#anyway stan Julie Molina

[catty-words]

an exhaustive list of things i love about “unsaid emily”:

- sad pretty-boy sings sad song prettily, and it ain’t more complex than that (i’m foolin’, it’s obviously more complex than that)

- the scene’s interest in doorways, starting with how julie producing the song is what gets her invited inside the patterson’s house in the first place and the way luke having to make the choice to follow her through amounts to him consenting to the plan to share it

- this subtle push-in on luke signifying that we’re entering his pov

- how the way the decor and luke & his mom fading into the scene reinforces the fact that we’re inside luke’s memory, incomplete and not perfectly accessible save for the broadest strokes and the way it felt to live it

- the stupid, sexy drama kingness of this turn toward the door + the breathy way he sings the line one of us running out

- no special thoughts, i just think this moment is neat

- the way the lyric then maybe time would not erase me really only makes sense as something ghost luke would write and joins the whole of “now or never” as some seriously ominous lyricizing for a totally alive seventeen-year-old, thus birthing my crackpot theory that luke is prescient, but in a lowkey and really unhelpful way. like, lyrics will pop into his brain and he’ll write them down because they feel right but he’s not about to look that gift horse in its mouth by actually unpacking these things, okay, he doesn’t know what clocks move forward / but we don’t get older, no is supposed to mean he’s just a vessel for the MUSIC, bro

- how freaking clever the lyrics and the words i most regret are the ones i never meant to leave / unsaid emily are, playing with and blurring the boundary between those two separate-but-connected lines (and, GOD, the way that adds to the scene’s whole thing with thresholds hOLD ON MAN i’m gonna need a minute.............)

- the fact that he checks his lyrics/music here while trying to play through the song, presumably for the first time, because it feels like such a realistic beat in the creative process

- how julie’s line ‘you’ve already said [what you’d say to your mom if she could hear you]’ deepens the meaning and tragedy behind the lyrics who’d be the first to break / guess we’re alike that way because of course luke never considered actually using “unsaid emily” as a tool for conversation between him and his mom. she’s rejected his music and he pours his heart and soul into that, always, so he’s probably convinced her feelings about it wouldn’t change even given that she’s the subject matter.

- the significance of them being on either side of a closed door here. for luke, it’s about not being sure how to reach his mom on her side of this conflict. for emily, it’s about the way she’s clutching onto a picture of luke (the frame is similar to the one julie acknowledges when she first comes into the patterson’s house, though i haven’t further proof that they’re the same photo), unwilling to let go of that frozen-in-time idea of who he should be as her son. ultimately, it’s her stubbornness, her refusal to acknowledge luke as an adult who can make his own choices, that keeps them on the opposite sides of this particular threshold.

- the way the studio door is wide open here in a way we rarely see it when rehearsals are in session because, in writing this song, luke is trying to process his feelings enough to bridge the gap between him and his mother. he’s leaving his door open, both to her and to the possibility that the song will give him the catharsis he seeks. and i absolutely love the detail that his ability to leave this door open hinges (heh) on all of his boys being there for him, supporting and encouraging him. backing him musically and emotionally.

- how him stepping through a threshold when his parents find out he’s died makes me go feral because this is what doorway imagery is all about people!!!! passing between life and death!! great, grand emotional transitions!!! add to that the way luke is currently stuck in the doorway of life and in imminent danger of stepping out completely and permanently and !?!!!? AHHH!!!!!!!!

- this pull-out signifying that we’re done with luke’s dissociative episode...ahem, sorry, i mean memories.

- lastly, julie’s whole gently shaming speech about luke being born to make music and how, even though i think ‘he was lucky’ is a bit of an insensitive point to put on the whole thing, seeing his parents agree to that fact is the last thing luke stays for because that’s it! he’s finally hearing what he’s needed to hear for the old wounds to start to heal.

#julie and the phantoms #jatpedit #luke patterson #julie molina #gifs by catty #eml* #do i care to create a tag for emily? i really don't think i do sorry ma'am #jatp meta #flashing tw #anyway #as a buffy fan i am obligated to lose my got damn mind over doorways #cause. you know. the vampire lore of course. #but more importantly because of the paintings of doorways awash in different degrees of light that line the summers' stairwell #and their significance during some of the most emotional scenes of the series #finally #in honor of trivia tuesday #lemme just say that prepping this list. much like the one for 'perfect harmony' revealed a lot of significant visuals #that i otherwise wasn't paying close attention to #and you know who directed the episodes these songs are in? #all that's to say. please stan kabir akhtar for clear skin

[queenmolina]

okay i’ve gone off about this before but here’s me getting in my clown car again

young kids in media are always under so much pressure to be something that they’re not but madi is always true to herself and no adult around her gives her any grief for it because she’s allowed to do her thing and god i love that so much. kids that are out doing the most incredible stuff (because let’s face it - madi is insanely talented) while simultaneously being kids makes me so proud.

(look at her go! she’s one of us!)

she’s out there being inspirational and supportive and never has she sacrificed her interests for the sake of someone telling her what she’s supposed to represent

i’m so sick of kids and teenagers - girls in particular - getting made fun of for their interests but i’ve had conversations with kids younger than me who have genuinely felt validated by people like madi just living their lives because they set such good examples. here’s someone who enjoys the game they like, the tv show they like, who can just be themselves on camera and in livestreams without judgement and still they have people’s respect for the work they’ve put into the world

i’m not putting this into words correctly but i hope you get what i mean

#anyway stan madison reyes for clear skin #netflixwewantjatp2 #jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie molina #madison reyes

[sunsetcurve]

— when i look at you it’s like i’m looking at me!

