets that they’d be shoved into; anything besides the bewildering look that was back on Davey’s face. Ahead of them, their friends were being ushered into passenger cars. Jack planted a kiss to the side of Mickey’s head and whispered something into their ear that made them grin.

Pepper tried not to be jealous, and failed.

Beside her, Davey was rambling again. She tuned in right in the middle of his spiel. “It’s some kinda torture house, basically. They just wail on you for like ten hours, and they film it, too. You have to sign a waiver and everything, and it’s like, forty pages or something. I watched a video of this one girl who went there and she said-”

“You two all set?” The ride operator asked, her smile bright as she cut into Davey’s rambling.

He blinked, like he hadn’t realized how close they were. “Oh, um. Yeah, I guess we are.” He resolved.

They clambered into the rocky car and belted themselves in, waited for the attendant to lock their door, and began their ascent.

Immediately, Pepper felt the wind chill. “Holy fuck, it’s freezing up here.” She barked. Davey’s cardigan was warm, sure, but the cold air cut through it like a knife.

Davey turned to her and readjusted the way he was sitting, opening up his arms. “I know, c’mere.” He wiggled his fingers and everything and, well, how was he supposed to say no to that?

She scooted closer until her leg was pressed right up against his, and her upper body curled into him. They’d done this before, a million times, when watching movies or at parties when it got crowded, or when she asked him to read to her, and Davey, ever the wonderful companion, never complained-

Oh.

Oh, no.

That was what her friends meant.

Davey’s arms wrapped around her tight. Without thinking, her arm did the same. “Better?” He asked, pulling back to look down at her.

Pepper smiled with her heart in her throat. “Always.” She said, and looked up at him.

And there he was. The same Davey as always, with his pale skin and round hazel eyes, now grinning down at her like she had hung all the stars in the sky just for him. Here he was, and he was so close that their noses were almost touching. Not correcting strangers who thought they were dating. Holding her hand and giving her his clothes and sharing drinks with her. Here he was- and she was confused.

His mouth twitched, the way it always did when he was worried. “You okay, Pep?” He asked, quieter now.

A slow nod. “Yeah… just, um, thinking.” She responded. He opened his mouth, eager to ask more, but she cut him off. “About us.” She said, feeling bold now.

Davey’s eyebrows just about skyrocketed off his face. “Us.”

“Yeah.” Pepper’s hands were shaking, but she didn’t think she could stand another minute of this. All of her affections bottled up like a powder keg while he played with them so nonchalantly. “Davey, what are we?” She hoped the question didn’t come out as raw as it felt, but she could almost taste the blood on her tongue.

“Oh.” His shoulders dropped, and he looked away. His arms didn’t move from around her, but his eyes were flicking back and forth. “We’re… you’re… m-my best friend and...” He scrunched his eyes closed and took a deep breath. “You’re my best friend and... I’m so stupidly in love with you.”

Pepper sat up as the Ferris wheel stopped. They were at the top now.

“I know that’s a lot to throw at you, I’m sorry, but all day I’ve just been thinking about you and about how much it feels like you’re this missing piece of me, you know? Like every time I need someone you’re there, and every time I talk about you to anyone I get this big grin on my face. And then earlier when that lady said what she said, it just felt so right.” He’d been gesturing wildly with his hands until she grabbed them.

She pulled his hands into her lap, encasing them with her own cold ones. “Davey.”

He sighed with a wry smile. “You can tell me no, Pep, it’s okay. You don’t owe me anything.”

“Davey.” She tried again.

“And it’s not gonna ruin anything, I promise. I love you but that’s not gonna make me turn into an asshole, I still care about you as a friend.”

“David.” She grabbed the sides of his face in her cold hands. His jaw was tense. “I love you.” She said, plainly, the way you would state any other fact. The sky was blue, the Earth was round, and Pepper Simmons loved Davey Jacobs.

And for once, Davey- sweet, lovely Davey- didn’t start talking about love, or about basic heteronormativity, or fucking haunted houses. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed her.

Any great novelist, or even just your average writer, always compared a great kiss to fireworks. But this, Pepper thought, was better than any fireworks she’d ever seen. It was coming home after a long night. It was sitting by a fire on a cold winter day. It was years of sharing beds and writing texts in secret languages, of sitting at each other’s family dinners, of shared secrets and pinkie promises, playful teasing and pathetic yearning, all wrapped up in a soft press of lip to lip. It was Davey. Of course it was. In retrospect, nobody else had ever stood a chance.

Pepper was giggling when she pulled away from his lips. “I love you.” She repeated.

The lights of the amusement park were glittering in his eyes. “And I love you.” He was beaming, their foreheads tipped together. Then he started laughing, soft and slow and bubbly, as though he were savoring it. “Oy, we’re so ridiculous.” He said as the ferris wheel began to turn again.

She could’ve stayed there for days, looking at each of the freckles on his face like little star clusters in her vision. If there were ever a photo she could keep framed on the walls of her memory, it would be this; his smile, the ivory skin around his eyes crinkled as he laughed. She was laughing too. “Yeah, we are.” Her head leaned against his shoulder, a sigh escaping before she could stop it. “How long?”

There was a beat, and she knew Davey was thinking. “Um, four years maybe? It was the summer before junior year of high school, I know that much.” The thumb of his right hand, still around her, began rubbing at her shoulder.

Pepper sat upright, aghast. “Oh my God, you’re fucking with me.”

“I’m not.” He grinned.

“Holy fuck.” She snorted. “We could’ve been doing this for years!”

Davey poked her side, making her laugh in turn. “How about you?” There was the look in his eyes again, and this time she recognized it. Dreamy, warm, a little vulnerable.

“Senior Prom. Remember we slow danced together?”

The ferris wheel stopped again, this time with them at the back. “Yeah, holy shit. I was so nervous that night.” Pepper laughed, head tossed back. “I’m serious! I was so sweaty, I’m surprised you didn’t comment on it.”

“Your hands were like holding clams.” Another poke, this one less playful. “It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. We’re here now.”

A kiss landed on her cheek, warm in stark contrast to the biting cold. “I can’t believe this.” He was laughing. “I can’t believe you liked me back.” He said.

Pepper nuzzled her nose into his neck. “I know. I can’t either.” She rested her chin on his shoulder, looked up at him and sighed.

He turned back to her. “You know they’re not gonna leave us alone, right?” He asked, tilting his chin towards the baskets below them that held their friends.

“I’m aware,” she mumbled. “I mean, they did call it.”

His lips curled up into a wry smile. “I know they did.” His fingers found the long strands of her hair, wrapped themselves in them. “Race and V haven’t left me alone about you for like, two years straight.” He shrugged. “And oh my God, if I have to hear Sarah and Les talk about it one more time I’m gonna explode.”

Pepper’s jaw dropped. “Sarah and Les were teasing you?”

He scoffed gently. “Are you kidding? They tell me to shut up every time I talk about how pretty you are.” And yeah, maybe she should have expected that, if he truly had been in love with her since junior year of high school, but Pepper’s body reacted quicker than she could recognize, her cheeks going hot and nose scrunching as a smile broke across her features.

“Well,” She said as the ferris wheel began to turn again. “Lucky for us, we probably have some time to kill before we have to face them again.” She bit at her lower lip, glancing up at him and hoping he would catch onto her proposition.

And, since Davey had always been smart, he did. “You’re right.” He breathed, and then leaned down to catch her in another kiss, one that went on, well… a little longer than the first.

Later, they had to face their friends, red-faced and smiling as they admitted what had happened. They had to endure a good hour’s worth of teasing, V and Mickey taking the opportunity to deliver a few well-intended pokes to Pepper’s sides, and Race and Jack offering high-fives to her- well, she supposed he was her boyfriend now.

The two of them climbed into the backseat of Race’s mom’s minivan again, this time hand-in-hand and sharing warm laughter. Davey stole another kiss from her, giggly and content, and promptly leaned his head on her shoulder to get some rest.

She supposed everything else could wait.

[sweeethinny]

Prompt idea (if u have the time:)): hinny taking 3-4 yr old teddy to a muggle amusement park. Or Disneyland I would looovvee for them to meet Mickey and Minnie and go on a few rides:)))

I LOVED WRITING THIS. (I left Teddy with six years old, so he could enjoy more)

I never went to Disney, in fact, I never left the South of Brazil, which is where I live, so like that, I really have no idea what a Disney park is like, only by videos and photos, so if there is something wrong, please ignore I love to write about these simple moments of Harry with the family, and I think this one shot was really good, thanks for the prompt! (it got a little big, but who cares?)

Teddy had been asking for a time to make this trip, Mathew, one of his classmates, had already been to the park more than four times and always came back with news, which left the boy saddened that he could not meet.

Harry rented several films of Mickey Mouse and his friends, his weekends together were based on watching that mouse go by boat, drive a car or build a house. But still, it didn't seem enough.

During the mid-year vacation, Harry managed to take a week off, just like Ginny, and they bought plan tickets to that park in the United States (because Teddy wanted to live the whole experience, and Andromeda was saying that the boy would not be well in a portal key)

None of the three had ever traveled by plane, so when they got on that machine, Ginny was already feeling sick and feeling a cold sweat running down her back.

''How can this be safe?'' She could barely look out the window as the pilot took off

''You fly on a broom, Gin-Gin'' Teddy looked shocked by his godmother's fear ''Will it be long? Wooow, look at this'' He pointed to the small screen in front of them, with the path the plane would take, movies and games to distract bored children and adults.

''I control the broom, and it's just me on it, not me and 100 more people'' She sighed, looking over the head of the godson who was enjoying the technology, staring at Harry who smiled more excitedly than ever ''You seem very happy for someone who is going to a playground''

''I always wanted to meet'' he admitted, not in the least resentful that he was finally going to Disney. He was sure that if it went with the Dursleys, it would be as bad as that time at the zoo.

The trip was fine, after a while Ginny seemed amazed that they were passing through the clouds, as well as Teddy on her lap and Harry who sneaked in to get to see too.

Harry had bought the tickets for three days, and it only started tomorrow, so by the time they arrived around 11AM, Teddy already looked like he was about to pass out from anxiety.

''Let's go for a walk around town first, buddy'' Harry reminded him, packing his muggle clothes and looking in the mirror of the hotel room they had rented ‘'Let's go to the beach, to the mall, we can have ice cream .. Even eat hamburgers'' The godson smiled from ear to ear, nodding excitedly

Harry was also happy, fulfilled to be traveling and going to see the damn talking mouse he saw in the comic he stole from Dudley, but also, very happy that he could be creating that memory with Teddy

''Why the hell do they have so much ... this thing of buying crappy food?'' Ginny asked, looking curiously at the passing streets, while Harry calmly drove the car they had rented, worried that he needed to use magic here or there ''We've been through more than ten, and we've barely left our neighborhood''

''Fast Food? I don't know, maybe they want to die early'' Harry turned his attention back to the traffic lights, ignoring the conversation Teddy had with Gin about whether or not they could eat one of those.

In the end, she decided that they would only eat once, because she would never let Teddy get clogged with that plastic food

They toured much of Orlando, visited shopping, bought gifts, clothes, toys, even a new sofa, which they would shrink and send by Flu later.

They visited some sights, took a lot of photos, especially when they went to the beach, and ate at one of those fast foods that had passed earlier, even though Ginny kept saying that it wasn’t real food and that there was no way that meat came from a live animal.

''I'm so excited'' Teddy said as soon as they left the American 'Diagonal Alley', which was much bigger than what they had in London, but much more hidden, being in a neighborhood far from the city center. His godson was in his lap, almost sleeping on Harry's shoulder, the hair constantly changing between animated pink and natural blue, sighing tiredly.

''We had a busy day, you need to rest to be able to play tomorrow'' Ginny helped the boy into the car, adjusting the little one in his appropriate seat and making sure he didn't end up with a neck pain from sleeping askew.

''I know .. '' Teddy sighed, closing his eyes before Harry even started the car and returned to where they were staying

''I bought the best tickets, they said we would not be in the public queue and that way we could access the toys more easily''

''You're excited, aren't you?'' Ginny put her hand on his thigh, also resting her head on his shoulder, her cheeks flushed from all the sun they had caught and looking absurdly beautiful wearing that yellow summer dress with her hair stuck up

'' Teddy is so happy and ... it makes me happy '' Harry kissed the top of the red head '' I want him to have amazing memories with me '' Ginny didn't answer, she was also sleeping, and Harry had to smile as he stared that scene, finding it almost unreal that he himself was there.

The next day, it was barely seven in the morning when Teddy jumped out of bed, waking up his godfather with all his enthusiasm, jumping in the middle of the couple and getting them up.

'' We're going to be late '' He whimpered when Ginny got in the shower, and Harry started ordering their breakfast

'' Teddy, we need to eat before we leave, and we're still on time '' Harry reminded him, forcing the boy to stay put while he applied sunscreen on his flushed cheeks '' We don't want you to get burned and be sore the first day, right? '' He fixed the cap his godson had bought the day before, helping him put it on his head.

'' I'm excited '' Teddy justified '' Mathew said that there is a castle, and that inside you can meet Mickey .. Can we meet Mickey? Please''

'' We can '' Harry had to restrain himself from saying that he also wanted to take a picture with that human dressed as the character. Not that he expected it to be a real mouse that was there.

After Ginny got out of the bath, wearing comfortable clothes to walk in a park, and they ate, the three finally headed towards Disney, following the map they had bought so they wouldn't get lost, talking animatedly about what they would do and where they would go when to get there (even if they didn’t quite know what to expect).

''Holy Merlin!'' Ginny looked most shocked when they parked, wide-eyed and blinking in wonder at the immensity of that park, definitely not a simple playground with some giant wheels and anything else that would entertain children.

Even she could almost feel anxious to start going on all the roller coasters around.

''I don't even know where to start'' Harry admitted, feeling like a child in the middle, so happy that his eyes shone with enthusiasm behind his sunglasses. ''Where do you want to start, Teddy?''

''I don't know'' The boy looked just as shocked. Flashing to all the stores, characters and attractions that were just in sight

The three began to stroll with much more enthusiasm than in the city, stopping at themed shops and buying ice cream, sweets, more gifts, and the long-awaited Mickey and Minnie ears, in various colors and shapes. Harry was wearing a traditional one, Ginny with one that was Minnie, blue and red, and Teddy with one from the movie 'Fantasia', which came with a 'wizard' hat, painted with moons and stars.

Ginny dragged them off to ride a roller coaster of terror, and Harry seemed the only one who was somewhat fond of the toy that was completely in the dark, even Teddy screamed with excitement at every descent they took, or scare they took. The next was another roller coaster, but this time with spins and falls, which caused  scream and arms up, while the wind in face seemed to suffocate them.

''That was the coolest thing I've ever done!'' Teddy jumped for joy, his cheeks flushed with the newest emotion

''It looked like I was flying but without the broom, and no control'' Ginny also seemed close to jumping ''Let's go to the one who says it's 3D ..'' And so they went, as many toys as possible, passing through the Tower of Terror (which made Teddy cling to Harry) and a few more roller coasters, some that passed through the water and wet them whole, others that were quiet and let them admire the view

In the end, the time finally came that they most wanted it.

''Let's see Mickey!’' Ginny shouted excitedly as she joined the row, fixing up the Daisy themed hat she had bought and the new sunglasses ''Are you excited?'' Teddy nodded, eating his ice cream sandwich with the Mickey's face ''And you, Harry?''

''Also. Will Minnie be there?'' He could barely contain his enthusiasm, adjusting the tiara with ears on his head, not bothering to look like an idiot.

"I hope so, she looks so cool .. Daisy was super nice to me, and we won't even talk about Cinderella!" Ginny smiled again "Ahhh, we're coming"

''I'm so nervous'' Teddy sighed, seeming to do his utmost to keep from changing his hair color (They were in a dark shade like Harry's)

''Don't be, everything will be fine'' One more couple and it would be them, Harry could barely hold his smile ''Do you think I should take off the tiara?'' Ginny denied next to Teddy

''You look beautiful with her '' Gin nodded

When they were finally called, Harry thought that both he, his godson and his wife, would pass out in excitement. Mickey and Minnie were there! On their fronts!

