No One Mourns the Wicked ,, Dallas

[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Cut was called and the group of actors and actresses in this particular scene dispersed. Most of them went over to the director’s chair to chat about the work they’d just done, but not Mikaela. She accepted her sideways glances and went straight toward her dressing room without a word. Being that she wasn’t that far up on the Hollywood totem pole, Mikaela had to share the space with two other women. Neither of them were there when she entered so she quickly removed her costume for the day and dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie and grabbed her cellphone. She learned that the zipup hoodie would be her friend during filming, allowing her comfort in between scenes while keeping her makeup fresh and untouched. That was actually a trick she learned during porn. The porn industry gave Mikaela knowledge about a lot things that helped prepare her for Hollywood. All the technical things about filming and being in front of the camera she learned while being and adult film star. She came into the game ahead of most novice actresses because of her experience but it was often cast aside as a taboo hobby. Mikaela shrugged it off because she really didn’t care what other people thought. She was just going to keep working her way to the top and if they wanted to judge her on the way up, that was fine. She’d just be sure to flip them off for as long as they could see her from the bottom.

Mikaela hurried out of the trailer and walked a few feet away to sit at a bench under a tree. She didn’t hurry because she was afraid of interacting with her dressing roommates. It was quite the contrary. She enjoyed talking shit. And the more they came at her the more they egged her on. But she just wasn’t in the mood today. This morning she’d been sat down by the production staff and told if she didn’t get her act together she’d be out of a job. What made matters worse was that she was being forced to work with a manger that had a reputation for being a pain her clients’ asses. Today she didn’t want to fight. She didn’t have the energy. Mikaela picked up her phone and started to dial Dominic’s number. Right before she pressed send she put the phone down with a sigh. The last thing she wanted to do was talk his ear off again about how much she wanted filming for this show to wrap. It was time for her to make some new friends.

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 436 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES this was "depressed" kaela[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET THEM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]“Bravo, bravo! Very good. Well done. Nice face. I like what they did with it.” Technically Dallas wasn’t supposed to be here today. His contract only required him to shoot six episodes for the mini-series. Yet here he was, sitting near the director, granting his compliments to his castmates as they came flocking towards the director. The only way he could’ve gotten away with it was because of his status. Otherwise they probably would’ve kicked him out a while ago. “Hey, you!” he barked at one of the extras as she strode by. The girl stopped in her tracks and looked at him. “Where do you think you’re going? Did we say you could leave the set?” The poor girl looked like a deer in headlights. Her mouth was gaped open and her wide eyes frantically darted around, unsure of what to do or say. Dallas grinned to himself. ”He’s just messing with you,” the director piped up with a roll of his eyes. ”Dallas go home. You’re not even supposed to be here today.” The man rose switfly to his feet. “Well, I see where I’m not wanted,” Dallas said, though the words were spoken lightly. Dallas made his way through the flock of gibbering actors and strode away from the set. Keith Richards. That’s who he was. Offhandedly, that was the person he portrayed in the historic television series. But today he really was Keith Richards. Not only was Dallas on the set when he wasn’t supposed to be, but the man was also dressed in full costume. He was wearing the traditional wild rocker mullet, with tight pants, heeled boots and a shirt with the top two buttons undone to expose his chest. He’d even insisted the make up artists to do his make up for him, eyeliner and all. Keith Richards, aside from Mick Jagger, was one of his greatest idols so it was only fitting that he accepted the feature. Dallas had even spent time with Richards, who played his pirate father in the third installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean series. So he felt he could do the role justice. As he strolled past the trailers he looked up to see one of the actresses sitting beneath a tree and looking quite distressed. He recognized her as Mikaela Menendez, the girl who played Marilyn Monroe. Well that was actually a no-brainer since she was still in hair and makeup. Dallas stopped in front of her, shoved his hand inside his boot, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “What’s biting you?” he inquired in a gruff voice. He pulled a cigarette from the box and stuck it between his lips. Dallas closed the flap of the box, but hesitated and glanced at her. “Want one?” he asked, holding the box out to her. It looked like she could use one. [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 479 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) aww poor miki D= (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Calling her mother or Dominic was always Mikaela’s first instinct when she was feeling a little down. And that was only when she was able to swallow her pride and admit that she could use a little cheering up. They both knew how to make her feel better or how to distract her with whatever was going on in their own lives. But Mikaela found herself picking up the phone a lot more often that she’d have liked to admit and she didn’t like being dependent on them. Instead Mikaela brought up her Words with Friends app and thought of a word to play in the game against her older cousin back in Florida. Not everyone in the cast annoyed her. It was mostly Abigail and Desiree that irked Mikaela’s nerves. Those women hated her about as much as she hated them. And they made it known. Desiree was like Regina George and Abigail was like Gretchen Weiners. But Mikaela was that bitch they didn’t show in the movie, the one that wasn’t afraid to cut the mean girls who crossed her. Those two made her experience hell, but there were a few that she didn’t have any drama with. Both Jules and Tasha were pretty cool, but she’d never really taken the time to get to really know them. There was also Dallas, the crazy fool.