#anyway stan this pair of pretty best friends 🥰 #julie molina #flynn jatp #jatp #julie and the phantoms #julie and the phantoms fanart #jatp fanart #flynn #juflynn #my art #art #fanart #//umanadraws

[kybee1497]

Friendly reminder that ray is an amazing dad and I just *wipes away a tear* love him so much

#it’s simping over ray molina hours #one day I might feel embarrassment over how loudly I yell about Ray fucking Molina #but today is not that day #anyways #stan ray molina for clear skin #jatp #julie and the phantoms #ray molina

[backseatloversz]

“that character used they/them pronouns in reference to a potential crush/partner/s/o cause that’s just whats natural when you dont know who someone is, it doesnt mean-”

Theyre Bisexual, Next

#yes this is about that one line in flying solo #in this household we stan #bi!julie molina #im sure its happened many a time before tho #but yes im gonna put jatp tags on this anyway #julie and the phantoms #jatp #julie molina #flynn jatp #julie x flynn #:) #flying solo is the epitome of what good friends :) lmao #i mean .. sure #whatever #cowboy posts

[missmitchieg]

OOH. You know what Reggie moment I adore? When the guys find out about Bobby and Reggie complains that he could've at least shared the money with their families so maybe then, Reggie's house wouldn't have been turned into a bike shack.

#julie and the phantoms #reggie molina #reggie's so sweet #i love reggie #you ever in the middle of making a post though #and you remember another post about how [redacted] thinks [redacted] didn't 'deserve' money #so [redacted] declined to give them any #but Reggie WANTED to give them money so you get real annoyed and you're like ugh #but you promised you wouldn't shit on [redacted] anymore so you can't talk about it #anyway who else is a Reggie stan on this fine day

[willowfae82]

happy father's day to Ray Molina, and Ray Molina only.

#julie and the phantoms #ray molina #carlos ponce #he a dilf #raising not only his two kidlets #julie molina #carlos molina #but also four (4) himbo ghosts #if you don't think he'd take one look at #willie wilbur williamson #and adopt him on the spot #i hate to say it but #ding dong you're wrong #anyways stan ray molina for perfectly tempered hot cocoa

[itsthenovelteafactor]

I will be forever thinking about how in the last episode of season one of Julie and the Phantoms, she is preparing for a performance and for the second time the span of a week (?), the boys aren't there. And despite the fact that they've stood her up before, she instantly knows something bad has happened. Like, she doesn't doubt them for a second. There is no unnecessary drama where Julie is like "how could they do this to me again?" (even though she'd be COMPLETELY justified in feeling that way, regardless of the circumstances). She just trusts them and worries about them.

Anyways stan Julie Molina

#JATP #Julie and the Phantoms #Julie Molina

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 2 - Desert Oasis

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, was it coincidence or was it meant to be?, 2.3k

@trevor-wilson-covington is my bestie who makes me these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1

The boys entered the empty theater from backstage, all gazing at the splendor of it. Luke leapt onto the stage with a stomp, smiling at the echo. Alex just took in the high ceiling, the lights, and the private boxes that made it feel less like a concert venue and more like a mini operahouse. Reggie seemed to think something similar, and by extension made some wobbly ballerina spins across the stage. Not to miss an opportunity to show good form, Alex pirouetted and ended with a jeté, unable to resist feeling smug.

“Now that Alex has christened the stage,” Bobby said. “When do we do a sound check?”

“The stage manager guy said not till about five,” Luke mentioned. “So we can do whatever we need until then.”

“Then why’d we get here so early?”

Both Alex and Reggie gave Bobby funny looks. They knew why. Bobby’s face went from confusion to understanding as he added things together. Luke was already heading back toward the green room. Julie Molina hadn’t arrived yet, but he was clearly excited for when she did. He was probably compiling lyrics to show her.

“Met her once and he’s twitterpated,” Bobby joked, Reggie chuckling after him. “Bet you know what that’s all about, though, right Alex?”

“Well...” Alex said in a high-pitched voice. He wasn’t entirely sure if it was the same thing. Willie was nice, and seemed to accept his invitation, but he didn’t dare assume.

“Come on, that waiter couldn’t keep his eyes off you,” Bobby insisted.

“Waiter?” Reggie puzzled. “What waiter?”

Alex looked at him, sticking his tongue in his cheek. “Really?”

Reggie shook his head, still clueless. Bobby stuck his hands in his pockets.

“Your friend, Smooth McDuck, here practically asked him out right in front of us,” he said. “How many pancakes did you eat anyway?”

“Ooooh that waiter!” Reggie said, finally.

“Okay,” Alex muttered to himself as they continued toward the green room. He didn’t want to get his hopes too high, especially with Bobby being so encouraging. Part of him was almost afraid of seeing Willie actually show up at the show tonight. It was more from the uncertainty of what Alex would do if he saw him again because he didn’t trust himself to keep his cool. How he’d managed it back in the diner he attributed to either his upset stomach or mild shock. 

As they reached the green room, Luke was on the phone, a concentrated look on his face. A crew member sat with his arms folded next to him.

“Uh huh...okay, thank you.” He sighed. “Yeah, sure thing. Thanks, bye.” He hung up and ran his hands over his face.

“What was that about?” Alex asked.

“Just called the motel to see when we could check in and they’re flooded, plus their other rooms are full,” Luke told them. “But they’re gonna give us our money back and hopefully we can find somewhere soon.”

Everyone groaned at the inconvenience. Finding somewhere in Vegas that they could afford within a handful of hours sounded practically impossible.

“Who wants to go hotel hunting?” Bobby said solemnly, looking around for more volunteers.

“I’ll do it,” Reggie responded.

“Me too,” Alex followed. “Is there a phone book?”

“I got you,” the crew member said, going back to a closet and pulling one out. He handed it to Alex, who proceeded to flip through the yellow pages.

“Anyone got a notepad so we can write numbers down?” he asked.

After a bit of scrambling between the rest of them, a pen and notepad were provided.

“I’m gonna go get the cash back,” Luke said, heading out to the van and disappearing.

In a combination of checking their map and collecting a list of numbers and locations, the other three looked at their options.

“Okay, I say we take turns making calls,” he said.

For the next hour Bobby, Reggie and Alex rotated between contacting numerous hotels and writing down prices and seeing where reservations were open. Most places were too expensive, the rest were booked. They were down to the last two numbers, and Reggie was on the second to last call.

