#TOO BAD YOU WERE NEVER THAT DEVOTED TO GINA

[gimmedamemes]

i dont think im gonna watch HSMTMTS season 4 :(

I cannot watch this. Maybe I’m a debby downer. Maybe I’m a negative nancy. Maybe I’m expecting too much realism from a TV show. However, no show has made me feel so  offended by the treatment of one character more than this one. 

My poor boy EJ was completely and totally DISCARDED by EVERYONE in the last season. He was juggling so many things such as college, his friends, his dad, and his girlfriend, and all he wanted was to enjoy his last summer as a kid by spending it with people he felt he could be the most comfortable around. 

Instead of that, however, he is suddenly and without warning pushed into being the director of a musical that he did not know anything about, while also being the pseudo-camp counselor because apparently, investing more than one adult into a summer camp is worth it to the Camp Shallow Lake owners. And yet, no one seems to acknowledge how unfair this is, not even EJ himself. 

All he does is push through and do his absolute BEST to make it happen. However, because he can’t adapt to this new role flawlessly and balance everything perfectly, to his fellow campers who are not dealing with anything of that nature (no, Carlos’ inability to climb a rock wall doesn’t count) he becomes a bad friend, a bad cousin, and a bad boyfriend. 

And due to the fact that he was too busy while running a show that he had no business running, to devote every second to his girlfriend, the final straw in their relationship is Gina’s discovery of a letter that was not her business at all. Perhaps his reason for hiding it was because of her reacting the way she did. We’ll never know, because EJ’s feelings were never given a first thought, much less a second and he was never able to explain. 

And thus, in the last half hour of the final episode, we get Ricky and Gina, who have decided that they’re each other’s one true love based on.... what again? Oh yeah, some chocolates she thought he gave her. And some other stuff too, I suppose, but that’s all it took for some to decide that they were a valid ship. 

Ricky who was HOPELESSLY devoted to another girl for 2 seasons straight, whose whole reason for being in the drama club was for her, for whose primary interactions with Gina were either because of her or about her, suddenly decides that Gina is the one he’s looking for ONLY after driving to said summer camp on a whim because his other girlfriend was discovered to be the saboteur we all knew she was. Shockingly (but, maybe not to some), Gina reciprocates. In the last few minutes of the last episode, Ricky and Gina kiss, not even 12 hours after Gina breaks it off with EJ for good. 

Now, what’s my problem with this? It’s so sloppy and unrealistic. Now, the show itself is unrealistic and as a theater kid myself, I can tell you that for sure. Our sets aren’t anywhere near as elaborate, we don’t have a strong supporting ensemble cast and overall, the whole concept of any school club having that much devotion is a serious stretch. But it’s done well. Or it was. N

Rini was a couple we were somewhat rooting for from the start. Portwell we grew to love because of the slow burn and the slow reveal of the couple’s true feelings for one another. Now, we are expected to believe that 2 seasons of solid Portwell build up (as well as the first half of season 3 before they began having problems) is just calmly thrown away and for what? For Rina? A subplot/sub-ship that was made possible by under 10 scenes together? Ricky, who was so devoted to Nini and promised never to let her go again and Gina who wasn’t able to give her obviously overburdened boyfriend any grace? That’s the ship that we’re supposed to root for?

I don’t think so. It was sloppy and badly done and it made no sense whatsoever. If they had to end the Portwell relationship, for whatever reason, I don't know, perhaps they didn’t want to encourage a sophomore-senior relationship or going to college while dating someone in high school. They could’ve easily done what they did with Ricky and Nini, and break them up on amicable terms because a relationship with someone in high school and someone in college just doesn’t work. 

They had no reason to abuse EJ’s character and ruin some of his relationships, before never talking about him again, while Ricky swoops in and takes his girlfriend AGAIN. It was so unnecessary and at this point it's repetitive. Because everytime there’s a season that starts off with 2 characters being madly in love, we all know it goes. 

So I don’t know how much I'll be watching.

(lol i just wanted to get this out of my system after watching the season 4 trailer)

[izloveshorses]

one of the recurring themes of season 3 that stuck out to me was how often bellamy was the one saving clarke,,,, the one fighting for, defending, protecting, and even rescuing her,,,, which is so interesting bc they were on ‘opposing’ sides for half the season. but no, we still have the legendary moment in 3x02, we have him rushing to polis and climbing the tower in 3x03, when he was protecting her while she distracted emerson, saving her from roan in 3x15, saving her from her mom/allie again in 3x15, and being the Last Defense of sorts in 3x16, to name a few instances. and then we get lines like “knight by his queen’s side” and “too bad you were never that devoted to gina” and “you’re not the only one here trying to save someone you care about.” all in a season where they were at their most tumultuous yet.

like.,,, something something something devotion™ and caring for her when no one else seems to something something something i can save today you can save the world etc etc

[doesnotloveyou]

Definitely Miami

already posted the AO3 link to this, but i'm so silly I forgot I can just post the whole thing

Warnings: Teen rating for suggestive content

Length: Flashfic/ficlet/drabble

Summary:

Sonny reflects on his past romances while trying not to make a huge mistake with a certain French bombshell.

