𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑡𝑎𝑙 .

『 BRUNA MARQUEZINE, TWENTY-FIVE, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER. 』 can you believe it’s a new season of sweethearts? i’m rooting for ALANA LOPES. they’re the WRITER from LOS ANGELES, CA. back home, they’re often described as +ARTICULATE and +DETERMINED, which i guess i could get behind. their -OBSTINATE and -IMPATIENT side makes great television, though. you know, they kind of remind me of the sun against your skin, contagious laughter, & photography-filled walls. i wonder who their match is. i guess i’ll have to tune in to mtv to find out.

olivia scowled drunkenly as alana backtracked now, as if she hadn’t been totally been tiptoeing through mean girl 101 with an insult sandwich. liv didn’t much appreciated the implication that she was overreacting, least of all when she was as inebriated as she was. “maybe i’m just fuckin’ crazy!!” she announced boldly, gesturing widely in the air. she took another long sip of her drink. sure, right, maybe she was just nuts, offended over nothing, huh? of course, she disagreed with this take, but whatever, who cares? “oh, i looked just fucking… lovely. really spoke to me. but! like i said, this one won. and don’t i look hot?” she challenged, even though the other had ( if backhandedly ) already admitted as much. “i don’t even like pink. it hurts my eyes. but i wore this so i’d look hot and be on theme ‘cause apparently i’m a team player! so everyone just needs to get off my back!”

fizzy managed to find some small, functioning part of her brain to be grateful that the other girl seemed to be busy looking at her, at least maybe enough to not notice fizzy’s gaze — because the moment fizzy looked, she wanted a closer look, her drunken brain impeding her ability to not stare openly for a moment. despite her best efforts, her cheeks flushed slightly as the other girl complimented her right off the bat. fuck, she was way too drunk to not end this encounter by making a fool of herself, but she ventured on anyways. “i just got here,” fizzy answered, turning to mirror the other woman’s body language and face her. even with the crowd and party still going around them, it felt strangely intimate. “i’m fizzy. nice to meet ya.”

even  if  looking  directly  at  the  girl , she  wasn’t  being  able  to  properly  perceive  the  reactions  from  that  conversation . normally , alana  would  notice  the  flush  on  her  cheeks immediately , she  would  try  to  note  whatever  her  eyes  were  up  to  catch , but  not  that  night  at  that  specific  situation , she  wasn’t  able  to  trust  her  own  eyes . all  alana  could  possibly  remark  was  whatever  would  be  said  or  done  without  any  subtlety .  “ hm ... so  you  got  here  right  in  time  to  meet  all  the  ladies  getting  more  loose  and  drinking ... ”  herself  included . and , without  breaking  eye  contact  even  for  a  second , alana  raised  her  brows  with  a  sly  smile  showing  up . “ that’s  a  good  move . nice  to  meet  you too , fizzy ! ” 

had she been sober, liv probably would have been more acutely aware of the way alana gave her a once over; generally, she was fairly observant, and especially to others who were observing her. of course, now she was quite drunk, focused solely on her drink, and she didn’t notice anything until the other woman spoke. her first impulse was immediately to be guarded - there was something about the inherent and vaguely threatening homoeroticism of having a tense, drunken exchange with another woman. she scowled at this, feeling insulted - sure, liv wasn’t ‘bubbly’ or ‘sweet,’ but that was nobody’s business when she was just sitting here, looking hot, trying to get drunk. “the fuck is that supposed to mean?” she said, or maybe slurred, leaning forward. who did this bitch think she was, coming up and telling liv her dress wasn’t - what, cunty enough? “my second choice had mean bitch written across the front with a heart dotting the ‘i,’ but this made my tits look better,” she gestured to the dress she was wearing. 

