#the hsm musical effect

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

A reflection on season 1

Going into this rewatch, I really wanted to challenge my old opinions of it (specifically the opinion that s3 takes what was best about s1 and improves it) and see if I could walk away with a new perspective.  I know that there are plenty of fans who believe that there’s something special about s1 that hasn’t been recaptured in following seasons, so I also wanted to identify what it is distinguishes s1 from the rest of the series and decide, as objectively as possible, if it truly is the best season, as many have claimed.

To get to the point: no, this isn’t the best season in objective terms.  It has flaws and weaknesses, just like the next two, but I definitely notice a big difference in the overall feel of the show compared to s3.  In this regard, I can understand how personal preference might sway viewers to prefer one over the other.  It’s far simpler in its concept, so it ends up just being a show about some normal theater kids putting on High School Musical.  Its simplicity allows for some moments to breathe a bit more than s3 does (though I think the 10-episode season helps), but there’s also a lot more awkwardness and emptiness between moments in the earlier episodes.  I was really surprised at how slow the first few episodes felt to me, and it wasn’t until 1x04 that I felt as though the show was going somewhere.  My personal feelings on this are largely due to Nini’s storyline being the focus in those first few episodes, and it’s not until Ricky’s struggle with his home life (which I would consider the emotional core of the show) gets more focus that things felt like they were starting to move.  There’s a clear shift in the direction of the show in 1x05 (and in my opinion, a shift towards something much deeper), but the show doesn’t fully commit to this shift through the rest of the season.  This shift is threefold: the positive progression of Ricky’s growth from his relationship with Gina, the expansion of character focus beyond Nini or Ricky, and the reveal that Nini lacked a sense of true identity in her romantic relationships.  The direction of Ricky and Nini’s arcs are never resolved, and they’re actually regressed by the conclusion of this season.  While I believe this is intentional, the framing of the conclusion is still trying to evoke a sense of celebration and triumph, making the conclusion feel really manufactured and jarring when it stands on its own.  This is why, after my first viewing in 2019, I didn’t rewatch the season until s3 aired... it simply cannot effectively stand on its own.  I’ll get to my opinions on how it compares to future seasons in those analyses, because I do have more to say on that.

Something very interesting I wanted to point out: Gina is always shown to offer the consolation and comfort Ricky is looking for in Nini, and when Nini has the opportunity to give Ricky emotional support, it’s shown that she doesn’t understand his struggle.  Throughout the entirety of 1x04, every person Ricky turns to for comfort are incapable of giving him the emotional support he needs, and this includes Nini.  The emotional poignancy of the episode is that the only thing that can make Ricky feel safe is returning home to his mom and listening to HSM, signaling that theater is becoming a new safe space to him.  This is notion is made deeper in the next episode, when Gina, to his surprise, empathizes with him in a way no one else had.  In 1x07, Ricky wants to call Nini after Todd answers the phone, but Gina shows up and offers him the comfort he was never expecting.  Then in the last 2 episodes, we see Ricky frantically try to contact Nini after Todd shows up, only for Gina Porter to give him the consolation he needs and also successfully encourage him to show up for his cast and walk back into the gym.  In 1x08, we see Ricky’s eyes light up with surprise for a moment when Nini says “I get it,” when he apologized for his behavior on Thanksgiving, but her next lines reveal that she actually doesn’t get it at all.

Last comment: I was shocked at how little Gina was actually in this season.  EJ actually leads more plotlines than she does, technically making her more of a supporting character (even though her character arc is much stronger than his, imo).  She is the antagonist the first 4 episodes, so she really only has focus when she’s disrupting Nini’s storyline or scheming with EJ.  Then, she becomes the character to further Ricky’s growth and storyline for the rest of her appearances.  Despite her appearances being more limited, her presence is so strongly felt this season, which I think really speaks to Sofia Wylie’s screen presence and strength as an actor.  Honestly, not a single minute is wasted with her screen-time.  It's seriously to the show’s benefit that she becomes the female lead in the following seasons, because her character was already upstaging others.  I honestly think Sofia’s performance is what gave Gina so much depth and richness in s1, so she is without a doubt the MVP of this season.

[blond-jerk-tourney]

Champagne Bracket: Round 2, Poll 4

Propaganda from submitters Under Cut

Rufus Shin-ra

(from ask) Rufus Shin-Ra from Final Fantasy VII is a blond jerk! Rufus is a corporate overlord, the nepo baby heir to his late father, the previous president of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. Shin-Ra Inc. effectively owns the city of Midgar and its inhabitants and controls several cities and villages; kidnaps and experiments on live humans, including children, including newborns and unborn babies; murders any opposition; uses its own army (known as SOLDIER) to invade another country and turns it into a tribute state; and is responsible for polluting the Planet to the point of triggering the apocalypse. Every natural right that a human possesses has been violated by Shin-Ra Inc. Rufus intends to further increase the company's power and reputation. Btw the Planet is on the path to destruction, and one of Shin-Ra's human experiments has become a mass-murdering mutant bent on genocide (again). Rufus tries to continue covering up Shin-Ra's crimes by pinning the blame on the heroes, and sets up a public execution for two of them as terrorists. He also makes his dog maul people. Notable quotes include: "I'll let you hear my new appointment speech. Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside. But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them." and also "You're a SOLDIER, aren't you? Which of course, would mean that I own you." He seemingly died by his own hubris in the original game, but he was brought back in the sequels as a somewhat nicer jerk because the developers and fans felt he was too fashionable to die.

Sharpay Evans

Blonde, HSM antagonist but it was never that deep

[stabbyfoxandrew]

So... The books are set in 2006... High School Musical came out in 2006...

Hc that, for team bonding, they pile into one dorm and watch hsm. The only long term effects are Nicky constantly singing the songs and...

Kevin and Neil's adopted "What team?!"

They expect everyone else to shout "foxes!" with just as much enthusiasm. Usually it's just the two of them who will do it back and forth, to everyone's... Amusement.

Coach thinks Kevin's got memory loss or smth, doesn't get the reference at all.

[mycastleinthesky]

hsmtmts should've stuck with s2’s format imo. the show’s strength wasn't it's hsm callbacks. It was it’s cast. so much was lost from s3&4 when they decided to pivot back towards being a show mocking it’s premise.

s2 is not as solid as s1 writing wise, I'm not even sure it's as solid as s3&4, but it had a lot more depth and cared more about telling genuine stories about these characters. I think that sort of storytelling is much more effective.

they sort of dug themselves into a whole by naming the show high school musical: the musical: the series. should've dropped the musical, imo. then, the show could've continued telling stories about theatre kids without locking itself to the high school musical brand.

[xhudgenssistersconfessions]

In a way, do you have compassion for the young fans of HSMTS? Because I do. And the reason that I do is because I remember being that young and bashing all of the other musicals outside of HSM at that point including Grease because I was such an HSM fan.

I do feel bad for some because I remember what it was like having such a strong love for something that everyone kept comparing to its opponent. The only difference is that I was a huge Grease fan before HSM so it didn’t really effect me as much (and I didn’t really pay that much attention to the noise but I specially remember commercials advertising Grease as “the original High School Musical)

[tasminlovestotango]

i only watched jatp for the first time this month. To be honest, it hadn’t really appealed to me, I mean, it’s marketed as a kids show and at the grand old age of nineteen, I kinda felt above it. (Despite the fact I love musicals and Kenny Ortega)

But one morning I was too tired and too hungover to question the Netflix algorithm which had been bugging me to watch this show for months. So I did. All 9 eps, in less than 24 hours.

Julie and the Phantoms may be marketed to kids, but it deals with loss and grief and creativity and love more accurately than any so-called ‘gritty’ drama seems to manage. The whole cast blew me away, and this is before I learned that they actually play the instruments!

Anyway, the point of all this is that JATP has been nominated for 13 emmy awards. 13! Madison Reyes is nominated for best young performer which is insane given that this is her first project. What might be more insane though is that Netflix still hasn’t renewed this show, despite its obvious fan base, multiple awards and the incredible talent behind it.

You could argue this is a result of the pandemic, to which I would answer multiple other shows have been able to produce a second season in this time, or even just announce a renewal. In September, JATP will have been out for a year so the clock is ticking.

In short, please watch Julie and the Phantoms. Even if you think you’re too old. Even if you think Riverdale is the peak of YA TV. Who knows, you could discover your new favourite show. If you loved HSM, you’ll probably love this, or at least like it.