Sonny's love life had felt like falling down stairs for a long time now. Each time he hit another step he swore he'd find his balance and stop before he hit the bottom, that the next step would be the last. Except the staircase was much steeper than he'd expected, and Burnett attracted gravity like a lead weight.

Caroline, his best love, mother to his amazing little boy who was growing bigger every day, broke his heart by using her head. She wanted out and he couldn't blame her. The job was more home to him than she was. His ex-wife and his boy had hugged him goodbye and left for better things.

Gina, his girl Friday, got her heart crushed by some jackass who wined and dined her before taking on another chick without so much as an "oops, sorry.” She definitely still loved him, but that wound was festering and neither of them wanted to look at it. He didn't even know why he'd done it, but he knew he didn’t deserve to be taken back.

Brenda, the 'other woman,' the one who was out of his league. The one who somehow thought she could succeed where Caroline had cut her losses. A pretty fantasy to wake up to but one that nearly cost him his real partner. She was never meant to be.

Margaret was the first sign that the staircase was steeper than imagined. New York City was bewildering enough without some chic blonde in a penthouse spinning him like a top. Even once the curtain had fallen she still tried to manipulate him back into her bed. He'd prefer to forget about Margaret sooner than later.

Now Callie. Ice cube to wipe her sweat, Callie. Kept him up thinking about her during a heatwave, Callie. How she twisted him around one manicured finger before running that hand up her leg. She came on too hard, turned him off; exuding pure sex was not a look he desired. But it sure as hell clung to his brain like a parasite.

The tortured love angle tugged viciously at his heart strings. He was in this job to protect people like her, but people like her were starting to go too far. His head was slamming the brakes while his heart floored it; it's a ripoff, but what if it isn't, trust your gut, she looks so scared, she could have left him by now, you know it's never that simple.

Sonny felt guilty for how bad he wanted it to be real. Because if it were real then Callie was really in an abusive relationship. Her tears, her fear, her pain. All of it would have to be real and he'd currently be hunting down the animal that terrorized her. Yet, the stink of a rotten deal was all over that woman, and here he was following it like a starving dog. 

During the four hours he devoted to sleep, drenched in summer sweat and wearing as little as possible, Sonny would bear down on the bunched up blanket and pillows to take the edge off. Callie was either a victim or a snake, and either way he shouldn't touch her.

At the end of each night though, his bed was empty, his heart full, and he wasn't getting any younger.

In the safehouse, Callie parted open her bathrobe and he fell with her into the bed. The trouble then was knowing exactly where to start. She was an unguarded sports car, top down, keys in the ignition, tank full, engine purring, upholstery gleaming. He was dressed as a criminal, talking like one, thinking like one. There was compassion in his heart and a full-bodied woman in his arms. No one knew where they were, and she wanted the touch of a kind man so desperately she was practically forcing herself on him. It was all so perfect. 

Out of left field the bickering between his head and heart was overruled. His conscience got him out of that bed. He pulled his clothes back together. He walked away.

[27emailsicantsend]

Set it Up: A Rina AU

Chapter Five

Ricky and Gina were pleasantly surprised to find out that not only did their plan work, but it worked tremendously. At first, the pair weren't sure what was going to come of the night of the restaurant. Even after celebrating, Gina found her phone buzzing nonstop with text messages from Ricky asking if she believed the plan actually worked, what the next steps were, wondering how he was going to ask for Saturday off to see Lily, and more.

Passion and hatred tend to run within the same vein, and Ricky was becoming more aware of this as the week passed by. He recognized that the only way Gina and he were able to pull off this stunt was by redirecting the passion-filled hatred in EJ and Nini's lives into passion towards each other. He also recognized that Gina and himself redirected their hatred of their circumstances into a new motivation. Instead of working relentlessly for bosses who couldn't care less about them, it was easier to spend their time devoted towards derailing their bosses towards love.

At least, that's what Ricky and Gina thought they were doing.

On Wednesday morning, Ricky found Gina at his desk, a large flower vase in her hands. It was pink and filled with white baby's breath, pink roses, and red dahlias. The vase hit the desk with a loud thud! considering it weighed at least ten pounds.

"Whoa! I know I said I deserved a 'thank you' for helping, but this is not what I had in mind," Ricky joked, jumping back at the ruckus. He reached over to hold a rose petal, lightly rubbing it with his thumb.

"These aren't for you," Gina scolded, giving his hand a playful smack. Ricky apologized and took his hand back. "They're for Nini".

Ricky surveyed Gina, trying to connect the dots of what she was alluding too. He wondered what Nini could possibly need flowers for. A birthday? A holiday? His mind was coming up blank.

"Ricky, they're for EJ to give to Nini," Gina continued when she realized Ricky wasn't grasping the plan. "For when he asks her on a date".

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Miss Gina. We never said anything about a date?" Ricky claimed as he pulled the vase towards him. It made a loud screeching sound being tugged across the glass top.

Gina, however, knew that this was no-man's land, so Ricky had no say over the vase. She yanked it back towards her, his hands still holding on tight to the bottom.

"That's right. We didn't, but I did. So EJ better have an opening on his schedule this weekend," Gina pushed the issue, tilting her body in towards Ricky's face.

