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@hcngover
ππππππππΒ , a private & dependentΒ rp blogΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β for campusloserΒ Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β Β penned byΒ lisaΒ , 21+Β ,Β gmt+2Β ,Β she/her πππππ , β aidan walsh , 24 , new directions & tennis team & debate society β julian devereux , 24 , new directions, drama club, film society, musical theatre troupe
there were very few places on campus where nobody expected anything from rhys davenport. the gym, strangely enough, was one of them. weights didn't care about last names, family expectations, net worth, networking or carefully taught reputations. they either got tossed around like a bean bag or they didn't.
he slid the final plate onto the rack, racked the sled with a quiet metallic clang, and sat up, dragging the back of his hand across his forehead before reaching for his water bottle. it wasn't until he caught movement out of the corner of his eye that he realized someone had stopped nearby. his gaze flicked toward the leg press before returning to his new spotter. "you want to work in?" he asked between breaths, one corner of his mouth pulling into a tired smile, "i've got one more set, but i'm headed to squat next."
tldr: this is a gratuitous rhys gym starter. i googled stuff about gym bros and it could be inaccurate. enter at your own risk.
for the record, julian would like it to be known that he has absolutely no business being inside a dirty, deeply uncultured environment as the gym. the smell alone was enough to offend him, and yet here he was, moving carefully between the machines, making sure not to touch anything, all because of some rumors he had overheard that needed to be addressed with his roommate right away. yes, as if it wasn't bad enough that his glee club has been invaded by gymrats, he also had to live with one. "no, i do not." his face scrunches up at the mere thought. "i value my joints, and fail to see the appeal or benefits of voluntarily placing several hundred pounds on top of myself," julian states, matter-of-factly, narrowing his gaze and folding his arms across his chest. "i'm here to talk to you, rhys. it has come to my attention that you're involved with some kind of... heckling club? care to explain yourself?"
eleanor @ open
miss eleanor took it upon herself to host an extra practice for new directioners... and nobody showed up! she's totally crashing out now, so. good luck!
"Private practice is over." Eleanor knew it was a FRUITLESS idea the moment she had announced it to the choir room, and damn the smooth brains of her classmates that left her efforts lacking. An extra couple of hours a week to work on harmonies, choreography- socialization? Didn't any of these people care about sectionals? New Directions? Being a competent enough team to smash Vocal Adrenaline into a thousand tiny pieces? If the empty room had anything to say about it, then she had to assume that the answer was a big, fat NO! And she would quiet the part of her head that told her that maybe they would rather be doing anything else than spending an hour with Eleanor Sun-Duffy. Those people were probably just jealous anyway. "If you wanted to participate, then you should have gotten here at four, when it was scheduled-" It was only 4:38 now, but the last half hour (those first eight minutes were still brimming with some modicum of hope) had eaten away at any patience she had ever pretended to have. Up until then, she had been gathering sheet music, reveling in the sound of her ballet flats stomping against the linoleum- tossing the juice, and cookies she had bought in the trash. Finally, and suddenly, she stopped, letting out a frustrated little groan along the way. "Not everyone can just... sit around, waiting for someone to actually care about this club. I have my own performances to worry about without trying to keep you all from embarrassing yourselves."
"jesus, ellie. intense much?" aidan chuckles, leaning against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. he couldn't be less surprised by the fact that nobody else cared to show up. what was it with these og gleeks and their total lack of self awareness? running a college show choir like a military style bootcamp, taking themselves so damn seriously all the time. he peers into the trash can, that he just saw her toss something in. "well, had i known you were offering cookie, i would have skipped class. you really need to work on your marketing, babe." a mischievous grin tugs at the corners of his mouth as he slips his hands into his pockets, casually sauntering closer. "but you see, this right here? this is why nobody showed up. because you make glee club sound less like fun every time i see you. god, spending an afternoon with you feels more like reporting to a parole officer." it wasn't like aidan didn't care about the new directions, he just wasn't borderline obsessed with it like some people in here. "here's a crazy thought, have you considered that maybe there are people who have lives outside of glee club?"
β© . . . milo wasn't one for constructive feedback. milo was just milo, no feedback necessary. it was daunting for him, hearing that his best wasn't good enough anymore. β right, totally! β slipping past a laugh laced with tension. he knew he could always be better but he thought that came naturally, without the requirement of external input. eyes shift every which way as they relocate, mind flooded with thoughts of the worst possible outcome. this was uncharacteristic for milo, a guy who lived in a state of constant ecstasy. what would funny girl, fanny brice, have to say about this? don't rain on his parade, julian devereux.