Hey, and if that isn’t enough to persuade you, take it from me. It’s a highly effective hangover cure.

[multimetaverse]

HSMTMTS 2x01 Review

New Year’s Eve was a great way to return to HSMTMTS especially after such a long gap. Let’s dig in!

Vladimir Lenin once said that, ‘’ there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen". It’s been almost a year and half since S1 ended but this past week has seen revelation after revelation as the fandom has resurrected itself and promotion for S2 kicked into high gear: Joshua Bassett came out, Frankie and Joe confirmed that they are a real life couple, Larry seemingly confirmed that S2 will only have 11 eps rather than the 12 initially ordered, and perhaps most importantly Olivia revealed that she and the main cast are under contract for 4 seasons and made clear that she’s leaving the show as soon as her contract is up.

I really enjoyed this premiere, it felt like picking up right back where we left off. I’m guessing that S2 was originally supposed to premiere around Christmas or New Year’s but the holiday decorations and real Utah snow add a charming aesthetic to the ep. Tim Federle deserves credit for giving HSMTMTS more of an ensemble feel which is no easy feat with a cast as large as this show has. It likely won’t last due to covid restrictions  but at least for tonight we got to see all the characters hanging out together acting like a real group of friends.

The dialogue tonight really reminded me of Glee and I think I mean that as a compliment. Miss Jenn in particular seems to be doing her best April Rhodes impression minus the alcoholism. 

The rini scenes tonight were lovely. Perfect gift was a great song and I loved the rini duet during the music in me as the world faded around them leaving just the two of them. The Harry Styles reference is funny in light of Josh’s coming out interview. Of course, it’s hard now to separate Nini and Ricky and Olivia and Josh. Their chemistry shines through as 2x01, 2x02, and possibly parts of 2x03 were filmed pre Jolivia breakup which seems to have happened around summer 2020. Whether they can keep that same chemistry later on in S2, not to mention future seasons, remains to be seen.

A major theme tonight was communication and clearly Rini need to work on theirs. Poor Ricky had to learn that Nini’s moving to Denver the night before she leaves town which has to remind of him of his mom effectively abandoning him. Ricky saying that he’s never gonna breakup with Nini ever again sure sounds like foreshadowing for a disaster though the odds that this time Nini initiates the breakup are pretty good. 

I’m glad that the show is continuing to delve in the Bowen’s divorce story with their house being sold and Ricky and his dad having to move into an apartment. Divorce is expensive and the division of assets typically leave people less well off. Mike Bowen needs to work on his communication skills but he’s rocking that beard; it takes him from depressed divorced dad to depressed divorced daddy.

Seblos was cute and in a nice change of pace Disney doesn’t seem to be cynically teasing them then cutting their scenes. It was refreshing to see them just being a couple and to hear Carlos casually refer to himself as gay. In that regard tonight’s ep didn’t seem like it was a Disney show at all and it’s major progress that there are now two main gay characters on HSMTMTS. We learn that Carlos is rich which seems likely to be a source of conflict with Seb who comes from a large farming family.

Bet on It was really fun and I liked that Ricky apparently couldn’t stop singing it. The medley of HSM 2 songs was fun but I’ll be real with you wildcats, I never thought HSM 2 or 3 were nearly as good as the first movie so I’m not sad that they’re doing something else this year.

Wild that Big Red’s mom also calls him Big Red. Salt Lake Slices seems poised to be a big part of S2 both as hangout spot and work location for some of the characters. Redlyn are sweet together but sometimes Big Red comes off as a closeted gay guy which isn’t ideal for a het pairing that is supposedly a big part of S2.

Nice to see Gina so excited to have sleepovers with Ashlyn. We know from 2x03 that Gina contends with being single on Valentine’s day and from her glances at Ricky tonight she’s clearly not over him. Tim’s playing with fire and I can only hope he knows what he’s doing. I liked the little detail of Kourtney having AOC on her vision board, it feels true to the character (hopefully AOC gets elected president one day if the USA doesn’t collapse into a fascist dictatorship or civil war before then). EJ’s beard has got to go but I like that he seems committed to being a better version of himself; very doubtful his plan to go straight to Duke like his forefathers doesn’t change by the end of the season. 

Derek Hough did a good job of playing Zach as a subtly condescending man who managed to swiftly undermine Miss Jenn’s confidence, we’ll see what he and North High bring to the table.

Looking Ahead:

Next week are auditions for Beauty and the Beast, we know Ashlyn gets the role of Belle and EJ has conveniently removed himself from the running for Beast which presumably clears the path for Ricky to take the lead. There’s been some controversy over the casting choices and I’ll save my comments about it for the 2x02 review.

We get to see Lily who looks like a meaner version of season 1 Gina, we’ll see how much depth she actually ends up getting. Howie is introduced in 2x03 and Antoine likely shows up later on. Jack likely shows up towards the end of the season.

Howie seems to have a connection with Kourtney though the character synopsis does say he gets close to a wildcat or two which certainly leaves room to slide him into Gina’s plot. We know Antoine is into Ashlyn so that’s another love triangle to look forward to. Jack was described as having wanderlust and most of the cast seems not to have filmed with him so I think it’s likely that he plays a role in convincing EJ to take a gap year rather than head straight to Duke. 

A translation leak on TikTok reveals that in 2x03 Gina is sad that she’s only gotten a Valentine’s Day gift from her mom. A brief clip from the promo shows up her on her porch at night holding a heart shaped box of chocolates. If that’s supposed to be from a secret or semi-secret admirer than it has to be from either EJ, Ricky, or Howie. If it’s a platonic gift then it could be from anyone, we’ll see what Tim has up his sleeves.

Nini moving back to SLC is a question of when not if. It’s going to be very difficult to bring her back in a way that’s justified and also doesn’t leave the time she spends in Denver looking like a total waste. Frankly, I’d rather the show just bite the bullet and bring her back with as little fuss as possible.

We’re possibly around a quarter way through HSMTMTS given that the mains have 4 season contracts and presuming that the show is not cancelled earlier. At the very least the show will be radically different after S4 if they try to continue it as Olivia has made very clear that she’s going to leave asap to pursue her burgeoning music career full time (notably she’s only done the bare minimum of promo for S2). 

Looming over the remaining seasons of HSMTMTS is what the professional relationship between Olivia and Josh looks like especially since in many ways the show is built around Ricky and Nini. Off screen relationships have often caused on screen problems and dating a co-worker is rarely a good idea since even clean breakups leave lingering resentments. Obviously the Jolivia breakup was not clean, Driver’s License, Deja Vu, and Good 4 U (which is a certified bop) were clearly written from a place of hurt and in some ways were written to hurt. It’s no surprise that Joshua has dropped his duet with Sabrina Carpenter from his EP; someone on his team at least is trying to stop the damage to his reputation. There’s a decent chance that Olivia’s songs becoming such hits has irreparably damaged Joshua Bassett’s reputation among the same pool of largely young women that he’s targeting his music towards thereby cutting off his music career at the knees. If nothing else this behind the scenes drama should keep things entertaining for a while.

Until next week Wildcats 

[purediamond101]

Hospital Appointments (Joshua Bassett)

Fandom: HSM: The musical, the series. 

Pairings:Joshua Bassett x Genderless!Reader

MASTERLIST

Dedicated to @joshy-obx​​ 

I hope you like this! If not I can totally write you another imagine! Thank you for requesting! <3

“Y/n~” Josh whines trying to pull you closer on the waiting chairs. 

“Josh,” you whisper yell. “we are in the hospital.”

“I need more hugs,” Josh says in his whiny voice.

“We will, when we are not in public,” You say, hiding your smile 

“L/N?” The nurse asks, catching both your attention.

You and Josh both get up, greeting the nurse.

"Okay follow me," The nurse says, gesturing for them to follow. You both follow after him.

Josh slips his hands to yours, quickly intertwining your fingers. It was so instinctual; he didn't even realize he did it. You got to the room and sat on the bed while Josh stands leaning close to you. "Okay, the doctor will be here shortly to check on you," The nurse explained before walking out.

Just as she left, Josh leans in, peppering you with short kisses. You laugh, pulling away. "Josh~," You squeal, still laughing.

"Oh come on," Josh smirks. "we're not in public anymore."

"We're still in a hospital," You shake your head, failing to hide your smile.