Ricky sat forward in his chair, meeting her height. He wasn't going to back down. He felt like telling EJ what his weekend plans were was a bad idea, especially after almost screwing up the previous night's plans.

"Gina, we've been over this. If we're going to make plans, we have to make them together. You can't just show up here with flowers and demand a change of plans. This could backfire," Ricky protested, his breath tickling Gina's nose.

"Or it could give them plans Saturday night so that you can make it to Lily's show," Gina explained as she watched Ricky drop back into his chair. He knew she was right, but he was a teeny bit resentful that she didn’t tell him sooner.

"Well, thank you," Ricky pouted, folding his arms like a small toddler. "I just wish you would have included me".

Gina tilted her head to look sincerely at Ricky, her face softening into a grin.

"Ok, I promise, I will include you on the next plan. Just tell EJ that these flowers arrived from an unknown source and you're not sure what to do with them. If I know him well enough... and I think I do... he will re-gift them to Nini... claiming them as his own..." Gina began to trail her thoughts as she made her way around Ricky’s desk.

"You're not wrong..." Ricky agreed, watching Gina's every move. She was slinking towards his left, making her way near where he keeps his collectibles on his desk. In one swift movement, she managed to make her way around the computer monitors, grab his rubber band ball, and playfully jump back out of his reach.

"Hey!" Ricky laughed, standing up to grab the ball out of Gina's hands. "That whole plan was for show, wasn't it? That was the motive all along?!"

Gina giggled as Ricky reached around her, trying to get the ball out of her hand. She ducked and swooped, hiding it next to her hip, under her arm, and even bending to tuck it into her belly. She was successful at hiding it until the pair noticed EJ walk out of his office. Blushing, both Ricky and Gina stood up straight, faintly trying to catch their breath.

"What are these?" EJ asked, completely ignoring the assistants goofing off. His attention was solely fixated on the flowers.

"They're... um..." Gina stammered. Ricky realized she didn't know how to talk to EJ, which paralyzed her with fear. A perfect ploy to get his possession back. He swiftly grabbed the ball out of her hand, before stepping forward to address EJ. Gina looked dumbfounded after realizing she let Ricky win.

"They just came in. There's no card or anything. I don't know where they came from," Ricky shrugged before making his way back to his desk chair. He shoved the ball in the drawer directly in front of his torso. He had to stifle a small chuckle when he noticed Gina in the corner of his eye, glaring at her prey.

"... Maybe you could use them for something?" Ricky suggested, just as Nini walked in the room. The timing could have been written in a movie; it was so perfectly cued.

EJ grabbed the vase, confidently making his way toward Nini. He stopped abruptly in front of her, with Gina close behind. She was standing uncomfortably close to EJ. So much so, that he took a sidestep before addressing Nini.

"Hey Nini," EJ tittered. Gina was shocked to see him act so... innocent? Normally he commanded a room; made the innocent bystanders run away. But seeing him with her; he turned into a meekly lamb.

"Hey EJ..." Nini flirted, before giving Gina a look that said "back up" (to which Gina immediately obeyed).

"So... about the other night..." EJ hinted, teasing the flowers a little in Nini's face.

"Yeah?" Nini asked in a sultry tone. 

Gina was practically hopping out of her shoes, she couldn't stop shaking in excitement and disbelief that this moment finally arrived.

"I was just wondering..."

"Yeah?..." Nini bit her lower lip, swaying her body cutely.

Gina could feel herself quaking the entire room. She could hardly contain the anticipation she was feeling. She could feel her brain screaming, "just ask her out already!"

"Would you want to go out with me?..." EJ began right before Gina shouted "Yes!", interrupting them.

Nini shot daggers at her, which caused Gina to back off, once again. She was not about to ruin this moment any further. For Gina and for Ricky, the plan had to work.

"...On Friday?" Nini asked.

Until Gina managed to find a way to ruin the plan.

"No, Saturday!" Gina interjected before Nini could finish saying "yes".

"Why Saturday?" Nini protested, obviously unaware of the hidden agenda. She couldn’t hide the sneer sneaking onto her face.

"Uh.... Um..." Gina could feel herself stuttering. Realizing Ricky was not going to come to her rescue this time, since he didn't know Nini, Gina had to think on her feet.

"Because... you have... that?... head... massage?" Gina grimaced at the suggestion. She didn't see Ricky at his desk behind her; his fingers pressed to his forehead in bewilderment.

"Head massage?" Nini questioned, her expression still somewhat carrying the sneer.

"Yes?... You don't remember?.... We planned it months ago?...." Gina continued to fib, subtly assessing whether Nini was buying her excuse or not. "We planned it at Elite-"

"-Tracie Martyn," Nini answered simultaneously, catching Gina off guard.

"Tracie Martyn," Gina rephrased, making a mental note to book a head massage there on Friday.

"Don't know how I spaced that. I get those annually..." Nini murmured. 

After all of this time working for Nini, this was definitely not something Gina knew about her.

"EJ, you could come with me?" Nini suggested before Gina cut her off again.