Speak of the devil. Mikaela could hear the click of his boots on the ground as he approached. The man was a character to say the least, nothing like what she’d expected. But Mikaela knew that she was in the presence of greatness, no matter how crazy he was. Not only could a relationship with him be great for her career, but it was nice to not always be alone. Dallas wasn’t fazed by her in the slightest. It was refreshing. Mikaela looked up at him as he spoke, but immediately dropped it and shook it upon noticing he was in costume. Seriously? She had the urge to run her fingers through her hair the way she did when she was feeling stressed or nervous, but her hair was nearly rock solid, laden with unhealthy amounts of hairspray. She shrugged. “Life.” Her answer was vague and rather dramatic, but better than complaining about how this entire situation was really her fault. He offered her a cigarette and her first instinct was to say no. She wasn’t a smoker but she’d done it a few times socially. Mikaela hated the bad breath and dry throat that followed smoking a cigarette, not to mention cancer wasn’t a good look, but she could use the relaxing release. “Sure,” she said softly as she opened the top of the box and took out one of the cancer sticks. She held it out between two fingers as she waited for him to produce a lighter. “Wait. This is just a regular cigarette, right?” Mikaela cocked an eyebrow, knowing that Dallas was capable of giving her something a little less than conventional.

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 502 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES mer. i dun like it. and i tried to keep it short. -.-[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET THEM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]Cigarettes were never Dallas’ first choice. They were more of a backup in situations like this. Situations where it was frowned upon, and possibly even career-threatening, to use anything more “stimulating” as he would put it. While Dallas wasn’t one to freely oblige by everyone’s rules, he wasn’t stupid and wouldn’t walk into a situation that would get him fired or behind bars. Been there, done that. And frankly the lesson taught him well. Sure he still talked about his bad habits, but so long as there was no concrete evidence he couldn’t get in trouble for it. Besides it wasn’t like he blabbed away where he hid his stashes in his interviews. That would just give everyone all the more reason to dig their noses into his business. Dallas returned the shrug when Mikaela gave her simple reply. It made sense enough. “Bitch, ain’t it?” The man had a very good understanding of all the ups and downs, loops and turns, dead ends and pitfalls that life had to offer. Some of his own misfortunes had been brought on by his own doings, but there were others that were out of his control. He hadn’t chosen the family he was born into, he hadn’t chosen the people he’d been exposed to, and he hadn’t chosen the woman he’d fallen in love with. For seventeen years Magdalena floated in and out of his life like an elusive banshee who could never be captured. Every time she reappeared she made it seem as if she were there for good. But in the blink of an eye she would be gone again, sometimes for months, sometimes for years. Yet despite all they’d been through Dallas’ love for her never wavered and the man still chased after her relentlessly. Did his friends think he was crazy? Yes. Did it drive him insane? Of course, sometimes so much that it fueled his addictions. But in his eyes Magdalena was worth it. There were other women who have been in and out of his life, but there were none who were ever able to take her place and he knew no one else ever would. Dallas flipped the box closed and tucked it back inside his boot. Then he reached inside his back pocket and withdrew a lighter. Dallas snorted. “Why, did you expect something better? Nope, this is a plain, boring old square.” He lit the end of her cigarette first, then brought the lighter to his own stick. Once it was lit, he stuffed the lighter back into his pocket. “I don’t carry the good stuff on me when I’m on set, but I’ve got some back in my bag.” He gestured toward one of the trailers where he’d dropped off his satchel. “I’ve got cures for just about anything in there.” Dallas cast Mikaela a sly smile, took a drag from the cigarette, then pulled it away from his mouth and slowly exhaled a thin cloud of smoke. [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 497 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) we can do it! and shush, i liked your post >.> (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Things for Mikaela were fairly simple up until recent years. Prior to college, Mikaela never really had to worry about much. Sure, there were her daddy issues, but aside from that, life was pretty okay. Mikaela mother made sure to take away as many stresses from her daughter as she could. It was when Mikaela started living life on her own that things became complicated. The older she got the more she struggled with her feelings toward her father, opposite of what she thought would happen. She did things she shouldn’t have commonly labeled as cries for attention and acts of rebellion. And she got involved with men who were bad for her. While Mikaela regretted nothing she knew that different choices would have dramatically changed her life. She held herself fully responsible for the person that she was and for all the troubles she encountered. She wasn’t one for self-pity but in times of reflection, like the one she was having now, she couldn’t help but blame herself for all the stress that life brought. Mikaela snorted in response. Life truly was a bitch, almost as big as the one she was.