Before Josh could reply, the doctor enters with a clipboard, smiling kindly at you. "Hello, My name is doctor Bailey and will be your doctor for today."

"It's nice to meet you," You return her smile.

"Okay so we looked over the tests and everything seems pretty normal," She explains, shrugging. "however, your MRI shows possibilities of an acute tumor."

Josh frowns, looking at you worriedly. "I-is she going to be okay?"

"Yes," Doctor Bailey nods. "we believe the tumor is so small that it won't have any effect but we should do a few more tests to be sure."

"Okay," You breathe out.

"Don't worry, I'm sure it's not serious," Bailey gives you two a reassuring look.

The door opens again, revealing the nurse from before. "You ready?"

"Yes," You nod nervously.

"You're going to be okay," Josh whispers, giving you a quick kiss.

You pull away following the nurse and Doctor Bailey. After about 10 minutes of doing some tests, you go back to Josh, who waited nervously in the waiting area.

Josh immediately stands up when seeing you. "How did it go?" He asks.

"Good," You answer as Josh lets out a breath of relief. "Doctor bailey says everything is fine and I am free to go."

"Oh thank god," Josh grins, hugging you.

You pull away, sighing in content. "Let's go home."

"As you wish, your majesty," Josh jokingly bows.

Laughing, you pull him into another hug. "Come on dork."

The whole car ride was spent with you two laughing, joking around. Both of you, forgetting all about that stressful moment in the hospital.When you finally got home, Josh picks you up, running around the house. Suddenly he drops you on the couch, tickling you.

"Josh~! Stop!" You laugh as he continued tickling you.The house was filled with laughter. Nothing could ruin it. After another minute, Josh finally decides to let you go.

You catch your breath, tired from all that laughing. "Jerk," You jokingly push him.

"Yeah, I'm the jerk," Josh chuckles.

"Oh, come on, you love me," You smirk.

"I do love you," He confessed, making your heart stop.

You're shocked face morphs into a full-blown grin as you pull him into a loving kiss. "I love you too. More than all the stars in the sky."

"I love you more than you love food," Josh chuckles.

"Hmm, I don't know about that," You smirk, obviously joking.

"Well I know," Josh nods with a teasing smile.

"Just cuddle me already," You beam, pulling him closer. You happily spent the rest of your day with him, in love and happy. 

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

Season 2 in review....

Surprisingly, there was a lot that was improved from s1 when this season started, but unfortunately those improvements weren't consistent through the whole season. The character work for the leads was much better than the first season, and I do think how the story was being told (i.e. literary devices, visual and musical cues, etc.) was stepped up (shoutout to Ilana Wolpert for 2x06, which I think is the best written episode this season). I also really liked how the music from BATB was incorporated into this season, which I think was used more effectively to tell the stories of the wildcats than the music from HSM in s1. I also thought the season was better paced in the first half than s1 (up until 2x07 or so), but then it started spinning wheels in the 2nd half a bit before coming to a screeching halt in the finale. The finale doesn't even really have a narrative, technically. For that alone, this is the weakest season as a whole.

The season's tone is noticeably darker than either s1 or s3 (and presumably s4), which I think really makes it stick out. I don't necessarily think the darker tone is a bad thing, since many of the characters are experiencing some really painful things this season, and it matches the gravity of the pain and trials they face. However, it's not tonally consistent with the rest of the show, and I think the inclusion of the North High crew makes this even worse. For the most part, the North High students were the ones who provided comedic relief this season, and the rivalry plotline simply did not work. The plot did nothing to further the arcs of the main characters, so as a framework for the overall season, it just felt superfluous. At least Nini's YAC arc had relevance and moved along her and Ricky's storylines, but the rivalry helped no character move from point A to point B in their growth. I think it could've been used to challenge Ashlyn's insecurities about being a leading lady, with Lily being her foil in fitting the "ideal" (I think maybe this was the original idea?), but there was almost no conclusion to Ashlyn's storyline as Belle. In the end, I think the North High rivalry felt much more like the Vocal Adrenaline rivalry in Glee than fitting in the very meta world of HSM or HSMTMTS.

If Ashlyn's storyline was so unfinished, then how can I possibly say the character work was improved from s1? Well, the storylines of Ricky, Nini, and Gina were done very well this season. I think there was a lot more intention and vision of how these characters needed to grow this season than in s1, and the writers do honor each one of them in their storylines. Ricky is continuing to be challenged to confront changes, and the more this happens, the tighter he clings to his past with Nini. Nini is discovering her own voice for the first time in a long time, and YAC and her relationship with Ricky are showing her that she needs more freedom and space to be her true self than they both provide. Ultimately, Ricky and Nini's breakup arc is the best written storyline of the season (even if its dragged out an episode too long). Ricky's arc still can't move forward until he confronts his mom (who it all leads back to), and overall the writers hit the perfect balance with his story. He was held accountable for his mistakes, but we the audience know exactly why he's making them and can empathize with his painful struggle.

Gina is figuring out where she actually fits in at EHS, and her growing insecurity and doubting of her instincts all ties back to her uncertainty in her relationship with Ricky. This all makes sense, given he's the first friend she ever made in SLC, effectively being the tether to the rest of her relationships there. S2a focuses on her struggling to navigate these new relationships and emotionally separate herself from everyone. The performance of "Home" is her turning point, but even after choosing to stay, she still continues to question her worth to others. Her conversation with Nini in 2x12 reveals that she still has insecurities about her true self, calling herself "off-putting". The one character I can't figure out if his storyline is written with intention or ultimately fumbled is EJ's. It's clear this season is supposed to start him on his journey of finding his own story, but rather than continue down this path, his storyline shifts to focus on his relationship with Gina. It could be intentional that the writers wanted EJ to think that his relationship with Gina was his new story, allowing him to learn in s3 that his story can't be defined by his father or a girl, but maybe that's a generous interpretation. I have more thoughts on his s3 storyline later.

I really appreciated the attempt to expand the scope of storytelling to be more ensemble-focused than s1, but I don't think enough attention was given to the rest of the characters. I loved that Kourtney had a significantly larger role this season, and her stories meshed better with the rest of the cast this season than Nini's, tbh. I actually loved seeing her work with Big Red and them as scene partners. Save for Kourtney's storyline, I don't think there was enough payoff or conclusion for the rest of the characters' individual arcs this season (Ashlyn, Big Red, Carlos, Seb).

Last comment: I was incredibly impressed by Joshua Bassett's performance this season. He gave a good performance in s1, but he reached a whole new level in s2 as Ricky. I think the clarity of Ricky's character and arc this season really helps, but I was blown away at how he was able to portray all these complex emotions so sensitively and believably. Sofia's undoubtedly the best actor, but he also really held his own this season.

[bounce-a-coin-off-your-witcher]

The Start of Something New

every year on New Year’s Eve I watch the Disney Channel Original Musical “High School Musical”, which also begins on New Year’s Eve. In honor of that tradition...

here is a HSM Geraskier au with a slightly different ending than the original film (artistic license baybee)

---

Jaskier is curled into a comfortable ball on the couch, far away from everyone else at the New Year’s Eve party his mother has forced him to attend, his nose buried in his favorite author’s most recent book. It’s the latest installment in a long series and he’s incredibly eager to find out what happens next, so when a bright light floods over the top of the paperback and nearly blinds him entirely, he blinks up at the rest of the room in owlish confusion. 

A guy not much older than himself is standing over him wearing a viking helmet and brandishing a microphone. “C’mon buddy, you’ve been chosen by Destiny!”

“Huh?” Jaskier manages to squeak as he’s pulled from his comfortable seat. The book is taken from his hands - he’s going to lose his spot! - and replaced with the microphone as he’s shuffled onto a small raised platform alongside another, equally confused looking guy. 

The stranger, a taller boy with long white hair, is protesting that “he can’t sing” and “guys, really, this isn’t my gig…”

It doesn’t matter to the forceful emcees that either teen is feeling uncomfortable, it’s too late for Jaskier and his mystery partner. They’re on the platform, they’re holding mics… the music begins to play. Jaskier is paralyzed with fear. Sure, he likes to sing and he can do it in the shower or for his mother, but here? In front of all these people? His fingers find the cuffs of his baby-blue sweater and tug them anxiously down to cover his sweating palms. He crosses his arms and shoves his hands against his sides, hunching his shoulders forward as his teeth worry into the skin of his bottom lip.

