#if nini is even going to be in the music then she’s the queen and ensemble no question

[keepmovinjunior]

ok, inspired by rose, ai, and nini, here's my disney princess tier list! but with a slight twist; i'm going to do two separate lists. this one will be rankings of the official disney princesses (as confirmed by disney, sold as merchandise as part of the line up) and then later i will do a "disney heroines" list of the other women who aren't included in the line up, because obviously.

i'm not ranking raya because i have yet to see raya and the last dragon (my bad my bad!) but it doesn't feel fair to give her a number without knowing what she's like, so she is not included! meg is obviously my number one of all time always, but she's not included in the line up, so she's not ranked on this one. but just know my list in my heart is always meg meg meg xo

anyway, here goes (i rambled so much i'm so sorry):

elsa/mulan : i couldn't pick between these two. elsa is near to my heart because of her connection with willemijn verkaik (dutch musical actress whom i'm obsessed with; that's my EUROPEAN WIFE, she voices her in the german and dutch dubs)/the snow queen/queer discourse, and she's a queen vs a princess which is really cool to me. but, i was ultimately a little disappointed with what frozen turned into vs what it started as (the snow queen was much older and her design fit her voices a lot more in her concept art, in my opinion). so elsa is not my all time favorite princess and i have a bit of a confusing feeling abt her. as a character she's fine, i do enjoy her a lot, but i mostly love her for her aesthetic, if that makes sense. mulan, though, in my opinion shouldn't really even be in the same list as elsa because her character is so different from the rest of them and she's more along the lines of the characters i vibe with (awkward but lovely, funny, smart, but not rly a princess), but because she's included in the line up i'm including her, and she's easily going to top my list because of it. mulan is such an obvious fave for me and so many others. she's amazing. war hero? tackling gender norms? LI SHANG? (li shang is truly so hot ngl). mulan is amazing. i get chills every time she chops her hair off to that theme, and she end scene when her father says the greatest gift in honor is having her for a daughter makes me cry every time. definitely one of my faves, also in my top five disney women easily for sure.

belle : belle was my favorite princess as a kid and i went through a belle phase for a bit. i'm a huge reader in real life too and i also never really fit in where i grew up, so she's so relatable to me for that reason. she's also just a precious character and i really love how brave she is despite everything. (also i'm not a huge fan of the beast in general, but lets all just admit he was better as a beast sorry i am of that view for sure)

ariel : i have two friends in real life who are very close to me and love ariel, and are just like her, so i adore her partly for that reason. but i also think her looks of love are just so beautiful. she's so full of love and even though she got a lot of flack from a lot of people for a while, i understand why she did what she did. it wasn't just for a man! she's a lover and a dreamer, and when she cries over eric leaving with vanessa, it breaks my heart every time. it's such a good depiction of what heartbreak really feels like. i love and appreciate ariel.

pocahontas : i know the story is problematic and i totally get it, but i'm not gonna lie, i still enjoy this movie with that aside. pocahontas as a character is underrated. colors of the wind is such an amazing song, gets me emotionally every time. and that scene where she runs to stop the war to "how loud are the drums of war?" with the hawk flying w/ her? it's so badass, it gives me chills every time. also, she chooses her duty / people over her man! that was a big deal at the time, i think. i also think she doesn't really belong in the line up (not because she doesn't deserve it but because her storyline tends more toward the heroine, not the princess archetype, but oh well).

jasmine : independent sassy queen, she's funny, smart, gorgeous. just bae. i think if meg were actual royalty she'd be a lot like jasmine. they both have the same vibe of wanting freedom, and i headcanon meg prior to the film's events as a lot like jasmine, since she is the daughter of king creon. also jasmine's face after "tell me the truth" never fails to make me laugh. she's genuinely brat.

tiana : i love tiana and even though she was absolutely adorable as a frog, i too wish we had had more time with her as an actual human. she worked so hard and is such a fighter. i'm glad she's in the line up. and her friendship with lottie is one of the best disney friendships of all time, imo.

aurora : sleeping beauty is in my top three favorite disney movies, so aurora is definitely my favorite of walt's original three. i don't think we got enough time with her as a character and she served more as a plot point (the fairies drove most of the story tbh), but she's beautiful, her songs are beautiful, and i love her.

snow white : she's actually great and gets made fun of way too much. little me did like her a lot. she's so sassy ("AWWW, did you HURT YOURSELF?" to grumpy after laughing at him akdfjdkj) and is such an interesting example of the 'feminine standard' at the time in which this movie came out. also, imo she dies at the end for real and that's so sad, i do shed a tear when she rides off on that horse!

merida : my spouse loves brave so much, and collects merida pins, so even though otherwise i probably wouldn't be super attached to merida, she reminds me of my wife, so i love her for that reason :) plus her mom is so damn cute as a bear. there aren't enough disney films about daughters and mothers with complex relationships so i do appreciate that about brave, but other than that i think merida as a character was just okay.

rapunzel : i never got extremely attached to her but she is lovely, and her story is so tragic, which gives her a definite edge (as someone with an abusive biological mother lol i can relate to a lot of that aspect of her). she's so brave too for defying gothel at the end.

anna : cute, funny, quirky. i like her and she's a great foil to elsa. she's also such a perfect little sister vibe and she sacrifices herself for elsa, honestly queen behavior. other than that though, i'm not super attached (i couldn't get attached to most of the cgi princesses, idk why)

moana : the ending to this movie gets me emotionally, and i think she's probably a better example of how disney could have more sensitively handled pocahontas had it come out later with more awareness, but other than that i have no attachment to her (but her explorer seafaring vibe is definitely cool)

cinderella : ok i know i know controversial choice to put CINDY at the end (i don't dislike any of these characters so i still love her even if she's last ranked) but i don't know, i just never got attached to her or even this movie really! i appreciate her a lot as a character, i feel for what she went through so much, and i think she's just adorable, but that's really all i feel about her.

[trickarrows-bishop]

EPISODE SIX OF HSMTMTS REACTION LIVE BLOGGED BY ME BECAUSE THE LAST ONE WAS FUNNY TO DO AND I WANNA DO IT AGAIN

again, get ready for this to be iNSANE xoxo

woah maddox you cant just appear on my screen and expect me to be ok like HOLD ON NOW-

no one told rina oh ur JOKING-

this'll be like. the worst. especially for ricky oh fuck.

miss jenn's mother's problematic twitter account??? did you mean miss jenn's mother's problematic X account ???

"bigger things" GIRL. miss jenn. no one. and i mean. NO ONE. puts on a show like you queen. stfu (respectfully ily)

"I WAS PLACING A VERY CONFUSING PHONE CALL" so true. i too am confused tbh

OH WAIT MADDOX IS RIGHT THERE WHAT

wait why wasn't jet there. huh.

MADDOX U INTERESTED BAE???

maddox stop hiding it and go kiss her i am TIRED.

BENJAMIN??? love that for him fr

"hahahah... oh u weren't kidding D:" i LOVE MADDOX TOO MUCH SHE BETTER NOT FUCK ASH OVER FFS

MISS JENN WE ARE NOT EXITTING SORRY WE HAVE TWO MORE EPISODES AND THIS ONE SOZ NOT HAPPENING BABES WE GOT A SHOW TO PUT ON XOXO

KOURT THAT FIT GDAMN

anyways she kinda spoke facts. although. im still scared of spiders. nothing can get rid of that fear

all the kourt x ashlyn shippers are about to make this scene their personality and i understand why tbh

FUCK ASH DIDN'T HAVE FRIENDS ??? IM SO IN LOVE WITH THIS SHOW WDYM ASH DIDN'T HAVE FRIENDS LOOK AT HER SHE'S LIKE. PERFRECT. FUCK

maddox stop being gay and just KISS ashlyn im so OVER this yearning (i literally do this.)

BENJAMIN !!UR STILL HERE!!! DONT U FKING DARE LEAVE ILY

BRO FR LOOKING LIKE AN EMOJI WAIT A MINUTE

go on benjamin SHOW EMOTIONS !!!

"i am jennifer !! you are?" "unsettled." i LOVE HIM LIKE A SON

nah that boyband faze for jet makes sense tbh like i can see that

AAWWWWWW BENJAMIN :(

can we pls get a new plot because we did in fact save the musical in season one within an episode. like. i KNOW i can probably skip this episode and not miss much

ALL OF THESE FLASHBACKS TO EPISODE ONE JESUS CHRIST AND UR NOT SHOWING NINI LOL I AM HURT

fuck homophobia AND ILYSM MISS JENN <3 I LOVE HER FUCK

not the mention of CATS BOY THAT AINT A GOOD MUSICAL WHY WE LYIN

SEB ????

FUCKING HELL CARLOS

"give him a chance carlos" MOTHER FR

now why are the whole ass drama class on this what the fuck LMAO

NATALIE RETURN OH MY GOD IM SHAKING LMFAO

this is so out of character like bro no ?? that's not making sense

NORTH HIGH WHAT NO

HE'S PLAYING THE **** SONG CARLOS COME ON

so real of richard bowen he said GAY RIGHTS !!!

SEBLOS GETTING BACK TOGETHER WOHOOOOO

GAYS WIN FR

the longest lasting relationship being seblos is so SO funny to me

YES GO TO HIM CARLOS

THANK GOD FOR THE GAYS

cant wait to cry to this song jesus christ

stop they're so in LOVE I CANT DO THIS

GAYS WON GAYS WON GAYS WON GAY RIGHTS GAY RIGHTS GAY RIGHTS SEBLOS SEBLOS SEBLOS SEBLOS

"us?" FUCK THIS IM SO FSKDAJGHFAKJSDGHFKDAS

now why am i not seeing seblos kiss HUH

"oh so she thinks im a leader?" GIRL STOP IT LMAO

rina scene before they even canonically met alr ???

NINI MENTION !!!!!!!!!!!!

"uncle buck?!" reaL REAL I LOVE THAT MOVIE HE NEARLY DRILLED INTO A GUYS HEAD

"good luck skater boy" hmmmmmmmmmmmm anyways

okay now give me a maddox flashblack

FR IT IS MURDER SHE WROTE SO REAL ???? I LOVE MURDER SHE WROTE !! (im an old person at heart)

GIVE ME MISS JENN BACKSTORY

MISS JENN BACKSTORY WOHOOOO

no WAY ALISON ???

SHE RECOGNISED HER HOLY FUCK WHOAAAAA

not the story of the girl at frozen puking again LMAO

"you should do it" DON'T TELL ME IT WAS ALISON WHO DID IT

"i always thought mrs darbus deserved a power ballad" REAL I LOVE HER

no NO NO GIFTS ??? UR NOT ACTUALLY LEAVING

QUEEN?