"-uh, no. No, he can't. Trust me... I... wanted to... come with you?" Gina could feel herself floundering again, trying not to wince at every word coming out of her mouth. She was terrible at improvisation.

"...and they told me it was all booked and busy, sorry! Guess you'll have to go on your date on Saturday. Oh well!" Gina rushed the last sentence out of her mouth. She began to pace behind EJ and Nini, feeling overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess we have to listen to her," EJ shrugged, obliging to Gina's demands. Relief overcame Gina, so much so that she could literally feel ten pounds of invisible rocks fall off her back.

"Guess so," Nini smiled which caused Gina to do a double-take. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Nini express excitement. Or joy. Or love.

"Come on, Gina. We have to discuss my weekly plans. If I'm forgetting my head massage, what else am I forgetting? I'm really losing my touch..." Nini mumbled to herself again, now hauling the giant flower vase with her. She shoved the vase into Gina's arms before the two started to head toward the elevator.

Before exiting the room, Gina turned around to see Ricky, holding the rubber band ball mockingly at her. He gave the ball a snap! and Gina a smirk. Childishly, Gina stuck her tongue out at Ricky which was reciprocated. Gina exited the room as she awkwardly toted the vase. This left Ricky in the background chuckling to himself as he snapped the ball.

*********************************************************

On Saturday, Gina decided to finally muster up the courage to text Jack late Saturday afternoon. She wasn't sure what it was, but something had been holding her back from texting him all morning. She had a free day, so time wasn't the issue, and she wanted to meet him, so insecurity wasn't it either. She didn't feel scared, so she couldn't quite chalk up the feeling to nerves, and yet, something kept her from pushing send for several hours.

However, she finally messaged him that day, telling him she was free for a first date. They spent the evening walking around Central Park, eating ice cream, and talking. Ricky was also able to spend a nice Saturday with Lily, going to dinner before her show and then supporting her for the performance. Ricky and Gina made dinner reservations at the steak restaurant (where they first met) for Nini and EJ’s date.

Once Nini and EJ went on their initial date that Saturday, everything else in the scheme seemed to go according to plan. It didn't take much to convince EJ to take Nini out to lunch or Nini to spend the weekend showing EJ around her hometown nearby. Ricky and Gina finally felt free.

Ricky spent the next month with Lily, Seb, and Carlos. They started going on double dates (albeit only to things Lily wanted to do... like spa days and fancy restaurants), hanging out frequently at the apartment (because Lily wasn't in a "people mood"), and going to C-lister parties. 

Ricky thought his extra time would have also been helpful to start writing music, but he often found himself stumped. He needed a muse, but whenever he thought of Lily his mind went blank. He would then proceed to fill that inspiration void with night parties and dates with Lily.

Gina, on the other hand, was spending most of her free time with Jack, Kourtney, and Jet. Gina was starting to go on frequent dates with Jack, constantly contemplating her "will they, won't they status with him". At one point, over a Thai food dinner, he brought up possibly going exclusive, but she shut the idea down immediately by asking if he was going to eat the last Rangoon. Gina had this weird internal conflict of wanting a boyfriend badly (so she stops feeling  pity towards herself over Kourtney and Jet), and feeling like a label was too much, too soon.

Nevertheless, Gina still found happiness out of her new found free time. The time she wasn't spending with Jack, she was spending with Kourtney and Jet wedding planning. She helped them pick out flowers, cakes, colors, and even her own Maid-of-Honor dress (which was a large feat for Gina, because Kourtney had an eye for fashion, so getting to decide her own dress was nothing short of a miracle). It should have been the best month of her life.

And Ricky's.

And it was the best month in some ways, but both Ricky and Gina quickly came to notice their enthusiasm had nothing to do with being away from work. In fact, the most fun they had during the month was making plans for Nini and EJ. It was exciting to watch the couple fall in love. To plant fake gifts in Nini's office from EJ or to send EJ an unexpected beautiful photo of Nini. Gina loved hyping up Nini in secret ways and Ricky felt like a detective, discovering the nuances of how EJ acts when he is in love.

The entire process felt like a giant game of chess. Making moves and countermoves, trying to assess how the other person might react, and always being one step ahead of their opponent. It was new and fresh and exhilarating. A breath of fresh air Ricky and Gina hadn't inhaled in a long time.

Be that as it may, Ricky and Gina still found themselves going home somewhat sad. Of course, this was something they would never admit to the other. After all of their hard work to receive free time, it was embarrassing to admit that the best part of their day was scheming at work. Work. The irritant they did all of this to avoid, but somehow they couldn't stay away.

The juxtaposition was an uncomfortable realization both of them had made sometime during the month of April.

For Ricky, he made this realization when he was finalizing some tickets for a fashion show that EJ and Nini were going to attend. The tickets were extremely difficult to come across, so it took several days and a lot of pleading to finally retrieve them. Gina and he were talking daily at this point, multiple times even, so he knew he could have told her he finally scored the tickets the next day. But he wanted to celebrate with her in person. He ran quickly up the stairs to her desk, but she was already gone. When he went to call her, she was on a date with Jack. She wasn't supposed to leave until five that night, but Nini and EJ were out so she was off by two. Something unexplainable shattered inside of him seeing that empty desk.