The white-haired guy, whose black blazer is half a size too small for his broad shoulders, takes mercy on him by singing the first verse:

“Livin' in my own world,

Didn't understand,

That anything can happen

When you take a chance…”

As soon as he finishes singing, the stranger shakes his head and turns away; Jaskier takes a deep breath and steps slowly towards his mic:

“I never believed in

What I couldn't see.

I never opened my heart…

The other boy turns back and adds an unprompted vocalization: “Ohhhh.”

“….To all the possibilities, ooh.”

The chorus is a combination of solitary lines and chorus parts and they maneuver through it beautifully, their voices twining more sweetly than any of the previous performers’ had. Jaskier grows more confident with every passing word and halfway through the second verse his partner starts smiling at him so brightly it nearly hurts. Jaskier tries to keep the butterflies in his stomach from launching him into space but it’s a losing battle:  “I know that something has changed!”

“Never felt this way!”

“And right here, tonight…”

“This could be the start of something new!

It feels so right

To be here with you, oh…”

“And now, lookin' in your eyes,

I feel in my heart…”

“The start of something new…”

Jaskier nearly tipped backwards off the platform but his partner’s arm shot out in the nick of time, wrapping around his waist and pulling him back to safety. His hand had managed to land on the stranger’s firm chest and he pulled it away quickly, a dark blush painting his cheeks pink. His partner shrugs out of his blazer and chucks it into the audience, leaving him in a blue button-down with a line of floral embroidery down either side. He’ terrifically handsome and Jaskier knows that his face is only growing redder under the attractive boy’s focused gaze. 

They finish the song in a whirl of notes and smiles and then he’s being escorted down and his book is back in his hands, as if by magic. The stranger is still there, white pony-tail in mild disarray. He’s got one hand on the back of his neck as if he’s nervous and his eyes can’t seem to meet Jaskier’s. 

The shorter boy bites his lip again and gestures towards the balcony. “I could use some fresh air. How about you?” 

“Yeah, sounds good. I’m Geralt, by the way,” his partner yells over the sounds of the party. 

“Jaskier!”

“Nice to meet you!” the yell becomes incredibly loud as they step onto the back deck of the Teen Zone and Jaskier giggles. Geralt’s heart does a little flip in his chest but he plays it cool. “Would you want to, I don’t know, exchange numbers?”

Jaskier pulls a chunky flip phone from his pocket and hands it to Geralt. “Yeah, that would be great.”

Geralt hands him a shiny blue Motorola Razor and Jaskier smiles teasingly, “Fancy phone.”

Geralt blushes this time. “Yeah, my Mom wanted me to have something ‘up to date’ or whatever. The only thing it’s really good for-” he flips it up and aims it at Jaskier, who smiles instinctively. He hears the little shutter sound-effect and shakes his head “-is taking decent pictures.”

“Are you going to be here tomorrow?” Jaskier asks, rubbing his hands together.

Geralt takes them in his own and blows a stream of warm air against them; Jaskier shivers for reasons other than the cold. “Unfortunately we’re leaving first thing in the morning. I’ll text you, though.”

“Good. I’ll be waiting.”

Jaskier pulls his hands back and winds them nervously around his book. He can hear people counting down to midnight in the background. Geralt is standing in front of him, looking glorious beneath the lights of the ski-lodge and the moon. He sighs and turns to look at the powdery hills. Geralt’s fingers tilt his chin back. He raises an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” Jaskier breathes, answering the silent question. Geralt smiles, leans down, and wraps his arms around Jaskier’s waist. He presses their lips together as the other teens around them yell “Zero!” and begin to smooch or cheer. 

All Jaskier can think about is the way Geralt’s lips feel against his, warm and dry and a little chapped. The taller boy’s large hands wrap nearly all the way around his hips and he knows he’s blushing up a storm. As usual.

When they pull away, both boys smile shyly. 

They spend the rest of the party chatting with each other, learning about each other’s interests until their parents collect them for bed. 

“See you soon, I hope,” Geralt says in lieu of goodbye. He kisses the back of Jaskier’s knuckles like a knight errant and not a teenage athlete. 

“See you ‘round, Geralt.”

[kae-karo]

so i just finished watching the absolutely incredible mha musical (x) and if ur wondering what to expect (aside from frankly amazing voice acting, excellent cosplays AND acting, fantastic musical adaptations, and a better and more comprehensible plot than bnha):

inko dabs

shiggy calls all might's cell phone

(all might’s ringtone is never gonna give you up)

inko pulls the ‘would you like to stay for dinner/would you like to stay forever’ line while flirting with all might

baku trying to shush the audience for cheering for todo

aizawa’s intro being him telling the kids to shut up bc “this is a classroom...people sleep in here”

baku on the ground screaming instead of doing the dance routine

aizawa and inko fight for narrator rights

a lidl advertisement with all might, a cement? commercial? with cementos, a deodorant commercial with hagakure and mineta, a water commercial featuring all mights ass

baku telling todo that only he is allowed to threaten deku

inko (whilst narrating) patting shouto on the head

kiri and kami arguing over biology homework only for baku to be like ‘we deadass don’t have bio class in this school’

iida walking up, opening a locker, closing it immediately and giving deku a thumbs up before walking away

all might getting ‘stuck’ in the locker, deku shoving him back in and him stepping out around the locker prop

shiggy threatening all might with a letter made of cut-out magazine/newspaper letters

mineta asking deku if he’s gay

uraraka calling deku out on only owning one pair of shoes

after baku wins the tournament he carries a tiny trophy around with him everywhere like EVERYWHERE

aizawa tries to kick deku out of ua to protect him (what should’ve happened in the first place tbh)

todo calls deku out for hiding from the class in order to “cower in shame for his biggest failure” of getting kicked out of ua

todo and deku shake hands and the entire audience reacts as if they started making out

todo then proceeds to have the most hilarious gay panic after a duet with deku and SPRINTS off stage

BAKU HAS BET ON IT STRIPPING SCENE, JUMPS OFF THE FUCKING STAGE AND RUNS THROUGH THE AUDIENCE I’M-

bo----both????

frankly a more realistic and effective plot than anything in bnha, with actually better messaging sfdlsdfjkldsjkl

deku throws a donut at shiggy to stop him from killing all might

the outcome of deku’s detroit smash is just shiggy staring at deku like this for a solid three seconds

some really impressive acting by shiggy’s actor like oh my god give this person a live action role honestly

baku beats up shiggy specifically to tell him that he is the only one allowed to bully deku

shiggy dropping a ‘i would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for you meddling kids’

aizawa high fives deku

SHIGGY?? REDEMPTION???? ARC????? by going. fishing. with aizawa and mic. we love some implied erasermic in this household

bakudeku fist bump receiving the same audience screams as tododeku handshake

jaws theme for dark shadow (somehow unattached to tokoyami sdfljdsfk) sneaking up on shiggy to spook him

this,,,,,,,is nezu,,,,,,,

deku deadass thinking the love note uraraka left him was not for him

BAKU ACCIDENTALLY GRABBING SAID LOVE NOTE FROM URARAKA AND THINKING IT’S FOR HIM OH MY GOD

todo calling deku breathtaking oh my god jlfsdjklsdfkljsdf all i can think abt is how the intro card for the show says that ‘any changes made to the plot were for the purposes of adapting it to a stage environment’ i see u creators i fuckin see u AND I RESPECT U

kiri does the worm. everyone throws money on him. baku does this.

todo has sunglasses.

uraraka crawls on the floor to grab all the money.

and of course the music is basically all hsm-based, which means we get:

baku and deku performing a version of ‘what i’ve been looking for’

uraraka and iida performing bop to the top during the ua entrance exam

all of 1a doing status quo (and bashing their own quirks)

todo having his breakdown during the sports festival fight with deku to a version of scream from hsm3

uraraka performing when there was me and you about deku (complete with backup dancers)

todo and deku singing the what i’ve been looking for reprise sfdlkklfdsjlksdlj some tododeku shippers produced this show for fuckin sure lmaoooo like they deadass put lyrics ‘my heart is trembling when you’re next to me’ sfdkldsfjkljkl

AFTER WHICH BAKU DOES A RENDITION OF BET ON IT ABOUT DEKU OH MY GOD

all might and deku doing a version of start of something new i’m-

OBVIOUSLY the entire class 1a doing we’re all in this together complete with og dance moves ofc

anyway if u want to watch something like bnha but at least ten times better, watch this i cannot stress that enough

[madmaddoxfuryroad]

HSMTMTS: Season 3 thoughts

So I’ve been ruminating a lot about this show today (like every other day) and I got to thinking about what they might do for season 3. Less so plot-wise (I mean season 2 is just over halfway through), but more about what musical they might do, what the cast might be, and how that could tie into the individual characters and their arcs (some more so than others, but c’est la vie).