NO ??? WHAT THE FUCK

MISS JENN TF? NO GIRLIE.

NO

NOT THIS GOOD THING WE HAVE TWO EPISODES LEFT >:(

"i just got here tho :(" maddox ur so funny but NOT NOW

JET DONT BE AN ASS??

how r we gonna move on from this cuz i-

why am i not crying but was crying over the caswen scenes ffs

OH NOW A SONG ???

emmy ???

EMMY !!!!

my daughter fr

11 mins left oh maybe i'll watch it all tonight HEHEHEH

come ONNNNNN EMMY IS SLAYING AGAIN

THIS IS ALSO WHERE I FIND OUT THATS NOT HOW U SPELL HER NAME

MADDOX AND ASH IN THE SAME FRAME IM DELULU

maddox dont look at ash like that cuz ill run w it.

SHE SUNG AT EAST HIGH WOOOOOOOOO

WHAT THE- ALISON READ?

WHA- UHM- BRO-

maddox IS the stage management

SHE WAS ABOUT TO SAY ILY ??// KFHS

WAIT MAYBE I CAN BE A RINA

I DIDNT THINK WE'D GET TO THE ILY FOR RINA SO

HE GOT IN WHOA LETS GO RICHARD

NO SHES ABT TO MOVE OR SOMETHIN I STG NO

ALR THAT EPISODE WENT QUICKER??? IDK MAYBE I JUST WASNT SHOUTING ABT MADLYN AS MUCH LMAO. conclusion:

show's still gay? YUPPERS seblos? YUPPERS maddlyn? ...hopefully yuppers???

[nadiaisum]

NADIAISM

NADIA.M was known as Nadia, she is a Spanish solo singer, she is a singer, songwriter, music producer, album designer, rapper, writer, dancer and businesswoman of THE N.M (a private company).

She is loved for everything, for her personality, for her music ability, her ability to draw and her ability to design, she even has an image as "the good girl", her first single song was called "ALWAYS WITH YOU" it did not have no success, after that he released another song called "this Christmas" I didn't have success either, he released two songs called "HEART BLUE" and "I WANT MONEY".She revealed how she feels after she didn't succeed."I still feel very bad, I thought I was going to get worse."To overcome so much pain that she was not successful, she decided to create more songs, but written herself with the connection of youth.She spent 10 months as an apprentice, it was a short apprenticeship, since she said that she practiced as fast as she could.

Her families said that she will never be able to be a singer, since Nadia revealed to her parents what her biggest dream was for the future, which her parents rejected her and said "you can't be a singer." because you're deaf."After all, Nadia thought that all artists are hearing and non-deaf, and she felt guilty for wanting to be a singer.

But Nadia realized that all artists are not hearing but also deaf, she is so happy and decided to never give up.Few people are interested in Nadia, but then she caught attention that it was her songs. First of all, her songs have a connection to the youth and the elderly.She expressed her songs that have different meanings, such as "Final Vida", that song has a connection to Julieta and Romero that tells how couples love each other very much but their families do not allow it, it is a sad ending, although the lyrics are very sad, but its rhythm is a rhythm that comes from the 2000s,There are other songs like "Bubble hate" which means "bubbles of hate", its lyrics have meaning which means that you regret leaving your ex-boyfriend.All of her songs have more meaning, even many people called her as "Trylor Swift's daughter".

Let's go for a walk, give her nickname, she also has a lot of nicknames, there is one thing that Nadia revealed that she was the former soccer player of the year 2023, clearly she has a passion for soccer, a group of women signed up and she got along very well with her teammates, until the boss said that the group will be eliminated and everyone must leave.

✦; FILES

nationality: Spain

Name:Nadia.M

Birthdate:24- February - 2008

Place of birth: Castellon, Spain

Profession:Singer, Composer, Music Producer,Album designer, Rapper, Vocalist, businesswoman, Dancer, writer and creator of THE NM

Nicknames:Nadi, nini, nadita, nadiki, Bunny, the queen of angel, the villainous look and the queen of the world and the older sister of the Nation, the Savior of politics, beloved of the world, sister of Traylor Swif,

Height:1.69 cm.(3'5)

Weight:43

Zodiac sign:Pisces

Blood type:?

Type of voice:Soprano.

✦✦; CURIOSITIES

Favorite food :Kebab, salad with tuna, fried egg and corn.

Favorite day: Monday and Tuesday

Favorite movie: Colombian, FBI, 911, the paper house, the squid game, we are dead

Favorite season winter and autumn

Favorite singers: ♡ Rosalía♡ sahkira♡ j balvin♡ taylor Swift♡ BTS (Nadia said she was in the army since 2015)

Favorite TV: show The case closed

*No one is interested in Nadia in audition* Her talent is: drawing, dancing and being able to rotate her hand 360

*She prepared 11 months for her debut and she was at the time one of the youngest singers.

*She had never kissed anyone.she almost never has friends*

she is very good with history subject

*She said she suffered from eating problems due to criticism from her parents and her former friends.

*She is bad at math.*

The look at the Moon song was for Nadia's grandfather who passed away 2 years ago.

*She said if her dream will succeed, she will donate all of her money into a world concert tour in 90 countries.

*She said she was jealous if her fans are looking at another artist*

she is good at sports: racket, volleyball and dunk

* Her voice is not the same as when she sings, that is; She sings high but her actual voice when she speaks is not that high

.* She considers herself the sister of Spain, the queen of the heart, the heir of the world.*

Her grandmother said that he did not want them to know about her because of her daughter's fame, but because of her own efforts.

* She said that it will not have controversy or plagiarism or have songs with sexual content (as you know that all the songs feature a sexy or sexual dance that can have something very scandalous since there are many minors who can see these things) no It will attract a scandal.*

Her dream is to be a singer because she wants her grandmother to be in concert while she sees Nadia, but she is afraid that her grandmother will die.

*She had to learn English.

*She had to make many songs about youth life, the seasonal stage, the celebration of each country's flag, the struggle of women... and many things*

Bad comments affect you a lot*

She is very affectionate with very trusting people

*She is so funny*

She is afraid of the sea

*She wants to hug her fans*

Watch many series and movies*

Read lots of books*

she wants to be with cats and dogs*

she is a pineapple lover*

her face looks like a rabbit🐰*

she has a bad relationship with her parents*

she hated being a very conceited girl*

her favorite color is: black, red and yellow*

The language she speaks is: English (medium), Spanish (fluent), French (basic), Arabic (basic).*

His ideal type of her is someone who works very well, who is affectionate, who pampers, who is a gentleman, who is Respectful, he doesn't care about the color of her hair, eyes and skin, he is only interested in knowing her personality .*

Her hobbies: exercising, drawing, reading, reading, dancing, taking photos of the sky, playing video games, singing and doing yoga.

[hopefulkidshark]

French Cancan

Can-can

The can-can is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally danced by couples, it is now traditionally associated with a chorus line of female dancers

The can-can is believed to have evolved from the final figure in the quadrille, a social dance for four or more couples. The exact origin of the dance is obscure

The dance was considered scandalous, and for a while there were attempts to suppress it. This may have been partly because in the 19th century, women wore pantalettes, which had an open crotch, and the high kicks were intentionally revealing. There is no evidence that can-can dancers wore special closed underwear, although it has been said that the Moulin Rouge management did not permit dancers to perform in "revealing undergarments

Dancer performing a pied en l'air

The Moulin Rouge featured in a Toulouse-Lautrec painting

It’s difficult to think of a dance style more emblematic and more closely associated to a venue and a specific time of history. The French cancan stole the show at the end of the 20th century, when such renowned French painters as Henri de Toulouse Lautrec painted posters for the Moulin Rouge and its most famous dancers.

An upbeat song, with a tune that has become iconic: the French Cancan music is part of the history of Paris as well as that of cabarets. The Moulin Rouge reveals the secrets of both this exhilarating melody and those of its creator, Jacques Offenbach.

Today the French Cancan continues to inspire both little ones and grown-ups on the stage of the Moulin Rouge!

THE HISTORY OF THE FRENCH CANCAN

But you have to go back to the 1820s to trace the origins of the French Cancan. At this time, both public and private balls were highly sought after by Parisians. Back then they danced the French Cancan with a partner, and there was no real place for improvisation. Tired of this rigidity, a handful of men decided to indulge in a few minutes of solo dancing, giving free rein to their imaginations while they let off steam. These moments were then christened ‘chahuts or ‘cancans’. It wasn’t long before women were at it too, far surpassing the men in their prowess, releasing shockwaves with their daring moves in the process. In 1831 there was even a law attempting to ban the cancan – in vain!

The rebellious spirit of the chahut saw the arrival of the first wave of female ‘chahuteuses’, including Queen Pomare and Céleste Mogador. Over time, the cancan became a tourist attraction. The British inventor of the music-hall, Charles Morton, added the term ‘French’ to describe this dance performed by the Parisians. This is how the name ‘French Cancan’ was born. In reality the dance derived from the ‘naturalist quadrille’, a ballroom dance that was very much in vogue in the early 19th century.

The movement ended up becoming more professional from 1860 onwards, and cabaret posters slowly began to appear across France. Then, in 1868, both male and female dancers reappropriated Orpheus’s Infernal Galop, with the tune becoming inseparable from the French Cancan. In the 1920s the artistic director of the Moulin Rouge, Pierre Sandrini, decided to remove all improvisation to make way for compulsory dance moves. Back then the cabaret cancan owed its popularity to the performances of its dancers turned celebrities: La Goulue, Nini Patte-en-l’air (Nini Legs in the Air) and Grille d’Égout (Sewer Grate).

Born in 1868, Jane Avril was among the Moulin Rouge dancers who made a mark on their time. Unlike other dancers, particularly La Goulue, she didn’t remove her clothes or offer herself to men. Thanks to her, the French Cancan was exported to cabaret stages across the whole of Europe, and Jane became painter Toulouse-Lautrec’s muse.

The Moulin Rouge and the emblematic French Cancan music

French Cancan (1955) dir. Jean Renoir

[mazojo]

Final thoughts before I go touch some grass

[stitchkiss]

my ideal casting for frozen

elsa - gina/kourtney

anna - kourtney/kourtney

kristoff - seb or howie

olaf - ricky

hans - ashlyn (she deserves to play a villain)

sven - big red AND antoine (+ ensemble)

weselton - lily

king agnaar - carlos (+ ensemble)

queen iduna - nini (+ ensemble)

grand pabbie - seb or howie (+ ensemble)

ej doesn’t get a role because he’s a director

please don’t make lily elsa,,, kourtney and gina are literally right there,,, ricky has to be olaf because olaf doesn’t have a love interest and ricky needs learn he can be happy without being in a relationship. olaf’s whole thing is platonic love and happiness ricky needs to take a check out of his book

[hannibals-favourite-meal]

Look How She Lights Up The Sky

Jason Todd x plus size reader

This is purely self-indulgent and a look into my dreams

Warnings: brief nudity, FLUFF

WC: 623

A/N: Song is Ma Belle Evangeline by Jim Cummings

Minors DNI

The night was silent save for the distant crashing of waves along the shore. It was nearing three in the morning but neither of them cared, too wrapped up in finally being alone and happy. The smile on Jason’s face was brighter than the full moon that shone over them, lighting up their naked skin.