For Gina, she began to realize how easy it was to get Nini and EJ together. She ended up getting a lot of free time, to the point that she started to feel a bit bored towards the end of April. She liked going to the recording studio, where Ricky and she pretended to work but were actually instant messaging. She liked playing chess with Ricky at lunch. She enjoyed a new game she made for herself where she would steal Ricky's rubber band ball and play "hot and cold" with him until he could find it (Ricky was not as much of a fan of this game). 

But as the days got shorter, the amount of time in the studio did too. Towards the end of April and the beginning of May, there were several days either she or Ricky were done working before lunch, or they didn't even have time goof off at work, because their bosses would tell them to go home early. Gina knew the times she was going to work around Ricky were always going to be spontaneous and there was no exact time frame of when they would end, but every time she "got to leave early" she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

All she wanted to do was ask Ricky for "one more round" of chess without their time together getting cut short.

***********************************************************

About two weeks into May, Ricky and Gina found themselves eating tacos outside of the taco stand they went to frequently for lunch. They both had to return to the office that day, but they got an extra long lunch. The pair decided to take advantage of the nice day and eat outside.

Gina had just finished giving Ricky's taco a "cheers", before speaking with a full mouth. Ricky never failed to be amused at Gina's squirrel-like tendencies, still shoving her cheeks full of taco meat. Some things never change.

"I cannot believe we made this work! Are we clinically insane for doing this?" Gina laughed, swallowing the rest of the taco in her mouth.

"We might be, but then again, I think we were clinically insane for taking these jobs in the first place," Ricky agreed.

Gina held up her taco, meeting Ricky's again with a soft click! "Cheers to that!"

"Cheers!" Ricky celebrated back, before setting his taco back on his plate. He chose to survey Gina instead, watching her eat in what should have been the most disgusting way ever, but somehow she made it the opposite of unpleasant or gross. If anything, it was enduring.

Gina's eyes looked up to meet Ricky's, her face practically still inside the shell. She giggled as she asked, "what?"

Ricky, realizing he was staring, looked nervously to the side as he felt his cheeks turn red. He gave a speedy reply of "nothing", before abruptly changing the subject.

"So... uh... what next?" Ricky asked, trying to find any way to veer the conversation in a different direction.

"What do you mean?" Gina smiled, wiping her mouth with a napkin. She gave a half-hearted chuckle that sounded more like confusion than it did joy.

"I just mean... Nini and EJ are together and happy. We got everything we wanted, didn't we? So... what now?" Ricky asked, his eyes unwavering from Gina's direction.

"I-I don't know, Ricky," Gina stuttered. She hadn't thought this far in the plan. In fact, there wasn't really a plan to begin with besides Nini and EJ falling in love. The rest was improvisation. Gina internally congratulated herself as she realized maybe her improv skills weren't actually that bad.

"Well, I have Lily and you have Jack... so..." Ricky continued, not sure where he was leading the conversation.

Gina genuinely did not know how to respond to what Ricky was asking. His demeanor was off from how she knew him to be. She had never seen him this frazzled to make conversation before. Normally he was more arrogant and cocky, but now he was shy and awkward. 

Gina mind noted (from her painful silence) that her improvisation skills were still definitely just as bad.

"I-I-just mean that now that we have what we want, what more is there to do?" Ricky clumsily asked. Gina’s confusion weighed on him, making him unbearably aware that he didn't know how to talk his way back out of the uncomfortable conversation, either.

"Yeah... uh... I don't know, Ricky," Gina replied, deciding to answer honestly rather than contrive something out of her back pocket. "Honestly, I don't really know what Jack and I are..."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Gina responded, sliding the taco out of the way so she could think better. "I thought I really liked him. And I do? I think? But he has tried to go serious a few times and I just feel myself backing away. It's like, the more he shows me affection, the more I don't want to be around him. Physically, it's everything I could have ever wanted, but emotionally... I'm just not there. I don't know... does this make sense?"

It definitely made sense to Ricky. He felt that way with Lily sometimes. He liked spending time with her, but she would tend to degrade a lot of his decisions. At times, it felt like he was working for "old EJ" again and that made wanting to be at work more fun than being at home sometimes. It was an interesting phenomenon to Ricky.

"Have you ever had a pet salamander?" Ricky asked Gina, watching her expression go from somber to amused.

"I'm serious!" Ricky chuckled, not being able to hold back his jovial attitude at Gina's response.

"No, Ricky. I have not had a pet salamander. Have you?" Gina was now trying to hold back her teasing.

"When I was growing up, I had two salamanders," Ricky started, ignoring Gina's jests. "One I showed a lot of love to. I held him, fed him, and gave him all of the time in the world. The other salamander, I barely paid attention too. I remembered his food and his water, and that was about it. And do you want to know which one survived?"

"Enlighten me," Gina joked, not actually caring that much about which one survived.

"The one I didn't pay attention too," Ricky concluded, feeling extra pleased with his story-telling abilities.

"So... you're telling me to keep ignoring Jack?" Gina questioned, unsure of how that would solve her problems since she was already doing just that.

"No, I'm telling you that you're pulling away because you feel suffocated by Jack. Maybe it's best you ask for some space?"