“We need two rooms. Or one with room for four, if you have that,” he was saying for the umpteenth time. The silence thickened with anticipation, and then thinned out again. “No problem. Thanks anyway, bye.”

Hanging the receiver, Reggie sighed heavily.

“Man, if this last one doesn’t work, I am gonna hate driving back overnight,” Bobby stated.

“Me too, I can’t fall asleep in the car,” Reggie said. “I don’t know how Luke does it.”

“Well, let’s try this last one and hope for the best,” Alex told them.

He picked up the receiver again and dialed the last number, listening to it connect to the operator and then start ringing.

“Thanks for calling the Desert Oasis, my name is William, how can I help you?” A familiar voice said on the other line.

Alex dropped his jaw.

“Willie?” he breathed. Bobby and Reggie perked up in interest. Luke reentered the green room as he returned from collecting their money.

“Um...yes?” Willie answered in confusion. “Who am I speaking to?”

Alex chuckled nervously, avoiding the looks on all his friends’ faces.

“It’s, uh...it’s Alex. You work at a hotel too?” One of the guys playfully socked him in the shoulder and he swatted them away.

“Yeah, I do.” He could hear the slight happy tone in his voice and had to make himself focus on the task at hand.

“Cool, well, me and the guys are actually kinda desperate. Do you have any open rooms?”

“We should.” Alex pumped his fist excitedly at those words. He could see the rest of the guys’ faces light up.

“Do you want one with four beds or two with two beds?” Willie continued.

“What’s cheaper?”

“The one room. How many nights do you need?”

“Just tonight,” Alex told him.

There was a short pause on the other line.

“Okay, I’ve got you in.”

“Yes!” Alex exclaimed, to which the boys started celebrating. Luke and Bobby hollered while Reggie gave everyone high-fives. Honestly, if Willie had been in the room, Alex might have nearly choked him with a tight hug. “Thank you, Willie, thank you, thank you!”

WIllie giggled on the other line.

“Of course! You guys should check in soon though.”

“Yes, right,” Alex calmed from his euphoria. “We’ll be there as soon as we can. Thank you, again!”

“Yeah man, I’ll see you soon!”

Alex hung up and ran his hands through his hair in relief.

Luke wrapped an arm around Alex and thumped his chest, and Alex in turn messed up his hair.

“Okay boys, let’s get checked in!” Luke cried as they all ran to clamber into the van again.

Alex was still wonderstruck at the idea of seeing Willie again. It had been only a couple of hours; maybe he’d been nervous at the thought of him appearing later that evening but now he was too excited for that. Even though it was a short drive, he made sure to ride shotgun this time. The last thing he wanted was for the nausea to resurface.

As they arrived, Alex grabbed his backpack and headed straight for the front desk. It was empty, but soon a man with dark curly hair came around the corner and stepped behind it.

“Sunset Curve, I presume?” he asked. He had a slight accent that Alex couldn’t place. Maybe it was French? Either way, he was disappointed not to see Willie there. The rest of the guys had piled in behind him.

“Yeah, man, that’s us!” Luke said, stepping forward.

“Tell your friends!” Reggie quipped habitually. The concierge gave him a stiff but polite smile. Luke quickly handed him the cash to pay for their stay and he was handed a room key.

“Your room will be on the second floor and then all the way down the hall to your right. Have a wonderful stay.”

Alex sat in disbelief while Luke had handled everything, so Reggie had to nudge him. Returning to the present, he shouldered his backpack and followed the boys to the elevator. He didn’t like the unsettling feeling descending on him like a shadow. It was more than just not seeing Willie upon arrival, but he couldn’t explain it just yet. A small pat to his shoulder diverted his attention.

“He’ll be around here somewhere,” Bobby assured him.

Alex nodded back to him, glad for the support. This was a newer side he was seeing from Bobby, and it was a change that strangely didn’t make him completely freak out.

As they got into their room, Reggie sprawled onto the main bed as though he were landing on a cloud. Luke claimed the couch, which Bobby insisted was a pullout bed as well. They all got to argue over which territory they claimed, and found out that the couch was just a couch, but there was a bed that came down off the wall in the closet. Reggie had brought his stuffed bear and placed it on the main bed, saying it was now being “reserved”. In retaliation, Bobby threatened to be the big spoon, to which Reggie replied “I’ll just be the bigger spoon!” in a very flustered manner. Alex sat on the bed from the wall with his legs crossed, enjoying the insanity.

“What you should really be fighting over is who gets to shower first,” he said, knowing the seeds of chaos he was sowing.

“Dibs! I call dibs!” Reggie yelled, raising a hand.

“Not if you can’t get in there first,” Luke said as he passed him on the way to the bathroom. This caused a comical fight to enter the bathroom, which Reggie ultimately lost.

“They know there’s showers at the venue, right?” Bobby muttered over to Alex.

“Not if we don’t tell ‘em,” Alex murmured back, giving him a fist bump. He preferred not to wait for all three of them at either location to finish getting cleaned up after the show.

Bobby picked up Luke’s acoustic and started playing around, and quickly Reggie sat on the floor to listen. Alex didn’t feel up to jamming and decided he needed to get out.

“I’m gonna take a walk,” he announced, to which the other boys only nodded. He caught Reggie’s hypnotized expression as he looked up at Bobby and chuckled as he made his way out the door. He wondered if they would ever figure it out.

Alex pulled a drumstick out of his fanny pack and dragged it along the wall of the hotel, tapping a simple rhythm. This place was across the street from the diner, he’d noticed on their way in. The temptation to search for Willie grew, but he questioned it for a moment. Was he really going to get feelings for a guy he’d barely met and likely wouldn’t see after this trip? It seemed a little crazy.

He came to the end of the hallway and peered through the window overlooking the street. It was kind of a pretty view of the Red Rock Canyon, and would have been even better if the window had been wider. The sun was bright, inviting him to go outside. It isn’t searching for Willie, it’s just getting fresh air, he told himself. He took the stairs down to the main floor and waved at the concierge as he pushed his way out the door.