In trying to figure out what musical they might do, I started first with the obvious: what does Disney own? I don’t think they would return to the HSM franchise (until the final season, but thoughts on that for another day), so anything related to that and other DCOMs I counted out. I also eliminated all Disney animated/princess films. I love them, don’t get me wrong, but seeing as this season they are doing BATB, I don’t think they would immediately go into another animated-film-adapted-for-broadway right after that. So at that point I wasn’t quite sure where to go. Mary Poppins was really the only other thing that came to mind and while I love the film and broadway show I just don’t think it fits the cast well slash even has enough parts to really showcase them. You have Mary and Bert. And then I guess Mr. and Mrs. Banks? Then the kids are a whole other issue. It just felt messy. So I just started thinking about broadway shows that I like, I mean if they wanted to, Disney has the money and could pay for the rights to use most shows. Then everything fell into place.

Into the Woods. I am 100% positive I am letting my bias for this show cloud my judgement, but if you stick with me, I think I can persuade you (or not, your mind is your own and I respect that). First off, Disney owns it. At least I think they do. They made the movie (RIP), so I am going to safely assume they have the rights at this point. Next, yes it contains fairytale elements, which might make you feel it’s a little too close to BATB, but it is such a deconstruction of fairytales and their tropes that I almost feel like it is an amazing follow up to a more traditional fairytale. It introduces conflict and the real world into these fantasy scenarios, which I feel goes really well with high school in general and growing up, expectations being shattered, and learning to alter your world view (I really love this play). Plus, I think it would be exciting to see this cast do a more broadway-type show. Obviously BATB is a broadway show, but I think there is a lot of reliance on knowing the film and less on the play itself. And not going to lie after Julia Lester’s rendition of “Home” last week (which I have not STOPPED listening to) it would be amazing to hear these teens tackle more broadway-style music. Which, takes me to my final point: the cast. What I love so much about Into the Woods is how it is very much an ensemble cast. Yes some roles are bigger than others, but if you have a named character, odds are it’s a fairly good role. And the whole HSMTMTS cast is so talented, I like the idea of them picking a show where it does not feel like anyone is sidelined with their part. Now the only thing left to do is cast it…

FULL disclosure. I ran into an issue early on that I ended up thinking Ashlyn was perfect for every female role and Seb was perfect for every male role. But I was eventually able to push through and cast it (in my humble opinion) pretty well. So I am just going to go off in the order that I cast them, because I think it will help explain my thought process.

THE CAST

Cinderella - Nini. Once I got over my need to hear Julia/Ashlyn sing “No One Is Alone” (loophole to this coming later), this felt like a pretty natural fit and was one of the easiest to cast. For one, I just think Olivia’s vocal range pairs very well with Cinderella’s and she could do beautifully with her songs like “On the Steps Of The Palace”. But what really got me was the way she parallels the character so perfectly. Cinderella is a character who always dreams of more but isn’t quite sure what that “more” is. And because she isn’t *quite* sure what she wants, the character is often seen grappling with indecision (see: “On The Steps Of The Palace”). Most of Act I is her being stagnant and letting the Prince take the active role. Finally in Act II she starts to get a better sense of who she is, who she wants to be, and what she doesn’t want. So this felt like it tied in really nicely with Nini’s journey and would be a great role for her, especially when…

Cinderella’s Prince - Ricky. Yes, yes I know. Ricky and Nini playing love interests? Groundbreaking. But stay with me. For one, I just like the idea of Ricky not getting the lead male role, and this part is perfect for him, regardless. The whole relationship between Cinderella and her Prince mirrors Nini and Ricky remarkably well. The way the Prince sees Cinderella as this perfect maiden who, if he could just be with her, would be the only thing he would ever want/need. But of course this isn’t realistic and isn’t how relationships work, which they both come to terms with by the end of Act II. Their break-up/parting ways scene might be my favorite in the entire play and I think it would be so great for Ricky and Nini to get to perform. In part because the conclusion of the scene is basically them both admitting that they will always love the idea of the other, even though they don’t actually work as a couple. (**I am operating on the assumption that they will have broken up in season 2 and are still broken up, but never really dealt with it). Honestly I recommend just watching the scene I will link it here (it goes from about 2:12:35-2:15:00). Plus, I could totally see there being an episode where they are trying to rehearse this scene, but it just isn’t working so Miss Jenn has both of them improv it or rewrite the lines to something that might feel more comfortable or personal. And I just see that being a really beautiful moment for the two and a chance for growth and closure. I could go on about this dynamic, but I will move on to my final point: “Agony”. First, while it is mostly a comedic song, you can take just the first verse of the song and recontextualize it really nicely as a Ricky pining kind of song, which I absolutely dig (not quitting on my Rina endgame, and you can’t make me) I mean: “If I should lose her, how shall I regain the heart she has won from me? Agony, beyond power of speech, when the one thing you want is the only thing out of your reach”. And BONUS I think we could also get a full-on version of “Agony” in all its absurdist glory with…

Rapunzel’s Prince - EJ. Well, sort of. Technically, no. BUT for the purposes of “Agony”, yes. At this point EJ will have graduated, but I don’t think he will be written out of the show, so it remains to be seen exactly what his place will be. I just think these two 100% need a song together and this is 100% that song. I could see it being something as simple as EJ is helping out with the show, the unnamed kid playing Rapunzel’s Prince is out, so they have EJ fill in. Or they have to have him go on for that kid last minute during the performance. It’s a quick, easily explainable thing that would have SUCH a great payoff.

Jack - Big Red. This was certainly one of the easier ones to cast, but my first thought was of course Seb. Jack is just a boy whose best friend is his cow and Seb radiates that energy. But I needed him for something else. Enter Big Red, the perfect Jack. For one, Big Red has a lot of that starry eyed wonderment that Jack has, that none of the other characters do. There is a purity and innocence to the way Jack sees a lot of things. That pairs nicely with Big Red. And it also opens the door for him to grow and mature more as a character. By the end of the show, Jack is in a place where is needs to transition more to adulthood and with Big Red being a senior by season 3, I think there is a lot of potential here. Also, with Big Red as Jack, I really like the character he is often paired with in scenes, but I will hold back until I get to them.

Witch - Kourtney. Yes. It is her time. One can debate over which character is the “main character” of Into the Woods, but for me it’s the Witch. And Kourtney deserves this. Did I heavily consider Ashlyn for this as well? You know I did. But I grow more and more confident in the casting of Kourtney the more I think about it. First thing’s first: the Witch belts, and I mean BELTS. Dara is such a powerhouse vocally that she would crush every moment of that; I have total faith. But the Witch also has such quiet and tender moments that people don’t think about as much, but are so necessary for the character to be effective and I think she also has that on lock. We have not seen a ton of it (so I would be eager to get more) but when she did her version of “Beauty and the Beast” she was able to find soft but strong moments in the song, and it was so lovely. Then, from a more thematic POV, the Witch is characterized as “the voice of reason”. While everyone else is running around in their fairytale dream world, she is always the one there dolling out the reality checks. And if that ain’t Kourtney. Basically, I think it is her time to get the lead and she would be amazing in this role.

Baker - Seb. Finally settled on a role for him. But really, how could it be anything else? I have felt since the first time we heard him sing (in Truth, Justice, and Songs in our Key, I think) that he was severely underused. The Baker is essentially the male lead, and he has earned it. I don’t think there’s much more that needs to be said here.

Baker’s Wife - Ashlyn. Here’s the thing: could someone else be cast as Baker’s Wife? Yes. And I am sure they would do a fine job. But the thing about this role is that you often don’t realize how fantastic it is until you see someone really great playing it. There’s heart, humor, tragedy, and so much more all wrapped into this character and I would far and away trust Julia/Ashlyn with this above all others. And Baker’s Wife gets to sing a short reprise of “No One Is Alone” so I get to win both ways. No matter how I try to cast it or rearrange characters, I keep coming back to the fact that Ashlyn is just hands down the correct choice. Plus she is one of the better options when it comes to having chemistry with Seb. And I’m not even talking about romantic chemistry, just more about the camaraderie of it, and being able to really see them as a team worth rooting for. They both have an inherent sweetness that makes you care for them, which is crucial for the show. AND this would be another opportunity for Julia Lester to flex her acting after playing VERY different roles in HSM and BATB. Basically, I don’t know when it happened, but I think I am a Julia Lester stan and I only want what is best for her and I think this is it. 