the initial notes are hopeful, nodding in agreement of his positives with a beaming grin. β knew i had.... β annnnnnd he's cut off. the look of gratification wiped entirely by the time his tendency to always smile throughout his performances. perhaps he should do a genre shift from indie pop? a comfort to him that makes it impossible for his smile to falter. milo callahan had never felt like a failure. that wasn't acknowledged in his vocabulary. but now, he felt tiny. useless. a failure. his body had retracted entirely, hands beneath the table as they anxiously fiddled with one another. β so i'm a bad performer? β he muses, mind lost from all positives and focused on his amateur ways. there's zero eye contact, eyes low and away from julian and his, suddenly, intimidating persona. he hadn't just rained on his parade, he'd caused a category five hurricane that would require years of rebuilding. β yeah, uhβ here you go. β middle and index press down against the stack, pushing them out toward the other. his comment of βdoing quite wellβ brings a faint smile to his lips, concealing a scoff. unlike julian, he'd never want to offend. β i picked out some of my favorite albums and some of my favorite musicaβ some musicals i've been recommended. β he corrects himself, albeit a lie just waiting to be called out on. he reaches over and adjusts the pile until he's paired each one with another. β i thought pairing showtunes with indie pop could be fun. β head still remains tilted low, eyes only peering up momentarily until he assumes julian is going to disregard his ideas entirely. time for plan b. he pulls another vinyl hidden beneath the pairings. β or, i was thinking something from queen's jazz? like, don't stop me now? i don't know. could be fun? right? β tone is soft and shy, fearing the words that could possibly follow.
"yes, you are a bad performer." most people would try to soften their answer. dance around it, wrap it in pleasantries or make it sound less of an issue than it actually is. not julian. without brutal honesty, how is one supposed to improve? however, he could tell by milo's reaction that the younger male hasn't been hit by the cold hammer of reality very often. admittedly, his kicked puppy demeanor tugs a little on his heartstrings. "but that doesn't mean you are hopeless," he assures, letting out a sigh as he closes the notebook with a quiet thump. "it just means you are untrained and inexperienced, but being a bad performer doesn't have to be a permanent condition. i wasn't born performing on my current level either, you know?" it's true, his god given talent could only take him so far. "quite frankly, you have a lot that can be worked with, and under the right mentorship, i could see you improve quickly. and luckily for you, you now have access to the strongest and most knowledgeable vocalist in the new directions. me." he places a hand against his chest, and a smug little grin plays on his lips, seemingly satisfied with his own peptalk.
julian finally shifts his attention toward the records milo has spread across the table. his eyebrow arches as he takes in the selection. indie pop, some showtunesβ¦ wait, is that queen? "did my rendition of it's a kind of magic inspire this choice? on back-to-school day in the auditorium? you snuck in, didn't you? if you were impressed, you can simply say so." or was milo just trying to flatter him now? well, the attempt is appreciated either way. julian sets the record down and moves to the showtunes. "theseβ¦ are certainly not what i expected." examining his picks more carefully now, he can't shake off the feeling that his pairing choices are too unsual for a titan. too good. how could he not be a little bit suspicious? "of course, he knew i would like these..." he mumbles under his breath, eyes narrowing as he stares directly at milo. "so, you're telling me you just picked this? and this one? and that you somehow arrived at stephen schwartz on your own? because that doesn't make any sense. at least half of these are something i would choose, so naturally i can't help but question your motives. are you secretly this cultured, or is this the titans's opening move of psychological warfare directed at yours truly?" the words leave his mouth with full sincerity. julian isn't about to let this slide without a thorough investigation. "tell me the truth, milo. did carter cortez sent you here with a carefully curated music selection to lower my defenses? did he instruct you to weaponize your big brown puppy eyes and that alarmingly infectious smile to disarm me? is he using you to sabotage my mashβ no, don't answer that, actually," he suddenly cuts himself off, gears visibly turning in his head. "no, i'm giving him way too much credit now. the neanderthal who filed sondheim's sheet music under b for broadway, with complete confidence, and then defended it to me.. no, there is no way he is capable of orchestrating a level of deception this sophisticated. but that being said, you obviously have some explaining to do."
"so, who is she?" the dreaded question she has been actively avoiding to ask him. something about not wanting to give him that satisfaction of knowing that she cared enough to know. "or he, or they," she amends, folding her arms across her chest as she slowly circles him like a venomous snake sizing up her prey. it doesn't help that she is already on edge. coach steele insisting on fitting her for the co-captain uniform had left her with a knot in her stomach, knowing cece wasn't going to take that well. and, if she was being entirely honest with herself, some of the things that freak stella had thrown at her earlier in the auditorium were still rattling around in the back of her mind as well. "out with it, carter. you owe me at least that much." it really sucks that the most obvious explanation for why he chose glee club over her was also the most painful one. "and i swear to god..." she points a warning finger at his chest. "if you tell me it's stella freaking nasr i will slushy both of you. every. single. day. i will order the entire squad to do the same thing. i'll make sure neither of you walks across this campus without wearing raspberry ice until the day i graduate. do not fuck with me, carter cortez." ( @loserspng )
stella didn't appreciate aidan's slight. putting the growth of the new directions at odds with her leadership? when she had specifically worked to recruit several members - all of which had stuck around and proved their worth in one way or another? it felt slanderous for him to accuse her of scaring people off. especially when anyone who left was likely in it for the wrong reasons and deserved to be scared. but maybe he just hadn't yet realized her brilliance - after all, this was their first year of overlap in the new directions!