The wind had picked up a little, and Alex breathed in as the breeze swept over him. The heat was a little more intense than back home, but he liked the change. Heading toward the sidewalk, he chose to try just walking around the block before going back up to the room. Being on the outskirts of the city was thankfully much quieter.

Quiet enough to hear the gentle click-rooolllllll of small wheels behind him.

Before he could fully turn around, Alex was hit full force with someone’s entire body weight and they both landed together on the concrete. Grunting in pain, he looked to see Willie on the ground beside him, hand on top of a cracked helmet.

“There are better ways of getting my attention,” he said hoarsely, standing up.

“Sorry, I was meaning to stop before I got to you,” Willie said, chuckling through his own pain and holding onto his skateboard. Alex offered him a hand and Willie took it to help himself up. The closeness already had Alex catching his breath and he mentally begged to hold himself together repeatedly.

“So I don’t get it, do you just run back and forth between the hotel and the diner as you’re needed?” Alex asked.

Willie’s eyes went side to side and he shrugged.

“Sort of,” he told him. “It makes every day different.”

Alex caught a glimpse at his other hand and saw the newly opened sore that wasn’t being mentioned.

“Willie, your hand!” He cried, carefully taking hold of it so the palm faced up.

“It’s no big deal,” Willie said while trying to pull it away. Alex kept a firm grip on his wrist so he couldn’t hide it. “I’ve had worse.”

“Well, you shouldn’t stay cut open,” Alex scolded gently. He dug into his fanny pack and pulled out an alcohol cotton pad and some bandaids.

“Do you seriously carry those with you everywhere?” Willie wondered as Alex opened the packet.

“You’ve seen my friends, right?” was his only response. He continued to clean Willie’s hand, ignoring his winces, gasps and reflexive jerking, and then covered it the best he could with the bandaids. Willie just bit his lip and sighed.

“You used to play doctor with your teddy bear as a kid, huh?”

Alex looked at him and the adorable expression on his face was too much. He smirked.

“Right, hah. Not gonna be a problem, will it?”

Retaining his smile, Willie sat backward and raised his eyebrows.

“Problem? I don’t think so.”

He dropped his board and kicked off.

“Hey, where are you going?” Alex said, running after him.

Willie simply nodded for him to follow, and it was all too compelling. Holding the strap on his fanny pack, he ran to catch up, unsure where they were headed.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willex #alive au #alex mercer #willie #luke patterson #reggie peters #bobby wilson #julie molina #viva las vegas #desert oasis #fiddlepickdouglas #coincidence #meant to be

[bandsanitizer]

we, here at “julie molina is the best”, are julie molina stans first and humans second... maybe. or maybe we’re ghosts. who knows? anyways—julie molina? the greatest. her vocals in the bridge of edge of great? in stand tall? her piano playing skills? again, julie molina is the best.

#julie and the phantoms #julie molina #julie ✨✨✨ #julie molina is the best #jatp

[fandomfairyuniverse]

I wonder if it’s a bad sign for my mental state that I get THIS excited over finding out the last names of fictional characters

Well anyway, in this house we stan Julie Molina, Luke Patterson, Alex Mercer, and Reggie peters

(Also *slides Netflix $20* it would be really cool if we got Flynn, nick, and willie’s last names.... and a s2 announcement...)

(ALSO also their names are Alexander Mercer and Reginald peters. ALEXANDER MERCER AND REGINALD PETERS I can’t)

#julie and the phantoms #julie molina #luke patterson #Alex Mercer #reggie peters

[moderngirlmp3]

congrats queen u deserve it!!!!!!! love u ❤️❤️❤️❤️can i get 💖 + 🥰?

omg tysm!!! i love u!!!!

💖 - roast and compliment

compliment: please you have such a beautiful voice it’s honestly a gift to this universe you’re like julie molina but like. not fictional. and we stan u for that <3

roast: dude how many times per month do you change your theme/url?? actually, you don’t have to answer that. i don’t feel like fucking with scientific notation today.

🥰 - shitty acrostic poem

A - aaaaah seriously your voice is so good like i cannot get over it

D - dont even try to deny it like we all know i’m right

H - help asdklfdflkjsf im losing my braincells very rapidly

I - i should really try to finish this before i fall asleep in the middle of typing

T - there we go already making progress. anyway ur amazing and uhhh.

H - have a great day bc u totally deserve it and ur very cool and awesome

I - i love u!!! whoa closure

300 celeb

#plu answers #jules300celeb #adhithi tag

[only-here-for-jatp]

The Secret Chord pt 3

I am very thrilled with my poetic serious title and my chaotic mess of chapter titles that don’t do the title justice.

Anyway this entire chapter is Nick-centric and contains some negative self-talk so if you have difficulty with that (like I do) proceed with caution and stay safe and okay pretty please.

Also, we stan Carrie in this house thanks.

Read it on Ao3 here

And also below! ~2100 words

Nick was pretty sure this was a terrible idea.

It’d seemed like a great idea last night when he was watching Julie and the Phantoms at the Orpheum. The music was loud, and the crowd was electric. The bass kept up a steady rhythm pounding in sync with his heartbeat and it joined the audience into one body perfectly in sync. He’d felt so alive as if all of his nerve endings were firing at once. His joy came out as an endless ache while he watched Julie perform her heart out, her own enthusiasm evident in every note and movement.

She shone so bright on that stage, more so than anyone he’d ever seen. He’d long since known of her grit and determination, the perks of being in school together since elementary school. Over the years he watched as the little girl with the big voice and no fear stood up to bullies, teachers, and during what came to be known as Fallout 2016 her (ex)friend Carrie.

Julie held her head up so high as she walked through the hallways and he was in awe of her even then. There were still some things he was still working out about himself and she was so unapologetically herself. He’d often wished for her bravery to be that strong.

At the same time, he watched Carrie struggle to keep her head above water. Her dad loved her, but he was absentminded and often off on the road or some tour or party or something, leaving Carrie alone in that big empty house. Before there’d been the joy and laughter of Julie and Flynn echoing in the hallways, but now she sat alone in her thoughts.