Little Red - Gina. “Didn’t see that one coming did you?” -Pietro Maximoff. And honestly same. There’s always that tough moment in casting when you’ve done the more obvious ones and then you feel sort of stuck with cast choices that weren’t really your choice. But this one really grew on me. Hopefully, I can do it justice. And I will be the first to admit Gina deserves her time to shine because I do think she is amazing. It just isn’t her time yet. It also doesn’t help that Into the Woods is one of the LEAST dance-centered shows and dance it where she really puts all others to shame. So this is where we landed. But it works. I promise. Little Red as a character is pretty naïve, but covers it up with over the top confidence. That feels pretty Gina. I love where her character has gone and all the growth she is displayed in trying to be more vulnerable. But there is still a part of me that does miss mean girl Gina and I think Little Red is a great way to get that energy without backtracking the character development. I don’t think she would be the stereotypical “bratty” Little Red, but I think she could still do something great with it. Also very similar to Jack, Little Red is one of the more innocent characters that has to grow up and face a lot of harsh realities over the course of the play. And I have no doubt Gina would nail that aspect of it, too. And speaking of Jack, Little Red has a number of scenes interacting with him and you know what that means: Gina and Big Red bonding time! I really like the idea of these roles bringing the two closer as friends. And I already head-canon that they would have a ton of fun playing with the fact that they are now Big Red and Little Red (especially since he is on the shorter side and she is on the taller side). Basically I see this as a way for them to build up a really good rapport. I am also pretty convinced that Big Red is a secret Rina shipper, and this would only add to that. And finally even though this is not a dance-heavy show at all, one place where they could add a dance is during “Hello Little Girl”. Now I will be the first to admit that this song is dicey at best, particularly for Disney. But even a scene working on the dance with just the instrumental, no lyrics, could be great. I see it as a partner dance with the wolf (I don’t know dance terms, so maybe this is super vague). And oh, wouldn’t you know it? Cinderella’s Prince is often double-cast as the wolf! (WHAT ARE THE CHANCES) Meaning the Wolf would also be good ol’ Richard Bowen. And I like the idea of getting Rina scenes of them trying to work on the dance, but Ricky is super bad a leading, and they just have fun trying to figure it out. It’s also nice that it is absolutely not a romantic dance so the two wouldn’t feel any added pressure and could just have fun with one another, and that really is when Rina is at its best (not that I would say no to a scene where Gina has to teach Ricky the BATB waltz, but I digress).

Narrator/Mysterious Man - Carlos. By process of elimination, you probably could have guessed who was next. And I know this one also feels like a weird choice but I do kind of love it. First you have the narrator, which is another one of those roles that is only as memorable as the actor playing it, which I think is right up Carlos’ alley. He is always trying to put his unique stamp on things and be memorable and he would take the narrator in a very enjoyable direction. There’s also the matter that I see Carlos as something of an assistant director with Miss Jenn, which makes him a third-party observer of the shows inherently, so it is almost a little meta that he would also end up being the narrator. Then there’s is the mysterious man. I love the idea of Carlos getting to play two very different characters, but I love it even more because the mysterious man is the father of the baker which makes for a lot of sweet moments between the two of them. Yes it might be a little weird for Seblos to be playing father and son, but there is such a vulnerability and tenderness in the moments between the two characters, particularly during “No More” that I can get over it. Because I think they are one of the few pairings on this show that could really pull that off. I just think this character would be a great way to exhibit the range of Carlos.

**BONUS ALTERNATE CASTING**

I really, really love this idea and could not fault them if this was the direction they went, but I ultimately decided against it, mostly because I felt too strongly about another character having the role BUT:

Baker’s Husband - Carlos. I just really love the idea of Seblos getting to be front and center, with their dynamic as the focal point of the show. And honestly Carlos would also do an amazing job as this character. I mean, Seb and Carlos singing “It Takes Two”? How sweet is that? This would also be a great way for the development of their relationship to get a little bit more attention, instead of a side story here and there. There is a lot that could be done with this from a story perspective and I would be here for it.

Unfortunately, then that leaves me unsure of where to put Ashlyn. She could be Jack’s mother, but that feels like such a waste of her. I mean, she would do well and she does have the lead this year, so it’s not SO terrible her having a more minor character, but it just doesn’t feel right. And I really just feel so strongly that she would be the best option for Baker’s Wife out of everyone. And it opens the door to develop the Seb and Ashlyn friendship more, which I am always here for. 

Anyway. Those are my thoughts. If you made it this far: wow and thank you!

[kismetconstellations]

Loved the answer to the tryan ask I sent you

If it’s okay with you. May I ask why you no longer ship tryan anymore? Have you grown out of the hsm fandom or have you discovered another Troy ship that’s more to your tastes?

If it’s not too much trouble. May I request the heart emoji ask for bal as well? Please?

Aww, I'm so glad that you did! ( ⁎ᵕᴗᵕ⁎ ）

I don't feel comfortable sharing the full answer in such a public space, as it's very messy and complicated. The most succinct explanation I can give is that I had a few negative experiences with the more toxic sides of the High School Musical fandom that had a very adverse effect on my mental health, on top of the self-inflicted anxiety and shame that came from being far too emotionally involved with these characters. To an obnoxious extent.

After seeing The Greatest Showman in theaters, back in early 2018, and immediately noticing the drastic change in how engaging with that universe lifted a giant weight off of my chest and alleviated my anxiety, rather than exacerbating it, I knew that it was for the best that I leave the High School Musical chapter of my life behind, and that included Troy/Ryan.

This decision was further cemented after I watched a video that thoroughly convinced me that "I Don't Dance" was, indeed, implying a homoerotic dynamic between Chad and Ryan, and ignoring those implications, as I had been willfully doing for years, while championing the far more overt homoeroticism of The Greatest Showman's "The Other Side", would make me a massive hypocrite.

Troy, of course, is the one aspect of the High School Musical films I haven't let go, and still love unconditionally. I will most likely be rolling my eyes at ludicrously bad interpretations of his character and still bitter that he followed Gabriella to college in 2031, if I live that long.

(There's also the disgusting levels of entitlement that some members of the HSM fandom demonstrate by lashing out at Zac every time he doesn't give them exactly what they want, completely misunderstanding why he's made an effort to distance himself from the franchise after the toll that it took and still takes, to some degree, on his self-image and mental health. But, that's a whole other rant in and of itself.)

I do have a bit of a soft spot for Troy/Kelsi, waver on my feelings toward Troy/Chad- sometimes I like it, sometimes I don't- and toyed with the idea of crackshipping Troy and Finny from John Knowles's A Separate Peace. Ultimately, though, I was inspired by The Sims 4, of all things, to create an OC for Troy, and though I'm a wee bit embarrassed to be my age and shipping canon/fan made original character, it's been sort of fun to imagine a relationship for Troy that has no attachments to anyone or anything at East High.

I hope that answered all of your questions, Anon.

And, that request will be no trouble at all. ❤

---

❤: Who is more affectionate in public? In private?

Ben is more affectionate in both public and private. He's a tactile person who expresses his feelings through physical contact. Friendly shoulder pats and jostles, forehead presses, tight, spinning hugs... Mal, however, had to overcome a lot of initial resistance to being touched and shown any sort of physical affection, because that's just not what they did on the Isle.

The more time she spends with Ben, and acclimating to a safer environment, and embracing her own inner goodness, though, the more open she becomes to hugs, and holding hands, and all sorts of gestures of affection. Not just with Ben, but with Evie, Jay, and Carlos, as well. As of the Royal Wedding short, she's even comfortable hugging Audrey.

♡: Who is the bigger romantic openly? Secretly?

Ben is definitely the bigger romantic openly. Have you seen his proposal? But, when it's just the two of them, Mal flirts, and brushes Ben's bangs out of his eyes, and the two of them snuggle and nuzzle their noses together, and Mal essentially melts into a happy, love-struck puddle.

❥: Who is more likely to plan something big for Valentine's Day?