"Says the guy who won’t tell his girlfriend no to anything," Gina pointed out to Ricky, who was unsure of what point Gina was trying to make.

"What do you mean by that?" Ricky asserted, slightly offended that Gina could accuse him of not being man enough to stand up to Lily.

"Oh, come on, Ricky! When, in all of our free time, have you gone to anything that you wanted to?"

"-well, there was the parties," Ricky interjected.

"That Lily chose to go to first," Gina added on to her original accusation.

"Well... I just... Lily usually makes the decisions faster than me-"

"-bulldozer-"

"-and Lily won't go unless it's something she wants to do-"

"-pushover! And the things she likes to do are almost always boring! You said so yourself!" Gina remarked.

Ricky knew she wasn't wrong. He really only enjoyed going to the parties, and he did complain to Gina a couple of weeks back that they still haven't seen the new movie he's been wanting to see for weeks. It was the only thing he suggested that wasn't Lily's idea and she found just about every excuse not to go. Ricky stopped protesting Gina, which in turn caused her to stop badgering him about the issue.

"...I don't know that I'm ready to let my salamander go," Gina confessed, looking to Ricky for validation.

"I get that," Ricky responded, easing Gina's anxiety over Jack a little bit.

"But that's not the metaphor," Ricky wisecracked. Gina shook her head, cackling at Ricky's ability to somehow be equally as compassionate as he is insufferable.

[yiangchen]

.

[immortalpramheda]

Too bad you were never that devoted to Gina.

[isthatmanahimbo]

Today we bring to you perennial fan-favorite Terry Jeffords!

Terry Jeffords is one of the main characters of Brooklyn 99, a Mike Schur and Andy Samberg project which aired on Fox in 2013, which moved to NBC for its final seasons from 2019 - 2021. Portrayed by Terry Crews, Jeffords is first the sergeant then lieutenant of the eponymous 99th precinct, and has variable roles throughout the series' tenure, most often filling the niche of mother hen adjacent to Captain Holt's stern father figure.

Given of course that he is played by Terry Crews, we can be assured that this man is beefcake central. Although it is often hidden under tasteful pastel shirts and ties patterned en vogue, Jeffords' physique is remarked upon at least once per episode, with the occasional episode centering around his stature. In one notable instance, he is unable to perform a undercover operation and must train Jake Peralta in his workout routine so that he may take his place – what actually takes place is a montage of Peralta desperately working to make up the lack in his physical prowess before giving up. This happens multiple times throughout the series. In another instance, Peralta takes a running leap at Terry, causing him to drop his coffee in favor of catching Peralta. When asked if it was any effort at all to hold up a grown man, Jeffords replies that it's about the same as holding a couple of grapes. Indeed, the entire precinct knows what's up with Sergeant Jeffords – and if it were not clear to the audience, we have regular reminders from Gina, for whom it is a running gag to attempt to get Terry to remove his shirt. Queen Gina speaking for all of us, as usual.

Now if you have been following this blog for a while, you will know that one thing that we value just as much as having the skill to make one's pecs dance (which we see Terry do onscreen multiple times), it is a family man, and Terry's a family man to a T. His introduction to the series and the first major character arc that he goes through has to do with the anxiety he feels as a new parent of twin baby girls - what would they and his lovely wife do if he were to fall in the line of duty? He overcomes this anxiety with the help of Gina and Captain Holt (and much departmental mandated therapy), but his love and respect for his wife and daughters shine through in every episode thereafter, and quite often carry over into all of his other relationships with the team. Terry could easily be played off as the stereotypical aggressive black man, but the show's narrative emphasizes that Terry's heart is as big as his muscles, and that he values his wife and all of the women in his life just as much as he does the yogurt in his fridge.

And it is clear that his comrades value him all the same. This author would hesitate to call a married and devoted man a slut (although we do learn that he and his wife conceived their children to Beyonce, so mad respect for that game), but we do know that Terry is a major Chad, having earned the respect of everyone in the 99 - indeed his team's reliance on his opinion of them often leads to some comedic miscommunications, such as when Amy and Gina discover that Terry is writing a childrens' book for his twins and that the two female leads are inspired by them. They bicker and argue over what this means until Terry delivers a rousing speech in the elevator about how they should come to trust and respect themselves a little bit more (which veers into charmingly awkward territory as the elevator ride only commences when Terry has finished). And Jake, main character that he is, has never had a bad thing to say about Terry that he hasn't immediately corrected.

If Terry is to have a flaw in himbodom, impeccable specimen that he is, it is that he is too intelligent. It would be easy to write it off as simply detective-savvy - the man is the sergeant of a major precinct in the largest local police organization in the world, after all - but we see demonstrated time and again that not only is Terry a genuinely intelligent man with a lot to offer in many academic pursuits, he's actually a huge-ass nerd. A notable instance is the case he insists on solving for the protection of a JRRT-GRRM-esque author that Terry has idolized since his childhood, using the book's lore and the author's own professional history to solve the case. Indeed, resident bookworm Amy indicates in one episode that if anyone in the precinct were to solve a particularly hard word-puzzle, it would be either her or Terry. Bold words from someone with more than a dozen organizational binders.