"yes, well, quality over quantity. being triple the size means nothing if people aren't pulling their weight. i'm simply ensuring that they do," she explained, giving him the benefit of the doubt for the moment.
"as for letting my partner lead, that won't be happening. i'm not one to take the backseat, and even if i were, i would be a backseat driver. everyone knows that - including lo, i'm sure."
stella nasr, completely incapable of reading the room? aidan couldn't be less surprised. the popular athletes might respond well to intense speeches from the captain of the hockey team and head cheerio, but captain of the glee club isn't a title that holds that kind of weight. and honestly, who wants to listen to someone who could easily turn a simple rehearsal into a whole performance review? "how about instead of pointing out that they haven't been pulling their weight, you give them a reason to want to?" aidan sighs, involuntarily rolling his eyes. he was perfectly fine with being the club's batman, doing what needed to be done behind the scenes to ensure glee club would have enough members to continue, by any means necessary. in fact, it suited him perfectly that stella took full credit for that. the fewer people who realized how much he actually cared about the new directions, the better. "what i'm saying is that you worked so hard to get them through the door. it would be a real shame if they walked right back out because you can't settle for anything but perfection before they have even had a chance to learn our names," he softens his tone slightly, trying to reason with her. "but if taking the backseat is really out of the question, maybe just try dialing the crazy back to, i don't know, a sensible seven?"
it was a frown that was suddenly spread across goldie's face. not because she was upset at what eugena was saying, but because she knew what the girl was saying was true. "i swear she's like a bloodhound," the blonde said, taking another bite of the cupcake. that would be enough to curve her craving for a few days. "like, i think she somehow smells it in our blood."
as genie continued to point out what goldie already knew, she did not think twice before crumpling up the remainder of the sweets in the packaging it had come in before dumping it into the trash. "you're right, you're right! i'll be good! i don't want coach comin' up with a reason to kick me off the squad." she knew how coach, and some of the other cheerios, felt about the glee club. and that she had already had a strike against her for joining. but what was so wrong about being apart of a group that was fun? wasn't that what college was all about? exploring things and having fun? making friends! "and it's called glee club, genie." she corrected, assuming that the girl had misspoken. "you know, this week we're supposed to do mashups of songs. i can't decide what the heck to sing in a normal week, and now they want me to pick two songs? it's bananas."
eugena gives goldie an approving nod when the girl throws her cupcake away. "see, goldie? it's really not that hard to make the right decisions." however, she rolls her eyes dramatically when her fellow cheerio corrects her. "no, actually, i meant gleek circus. you're performing with literal clowns," eugena states, matter-of-factly, folding her arms across her chest. "mashups again? god, coach steele is so right. that old fart really is out of ideas." nonchalantly, she leans against the counter, as if she's thinking it over. "so how does that even work? do you guys just throw random songs together and hope for the best? actually, knowing the flopped directions, that probably is exactly what they do," she chuckles, before shifting to a more serious tone, eyes narrowing. "but if they're making you sing mashups, i assume everyone has already picked a partner? who did carter choose?"