Y/N sighed happily against his scarred chest, her palm resting over his heart, feeling the slow beat that was just for her. They had no need for words, they never did. Jason kissed the top of her head gently.

He slid from her grasp, offering his hand to her as he stood. She knew what he wanted and happily obliged, letting him pull her to her feet, steadying her as she stumbled slightly. He wrapped a muscular arm around her thick waist before handing her his discarded shirt and pulling on a pair of boxers.

They left the bedroom hand in hand, silently walking through the beach house Bruce had lent him for their anniversary vacation. The sea breeze made the curtains flutter as they passed by on their way out to the massive patio. Small lanterns lit the path down to the shore but the moon was so bright they almost didn’t need them.

She could feel nervous energy radiating from her partner but was quickly distracted when music began to play from speakers hidden in the underbrush on the edge of the property.

Look how she lights up the sky Ma Belle Evangeline So far above me yet I Know her heart belongs to only me

His deep voice hummed the lyrics softly as he pulled her into a warm embrace. Her own arms wound around his broad shoulders. They gently swayed to the music, lost in each other’s eyes. Her heart melted as he held her closer, his large palms laying flat against the small of her back to keep her from pulling away from him. As if she ever would. He was her everything, her sun and moon, the reason she got up every day. His love kept her going through all her troubles, motivating her to be a better person for him. 

Je t'adore, Je t'aime Evangeline You're my queen of the night So stillSo bright That someone as beautiful as she Could love someone like me Love always finds a way it's true! And I love you, Evangeline

The sound of the trumpet couldn’t overpower the bubble of love the couple were in. Jason’s pulse loudly beat in his ears as he gazed down at the woman he knew was his soulmate. His person. She had been by his side through so much, her love and devotion never wavering, not even for a second. He would do it all over again, go through all that pain and anguish ten times over because he knew that she would be waiting for him on the other side, just as she always did, as she always would.

Love is beautiful Love is wonderful! Love is everything, do you agree? Mais oui! Look how she lights up the sky I love you, Evangeline

As the music faded out and the silence overtakes them once more, Jason stepped away to kneel before her, his large hands enveloping her own. The words were at the tip of his tongue but he found it hard to speak. Y/N could feel his struggle and cupped his cheeks, keeping his blue eyes pointed up at her. Suddenly, there were no doubts in his mind. This was it, this is what he was destined for, his reward for going through hell for all those years. His words were strong and sure as they finally escaped his lips.

“Marry me.”

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[inspotlight]

some    of    her    favorite    nights    as    of    late    had    been    those    nights    when    their    little    lola    would    refuse    to    go    to    sleep    and    they    were    up    in    the    nursery    with    her,    rocking    her    and    singing    lullabies    to    her.    she'd    always    had    a    gift    for    music,    but    given    their    duties,    could    never    explore    it.    she    realized    now    that    her    true    calling    in    life    was    to    be    the    voice    singing    lullabies    to    their    children.    sure,    she    may    be    a    princess,    and    she    may    well    be    queen    one    day,    but    she    was    truly    meant    to    be    the    calm    in    her    children's    storms.    that    she    got    to    do    this    with    ricky    by    her    side    meant    more    to    her    than    she    could    explain.    ❝    no,    no,    i'll    behave,    it'll    make    it    that    much    better.    ❞    she    says,    a    wicked    smirk    on    her    lips    at    the    implication.    

expression    turns    a    bit    more    somber    as    she    thinks    of    the    little    baby    they    had    a    year    ago.    she    had    been    barely    eight    months    old    and    nini    had    spent    much    of    valentine's    day    nursing    a    teething,    fussy    baby.    it    was    nice    to    get    to    spend    this    romantic    evening    with    her    husband,    but    it    made    her    miss    how    tiny    their    little    girl    had    been    even    just    a    year    old.    she    was    a    toddler    terror    now,    but    nini    adored    everything    about    her.    ❝    thank    you    for    being    the    best    husband    and    father    we    could    ever    dream    of,    my    love.    it    doesn't    seem    right    that    she's    almost    two,    does    it?    ❞    she    says,    reaching    across    the    table    to    take    his    hand    in    hers.    her    sweet    prince    always    made    her    feel    so    loved    and    adored,    and    now,    she    just    knew    their    daughter    felt    the    same    way.    ricky    was    so    good    at    showing    his    girls    how    much    he    loved    them.    

❝    i    suppose    we    might    entertain    the    idea    of    giving    her    a    little    sibling    soon.    what    do    you    think?    ❞    she    asks,    the    smirk    returning    to    her    lips.    nini    loved    the    idea    of    having    a    big    family.    she    had    been    an    only    child,    herself,    and    knew    she    wanted    her    precious    child    to    have    a    sibling.    ❝    i    love    the    little    family    we    are    now,    but    i    can't    wait    to    have    more    children    with    you.    ❞

it had been clear from the start that their daughter should know exactly who her parents were. would be cared for by her mother and not just the palace staff with the occasional public appearance. the prince had had his fair share of late nights with his wife trying to put their baby back to sleep, and she could certainly be a handful at times, but between his nini and their sweet lola, there was no one else he loved more in the world. at his wife's words, he smiles, endeared by her as always, and he offers the same as she's asked without hesitation.   ❝    there's no need to be proper if we don't wish to be. i'd love to have you on my lap if you'd be comfortable to eat this way?   ❞    but she sits in the offered chair, and he leans down to kiss her lips after she gets comfortable in it. he loves to see her smile like this, hear that pretty sound of her laughter.

❝    well thank you my sweet girl, i want to make this a night to really enjoy together. i know last year we had such a small baby we had less chance at alone time, though of course i wouldn't trade our lola for anything. thank you, for giving me our daughter.    ❞    he beams with pride at her compliments to the dinner, to the scene he'd set. this was going to be the most wonderful night. ricky can't help but laugh at her words to their daughter. to the little girl's credit, she certainly knew how to be the center of attention.   ❝    well of course she did... but we love her nonetheless. no matter the trouble she will of course continue to cause as she gets older. gosh i cannot reckon with the idea she'll turn two this year...   ❞    and she's already the center of his world. he has all these obligations, and he'll only gain more as he gets older, but his priorities will always be to nini and their child- or children, should they have more in their years together as is typical.   ❝    i can't say we have gotten such a chance, no... but i know we love her dearly, and we'll get our time when we can. tonight will just have to be extra special. i'd like to really enjoy my time with you, my sweet love.    ❞    he takes her hand in his, drawing it to his lips and pressing kisses to her fingers.

[insomniactalks]

What is your dream cast for Frozen as the summer musical in Season 3?

Hmmm....if we had all the mains/casts members this season, then it would be the following:

Elsa- Kourtney (time for her to shine!🌟)

Anna- Gina (also time for her to shine!🌟)

Hans- Howie (his voice!😭)

Kristoff- Ricky or Seb (they would b/ be so good!😚)

Sven- Nini (would be a nice callback to S1😂)

Olaf- EJ or Big Red (EJ would be hilarious!🤣 Would've also loved a tap dancing number.🤔)

King & Queen- Ricky and Lily (I do not ship them to be clear. Just had to put Lily somewhere lol😅)

Duke- Carlos or Antoine (They'd b/ be great!😁)

Oaken- Seb (Such Oaken vibes😌)

Bulda & Troll King- Ash and Big Red (Cute couple things. I'd be down for them as Queen and King, too. 🥰)

Since we know Lily and Nini are recurring, Seb and Big Red have reduced roles, and Howie and Antoine aren't even in it, I doubt any of my predictions/hopes for the cast are correct. I do seek solace in the fact Gina's story going into S3 is the closest to Anna's story, even if she doesn't play her. I also have a feeling EJ will play a Kristoff- and/or Olaf-like role in Gina's story this season. 🤔🤗

[organic-guacamole]

episode 209 spoilers below

I'm so late today but here it is

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

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

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

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

SEBLOS

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

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

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

old old movies-

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

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

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

(please ignore me)

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

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

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

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

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

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

I can't-

i won't work you over the break-

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

YES GINA USE THAT CHARM

QUEEN

FRENCH QUEEN

SHE LEARNT FROM THE BEST (antoine obvi)

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

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

I love them your honour.

EJ WITH PAINTED NAILS YES PLEASE

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

finally we get to see Gina's side of portwell

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

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

Ricky is me. I am burrito.

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

is that even the same lady or-

THE BEAN

THE CHICAGO BEAN

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

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

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

SO MANY CANDLES

WHAT DEMON IS LYNNE TRYING TO SUMMON IN HIS ROOM-

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

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

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

oh not the tiktok kid✋

yes ma'am end this strange mans whole tiktok career

sir take a hint and leave

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

Ricky, walking in style✨

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

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

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

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

PLEASE DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF

ok but the deleting comment thing was very bad

still don't know if I like Jack honestly

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

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

the rainbow sticker in her box and her rainbow shirt-

anyways wbk she's not totally straight

Jack are you a criminal?

quick, Gina, check his ankle for a tracker

THE YES AND PRACTICE STRIKES AGAIN

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

stole her grandma's Pomeranian-

Jack where the hell did you pull that out from-

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

anyone wanna raid a first class lounge with me?

wait so is jack not gonna go in with her?

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

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

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

take that as you will

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

that's the most realistic part of this show tbh

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

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

KOURTNEY IS ME TRYING TO LEAVE AN ONLINE CLASS

I hate school

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

I never lie, except when I do-

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

2 truths and a lie👀

he's an Ariana fan 100%

called it.