Early on in their relationship, it's absolutely Ben pulling out of all the stops to spoil Mal. But, I think, the longer they are together and the more comfortable they are with each other, they're less and less likely to do something lavish for Valentine's Day, and instead have a quiet night in, reading by the fireplace, or cuddled in bed, limbs so entangled they lose track of where one of them ends and the other begins, talking themselves delirious until they finally slip off to sleep.

ღ: Who is more likely to initiate hand-holding in public?

Ben!

💕: Who is more likely to make huge declarations of love in front of other people?

I think, after the second movie, it's safe to say that both of them are equally likely to pronounce their love for each other for all of Auradon, and possibly even all of the Isle, to hear.

💘: Who developed a crush on the other first?

I want to say that they both began crushing on each other at the same time. If not crushing, then, at the very least, they were both very intrigued by each other the moment they first met.

💝: Who spends more time (possibly overthinking) what presents to get the other?

Mal very much spirals into anxiety when she has to get a present for Ben. Luckily, Evie is always there to talk her down, offer assistance, and remind Mal that Ben loves her for her, and will appreciate anything that Mal gives him, no matter how strange, or small, or inexpensive.

💓: Who initiates most physical contact?

That would have to be Ben. ( ᵘ ᵕ ᵘ ⁎)

💌: Who is more likely to send cutesy texts to the other?

Ben will fire off a cute, flirty text to Mal when he gets a moment to himself between meetings. Mal answers with something witty that causes Ben to smile so broad and so brightly that ambassadors from other kingdoms pause to ask him if he's all right. Which just makes him even more flustered and eager to get home to his wife.

💟: Who spends time reading their zodiac compatibilities?

Mal; just out of curiosity, and because Evie, and Lonnie, and Jane wouldn't stop talking about it until she took a quick peek.

💙: Who is more protective?

With all of the times that he's bodily put himself between Mal and danger, Ben is the one with a bigger protective streak, but Mal's inner dragon is always right under the surface and ready to take control the moment anyone lays a finger on her husband with the intention of harming him.

💚: Who tends to get sick more often? Who is better at taking care of the other?

Ben tends to get sick more often, as he's not the one gifted with the magical regenerative abilities of a half-fae demigod. Despite this, Mal has to practically tie him down to keep him on bed rest and from attending to his kingly duties. In the event that one of them is absolutely needed to discuss implementation of a new law concerning the vetting process for allowing villains entry into Auradon, Mal recruits Jay and Carlos to ensure that Ben drinks his tea, and eats his soup, and stays bundled up under a mountain of blankets, and doesn't exert himself in any way until she gets back.

💜: Who said "i love you" first? or, if neither has said it yet, who is more likely to say it first?

Ben said "I love you", first, as we all know.

💛: Who believes in soulmates?

Ben. And, he firmly believes that Mal is his.

[destressjournal]

DCOM Rankings #92: Teen Beach Movie

This received a lot of hype when it came out, though not nearly as much as camp rock or HSM. But it tried to be the next big DCOM Sumer musical. And from my knowledge I think it was pretty popular, again, just not as much as previous musical movies.

Still, I remember a high school friend saying that she was obsessed with the movie, and even though I didn’t watch Disney channel anymore, it still intrigued me. So I was curious to watch it for this ranking. My thoughts are as follows:....

The first half was good, the second half fell flat.

Ok review is over!!

No I kid.

So let’s talk about the overall story and themes. You got a girl with a dead mom (of course) who wants her to fullfill her dreams and be successful, but never really specifies beyond that. From a young age, Mack carried that journal with her as her one true reminder of her mom, and got it in her head that she needed to be successful like her aunt that raised her, as if that’s what her mom meant. Over the course of the movie, she figures out that she likes being on the beach and surfing, and wants to stay where she knows she belongs. And she realized that was probably what her mom really meant.

I love the concept of a girl thinking that she needs to be something her whole life, because her dead mom said so. I think it’s so powerful how kids can just attach to that as if it will still make them closer together. And take those words to heart. That to me is great (thematically, not actually) and the way it’s portrayed at the beginning of the movie is pretty solid, with its own DCOM cringiness. She was willing to leave the town she loved to “become successful” like what her mom wanted, and if she didn’t fullfill that, it’s like she’s severed her last connection with her.

I WISH THIS WAS SHOWN/SAID IN THE MOVIE A FUCK TON MORE!!!

Idk I feel like we should have gotten more context in the beginning, I felt like we were kinda thrown into the movie world a little too early. Maybe not, idk. Now I’m second guessing myself. I guess I just wish Mack explained this more to Brady to make him understand why she needs to leave their beach town. Because throughout the movie she kept saying she needs to leave because “she has to” and that’s pretty much it. She could have said “cuz this is what my mom wanted and I want to make her proud of me” OOF, right in the feels. Maybe she can say “has to” near the end when she isn’t sure anymore and is tired of explaining it. Maybe it’s me just not being attached to any of the characters that much that I need them to be more motivated.

But let’s move onto something else, the movie and movie world. So it’s based loosely on west side story. Now I don’t know that much about west side story, and I know that I need to edumacate myself, but i think the overall theme is there, right? Two different groups of people, two people from those groups fall in love and start a gang war. But I don’t know any of the specifics other than that. But yeah this movie within a movie is supposed to be set in the early 60’s, and there are times when it kinda looks like it, and there are times when you don’t believe it at alll...I think mostly because beaches look the same regardless of time period but yeah. The editing for this DCOM is not very good, and you know they’ve been trying to add more visual effects over the years and 2013 was still in the early stages of that for TV, so I’m not going to be too critical of it, but it’s mostly how the characters dress and talk doesn’t seem very 60’s a lot of the time. But hey what do I know? I wasn’t alive in the 60’s.

I do NOT like the weather machine side plot though. I thought that was really really stupid. But I do understand that there needed to be a common enemy for the two groups to work together to fight, but mad scientists and a weather machine is the best they could come up with??? They were in the movie for like 5 minutes total I would say. They have 0 motivation, they are only used to get the two groups to get along, and they are used as an excuse for the storm. That’s it. The villains are just devices and not actual characters. Like I don’t need a sob story for a villain to get behind them, just someone at least interesting...I mean, I know the movie within the movie is supposed to be really cheesy and dumb, but you can still have interesting characters.

I do however like the way that Mack and Brady call out some of the bull crap that’s in these movies sometimes, like how they suddenly know what’s going to happen next even though they couldn’t have known, in order for the movie to move forward. It’s so meta haha I like it a lot. At least the writers have some idea of what’s up.

The characters. I did mention it a bit earlier. Mack is probably my favorite (again, it’s not like she’s my favorite character ever, like by any means). And the main biker girl I forget her name. She is really cute and her mannerisms and looks are perfect for the time period I think. The boy characters kinda suck. I mean Brady has a point that he didn’t realize Mack was even leaving until the night before she was supposed to leave. Like,I feel like that’s something you should mention when you meet someone you wanna date??? “Oh by the way I have to leave in a year for school so I’m not going to be here long” like was it that effing hard to say???

Sorry off topic. Brady just loves surfing and having fun on the beach, and that’s about it. Oh and he loves this movie a lot so when they get trapped in it he already knows the context. So that’s basically it. Mack is pretty much the only real character in the entire DCOM and everyone else is just used as a prop to get her where she needs to go. BUT it doesn’t mean I hate all the rest of the characters, in fact I find pretty much all of them to be entertaining, except for the villains who are really useless.

Let’s talk about the aunt and the grandpa for a second. So they made a deal that mack would stay with her grandpa for her first two years of high school, and then she would go with her aunt to this new school for her last two years. Alright, cool. I thought grandpa would have more of a presence in the movie, or talk more to Mack about....well anything. But I guess not? He just stands there and watches Mack get swallowed by the wave and seems to be told to act sad. Sorry my mind is all over the place. Anyway, Mack says at the end of the movie that she wants to stay where she is and the aunt is like okay, even though her character was all stiff and huffy and uptight. Like you’re not even gonna put up a little fight??? Things don’t go this well in real life, I hope kids know this.

Okay ranting over lol. The songs were pretty good, not the absolute best I’ve ever heard but they’re good, just not catchy enough I guess. It’s just trying too hard to be HSM but it’s fine I guess. At this point nothing can top the HSM songs, so I won’t knock off too many points for that. I really do like the twist in the middle where Mack and Brady mess up the movie, but it basically ends up not mattering later (something I’m also mad about) but for a while I was like ooooooooo spicy! And I also like how Mack gave the biker girl advise about boys and standing up for yourself and doing things because you want to, not cuz someone else told you to, which directly applies to her own life. Clever stuff man.