ceceΒ isΒ halfwayΒ throughΒ tossingΒ aΒ potentialΒ skirtΒ toΒ wearΒ ontoΒ herΒ bedΒ whenΒ eugenaΒ starts,Β andΒ sheΒ pausesΒ justΒ longΒ enoughΒ toΒ letΒ itΒ landΒ beforeΒ shiftingΒ gearsΒ andΒ walkingΒ overΒ toΒ herΒ friend.Β βΒ Β iΒ hearΒ you,Β Β "Β sheΒ saysΒ lightly,Β toneΒ familiarΒ ratherΒ thanΒ dismissive,Β likeΒ sheβsΒ usedΒ toΒ eugenaβsΒ concernΒ hittingΒ maximumΒ volume.Β "Β Β butΒ iβmΒ notΒ exactlyΒ takingΒ ordersΒ inΒ myΒ ownΒ room.Β Β "Β sheΒ pushesΒ aΒ lockΒ ofΒ blondeΒ hairΒ behindΒ herΒ ear,Β completelyΒ unfazed.Β "Β Β look,Β iβmΒ notΒ happyΒ aboutΒ this whole gleeΒ clubΒ thing atΒ all,Β butΒ iΒ can'tΒ quit,Β genie.Β Β βΒ herΒ gazeΒ driftsΒ towardΒ theΒ mirror,Β darkΒ eyesΒ scanningΒ herΒ reflectionΒ closely.Β βΒ Β coachΒ wouldΒ killΒ me.Β orΒ worse,Β kickΒ meΒ offΒ theΒ squad.Β orΒ evenΒ worse,Β demoteΒ me.Β Β βΒ sheΒ exhalesΒ softlyΒ throughΒ herΒ nose,Β thenΒ looksΒ backΒ atΒ eugena,Β calmΒ andΒ certain.Β βΒ Β myΒ reputationΒ isnβtΒ fragileΒ enoughΒ toΒ beΒ killedΒ byΒ aΒ clubΒ thatβsΒ alreadyΒ halfwayΒ toΒ collapsingΒ onΒ itsΒ own,Β babe.Β thisΒ isΒ justΒ aΒ temporaryΒ setback,Β iΒ promise.Β Β βΒ ceceΒ flashesΒ herΒ friendΒ aΒ confidentΒ smile,Β wantingΒ toΒ reassureΒ herΒ thatΒ herΒ reputationΒ stillΒ cameΒ firstΒ andΒ she'dΒ beΒ damnedΒ ifΒ sheΒ letΒ anythingΒ tarnishΒ it.Β βΒ Β oh,Β god,Β no.Β sully'sΒ ideaΒ ofΒ destroyingΒ theΒ clubΒ isΒ probablyΒ sleepingΒ withΒ everyone,Β which β¦Β couldΒ createΒ chaos,Β butΒ no.Β iβll come up with a plan that isnβt a total mess. plans are my thing, anyway.Β β
eugena lets out a long, exasperated sigh at her friend's response, which didn't provide much of an explanation for her behavior. if anything, her decision to join the glee club made even less sense. despite her claims of a plan, eugena can't help but question whether or not cece has fully thought this through. "you keep saying temporary setback like people on this campus have the attention span to remember context, but they don't. they remember tiktoks, though. like, do you really want to end up the new meme on the new directions account, lip-syncing to a celine dion remix?" she shudders at the thought, before narrowing her eyes. "what i don't understand is⦠why? you hate that club almost as much as i do, cece. literally how many of those dweebs have you slushied in the past? and now all of the sudden, you have a change of heart? you've developed an uncontrollable impulse to burst out into song at inappropriate times and locations? what am i missing here?" despite all of her firm criticism and annoyance with the other girl, eugena's concern is genuine. dropping carter is one thing, but she really didn't want to do the same to her friend. "i trust you, cece. i really do, but don't just say you have a plan. actually tell me the plan, because from where i'm standing, all you've managed to accomplish is giving the gleeks their biggest popularity boost in years."
eugena lets out a long, exasperated sigh at her friend's response, which didn't provide much of an explanation for her behavior. if anything, her decision to join the glee club made even less sense. despite her claims of a plan, eugena can't help but question whether or not cece has fully thought this through. "you keep saying temporary setback like people on this campus have the attention span to remember context, but they don't. they remember tiktoks, though. like, do you really want to end up the new meme on the new directions account, lip-syncing to a celine dion remix?" she shudders at the thought, before narrowing her eyes. "what i don't understand is⦠why? you hate that club almost as much as i do, cece. literally how many of those dweebs have you slushied in the past? and now all of the sudden, you have a change of heart? you've developed an uncontrollable impulse to burst out into song at inappropriate times and locations? what am i missing here?" despite all of her firm criticism and annoyance with the other girl, eugena's concern is genuine. dropping carter is one thing, but she really didn't want to do the same to her friend. "i trust you, cece. i really do, but don't just say you have a plan. actually tell me the plan, because from where i'm standing, all you've managed to accomplish is giving the gleeks their biggest popularity boost in years."
who: sully & aiden @hcngover where: scandals
"how was your summer?" it's an easy ice breaker, sure, but in a rare occasion, sully is actually curious to hear someone talk about themselves. even if he wasn't involved in the story this time. "must have been doing something pretty wild, since i barely heard from you. ...or someone pretty wild." a colorful, fruity cocktail is placed in front of him and sully accepts it with a smile and a wink towards the bartender, before finally giving his full attention to aiden. "i heard a rumor you were shacking up with like, a duchess, or something? any comments? or were you sworn to secrecy?"
"a duchess?" aidan grins, glancing down at his drink as if he's debating how much he should reveal about the situation. truth be told, his summer was nowhere nearly as exciting as the rumors he himself had spread around would make one believe, but working for his father in greenville, south carolina, wasn't exactly something to brag about. "well, technically not a duchess, but married to a duke. so, i suppose that sort of counts." he takes a sip from his cocktail, letting the statement sit for a moment. "i don't know, sully. been advised by my legal council not to comment too much on it, but we met on a yacht in monaco. she taught me how to play baccarat, and then i taught her⦠some other things her husband could never. unfortunately, he did become suspicious, but it was beautiful while it lasted, though." he turns slightly toward sully, resting his elbow against the bar. "how about yourself? last i heard, rumor has it you're turning over a new leaf and becoming a respectable member of society? what the fuck happened?"