This author's ambivalence cannot be overstated when we say with certainty: that man is not a himbo.

Total Himbo Score: 21

[amiidalas]

stop! the air could be toxic. if the air is toxic we’re all dead anyways. don’t listen to her, she’s one of the privileged. brave princess. if we’re gonna survive, we can’t just live by whatever the hell we want! we need rules. who makes the rules? you? for now we make the rules. i trust him! our princess has that effect.. ready to be a badass? watch and learn. still watching.... you may be a total ass half the time but i need you bellamy. we can’t do this without you. those kids out there.... you inspire them. now there’s something i thought i’d never see. i can’t lose you too okay? you care about him. i care about all of them. yet you worry about him more. i thought you hated that plan. that it would get me killed. i was being weak. bellamy? you came through. i knew you would. i think we deserve a drink. if you need forgiveness i’ll give that to you. you’re forgiven. please come inside. you don’t have to do this alone. we can’t lose clarke! we can’t lose her... i need you. you need me? you left me. im sorry for leaving... i knew i could because they had you. too bad you were never that devoted to gina. forgiveness is hard for us. i was so angry at you for leaving. i don’t wanna feel that way anymore. we need each other. the only way we’re gonna pull this off is together. her friends are her weakness. start with bellamy blake. leadership is a lonely pursuit... she’s lucky to have you. you keep her centered. you’ve got it backwards. if i’m on that list, you’re on that list. write it down or i will. she’ll come around and see how special you are. you’ve got such a big heart bellamy. i’ve got you for that. i left her behind. bellamy... if you can hear me, it’s been two thousand one hundred and ninety-nine days since praimfaya... i don’t know why i still do this every day. maybe it’s my way of staying sane. bellamy? clarke knew you would come. two hundred and eighty-three lives for one.... she must be pretty important to you. she is. you’re really here? you saved us all. and now you’re home. the hostage taker and his girlfriend. here we go again... pleading for the life of a traitor... who you love. do you have any idea how much she cares about you? i shouldn’t tell you this, but when you were on the ring she called you on the radio every day. for six years. you’re my family too. you don’t get it... if bellamy knows clarke is dead then all of this is for nothing. i won’t let you die. she was right to depend on you. once the head stops telling the heart to beat its over. the heart and the head. clarke i need you... im not losing her again! the heart and the head. the heart and the head.

[the100-shit]

i can't believe people still trying to say we invented bellarke by ourselves and it was never hinted at in the show when we got the line "too bad you were never that devoted to gina" bitch i- are u blind.

[pluviophile-bookworm]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[geckosblake]

thinking about how in s3 we literally had “too bad you were never that devoted to gina” and bellarke STILL hasn’t happened ????? like god i really clowned and though that was like it , like they straight up wrote that bellamy was more devoted to clarke than his girlfriend and yet ? here we are 4 seasons later still taking CRUMBS

[izloveshorses]

“too bad you were never that devoted to gina” 💀

[pollylynn]

Title: Switch

WC: 900

“Too much?”  — Richard Castle, Almost Famous (3 x 07)

She probably shouldn’t seek out opportunities to wind him up like this. There’s probably some unwritten rule about recreationally torturing one man when one is . . . involved with another. But there’s a mental pause before involved on her end, and Josh isn’t particularly invested in unwritten rules. Josh is enlightened, easy going, self-confident enough that he’s not easily threatened. Plus, Josh is not the kind of guy you take to a male strip club. 

Castle is the kind of guy you take, because it is highly entertaining to wind him up, whether or not it’s a good idea. And she knows she probably not a good idea. She may—she does—have her own . . . involvement in order, but there are unwritten rules on his end of the equation, too, surely. But it’s not like it’s her job to mind those, is it? He could say no at any moment. He just doesn’t, even when yes means spending the evening at a male strip club. 

She wonders more than she’d like to about the consequences of that for him. Gina, by his own accounts, both pre- and post-reconciliation, is certainly not easy going. As for her enlightenment and likelihood of feeling threatened, she wonders about it more than she should, though wondering doesn’t stop her from seeking out new and exciting winding up opportunities. 

Part of the fun is the fact that he deserves it. He’s so invested win his unshockable, been there, done that, bought the bondage harness image that shocking him does seem like her job some days. Yes, good idea or not, winding him up and, in the process, taking Richard Self-Styled Bad Boy Castle down a peg seems like a public service. 

And some days she hardly has to work at it. Some days, she can simply stand back and enjoy the fun as he unravels the persona all by his lonesome. That’s the turn this evening’s festivities look like they’re taking as soon as they finally make it through the eternal bouncer line and into the club. 

The demographic of The Package Store skews away from bridge and tunnel moms who’ll check their phones all night long, convinced their husbands will burn their respective houses down. It skews, instead, toward the Jamie Ruiz end of the life cycle. It skews towards his daughter’s age. The crowd is thick with sashes and tiaras and strings of penis-shaped beads looped around the necks of whooping young women and she sees the en-Dad-ening commence. 