''HI! What do we have here? Are you eating my face?'' Mickey bent down to be as tall as Teddy, who looked so embarrassed and nervous, and red as a tomato

''Hi, Mr Mickey'' The people around him laughed softly, admiring when the boy hugged him. The camera clicks didn't seem to end, and Ginny was more than excited to decorate the new photo album (which they had purchased with the park theme) with those. "Hi Mrs. Minnie" Teddy greeted the other mouse as well.

''Hello dear, you are very polite'' The woman bent down too, returning the hug. The five took the photo, Harry could barely contain his smile and Ginny looked almost ready to jump for joy when Minnie praised her.

''OK. That was the most incredible thing we've ever done. Forget winning the Quidditch Cup, Minnie praised me!''

''My chances are gone. Minnie, I will never get super you'' Harry admitted, as he took them to another attraction

''Never, it's a shame baby'' Ginny kissed his cheek ''But at least we're already married, so..'' She shrugged

The rest of the day was very lively, and in the end, when they stayed to watch the fireworks, Harry barely knew why he wanted to cry, holding Teddy on his shoulders so he could see better, and smiling like a child.

''It's beautiful'' Ginny leaned on her husband ''And look, we're wizards'' She whispered that part, making the man laugh

"It's because they really try, there's no wand trick," he whispered back, laughing when he saw her wipe a single tear that ran. Harry kissed her, quickly, just to mark that moment  ''Thank you for being here'' 

'’I thank myself for accepting your marriage proposal. I never would have come here if it weren't for you.'' Harry laughed, so happy and light he didn't even look like himself. Ginny stood on tiptoe, pulling Teddy's hand to kiss her ''And with you, my Teddy Bear''

''Our next trip'' Harry started, as they headed back to the parking lot, Teddy still on his shoulders, admiring everything ''It's to Universal's park. I heard they have an attraction about wizards.'' His wife's eyes shone

''It must be hilarious .. We will ''

And they went, but that time, there was one more participant in the trip, one who, already with them at Disney, was just hiding in Ginny's belly

[kunderdogs]

Day6 / Christmas Morning W/ Kiddos

This was so cute. Thank you to the anon who requested it!! It’s June but who doesn’t like fluffy christmas reactions?! ENJOY!! Also, I mixed up the kids and numbers cause I feel like Dowoon the type to have only boys and Wonpil would be so adorable with a lil girl lol

Sungjin: The type to sneak down at 1am and eat like half of cookies that the kids left out for Santa. He’s definitely going to be excited, if it’s his child’s first christmas or 11th. You would’ve bought most (if not all) the presents so he’s just as surprised when they open it since he was busy with making music. Super stoked when the kids get awesome new toys like RC cars or helicopters. He’ll make sure to take pictures or videos of you and the kids opening the gifts and also he has to take a family photo of you all for his family album. Most of the day, he’ll play with your son and daughter, taking them down to the park and help your daughter set up her new cooking set. He’ll end up crashing at the park so the kids take this time to draw on his face with your daughters new art kit and he wakes up, oblivious to the pink whiskers on his cheeks or the bullseye on his forehead until they come home and you’re like “Wtf...You fell asleep didn’t you?” He shakes his head though with a shrug, “No I didn’t, but I-...those little weasels.” And now he has to get his revenge so he fills up the water balloons and catches them as they’re outside racing RC cars. They’re sneaky ones and end up cornering him behind the house and pelting him with water balloons the size of watermelons so now he’s screaming for you, “COME DEFEND YOUR HUSBAND!”

Jae: He’s the one that’s barges into the kid’s room at like five am with a cheetah print Santa hat shouting “It’s Christmas!!! WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING? THERE’S PRESENTS UNDER THE TREE!” Your kids aren’t even fully awake but Jae hoists them on his shoulders and runs to the living room. You’ll have to calm him down since he’s so excited to see their faces and all the cool things he’s bought them (which was months ago so even he has kinda forgotten wtf is there honestly.). Jae is the most hyped about whatever they got, pushing gifts in their hands faster than they can open them. You’re trying to take videos and pictures for both of your parents but Jae’s in the background facetiming Brian trying to show off the go kart as he drifts it around the house, “This is lit! Come thru!” But once he sees you glaring at him, he’ll laugh and join the kids to take pictures of their toys, putting your daughter on his shoulders and giving you a kiss on the cheek. Spends the entire day putting together the toys and playing with your kids. They spend most of the day having fun and Jae suggests everyone comes to dinner at the house. He ends up forgetting and has to order a bunch of pizza and take out but it’s a great time because it’s rare that all of the boys can spend family time with each other so they try to make the most of it.

YoungK: Still dead asleep when his son pounces on his back, demanding that he wake up and open presents ‘cause Santa was here! His son doesn’t detach from him until he’s sitting in front of the tree, with you smirking and holding your phone out to take pictures. He’ll finally wake up after the first gift was opened, but he’s just smiling widely like the proud papa that he is. Honestly, he has hidden a few presents from you and your son, so after most of them had been opened, he’ll go grab them and give them to you guys. It’ll be something adorable like your son has mickey ears and then you’re suspicious a lil and finally when you open yours TA DA! Plane tickets to Disney World! BOOM Y’ALL GOTTA GET PACKING CAUSE TOMORROW YOU FLY OUT! And then, it’ll turn into a tradition, every Christmas after your son turned like 6, he does some big surprise family get away - either it’s in South Korea or somewhere else. His gifts are always elaborate even if you tell him that he didn’t need to go that hard for a christmas gift. 

Wonpil: Faking sleep soooooo hard when your daughter bursts in your room, screaming that he’s gotta get up - right now! The smile gives away his consciousness, but she doesn’t notice and then shakes him awake. He’ll try to play it off but she’s too cute so eventually he gives up and bear hugs her and runs to the Christmas tree. She’s on his lap the entire time she’s opening her gifts. He’ll even “ooh” and “aww” certain ones, telling her which toy does what. He’ll clip in her new hair accessories but is definitely going to frown when he sees the plastic heels your sister bought her. “She’s too young for this!” it’s in good nature though so you don’t even pay him any attention, just continue to take videos for your memories. Will probably get teary eyed if she made him a present, even if it’s the worst portrait of himself he’s ever seen, it’s going right up on the fridge - no hesitation about that. He spends all day playing with her new tea set and helping her ride her new princess bike too. Later on, he’ll show you all the pictures and videos from today, even the ones he took of you when you weren’t looking.

Dowoon: Has a hard time sleeping on Christmas Eve because he’s so excited to show his sons what you two have got them! Honestly, Christmas shopping with Dowoon is like shopping for three boys. He wants to have fun too so he’s buying games and toys that they can play with together. He’s convinced you to get a ten foot water slide with a bunch of water toys so before the kids woke up, he’s already outside setting it up before running back in the house and pretending to be asleep so they can “wake him up”. He doesn’t last too long with that because his sons attack him and manage to pull him off the bed. You’re in the kitchen when you hear the ‘THUMP’ of Dowoon’s head smacking the floor and then laughter as the two sprint away. Eventually, they’re all gathered and finally rip into their presents, he’ll facetime his parents so they can see them opening the gifts but gets too distracted by all the cool toys and has to hang up. “Wah. I didn’t get a Playstation until I was way older! You guys are spoiled!” Definitely going to monopolize the gaming equipment they got and would only give them a turn when they dog-piled him and jumped on his stomach. You’ll have to step in and remind him of the surprise outside but he’ll be confused for a second before ushering the two outside. “Oh~ what is this? Santa really outdid himself!” “That says it’s from you, dad!” “Since when could you read so well….”

[fandomwritingsgalore]

Heads Up for A Fairytale (Chris Evans x Reader)

Pairing: Chris Evans x Female!Reader

Warnings: Cavity inducing fluff, slight cursing

Part: 1/??, Read more here

Description: Reader and her friend take a trip to Walt Disney World and happen to run into one Chris Evans while waiting in line to board Space Mountain. To pass the time you decide to play the game “Head’s Up.” From pop culture references, flirty looks and Chris being his silly flirty self, you never thought waiting in a line could be so much fun. But the Disney magic has to end eventually...doesn’t it?

Author’s Note: This isn’t my best imo, but I’ve been out of writing for a while and wanted something cute and fluffy to ease my way back in. And I’ve had this idea for a while and wanted to finally get it out. This is pure Evans loving Disney self indulgent fluff. Y/N = Your Name, Y/F/N = Your Friend’s Name

Word Count: 4,410

“How crazy would it be if we ran into someone famous while we’re here?” Y/F/N asked dreamily.

“I thought you wanted to find Walt Disney’s frozen head?” you laughed as you strolled through the mass of people down Magic Kingdom’s Main Street. It was the first day of your week long Walt Disney World trip and you were already acting like kids. The Disney magic making you silly with excitement and anticipation for all the fun times ahead.

They grinned mischievously, “Who says we can’t do both?” You rolled your eyes affectionately and shook your head at the conspiracy theories. “Besides I heard celebrities have their own secret entrance to rides so they can avoid the public. Maybe we’ll see Robert Downey Jr.”

“If it’s a secret entrance then how would we possibly know they’re here? Besides, you still have a better shot at walking onto Flight of Passage with no line than running into Chris Hemsworth here.”

“Jason Momoa would be fine.” She eyed the surrounding crowd in front of the majestic Cinderella castle as though expecting to immediately spot the tall actor. Reaching up to adjust the Jack Skellington Mickey ears on their head, they whined, “These damn things are always so painfully tight. I don’t know why Disney can’t just make them looser instead of my head being squeezed to death.” She pulled them off and massaged the area where the ears were on.

You reached up to make sure your own Captain America shield ears were still in place.You were determined to get a photo with Baby Groot and Star-lord when you park hopped over to Hollywood Studios later in the day. Cap was your favorite, but they were the only Marvel characters currently in the parks, and you’d heard they were a really great meet.

“They probably do it so you can wear them on rides without worrying about them flying off,” you said dodging out of the way of another triple seat stroller barreling towards the entrance to Fantasyland and Seven Dwarves Mine Train, not caring which ankles they took out along the way. 


“You wanna hit up Space Mountain or Haunted Mansion before the crowds start picking up?” Despite wearing your sunglasses, you shielded your eyes from the blinding Florida sun to gaze to the right of the plaza as though you could see how long the wait time was from here.

“Space. I didn’t get to ride it on our last trip because it was shut down.” You turned in the direction of Tomorrowland and took off.

“The infamous purple wall,” you pointed out excitedly, passing the pastel purple instaphoto spot. “I’m going to be as Disney basic as possible later.”

You both gazed in awe of the future looking land as you made your way towards the ride. Even though you’d arrived at Magic Kingdom for rope drop the wait time was already at 30 minutes, but knew it would probably be the shortest wait for the day. You passed under the large arch into the silver and blue entrance.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Space Mountain, but how incredible would it be if they would turn this into a Marvel Avengers ride through space or something,” You gushed sliding your shades off and placing them in the cross body purse you wore.

“And Cap would call you ma’am?” she snickered.

“I mean I’m not opposed to that plot point. But seriously though, you could get put in the Iron Man suit or pick your favorite Avenger and either gain their powers or work with them and fly around New York and have the Avengers talk you through a mission. It would be an immersive type ride experience.”

“You could even punch Loki at Stark tower.”

“Or give him a much needed hug!” You countered, feigning offense. “But, a Marvel land would be a kick ass expansion.”

“You just want to save the world with 4D Chris Evans,” she laughed, knowing you all to well.

You continued winding your way through the long line. Hopefully, 30 minutes actually meant a 10 minute walk to the loading stations, but either way you were willing to wait. Space Mountain was one of your favorites. “I’m excited for the new Tron roller coaster they’re building though,”  you noted.

“Yes!” She all but moaned. “The concept art looks insane!”

“So does that new outer space restaurant over in Epcot,” a male voice behind you added.

It wasn’t unusual for people in long lines at Disney to form a sort of temporary solidarity with those around them while waiting, which is why you weren’t that put off by his eavesdropping on your conversation. It was something you enjoyed about the parks. Meeting people from so many different walks of life.

You deepened your voice and spoke like an announcer, “Space…the final frontier.”

“Traitor,” Y/F/N shouted thrusting a fist into the air, “Star Wars or bust!” You heard the guy laugh at your banter as you finally rounded the final corner and reached the end of the line.

You turned around, wanting to mention the new Star Wars hotel, but the words became lodged in your throat as you took in the chiseled jaw and piercing blue eyes, hidden under a Nasa baseball cap, of the man behind you. You heard Y/F/N gasp in recognition next to you.

Chris freaking Evans was your mystery eavesdropper.

“I like your ears,” he commented, with a knowing smirk. You immediately felt the heat rise up your neck in embarrassment not only because of the ears, but he’d clearly heard your previous fangirl conversation. Oh God, he also heard Y/F/N’s 4D comment. No! Of all the ways you’ve imagined running into a celebrity, particularly this celebrity, this was not one.

He’s just a person. A very famous and funny and breathtaking beautiful person, but still a person.

What a person…

Dear lord, get a grip! You chided yourself. “I thought you have a secret passage?” You blurted out suddenly. And here you thought you couldn’t be any more embarrassing. Apparently your mouth was on a mission separate from your brain.

“Sure do,” His eyes sparkled playfully as he held back a laugh, “it’s goes right past Walt’s frozen head.”

“I knew it,” Y/F/N whispered reverently.

He couldn’t keep his laughter in check anymore and as he braced himself on your shoulder, he doubled over doing that laugh that only he has. The one that is so distinctly Chris Evans that fans have made thousands of memes and gifs of. The one where he has to physically touch someone because he wants them to share in the humor as though it’s the funniest joke in the world. 

Although you were intensely aware of his hand touching a part of your body, you couldn’t help but join in, because his laugh was infectious. You wanted to make him laugh again and again because it was one of the best sounds you’d ever heard. It made him and this situation seem more real somehow? Like you could actually exist at the same time and in the same place as this man.

“Y’all are so mean to get my hopes up like that,” Y/F/N pouted before chuckling, too.

“Seriously though, don’t you have unlimited ‘skip the line’ access for being, well…you?” You met his bashful smile as he shrugged, suddenly really shy.

“I mean, yes, but I, uh…I kind of like to play the games in this line,” he rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled embarrassed. “Not very cool, right?”

“Are you kidding? I am a hardcore, Space Mountain pre-ride gamer who takes no prisoners,” You said fiercely, lightly punching his shoulder. “Prepare to get your ass throughly kicked Evans.”

He grinned wolfishly, “Oh, you’re so on.”

The heads in front of you slowly moved as the line pushed forward a few inches every few seconds. The three of you moved forward as one. It seems Chris Evans had officially joined your group.

“So, obviously you two know who I am, but what are your names?” He pulled his hat down lower acutely aware that he could be recognized by more people.

“I’m Y/N, and this is Y/F/N,” you nodded your head in her direction and she threw up a peace sign, making him smile. “What are you doing here on your own? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

He rolled his eyes annoyed. “Technically I’m here with my family, but they’ve all ditched me to go ride It’s a Small World.”


“It isn’t that bad,” Y/F/N shrugged, at the same time you shuddered.

“Small World before 9 am should be illegal.”

“Thank you!” his eyes widened in relief.  He swept you into an over-exaggerated dramatic hug like an excited puppy, “Finally someone understands!” He pulled back grinning and leaned down so that you were eye level.

The part of your mind that had left your body the moment he hugged you noted that when it came to Chris, the old saying that boys were unfairly blessed with incredible lashes was true. The rest of you down on earth froze as you could suddenly count every single one of those eyelashes framing his wickedly gorgeous blue eyes. He was in your personal space and you didn’t know what to do with yourself. He was just so close.

“We have to stick together, or they’ll get us with their singing dolls before breakfast,” he whispered conspiratorially with those damn kissable lips inches from your own. Your eyes were drawn down to them briefly before flicking back up to meet that hypnotizing gaze again. Being pierced by them in person was a lot more shiver inducing than through a screen. Something shifted and you realized he’d caught you staring at his mouth. The urge to pull him closer and give him a reason to have that stupid smug look on his face was overwhelming.