{ - }

Alana’s appreciation was sweet, and the kiss was sweeter - an unexpected little reward for the gesture. She suspected that the lighting, thankfully, would mask the little flush that followed on her cheeks. Her glass gladly met Alana’s before she took a little sip of her own, and the praise that followed had her grinning from ear to ear. “You think so? This is the exact kind of thing I would’ve dreamed of wearing when I was a little kid… and look at me now!” Just for effect, she gave a twirl, enjoying the swoosh of her skirt as she went. “And you! Alana, you seriously look incredible… You’re going to have at least somebody falling at your feet tonight, and honestly, I would not be surprised if it was me.”

a  pleased  smile  formed  on  her  lips  after  seeing  she  got  a  good  response  from  juliana ,  thinking  to  herself  how  adorable  alana  found  it , making  the  compliment  mean  even  more  than  previously .  “ of  course ! you  look  like  a  princess ! ”  she  left  out  at  laugh  at  juliana’s  saying , still  accepting  the  compliment . in  fact , alana  was  truly  feeling  herself  that  night , the  nice  words  were  an  addition  to  make  her  more  confident . “ thank  you ! ”  she  replied  cheerfully . “ well  you  do  let  me  know  if  that  happens , i  wanna  be  aware  of  it . ”  there  was  a  joking  tone  in  her  saying , although  it  still  had  some  seriousness  that  she  left  open  to  interpretation .

@allopzs​ post ceremony 1 // living room

Upon the first ceremony, Phil was reminded, with a clarity that she hadn’t expected, that she really, truly hadn’t put herself out there. It felt dangerous, going so against her nature, but then again- it was her job to. Truly. She had to say something. Anything. To reach out to her fellow ladies and really make an effort to not only be loved, but to love as well.

How this culminated in her turning to the person beside her on the couch, who’s name she was pretty confident (but not 100%) was Alana, and announcing “I think we should talk.” Then, a pause. “Or try to start a game of spin the bottle. I think… either way, we should do something. We could also get into a fight.”

those first  days , where  all  people  would  do  was  getting  to  know  each  other , alana  considered  them  the  easiest . what  she  had  to  do  was  go  around  talking  superficially  about  herself  , ask  questions  about  others ( even  though  not  being  genuinely  interest  in  some  cases )  and  doing  the  occasional  flirting . easy  for  her . with  that , alana  thought  she  had  met  most  people , although  having  a  few  left  that  she  definitely  wanted  to get  to  know.  she  looked  to  her  side , about  to  reply to  the  woman's  words  directed  at  her. she  was  going  to  agree  and  start  a  conversation  off  of  that, until  realizing  the  other  had  more  to  say. alana  stayed  quiet  listening , a  laugh  escaping  from  her  lips  while  doing  so . " so  what  is  it  that  you  want ? do  you  wanna fight  with  me ? do  you  wanna play  with  me ? do  you  just  want  to  talk ? "  she  said  in  a  low  voice  while  staring  at  phil , alana's   eyes  trying  to  find  something  in  her  face  that  would  give  anything  away .  " i'm  into  all  of  them , except  maybe  the  fight ... i  mean , unless  you  really  want  to , do  you  have  something  you  want  to  say  to  me ? "

[ @allopzs​​ ]

fizzy was humming along to a song she couldn’t have even named, eyes skimming over the crowd from where she was planted firmly against the wall. for once in her life, it wasn’t because she was a naturally contrarian asshole, or because she was avoiding human interaction — it was more like she had consumed three more drinks than was probably advisable, and the wall was her friend now. she was only a little embarrassed when she glanced over to see that she wasn’t alone. “do you know what song this is?” fizzy asked the other girl drunkenly, probably a little louder than necessary, but she wanted to make sure she could be heard over the music. as if on some cosmic cue, the song ended immediately after, causing fizzy to let out a groan. “ah, fuck, now i can’t even look it up,” she sighed. as she was new to the house, she didn’t have a firm grasp on who everyone was yet. “what’s your name?” she asked the vaguely familiar woman suddenly, tilting her head as she studied her. 

alana  found  a  random  corner  to  take  a  second  after  way  too  many  drinks  and  a  some  dancing  . her  eyes  met  the  woman  next  to  her , probably  starring  a  little  longer  than  her  sober  self  normally  would . " no  idea . i  can't  understand  a  word  he's  saying ."  she  shrugged . it  could  happen  at  times of  alana  having  problem  understanding  some  words  in  english , the  rap  part  being  sang  too  fast  was  one  of  the  reasons  for  it  plus  the  alcohol  in  her  system . she  turned  her  body  to  the  side  to  fully  face  the  woman , learning  against  the  same  wall . " you're  pretty , have  you  always  been  here ? " alana  would  notice  if  she'd  been  in  the  cabin  since  day  one ... wouldn't  she ? she  couldn't  tell  anymore , that  was  probably  a  sign  she  should  start  drinking  some  water . what  a  embarrassment  she’d  feel  later  to  be  like  that  on  television . " alana . and  yours ? "