It was obvious that Dallas had been around the block a few times. No matter how insane he appeared (or actually was) it was clear that had a world full of experiences behind him. It made Mikaela’s life seem like a tiny sliver on an infinitely long timeline. And it had very little to do with age. “I’m surprised,” Mikaela said with uncertainty in her voice as she put the cigarette to her lips, waiting for Dallas to light it. Once it was lit she inhaled deeply and grimaced as she exhaled, watching the smoky vapor cloud in front of her. Tobacco definitely wasn’t her vice of choice but it would have to do for now. “I could use a cure for intolerance,” she said before taking another drag, knowing fully well that wasn’t going to accept anything else that Dallas had to offer. “I know that I should be grateful for the chance to be on this show, and I am. I think the writing and direction are brilliant. But I am counting down the days until I can get the fuck out of here.”

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 380 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES shorter![/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET THEM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]Dallas’ eyebrows furrowed in thought and he put the cigarette back to his lips as he considered her words. Hallucinogenics were great for boredom, stimulants got the blood flowing and were good for a energy spike, and depressants were an excellent way to unwind after a long and trying day. And opiates were a decent way to distract you from physical pain, as well as emotional pain and all of the stresses that accompanied it. But intolerance? That wasn’t something that was easily fixed. Well not unless you popped a few tablets of ecstasy. Then you felt damned near invincible, and on top of that you felt like you could handle about anything and get along fine with just about anybody who crossed your path. But curing other people of their intolerances was a different story. “That one may be out of my range darling,” Dallas said around the cigarette. Dallas was an attentive man so he could detect tensions between Mikaela and some of the other actors, but he hadn’t been around enough to know the details of the going-ons. That and he just didn’t care. Dallas never involved himself with gossip or the dramas of other people, especially not if it didn’t have anything to do with him. He was too wrapped up in his own world. It wasn’t that he was self-absorbed and egocentric. It was more of the fact that he was usually too high or doped up to worry about other people. Even when he was sober his mind was so unhinged by the extensive drug use that it was often wandering off into five different realms at once. Dallas sucked on the cigarette before pulling it away from his mouth and looked down at Mikaela, chasing his words with a stream of smoke when he spoke. “For someone who puts so much passion into her work, the last thing I expected was for you to be happy to be parted from it.” [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 330 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) crappy. i struggled with that last bit of dialogue (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Mikaela’s experience with drugs was very minimal. Plenty of people around her in college used all kinds of things from marijuana to substances and gases she’d never heard of. Some of it sounded way too much like chemistry to her, to be honest. She never judged anyone for their habits. It would have been hypocritical for her, the stripped turned porn actress, to judge anyone for anything. If she was offered anything, she turned it down. Other than the one experience with shady pills, Mikaela stayed away from drugs. From time to time she dabbled in a bit of weed with friends that smoked, but even that was rare. She puffed on the cigarette then eyed it in her hands with curiosity. It felt so foreign in her hands. She probably looked awkward smoking it. But Dallas looked so natural. Other than the throwback hairstyle, he looked rather normal in his Keith Richards get up. The thought brought a half-grin to her face. “Damn , what a shame,” she said with a sigh.

It was true. Mikaela was extremely passionate about acting and she worked tireless at it. Upon receiving the news that she’d gotten the role she auditioned for, she was ecstatic. At the time she wasn’t being represented by anyone so she had to use what few connections she had to secure an audition. And even then, the chance to play an American icon on one of televisions biggest networks with some of Hollywood’s most famed talents was unheard of for a novice actress. Especially one with a background in porn. “It’s not the work I want to get away from. I love the role. The writing it amazing and everyone is doing a great job. But I’m stressed out and it may even be affecting my performance.” Not allowing her coworkers to negatively impact her acting ability was something she was going to have to figure out, but it seemed like a hard lesson to learn for someone as stubborn as she was. “I got into a situation with some of our castmates…very catty and stupid…but still annoying and frustrating.”