The line began to move again, and the moment passed. He dropped his hands from your shoulders and straightened as you all shuffled forward a few more inches. It certainly felt like you’d been in this line longer than 30 minutes already, but it could’ve been you secretly hoped the wait time would increase. 

You knew eventually you would reach the loading station and your time with Chris would be up and you weren’t quite ready for this crazy experience to end yet, or ever…definitely the denial taking over.

“Honestly, you two are the worst drama queens ever,” Y/F/N huffed, annoyed at the unspoken connection Chris and you seemed to form. You caught him grinning in your direction and quickly dropped your gaze to your feet trying to hide an embarrassed smile. He bumped your shoulder affectionately before chuckling and leaning back with both arms on the railing behind you.

“So, what do you two like to do while waiting in long lines?” He asked curiously.

Before you had time to second guess yourself, you leaned back against the railing so that your back was pressed against his arm and met his gaze challengingly. He quirked an eyebrow appreciatively at the bold move and slouched down a bit so that you were effectively tucked into his side. You couldn’t help the self satisfied smile that spread across your face.

“Well, it depends. Sometimes we’ll catch up with family and friends back home if it’s later into a trip…”


“Do you have, uh, someone in particular to catch up with back home,” he asked guardedly. He pulled and adjusted his hat and you realized this was a nervous habit of his.

“No…”

“Good.” You heard him whisper huskily to himself.

You felt your heart rate pick up and your skin start to buzz at the way he said the single word.

He had to be seeing someone. Probably someone much more gorgeous and interesting than someone like me, you thought to yourself. I mean he was Chris Evans. Hollywood A-lister and you were letting your feelings for him as an actor get mixed up with the reality that someone like him would ever date someone like you. Right?

“You?” You asked quietly.

He slowly shook his head, ‘no.’

You swallowed and tried to keep your voice level as you replied, “Good.”

The flash of a smug smile graced his features as he looked down suddenly extremely interested in his shoes.

“We also like to play ‘Head’s Up’ to kill time,” Y/F/N volunteered. She was watching in amusement as the two of you fumbled over yourselves.

“I love that game!” Chris exclaimed excitedly. “My family likes to play it during the holidays. Do you have it on your phone?”

“Yes!” You could literally see her bouncing in place in excitement at the thought of playing your favorite theme park game with the Captain America.

She pulled out her iPhone and got the app ready. “We usually play the Disney edition or the Mar…” she paused and glanced up with a giggle.

His eyes scrunched up as he beamed, “Oh, fuck yes. Let’s go Marvel.” She laughed and started flipping through to find the right category.

“I want to guess first!” You rushed over excitedly as Y/F/N handed the phone over and you swapped places. You loved to see how many Marvel characters you could guess and this way you’d have an excuse to look at Chris without it being weird.

As the timer ticked down from where you held the phone on your forehead, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation and winked flirtatiously, “Ready for this babe?”

“Bring it capsicle,” you said with a fervent grin.

“Oh!” Chris shouted excitedly. “It’s uh, fuck!” He scrunched his eyes and made that fanning hand motion trying to think of words to describe the character as he looked to Y/F/N for help.

“Um he’s the one who does the-“ she did a swatting motion with her hand and made pew pew noises.

“Guys, really?” You laughed. “Is it Iron Man?”

“No!” Chris said snapping his fingers. “It’s the one that rides the motorcycle and flame!” He made a whoosh sound at the end of his sentence.

“Ghost Rider!” You shouted excitedly. They cheered and signaled to hurry as you quickly tilted the phone up to the next character.

“Um, ok this one’s in X-Men,” Y/F/N began before pausing, “Can we say what movie they’re in?”


“I think so as long as it isn’t the name of the character, too. Like Thor,” you hurriedly answered. “Is it Wolverine?”

“No, the red head.”

“Jean Grey!”


“No her alter ego,” Chris said stretching and reaching forward as though he could draw the answer from your thoughts.

“Phoenix!” You tilted the phone.

“Woo, we’re on a roll,” He gave a big grin as he read the next name, “Fuck, um, Seb!” He waved his hand trying to make his mouth catch up with his thoughts.

“Sebastian’s character! The sad one!”

“Bucky!”

“Yes!”

“The sad one?” You laughed.

“It’s the truth,” he grinned.

After Bucky the characters seemed to be mainly ones who appeared in the movies and Chris quickly figured out the best way to have you know the characters was to simply shout the actors names as you continuously moved another few feet forward in line. Y/F/N would sometimes shout the actor at the same time as Chris, which would cost all of you seconds from laughing.

“Mackie!” He yelled laughing at you as you almost dropped the phone in haste as you shouted back, “Falcon.”

“Downey!”

“Iron Man!” Phone tilt.


“Crap he’s the big bad,” Chris was breathing hard with adrenaline as the timer started ticking down. He held his head in frustration as he tried to think of who the actor was.

“PURPLE THUMB!” Y/F/N screamed excitedly.

“Thanos!”  And that was the final phone tilt as the game ended. The older couple in front of you had been watching in amusement since the game started and they now joined in on celebrating the fun before turning back around.

Chris wiped tears from his eyes. His whole body shook from laughter. “Purple thumb? Really? I can’t believe that’s what made you think Thanos. That’s the best fucking thing I’ve ever heard.”

“It’s true though,” you said, playfully nudging him in the side. “Ok, Y/F/N’s turn.” You handed her the phone and as she quickly walked over to take your position.

You wiped the tears from your own eyes and fanned yourself to cool off. 

“Here,” Chris breathed, goofily speed fanning you with his hands before you did the same to him. You giggled as the timer started.

“Uh…Chadwick and Wakanda and…” you shouted trying to remember more Black Panther things. The thing about Head’s Up was that in the heat of the game it was like your mind would draw a blank even though you knew the topic, no matter which one it was.

“T’challa!” Y/F/N shouted excitedly tilting the phone.

“Elizabeth,” Chris said.


“Uh…” Y/F/N looked lost. “Who?”

“Crap, the red lady wizard…the one with the magic and leather coat,” you rambled off.

“Scarlett Witch!” Phone tilt.

Chris clapped his hands. “Oh, uh, Margot Robbie played her in the Suicide Squad movie.”

“Harley Quinn?” Y/F/N questioned confused.

“Yes!” He said frantically. 
“What is Harley doing in a Marvel game?” You chuckled.

“Focus babe,” Chris hip bumped you with a wink. You felt your skin light up at the contact and his nickname. You liked it more than you cared to admit.

With a glance at the screen as the next character flashed, the words, “My favorite character!” were out of your mouth before you realized it.

“Loki!”



“I’m wounded,” Chris clasped his heart in mock hurt and wiped a pretend tear from his eye. “And here I thought you were a good girl with a thing for the golden boys.”

“I have an inner bad girl Evans,” you whispered brazenly. “You just haven’t seen it yet.”

You saw his sharp intake of breath and the way his pupils dilated at the words, and chuckled darkly at the effect you had on him. You heard him mutter “fuck me” under his breath as you returned to the game.

The timer showed 5 seconds left as you quickly shouted, “Fast metal!” at the same time Chris yelled “Aaron!”

Y/F/N was laughing so hard she didn’t guess before the game ended. “What the hell was that last one?”

“Quicksilver,” you giggled.

“How many?” you all turned to the cast member to see you had finally made your way to the front of the line. It was almost time to board.

“Oh,” Chris said sadly. Your heart clenched. No, you weren’t ready for this moment to end yet! You didn’t even get to really talk with him… it can’t be over yet.

For the first time in your travel history, you wanted to have to wait longer for something.


“I kind of wish the ride would break down so that we could talk more,” he murmured longingly and echoing your thoughts as you followed behind Y/F/N to the final line.

You peered up into those striking blue eyes and saw your own feelings reflected in his. You smiled wistfully, “Me too.”

“Hey can I sign your ears before we get on the ride?” he asked quickly.

“Oh, uh, you don’t have to do that. It was just really nice to meet you and have this memory,” you said sincerely. You were slightly confused. You had honestly forgot to even ask for a signature or photo by this point and didn’t want him to think you only cared about “Chris Evans the Actor” and not “Chris” the sweet line guy

“Please? I’d really like to leave you a note so you can remember today,” he said with an earnest smile.

“Sure, I guess…” You mumbled humbly. “Although I doubt I’ll forget it.” You slid those Captain America ears, that had brought you so much luck, off your head and dug around in your bag for the permanent marker you had for meeting characters. You handed both over. “I need to save them up before the ride anyway.” He started scribbling on the back sides of the ears where it was mainly just red and blue fabric.

“Do you guys want to do silly faces for the picture?” Y/F/N asked softly, sensing your sadness. She met your eyes and squeezed your hand as a comforting gesture. You knew she was trying to cheer you up.  

Everyone made their way towards the three seated car and you felt the zipper on your bag open. You looked over your shoulder to see Chris slide the ears inside.

“Sorry, just wanted to make sure those beauties were secure.” He gave that bashful smile that you were starting to expect from him and pressed his hand onto the small of your back as he led you forward and into the car.

“Yeah, funny faces would be cool,” Chris grinned as everyone clambered in. “But nobody tell the other what they’re doing and we’ll all be surprised.”

Y/F/N got the front seat, you got the middle and Chris got in the back. You heard a groan and stretched your head as much as you could to see his long legs scrunched up in the small confined area and giggled at his predicament at being so damn tall. He playfully stuck his tongue out as the ride moved forward and you sat back in your seat.

The car moved into the dark expanse of “space” and prepared for the start.  As the ride took off, you got into your pose for the photo as the flash went off and then held on for your life. Space Mountain was equal parts terrifying and exhilarating since it was an indoor dark roller coaster that always made you feel like you were going to fly out of the seat. But, that was what made it fun. You screamed and laughed as you went around turn after turn and you could heard Chris’ whoops of glee behind you. 

And just as quickly as it started, the ride was over.

You were all breathing hard and buzzing on adrenaline as Chris quickly got out and extended a hand first to you and then to Y/F/N to help get out of the low seats. You couldn’t wipe the smiles off of your faces as you made your way to the photo section to see how the picture turned out.

Upon viewing it, the only thing you could do was hide behind your hands in embarrassment. Chris laughed and pulled you into his side as everyone stared at the pic.

Y/F/N had done a duck face with crossed eyes, you had both hands up in the rock and roll sign with your tongue sticking out and Chris blew the camera an exaggerated, scrunched up nosed kissy face with his hand under his chin. 

“I look absolutely crazy,” Y/F/N barked out holding her side in laughter. 



“You? I look like I’m possessed.” You pointed to your face again.

“That is my favorite Space Mountain photo of all time,” Chris said eagerly tapping his magic band to the Mickey eared device on the wall. Y/F/N and you did the same.

“I’m going check out the gift shop,” Y/F/N suddenly said with a mischievous wink in your direction.

“I really think I’m going to print this and hang it in my house,” Chris said glancing up at the photo again.


“Don’t you dare!” You chided with a scared laugh. “I can’t have your people thinking I’m a psycho.”

“Oh yeah definitely a psycho,” he glanced out the corner of his eyes to see your narrowed glare, before pulling you closer and kissing the top of your head. “But a cute psycho.”

The two of you stepped away from the wall of TV’s as the next round of people started swarming around. He pulled his hat down lower and grabbed your hand and you followed him into a quiet corner of the store.



“Thank you for that. It was honestly one of the best times I’ve ever had waiting for a ride,” he said tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ears. You felt your heart stutter at his close proximity and tried to control your breathing. He moved his hand to cup your cheek as he ran his thumb over your bottom lip. That dark look was back in his eyes. “I should meet back up with my family. They’re probably waiting for me.”

“It was really nice meeting you,” You whispered, not wanting him to leave. You knew that your Disney magic was about to run out.

He smiled shyly, and leaned down to press a chaste kiss on your lips and you felt your heart swell. And then, he was leaning back and you knew that time was up.


He ran his index finger once more down your chin, “I’ll see you around Y/N.”

He dropped his hand and took a step towards the sliding doors of the store shoving his hands in his pockets as he glanced back over his shoulder. You dazedly waved a hand in farewell and he beamed. His eyes shot open in remembrance, “Oh! Don’t forget to put your ears back on!”  And with a final wink and a wave he was swallowed by the crowd.

Y/F/N suddenly appeared by your side with a broad grin. “Chris freaking Evans just kissed you!”

“I don’t even know what just happened,” you let out a breathy laugh as you made your way out into the Florida sunshine.

“So, where to next? Although I don’t think anything will top that on this trip.”

You reached for your bag to see what Chris had written on the ears. And as you pulled it out and read the writing, you gasped. He’d created his own Head’s Up category.

On the left ear was a scribbled phone number and on the right ear was

Chris Evans. The one who likes you.

It seems the Disney magic was just beginning…

My Masterlist

[honestmains]

Guild of dungeoneering lyrics

#Guild of dungeoneering lyrics series#

In addition to this distinctive musical approach to storytelling, players will hear tunes and instrumentation that change based on their personal choices, ultimately allowing each player to “conduct” their own unique soundtrack. Staying true to Disney’s rich musical heritage, “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” is the first video game that can be described as a “musical.” At many points throughout the adventure, characters will advance the plot by expressing themselves in song, with all-original music and lyrics. This new co-op play further enhances the idea that “PlayStyle Matters” – a unique approach to gameplay pioneered by Warren Spector where players dynamically tackle different challenges in order to explore all possibilities and storylines, but with consequences for their chosen actions. But for the first time, Mickey and Oswald will join forces as true partners – Mickey with his magical paint brush that allows him to wield paint and thinner, and Oswald with his powerful remote control that allows him to command electricity. “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” returns Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit to Wasteland, an alternate world filled with 80 years of forgotten Disney characters and theme park attractions. “Millions of fans fell in love with Mickey as a video game hero and I know they’ll experience similar emotions when they get to interact with and actually play as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit in ‘Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two.’” “As a life-long Disney fan, working with Mickey Mouse in the original ‘Disney Epic Mickey’ was a truly humbling experience,” said Warren Spector, creative director and vice president, Junction Point. Created by video game industry luminary Warren Spector and Disney Interactive’s Junction Point game development studio, “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two” returns the franchise to the Wii system from Nintendo, and expands it to new HD consoles including the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system. In “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two”, gamers will play as Mickey Mouse and for the first time ever, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney’s first cartoon star, in an all-new adventure of creativity and discovery.

#Guild of dungeoneering lyrics series#

The original multitrack recordings of Kid A and Amnesiac are scattered and reworked into a series of possible or impossible spaces occupied by equally possible or impossible creatures, surrounded by the art of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke, then created at the dawn of the millennium.Amazon already has the game up for pre-order for only $44.99 as you can see below with an October 2012 release.ĭisney Interactive Media Group today announced the development of “Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two”, the sequel to the critically acclaimed and commercially successful “Disney Epic Mickey” video game. The anxious and twisted illustrations and lyrics of Stanley Donwood and Thom Yorke created to accompany the music of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac are unearthed and resurrected in a building hidden deep in a forest made in pencil, which pushes the concept of exposure to its climax… or turns it into something entirely different. KID A MNESIA is a feverish dreamlike space, an edifice, the fruit of art, creatures, words and recordings of Kid A and Radiohead’s Amnesiac unearthed after more than 20 bizarre years being breathed into new life. You’ll explore awe-inspiring environments, perform heroic deeds, and meet legendary characters from the Iñupiaq tales, all narrated by a master storyteller in the Iñupiaq language. Guide the two characters in single-player mode or cooperate with a friend to cross the frozen tundra, jump on treacherous ice floes, swim in underwater caverns and face enemies, strange and familiar.įeatured on over 75 “Best Game of 2014” lists and winner of “Best First Game” at the 2015 BAFTA Games Awards, as well as “Game of the Year” and “Most Significant Impact” at the 2015 Games for Change Awards, nearly 40 Alaskan native alumni, storytellers and community members helped make this game a reality. Never Alone is an atmospheric platform game developed in collaboration with the Iñupiat, a people originally from Alaska, drawn from a traditional tale passed down from generation to generation. But will it be powerful enough to reach the hearts of the biggest dungeons? Maintain your guild between dungeon explorations, build new rooms to attract new adventurer classes, and expand your card deck with powerful items. Use cards from your guild decks to add coins, monsters, traps, and of course, loot! During this time, your hero will choose for himself his route, and his battles. The originality of this game is that instead of controlling the hero, you build the dungeon he explores. Guild of Dungeoneering is dungeon crawler, turn-based with collectible cards.