β© . . . milo had arrived at harmony records almost half an hour prior to their set meeting time. he'd been given insight on julian's domineering nature which had caused slight panic given milo's own relaxed outlook on life. but he was a guest within julian's orbit and had to respect that, hoping to ease the tension with his typical overbearing kindness. a friend to many, but never all. especially, julian devereux. he'd occupied his time by admiring the outer sleeve artwork of various vinyls, despite not owning a vinyl player. he had to kill the time! he'd already selected a few songs for the mash-up, specifically searching through the masses of vinyls for them. by the time he's greeted by julian, many had been tucked away beneath his arm.
β julian, hey! β wide beam stretched across his brims, a bright gleam in his eyes. β of course! iβm serious about this, especially being paired with one of the greaββ notes? β he looks dumbfounded, as he typically does, tone a little more shocked than normal. β right, of course, β shaking his head as his eyes slowly draw down to the notebook and the pages... and pages, of notes. β yep, totally open to feedback from the captain! β a nervous smile has since replaced the one of joy, quitely gulping as he offers a two finger salute before pointing toward his notebook. β quick question. well two. one, are all those pages about me? and, uh, did you wanna sit before giving me, uh, this feedback? β his eyes slowly return up to julian, putting on a feigned smile that masked any and all fear. he's quick to distract himself as he pulls the records from beneath his arm, extending them toward his partner. β i picked out some options for the mashβup, gonna need your thoughts on that too. β cheeks almost drawn up to his eyes if he'd attempted to fake a smile any harder. perhaps this was more nerve wracking than he'd initially imagined or would proceed to let on.
julian perks up, instantly regretting cutting the younger male off. the greatest, indeed. milo seems to be picking up on the hierarchy in glee club rather quickly, a promising start. however, when his expression shifts from cheerful to fearful at the mention of notes, julian begins to have doubts again. had nobody given milo constructive feedback before? it would certainly explain a lot if that were the case. "now what kind of captain would i be if didn't prepare in advance?" he asks, arching an eyebrow. deciding to simply ignore the panicked look on the younger's face, julian continues to flip through the pages. "not all of them. i keep notes on everyone in new directions. we are a competitive show choir, milo. it's important to know your strengths and weaknesses. you want to improve, don't you? but yes, that's quite a sensible suggestion. let us sit down first." julian gestures toward a pair of chairs tucked into a corner of the store. he wastes no time, and immediately begins reading his notes to milo after they sit down. "strengths: a pleasant vocal tone. above average stage presence." he flips the page again, barely giving milo a chance to take the 'compliments' in before shifting to criticism. "weaknesses: a highly concerning tendency to sacrifice technique in favor of enthusiasm. a habit of smiling when you shouldn't be. not every song improves by you looking delighted to be on stage, milo. it just makes you look like an amateur." he looks up from his notebook, gauging milo's reaction. there were a few other issues, things that could be addressed at a different time. "truthfully... i was expecting much worse." not exactly a compliment, but close enough, at least by julian's standards. "you picked out some options?" another surprise. so, the kid didn't just arrive early, but actually put some thought into the assignment julian still intended on fully taking over. it was almost endearing. "very well. since you've been doing quite well, i'm open to hearing your pitch." how generous of him. he leans back in his chair, folding his hands together. "you have exactly three minutes to convince me not to completely ignore your ideas and make you perform mine. try not to waste it. "
though it was only stella's first year as co-captain of the new directions, she was no stranger to the group. as a member since the very first day of her freshman year, she'd long ago written off their faculty advisor as someone who was not going to be able to lead the show choir to greatness. was that perhaps because he'd refused to make her the female lead until it was far too late? perhaps! but even after he'd corrected his mistake, stella could not let go of her grudge.
so when julian suggested that kelmeckis might be sabotaging him, stella didn't attempt to dissuade him.
"oh, trust me, i do not think these partnerships were random. at least, not all of them. unfortunately, he does seem to have tried to keep up that ruse with mine, but yours seems targeted," she agreed from her spot beside his chair, a reassuring hand making its way to his shoulder for a gentle squeeze before she moved to sit in the next chair over.