OLDER BROTHER-

WHAT-

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

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

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

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

same though Gina so let's be besties please

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

but wait

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

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

THE DUKE SWEATSHIRT

IS THAT YOUR BOYFRIEND'S

OMG I LOVE I LOVE

NOT THAT I KNOW OF???

ma'am did you just kill me

yes you did

Lynne and Ricky have such a weird relationship

YES IT DID SUCK

TODD SUCKS

LYNNE SUCKS

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

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

Richard needs a long hug

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

YES DYE YOUR HAIR

BLOND HIGHLIGHTS RICKY WILL RISE AGAIN

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

gotta admit I teared up at that point

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

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

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

"don't ask me"

"Carlos"

OMG WHAT HAPPENED

big red wants the tea

O M G

SEB IS JEALOUS

JEALOUS SEBBY IS MY FAVOURITE THING IDC

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

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

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

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

jealous seb = sassy seb

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

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

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

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

Jack please dont be like that, "yet"

chances are you'll never see eachother again 🥰

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

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

Nini: "im good"

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

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

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

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

ok but the transition between Carlos and EJ

*chefs kiss*

now everyone shut up, EJ's singing

oh i think I'm pregnant

HIS MUSCLES

YES KOURTNEY

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

sebby makes me so happy

props to biggies editing skills honestly

PORTWELL BEING SIDE TO SIDE I CANT

AND SEBLOS OMG

big red lives for the drama

"wow" so true Ricky

no he is not cute, stop it

"holding" ok that's kinda cute

yeah EJ's a lucky guy😌

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

keep in touch if you want

ok I really like Jack now

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

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

I'd love to see jack kinda break the mold

Ricky's breaking my heart

that song just hurts

the only thing

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

HOW DARE THEY WRITE IN A PROPER REDEMPTION ARC FOR HER

UGH IM SUPPOSED TO HATE HER FOREVER

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

but honestly

"mom can I show you something"

IT WAS SO BEAUTIFUL

THE PICTURE AND EVERYTHING OMG

I'm sobbing please help

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

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

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

this episode was great.

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

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

[xo-alie-xo]

After this episode, I feel like Olivia will be leaving HSMTMTS. They are setting it up with that amazing song going viral and Nina getting a life altering call. I think that's why the show hasn't been renewed yet because they haven't gotten a confirmation whether Olivia will be leaving or recurring. Cuz they aren't sure whether they should include Nina in season 3 plotlines. I love Olivia's music so I hope she will do what's best for her, but they've left the last episode open for her to leave the show respectfully. Olivia is a superstar. ⭐

Also Nina >> Nini ❤

I just realised even her name was given to her by a boy. Damn, her solo act really allowed her to grow. They could either show Nina pursuing music, but that wouldn't give her much screentime in theatre. So, I don't know how they'll incorporate giving Nina a whole new plot that doesn't include East High. Cuz even YAC kinda fell through. Idk, but I support her in whatever decision. 💕

The central characters in this show have always felt like it was Ricky and Gina. If Olivia leaves, we will miss her but the show would still be entertaining and I'll still tune in. But if Sofia leaves, there'd be no show. She's pure talent and so powerful. And I honestly believe Rina is endgame. So, if Sofia leaves, I wouldn't watch it. Episodes 8 and 9 last season were unbearable without her. Regina is just the true Queen.👑

Yes, I stan her full name being Regina like I said before. Because she's THE QUEEN.

Don't pit two talented girls against each other, or any girls for that matter. They are successful and important in their own way. Olivia is a singer-songwriter that acts and Sofia is an actress that sings, dances and models. And they shine bright each time. Tbh, I want more Gini scenes that don't talk about boys but just them growing their friendship. Because they seem such good friends irl.

In short. The music industry needs Olivia. The film industry (and HSMTMTS) needs Sofia. Cuz these girls own these industries already as teenagers. Imagine when they are 30. Superwomen. 🔥

[beyondd-dazedd]

I LITERALLY COULDNT NOT DO THIS POST NOW!! so hsmtmts stans, portwell nation, literally everyone who wants to read me practically screaming for 10 paragraphs here is the hsmtmts season 2 finale EPISODE👏 REVIEW👏

starting off strong with redlyn. my beauties. my loves. my sunshines. i LOVED that the whole cast knew about red’s plan. just carlos, ricky and ej being like ah yes locker letters😉😉 and everyone being all smiley and knowing SO CUTE!! i hated seeing ash sad but GOD RED SPENDING THE WHOLE NIGHT MAKING THIS THING TO SHOW ASHLYN HOW MUCH HE APPRECIATES HER?? GOD TIER. also the crew just wATCHING FROM THE DOOR WHILE REDLYN IS IN THEIR OWN WORLD?? MY HEART they’re just such a genuine couple. i love their sweet awkward moments. i also love that lights is their reoccurring thing. it just makes me so happy. y’all just KNOW red calls ashlyn his sunshine and i don’t take criticisms on that. i also really wanted an i love you confession there but they’re so cute that i will allow it to wait

HOWIE AND KOURTNEY!!! at first (bc ep. 11) i was like HOWIE NO YOU CANT HAVE DONE ALL OF THIS STUFF TO HELP EAST AND THEN STAB THEM AND KOURTNEY IN THE BACK but the fact that he was literally just in awe of kourtney and so nervous to be around her because he thinks she’s so talented mADE MY HEART RACE truly incredible. also loved kourt standing up for herself. we LOVE and STAN a straight forward QUEEN also their dorky arm in arm walk was so adorable. also drum rolls being their thing. also honorable mention to kourt’s (dara’s) mom WE STAN

ej helping mr. mazzarra get that job?? I LOVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP SO MUCH.

PORTWELL ANGST SCENE I CRY. ALSO DID I CALL THAT SCENE OR DID I CALL THAT SCENE?? if you read the fic i posted like 7 hours ago you’ll know what i’m talking about. anyways back to the show. gina joking around and then realizing that ej means not rescheduling ever and her just pretending like she’s fine with it?? OUCH OUCH OUCH i would’ve rather her immediately been heart broken. DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON EJ’S FACE AFTER SHE WALKS AWAY. matt absolutely killed that part. you can tell he waited just long enough for her to walk away when he lets his face fall and IT HURTS YOU CAN LITERALLY SEE HIM WANTING TO STAY CRYING BEFORE HE TURNS AWAY

rini moment. not the dressing room parallel. it was PAINFUL. the juxtaposition between the scene in the s1 finale and this scene?? OUCH. ricky saying if we’re literally on the same page (something they struggled with throughout the entire season) and nini saying just for a moment. i just wanna talk to the writers I JUST WANNA TALK BECAUSE THAT WAS RUDE.

seblos being cuties and ms. jenn on some fuck shit. she was having a MOMENT. like chill it’s high school theater it’s alright sis.

GINA LOOKING IN THE MIRROR AND SOBBING I HATED IT. I HATED IT.

gini moment?? i loved it. also nini’s right. portwell is so powerful for so many reasons. period sis. and she’s right WE ARE LUCKY TO KNOW GINA. i loved their moment of solidarity and friendship. imma be honest for like 0.1 seconds i thought if portwell doesn’t work out gini might be the move bUT DONT WORRY IM A PORTWELL WARRIOR FOREVER also y’all called gina talking to nini about jamie and her music. YALL CALLED THAT SHIT

i liked ms. jenn and ricky’s moment. i loved josh’s acting in this scene because it’s just so well done. like doesn’t seem like he’s acting at all and it translates so well in this scene. it was very heartfelt and such a mature moment for ricky. so reflective. i love ricky

second chances GAVE ME CHILLS the whole staging, the vocals, the core four. CHILLS. the acting from all of them for this song WAS INCREDIBLE. it was so simple but really made the scene. i’m also a sucker for songs structured like this. with like the rounds and the switching lyrics over top of each other. LOVE.

ok literally all of them booing when lily and antoine showed up sENT ME because me too THE FUCK. antoine saying “big red. you were also in it” mADE ME SNORT. ricky literally shooing them out made me laugh and lily’s whirling turn and ricky like startling back a bit made me laugh. i hate lily but her confession was literally me. like i like his big brown eyes and his big brown hair too you ain’t special bitch. antoine’s thumbs up was SO FUNNY. andrew was hilarious in this role.

also i didn’t love that they were like well fuck the menkies after that was a major plot point of the season but like also i get it. just being like MEH the stress isn’t worth it. EJ’S SPEECH HES LITERALLY VOICE BREAK JUST THE FUCKING GROWTH THAT HES HAD I LOVE HIM

jennzzarra flirting in front of the kids?? kinda cute ngl. also am i muted? SENT ME. also love that howie is just chilling there while they’re talking about dropping out. KOURT SAID LETS BURN THOSE RESULTS

benjamin being BOLD BOLD good for him

big star nini?? good for her!

ashlyn being like YIKES i’m sorry i didn’t realize you thought of ej that way and her being like hahah ok... wait WHAT? but i KNEW ash was going to progress that along somehow. like obvs ej and gina were sulking and ashlyn HAD to be the one to step in. she do be the #1 portwell warrior. thank you for your service ma’am

i will only allow ricky and lily to be a thing IF it’s a summer fling, if it means antoine gets to stay around and if it pushes rini back together and if none of that happens then wtf is even the point of pairing those two up. but we already know ricky is a sucker for misunderstood competitive women (minus nini)

GINA CHASING AFTER EJ!!! HIS FACE OF JUST OH GOD PLEASE LET ME BE HEARTBROKEN!! YOU GOT BAD INTEL!! THE CAN I... CAN YOU WHAT? CAN I KISS YOU with her little giddy laugh and her smile GIRL YOURE GLOWING and then ej’s swallow as he turns to fully look at her. WILL YOU BE MY FIRST KISS!!!! HIM JUST SLOWLY SMILING FROM EAR TO EAR AND DROPPING HIS BAG TO WALK TO HER AND THEN THEM RUNNING WHEN THEY GET CLOSER AND GINA’S LITTLE GIGGLING I CANNOT EVEN

i am so so SO HERE FOR SUMMER FLUFFY IN LOVE PORTWELL

overall am i a little sad it was so short? yes. do i understand the insane restrictions they were working under? yes. am i confident about a season 3? absolutely. i am HERE for a summer season.

anyways PORTWELL IS CANNON!!

[youranxiousnerd]

Second Chances Thoughts

bc what

spoilers below

i have...thoughts

ah no chaotic intro, f in the chat

it’s still a nice intro, tho

IM SORRY ARE THEY NOT SHOWING THE TRANSFORMATION?!?!

WHAT

THIS IS A HATE CRIME /j

i used the thingy

no bows either?!?!

this is called high school musical: the musical: the series not high school musical: the backstage drama: the series

wow they got changed fast

“Passable!” 