[dont-doubt-dopple]

Behind the Curtain - MiniOhm

A/N: I don’t play Friday the 13th, so I don’t know how much is accurate. My knowledge is based off videos and streams because I’m a broke 15 year old. ~•~

Ohmwrecker wouldn’t be where he was without Mini Ladd. The hacker was always at his back, constantly making sure he didn’t run into cops or trip any alarms. Ohm didn’t know anything about the person, from what their voice sounded like to what they looked like to what gender they were. All he had was the name of the person and the confidence that they had his back. Which is why when the name popped up in a Friday the 13th lobby, he was to say a little surprised.

Mini didn’t recognize him, however. Ohm always used the tag Masked Gamer when he’s online with his friends. He was surprised the person didn’t use his real name like Bryce or make a new one like he did. Nonetheless, neither of them say anything prior to the cut scene. “~Ooo. Who’s going to be Jason?” Delirious pondered. “Me please.” Gorilla complained. “I’ve been it a single goddamn time. Always getting stuck as the goddamn survivor victims.” “I’m just waiting for The Face.” Mini commented. It was like several accents from around the globe mushed their way into one male voice. It was unique, to say that much. “Wait for it.” Jason came into view, but even by its feet you could tell it was Sevini Jason.   “Goddamn it.” Gorilla complained. “I think it’s Satt.” Ohm commented as the generic character got killed. “There it is!” Mini shouted as the Chad made the generic scared face. “Let’s hope there’s a boat.” Bryce commented. As the screen faded to black, Ohm thought he heard a faint Mickey Mouse impression from Satt. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to hear more of it. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. He ended up spawning alone by the two seater, which bought him some time. Especially since he got a pocket knife, heal spray, and firecrackers. But the Packanack Lodge had both the four seater and the fuse box, so in essence it was a death house. Ohm made the mistake of using his pocket knife so they could put the fuse in, so maybe his other choice of going on the defensive for Gorilla wasn’t the best option. “Gorilla, call the cops!” He shouted as he swung at Satt with a baseball bat, protecting the repaired fuse box. His attack didn’t make contact. “I’m trying!” Gorilla shouted back, crystal clear because of the walkies. “I don’t know where the phone is.” “Nice try, Bitch! Huh Ha!” Satt taunted in his Mickey Mouse impression as he grabbed Ohm. “Upstairs Gorilla!” Ohm replied as he tried to struggled in Jason’s grasp. “Aw, no cool kills.” Satt complained. “Look likes I’m just going to have to kill you.” The scene quickly changed to a cutscene, that Ohm recognized when Jason stabbed his character with the pitchfork. “Gorilla, call the cops. I’ve bought you some time.” Ohm quickly got out before his character died. “Enjoy your stay at Disneyland.” Satt said, as his character fell over. The message ‘You Died’ flashed across the screen. “Fuck me in the ass.” “I mean I’d take you up on that offer, but we only just met.” Ohm would be lying if he said he wasn’t startled by Mini’s comment. He checked quick, and saw they were the only two dead. “Shit. Am I hot mic-ing?” “Are you pressing ’T’?” Mini asked. “No.” “Then yes.” Ohm groaned, before changing his audio settings quick. He didn’t need anything about who he was to accidentally slip out. “Sorry.” He apologized. “I was Jason last round, and I always change my audio settings when I do it.” “Oh you’re good.” Mini assured him. “Hey, is there anything else I can call you? Masked Gamer just … it doesn’t roll of the tongue.” “Ryan.” Ohm blurred out a little too quickly, and he felt his face grow red. “Most of my friends call me Ryan.” “Alright.” Mini said. “Hold, I was just spectating Delirious. That ass tho.” Ohm switched to Del, who was slowly walking away with the Tiffany’s character. Aka: Booty Shorts. “That ass tho.” He repeated. “I love me some good ass, though.” Ohm agreed, and Mini laughed. He smiled behind the computer screen, glad nobody but Buddy was there to witness how much of a lovesick pile of mush he was becoming. “Hey Mini, can I get your Discord or Skype or something?” Ohm asked during their 3rd game, while they waited for Bryce, as the last one alive, to either juke Gorilla until time ran out or died. “You seem like a nice guy, and I don’t want to loose you once the server eventually crashes.” “Sure thing. It’s the same handle on everything. Mini Laddd, with 3 d’s.” “Got it. I’ll add you later.” He smiled. His friends were oddly quiet, which was weird. He could practically hear Delirious’ smirk, and he had a feeling once the lobby kicked them out he was going to hear an earful from all of them. He wasn’t wrong. ~•~ Mark: Take him to the movies. That’s a great first date Bryce: I kinda see him as the Starbucks type Jonathan: Just go to an amusement park and win me a teddy bear Luke: there are no carnivals and stuff around here this time of year Jonathan: I just want a teddy bear! Ryan sighed as he watched his friends ‘debate’ (argue was a better term here) about what he should about Mini, or Craig as he found out during a round of Golf It. It was no secret to anyone who saw the two of them interact that he was practically head over heals for the guy. Most of them didn’t understand his hesitation to have the two finally meet in person. Everyone saw his as a very upfront person who usually went for what he wanted, so almost everyone was confused at the hesitation. He put the larger group on Do Not Disturb mode, and turned to the one other person who knew all the details. Ryan: What should I do? Mike: I feel like u should b open. this relationship that the 2 of u have is much more complex and developed 4 u not 2 come clean Ryan: yeah but what about Them? Mike: I think they’ll see this as beneficial 2 them right now. U guys r the best team na. Not much could really screw that up this late in the game Mike: long as u don’t move beyond friendship u should b fine Ryan sighed, knowing subconscious that his fears were simply trying to put off the inevitable. He didn’t have anything to do, and They hadn’t sent them an assignment yet (It has been a week. One is due soon). He just had to breath, and type those seven simple words. Ryan: You want to meet up in person? Craig: absolutely. When and where? Ryan: Wherever you want baby ;) After being criticized for his use of emoticons, they found out they both lived in California at the time for school. They also decided to meet at a Starbucks that wasn’t too far from Ohm’s off campus apartment. Then Mike gave Ryan the brilliant idea of adding Craig to the group chat silently. Ryan: Can you girls stop fighting and help me figure out where to take Craig when I ask him out? Luke: the man in question finally speaks Bryce: Starbucks date Mark: movies and dinner Jonathan: teddy bear!! Luke: stfu Del Craig: can we get back to the important thing here Mike: ^^

Ryan: ^^ Bryce: well, you know him best Ry. Craig: yeah, what’s your brilliant idea? Ryan: I don’t have one! That’s the problem Ryan: I’m nervous this time around for some reason Mark: that’s called being human Jonathan: just, do you and you’ll be fine Luke: Hold up Craig: holding Luke: ^ when and how the fuck did you get here Jonathan: tbh I did t even realize Craig: I’ve gotta go ~•~ Ryan’s fingers twiddled with the straw of his drink. Despite the reassurance he received from the guys before, it all practically flew out the window as he glanced around the crowded Starbucks to whoever Craig was. He had no idea what the man in question looked like, and vise versa. And the fact that the two of them were partners in crime and only he knew it shook him harder. “Excuse me?” Ryan looked up from his hands to see a man standing behind the chair across from him. He looked to be about Ryan’s height, with brown hair that had light blue at the tips and eyes hidden behind glasses. He had a storm trooper shirt on as well as a dark jacket and jeans. His voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it. “Do you mind if I sit here for now? I’m just waiting for a friend.” “Not at all.” He replied, and the man sat down. He instantly went on his phone, in which he appeared to be texting. So it wasn’t much of a coincidence that when the man put his phone down, Ryan’s buzzed in his pocket. Craig: Here. Waiting for you. Pretty crowded. Had to sit w/ some random guy just for a seat. He smiled. He had an idea, and his fingers flew across the digital keyboard. Ryan felt like he didn’t hit Send soon enough. Ryan: look across from you. The second the man, or Craig as he figured out, looked down at the message, he held up his messages to show the man across from him. Craig’s eyebrows burrowed in confusion, and opened his mouth to say something only to be silence by the same text conversation staring back at him from Ryan’s phone. “So … you’re Ryan then?” Craig asked. Ryan had to remember to breath as now was a good as time as ever to explain. “Yeah.” He started. “I’m Ryan. But, um …” He pressed the On button on the microphone clipped to the inside of his shirt, the one that helped to change his voice. “I think you better know me as Ohmwrecker.”

[twilightbark]

Disney Resources

Welcome to the Disney resource post! This post contains all the resources I have used for my personal trips. Whether it is planning a trip or learning about the newest snacks these resources will help you make your trip truly magical!

Trip Planning:

My Disney Experience- My Disney experience is an app that is strictly for Walt Disney World. This app does so much! I can’t even remember what it was like going to Disney World without it. There are two versions of this. The desktop version and the app version. The desktop version primarily helps you look at information and do bookings, but does not have every feature the app does. The app lets you book a trip, reserve dining, choose fastpasses, unlock your room and do early check in, buy and link magicbands, look at wait times for rides and transportation, find everything you need in the park (characters, restrooms, entertainment, dining, attractions, events, shops, guest services etc..), buy memory maker and tickets, mobile order food, play games, update and modify plans, and look at photos. The app works in the parks so you can change your plans while waiting in line for something! I do want to point out that sometimes the app does lag (I’ve had issues with using mobile order with it), but do not worry because you can still go to Guest Services and they can help you with anything you need.

MousePros Sharon & Sean- If you are traveling to Disney for the first time or are a Disney veteran who hates getting up early to do dining reservations, Sharon and Sean are the travel agents for you! Sharon and Sean receive commission from Disney for every trip they plan so that means they are at NO COST to you. Disney pays for them and you just let them know what you need and they’ll book it for you. Sharon and Sean are incredible and have gotten me the reservations and fastpasses I have wanted each trip. Also, if a deal comes out during your booked trip they will go ahead and book it for you so you are always getting the lowest price possible for your trip. I have booked trips where I just sent a list of what I wanted to Sharon and she booked everything for me and I have booked trips where I asked her for suggestions and those suggestions turned out to be amazing. Sharon and Sean are a wonderful team who are in constant communication with you to make sure you have everything you need for your trip and they will even talk to you while you are in the parks! There have been numerous times where I was in the parks and had to text Sharon a question. She got back to me right away and updated my plans. Once again this is a FREE service for you and will make your trip less stressful so that way you can enjoy it more!

MouseDining- Say you want to eat at Ohana, but there are no tables left? or your children were really looking forward to meeting Mickey and the crew at Chef Mickey’s, but it is all sold out? Have no fear because you still can have a chance at snagging a table. Mousedining sends you alerts straight to your email and phone when someone cancels a dining reservation. There are cancellations all the time so don’t be discouraged if there isn’t a table at that brand new restaurant in Epcot right now because one might open up! MouseDining lets you choose table times and restaurants and the only alerts you will get will be about the times and restaurants you selected. It is a free tool to use, but you can upgrade to premium if you want to. I have used the basic version of it and it works just fine!

Park Information:

Disney World and Disneyland Websites- These websites are a good place to start because they are the official websites of the parks. Each website will tell you everything you need to know about each park including dining, attractions, hotels etc... They even let you price out your vacation to see how much it costs before committing to a Disney trip.

Disney Food Blog- Don’t let the name fool you Disney Food Blog (DFB) is your one stop shop for current park information. They do have a focus on food, but they will also tell you the latest news at the parks like new ride openings, fastpass tier changes, methods of transportation etc.. I highly suggest checking out their Youtube channel because that is where you can find all the information you need for your specific topic. Do you need to know the top 10 things to bring to Disney? or what about the best things to do in Disneyland in 2020? Both of these topics and more can be found on their website and their Youtube channel. 

The Disney Blog- This is a youtube channel that is made by Disney fans for Disney fans. They update their videos pretty regularly and cover all the different parts of Disney from Disney Springs to Disneyland to Animal Kingdom they do their best to provide you with Disney news as quickly as possible and with enough information. They also mention refurbishments which is something you need to look out for when planning a trip. Rides will go under refurbishment during certain parts of the year and when it is time for them to get an update which means you cannot ride them during that time. The Disney Blog lets you know things like that along with construction updates and reviews about everything Disney related.

Shopping:

ShopDisney- The ShopDisney app lets you browse merchandise that are in the stores which are located inside and outside of the parks. You can search for sizes and locations of items throughout the whole Disney merchandise system and it will locate it for you so you can go get it. If you are not in the parks and are in desperate need of those new Belle Bronze Minnie Ears you can order from the app and have it shipped to your phone. This is your one stop shop for all current Disney merchandise!

Disney Outlet- There are a few Disney Outlets/Warehouses in Florida and California that get the remaining merchandise from the parks and end up selling it for low prices. My mom went to one in January and saw merchandise from the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party we attended back in October. So when you go keep in mind the items will be from a few months ago or if you are looking for items from a special event then calculate a month or two after the event and that will be approximately when you will find those items. Just be warned that these stores usually are crowded and have long lines so come prepared to spend a couple of hours in them. 

Reseller Sites- Reseller sites like Ebay and Amazon are great when you are looking for a specific piece of merchandise that can no longer be found in the parks, but keep in mind there are people who go to the parks and buy the new exclusive items only to resell them at double the price. In that case head on over to Facebook where you can join a variety of Disney merchandise pick up groups which are full of Florida residents, cast members, and passholders who would be more than happy to pick up those park items at cost to you plus shipping. Another note is to NEVER buy cheap pin lots (large amounts of pins in one purchase for less than 5 dollars a pin) on Amazon and Ebay because those pins are fake reproductions and are clogging the pin trading system. 

Just For Fun:

Disneybounding- Disneybounding is a super fun way for everyone of all ages to dress like a Disney character. In the parks only children are allowed to wear Disney costumes (exceptions include Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party) so that way children don’t get confused and think you are actually Princess Aurora. Disneybounding is a creative way to display your love for Disney in the parks without getting in trouble with the Disney authorities. You simply pick a character you love and choose clothing and accessories that represent that character in any way you like and then wear it out and about! If you need inspiration check out the Disneybound website and you can see my Disneybounds at this link.

$10 DIY Mickey Mouse Ears- Are you heading to the parks and want to wear a pair of Mickey ears, but the theme you want for the ears are not sold in the parks? Do you want your own unique pair of ears that no one else has? Head over to my tutorial to learn how to make your own pair of Mickey Mouse ears on a budget.

Pin Collecting and Trading- Pin collecting has been in the parks for a while, but had moments of low interest which really hurt the pin community. Recently, it has gained a ton of popularity and now Disney pin collecting and trading can be found all over the parks. The rules are that you can trade up to two times with a cast members, that you need to ask to look at someone’s pins before grabbing their lanyard, and that cast members have to trade with you, but other pin traders do not. Pins can be found in and outside the parks just ask anyone who works in the location you are if they have a pin board you can look at. It is usually in the back somewhere and they will bring it out to you. Check out my pin collections and send me a message if you would like to trade!

Play Disney Parks- The Play Disney Parks app is an app that keeps you entertained while you are in line or exploring the parks. Depending on your location you will be given puzzles, quests, and games to play and beat. If you complete a certain goal you get a special limited edition pin! This app is free to download and will constantly update and change as you explore the parks.

Hidden Mickey Book- This book is so much fun! It guides you around the park and helps you find Hidden Mickeys around the park. hidden mickeys are Mickey Mouse heads that are camouflaged into different parts in the park from the bushes in Tomorrowland to the railings of the castle there are hidden mickeys everywhere. It is a one of a kind scavenger hunt that will entertain everyone in your party.