He scowls at hemlines and necklines, and clicks his tongue at a bachelorette who is in the middle of a lap dance that’s downright tame compared to some she’s seen both on the job and off. He tuts and grumbles and she finally decides to leave him to fend for himself while she goes off to satisfy their two-drink minimum and chat up the bar staff for information. 

“Try not to start handing out copies of the Watch Tower while I’m gone.” She gives him a pert wave over her shoulder as she snakes her way through the stumbling, hooting, hollering crowd.

She loses sight of him immediately. She directs her gaze forward for one second in the hopes of keeping her shoes clear of the spilled-drink minefield that is the poured-concrete floor of The Package Store. When she looks back, he has disappeared completely. 

A warning bell sounds in the back of her mind. Wound-up, en-Dad-enated Richard Castle at a male strip club is definitely good fun. Unsupervised, wound-up Richard Castle is never a good idea. But she has a job to do—the one that pays—so she presses onward to the bar. 

She gets her club soda and his Long Island Iced Tea—which, really?. She gets a lead on Derek’s workplace conflicts and wades back into the drunken sea to find her wayward, wound-up scoundrel-cum-Dad. She—even she, in her still intact four-inch heels—has to raise up on her toes to get the lay of the land. 

She sees a knot of women, all seated, heads bent toward something in their midst. Not a one of them is the least bit interested in the entr’acte dancers and their bid for bills, and she knows why. She knows exactly why. Like a bird unerringly seeking true north, she heads tour the knot, glasses raised carefully overhead. 

“Castle!” She doesn’t exactly nail the blasé attitude she’d planned on. She hears his name echoing around in her head and it sounds impressed, scandalized, wound up. 

The sea of women parts. He looks up, eyes wide, as though her appearance is such a surprise. “Hey honey,” he says and after that it’s just noise bouncing between her ears, though she picks out girlfriend and adventurous in the section of her brain not devoted to killing him. 

The sea of women recedes, and she notes that he does not seem to have been delivering a lecture about the evils of lap dances, and as the scene empties and he is not particularly concerned with their hemlines. 

He fixes her with a hapless grin that isn’t hapless in the least. She realizes—she admits—that two are constantly playing at this game. He recreationally tortures her; he and probably thinks it’s a public service to take her down a peg. 

A/N: If Beckett were not wearing sexy jammies outside her home, this might have bene a thing. But Beckett is wearing sexy jammies outside her home

images via homeofthenutty

[clarkegriffinblake]

Too bad you were never that devoted to Gina Echo

[bellamygateoldblog]

Bellamy is never allowed to have girlfriends, Blarkes hate on him and them. When it's Clarke, they celebrate. They're always happy when she gets laid like with the doctor in season 6. Some of them didn't like Lexa but LOL there's definitely a huge difference between how they treat Bell's love interests VS Clarke's. They just expect Bellamy to remain single, longing after Clarke only and doing all of her bidding

I think it's a little more complicated when it comes to Clarke's love interests. It depends. Which is still an enormous contrast to how Bellamy's are treated by the group, though. The amount of times I've seen Gina and Echo (even Raven, when she was a threat) being reduced to a "place-holder" for Clarke is staggering. His flirting & sleeping with Bree was also made to be about Clarke, too. Oh it's him projecting! It's his suppressed feelings! The ways Echo has been and still is demonized while Bellamy is woobified and treated like some kind of victim has the same energy as someone going after the unknowing woman her man cheated with instead of her man who did the cheating. And while people were celebrating Clarke sleeping with the doctor (oopsie, bad judgement on that one lol), Finn/Flarke and Lexa/Clexa have been dragged down so many times in posts that were crafted to prop up Bellamy as Clarke's superior love interest. (And, the Clexa vs Bellarke war, side note, always treated Clarke like a passive and a precious princess whose there to be worshipped but who doesn't have to give back what love and devotion she recieves, it was always "how do they treat Clarke" and never once "but how does Clarke treat them in return?" people forget relationships aren't one-sided- which is slightly off topic but I think it still relates to the way fandom receives Clarke and Bellamy and their romantic or sexual relationships). There's a difference here in the way Bellamy's love interests are just lucky to be a stand-in for Clarke, frogs that Bellamy is kissing before he can have the princess and superior woman, while Clarke's love interests are about Bellamy waiting for her to come back to him, pining pathetically after her while she has her love story elsewhere and then spends the next few seasons grieving it and turning to Niylah for comfort. And him staying a patient, devoted and grateful lapdog dying for her validation and if he can't have it he'll turn to a substitute until she gets back and decides she's ready for him.

(It's worth mentioning Bellamy's only 'real' love interest has been Echo. Because Gina was little more than a non-character at the time of her fridging. While Clarke has had a first love, a great love, and a sweet friends-with-benefits. So this divide supports the points in this post even further imo.)

This, of course, doesn't go for everyone. Individuals exist within groups. And the patterns I've observed of the loud/collective response and attitude aren't me making assumptions about the one person. But there is consensus, and you can see consensus in fandom. You can't tell me it's not there just because it's personally not *you*.

[whitemrcedes]

all im sayin is that we don't bring up that "good little knight by his queen's side, too bad you were never that devoted to gina" "you don't know what you're talking about" as much as we should. that's it, that's all i'm saying.