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 353 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES mer[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET EM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]Seeing that Mikaela was humble about her work was relieving. One thing Dallas loathed was having to work with arrogant, self-entitled snobs and these days there were far too many aspiring young actors who thought they were hotshots once they landed a starring role or got the chance to act alongside some of Hollywood’s more established actors. The sooner they let the success go to their head, the harder they crashed. Inflated egos not only made more room for errors and slip ups, but they were also off-putting and often sent directors and other actors running in the other direction. But Mikaela had a good head on her shoulders. She was bright, committed and didn’t let anyone or anything deter her from her goals. Well, to a certain extent it seemed. There was something else that was evidently bothering her and he could see that as clear as day. “Ah,” Dallas replied simply before taking another puff of the cigarette in his hand. Feuding between cast mates never boded well. They could easily turn an enjoyable experience into hell on Earth for as long as filming was scheduled to run. Your cast mates could easily become your closest friends or like family to you, but they could just as easily become your worst enemies. Dallas grunted as he made his way to the ground and sat on his bottom with his legs slightly extended but still bent at knee and the bottom of his feet planted in the grass. He rested his arms on his knees and studied Mikaela for a few seconds before speaking again. “Well that’s unfortunate. It’s a shame you can’t pick who you work with. But you don’t strike me as someone who would easily let other people get under your skin or affect you like this.” [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 303 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) meh. my muse. it struggles. D= (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Mikaela flicked the cigarette between her fingers, ridding it of the ash that had developed on the end. She put it to her hips and took another drag, letting the smoke infiltrate her lungs. Mikaela had a lot of personal insecurities. Most of them she managed to cover up with feigned arrogance. She knew she was good, but just how good was debatable. Coming to LA was a daring move on her part, but she was scared that she didn’t have what it took to make it in the business. Not because she lacked the talent, but because she wasn’t sure if her talent would be enough to cover up the blemishes on her resume. She learned quickly that she just needed to work extra hard to overcome those obstacles because they weren’t going to go away. And cockiness wasn’t going to get her anywhere but on the black list. There was no shortage of divas in Hollywood, but Mikaela knew she didn’t have that right. Despite her usual attitude, she knew if she wanted to be successful she had to pay her dues.

“It’s not even so much the people that are bothering me,” Mikaela said with a sigh. “Well they are annoying me, but every time I see them I get mad at myself…for a variety of reasons.” The more she was harassed by Desiree and Abigail the worse she felt about her actions. She knew her behavior had been stupid, but admitting it was proving to be very difficult. Dallas wasn’t the type to keep up with Hollywood drama; that much was obvious. But Mikaela was finding it harder to express herself without telling him the whole story. Who was he to judge? She was sure that he had a laundry list of his own that was far more scandalous than hers. “I sent a dirty video to someone who was married. Cooper, actually. Desi and Abby have been on my case about it.” She shrugged then puffed on her cigarette, exhaling before speaking again. “I don’t know. I’m just fucking over it, but I can’t help but to get angry.”