Defunctland- This Youtube channel is my absolute favorite! My boyfriend and I watch it all the time. Kevin (the narrator) creates videos that are about the history of different amusement parks and the main focus are the Disney parks. You learn about rides that no longer exist, about Walt’s history, and about places and things that simply do not exist anymore. It is super fascinating to watch and I highly suggest watching all the videos even the ones that are not about Disney.

[moirakoro]

Hi @lacunicamare! Here is your back-up gift for the @yuri-on-ice-valentine-exchange; I’m sorry it took so long! I wanted to have it posted for White Day, but I went with your slowburn prompt (with a bit of pair skating!!) aaand the whole fic got a bit out of hand, ahem. Anyway, happy belated Valentine’s Day/White Day - I really hope the length of this makes up for the wait!

Title: Around the world, with you Rating: G Characters/Ship: Mila/Sara + Emil and Michele Word count: 5′726

You can read this on AO3 too!

On the evening of the last day of the Grand Prix Final in Barcelona, once the Victory Ceremony and the compulsory interviews and the fan meetings and the congratulations are over and done, Mila walks back to the hotel with a smile on her face and alone. Although she didn’t manage to snag gold this time, her silver medal weighs nicely on her chest, under her coat where she kept it hidden from indiscrete and/or ill-intentioned gazes. Now all that’s left is to go back to her room on the fifth floor, change into something more comfortable than her Russian team official sportswear, and perhaps read a book or play some 3DS or leave sarcastic comments on Yuri’s Instagram posts until she feels like sleeping.

She’s already grinning at the idea when she enters the hotel lobby, but she barely has time to pass the revolving door before her eyes spot someone she thought had returned to their room long ago. Sara Crispino is standing in the lobby with her twin brother, already changed out of her gym clothes; and judging by the Italian Mila can hear, they’re… arguing.

Now, Mila doesn’t know a lot of Italian besides no and si and the mandatory ti amo, but she’s pretty sure she’s hearing a lot of the first one. Besides, it’s unusual for Sara to sound this annoyed. So Mila steps closer in a mixture of concern and, well, curiosity – and that’s when her fellow competitor notices her. Instantly, Sara’s eyes light up and she waves at Mila; the next second she’s asserting a last few words in Italian, then she turns to her and gives her her brightest, most suspiciously innocent smile.

“Right, Mila?” she asks. “We were planning to go to the funfair together, remember?”

Oh. So that’s why she seemed so relieved to see her. Well, Mila doesn’t have a single memory of anything related to a funfair, but what kind of friend doesn’t play along with their friends’ little white lies?

"Yeah,” she answers naturally; not to show off, but she’s a talented liar. “Sorry I’m late, by the way. Let me just go back to my room and change, and we can leave in like, five minutes at most!”

Michele seems to believe her and the way her lips curve into a perfectly faked smile, despite the doubt still obvious in his eyes, because he says nothing. Which is good, since it gives Sara an opportunity to grab Mila’s arm and drag her in the general direction of the elevator.

“See, Mickey, I’ll be alright!” she promises in a cheerful voice, before turning her gaze to Mila. “I’ll go with you. Let’s get ready quickly, I can’t wait to leave!”

Two seconds later, the elevator doors close behind them and both women are left alone, away from Michele’s dubious, concerned glare. The change in Sara’s attitude is instant, as her shoulders relax and she puts her hands in the pockets of her coat, sighing.

“Wow, that’s not very nice, tricking your brother like that,” Mila comments. “May I ask what he did to deserve it?”

Never one to do anything but laugh at her friend’s gentle teasing, Sara lets out an amused chuckle. “He followed me to the GPF, although I explicitly told him not to. It’s nothing serious, but he’ll never learn if I don’t get a little angry at him. So there’s no way I was going to let him come to the fair with me.”

Mila raises a skeptical brow. Michele’s always shouting he’ll protect his sister against everything and everyone, but the truth is she’s actually the one mothering him all the time, isn’t she? “Keep up the good work, you’re raising him well,” Mila snickers.

The elevator comes to a halt once it reaches the fifth floor, and the doors slide open. The both of them step into the corridor, Sara escorting Mila all the way to her room; and it’s only when the Russian skater swipes her key card on the reader that her friend and competitor speaks up again.

“Thanks for being my alibi, by the way,” she says with a sincere smile, unlike anything she was giving her brother earlier. “I’ll just wait a few minutes before I go back downstairs, then I should be able to leave without a problem.”

“Uh? You mean I’m no longer invited?”

Mila revels in the way Sara’s beautiful, purple eyes grow wider in surprise. Well, to be quite honest, she hadn’t been planning to go to any amusement park or anything of the sort tonight, but she and her friend only have so few opportunities to spend time together in a season; besides, Mila finds she really wouldn’t say no to some food right now. Especially if there’s cotton candy. Or churros.

“You’d like to come anyway?” Sara asks, still unbelieving.

“Yeah, sounds like fun. Also, you won’t have to sit next to creepy old men on rides if I’m here.”

Once again, Mila was just teasing her, but Sara laughs a true, sincere, happy laughter. “Alright then, but don’t make me wait too long!” she says as she playfully motions for her friend to hurry up and go change in her own room. Mila doesn’t need to be asked twice.

It’s way past ten in the evening when they arrive at the fair. For a second Mila suspects the rides might be closed before they get on the first one, even, but she forgets about it the moment they step into the area and notice how many people are still there having fun, from groups of teenagers talking loudly to couples sharing a box of candy or a serving of French fries. It’s a good thing they only came this late, after all; she can’t begin to imagine how crowded the place must have been in the afternoon. Besides, all the lights – from the rides and the food stands and all the games – shine so brightly in the night sky, it’s truly a sight to behold. Sara seems to agree, given her soft smile and the amazement that lights up her eyes when Mila turns her head to look at her. The sight makes Mila realize once again just why Michele is so adamant that his sister must be protected from all guys, and simultaneously want to make Sara have even more fun.

So she puts her hand on Sara’s shoulder and suggests they try out the pendulum ride first – to which Sara agrees heartily.

A whole hour and a half later, they’ve shouted their hearts out on two more rides, found out Sara is basically a goddess at bumper cars, ventured into the haunted house (where Mila kept gripping Sara’s arm every time something jumped in front of them and Sara laughed because, apparently, her brother always does the same), and somehow even found the time to grab something to eat. It’s almost midnight, now, or maybe even past midnight, and people are slowly starting to go home, but some rides are still open – including the Ferris wheel, which Sara had wanted to ride ever since she saw it in the distance, she tells Mila.

“It’s what made me want to come here in the first place. It was so colorful and bright from afar… and it’s even prettier from here.”

“Let’s hurry up and go before it closes, then!”

Thankfully, they don’t even have to run to make it to the last ride of the night. There are barely five, six people in front of them when they get in the queue, and a few minutes later, they climb into one of the small capsules, which rises as soon as the wheel mechanism is activated again. It takes the capsule a good two minutes to get to the top, but once it does, the happiness in Sara’s eyes is priceless; she sits on the edge of her seat with both hands on the window and looks at the illuminated city below like it’s the most beautiful thing on earth. Which, well, it might be, Mila must admit.

“Don’t you think it’s amazing, being able to see the city from above?” Sara asks. “I wish I’d had time to go sightseeing…”

“Like we ever have time to do that,” Mila sighs. “Ever since I got here, it’s been nothing but practicing, practicing, practicing, and sleeping whenever I had the time.”

“And my plane is taking off right after the banquet tomorrow…”

This time, it’s Sara’s turn to sigh. Their capsule is starting to come down; it will make another full turn, but then they will have to get off the ride, probably, which means their little evening of fun is almost over. They have no right to be disappointed, since they’ve already stayed up way too long for people skating in the gala at two tomorrow, but Mila’s heart still clenches. Oh, well. At least tonight was amazing. She’s glad she didn’t stay in her room, in the end, because even annoying Yuri all night can’t compare to an evening at the fair. (And she got both cotton candy and churros, so really, who is she to complain?)

The capsule finishes its second turn, and slowly comes to a halt. Mila gets off the ride first, still a bit dazzled by the city lights, but Sara follows her closely. It’s late and they’re tired, so they agree it’s time they go back to the hotel, and they leave the area. A five-minute taxi ride later, they’re back in the hotel elevator. When it stops on the fourth floor, Sara gets out. “Let’s do that again sometime,” she says.

And the last thing Mila sees before the doors slide close again is her fellow competitor and friend waving at her.

After Barcelona, they go about a month and a half before standing on the same ice again. They’re in Ostrava, this time, for the European Championships; it’s one of those competitions that happen over the span of five days and not four, which means they’re not skating every day. As athletes in the Ladies’ division, they’re actually only performing on Wednesday afternoon and Friday evening, which leaves them… well, not free, because they still need to train and exercise, but with a lot more free time than during the GPF on Thursday and Saturday.

“We could take a walk around the city tomorrow,” Mila suggests when they meet in the locker room after their (very successful, to say the least: Sara is in first place with Mila coming second) short program. She’s not sure her friend will say yes, since, well, last time Mila had kind of invited herself, and maybe Sara’s not that into city tours- But she does, in fact, say yes, and Mila can’t help but let her satisfaction show on her face.

Coincidentally, men solo competitors aren’t skating until Friday, so on Thursday afternoon it turns out Mila isn’t meeting up with one but two Crispino siblings, including a very tense-looking Michele – although he seems to relax a bit when she calls their names and he notices her. Or rather, he notices it’s just her Sara was planning to go out with.

“So, do you have any idea of where you’d like to go?” Mila asks, as naturally as she can manage. The truth is, somehow, she spent almost an hour browsing TripAdvisor last night; she realized she didn’t know what kind of places Sara liked to visit, though, so she ended up… making a list of some kind. Nothing much, just the addresses of a few landmarks, museums, parks and shopping malls in the city.

“I’ll let you choose, Sara,” Michele answers – but Sara doesn’t look like she has any idea either, so Mila takes it upon herself to suggest something.

“Well, if you’re into art, there’s this museum-”

She doesn’t have time to finish her sentence, though. Suddenly, there’s a shout-

“Mickey! Sara!”

And some human tornado going by the name of Emil Nekola throws his arms around a very annoyed Michele’s shoulders, having appeared out of nowhere but seemingly decided to invite himself into their little group.

“Hi, Mila!” he says when he finally notices her, too. “Were you all planning to go sightseeing? I can show you around, if you’d like!”

Oh, that’s right – Emil is from Czech Republic. Even though he may not live in Ostrava or anywhere near, it’s highly possible he’s been here before, if only for nationals or smaller competitions; so he must know at least a few things about the city… That means Mila’s been working for nothing, which is a little frustrating but, oh, well. Sara agrees enthusiastically and her brother would follow her to the end of the world in a heartbeat, so there’s no way Mila can say no.

A short bus ride later, they end up in the middle of a crowded street, which looks like a nice place to do some shopping – except that Emil suggests they should grab something to eat first, since he knows a restaurant nearby who serves the best meat, and… isn’t he totally clinging to Michele? When his arm isn’t thrown across the Italian’s back, he’s always at least got a hand on his shoulder; and he keeps talking to him to the point where it annoys Michele because he can’t even keep an eye on Sara (which, to be honest, is for the best : Sara is a grown woman, for heaven’s sake). Still, Mila almost feels like she’s intruding on something, and she can barely stifle her laugh. Suddenly, Sara’s fingers are on her forearm and she startles. She looks away from the men of their group to shoot her friend a questioning glance.

“Looks like we’re no longer needed,” she remarks, amusement shining in her purple eyes. Mila mimics her knowing smile; Sara feels the same as she does, apparently, and nothing could make her happier right now.  “So, about that museum you mentioned earlier…”

“It’s not too far from here. And I don’t think they’ll even notice if we leave right now.”

They exchange one last look of complicity, one last conspiratorial smile, and just like that it’s settled – Sara grabs Mila’s hand, and a second later, they’re gone.

There are two museums in the area, actually; they opt for the least popular but best rated one. Sara waits until they’re almost there to grab her phone and send her brother a quick text, one that’s saying just enough for him not to be (too) worried but not so that he’ll come running to the museum the second he reads it. They had no idea what to expect, since the House of Art doesn’t have a permanent collection on display, but the exhibition they get to see turns out to be far from boring. It’s modern art from the 1980s; there’s not a piece or artist Mila knows or has even heard of, but it’s all very colorful and Sara seems to like it, so that’s okay. Trying to find which abstract painting looks the most like any of their fellow skaters is the best, most fun part of the whole experience – especially since it makes Sara laugh every single time, and her laugh must be one of the most beautiful sounds Mila has ever heard.

They leave the museum about an hour later, none of them having suggested they catch up with Emil and Michele, and Mila secretly hoping they’ll have some more time to themselves. It’s really fun, being just the two of them. They barely have time to step out of the museum before the Russian skater feels a drop of rain wetting her hair, though. An annoyed look almost makes it to her face – except Sara is quick to take an umbrella out of her bag and open it for the both of them to take shelter under, and that makes Mila’s irritation vanish instantly.

“… How can you be so well-prepared?” Mila lets out, honestly impressed.

“I’m just used to checking the weather when we’re abroad.”

Mila almost asks who she means by we, but it’s obvious – she and her brother.

“You really never stop mothering him, huh,” she comments in a snide tone. “Do you pack his luggage, too?”

“To be fair, he does carry my bags.”

Their eyes meet, making them both laugh – and when Mila offers to hold the umbrella, ‘cause I’m sure you miss your personal knight in shining armor, Sara gladly takes up the offer.

Between Europeans and Worlds is usually a rather uneventful period: no major competitions but a lot of practice, practice and practice again, and definitely no time at all to keep in touch with friends other than by liking their Instagram pictures. So it comes as a surprise, really, when Mila flies to Switzerland for an exhibition in Lausanne and discovers Sara’s been invited to perform here as well. A very, very pleasant surprise. Especially since it turns out Michele isn’t among the participating skaters, and his and Sara’s coach fervently refused he skipped practice to escort his sister to the neighboring country. Okay, that sounds kind of mean – but really, it means this is the first time Mila can spend some time with Sara without having to worry about upsetting her over-protective brother. Besides, although she knows how much her friend loves her twin… Sara needs her own space, and she looks so much more beaut- happier. She looks happier when she’s allowed to be the grown, independent woman she is. Right.

“Have you ever been in Geneva?”

Mila blinks and looks up from her dessert. It’s the night after the last day of the exhibition and they’re both tired from performing two days in a row, but they agreed to have dinner together nonetheless. Though expensive (it is Switzerland, after all), their meal has been amazing so far, but at some point Mila started reflecting on today’s events and Sara’s programs, and she got kind of side-tracked.

“Uh…” she says, uninspired. Sara was telling her something about having a day off soon, wasn’t she? In the end, the Italian skater decides to have mercy on her, thankfully.

“I’m talking about tomorrow,” she laughs. “I mean, since neither of us is leaving until Monday… maybe we could go to Geneva tomorrow? We could take the boat.”

Right, tomorrow is a Sunday, which means they can go sightseeing and relax however they want. And Sara is suggesting they do just that – together. That sounds like a wonderful idea, in Mila’s opinion.

So on the following day they wake up at the same time, each in their own room, and they leave the hotel right before nine. The walk to the harbor is short and nice, then they’re on the deck of the boat and the cool February wind is playing with the long, black hair Sara didn’t see fit to tie up. Luckily, it’s a sunny day; with the water bright and beautiful, it’s a landscape you can’t get tired of watching. For the entire trip they talk or take pictures, the best of which Mila uploads to Instagram, and it isn’t that long until they can see Geneva in the distance. They agree on taking a walk along the harborside when they disembark; this way it only takes them about twenty minutes to get to the main tourist attraction of the city, which isn’t really a landmark but rather… some kind of enormous fountain.

“Well, here we are,” Mila says. “The… Jet d’Eau…?” she tries, uncertain of how you’re supposed to pronounce it.

Her accent makes Sara smile. “I think the t is silent.” She’s probably right.

Since the Jet d’Eau isn’t a building, it can’t really be visited, but there’s a stone jetty thanks to which it can be reached. It looks narrow and slippery, though, so Mila waits until she’s seen a handful of other tourists come back safely before venturing on it on her own, Sara following close behind. It’s no long walk – they’re under the fountain in three minutes, and they don’t stay for more than two but that’s enough for some droplets of water to reach their hair and faces.