I’ll be the judge of that oh wait i cant bc they didnt show us

YES QUEEN ASHLYN GETTING THE LOVE SHE DESERVES

ashlyn is such a queen

the perfect belle, stunning

“A couple letters, actually” it’s a sign (literally)

flower touch

AWWW REDLYN

STOP THEY’RE ADORABLE

they love each other so much

east high kids be snooping

not me thinking about carlos’ hand on seb’s back we were robbed im taking what i can get

“You were the perfect Belle tonight. I was really proud”

“Evil genius”

they’re so happy

AWWW A REDLYN KISS WHOOP WHOOP

kourt and howie are so awkward 

“drumroll?”

howie and seb would get along

weird little playoff, maybe he is lying?

they’re cute, tho

sad that they didn’t really get any build-up

“happy now?” “yes”

“If it’s with you, always” MY HEART

just like a fanfic

kourtney just invited north highs beast to east highs cast party

OH MY GOD MAZZARA IS ACTUALLY GETTING A STORY ABOUT HIM

i was not expecting that okay

ej and mazzara are the best

gina is so happy too bad it wont last

gina is an actress 

gahhhh portwell drama

oh god rini let the drama begin

that was very calm, did someone possess nini and ricky?

i really like them as best friends. i was a hardcore rini shipper last season but with all their constant conflict i realized how much fun they are as friends

“we are literally on the same page” 

“just for a moment” I LOST MY SHIT

miss jenn no

oooo seblos please be good

Seb calling Miss. Jenn out on her bullshit since idk when

“That’s a hard never mind now” okay wow

Miss. Jenn is Carlos’ godmother 

This is theatre, not football

CRYING GINA

gini

GINA SUPPORT DAY IS A THING PEOPLE!!!!!

oh wow a plot line actually being addressed

season 1 callback im not ready

gina and nini people!!! 

very sweet scene

ahha jamie callback we all knew it

i would really like to see miss jenns batb audition notes

“I’m in a great place, mentally” if you were you wouldn’t be saying that

OMFG IS SHE NOT GOING TO APOLOGIZE!?!?!

like that was a big deal, a big effing deal and then nothing?

you told a kid to jump off something high and you can’t even say “sorry”?!?!

back to the miss jenn love triangle

“I think I’m happy, or gettin’ there”

ricky you don’t have to be there yet it’s okay

that line hit

SEASON 1 OUTFITS

CORE 4 SONG

killer harmonies

sofia giving us that alto rep!!

portwell duet! audition outfits

very good, very very good. this song kinda screams autotune but it still sounds very good. 

last song of the season NOOO but very fitting

Is it just me or does “Second Chance” look like a music video they show in Justice (the teen store) in 2014?

cast bonding yay!

PAUSE THE ONLY SEBLOS MOMENT WE GOT THIS EPISODE WAS A WRIST HOLD?!?!!

DISNEY WTF

LIKE EVERY COUPLE GOT THEIR MOMENT AND ALL THEY GET IS A WRIST HOLD

BFBLBFIWGFSDMBF

shit why does my favorite ship have to be the gay one on a disney show?

east high booing the lily and french boi has me on the floor

“Big Red, you were also in it” BEST LINE OF THE FINALE OMFG

i missed antoine 

sorry carlos has glitter on his face

seb’s smile and wave at north high why am i laughing?

off topic but i have unintentionally started doing the seb wave (you know the one) (with the fingers) in real life.

also gay chair sit

e.j is also doing the gay chair sit 

lily what

you have had like one conversation

ew

she says she likes his face but not his personality? 

im calling bullcrap

pause didn’t lily steal the harness? are we just going to forget about that

probably, the writers did forgot to develop seblos

Let Ricky be single challenge

ANTOINE MY LOVE

REDLYN I LOVE YOU

SHUSH EJ’S SPEECH TIME TO SOB

ummmm

so this season has been for nothing?

all the shit they went through (the self-doubt, relationship problems, the injuries, the death threats) is for nothing?!?

since when does Miss. Jenn not care anymore about the Menkies?!?!

I actually get the kids side of this, but not Miss. Jenn’s. 

I was surprised they took this route with the Menkies, didn’t even cross my mind 

“It was five”

Big Red x medicine 

bet your ass ashlyn would have gotten a nomination best actress

“We got a pizza oven” THE EAST HIGH KIDS ARE COMMITTING ARSON

is mazzara staying for miss jenn? they could do long distance but it doesnt have the best rep in this show

gini

ashlyn is the captain of the portwell ship and nini is her right hand man (or whatever second best is called in sailing)

NINI MAKIN THE DEALS

RICKY WHY ARE YOU CALLING HER

WHYYYYYY

“Will you be my first kiss” smiles

OH MY GOD

WAIT NOTHING

WHAT

OMFG THEY CUT IT LMAO

“this summer is about to get hot” SUMMER SEASON 3?!?!

ANTOINE

OMFG HE BETTER COME BACK

I LOVE ABF

WAIT THATS IT

FWBEGLEWG

THATS IT

hey they ended with andrew barth feldman what more can you ask for?

Thats...it?

Oh wait some cast stuff...brb ima cry. The ending has some very series finale energy...I’m scared. Natalie wouldn’t have done the “buckle up wildcats” if there wasn’t a season 3, right? But the bloopers at the end...

The cast ending was great. “You are the Music in Me” was so heartfelt and I’m a sucker for bloopers.

Wait so no Lily home? It was probably a cut scene. 

If we got Lily home, can we get an album with the cast singing all the BATB songs? 

I have so many mixed feelings about this episode. Here is the thing, if you love the core 4 then this was your episode. If you’re like me and prefer the side leads then this was probably a little disappointing since we barely saw them. This episode felt rushed and a little messy, but there were some great moments. Season 2′s writing has felt a little weird. This season lacked the chaotic theater kid energy season 1 had. It was one of the reasons I fell in love with the show. If/when we get a season 3 I really hope the writers find that energy again.

Let’s all give a round of applause for the cast and crew who filmed majority of the season during a global pandemic. That could not have been easy. They gave us a pretty good season under crazy conditions. They definitely had to change some things to fit the current climate. Overall, hats off the the cast and crew because you guys killed it. 

I’m really going to miss this show, hopefully it gets renewed. It has become a comfort show these past several weeks. My sanity says “no, don’t go” but my sleep schedule says “leave.”

To second chances!!

[jyndor]

I’m rewatching the Puppetmaster for ~research~ and ugh.This is such a good episode but I cannot stand the treatment of Hama and also Katara’s special bending ability. And I’m gonna talk about it because I can’t help myself. But I also want to offer a solution maybe something that the writers could have done instead. Granted I’m a white US American so while I am about to talk about imperialism, anti-indigenous racism and racialized misogyny, I am coming from a position of privilege here and ymmv. It’s important that we as fans (especially white fans) acknowledge the things that our favorite stories can do better so that we can make our fandoms safer for everyone.

And btw fans of color have been talking about this so I definitely am going to be quoting some phenomenal bits of critique I have read on here. Also you should follow @shewhotellsstories and @visibilityofcolor for anti-racist fandom commentary.

I am also going to talk about grooming, so just be aware if that is a trigger for you.

I. Hama as a Campfire Horror Story Monster

The episode starts out with the Gaang camping in a creepy forest telling ghost stories to each other. Set to spooky music, Katara tells a story about something that happened to Kya, a friend named Nini (likely) dying in a snowstorm and then haunting her family’s home as a ghost. Immediately after, Toph hears people screaming under the ground - and then Hama finds them and invites them to her inn.

Every so often, Hama says something spooky with the spooky music playing. Katara immediately takes to Hama, but the others (especially Sokka) find her pretty unnerving. Katara says she reminds her of Gran Gran before Sokka starts snooping around and finds a bunch of puppets and a comb from the Southern Water Tribe. It’s the standard horror movie fakeout.

Every so often we get an artfully placed hint about Hama’s agenda - pulling water out of thin air, showing Katara that “plants - and all living things” are made of water. And oh yeah, she makes herself ice claws. Cool skill, but in the context of the episode, a little more unnerving.

The “moon monster” that Old Man Ding mentions, the alleged Moon spirit, turns out to be Hama (of course) and the tension builds to a peak as the Gaang rush to save Katara from the “dark puppetmaster” that has imprisoned the villagers.

Meanwhile Hama and Katara stand under the full moon washed in spooky cool lighting with an ominous breeze around them. You see Hama practically transform into a monster in a way sort of reminiscent to a werewolf - her fingers become claw-like, her veins pop out. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say it’s a coincidence that as she reveals her true agenda, she becomes less human in appearance. Which... okay I’ll get to that later.

While I can’t say that Katara fits the Final Girl trope very well, I do think it’s interesting to note that horror movies often do feature women as heroes who defeat the monster/killer/whatever and usually the Final Girl is used to allow audiences to experience the full horror of the villain, which absolutely is how Katara is used here. Yes, her friends come to help, but she saves everyone in the end (my queen).

So here’s why that’s bullshit.

Framing Hama as a horror story monster make sense when you don’t think about the Implications of framing the indigenous woman POW living surrounded by people who have benefited from Fire Nation imperialism. It does - it’s a common trope: the reclusive witch who first seems kindly to some lost/wandering children before revealing her true intention - to use them for her own purposes. Yeah, I know they’re playing on Hansel and Gretel. But yeah, I’m gonna call bullshit on that too - drawing on a c*nnabalistic witch for inspiration when you’re writing an indigenous woman character is probably not the way to go.

II. Hama the Puppetmaster* and Groomer

A puppet master is obviously a puppeteer, and Hama has puppets (creepy though they may be). But in terms of the underlying meaning, she’s a chessmaster, an Emperor Palpatine/Dick Cheney kind of master manipulator who works mostly through other people. What most people would consider a psychopath (in layman’s terms). When her friendly mask falls, she is terrifying.

She is cold, calculating, manipulative as fuck - she isolates Katara almost immediately. Hama uses Katara’s desire to connect with her culture to groom her to become a weapon. It’s actually such a good example of grooming that it has to be purposeful:

Targeting a victim - Hama hears that Katara and Sokka are from the SWT. She also hears Katara tell a story about Kya. To Hama, a waterbender from her own culture is a hell of a target.

Gaining trust - Hama reaches out to Katara in particular, is especially kind to her, gives her individual attention that the others don’t get. She prepares a SWT feast for them and tells the Gaang about her heritage when they go snooping.

Filling a need - so once Hama has given Katara reason to trust her about waterbending, she promises Katara to pass on SWT waterbending heritage that only Hama knows. She fills a unique need of Katara’s.

Isolation - From then on out, we don’t see Katara with the rest of the Gaang until the end of the episode. Hama seems like a normal teacher but she does start to drop little hints, pushing Katara very gently to see how she will react to her real agenda and desensitizing Katara to what would otherwise seem unacceptable coming from someone else who hasn’t established that unique trust. “You’ve got to keep an open mind, Katara.”

So this would be the point at which Hama would make sexual contact but this is metaphorical so that obviously doesn’t happen. What does happen is Hama pushes Katara’s limits. She makes her pretty uncomfortable with the idea of killing the fire lilies for water, but when Hama appeals to their shared history of marginalization she gets over it.