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 354 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES this blows.[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET EM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]Dallas watched Mikaela as she flicked the ash from the end of her cigarette. He himself preferred to let it accumulate until it was probably about a third of the length of the cigarette itself. There was no particular reason for it; just something he picked up from watching old videos of the Broadway choreographer, Bob Fosse. If Dallas happened across anything that he found interesting he would adapt it into his own life in some way or another. It wasn’t necessarily copying, but more a way of letting other people and ideas inspire you so you could appreciate what else was out there. That was one of the problems with the younger generations these days. There were few of them that held any respect or appreciation for those that came before them. They tended to forget about their roots and forget about the great minds who paved the way for them. That was why the world was going to shit. While Mikaela explained her situation to him, Dallas’ eyes drifted upward to the leaves draping above them as he lifted his free hand to his chin to stroke his beard in thought. It was certainly an interesting predicament to be in, but none that was too daunting. Hollywood didn’t come without its share of drama after all, and that was exactly why Dallas shied away from the publicity and the spotlight as much as he could. “Well I’m not going to tell you that you need to be more careful. I think you already learned that one,” he said very matter-of-fact. “But here’s what I will say.” Dallas raised the cigarette to his lips, took a quick drag from it and released the smoke through the small hole his mouth shaped. “In this industry, you’ve got to be careful who your friends are. Even moreso than in the real world. A third of the people are floozies and half of them can’t think for themselves, so that leaves only about a quarter who are probably reliable.” Despite the fact that there was something obviously off in his equation, Dallas continued on without faltering. “You probably know that I avoid the spotlight like the plague and there’s a reason for that. People will smile in your face and stab you in the back because they want only one thing: to build you up just to rip you to pieces. They like fucking with your mind and seeing how far they can push you. It’s a game. And if you let it get to you it’s not only going to mess up your career, but your mind too...Look at Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.” Once the golden girls of their eras, now they were cast onto the back burner. It was a harsh reality but something that was true nonetheless. People did anything they could to get ahead and if that meant tearing you down in the process...so be it. [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 493 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) not bad, but still a lot of talking (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Mikaela didn’t know what she hoped to accomplish by talking to Dallas. It wasn’t very typical to confide in just anyone and she hadn’t known the older actor for very long. However, there was something about him, beyond the psychotic babbling, that radiated wisdom. When she wasn’t being distracted by his tangents and peculiar behavior, she found that it was comforting to talk to him. She silently wondered if he had any children. Dallas was close to her father’s age, probably just a few years younger. In just these few minute she’d had better conversation with Dallas than she’d ever had with her dad. She shook her head at the thought as she finished off the last of her cigarette. She’d smoked it down to the filter then placed it on the ground and stepped on it to put it out. Now she desperately wanted some gum or anything that would get rid of the tobacco after taste.

At the time Mikaela sent the video, she was drunk and behaving recklessly. Her frustration over her tumultuous relationship with Cooper pushed her to do something stupid. Not only had he gotten engaged and married without a word to Mikaela, but to a woman that she wasn’t fond of. Mikaela was wary of Cassie when Cooper first introduced them, but he gave her the benefit of the doubt because he seemed beyond happy with her. However, when Mikaela learned that Cassie had fooled around with Jack, the same guy that had convinced Mikaela to sleep with him for her first film role, she’d lost all respect for her. Jack was scum and everyone knew that Cooper hated him. What would posses his girlfriend to mess with him? So she sent the video that had been taped years ago during their tryst, before he had even met Cassie, despite media claims. The negative backlash was rampant and it was coming at all angles. Mikaela only made matters worse for defending her behavior and refusing to apologize. At first she didn’t really see what the big deal was. It was meant to ruffle Cassie’s feathers and nothing more but everyone kept telling her that, regardless of her intentions or how old the video was, she shouldn’t have sent it to a married man. She was painted as the villain for being cruel to a woman that everyone else seemed to cherish. For a while she didn’t have time to think about it because she was constantly on her guard, ready to fight anyone that had anything to say to her, but eventually she became old news and people moved onto new drama. However, there were still a handful of people that couldn’t seem to let it go. Mikaela now recognized that the act was stupid and how Cassie must’ve felt, though she still didn’t like the bitch. If she had been Cassie, she would have wrung her own neck.

As Dallas spoke she did the math in her head. She checked it again and sure enough it didn’t add up. “But…” Mikaela tried to question him but he continued on. Though the first part of what he said made little sense, the latter half was something she could identify with. Her mind wandered to Bernadette, an old coworker from back in Florida. Their relationship was much like the one Dallas described, but Mikaela had gladly left the other woman back in Orlando a while ago. She returned her attention to Dallas and nodded in understanding, though she was a little surprised that he kept up with pop culture enough to not only reference Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, but to do so correctly. He had a point. Her sanity was a lot more important than her pompous pride. This wouldn’t be the last time that she would have to deal with a situation like this. Considering her personality, it was likely that they would only get worse from here on out. “I hear what you’re saying,” she said with a sigh. “And it makes sense…sort of. But I’m not a quiet person. And I really don’t give a shit what people think or say about me.” She shrugged. “I don’t know. I just feel like a shitty person and I feel like admitting that makes those girls right… And they’re not. So I just keep fighting them, and I keep feeling like shit, and people keep annoying me, and I just…it’s going nowhere.”