“Be careful,” Sara warns as they’re about to climb down the stairs that separate the jetty and the harborside. She extends her hand and Mila grabs it without thinking, quietly accepting the other woman’s help.

“Thank you,” she says. She almost asks Sara what kind of moisturizer she’s using, because her skin does not only look flawless but it’s incredibly smooth too; their fingers brush gently as they let go of each other, though, and Mila forgets about it.

Around noon, they start looking for a restaurant to grab something to eat, then opt to simply go window-shopping in the streets near the harborside so that they don’t get lost. They don’t buy anything until they manage to find a boutique that’s definitely intended for tourists, with Swiss flags everywhere on the main window and a stand displaying kitschy postcards on the front. It’s surprising it took them so long to find one, Mila remarks; Sara suggests they go have a look inside to celebrate the discovery, and that’s how they end up looking at, well, the always incredible yet never really surprising amount of heterogeneous objects you’re bound to find in these kinds of shops.

“Why don’t you get a gift for your brother while we’re here?” Mila asks in a teasing tone.

Sara seems to be thinking for a second. “Hm… I don’t know if there’s anything he’d like,” she finally says, all the while giving a mug with a big edelweiss on the handle a suspicious look.

Mila is smirking by now. “It’s better if he doesn’t like it! He’ll be overjoyed no matter what you give him, right? Besides, if it’s from you…”

She only has to wait two seconds until Sara understands and a glimmer of mischief lights up her purple eyes. “He will definitely use it, even if it’s the ugliest thing on earth,” she completes, grinning, and Mila’s smile instantly matches hers. She loves it when they’re on the same page like that. And since they’re almost always on the same page – she just really, really loves it when she’s with Sara.

(In the end, they agree on a plush cow keychain that practically screams I’m a kitschy souvenir, complete with the Swiss flag on the back and a bell on the front. Michele puts it on his skating bag – and Sara still has trouble not bursting into laughter when they talk about it on the phone a whole month later.)

Worlds can’t come fast enough, after that. Mila can’t fall asleep the night before she’s meant to take a plane to Helsinki. It’s been a long time since excitement has kept her awake like that, but she can’t help it – she just can’t wait to finally try and snag that gold medal, and she just can’t wait to see Sara again. When it became like that, she has no idea; but the truth is, she misses Sara. She misses her smile and her laugh and her hand on Mila’s arm, just like she misses travelling, taking pictures, sightseeing with her. And Mila’s never even been that much into discovering new places in the first place. Besides, it’s barely been a month and a half since Geneva, and they’ve phoned or skyped more than once since then too-

But Wednesday comes eventually – and for half a second when their eyes meet, right before she smiles her usual sweet, sweet smile, Sara looks just as relieved to see Mila as Mila feels to see her. They both stay calm though, neither showing anything more than what could pass as adrenaline-induced pre-competition excitement. They exchange a few words, perhaps, promising to cheer on the other during her short program later on, and that’s it; as cheerful as Sara’s smile can be sometimes, as snide as Mila’s comments can get on some days, right now they can’t afford to think of anything but their performances. And that’s okay. Because Mila comes out in second place, Sara in fourth, and on Wednesday evening they end up in Sara’s hotel room, sprawled over her bed, all eyes focused on the maps and addresses Mila printed out and the travel guide Sara brought.

“There’s just so many things to see around here,” Mila says, almost whining.

“And so little time on our hands…” Sara completes as she lays her head against the headboard and takes a pillow on her lap. “There’s a ferry going from Helsinki to Tallinn. We could be there in three hours…”

Mila looks up from her map of the Helsinki city centre.

“The Old Town of Tallinn is on the UNESCO World Heritage list,” Sara answers the other skater’s silent question.

“Oh. I thought people only went there for the cheap alcohol.”

Now it’s Sara’s turn to turn quiet all of a sudden. Mila blinks; three entire seconds pass until she finally understands.

“Oh my god,” she says, barely containing her laughter. “That comment just sounded very Russian, didn’t it?”

Sara bursts into a pure, sweet, adorable laugh. Mila’s thought about this before but- her laugh definitely is the most beautiful sound she’s ever heard, isn’t it?

“If you mean, according to the worst clichés in the universe… then yes, it did.”

Not just her laugh, by the way. Her face, too, her eyes, her hair, her tan hands on the white pillow, her long legs on the bed sheets, her mouth – there’s nothing about Sara Mila doesn’t find absolutely stunning. And right there, right then, there’s something special. There’s something special about the way they’re talking, the way they’re planning trips they could go on and thinking of time they could spend together – something that makes Mila want to never, ever leave the intimacy of this room, the warmth of this bed.

She’s no idiot – she knows it’s love. It’s just a bit frightening to realize how much stronger it is than anything she’s ever felt for any of the multiple hockey players she’s dated.

So Mila is in love. It’s no big deal, really. Don’t listen to whatever Yuri might tell you; she’s loved people before. Still, it’s rarely ever been this… painful. The longing, now that Worlds are over and she is back in Russia and Sara is back in Italy. She can stand it, obviously (unlike a certain skater she knows –but whose name she won’t mention, that’s how nice she is– who won’t stop looking like a kicked puppy the second his boyfriend leaves), but it still hurts. Not too much, it’s just… a kind of pain that won’t go away, no matter for how long she talks to Sara on the phone, and just gets worse every time they hang up.

So when Sara suggests over Skype that she could come and spend a whole weekend in Russia with her, Mila has trouble refraining from smiling; and she definitely can’t deny the warmth spreading in her chest.

The morning Sara is meant to arrive, she takes extra care making sure she looks even better than she usually does, with her makeup and hair and clothes on point, and she gets at the airport half an hour early just in case. Sara’s plane lands on time; Mila welcomes her with a smile and a cup of her favorite coffee, which Sara looks very thankful for. The flight’s been okay, but still long and tiring, she explains – “I can’t wait to go sightseeing with you, though.” She said it without a second thought, probably, but Mila’s heart still flutters all the same. Maybe she’s imagining things, too, but she can’t help feeling like Sara is… comfortable with her, at least? It’s in the way she walks so close to Mila that sometimes their elbows touch, the way she tilts her head once they’re sitting in the bus leaving the airport and doesn’t seem bothered in the slightest by how she brushes Mila’s shoulder in the process; and later the way she doesn’t hesitate a second before taking her arm to drag her to the landmarks she’s so eager to visit, too-

Mila nervously brushes a strand of red hair away from her face. She knows she shouldn’t get her hopes up – Sara is just being friendly, that’s all. Probably.

“By the way, don’t you think it’s funny?” she asks out of the blue, arms crossed, if only because she doesn’t have enough time with Sara here to miss on opportunities to make the best of their time together. “We’re both professional skaters, yet we’ve never been skating just for fun together…”

Sara seems deep in thought for a second. “You’re right… With how many times we’ve seen each other, you’d think we would have gone at least once, but all we ever do is go sightseeing.”

“Uh, I wasn’t complaining. I like sightseeing,” Mila says. With you, she almost adds; because she’s pretty sure it wouldn’t be nearly as fun if she was with, say, Viktor or Georgi instead.

“I do, too,” Sara answers calmly. “But it’d be nice to do something different for once… How about we go right now?”

“To the rink?”

Mila can’t believe what she’s hearing. The only reason why she mentioned going ice skating together is because the idea briefly crossed her mind, but she never thought… she never even wanted… Uh, well. Maybe she’s wanted to do something else than just visit places with Sara for a while, but anything (having dinner, going to the cinema, whatever) would have been fine. Besides, it’s not like any of them has brought her skates with her today- But Sara just smiles, unfazed, and Mila finds herself unable to say no.

That’s how they end up in Mila’s home rink during public hours, something Mila has never done by herself, both of them wearing (crappy, if Mila has anything to say about them) rental skates and trying to navigate in the middle of the crowd.

“What are you supposed to do at a rink when you can’t even practice your jumps?” Mila groans after barely crashing with an inexperienced fourth-grader for the third time in a row. Sara, who skated to the side to avoid the child, scoots back closer, giggling.

“Mickey and I used to play tag all the time when we were kids,” she explains, smiling fondly at the memory. “Or we’d just...” Her fingers brush against Mila’s and Mila lets her grab her hand, too surprised to react. “… hold hands and skate around the rink. This way, everyone thought Mickey was my boyfriend, and I wouldn’t get teased.” Her grip on Mila’s hand gets stronger as she speeds up, turns around and starts going backwards, now facing Mila; she extends her second hand and Mila takes it as well.

“Can you believe Mickey wanted us to compete as a pair when we first started skating?”

She punctuates her question with a light, delicious chuckle, but Mila is too busy snickering to be amazed. “Nooo, I absolutely cannot believe that!” she blatantly lies. “Seriously, I’ve always wondered how he hadn’t managed to get you to pair skate with him somehow. You told him no, didn’t you?”

“Surprisingly, no,” Sara laughs. “He dropped me once. Then he would no longer lift me because he was too scared he’d hurt me again.”

Mila’s smile falters a little. “That’s… kinda sad, actually.”

“But we’re better off this way.”

“Yeah.”

There’s a few seconds of silence, after that, during which they’re just content skating together, with their hands warm in each other’s; until Mila suddenly looks up and groans. “Seriously, though? You can’t weigh more than Yuri, and I can lift him super easily!”

Sara’s eyes light up with interest. “You can?”

“Uh… yeah?”

The Italian skater doesn’t wait for a more elaborated answer. A smirk making its way to her pretty lips, she lets go of Mila’s hands to place both of hers on Mila’s shoulders – and they’re really close suddenly, but… all right. If that’s what Sara wants, Mila will give it to her. Swiftly, she places both hands on her waist; the next second she’s lifting her, spinning her around, and when Sara’s skates meet the ice again her eyes are the most intense purple Mila has ever seen. She remains silent for a while, lost in those eyes. She vaguely hears Sara speak, but doesn’t pay attention to what she’s saying – because she’s beautiful, and her smile is a happy one, and her hands have found Mila’s fingers again, and right know it’s all that matters.

Until Sara’s eyes widen a little. “Mila?”

“Mm? What did you, err…”

Mila blinks, and Sara’s gaze softens. “I was saying pair that pair skating looks rather fun, after all… with you.” She waits a second before she continues. “Actually… Don’t get me wrong, I love Mickey, and I love spending time with him. But everything we’ve done together up till now has been so much more fun.”

“Sara, I…” Mila bites her bottom lip. She feels the same way; and she feels so much more, too, so much that it’s almost overwhelming right now. Her fingers, wrapped around Sara’s hands, are the only things she can focus on besides her racing heart, and all she wants to do is pull Sara closer and, uh, kiss her or something. “… I love being with you, too,” is all she manages to blurt out.

Then she thinks – scratch that. If she’s meant to have her heart broken, then the sooner the better; besides, with the way Sara is looking at her right now, maybe… just maybe…

“Actually, I… may love y-”

Two lips pressing against hers prevent her from finishing her sentence. They’re gone as quickly as they came – but when Mila lowers her gaze, confused, she is greeted Sara’s sweetest, most stunning smile.

“Let’s take a trip together this summer,” she says. “And the next, too. There are so many places I want to see with you.”

Mila thinks about it for a second – she may not be into sightseeing that much, but Rome, or Paris, New York, Tokyo, with Sara…

“Alright,” she smiles. All of that sounds like the best idea ever.

[acetgfg]

1. Favorite Disney movie? the lion king, big hero 6, the black couldron, zootopia

2. Walt Disney World or Disneyland? i have only been to the disney theme park in florida and i have no idea if its called disney land or disney world cos i call it both

3. Favorite Disney character? scar, baymax, eilonwy, judy hopps, donald duck, belle, ashley spinelli, huey duck

4. The first Disney movie you remember seeing in the theatres? pocahontus

5. What type of Disney item do you collect the most? i still have video tapes and i have dvds

6. Your favorite Disney song? belle from beauty and the beast

7. Favorite attraction/ride at the parks? i loved the bigfoot ride at the animal kingdom

8. What is your dream job at Disney? i would like to be one of the characters one where your head is hidden and no one knows who you are and you dont have to talk but you can still make kids happy

9. Who’s the park character you never want to miss meeting at the parks? i dont really like to meet any as i dont know what to say or do as im autistic and not good at talking to people even disney characters

10. What’s your most treasured Disney item? my video tapes and dvds and my max from the little mermaid teddy and my simba teddy and my baloo teddy and my olaf dancing and singing teddy

11. Which Disney voice actor would you most like to meet? scars voice  

12. Favorite Disney movie that’s not a classic/famous? the black couldron

13. If you could say anything to Walt Disney right now, what would it be?i would be probably to scared to talk

14. Your favorite snack to get at the parks? ice cream

15. Your favorite parade/show at the parks? i dont have one

16. Flounder, Sebastian, or Scuttle? flounder first but i love all three and max too

17. Your favorite Disney memory? i went for the first time when i was 21 after wanting to go since i was 4 or 5 and i remember i got a ticket with one of my faves on it donald duck and i still have that ticket

18. Do you have a favorite pair of Mickey ears? no

19. If you could, what “forgotten princess” would you add to the official lineup? eilonwy

20. Your favorite princess dress/outfit? belles blue dress she is wearing at the begining

21. Your favorite Disney soundtrack? the lion guard

22. Genie, Abu, Carpet, Iago, or Rajah? abu and iago and rajah

23. Favorite restaurant at the parks? dont know

24. How did you first discover the “magic” of Disney? i remeber seeing fantasia on video tape that dad rented out then i saw the lion king on video tape that my uncle bought i maybe saw movies before that but i cant remember if i did or not

25. What attraction are you most likely to go to first when you’re at the parks? animal kingdom

26. Your favorite “iconic” moment? when beast shows belle the library and when rafiki says the past can hurt then he starts laughing crazly when simba says im going back

27. What’s the saddest moment for you in any Disney film? kala losing her baby in tarzan

28. Best Disney kiss? simba and nala

29. If you could live in any world from a Disney movie, which would you choose? any where i still have my children

30. Favorite Disney musical sequence based on spectacle/animation? be prepared from the lion king

31. Which Disney princess has the best sidekicks? mulan

32. If you could have a party themed around any Disney movie, which one would you pick? the lion king

33. Are you the only one obsessed with Disney in your family? every one loves disney but i think i love it more than the other members of my family

34. Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, or Chip? chip and cogsworth

35. What are your top five favorite Disney blogs on Tumblr?  not sure i just look at the tags

36. If you could choose the plot/adaptation for the next Disney movie, what would it be? one where i get to see my pets being turned into disney characters

37. Favorite hotel at the parks? never been to a hotel at the parks

38. Which Disney movie do you turn to when you’re sad/upset? zootopia, big hero 6, the lion king, mulan 2 because the princesses in it make me laugh and i love 2 of the songs from mulan 2

39. The Aladdin show or The Little Mermaid show? i havent seen the stage shows

40. Do you plan to have/have you had your honeymoon at a Disney park? if my future non existant husband wants to i will

41. Favorite piece of Disney clothing/accessory to wear? my lion king top

42. Post a picture of yourself that’s Disney-related. no thank you

43. Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck? donald duck

44. What Disney movies/worlds would you like to see in the next Kingdom Hearts game? not sure zootopia and big hero 6 if they arent already but i havent played one of those games since it was on playstation 2 and i didnt like it that much

45. Which Disney movie, even if it’s not your favorite, will always have a special place in your heart and for what reason? the black couldron because my baby who died is named after the character from the black couldron book i was reading it when i was pregnant with my baby i lost

[admittedlynotspartacus]

2017 Best Picture Nominees Ranked

This year in film, Colin Farrell ate a bunch of Big Macs for The Lobster and then slimmed out for Fantastic Beasts, only to be replaced at the end by Johnny Depp; Natalie Portman cried in close-up for two hours; Patrick Stewart played the year's second scariest white supremacist; and Paul Dano rode a flatulent Daniel Radcliffe across the sea. Of course, none of these are nominated for Best Picture, because the Academy still consists of a bunch of old white guys who were alive during the Golden Age of Hollywood musicals, yet still gifted La La Land more nominations than Singin' in the Rain, An American in Paris, and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg COMBINED. However, moving on... here are the 9 films nominated for Best Picture ranked in my oh-so-humble opinion from "You can probably skip this" to "Run out and see this immediately."