Maintaining control: Hama makes her final move, which is obviously bloodbending, and reveals her true agenda - and when Katara refuses to manipulative living beings’ blood, Hama violates her bodily agency. And not only this, but she pushes Katara into bloodbending when she victimizes the Gaang, fully realizing her control. 

Hama sees it as a victory, and telling Katara breaks down at the end in one of the most emotional scenes in the show. She feels like so many of us have felt at some point: violated, betrayed by someone we trusted. And then they never really deal with that.

I actually think that’s the point of The Puppetmaster, especially given ATLA being a show for children. I think it’s supposed to be a metaphor for csa.

And... okay.

Undoubtedly it is important to send these messages to kids. And yes, people usually are victimized by those closest to them, by those in their own communities. But not indigenous women. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but according to the National Congress of American Indians, Native American women  and girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted by non-NA men. 57% of cases are perpetrated by white men. Not the people in their communities.

Choosing to tell this story with an indigenous woman POW (who very likely would have been victimized herself lbr) is a choice that I find really aggravating. When writers tell stories with a Point, it is incredibly important for those writers to understand the implications of what they are saying about the characters who they are using to make that point.

Like I’m not saying don’t make that point, or don’t use Katara (who would in real life be at a higher risk of sexual violence than the others) to make it, but why make the perpetrator someone who is statistically unlikely to be Katara’s abuser? I’m not sure I have a good answer to that question. My guess is, like with making Hama animalistic and about as unsympathetic as it gets, the writers just had blinders on about the cultural implications of what they were saying.

Not even considering the whole victimizing-the-“innocents”-of-the-Fire-Nation-town plot, Hama’s not a good person. This is probably because she was driven mad by the need for revenge, which, eurgh okay, but still it’s very apparent that she is not interested in winning over Katara’s support directly or honestly.

* also the antisemitic history of this trope hmm.

III. Hama and The Victims of Genocide Victimizing Oppressors #NotAllFireNation

Okay. So this is the part that I think annoys me the most because it’s so bad. Like, imagine for a minute that you’re a white guy and you’re gonna tell a story about a victim of genocide who is completely divorced from her culture and homeland, and furthermore is an escaped prisoner of war who has radicalized in prison - okay it just hit me, I know what they MIGHT have been going for, like maybe some kind of anti-Gitmo statement? But that didn’t happen. People who were stolen away from Iraq and imprisoned illegally in Guantanamo Bay, and who were released after being detained illegally, haven’t really shown any real radicalization. They’re pissed at the US for victimizing them, but like that seems pretty fair considering so many of them did nothing wrong.

That’s been the US government’s excuse for not releasing innocent people who were detained illegally. The idea that prisoners of war radicalized in Gitmo so they can’t be released because they’ll attack the US is propaganda. I’m not saying it hasn’t happened, but that’s where it comes from.

Considering the time period ATLA was written, considering how much of it was inspired by the US wars of aggression and imperialism, considering how political ATLA is (and why it was so popular during its initial run - during the years that Bush lost a ton of popularity) I think if that’s what they were thinking about, that’s not great.

But for all of Avatar’s good messaging on imperialism and war, it’s still written from a white US American mindset. Well surely I’m not responsible, surely you shouldn’t imprison and abuse me, a random white girl in the States. It’s my government, which I cannot control because of two-party politics or some shit.

So first off, that’s shitty because oppression is often about systems, not individuals. Sure we need to always consider the individual experiences of people who are victimized, but the people who are benefiting from imperialism? Me? Fuck if I care if someone in El Salvador or Iraq or Chile or idk any of the countries we have meddled in, let alone from a marginalized community in the United States, hates white US Americans for what our government has done - and that’s even silly because white US citizens support our government. Like we think the institutions are sound, although sometimes we don’t support the guy in charge. We think the cops are going to help us, even though that isn’t really the case.

Why frame it about what she’s doing to the Fire Nation civilians at all? Why make Hama the villain? I don’t think they wanted her to be unsympathetic, I mean they tell her story and I don’t think anyone would conclude that it doesn’t justify her desire for revenge, but why tell this story through a victim of genocide?

Recently I saw a post by @sunkin-akh where they point out that Hama basically quotes Malcolm X:

I was literally just watching the Hama episode again and I just noticed for the first time that while forcing Katara to bloodbend she says that they must fight back against the Fire Nation (and she used this exact phrase) “by any means necessary”, which is Frantz Fanon’s phrase popularized by Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement (iirc). They directly compared Black liberation to Hama’s evil acts and it disgusted me.

The full context:

Hama: The choice [to use bloodbending] is not yours. The power exists. And it’s your duty to use the gifts you’ve been given to win this war. Katara, they tried to wipe us out, our entire culture, your mother.

Katara: I know.

Hama: Then you should understand what I’m talking about. We’re the last waterbenders of the Southern Tribe, we have to fight these people whenever we can, wherever they are, with any means necessary.

I find that so appalling because it is framing resistance, specifically anti-racist resistance, as barbaric and monstrous. And given the way that Hama is portrayed at this point, about as inhuman as anyone in ATLA, that is extra gross.

Finally, after Katara defeats Hama, she is lead away by the authorities in CHAINS.

So now the FN cops are the good authorities who we’re gonna trust a SWT waterbender with? I mean she’s a villain so we’re probably not supposed to feel bad for her, like yeah sure the FN is usually bad but she’s a criminal so it’s okay that they take a POW back into custody.

No, no, no.

I know I am reading into this far more than the writers intended - but that’s kind of the point of critically engaging with media. Because shockingly writers don’t always question their choices - they are people and have implicit biases just like all of us. When those writers come from a privileged culture that has colonized the culture they are using as “inspiration” for their story, they need to be extra mindful of how they represent those people.

IV: How To Write Hama

Well, I’m not gonna talk over indigenous fans on this one on specifics, and you should read this rewrite by @kispesan​  but my thoughts generally are:

lose the horror framing it’s just not right for this context and this character

don’t frame Malcolm X as a villain because that’s nasty and racist

have Katara learn to use bloodbending in ways that she is comfortable with (and not just like once in one episode where she’s extra vengeful and the hero of the show doesn’t approve of her actions JFC) and don’t make the dark-skinned girl the only character whose special bending skill is dubious (I know she also has healing but still)

bring Hama home

have indigenous people in the writers room

Anyway, I’ve gone on wayyy too long. Let me know if I am speaking out of turn please if you feel that I am. and I’m sure I had other thoughts but if you want to read some other good pieces of Hama meta, I’ve listed some below:

post and another post by @marsreds​

this post and this post by @visibilityofcolor​

this post by @shewhotellsstories​

anyway katara is a queen and should have been allowed to heal, and hama never should have been irredeemable because if you can make iroh redeemable, if the show was going to redeem AZULA, you can make hama redeemable.

[silverwhiteraven]

Wings of Broken White - Ch.8

Tag List: @marichatmay

[ Posted on Ao3 ] [ Chapter 1 ] [ Chapter 7 ] [ Chapter 9 ]

Marinette and Chat Blanc continued to see each other sporadically after their midnight meeting full of emotional rollercoastering and winged secrets. He had told Ladybug about it a few days after, leaving out the part about Marinette’s revealing of having wings. It made her heart skip to know that he would keep a secret that wasn’t his to tell even if he didn’t have to. Ladybug thanked him for being honest with her and told him to be careful, but she was happy he got the chance to spread his wings around another friend.

Ladybug also offered to increase their patrols together if he ever wanted to practice flying with her. She even teasingly said something along the lines of them both needing the benefit of practicing with each other, just in case they ever had to have each other’s backs during a fight in the skies. He accepted, looking giddy to get even more opportunities to fly with another. She also found it unfairly adorable when he joked that he wouldn't get jealous if she wanted to fly around with one of her own civilian friends.

The two even thought about the possibility of some day both flying with their civilian friends together. Ladybug had to hide her giggle at the thought that she might have to break the news that Ladybug and Marinette could never fly together, if this proposed group flight practice were to ever take place.

But Ladybug did confess to Chat Blanc, that if she were to ever choose a civilian to fly with, it would be either Nino Lahiffe or Alya Césaire, because if there was anyone besides Marinette Dupain-Cheng that was trustable, it had to be the people Marinette herself trusted most. Chat hardly held back on his approval of the choices, and it made her laugh to see his bright antics.

After that, several more months passed by the duo, and the world. School was nearing the end of another year. Akuma’s were just as rare and random as ever. Best of all, Chloé had continued to be reprimanded by an ever vigilant Adrien. She was starting to almost mellow out as the fact slowly sunk in that someone she cared about and who cared about her, too, was actually willing to go against her, and even leave her, because she was in the wrong.

All of this led up to an end of school project for their class.

The students were to work together in equal shares to put on a play, telling either one of the fairy tale stories they had studied in class, or one they made up on their own. Nino had proposed that they make a short movie out of the project so that the fruit of their joint efforts could be shared outside of class. The teacher thought the idea was brilliant, and gave them extra time and afterschool privileges to help them set up.

Marinette had been a little tired the day the class was assigning the roles. Her mind only half paid attention, causing her replies to be badly timed and delayed. Because of it, an interesting selection of character parts were assigned.

“Now, I know we’ve been delaying assigning the lead roles,” Nini spoke from where he stood at the front of the room, acting as one of the movie’s directors, “ but I wanted to make sure everyone knew what the other options were before a bunch of people tried to jump at being the Knight of the Princess. So let’s start. Any volunteers or votes for the Knight’s Princess?”

There was various various calls of names and a few ‘me!’s, and most of it all went over Marinette’s head. The only part that really registered was ‘votes for the Knight’, so Marinette half-heartedly pipped in, “Adrien could do it.”

The room went quiet and all eyes turned to her like she had just declared herself to be an Akuma or something. She blinked, wondering what she said.

Nino was the one to break the silence with a crooked and amused smile. “Marinette, you want Adrien to be the Princess?”

She gaped like a fish, realizing she had heard his earlier question completely and utterly wrong. She waved her arms around and she stuttered, trying, and failing, to clear away her mistake. She froze when Adrien burst out laughing, clearly not offended or even upset.

“Why not?” Adrien chuckled as he calmed. “Not the first time I’ve been told I’m pretty enough to be royalty. It would be a nice break from the cool-guy look I’ve been doing at photoshoots lately, too.”

The room started to buzz again with noise. It seemed everyone was considering it, liking the idea of breaking away from assigning a girl to be the Princess.

Alya pipped up above the others mischievously. “So if Adrien get’s to be the Princess, who’s taking the role of Knight? Another of the boys, or one of the girls? At this point, anyone can take the spot since we’ve decided to ignore traditional gender roles. Any volunteers?”