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 739 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES i hope i gave you enough to work with[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]

[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET EM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]What many people failed to realize was just how insightful Dallas could be. Behind the cowboy hats, the constant stench of weed or nicotine, and the barely sensible tangents, the man housed a great deal of wisdom within the chambers of his brain. Knowledge was something one could only gain through age, through the errors of their own mistakes and foolish choices and lessons learned from others. It was the reason why mothers and fathers so incessantly reminded their children to “respect their elders” because you never knew what advice they might be able to offer you. But of course it was hard for some people to take Dallas seriously for a variety of reasons. For one thing, the man hardly acted his age. Though he might challenge the saying with the question of: how does one act a certain age? Who could dictate that a ten year old girl couldn’t have the maturity of a thirty year old, or that a seventy year old man couldn’t have the heart of a twenty year old? For anyone to suggest something of the nature was unacceptable was an ignorant and demeaning comment on their behalf, at least from Dallas’ perspective. Those people weren’t “acting”, they were simply being themselves. The forty-two year old himself often “acted” almost half his physical age. Apart from the extensive drug use there were the wild endeavors and the reckless behavior (he’d made a sport of driving drunk). Of course another reason why many people found it difficult to take Dallas seriously was because of the drug use. No one wanted to listen to a man who was high ninety-eight percent of the time. What sense did it make? But of course they weren’t in his head so they couldn’t possibly understand that it was the drugs that helped loosened the hinges of his mind so he could become one with it and unlock stores of secret knowledge. All they saw was a crazed, rambling addict. Oh well, their loss. A small smile appeared on the man’s face. It was evident enough that she struggled with her own insecurities, but he could also see that she had backbone and she had what it took to make it in this cutthroat industry. “It sounds to me like your head is a little too wound up. It can’t hurt to unwind a few screws here and there.” He paused briefly in thought. “It’s not about who’s right or wrong. Quite honestly I don’t think it’s their business to butt into,” he added with a light shrug. “But I don’t think it makes much sense to keep at something that pulls you down into the dumps, do you?” Why take on problems that weren’t your own? Why persist in something if it made you feel bad? Simple speculations of life, but valuable advice nonetheless. [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 477 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) narf (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Unwind a few screws? Mikaela snorted. She wondered just how many loose screws he had. But Dallas had a point. Perhaps she was just over thinking it. Since when had she ever cared so much what other people’s opinions were? This wasn’t the first time she’d been called a bitch or a whore and would surely not be the last. It was only up to Mikaela to make sure that she didn’t let their antics affect her work. “You’re right,” she said with a nod. “It isn’t any of their damn business and I really just need to let it go. Who the fuck cares?” At this point, her relationship with Cooper was shot to shit. Recovering from this seemed too hard, but she was surprisingly okay with that. They were at two very different points in their lives that weren’t likely to ever cross paths. He had a wife and children and Mikaela was single with no intention of slowing down. The media was already getting bored with the story so it was time that everyone put it behind them.

For Mikaela, that was easier said than done. She had a problem holding onto things and she could stay angry with someone forever, including herself. What was done was done and if she was the bad guy, so be it. People made bad choices all the time. In fact, Mikaela was notorious for it. But she couldn’t keep beating herself up over it, especially if it was starting to affect her performance. After talking to Dallas, she was feeling a little better already. Her confidence was starting to creep back in and it felt good. “It’s not like there aren’t a shit ton of videos of me out there already. And I was no angel to the media anyway.” She said it out loud more for herself than for him. Mikaela didn’t want to be Hollywood’s angel. She just wanted the respect she thought she deserved. “Thanks for this,” she said with a half smile. “I won’t lie. You confuse the shit out of me a lot of times, but I really needed the talk.”

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[dan]

[STYLE=margin-top:30px; font-family:arial narrow; font-size:35px; letter-spacing:0px; color:#282828; border-bottom:4px solid #282828; line-height:10px; width:430px; text-align:left]DON'T LET EM GET YOU DOWN, NO USE SITTING ALL ALONE