9. HACKSAW RIDGE

Director: Mel Gibson Starring: Andrew Garfield, Vince Vaughn & Hugo Weaving The Plot: Mel Gibson uses the inspirational story of a religious man who refuses to carry a weapon into battle as an excuse to make the most violent movie since Passion of the Christ. Thoughts: Gibson executes the battle scenes effectively, and Andrew Garfield turns in a good-but-not-great performance, but there's no real maturation as a director here. He paints with broad colors a story that could've had tremendous power had there been more nuance. There was more to explore with this character's relationship to God, but it's largely eschewed for Old Hollywood beats and brouhaha. Overall, a fairly mediocre war movie, but this time with Jesus. Nominations: 6 (including Picture, Director, and Actor) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

8. LA LA LAND

Director: Damien Chazelle Starring: Emma Stone & Ryan Gosling The Plot: Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling are adorable, talented, and wonderful and you love them... right? Thoughts: The entire gimmick of this Hollywood throwback musical is that it is a Hollywood throwback musical. It's in CinemaScope, everything looks Technicolor, and most of the numbers are filmed head-to-toe in one shot. It's technically proficient work by a clearly talented filmmaker, yet there is so little joy (and talent for singing and dancing) on display in the musical moments that it's hard to even understand the point. Ryan Gosling's too-cool-for-school hoofing and Emma Stone's whispery vocals are nothing compared to Gene and Debbie, Astaire and Rodgers, or even Judy and Mickey. And because there are so few songs, most of the film is occupied by textbook rom-com beats (however charmingly acted). See it for the instrumental score, which is on full display in the film's final ten minutes. Nominations: 14 (including Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

7. FENCES

Director: Denzel Washington Starring: Denzel Washington & Viola Davis The Plot: Dude says he's gonna build a fence, but mostly just acts like a shithead. Thoughts: Your enjoyment of this film is going to be largely based on how you handle the "stagey" factor. Denzel has effectively shot the classic play, rarely opening it up beyond the backyard set. In this way, it bears resemblance to the films of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf or Glengarry Glen Ross, but he lacks the directorial panache of Nichols and Foley, so the scenes often operate all on the same level with little dynamic change. For me, this got exhausting for 2 and a half hours, and the text (which remains beautiful poetry by the late great August Wilson) could've used trims, particularly when we see in Denzel's face the suffering of Troy so clearly that he doesn't need to talk about it much. Such is the power of the close-up, and even though it captures two phenomenal screen performances by Denzel and Viola, it ultimately robs the play of the power it would yield were we just watching them do it onstage. Nominations: 4 (Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

6. LION

Director: Garth Davis Starring: Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar & Nicole Kidman The Plot: Young boy separated from his mother has no interest in finding her until he becomes rugged Dev Patel, is mildly insulted at a party, and has access to Google Earth. Thoughts: The first hour of Lion is among the most beautifully shot pieces of cinema this year. Sunny Pawar is a magnetic protagonist, and Garth Davis and cinematographer Greig Fraser find a visual language for the story of a young boy who is separated from his family and tossed into an overwhelming world that is both epically Dickensian and visceral. It's unfortunate that the moment he grows up into Dev Patel (in a very game performance), much of the film's engagement is lost and we are subjected to long scenes of Patel staring at a computer screen that oftentimes come across as advertisements for Google Earth. Still, if you don't weep like a baby at the ending, I doubt you have a soul. Nominations: 6 (including Picture, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

5. HIDDEN FIGURES

Director: Theodore Melfi Starring: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae & Kevin Costner The Plot: Nasty women get shit done. Thoughts: The most conventional of the Best Picture nominees gets its power from two key elements - that it's a story we don't really know, and that it's about three black women. It's a refreshingly old-fashioned American film about unlikely heroes that tells the familiar story of the space race from a surprising angle. And so, through familiar beats, the film is able to make an epic story personal, while also hitting the nerve of a country currently knee-deep in issues of race relations. Nominations: 3 (Picture, Supporting Actress & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%

4. HELL OR HIGH WATER

Director: David Mackenzie Starring: Chris Pine, Ben Foster & Jeff Bridges The Plot: Proof that everyone is getting screwed over by banks, including bank robbers. Thoughts: A tense chase movie set against the backdrop of an economically-paralyzed Texas, David Mackenzie’s “Western” transcends our 21st century understanding of the genre (loud gunfights, chases, and anachronistic music) without tipping its hat too hard to the classics. Taylor Sheridan’s screenplay is dynamite, featuring three principal characters brimming with emotion and trading dialogue that feels both true to life and wonderfully cinematic. It’s these characters and their dualities that give the film its epic scope.  And this is to say nothing of the final sequence, which finds a power in silence of which most films only dream. In a summer full of duds, this was the one to see. Nominations: 4 (including Picture, Supporting Actor & Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 98%

3. ARRIVAL

Director: Denis Villeneuve Starring: Amy Adams The Plot: In which Amy Adams can talk to aliens, but still can't win an Oscar. Thoughts: Denis Villeneuve, of Sicario and Prisoners note, is one of the best contemporary filmmakers at creating a feeling of dread and anxiety. The opening sequences of his latest (shot beautifully by cinematographer Bradford Young) play with a kind of hypnotic, slow-burn tension that’s seldom seen in movies these days, let alone a big blockbuster like this one. Anchoring it all is Amy Adams, proving once again to be one of our greatest actresses. Her interactions with the truly alien-looking aliens, through a rectangular glass window on the other side of a room filled with white haze, are the centerpieces of a film which flirts with timely notions of global unity and boasts a few twists and turns as well. When it starts dealing out reveals, it becomes less and less effective, but the overall vision and feel of the film, grounded by Adams’ performance, make it something to behold. Nominations: 8 (including Picture, Director & Adapted Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%

2. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA

Director: Kenneth Lonergan Starring: Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges & Michelle Williams The Plot: Casey Affleck could learn some chill from his ginger nephew. Thoughts: The latest in the line of the “Boston grief drama” is among the most depressing things you’ll see this year. It’s also one of the funniest. Kenneth Lonergan has always walked the line of humor and heartache with painstaking accuracy, but never as well as he does in this masterful work. His picture of life is one where a never-ending litany of stupidities is ever present. Just because you’re dealing with the death of a loved one doesn’t mean you stop getting bad cell reception, stubbing your toe, or forgetting where you parked the car. It’s a tricky balancing act, one that major Hollywood movies eschew altogether, presumably because they don’t trust an audience to be able to parcel out what’s funny and what’s tragic. But in Manchester, the two emotions trade off, sometimes coinciding, to remarkable effect. And nowhere is this more embodied than in a grade-A performance by Casey Affleck; it’s one of those performances that is so perfectly realized you really feel like you know the guy; you understand the whirlwind of grief and anger that exists within him and how he’s masked it with a detached veneer. The acting overall is tremendous; Lucas Hedges is phenomenal in a breakout performance, and Michelle Williams makes the most of her limited screen-time. Lonergan and co. so fully commit to this truthful vision of a world wherein nobody gets an easy pass; sometimes you can beat it, and sometimes you just can’t. Nominations: 6 (Picture, Director, Actor, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress & Original Screenplay) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%

1. MOONLIGHT

Director: Barry Jenkins Starring: Trevante Rhodes, Andre Holland, Janelle Monae, Ashton Sanders, Jharrel Jerome, Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali The Plot: It's black gay Boyhood. Thoughts: It is absolutely baffling as to how this movie, based on a Tarell Alvin McCraney play, featuring not a single white actor, and focusing on the maturation of a gay protagonist, ever got made. But that’s not even the tip of the iceberg of the miracle that is Moonlight. It’s one of those movies that is so utterly transporting, so richly detailed, and so very very real that even though one knows painstaking work went into it, it feels as though it emerged fully-realized from a collective consciousness and fell into our laps right when we needed it most. The film begins in the familiar territory of hip-hop mythology - there’s a role model drug dealer and junkie mom, for instance - and yet it soon becomes clear we are being presented with the cliches and tropes of this type of film to shatter them and ultimately come back around to say, “Look at these people. They’re human. They’ve always been and always will.” There is beauty in nearly every moment, from the stunning cinematography (the scene in the water… the cooking) to the subtle score, to its performances (Alex Hibbert’s, Ashton Sanders’, and Trevante Rhodes’ collective turn as Chiron is staggering, and Naomie Harris and Mahershala Ali will surely be recognized come Oscar time). It’s all in service of a singular vision - one that isn’t easy to pin down or put into words, but one that will surely stay with me for a long, long time.

But alas...

[karenuse54-blog]

Talking baseball with John Thorn, official historian of Major League Baseball and coauthor of The Hidden Game

(John Thorn, photo by Alison Richards; Bill Savage, photo by Rich Lalich.)

In 1984, John Thorn and Pete Palmer helped launch what would become the sabermetric revolution in baseball by publishing The Hidden Game of Baseball: A Revolutionary Approach to Baseball and Its Statistics. More than thirty years later, we have seen the game of baseball absorb the insights of Thorn, Palmer, and those who came in their wake in a way that no one could ever have predicted back in the days when RBI, batting averages, and pitcher wins were king.

In 2015, we were proud to bring The Hidden Game back into print. To kick off the baseball playoff season, we hooked up our old friend Bill Savage, lit prof and Cubs fan, with John Thorn to talk about the book and the game.

In The Hidden Game, you and Pete Palmer helped explain new forms of baseball statistics to fans (and the powers-that-be in The Game).   Many of these stats have come to be widely accepted, despite the stubborn adherence to BA/HR/RBI and W/L records among the more retrograde fans. Which of the even more recent statistical categories do you think most add to our understanding and enjoyment of players’ accomplishments?

I admire the work of modern statistical analysts even as, over the years, my interests have drifted more to the history of the game, particularly its earliest period—even before statistics entered the discussion of which player was better than another. Voros McCracken’s FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) has seemed to me to be a great breakthrough in the way we look at the game, and how we measure it. BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) is also a solid new stat, as it reveals the good luck or bad that may inform short-term outcomes. WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is a refinement of Pete Palmer’s Linear Weights System, with the principal difference being its baseline of a mythical replacement player (available via callup from Triple-A) rather than the LWTS baseline of zero. The latter still seems to me more elegant mathematically and philosophically, as an average team will go 81-81 and thus provide no extra wins above a team that is 0-0 on Opening Day.

What’s your take on the new measurements of hitters (launch angle and exit velocity) that are based primarily on technological advances rather than new mathematical ways of framing the game’s data points? Back in the day, people might have seen such things but not have been able to quantify them.

Interesting . . . which is to say that I am interested in their likely assistance in evaluating hitters’ future chances and perhaps their suitability in certain trade ruminations. I am not, however, impressed by these measures’ in-game or in-season utility. They seem to me to be the shiny tinsel on the otherwise perfect tree.

The powers-that-be in MLB are concerned with how long a game takes—but recent research by Grant Bisbee of SBNation.com (comparing two games with strong statistical parallels, from 1984 and 2014 https://www.sbnation.com/a/mlb-2017-season-preview/game-length) suggests that the difference between today’s game and the game of a generation ago is simply how long pitchers take to throw the ball.  Why not just have a 20-second pitch clock, as some minor leagues do?

As it has turned out, few pitchers exceed the 20-second mark with any regularity, so this argument may be moot, or at least window dressing, compared to other problems of pace/length, e.g., number of relief pitchers used, number of pitches thrown (deep counts), time between balls put into play (“Three True Outcomes”), and so on.

The powers-that-be in MLB are also worried about their aging fan base, and blame pace-of-play and length of games for a potentially lost generation of young fans.  But my experience is that some young people (many of my students at Northwestern, for instance) love baseball, and the pauses inherent in the game fit with their constant fiddling with phones, Tweeting and texting.  (Ahem.  I have been known to tweet between innings as well.) If you could mandate anything to get younger fans into baseball, what would it be?

This is above my pay grade, of course—I work for the Commissioner but do not presume to mandate anything. As an advanced fan, however, I might speculate that more balls in play, fewer strikeouts, and fewer situational relievers might well make the game more appealing to fans of any age.

Part of baseball’s historic continuity is the relative stability of the rules, with the lowered pitcher’s mound and the DH being prominent counter-examples.  Is it worth changing fundamental rules to speed up the game?  The gesture for an intentional walk, starting extra innings with a runner on second, and so forth?  Some sports chatterers are even suggesting making the game 7 innings long.  I’d (unseriously) suggest just starting every batter with a 1-1 count, like in park district softball.  How should baseball balance historical continuity with modern demands?

I think most fans do not appreciate the fairly violent gyrations in the rules that characterized the game into the twentieth century, and those that characterized the 1960s and early ’70s. Baseball has always had an experimental quality—just as one might say of the America’s evolving adventure into democracy. Both the nation and its pastime may be viewed as solid, inert institutions, inhospitable to change, yet that is not the way I see either. Continuity, yes; obdurate resistance, no. Traditionalists will tend to be older and bound to affirm their life’s experience of baseball (or America). But older fans, while they may dominate today’s marketplace of ideas, do not represent the economic marketplace of tomorrow.

Baseball is America’s most ancient and historic game—yet many people think MLB doesn’t do enough to teach its history to current or potential fans.  As MLB’s official historian, how would you like to see teams in MLB (and the minors) use the game’s history to enrich the fan experience?

My dear departed friend Larry Ritter, author of The Glory of Their Times (1966), liked to say that the best part of baseball today is its yesterdays. For older fans, certainly that is true. But I think baseball’s past enriches the experience of younger fans, too, and when a seemingly unique event resonates across the canyons of time to recall another, similar happenstance, the effect is warming, enriching, beautiful. I believe that my mission as MLB’s official historian is to share the pleasure I experience in making such connections, and perhaps to inspire a new generation to explore the depths of this endlessly fascinating game. No sport connects with its past on a daily basis the way that baseball does. Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Cy Young, Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson—these are names that all baseball fans know and revere. Can the same be said of our other team sports—say, for Red Grange (football), or George Mikan (basketball), or Howie Morenz (hockey)?

One huge issue lately is cultural differences between “old school” baseball people and younger players, especially stars from Latin America, who play with more overt emotion and exuberance.  This moment parallels the reaction of many players, coaches, and executives to how Negro League players brought their style of play to the Bigs after Jack Robinson’s debut.  It seems ironic that MLB can simultaneously worry about not appealing to young fans, and criticize players whose style might very well appeal to such young fans, accustomed as they are to the more emotionally-charged behavior on basketball courts and football fields.  The term often used in this conversation is about “respecting the game.”  What does it mean, to you, to “respect the game”?

Respecting the game has meant different things in different eras. The ungovernably rowdy 1890s nearly placed baseball permanently in the shade, trailing college football, cycling, golf, and automobile races. When decorum returned to the game, female fans did too. In the 1950s, Mickey Mantle ran around the bases with his head down after a home run, so as not to show up the pitcher. Given its roots in sublimated martial activity, baseball has sometimes struggled to strike a balance between chivalry and bravado. I am utterly confident that it will do so again, embracing Hispanic conventions while not abandoning North American reserve.

Electronic strike zone: Yes or No? If yes, how?

It may come. Certainly cricket and tennis have accommodated it. I  have always accepted mistakes as an inevitable feature of human endeavor, and almost miss the vanishing error in the field as much as I miss the triple. But it is hard to deny the appeal of greater accuracy.

The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown is not directly run by MLB.  Right now, while executives from the PEDs Era are being inducted (Selig, Cox, LaRussa, Torre), the writers who vote on players seem pretty set on excluding Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and other players whose records they call “tainted.”  If you could mandate how players are selected for the Hall, what system would you enact?

I do mandate how players are selected for the Hall of Fame between my ears, but not for the one in Cooperstown. It is a grand institution, and part of its enduring vitality may be accounted to its annual controversy, stirring fan interest and sometime outrage.