There was more discussion filling the room at that declaration, and a few people glanced at Chloé. She had probably been gunning for the role of Princess, but now she seemed to be pouting. “If Adrien is taking the lead role, then I still want a good one. But I refuse to be a smelly Knight! I’d rather be the King.” She stated decidedly, and the class chuckled and murmured their acceptance of her decision. They were happy to have her not throwing a fuss. It was rather refreshing, actually, to see her still being dramatic but cooperative with the class.

Murmurs continued as the class discussed the role of Knight. Marinette stayed out of it, too embarrassed that she might mess up again. It wasn’t long before Adrien hummed to himself and turned to her.

“Marinette? Would you like to be the Knight to my Princess?” She squeaked at the sudden proposal, and the class hushed. Adrien turned to the others, a small but confident smile on his lips. “She’s helped all of us in Akuma attacks before, right? Marinette acts the part of a Knight saving dames and damsels in distress naturally. I think she could do this, if she wants to, that is,” he adds with a reassuring glance. There wasa round of agreements from the others, before all eyes turned to her, breaths held in anticipation of her answer.

Retreating into the neckline of her oversized shirt to hide a fluster, she nodded her acceptance. There were a few excited woops, and Kim even whistled.

After that, all the roles and assignments for the project were set.

Marinette and Adrien were to be Knight and Princess. Chloé and Juleka took to the King and Queen. Kim and Ivan claimed a joint role of the Dragon for themselves. Rose volunteered to be the Evil Sorceress. Mylène wanted the role as the Knight’s Fairy Guide. Alix was to make props and set backgrounds in the art room. Nathaniel and Alya were the script-writers for the story. Max and Nino were on camera duty with the help of Markov. Sabrina was put in charge of coordinating, scheduling, and final edits.

Lastly, everyone was given two tasks as a group: First, if they had nothing to, they were to help their fellow classmates who were still working. And second, everyone pitches in for the costumes if they can.

Everything went surprisingly smoothly for their project once everything was divided up. Adrien got Chloé to pitch in for the costumes with him, both allowing their immense closets to be raided. Alya and Nino were able to check out cameras from the yearbook and photography clubs. Props became a group-effort when most of the class rather enjoyed, and got carried away with, the art room’s free to use supplies. Some of the musically inclined were putting together a playlist for mood and background music. Kim helped the cast members practice their lines, even standing in for a partner if someone wasn’t there.

It was fun, Marinette had to admit. Up until the inevitable hitch caught up to them, though.

The days of filming their project were upon them. The school’s courtyard had been commandeered for the majority of their sets, empty due to it being a weekend. Large green rolls of poster paper had been used like wallpaper, hung from the second floor banisters to act as a greenscreen. The stairs got covered in painted cardboard so they would look like castle walls and towers from the side.

The entrance to the school was left clear, since the class had deemed it worthy to be its own set background twice over. The first was to act as the front gate to the King and Queen’s castle for the opening scene outside. The second would be from the inside, doors closed and covered with curtains to make it look like the inside of a Great Hall. To give the makeshift Great Hall its finishing touch, Chloé had ‘borrowed’ the fancy chair from her Father’s office to act as a throne.

All in all, things went great. The story and filming opened with the Knight, Marinette, decked out in painted cardboard and foam armor, returning from a mission in another country. He was summoned by the King and Queen immediately upon arrival, to be told that the Princess, Adrien, had been cursed and kidnapped by the Evil Sorceress. To their credit, Juleka and Chloé actually did an amazing job of acting and looking like emotionally distressed parents who just lost their daughter. And when they did a flashback scene in one of the classrooms, Rose proved to be one scary Evil Sorceress with Adrien a perfect damsel in distress. They did have to redo the scene several times, though, because the Queen, Juleka, was having trouble not looking like she wished she was being kidnapped by a very pretty girl instead.

The Fairy Guide, Mylène, was then called forth to help assist the Knight in tracking down the Evil Sorceress and navigate through the Magic Woods. This part took a mix of walking along the makeshift greenscreen wall multiple times and actually going out to a few of the parks around Paris. They had to admit to themselves, though, that they mostly just wanted to run around in-costume and have fun, as well as eat a picnic that Alya’s mother and Marinette’s father had both contributed to after hearing about the project.

It was the pre-rescue battle scene that caused the hiccup. The class artists had done a too-good job on the two-person costume of their Dragon. Kim sat upon Ivan’s shoulders, allowing the Dragon to have an impressive two and a half metre height from head to ground. Kim was also very set on being very animated and expressive with the Dragon, so the mouth, full of sharp paper mache fangs, opened and closed at his command while he threw glitter out like it was fire. Ivan controlled the legs, wings, and body, which all had moving parts for mobility. The legs were strapped to his own, so they walked and stepped when he did. The wings were controlled by Ivan’s Raven wings, allowing them to move realistically. Kim, acting as the neck, would twist around, and Ivan, needing to keep balance, would follow his movements, causing the whole dragon to lumber around and sway like it was alive.

The Fairy Guide, Mylène, couldn't bring herself to face the Dragon at all, let alone appear on set with it. What really took them off guard, however, was the Akuma that came along as the class was gathered around Mylène.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series: The Rewatch pt. 4

I really need a pick-me-up after 2x11, and I feel like 1x7 might be what I'm looking for, so here I am again with another HSMTMTS rewatch. I'm genuinely so excited for both of these episodes, so without further ado, let's jump right into

1x6: She stands for... lies, pressure and very inappropriate suggestions (coming here after 2x11 might have been a mistake, actually)

I honestly don't get why Nini's reaction to seeing Ricky in full Troy costume was so big — he actually looked pretty ok to me. Sure, the wig is a bit too much, but so what, it's cute.

Ahhh my boy Reddy is so adorable in that talking head... 'click!' Gosh, I love seeing him so cheerful! Guess he's embracing his role as part of the crew. As he should.

'I'm home'. Yes, Sebby, and you look so good, too! Gosh, I love this scene so much. I can't believe I'd forgotten about it.

Gina looks beautiful, though — I mean, she looks beautiful in anything, but I really like the Taylor look on her.

Ok, I fully understand everyone's frustration about this picture — it's genuinely so hard to get a good picture of someone jumping up in the air, and I can only imagine what it would be like with six people. A bunch of my classmates tried to do something like that ages ago and, needless to say, it didn't go very well. No good pictures were taken that day.

Ah, Portwell: the early days. Ok, but wanting something and feeling like you have to get it is far from the same thing, EJ. Honestly, these two in their early days as accomplices... this is not the first time they've been like 'X is the same thing as Y' when it's obviously not. I mean, of course, that time they became accomplices because 'we want the same thing' — which, at that point, they didn't.

Ok, but they were in such unison with that 'Not now!'... couple goals! You know, even before either of them had considered the possibility of them being a couple for real.

That's a lot of pressure that Miss Jenn is putting on dear Carlito over there. I mean, he's one of the youngest at the drama club and he has to essentially do her job for her, all while she's not even sure if she'll be able to return to her job. I just... keep reminding myself that these kids are closer in age to my little brother than they are to me (except for EJ, who is precisely in the middle), and then the pressure they're under takes on completely new proportions in my mind. None of them should have to deal with all of this. And no amount of 'trust the process' is making it better.

'Should I just live vicariously through someone else?' Oh Reddy, you should just live for yourself. I mean, the truth is I don't practice what I preach most of the time, but I really do mean this. Just go out there and live your best life. You're not Ricky's therapy dog or anything (that being said, Ricky's getting a therapy dog when?).

What part of 'a forest of boys' does Nini not get? It's simple enough. Just help Carlos do his job, how about that? I mean, he shouldn't have to do everything himself anyway.

See? He cracked. That's what happens when you put all this responsibility on a teen's shoulders and be like 'deal with it'. He was just trying his best, you guys. He did not deserve all the clapback.

Ricky's forced optimism about Miss Jenn and the show is too much even for me. Sure, I know everything turns out mostly alright at the end, but this just sounds like Ricky's on the verge of a breakdown. You know, every time someone's been too unrealistically positive on this show, it has ended in a breakdown. And that's the last thing I want.

I do agree about the simple acoustic version of the song, though. Sometimes simple is the best option.

Major props to Carlos for going up to Mr. Mazzara like that. If someone had bullied me, and especially if that someone was a teacher, I'd never have dared to call them 'Benjamin Mazarra!' to their face. Even when he's on the verge of despair, this boy is still the boldest. And we love him for that.

Is this where the 'Carlos Surname' joke started, though? I had forgotten. It was funny while it lasted.

Ricky doesn't know it yet, but he's seriously playing with Gina's feelings there. And I don't blame him because, again, he doesn't know yet, but I still feel bad for her.

'Despite the 4.3 GPA, I'm actually an idiot.' — EJ is high intelligence, low wisdom, confirmed. Not that this is news, but I really don't remember much about this season, so I'm pointing this out now.

Now forgive me if I'm not feeling for Miss Jenn after 2x11... she did some really unforgivable things there. Still, as much as I want to say a real qualified teacher would not do any of that, my personal experience suggests otherwise, quite unfortunately. Miss Jenn might not be very emotionally mature, but not having legal teaching credentials is not her biggest issue, really. It is precisely her lack of emotional maturity.

OMG, Big Red accidentally invited the entire drama club over! And that, I guess, is half of how Redlyn established themselves as the hosts of every out-of-school drama club gathering. Thanksgiving is, of course, the other half. Gosh, those two were the parents of the drama club even before they were a couple. Guess they're soulmates in that way, too.

Ok, so I didn't comment on this after 2x8 when Big Red did it to Ricky, but now that I finally notice that Seb did it to Carlos, too (I took my time, thanks), I need to talk about the knee touch thing. See, this is exactly the amount of touch I used to be comfortable with (since I'm very touch-averse) — both on the giving and on the receiving end — and it can mean so much when you feel bad. It's a subtle 'hey, I'm here, it's going to be fine', a sort of hug-without-the-hugging... I feel like this is a gesture we don't see enough of in media and it can feel just as intimate as, say, holding hands or cuddling. I don't want to talk about kissing because I don't know anything about it. But I just love how we've got the knee touch depicted by both a romantic pairing and a platonic pairing in the show. Ok, rant over. But I just really wanted to talk about this because, well, I saw myself in it.

'Her past is a little bit sketchy'... I see, Ash has already started writing Truth, Justice and Songs in Our Key, even if she doesn't know it quite yet.

Miss Jenn finding out Mike is Ricky's dad is just as awkward as it should be. Whatever they had going on should have ended right then and there.