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=style,background-image:url(http://i.imgur.com/FrIVr.png); width:410px; padding:10px,bTable][STYLE=background-color:#D1DCDC; border:1px #282828 dotted; text-align:justify; font-size:10px; font-family:arial; color:#282828; padding:3px; width:280px; margin-top:15px; margin-bottom:15px; overflow:auto; height:216px]Dallas shrugged and lifted his cigarette to his lips. By this point the cancerous stick was down to a stub, but he always liked to get as much use out of the things as he could before discarding them. When it came to his drugs Dallas did not believe in wasting. “I ask myself that question all the time,” he grunted. It was true. ‘Who the fuck cares?’ was a question that constantly circled through Dallas’ mind, or dribbled from his lips, because when it came down to it Dallas Grady just did not give a fuck. Sometimes he was indifferent to the point of being callous; not always the best trait to have but it worked for him. The man’s eyes fell to the stub in his hands as Mikaela continued on, and he eyed the thing dubiously. It was smoked down so low that he was forced to pinch it with the nails of his thumb and index finger just to keep a grip on it (and to avoid being burned, though the heat still licked at his fingers). With the cigarette lifted in front of his lips, Dallas cautiously moved his head forward to take one last puff, but drew it back before his lips could touch it. He distractedly repeated the motion a couple times, very much in the manner of a duck darting its head back and forth to catch a fish in a pond or a groundhog repeatedly retracting and poking its head through the ground. The man was determined to have his last drag, but there was no possible way to do it without burning his lips or accidentally taking the whole thing in his mouth. Finally Dallas gave up with a dissatisfied grunt and flicked the butt to the ground a few feet away. Nicotine was only an appetizer anyway. He had goodies that were a lot more fun back in his satchel. A short burst of laughter came from Dallas’ mouth as he returned his focus to Mikaela. “I like to follow the advice of a wise man who once said: ‘If you can’t convince them, confuse them.’ I find that it helps my brain fit the pieces together better. Makes everything much clearer. You should try it.” Dallas ruffled the wild mane of hair nestled on top of his head. “I’m glad I could help out a damsel in need. But remember one thing. If you don’t know where you’re going, then you may never get there.” [/style](TAGS) cookie as mikaela (WORDS) 417 (OUTFIT) click (NOTES) narf (LYRICS) if you can't beat them by queen (CREDS) template by oxymoron! of back to neverland

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[MIKAELA JHENÉ MENENDEZ]

[STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; color:#424242;]THE WICKED DIE ALONE[/style][STYLE= width:400px; background-color: #0A0A0A; font-family:Arial; font-size:11px; text-color:#424242; text-align:justify; text-transform:lowercase; line-height:11px; letter-spacing:2px; color:#424242;]

Watching him with curious eyes, Mikaela wondered what Dallas must’ve been through in his life that made him the man he was today. As she watched him struggle with the barely-there cigarette butt, she was sure that the drugs had to be partially responsible for a lot of his quirks. His behavior was confusing and distracting, but Mikaela was still intrigued. Watching him with the remnants of the cigarette was like watching an animal prepare its food. She couldn’t help but laugh when he finally gave up and flicked the butt away from him. “You know, if you really want more you could always just smoke another one. Just a thought.” She was sure he would have some illogical reason for why he nearly burned his lips but she figured she’d offer up the suggestion anyway. Mikaela really just wanted something to get the stale taste of smoke out of her mouth now that the nicotine had calmed her nerves some.

Mikaela listened intently as Dallas offered his advice. She laughed again because it sounded like these were the words Dallas lived by. “I’ll definitely keep that in mind,” she said with a grin. What Mikaela really gained from this conversation with Dallas was a bit of confidence. He reminded her what was really important: not her pride or winning a stupid argument, but her career as an actress and her passion for the art. At the end of the day, that was the only thing that mattered and everything else, where the media was concerned, was irrelevant. The only opinions that mattered were her own and those of the people casting her. The public and even her castmates at times, were going to think whatever they wanted and she had no control over that. What she could control was her response and she knew she had to do a better job of not letting things bother her so much. His lasts words rung out in her head for a few seconds. She knew where she wanted to be, the kind of success she wanted. It was time to put the blinders on and keep her eyes on the prize. "Where do you want to go, Dallas?" Was his journey near it's end? For a man that seemed to have it all, she couldn't imagine what more there was to be desired.

[/style][STYLE= background-color: #000000; width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:9px; letter-spacing:4px; border-top: solid 20px #000000; border-bottom: solid 20px #000000; text-color:#424242; line-height:9px; color:#424242;]WORDS 392 TAGGED dani as dallas NOTES bleeeh.[/style][STYLE= width:400px; font-family:Arial; font-size:7px; letter-spacing:3px; border-top: solid #000000 20px; border-bottom: solid #000000 20px; background-color:#000000; color:#424242;]TEMPLATE BY LISE FROM BACK TO NEVERLAND[/style]