It was almost imperceptible to anyone who didn’t know Carrie, after all she’d always been a little rough around the edges, but Nick watched her harsh mask develop. He watched her use deflection and bravado to hide her fraying internal state. Nobody seemed to notice her growing intensity and focus on Dirty Candi, but it seemed like someone needed to do something.

Admittedly his feelings crept up on him. At first, he’d started small interactions as a friendly gesture. Little things like a smile or a wave so he could try to communicate somebody saw her. While she seemed a little confused at first, she soon started flashing him a smirk and a friendly sarcastic comment. Rather quickly their friendship grew, it turned into long conversations at lunch or studying together in the library. What started out as concern turned to pride and warmth as he watched this girl who hurt so much use her unwavering force of will (and a little pink glitter) to get up and meet each day with a take no prisoners attitude.

Once he saw her perform for the first time, he was a goner. That little smirk just did something to his insides. He asked her out and he was happy. They were happy.

Until Julie’s mom died. Whatever fallout might have happened between her and Julie, Carrie loved Rose. She’d been the closest thing Carrie ever had to a mother, and the loss hit her hard. Nick knew Julie would’ve granted her a temporary truce and welcomed Carrie with open arms to grieve. He was even pretty sure Carrie knew deep inside herself somewhere too, but the walls she’d built were too high and too wide to bring them down.

Nick did his best to be there for Carrie, but he knew he wasn’t what she needed. She needed Julie and the Molinas, but it wasn’t going to happen. Not yet. Instead her unresolved feelings ate at her morphing into jealousy and anger and acid. He watched this beautiful typhoon of a girl let the acid and anger consume her. Defenses and walls started going up against him too, until she treated him as little more than an accessory or a chess piece in her one-sided match against Julie Molina.

Beautiful burning Julie Molina who after a year of retreating into a cocoon, hiding from the world and her pain burst onto the stage like a firework. She maintained her grace and inner fortitude whatever the world, or Carrie, threw her way. Above all else though, she was kind. After months of being treated like a doormat, he craved the kindness and gentle protective ferocity that was Julie Molina.

He knew he followed her around like a lost puppy, but even if he couldn’t be with her just being around her made him feel like he could do anything. Be anything, even himself. Her music lived and breathed inside him, the words filling him up and offering him a lifeline when he didn’t even know how close he was to drowning.

He ached to return the favor of her steady reassurance and unconditional acceptance and support. She was incredible and she deserved to know. If he could emulate her even just a little bit, he wanted to try, wanted to practice being like Julie Molina.

Of course, this was how he found himself pacing the sidewalk for twenty minutes, gathering the courage to bring her these flowers. It shouldn’t be this hard. Flowers were a regular post-performance kind of gift. I mean, he did have a crush on her, but she seemed to be into her guitarist? Would she think he was creepy or weird or persistent? He didn’t want to scare her off. Maybe this was a bad idea. He probably didn’t have a shot with someone as incredible as her anyway. He’d like to think he stood a chance since her guitarist was a hologram, but the way they looked at each other….

What did it matter? These flowers were not crush flowers. He would’ve gotten her Dahlias for that. These were simply good job flowers. They’d performed at the Orpheum! That was a big deal. This is fine. This is normal.

A small burst of confidence propelled him forward while he gave himself a mental pep talk in his head. Later he would kick himself for not being more aware of his surroundings, but to be fair no one really expects a tall, mysterious demon man to sneak up behind them.

Yet here he was staring at this man in some steam punk adjacent costume, a smug plastic grin on his face and a mildly threatening atmosphere. He’d rang the doorbell, but he hoped Julie didn’t walk out here while this creep was still around.

“How sweet. The brokenhearted teenager fighting for his girl.”

Nick was taken aback. For one thing, brokenhearted was not the right word. He was hopeful. For another- “Do I know you?”

“No, but you will.”

Nick didn’t even have a chance to react before Caleb’s hands were around his neck. It felt like fire was racing through his veins, consuming him. He couldn’t move, his arms spread wide, but his insides struggled against the invasion. Thrashing and shrieking he screamed inside his mind.

It started in his fingertips and toes, his body feeling like it was too crowded. Like something was growing and pushing him out. He fought so hard trying to stretch and stand up to the purple smoke that was blinding and dividing him. Yet he was losing the battle with every moment. Feeling himself getting shoved and squeezed until he couldn’t feel his arms or his legs or the breaths he took or the beating of his own heart. Until he couldn’t feel the weight of his own tongue.

The world went quiet first. Then it went dark.

Nick came to in a room of boundless dark. He thought about being afraid, but it wasn’t a place where things lurked. He could tell it was just empty. A brief glance showed that he could see himself, slightly translucent maybe, but still there. The space seemed to go on forever and the longer he looked the more anxious he became. His eyes darted from space to space, but it was a never-ending sea of nothingness.

A voice echoed around him, making the world rumble and shake. “Now now, Nicholas. My name is Caleb and it’s nice to meet you.”

“Who are you!? What do you want!? Where am I!?” Nick shouted at the disembodied voice, hearing the fear and trembling in his tone and wishing desperately for the confidence and bravado typically attributed to jocks. What he wasn’t prepared for was the jolt that through him.

The pain stabbed in his gut and it felt like it was ripping him open, piece by piece. He fell to his knees with a scream, doing his best not to sob as the feeling lingered. Caleb laughed before continuing. “tsk tsk tsk. I am speaking, you just need to listen. I am… borrowing your body for the time being. This little lifer girl and her trio of ghostly boy band made a fool of me. And NOBODY defies my will and gets away with it.”

“What does that have to do with- aghhhh” Nick couldn’t hide the sobs as another jolt shot through him.

“Yeah, I’m going to need you to be a fast learner Nicky-poo. I’m in charge and there’s literally nothing you can do about it. Just sit there and be quiet and maybe I’ll return your body back in one piece. Besides you may not know what I’m talking about, but you’re close with that lifer brat Julie. Her ghosties would never let me get close, you on the other hand, well they can’t stop you.”