"and you're not wrong about quantity over quality. someone mentioned to me earlier that our group has basically tripled in size, but that's not a good thing if they aren't properly contributing! though i'm positive that we'll win based on our talent alone, if those swaying in the background are a negative distraction, we're only making it harder for ourselves. we need true performers - dancers, or at the very least strong movers. singers. people with stage presence. obviously i've never been to a hockey game, but i doubt that the troupe of clowns that carter has compiled for his squad are talented on any of those fronts. though even going so far as to call them clowns might be too generous, as clowning is a time-honored, noble field."
frowning at just the thought of the many jocks that had recently popped up in the choir room, stella felt herself shudder in horror.
"sully performed stacy's mom and august performed the thong song, so we really do need to have a conversation with kelmeckis about standards, but at least both of them are malleable enough. but for those for which we have no hope..." she drifted off, a curious tilt of the head coming only once she realized that julian's thoughts all seemed to be heading in one direction - towards a plan.
"what do you propose?"
julian lets out a sigh of relief, knowing that at least one person in glee club always gets him. as expected, stella appears to share his concerns, drawing the same conclusions as he did. the pairings were not random, and their teacher must have purposely set him up with one of the jocks to teach him some kind of lesson or to humble him. "history will eventually vindicate me, as i am on the right side of it. kelmeckis can only sabotage me so long. i know he also wants to win, and he obviously can't do that without me." it was such an utter waste of his time, though. they should be planning for their next competition, going over song selection, coming up with fresh ideas for performances. instead, they were stuck babysitting the cheerios and titans, guiding them through mashup week.
as stella continues listing examples of the club's recent decline, julian's expression grows increasingly more pained. "god, the thong song. the fact that such words were spoken out loud in our choir room... it really cuts to the heart of the problem, does it not? there used to be artistic significance to what we were doing, and now we're expected to lower the bar even more so the jocks can keep up. " no comments on the stacy's mom performance, as he secretly appreciated the campiness of it all, and found it to be annoyingly catchy, but her concerns were still valid, though. " "i have been thinking about that. most of them auditioned because of carter cortez. it's practically his own personal fan club, following him around wherever he goes." if anyone deserved a fanclub at saint rivera, it would obviously be julian, but for whatever reason, the general public finds men chasing after a ball peak entertainment. "so, following that logic, they should all leave when he leaves." he taps his finger against his chin. "but how do we get him to leave, when we don't even know what is keeping him here?" it couldn't be as simple as having a passion for music, because the captain of the titas has been making it very clear that he couldn't care less about anything they do in glee. his actions have been illogical, counter-intuitive, and yet he hasn't missed a single glee club meeting. "what if... what if it's a person? perhaps he's trying to get close to someone. a man in love can do crazy things, stella." julian would know. he entertains the idea further, mentally sorting through possibilities. "it could really be anyone then. a cheerio, a band member, a wallflower we barely pay any mind to, or... or you." his right eye twitches and he can feel his chest tighten at the thought of that untalented hack trying to make a move on stella. "no, that's ridiculous. that... that would require him to actually have taste, which he quite obviously lacks," he says quickly, perhaps more so to talk himself out of it. unfortunately, it doesn't work, as the thought refuses to leave his mind. his eyes narrow, expression darkening. "...but if carter cortez has been hanging around the new directions trying to impress you this entire time, then..." then that's an even bigger problem than he originally thought. "i mean, you would never entertain that, would you?"
it takes everything in him to not laugh in julianβs face. at a point this low, itβs really all he can do. that and find a different brand of contraception asap. βdude, every time you step in this place, you lose your mind a little bit more. are you sure this is a chill place for you to be? i think thereβs a meditation room in the next building, but iβm pretty sure itβs closed for cleaning if you know what i mean,β he shudders. a long arm reaches across julian to grab the bottle, dripping condensation over the precious sondheim number. a smile sweeps across his face before carter can help it. βb is for broadway, buddy.β itβs a grossly uneducated guess stemming from his ex-girlfriendβs rants on the club. he glances down at the now warped sheet. βand itβs a mashup between me and whoever the hell johanna is.β he reaches again to wipe the fallen drops with his sleeve. he proudly nods to himself for figuring out the assignment that easily. too proud that he doesnβt notice the ring left behind on the piano. βhey, how come you donβt give out prizes for these assignments? or is it a glee thing to suck and lose, like, all the time?β
the sheer audacity of this guy is making his right eye twitch. carter is treating that which matters most to julian as if it's some kind of joke. of course, he's aware what the general consensus on show choir used to be at saint rivera, before carter joined the new directions, but being disrespected in their choir room like this? it hits different, it... is upsetting. "no, i am not losing my mind. i'm being as professional as one can be, while being faced with such a grotesque manifestation of cultural decline!" and yet he's raising his voice, getting heated, allowing some guy with a few sport titles that mean absolutely nothing to julian to get a rise out of him. he knows he should just ignore his him, compose himself, but carter dripping his protein shake sweat onto sondheim, though? yeah, any hope of regaining his cool just flew out of the window.