Alright time for an overall grade. I gave this one a straight B because even though I did rant about this movie a lot, I felt weird giving it a C. There is slightly more going for it than against it. It’s still a fun summer movie, and it’s not meant to be taken too seriously, just like camp rock 2. And that’s alright in my book! I just wish this one put more heart and meaning to it, but it was definitely itself entertaining with some classic DCOM cheesy and cringey elements.

One last thing I forgot to mention: I guess they don’t allow lip kissing anymore (I’m sure I mentioned this before) all the main character couples do is hold hands and hug and stare into each other’s eyes. Like who the eff made that decision that all kissing was banned? (Cheek kisses are still a thing but wtf) I’m just ugh did parents complain or something? Is kissing seriously too gross for Disney channel, even if it’s just a peck? What the poop?? Ughh second rant over.

So the next DCOM looks like a snowboarding movie which is like the complete opposite of this movie about surfing, just thought that was funny! I’m going to challenge myself and see if I can get the rest of these movies done by September 1st, but at the rate I’m going now, I doubt it...but we’ll just have to see. Wish me luck lol

[hitchell-mope]

What I think my six hsm faves would be up to now

Troy decided to not play basketball professionally. He’s instead the youngest drama teacher East High has ever had. Specifically recommended by Ms Darbus. Who is now the principal of the school. He’s not as austere or bombastic as her. But he’s fun and easy to talk to. Which is why the kids love him. He realised that he and Gabriella weren’t very compatible and were better off as friends. So they amicably split up, this time for good. It’s not so bad for him though. He and Ryan reconnected at the ten year reunion. And as of December last year they’re officially living together. He’s written a moderately successful self help book/autobiography (Scream: My Story). And the graduating class of 2018 was said to have put on one of the best productions of grease 2 that Albuquerque had ever seen.

Ryan is one away from an official egot. He would’ve won the Tony already but he kinda got blacklisted for a while after he spoke up about the gender wage gap. He spent that time setting up a program he liked to call the second fiddle workshop (officially the Evans Scholarship Trust). It reaches out to kids who don’t feel appreciated, second borns, sidekicks, kids who don’t cause trouble in class, that sort of thing and it gives them a kick start in what ever field they feel best suited for, and not just the theatre. He’s not heard from his sister since he won his first Emmy and she gained minor notoriety for screaming at a shoes salesperson until the poor girl cried back in 2014. Unlike Troy he still talks to both his parents, his father less often then his mother but still. Mrs Bolton loves him. He’s the only one who will unbegrudgingly sing show tunes with her in the car

Kelsi is now a full time music teacher who’s working towards a teaching position at Juilliard. She had cut off all contact with most of the others except for Troy, they were roommates, but kept in contact with Martha. They grew closer. And their second wedding anniversary is next June. Troy officiated and Ryan walked them down the aisle. They’re now in the early stages of the adoption process. Troy’s self help book is partly dedicated to her and partly dedicated to Ryan. She was actually the catalyst that convinced Troy to become a drama teacher, she knows how well he works with kids and suggested he could find a way to give a little something back.

Martha still break dances and she still loves hip hop. She works with Ryan at the workshop as a dance instructor. They both donated an insanely generous amount of money to tne scholls arts program. She keeps in contact with Gabriella. Troy sometimes ask how she’s doing. Not often though. She’s launched a few dance tutorial videos. And was credited with choreography in Ryan’s first Emmy award winning performance acceptance speech. He actually took her to the ceremony.

Zeke is now the basketball coach at East High. He also runs a baking club after school. Technically it’s only for freshmen. But he welcomes anyone who wants to try. He finally got over Sharpay after he watched the notoriety video. It only took ten years. But he got over her. Like with Troy and Ryan above he reconnected with Tiara at the ten year reunion. He’s currently considering starting a baking show. He’s got a lot of time to think now so he’s giving it all the due process it deserves

Tiara man’s the British branch of the workshop though she still operates out of Albuquerque. She’d be lying if she said the notoriety video didn’t make her cackle like a banshee. She still acts from time to time. Most recently as Maureen in an open air production of rent back in August 2019. She takes great pride in the fact she’s basically taken Sharpay’s career away from her, not that Sharpay deserved it anyway. She’s currently engaged in talks to play Shelby in a brand new Broadway adaptation of Steel Magnolias

All six are currently sequestered in one of the Evans’s country houses. They were having a weekend party for Ryan’s 30 birthday when the lockdown went into effect. Ryan’s just grateful that the only good thing to happen out of his family’s 2016 stupidity was his dad having an extension built for the house along with an above garage apartment. So at least everyone has some measure of privacy

[gayavatarstyle]

what do you headcanon the rest of hsm as? asking for art reasons -iid

👀

okay so it's not a strict one-to-one for each character, more like what if a HSM-esque story took place what would everyone do

Zuko - As I've said before, he's the diva, the primadonna, the face of theatre, the Sharpay. He can act and sing and dance and direct like nobody's business, and worst of all, he knows it. The reason Zuko loves his theatrical talent so much? Because for the first time ever he's good at something, and AZULA ISN'T

Azula - Carrying on from that, Azula is kind of a prodigy. She's smart, athletic, and good at charming adults and scaring peers. The only thing she can't do? Perform. She can remember lines but delivers them with all the grace of a dying platypus-bear. She can't hold a note to save her life. She has two left feet. But by god that's not gonna stop her demanding a role in every show Zuko puts on, because if Zuko can do it, of COURSE Azula can.... right?

Aang - No matter what universe they're in, Aang can and will find a way to befriend Zuko, and in this one, it's through dance. Aang is a pretty good actor but the real reason Zuko keeps him around is because Aang is the best dancer in the school and beyond, the kid can learn any dance in a minute and come up with a better one in two. He helps Zuko choreograph every musical he puts on and despite Zuko's best efforts they eventually become bffs outside the theatre too. The closest HSM parallel Aang has is probably Ryan

Katara - Now I gotta say, Katara stumps me a bit. She doesn't strike me as a very musical kind of person by nature, but if the ease with which she slips into June Pippinpaddle- oppsokoppolis and Sapphire Fire is anything to go by, she reads to me as more interested in the acting than the singing. Like the disguises in the show, Katara doesn't come up with the big ideas, but she's flawless support to those who do. So while she's not gonna be delivering any stunning solo songs any time soon, she's the one who brings Zuko's dialogue to life, absolutely invisible behind her character, and is always a crowd favourite

Sokka - Sokka doesn't like musicals. He swears he doesn't like singing and dancing. He's a jock! Stop laughing Katara it's true. That's why it banes Sokka's existence that Zuko and Aang will never stop hounding him to audition for a role, all because of a fateful coincidence where after baseball practise Sokka thought he was alone in the locker room shower and absolutely belted out La La Land by Demi Lovato, unaware that Zuko was in the bathroom the whole time. Turns out Sokka has an amazing voice, no matter how much he tries to blame it on shower acoustics, and Zuko has been determined to get him to be the lead in a show ever since (Sokka is a Troy/Chad fusion of unparalleled denial)

Toph - Now for obvious reasons, the appeal of the great spectacle of a theatre performance is somewhat lost on Toph, but if there's one thing she can appreciate it's a nice sound, and how to get equipment to maximise it. She's effectively Zuko's one-woman sound team, she knows the audio equipment better than anyone who can see it, and most of the school's gear is covered in Toph's Braille notes for herself, not that anyone minds. She also puts her genius ears to work on the musical front, able to pick out someone not pulling their weight in a group number with pinpoint accuracy, and Zuko keeps her on hand to let him know when the sound is perfect

Suki - Suki is Kelsi with a backbone, she's a brilliant pianist, and Zuko is loathe to write a song without her. There's no more common sight in the music room than Zuko sitting on top of the piano while Suki plays one song repeatedly with minor variations until they find the sound they're looking for. Toph joins in on these sessions all the time to act as a tiebreaker when Suki and Zuko can't agree on what note to use. It's seeing Suki and Zuko hanging out that tempts Sokka's fragile bi ass into joining theatre more than anything else

Needless to say they revolutionise musical theatre and bop to the top