'... people in the dramatic arts are insane' — 'Thank you.' — Umm, Miss Jenn, you are not really helping your case there. Quite frankly, you're lucky you've got the allegiance of the entire drama club. I don't think they'd have your back as much after 2x11, though.

Ok, but... Big Red wearing a longcoat just to take it off for the dramatic flair of it all? An icon if I've ever seen one. Also, mad props to Larry for apparently learning this number in record time after Dara got injured.

Oh, and... mad props to all the kids in-universe for writing, rehearsing, and learning this entire number in one night.

So both Seb and Natalie have solo lines in the song... and Seb was promoted to main in s2. So does this mean Natalie will get the same treatment in s3? I mean, that will probably mean they'll try to stick her in some sort of romantic plot, and I really don't need that, but I really, really want her to be a main character.

Also, let's not forget we had our first Redlyn moment in this number... seeing them dance together makes my heart jump with joy!

I won't lie, though, the entire dance number and everything was just a little bit uncomfortable to watch after 2x11... these kids do so much for Miss Jenn, and what does she do? Put insane amounts of pressure on some of them, shuts others down at every attempt to put in a word, favours yet others despite their abysmal performance at the audition, and then has the audacity to tell that same person to jump off of something high, with all the implications attached? Not that I'm naming any names, of course. Ok, this has taken a sudden and uncalled for turn for the dark, so I guess I'll just move right along to the next episode now.

1x7: A world where 'That was terrible!' and 'I'm so happy!' can both be true at the same time

My girl Ash is doing the recap! And she's a pun queen, too. 'Miss Jenn was in hot water, Carlos was a hot mess...' — not pleasant, but so true. But wbk. Ashlyn is the best.

And... Ricky and Nini's on and off chemistry is back on. Good for them, because after season 2, I really needed to see a good rehearsal. But I'm thinking EJ's joy at the end-of-school bell had little to do with Thanksgiving...

That look Reddy gave Ashlyn as she was walking out... might be me digging for breadcrumbs, but I think I just saw the exact moment my boy fell, and he fell hard. Ok, I realise now after I've said this that 'fall' probably isn't the best choice of words, but you know what I mean. Fell for Ashlyn. Not like... oh, never mind.

'So meek, so mild, sword!' I can't really explain it, but I love this line. And I feel like it describes Ash so perfectly: like, she might be meek and mild, but if you cross her, she's armed. Gosh, I love her!

Not the Caswell parents leaving their children alone over two holiday breaks! No wonder these two are the way they are. But they're about to get a beautiful Thanksgiving celebration. [Fun personal fact: the year I was born, my birthday fell on Thanksgiving day. That doesn't mean much in Bulgaria, but my dad works with a lot of Americans so my parents knew about it and I've known this and that about this holiday I've never celebrated since I was very young. I have no idea why I'm telling you this, but Thanksgiving has always reminded me of my birthday for this reason, so... ok, moving on.]

So I know she kind of suggested it, but... why does Carlos think it's his place to invite people over to Ashlyn's? I mean, this was part 2 of Redlyn establishing themselves as the hosts for any out-of-school gathering, but... oh well, it led to a beautiful party with everyone, so... I'll allow it.

I really liked Nini's talk with her grandma. It was really nice, and a very fitting way to remind everyone what Thanksgiving is originally about. I feel like people often forget that when it comes to... literally every major commercialised holiday.

Wow, EJ really is that person where once the tap is open, it can't stop spilling. And I kind of like that look on him. It's a transitional stage between EJ 1.0 and EJ 2.0, and I appreciate it for what it is.

Ahhhh it's Redlyn's first proper 1-on-1 conversation! I mean, it got kind of really awkward really quickly because of — surprise, surprise — Nini and Ricky (and EJ), but those two are so adorable! No more breadcrumbs — we're about to get an entire five-course meal here! Which goes really well with the Thanksgiving setting, now that I think of it.

Gosh, they've never really talked and my boy whips out the 'the only thing I'd ever throw at your face is a brighter spotlight' line right off the bat? Boy is whipped! But like, he is the master of grand gestures where Ashlyn is concerned. Still, in this first moment they shared, he really was like, go big or go home, and home isn't really an option here. But I should have known, it's in his name after all. Gosh, I love both of those two so much! Especially when they're together.

Ok, so... this is a really bad way to meet your mother's new boyfriend. Poor Ricky. As if ringing his mum wasn't hard enough already.

See, when I rewatch season 1, I get where the Rina stans are coming from, but then again, remember when I used to say I wanted Gina and EJ to just be friends? Yeah, that's changed too. Not that I ever shipped Rina romantically — I rarely ever ship a pairing unless they're explicitly stated to have something going on, just because I can't see that sort of stuff very clearly — but I really, really want them (Ricky and Gina, I mean) to be really good friends. Once they get past the awkwardness of their sort of history, I mean.

I miss the good old days when Nini was a nice person... I mean, we kind of (really) had a glimpse of that in 2x11 (I'm guessing she was making up for Miss Jenn's very inappropriate slip-up), but I miss the days before she was this big internet-famous songwriter and actually had to be convinced by Ashlyn that she should write songs for herself... wait, now that I think of it... Ashlyn might have helped create a monster there. Oh well. Still love her so much!

You know, I love the Choosical, but it's all a bit sad, if you stop to think about it for a sec. Just picture little single-digit-aged Carlito making this whole thing up in an attempt to participate in his favourite thing... only to not have anyone to play with for the next ten years. Great, I just made myself cry. The thing is, I relate to that story a bit too much. I remember in preschool, when the rest of the children would play together, I'd sit in a corner by myself and read the only book that was there... over and over, day after day. I don't even remember a single thing about that little book right now, but back then I clung to it like it was everything. And I couldn't very much share the experience with any of my peers, seeing as I was the only kid there who could actually read (my grandma used to be a preschool teacher and she taught me to read when I was 4). So yeah. I went off on a rather personal tangent there. Thing is, I know how little Carlos felt and I'm so happy that he finally gets to share this thing he made with a loving and supportive group of friends. Everything has its time and place, I guess.

'Look, I'm not following Big Red just because he paid me a compliment' — of course not, dear, you know your own worth and we love that for you — but see, when he said that thing that you're referring to as a compliment, he did not lie! You really are the brightest star and deserve the brightest spotlight. See, the thing I love most about Redlyn's compliments to each other is that they're so sincere and state nothing but the absolute truth. Those two just see each other for what they are, and love each other as they are. And I think that is beautiful.

It's so funny to me every time someone gets something wrong and Carlos just walks past them out of nowhere and corrects them without missing a beat. I kind of relate to that side of him, too. Except it's usually about grammar and language in my case, not HSM trivia.

If I were Nini in this scene, and was suddenly put face to face with Emily on the spot like that, I would not have been able to handle it. So props to Nini for handling it.

Yeah, sorry to break it to you, Emily dear, but whatever you're doing is not a Cockney accent. I don't claim to be an accent expert, but I know first-hand what Cockney sounds like and... that's just not it. Even Dick Van Dyke was closer to a Cockney accent in Mary Poppins, and that's saying something. (See, I feel bad criticising any aspect of Emily because her actress is no longer with us, but... I have no idea who let them get away with passing this off as Cockney).

Is this the beginning of Jennzara there? I am loving this.

Of course Carlos was obsessed with Glee as a kid... but wasn't he a bit too young for it when it aired? I know I was, and I'm older than those kids. I mean, I waited until I was emotionally mature enough to watch Glee, and that wasn't until 3 years ago, when I was 18 going on 19. Ok, I'm thinking too much into this. Moving on.

Ahhhhh, Redlyn! Just... all of their moments. But screaming the lyrics of What I've Been Looking For on top of their lungs while looking right at each other... was so beautiful to watch. Give me more of that!

EJ: 'That was terrible.' Seb: 'I'm so happy!' — Moods, both of them. Those two are real-life emojis, aren't they? And we love them for that.

'... without laughing... or killing each other.' — I feel like that last specification was needed given that it's Ricky and EJ we're talking about, and especially what happened last time they had to do a one-on-one exercise during rehearsal. The ensuing scene, however, is the most hilarious thing!

Root beer, huh? Is that the HSMTMTS code for 'awkward' now? I mean, Nini and Gina had a nice talk there, all things considered. I really want the two of them to put the Ricky thing past them and be friends... but we'll see.

Gina is trying to make the sleepover thing look like 'it's not a big deal' despite how big of a deal it obviously is to her... to which I say, good for you, girl, but I wouldn't know. The only sleepovers I've ever had have been with my little cousin who is 9 years younger than me and also insists on sleeping with a very bright nightlight on, which means I can't sleep at all. So yeah, I wouldn't know. But I'm happy that Gina is feeling included.

So this is the exact moment when it becomes clear that Big Red is not telling us the complete truth when it comes to his HSM knowledge... '14 and 10'? Even I didn't know that. I knew 14, but... for someone who allegedly 'hates musicals', my boy has very detailed knowledge of one certain musical movie... I love how it got him a certain girl's attention, though. Not that she wasn't already paying attention to him, if you catch my drift.

Ok, but this hits even harder now than it did the first time — just when Gina has finally managed to make friends, to feel included in their group, her mum has to move her away again. This is straight-up tragic. I'll say it now, and I'll probably say it again when it comes up in the rewatch — Ashlyn is an absolute queen for taking Gina in for the next semester.

'That's sort of what you always do, huh? Take care of everyone else' — yeah, Ash, and you do the same. You two just need someone to do for you what you do for other people. See, guys, this is what I mean. This is why they're soulmates. Because in a world that has more or less forced both of them to put others first, they put each other first. They each get to be the most important person to each other after they've been stepping back for others all the time. And if that isn't beautiful, I don't know what is. I know I'm repeating myself over and over saying this, but... they own my heart and soul and I'm not for sale.

Ok, but Ashlyn's little run after Big Red left was so cute! Girl is... I don't know why I keep using that word, but... falling.

Unpopular opinion: Out of the Old is the best Nini solo to come out of this series to date. Maybe I feel that way just because I relate to it most, but hey, that is a valid reason to like something.

Oof, EJ's losing followers. Oh well, if they're unfollowing him for being too honest, they didn't like the real him to begin with. So good riddance to them.

Yikes... Jennzara fell asleep with flammable stuff left unattended... we all know how that ended, but just the fact that they felt comfortable enough to fall asleep in each other's presence... speaks volumes. So I guess... well, I don't know what exactly I'm saying regarding the fire they caused, but I loved this big little moment they had.

So this is it. That was 1x6 and 7 and, well, they were beautiful, but there are some parts I can't look at in the same way anymore after 2x11. Guess that's the risk of a rewatch. The Redlyn scenes, though — still the best part of both of these episodes. That and a couple of other things for which I don't need to pretend like I haven't seen season 2.