"would you stop contaminating this place? that's just disgusting!" his face scrunches up, utterly grossed out by the jock, but julian actually recoils at his next remark. b is for broadway, buddy. as he stares at carter like his statement has caused him genuine neurological damage, somewhere in the back of his mind, phantom of the opera's overture starts playing. is this it? is this dime a dozen jock his villain origin story? "b is for... broadway?" his hand flies to his chest. "sondheim is a composer, you absolute moron. he is an actual titan of musical theatre. possibly the greatest lyricist of the modern era, and johanna is one of his masterpieces, and oh. my. GOD. broadway is not a filing category!" he's shaking his head in disbelief. carter couldn't possibly be this ignorant. he has to be doing this intentionally.
then comes the final blow, and the silence that follows is deafening. julian's jaw drops, genuinelly, because that comment actually wounded his pride. "excuse me? we lost sectionals once, for entirely unfair reasons!" his gaze narrows, eyes burning with indignation. "i will have you know that before your football team coup, we were a respected competitive organization! we have the trophies to prove it, and no, not whatever participation trophy nonsense you're used to!" the words leave his mouth before he can stop them. at this point, any semblance of the professionalism he prided himself on has long since abandoned ship. "i don't care what ridiculous fantasy kelmeckis sold you to get you through that door, but this isn't a place where everyone just gets a gold star for showing up! you. don't. belong. here. carter. you don't care about music, you can't relate to us working hard to achieve our dreams, you just treat everything in this room like it's one big joke to you! and the worst part is that you don't even understand how pathetic that makes you!" for a moment, he just stares at him, breathing heavy. "β¦out." julian points at the door. "get out of my choir room!"
charity nearly jumped when the chair beside her scraped softly against the library floor. her intense study had quickly dissolved into doodling in her notebook nevertheless she didn't expect an interruption. she blinked at julian once. twice. like her brain needed a second to catch up to the fact that he was suddenly sitting next to her, saying her name. charity was quite certain he didnβt know she existed. straightening instinctively, her fingers tightened around the edge of her notebook. β oh β¦ β wide brown eyes flicked around them, checking he really meant her, before settling back on him with a small, apologetic smile. β hi? β there was a beat, maybe two. her mouth forming a small βoβ of realisation and a nod at the mention of her mother. charity let out a soft, nervous laugh, already shaking her head. β i didnβt realise it wasβ¦ important? β she said carefully, like she was testing the word out. but it made sense, right? of course those who were passionate about musical theatre would be interested in her nepo baby status. her shoulders lifted in a tiny shrug. β always thought it would be weird if i brought it up? like iβmβ¦ name-dropping. β she paused, then added quickly, β also, i didnβt know you knew i existed for it to come up in conversation. β she glanced down at her open book, then back up at him, clearly flustered but trying to be polite. β soβ¦ sorry. i guess? β (@hcngover)
julian couldn't believe what he was hearing. the cheerleader seemed positively clueless, genuinely confused why any of this mattered at all. "charity, your mother originated a role on broadway. how do you just⦠not understand why that's a big deal?" the co-captain of the glee club was utterly baffled by how absurd this situation was becoming. if he had been in her position, every single person on campus would have known by orientation week, but it was almost like she really didn't seem to care to be noticed at all. how could anyone with her background just settle for swaying in the background? it was truly beyond him. "you think it's weird?" he pauses. "well, it is weird. just not for the reason that you think." julian doesn't elaborate, as she likely wouldn't understand either how many people in the theatre program would kill for that kind of access. "didn't know you existed?" he blinks, mildly caught off guard by her remark, before straightening in his chair. "ridiculous. of course i do." sort of. "i know.. you are a cheerio, who has been with us before the others joined, and i know that your harmonies are usually correct." by his standards, that was actually quite a compliment. "but something i don't know is... what is your story?" his eyes narrow slightly. "do you have stage fright? or are you just wasting your potential for fun?"