Nick felt icy terror roll through him. Julie? This madman demon was after Julie? “No” he wheezed. He kept repeating the word as if it would give him power as he progressively got louder until he was standing and screaming it into the void, damn the consequences. “NO. I won’t let you hurt her.”

Another jolt ripped through him as an invisible force knocked him back. The laughter seemed to echo around the space reverberating into an endless mocking loop. “You? You won’t let me? What exactly are you going to do Nicholas? After all, you couldn’t even defend yourself against me. What makes you think you’re capable of doing anything at this point to stop my plans?”

Nick sagged against the ground. There wasn’t anything he could do. His insides felt hollowed out as hopelessness descended upon him. Useless. He was absolutely useless.

“There you go! Now you’re getting it. Anyway, this is the inside of your head and it can be manipulated into whatever I want. Behave and I’ll make sure it’s somewhat comfortable, continue to fight and defy me and I’ll make sure you relive your worst nightmares. Got it?”

Nick nodded, curling up on himself in defeat. If only he’d stayed home today.

“Good, now I just need to borrow your memories real quick and we can get this show on the road. After all, I have a fight too.”

It felt like someone was slicing his brain into pages and flipping through it like you would a book or a deck of cards. He’d grabbed his head at the pain and briefly resisted before giving into the feeling. It was almost like he could feel the fingers turning through the pages. Flipping through his life as if it were nothing. As if he were nothing. He hoped Caleb got a cosmic papercut.

And then for a brief shining moment there was nothing. No Caleb, no jolts, no rummaging through his psyche, no noise. No world. Unfortunately, what looked like a big screen popped up in front of him. Was that the Molina’s house? Were these his eyes? He almost couldn’t watch as Julie opened the door. Then there he was again. Alone in the dark vastness of nothing. He let out an empty laugh. Of course, he was. That was him, always alone. Always hiding. Unable to make any true impact on the lives of the people around him. He’d failed to help Carrie battle her darkness and Julie certainly never needed him.

He wondered briefly if anyone would even notice if he was gone. If anyone would even realize this thing that occupied his body was using him like a puppet. He doubted it. No one ever managed to make it past his walls. No one ever viewed him as more than as that blonde lacrosse player, or Carrie’s boyfriend.

He was as unseen and unheard in here as he was for every other moment of his life.

The disembodied voice never said anything, but Nick was sure he could feel Caleb roll his eyes and mutter “teenagers”. Suddenly a couch poofed into existence and Nick settled into it, finding it oddly comforting. He curled himself around a pillow that he’d dragged into his lap, ready to watch his life spin out of his control.

#jatp #Julie and the Phantoms #Jatp fanfic #The Secret Chord #Nickaleb

[aberfaeth]

top five favorite characters!! <33

AHHH ty. ok buckle up bc i have thoughts

1. alec hardison. light of my life, i think about him all the time. i ranted abt him recently but to recap: his kindness, his GENIUS, the way he can pick up anything in the world like he is so smart i love him, his patience and understanding, just everything about the way he interacts with parker and eliot, everything about the way he interacts with EVERYONE tbh like i watched the double blind job the other day and the way he is with ashley....with trevor... <3333 alec hardison.

2. juno steel! season two of the penumbra podcast is a lifechanging piece of media and the lady himself is so wonderful. he has grown so so much and i am so proud of him like genuinely i think s2 is my favorite character arc in any piece of media that exists. also he is so funny and smart and his friendship with rita is so sweet and i just love him i want him to be happy

3. sam seaborn. now this is a doozy but listen. i just project onto him so sweetly bc we are both perfectionistic writers with a tendency to imprint on our authority figures like baby ducks. also he is gay. also his speech about exploration changed me as a person. i just think he is so wonderful and deserves to be calm and happy and like a california congressman (i feel the need to specify that he is a fictional character from the west wing, a show about a president and his cabinet. i do not stan real politicians. anyways)

4. figueroth faeth..... my GIRL!!! ok this is partially just me being a lil bit in love with emily axford but also she is just soooo important to me. its about the impostor syndrome and about the fear of vulnerability and also about an archdevil and her phoenix librarian girlfriend. im so proud of her genuinely like the way she said i will not blame myself for the bad things that happened to the people i love i will NOT take the easy way out i just <333

5. b’elanna torres <33!!! i do own a shirt thats like one of those Xsingle Xtaken and then theres a box checked and it says mentally dating b’elanna torres. anyways she is the love of my life. i love how clever and fierce and smart she is and honestly i love how angry she is like she will not take anyone’s shit at any point and good for her. her friendships with the main cast are so special to me like her and janeway obviously,...warp particles! her and tom and harry (who are in love), her and chakotay (they are best friends and they are CUTE), her and tuvok her and the doctor i JUST <33

honorary mentions to wesley fists, parker leverage, finn starwars, julie molina, and cassandra cillian!

#aniya thank you <333333 #c.ask #handcoversheart-76

[ohwarnette]

‘KASHNDSJJS anyway stan julie molina for clear skin’

oof stop exposing me with the key smash guys 🙈 KAHSJHZJZHJ and to your other point: that’s just me giving out helpful advice for free sorry not sorry hehe

IMPERSONATE ME IN MY INBOX I WANNA SEE WHAT YOU GUYS RETAIN FROM ALL MY SHITTY POSTS

#lol ur the best #ily angel #thank you for the ask elke!! #danielsousa #elke tag

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 4 - Favors

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, will he make it?, 2.5k

@trevor-wilson-covington is the bestie who makes me these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Willie’s hands were red and wrinkly from all the dishwashing. The industrial washer was hot and the smell was gag-inducing but somehow after some time he could manage not to notice it. Glancing at the clock, he sighed heavily. It was 7:40. Alex was going to be on stage soon and he wasn’t even off his shift. He’d had a feeling that was going to happen though. Even if it was foolish to hope, he’d been the fool anyway.