  Source: http://pressblog.uchicago.edu/2018/10/01/talking-baseball-with-john-thorn-official-historian-of-major-league-baseball-and-coauthor-of-the-hidden-game.html

[talkdisney]

When a new attraction opens at a Disney theme park, actually getting on the ride can take a lot of patience. James Cameron’s Pandora: The World of Avatar debuted last May at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and lines for Avatar: Flight of Passage can still exceed two hours without a FastPass+, which are always in short supply. The new Toy Story Land, which opened June 30, features a new Slinky Dog Dash roller coaster that has Pixar fans waiting five hours in line.

While Walt Disney Imagineering can’t do anything about the Florida heat, humidity or rain, it can make wait times more manageable. And the key to keeping Disney fans occupied while visiting U.S. theme parks is video games. While taking in Andy’s backyard from a toy-sized perspective in Toy Story Land, guests can play Andy’s Board Game Blast, a digital take on a classic family board game that’s been designed to pass the phone around for multiplayer interactivity.

The “Play Disney Parks” app, which launched June 30 and is only playable in Disney theme parks, is the first product from the Imagineers and The Walt Disney Company’s digital guest experience division that aims to capitalize on the game development bandwidth inside the company (Disney Interactive was also involved) and the ubiquity of gaming in today’s world.

Imagineering has always incorporated experts from across the entertainment and technology landscapes. With the rise of video gaming over the past three decades, the group has seen an influx of game developers join its ranks. Over the past decade, the concept of “gamer” has grown to incorporate the majority of people across the globe – and the guests that visit Disney’s theme parks around the world.

Anyone who’s been to Walt Disney World Resort’s The Magic Kingdom or Epcot over the past ten years or so has seen the direction Imagineering has been steering the guest experience, blending video game role-playing experiences with real world attractions. Disney’s Kim Possible: World Showcase Adventure debuted in 2006 and offered guests flip phones to go on a secret mission that unlocked interactivity with animatronic characters hidden in plain sight. In 2012, that attraction gave way to Phineas & Ferb’s Agent P World Showcase Adventure, which incorporated an AT&T sponsored FONE (Field Operative Notification Equipment) for interactivity. The new Play Disney Parks has integrated Agent P into the app, which unlocks at Epcot.

Jonathan Ackley, executive creative director at Walt Disney Imagineering, is one of the game developer minds behind these experiences. Ackley is best known in the video game world for his work at LucasArts, developing classic PC games in the 1990s “Day of the Tentacle,” “Sam & Max Hit the Road,” “Full Throttle,” “The Dig” and “The Curse of Monkey Island.” Since 2001, Ackley has been gamifying experiences at Disney theme parks, including the wildly popular Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdon collectible card game that unlocks animated storytelling and motion-sensored gameplay at hidden kiosks throughout the Orlando theme park, and Disney Cruise Lines’ Midship Detective Agency, which uses motion-sensored playing cards to reveal interactivity across “enchanted pictures” throughout the cruise ships feature Mickey Mouse and the gang, as well as The Muppets.

Josh Gorin, executive R&D Imagineer at The Walt Disney Company, told Variety that the free iOS and Android app offers the chance to extend that interactive storytelling layer into the guest pocket, leveraging the incredible power of this basic super computer that they’re carrying around and turn it from a distraction from the experience into something that enhances it.

“When you think about the history of Imagineering storytelling over 60 years, it’s about creating truly immersive places where guests can step into fantastic worlds, meet characters they love and connect with the people they’re with, and Play Disney Parks is a natural extension of that original vision by leveraging the latest and greatest in technology to bring those worlds to life and give our guests an active role in the story,” Gorin added.

Dan Soto vice president of the digital experience at The Walt Disney Company told Variety that over 90% of guests visiting Disney theme parks bring a smartphone along for vacation. It’s this “tipping point” that has paved the way to introduce video games designed to be played while waiting in line at specific attractions throughout the four Disney World parks and two Disneyland parks in the U.S.

“Since 2013 we’ve been on a fairly aggressive track on the digital transformation of our theme parks and a lot of that is a direct response to the consumer,” Soto said. “Our world is changing. We walk around with our smartphones all day long and have this thirst and demand for real-time information, for customizing and personalizing experiences, for leveraging technology to create a simple and seamless sort of consumer experience. So whether it be Magic Bands, which we introduced back in 2014, or the My Disney Experience app, all of those things have been all about how do we make your guest experience much more simple and seamless.”

Even inside the queues for rides, Disney has been integrating video games for fans to interact with to help distract from the lines. In 2014, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train opened at New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom with touch screen displays offering multiplayer “Bejeweled”-style gaming.

“We’ve been exploring how to leverage interactive technology to even make your wait time experience feel better and more immersive,” Soto added. “Mine Train is a good example of where we have more physical kiosk-based interactive experiences. Haunted Mansion has some fantastic props within the queue that allow you to interact. But the new app allows us to unlock new models of gameplay through the ability to scale and introduce new games to the guest experience.”

And gamifying the theme park experience is something that’s easy to connect with the wide array of visitors that vacation at Disney properties. According to Statista, in 2017 The Magic Kingdom attracted 20.45 million guests, Disney Animal Kingdom drew 12.5 million visitors, Epcot saw 12.2 million attendees and Disney Hollywood Studios saw 10.7 million vacationers. Disneyland’s California parks lured another 18.3 million visitors last year.

“At Imagineering we’re all about telling stories by bringing these spectacular worlds to life, and then our guests get to step inside them and take on a role,” Gorin explained. “So it’s really interesting when you combine more traditional production and scenic disciplines with game design because now you’re giving that guest an active role in the story. They’re not a passive participant. They’re able to take on a character or a persona or even just be themselves, but make meaningful choices that matter and interact with the world in a way they couldn’t before.”

Disney has been working with Disney Interactive as well as game developers across mobile, alternate reality, live action role-playing space and alternative narrative space to develop the app. Soto said the goal was to transform the smartphone from being a distraction from the story and the people you’re with into an enhancement.

“These games were designed to get guest looking up and around and engaging with the world around you, and most importantly the people you came with,” Soto added. “It almost turns the phone into a remote control for the park. It becomes your interface, your prop, as you navigate these spaces. And in a lot of these queue games you actually have the ability to trigger and interact with real physical effects. We’ve experimented with that before outside of the app, but now we’ve brought that onto our platform where we can do that in a much more scalable way and really make the parks feel alive and dynamic and keep track of your profile and achievements in a way that makes you feel you’ve taken on a meaningful role in this story.”

Toy Story Land includes two new games that are available while waiting in line for the Slinky Dog Dash rollercoaster or Toy Story Midway Mania dark ride. Andy’s Board Game Blast offers a multiplayer board game experience, while Toy Story Midway is a collection of multiplayer mini-games that eventually interact with physical elements of the queue before guests board the ride, which itself is a 4D shooter featuring the cast from the Pixar films. (Disney Interactive actually released a console video game version from Papaya Studio called Toy Story Mania back in 2009.)

All of the games being designed for the app offer hand-the-phone-to-the-next-player multiplayer experiences on purpose, according to Gorin, even though traditional mobile games connect online.

“As we were designing these activities especially for the queues, we wanted to create something that was completely distinct from other mobile games,” Gorin said. “We wanted to avoid that nose down experience. We went for a family game night vibe, not a mobile gaming vibe. So the experiences were designed to get people looking up and interacting with the world and interacting with each other using the gyroscope and sensors that today’s smartphones have.”

Soto points to a moment in the Space Mountain game where guests are completing mini quests to level up their ships by looking around the queue for power-ups and competing against other guests. At the end of the line, guests can see their ships racing around.

Achievements both inside these games and across the theme park attractions will be built out over time, tapping into the popular video game concept of accomplishing goals and then sharing them with the world.

“We’re so excited about what digital achievements can do within the park, and it’s not even just the obvious things like I rode Aerosmith’s Rock’n’Rollercoaster or I scored a high score on this particular game,” Soto explained. “We think there are opportunities to do fascinating things in terms of combining achievements like experiencing 7 Gs in one day, which would require riding Mission: Space and Test Track in Epcot. We think there are so many opportunities to unlock the achievement platform and even introduce a whole new layer of physical experiences for guests by virtue of having that achievement. At Disney we have this amazing physical immersive brick-and-mortar experience that gives us a built-in advantage to really pay off some things in a pretty special way with this achievements platform.”

“Our guests come to the parks again and again because there are new secrets to discover and they get to experience all new things, and the power of an achievements platform like the one in Play Disney Parks is the opportunity for guests to recognize that discovery as they explore the parks and unlock new things to be recognized for that with these digital goods that they can then share online,” Gorin added.

Soto said it would be easy to quickly add the type of collectible pins that are a staple in the real world to the app as virtual achievement pins.

The app will eventually add a leaderboard for guests to see where their video game and in-park achievements rank against others, according to Gorin.

“We want to grow and expand this platform in a major way, and social gaming and interconnected gameplay is something that we’re absolutely super excited about,” Gorin said.

The Walt Disney World Resort has over twenty hotels on property and four theme parks in Orlando alone.

“We think the opportunities to expand this platform well beyond our theme parks, maybe even connecting across different theme parks around the world is a big opportunity for us in the future,” Soto said.

Disney has aggressive plans to expand its parks around the globe. In the U.S. alone there’s a new Mickey and Minnie Runaway Train ride coming to Disney Hollywood Studios in 2018, followed by Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney Hollywood Studios in fall 2018.

“As you start to think about new lands and actually building this interactive layer into the fabric of the land from the very start, that’s really compelling,” Gorin said. “We’re already hard at work with the Star Wars” Galaxy’s Edge team to integrate this technology and this form of gameplay into that land so that when our guests do encounter Black Spire Outpost, they will find the Play Disney Parks app a very important tool for navigating that place and interacting with its population.”

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Disney Turns to Video Games to Make Its Theme Park Lines Fun When a new attraction opens at a Disney theme park, actually getting on the ride can take a lot of patience.

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Best iPhone Apps for Disneyland California

New Post has been published on https://www.usatelegraph.com/2018/best-iphone-apps-disneyland-california/

Best iPhone Apps for Disneyland California

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Best Apps for Disneyland Visitors

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A few apps for your smart mobile device can be a big help at Disneyland, but it’s hard to know which ones work best and even harder to evaluate them when you aren’t in the park itself.

Some Disneyland apps are travel guides intended for trip planning. If you’re just planning and reading general information about Disneyland, it’s much easier to do that using a traditional web browser. For that reason, this list does not include the Disneyland travel guide apps.

Others are for use at the park. The most common app used is some kind of wait time or itinerary app, but you can also get apps that take you on a treasure hunt or keep you entertained when standing in line.

Disneyland Explorer App :This app is so cute and has the most gorgeous graphic ever and Disney-style music. You can swipe to see all the attractions, view detailed photos and like the ones you want to enjoy. It also includes a few games to play while waiting in line or before you go. It’s more for entertainment than real trip planning, though.

Best Itinerary App: Ridemax RideMax Mobile is a great Disneyland scheduler. It’s not an app, but a web-based product that can run on any smartphone. Read a review.

Signal Strength Issues

Before you think about using smartphones at Disneyland, you should know about signals and reception. Signal strength and data availability have improved inside Disneyland over the past few years but it’s still possible that your Disneyland app or mobile browser-based product might not be available when you need it most.

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Disneyland Wait Time and Convenience Apps

Mouse Wait: Besides providing lots of Disneyland information, Mouse Wait is also a social media app, linked to Twitter and Facebook and with the self-proclaimed “largest real-time Disneyland discussion in the world.”

Price: Free

Pros: Lots of users, which yields up-to-date wait time data. Lots of fun information that includes a Hidden Mickey Checklist, places to eat, live webcams, and more. IT also has whatNEXT Advisor which suggests rides to try next based on wait times. MouseWait is easy to use for finding rides with short lines. However, on a less-busy day, they may substitute average waits for real-time data.

Cons: Navigation is sometimes slightly confusing. This free app is supported by advertisements, which means no annoying In-App purchases but the ads take up a small section of the screen and are sometimes annoying themselves. If you don’t care to join their community, MouseWait can make you feel a little like an outsider.

Don’t ignore the (Resources) link at the bottom of the screen. It links to a Disneyland Character Finder, list of coin presses, rides listed by height, music, and a phone list along with tips to improve your Toy Story Mania score and a decoder for the hieroglyphics in the Indiana Jones queue.

Disneyland App: Its strength is that it’s connected to Disney’s wait time databse.

Price: Free

Pros: It’s direct from Disney and uses the same graphics as you see online or in the parks. Wait shown superimposed over the park map or you can see it in list form. You can also use it to check out where the characters are and who’s out greeting guests. It also shows current return times for FASTPASSES. You can order tickets through the app and how your barcode at the gate on your phone. And it’s GPS-enabled so it can help you navigate. On less-busy days when MouseWait doesn’t have enough people in the park to report wait times, the ones you find on the Disneyland app may be more accurate. This app is also best for finding the closest restroom to your location.

Cons: You can’t see everything on the same map or list. If you’re trying to balance wait time for lunch with wait time for a ride, it will be harder with this app.

Mouseaddict: Runner up for a wait time app is Mouseaddict. They have a couple of features that others don’t, such as a wait watching feature that lets you input how long you’re willing to wait for a ride and lets you know when that happens. They also have a crowd predictor, but you can find several of those online. They don’t clutter up the screen with ads, but too many of their useful features are In-App purchases.

Shop Parks: Do you just love those Mouse Ears you just saw? Don’t waste time trekking around to every store in the park just to find them. And don’t carry them around with you all day, either. Just look them up on the Shop Parks app and you can order them to be delivered to your home. Or if you just can’t wait, it can also tell you where they can be purchased at the Disneyland Resort.

Mouselets: for a Place to Charge Up. If your mobile device tends to run out of charge before the day is over (an easy thing to happen if you take photos and access social media all day) you’ll need a place to charge up. This simple app does just one thing, but it does it well. It catalogs every electrical outlet in the park with maps and a photo of where they’re hidden.

Starbucks App: Starbucks is the coffee provider of choice at the Disneyland Resort. Using their app, you can order your drinks ahead of time, pay for them through your Starbucks account and then just dash in and pick them up, bypassing all the lines. 

You can find Starbucks in both parks, but pre-ordering is only available at the two Starbuck locations in Downtown Disney. Starbucks Downtown Disney is closest to the security gates and the East location is closer to the Disneyland Hotel.

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In-Park Entertainment Apps for Disneyland

These apps are intended just for fun.

Even with the best wait time apps and strategies, you may still find yourself standing in the occasional line or staking out your spot to watch the evening parade and fireworks a long time before they start.

Heads Up! Created by talk show host Ellen Degeneres, this charades-style game has a Disney Parks-themed deck. After purchasing the app, guests visiting Disneyland Resort can unlock the Disney Parks themed deck for free. It’s a great way to pass the time while standing in line.

Disneyland Secrets Gold: Disneyland Secrets calls itself a “notescast,” like a podcast but written instead of audio. It’s basically a mini-guide to Disneyland trivia, organized into tours of each part of the park.

Price: Free

Pros: Has some interesting information

Cons: We wanted to love this app and on the surface, it looked like one we’d write if we were doing it ourselves, with lots of interesting information and trivia about the rides that to keep you entertained while standing in line. It’s a start in that direction but hampered by putting many rides on the same screen, which makes them hard to find and causes excessive scrolling. Only a small percentage of rides are covered so far, and the writing style is better suited for printed media than for a quick, screen-based read.

Their other product, Disneyland Secrets Gold is similar and for $2.99 adds some nice photos, but we don’t think they’re necessary when you’re in the park.

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More Apps You May Need

Car Finder: If you’re walking to Disneyland from your hotel, you won’t need this. But if you end up in the Toy Story Lot, that place is enormous. It’s far too easy to lose to track of where you parked and things look different at night than they did in the morning.

All you have to do is turn it on, click and it marks your parking spot. On the way back, it leads you to your starting point using a friendly arrow that points the way.

Yelp: You may also need to find something in the area that isn’t on the Disneyland map, like a grocery store, a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shop or a pharmacy. Yelp is good for more than just ratings and has a good local area search function that can help you with that.