eugena spots her target immediately when she steps into the news room, sitting by herself, completely absorbed in editing a fresh batch of photos on her computer. the other girl wasn't just a photographer for the school paper, but also one of the gleeks. a lesser annoying one, who just seemed desperate to make new friends, which made her absolutely perfect for eugena's big plan. "oh lore, i need you to do me a huge favor." without waiting for permission, eugena sets a small pink box down on the girl's desk. lifting the lid, she reveals an assortment of cutely decorated cupcakes. "so, i bought these on an impulse between classes... then i remembered we have cheer practice today. and coach steele, well, you know she is." eugena lets out a heavy sigh, nudging the box toward the other girl. "take them, please? or share them with your friends? because if i bring them home with me, i'll just end up eating the entire box myself." ( @sing2you )
the auditorium door swings open, interrupting the other girl's emotional ballad with a loud bang. "god, nasr. there isn't even anyone else in here. don't you ever get tired of hearing yourself screech?" eugena sneers, strolling down the center aisle with her arms folded across her chest, stepping toward the podium. "actually no, don't answer that. we both know you don't even have an ounce of self awareness in your body." a smirk curves her lips, tilting her head as she looks up at the other girl, letting a moment of silence pass between them. "well, i just wanted to come over to congratulate you," she then continues, in an obviously fake tone. "it's actually quite impressive, how you were able to steal a few of the bottom tier cheerios last year, and this year, you somehow managed to convince not only cece, but also my boyfriend and his team mates to join you on your island of misfit toys. honestly? i didn't think you had it in you to be such a manipulative little witch, but then i started thinking about it, and suddenly it all adds up! first you lose micah to the squad, then you and broadway ken suffer a soul-crushing defeat at sectionals, followed by that embarrassing meltdown over my completely fair review of your shitty performance." her dark eyes narrow, gaze throwing daggers at other girl. "so, what you're telling me is that this is personal now, right? you, stella nasr, are challenging me?" she pauses, raising an eyebrow. "out of all the people on this campus, you decided to make an enemy out of me? and somehow... somehow you thought this would end well for you?" ( @sing2you )
by the time julian arrives at harmony records, he has already decided in his head how this meet up was going to go. perhaps that defeats the entire purpose of a randomized collaboration project, but he can easily justify steamrolling his partner to himself as demonstrating strong leadership as the co-captain of the new directions. as he steps inside, he spots milo almost immediately. not because he had paid him much attention in the choir room, but because he had spent the better part of last weekend meticulously reviewing the recording of his audition, carefully noting his strengths and weaknesses. the younger boy was flipping through some vinyls, looking entirely too cheerful, and admittedly not even remotely intimidating enough to justify the level of annoyance julian felt about being paired with him. if anything, it throws him off a little, just how harmless he actually looked up close. "hello, milo," he greets him, calm and professional as ever. "thank you for being on time. a little early even, mhm? that's good, because before we can start discussing our mash-up assignment, there are a few notes we need to go through." julian reaches into his satchel and pulls out a thick leatherbound notebook, already flipping through its pages before milo can even respond. "surely you're open to hearing your captain's constructive feedback?" ( @hrmonies )
( closed starter for @hcngover ) the doors of roseβs turn jingle open and shut, wafting in the cool fall air. micah strolls down the aisle of earthtones before settling on a blazer thatβs two sizes too big. he picks up the heavy fabric just as a life altering voice lands in his ear. he clutches the blazer a little to a little tightly and the hanger groans under the pressure. micah sneers his name low enough for only him to hear. aidan. a name that haunted him then and, unfortunately, now. before he even realizes it, heβs storming over to confront him. βshopping alone? should be good practice for later,β micah greets with narrowed eyes. he pauses for a moment to appreciate his inner genie slipping out. he also takes a moment too long to appreciate the other maleβs ridiculous jawline and his resolve thaws for a millisecond. βjust saying maybe you could give the cheerios a break from your generosity that you suddenly dish out to someone who isnβt me,β he continues in another breath. the words make his face naturally twist into something bitter and awful as his self-preservation kicks back in. he was determined to keep all the work he had done over the summer from undoing itself. βyou should leave before one of your flavors of the week catches up with the next.β
it wasn't like aidan was purposely trying to run into micah, but considered it a possibility when he stepped into the other's favorite vintage thrift store. but glee club or no glee club, it wasn't like they could avoid each other forever, going to the same university. however, micah de leon trading the new directions for the cheerio squad definitely wasn't on his bingo card. he can't help but wonder what happened that made him want to leave the show choir he loved so much, and invested so much time and energy in. tired of fighting with julian and stella over solos? possible, but aidan never took him for someone who gave up that easily. maybe today would finally provide some answers, because there micah was, apparently contemplating whether or not to buy the ugliest blazer aidan had ever seen.
"wow, not even a hello? and here i was thinking that you missed me." the bitterness in micah's expression answers that question right away. still hates him, fair enough. at the comment about him shopping alone, aidan let's out an amused chuckle. "please, you know that shopping alone is one of my favorite activties. no opinions, no compromises, and most of all, no one trying to convince me that bowties are definitely making a comeback this season." his gaze drops to the oversized blazer in micah's hands. "though apparently, some people could really benefit from a second opinion when it comes to fashion." the jab slips out too easily; aidan just can't help himself. because micah wasn't the only person carrying around a bruised ego. the other's hurt becomes even more obvious when the real accusation comes out. the cheerios, the generosity, someone who isn't me... "mhm? sounds like someone is still keeping tabs on me. how interesting." sliding his hands into the pockets of his jacket, aidan tilts his head slightly. "not to mention a little pathetic, don't you think? i mean, it's not my fault your new friends like me better, pinky."