Business had sure picked up from the lull that morning, but thankfully he wasn’t bussing tables. He rarely had to be a waiter, and the main reason he’d gone out there earlier was because there were four attractive boys and no one else and he wasn’t missing a chance to pick up on one of them. Willie hadn’t imagined Alex to be so disarming, not to mention that the chances of seeing him again had seemed impossible.

Finally, the next shift came into the kitchen and he could set his last load on a drying rack. His apron was off and hung and he was headed out the door so quickly that he didn’t see Caleb coming into the kitchen.

“In a rush, William?” the man said in his usual austere manner.

Willie paused in his tracks and looked back at him like a deer in the headlights.

“Ah...yeah, I just....have some errands to run,” he tried to smile casually, but he was no good at lying. It seemed silly that he felt he had to make an excuse, but he was never sure if Caleb was going to demand something more out of him.

“Well, they seem pretty important,” Caleb said, patting his shoulder and peering down at him. Willie could sense the height difference between them. “Better get them done.”

Before he could seize up completely from the intimidation, Willie grabbed his board and helmet and stuffed the cash from his tips into his back pocket. He never adhered to the curfew Caleb gave him, no matter how he got punished for it later. Stepping into the night air and kicking off on his board, a monolithic weight floated away from his shoulders. The breeze was life flowing across his face and through his clothing, hair whipping around behind him.

“Whooooo!” he cried, echoing through the street.

This was what he lived for - the simplicity of him against everything else. His hands were getting the brunt of the wind chill, since he hadn’t let them dry completely before heading out, but it was refreshing.

Willie had learned a lot of shortcuts in the city and if he moved fast enough he would just barely get himself to the show on time. Skating through alleyways and low-traffic streets, he weaved through the Las Vegas nightlife with almost no effort. The lights at this angle were nothing but blurs. His ears still burned to know what Alex had been about to say when he’d mentioned showing him a better view. The thought of them perched above the rest of the city, watching the lights flash and twinkle below - 

A car honked loudly at him as it screeched to a stop, narrowly missing him as he crossed the street. Willie tripped over his board and only just managed to stay on his feet as he held his hands up defensively.

“Sorry!” He called to the driver.

“Use the crosswalk!” they yelled without even rolling down their window.

 He collected his board and ran to the opposite side before he could see their angry mug flipping him off. Once he was safe, he checked over his shoulder and his hands went to feel his helmet. It was on, thank goodness. 

“Use the crosswalk…” he muttered in a mocking manner, laughing it off. Huffing as he mounted his board again, he continued on his way to Alex’s concert.

Just a few blocks later he was at the entrance to the Pearl and looked on at the closed doors. His heart sank slowly as he approached them, pulling on the handles and finding them locked. It couldn’t be too long after eight, right? He peeked inside the windows, hoping to find anyone near the entrance. Nobody was visible. Banging the door a couple times, he waited to see if anyone came.

“Hello?” he shouted, getting no better view through the windows than before. “Heeyyy!”

He saw a security guard round a corner and ditched immediately into the side alley. Willie didn’t own a watch so he had no idea how late he was. He leaned against the wall and sighed deeply, wishing his heartbeat would settle. The taunting thought came that oh well, it wasn’t meant to work out, he’s just some guy in a band. Feeling his fist clench the moment those words crossed his mind, he hit it against the wall and grunted in frustration.

That feeling was wrong, and he knew it was because he had felt something bigger than that. He’d seen Alex’s face and the calm adoration that reflected in his eyes. Willie couldn’t recall feeling more alive and more at home than in those moments. He sat against the wall, leaning his elbows on his knees and placing his head in his hands. There had to be a way to get into the show. Alex had to know that he’d tried, at the very least.

He didn’t know how long he sat there, but the more time passed the more he knew he was just missing the best night of his life. Nothing helpful was coming to him either and he had half a mind to just go back to the bodega and cuddle Sheldon. His finger ran over the sore on his hand that Alex had so tenderly bandaged. He’d had to remove the band-aids while he was washing dishes - the sting was another thing he’d tuned out while working. A door at the side of the building opened and the alley was momentarily flooded with yellow light.

“Jules!” he heard a girl with long braids saying to another girl in an edgy, glamorous dress who was extremely upset.

“Flynn, I’m trying so hard, but I don’t know if I can be my best on stage tonight. I should be there with her!” The other girl said. Willie shrank into the shadows, not wanting to invade on privacy but also not wanting to be caught.

“She knows you would be there if you could! There’s still time and I know that she would be proud of you for killing it up there. Just hear me out, Julie.”

Julie. Willie was trying to remember why that name was significant.

She sighed and crossed her arms. “Say it, because I know I can’t stop you.”

“Okay,” Flynn started. “Your mom got you into music. She gave you a gift! She shared what she loved with you and she didn’t do it so you could drop it when things got tough.”

“Let me guess,” Julie said with a hint of skepticism. “She would want me to keep sharing it?”

“Look at my smart girl,” Flynn said with warm pride. She held out her arms to give her friend a hug.

Julie. Julie. It finally clicked in Willie’s mind. He stood up and stepped into their view, causing them to break apart from their touching moment. Flynn moved protectively in front of her friend.

“Who are you?” she asked, a fierce expression aimed in his direction. Willie raised his hands and slowly approached.

“I don’t mean to butt in,” he said carefully.

“Oh, really? Cuz you just did and we’re kind of in the middle of something personal.” Flynn clearly was down to fight. He moved closer and she blocked him. “You’re gonna have to get through me, skater boy.”

He looked over her shoulder to see the other girl.

“Are you Julie Molina?”

Flynn continued to step between him and Julie, and folded her arms.

“Who’s asking?” she said defiantly.

“I’m Willie,” he said, stopping so Flynn would quit blocking him. He looked at Julie. “First, I’m sorry you can’t be with your mom. It sounds like she isn’t okay and that really sucks.” The girls shared a glance full of pity. “Also, sorry for asking, but do you know Alex?”

Julie came forward and put a hand on Flynn’s shoulder, giving her a look that made her friend drop the mama bear attitude.

“Yeah, I do,” she said hesitantly.

“Uh…” Willie started awkwardly. “Well, he told me to come tonight and it looks like I missed my chance. I just wanted him to know I didn’t forget.”

Flynn raised an eyebrow but Julie shrugged at it.

“You know he’s playing right now,” she told him.

Willie nodded, looking down at the ground. That wasn’t a reminder he really needed. Flynn studied him for a few seconds and then raised a finger, furrowing her brow.

“Are you the guy Alex was talking about earlier?”

He looked slightly flabbergasted.

“Who was he talking about earlier?”

“Oh, just some skater with a cat in a sandwich shop,” she said, heavy on the sarcasm. “We got him to confess.” She gave Julie a smug look.

Willie couldn’t help smiling.

“Yep, it’s him.” Flynn smirked.

Julie looked at him thoughtfully for a minute.

“You know what?” she began. “I don’t usually do this, but I’m gonna do this.” She went to the door again.

“Does this mean you’re good about going on tonight?” Flynn asked.

“Yeah,” Julie said. “You were right. My mom would want me there. And she would also want me to do favors once in a while.” She gave a pointed look at Willie as she pulled the door open. Flynn got an excited look on her face, grabbed Willie’s wrist, and started pulling him inside.

“Sorry about coming off the wrong way,” she said back to him. “Are we good?”

“You bet we’re good,” he replied, not sure how he’d gotten this far, but happy nonetheless. They moved through storage rooms full of props and costumes from other theatrical shows being held at the venue. Faint rock music echoed from above.

“Okay people, Julie and Flynn plus one coming through!” Flynn called as they passed various members of the tech crew. She let go of Willie’s wrist so he could properly hold his board as he followed them. First, they met a man with short gray hair who approached Julie with concern.

“Estás bien mija?” he asked, holding his arms out slightly to invite a hug if she needed one. Julie accepted it, but it was only a quick one.

“I’ll be okay, dad,” she said reassuringly. “At least for tonight, I will.”

Her dad patted her on the back as he nodded toward Willie.

“Who’s this?”

Julie raised her eyebrows awkwardly.

“Uhhhhhh this is my new friend! My new friend....” she eyed him to provide his name, having clearly forgotten.

“Willie,” he followed, holding out a hand to shake.

“Nice to meet you, Willie, I’m Ray,” her dad said, taking his hand. He didn’t seem to question that Julie had picked up a new friend for a moment. “Well, I’m going to head to my seat with Carlos. You’re gonna do great out there, mija.” He blew her a kiss as he walked off.

They could all hear the crowd screaming. Sunset Curve had finished their set and by the sound of footsteps, were all headed backstage. Willie had a mix of disappointment that he didn’t actually get to see them play, but it paled next to his excitement to see Alex.

Flynn grabbed Willie’s wrist again, leading him to one of the dressing rooms. She knocked lightly, and a voice was heard saying “come in”. She simply opened the door and pushed Willie inside.

“This belongs to you!” she said, giving Willie a double thumbs up before dashing off with a devilish smile on her face. As Willie stumbled forward, Alex turned around from wiping his face in the mirror. His eyes went wide in surprise as he dropped the towel he was holding.

“How did you - how…?” Alex was lost for words, but his smile grew.

Willie shrugged charismatically and jutted his thumb back toward where Flynn had been, clicking his teeth.

“I have my ways,” he said smoothly, dropping his board on the floor and making his way over to Alex.

“Sorry I’m all sweaty,” Alex said sheepishly, pulling his chair up, sitting on it backwards and facing Willie.

“Don’t worry about it,” Willie said, sitting cross-legged on the end of an ottoman, aware that if he moved too close their knees would touch. “I’m sorry I just missed seeing you guys play.”

“Oh, well,” Alex flailed his hands awkwardly. “I mean, that is a bummer, but I’m not mad about it.”

Willie just looked on fondly. Alex was so uncomplicated compared to everything else, and it made him all but go dizzy.

“Julie’s going to be on pretty soon,” Alex was saying. “You could join me and the guys to watch her. We won’t be doing anything fun after, though, because her mom isn’t doing well and we have a long drive home tomorrow.” He stopped there, and they both sat not thinking about how tomorrow would come and put a distance between them. Willie hadn’t even known him for twenty-four hours and that inevitable separation felt...wrong.

“Before we go up, then, I have a question,” Wille said.

Alex looked at him with expecting eyes. Willie looked back into them, smiling.

“What were you going to say this morning, about the lights in the city?”

Blinking, Alex took a minute to recollect what Willie was referring to. He gave a big nod when it finally came to him.

“Right. You were saying that I needed to see them at the right angle and that you would show me if I weren’t already busy.” He paused and stared at the floor for a few seconds. When he looked up he asked, “Was that an invitation?”

“It is now,” Willie responded.

Reggie poked his head in the door.

“Alex, we’re heading up to watch Julie, you coming?” he said. Then he pointed at Willie with a goofy smile. “Hey, buddy! Good to see you!” Bobby was peeking in over his shoulder, and the smug look on his face made Alex turn red.

“Yep,” Alex said matter-of-factly, a goofy expression on his face. “We - ” He glanced over at Willie, surprised to refer to the two of them as ‘we’. “We’re coming.”

Reggie and Bobby disappeared as Alex glanced at the clock on the wall. Willie put a hand on his back and rubbed slightly, feeling his nerves extending into the entire room. Taking in a deep breath, Alex simply gave him an appreciative look and stood up.

“Come on, let’s get up there,” he said in a breathy tone.

Willie smiled wide. Leaving his board and his helmet behind, he followed Alex out to their seats, ready to watch the girl who’d helped him get to this point put on a stunning performance.

#julie and the phantoms #jatp #fanfic #jatp fanfic #willex #alive au #alex mercer #willie #luke patterson #reggie peters #bobby wilson #julie molina #flynn #ray molina #carlos molina #viva las vegas #favors #fiddlepickdouglas