With the drinks flowing and the music pounding, Juliana was getting into the swing of it. She’d talked some, and danced a lot, and while there was still a thrill every time she made eye contact with one of the other girls, she didn’t feel so out of place anymore. She’d built up the momentum to start conversations a little more smoothly, and to just enjoy herself, because why not? She was following all those why not? feelings for the moment, and so she soon found herself by Alana’s side, with two drinks in hand. “Hey! I picked you up one too, figured I’d save you the trouble of heading all the way to the table…” she joked, holding one of the glasses out. “So– cheers?”

{ @allopzs· }

" thank  you ! "  she  went  ahead  and  gave  juliana  a  hug  followed  by  a  peck  on  the  cheek , as  a  way  of thanking  her  besides  words  but  also  as  a  greeting  since  it  was  their  first  meeting  at  the  party . alana  has  always  been a touchy  person , it  being  her  way  of  demonstrating  affection , but  that  didn't  happen  with  just  anyone , after  all , she  had  no  business  being  affectionate  with  people  she  didn't  care  about . juliana was  someone  she  liked  in  that  house , she  didn't  know  her  for  that  long  though , but  with  a  little  alcohol  in  her  system , alana  wanted  to  hug  and  kiss  people  that  would  merely  talk  to  her  in  a  way  she  enjoyed ... but  again , not  just  anyone .  “ cheers ! ”  she  repeated  making  the  glass  meet  hers  before  taking  a  sip  form  it . " you're  looking  so  amazing , jules ! "  she  spoke  slightly  louder  than  her  usual  low  voice  due  to  the music  echoing . it  being  said  with  the  intention  of  giving  a  genuine  compliment  instead  of  flirting .

after spending  a  good  amount  of  time  dancing  and  socializing  at  the  party , alana  found  herself  standing  alone  in  the  bar  for  a  little  time  by  herself , simply  watching  the  party  unfold  in  front  of  her . as  much  as  she  wanted  to  be  part  of  the  fun , alana  also  enjoyed   observing , she  could  form  a  lot  of  opinions by  doing  so . her  eyes  switched  to   the  girl , which  she  was  sure  was  named  olivia , walking  closer  to  where  she  was , probably  after  a  drink  too , alana  thought . that  was  someone  she  couldn't  have  a  concrete  opinion  on  just  yet , although  there  was  some  ideas  she  was  able  to  get already . still , she  couldn't decide  how  she  felt  about  the  blonde , whether   she  felt  annoyed  by  her  usual  attitude , or  maybe  intrigued , perhaps  intimidated  somehow . 

with it being her first day there, she figured why not do something nice and prepare a little something for the girls in the house. she enjoyed cooking at home and she definitely missed one of her own home cooked meals and what better way to settle in a new place than to make one of her very own home cooked meals. her mind clearly focused on what she was making she heard footsteps coming into the kitchen. “i hope you aren’t allergic to anything..” she commented softly with a soft chuckle before looking up at the other.

maybe  alaska  had  been  nice  to  them  as  the  night  didn't  seem  so  cold  or  maybe  it  was  just  the  excitement  from  the  ceremony  talking  .  anyway  ,  mimi  convinced  the  girls  that  an  indoor  pool  party  would  be  a  good  way  to  celebrate  the  two lbeams  they  got  that  night  .  the  producers  had  been  kind  enough  to  send  them  ice  buckets  full  of  booze  ,  something  that  made  the  bartender  even  more  excited  .  picking  up  the  tequila  bottle  from  among  the  many  bottles  there  ,  she  shook  the  bottle  to  get  the  attention  of  the  other  contestants  .  “  who’s  doing  shots  with  me  ?  ”

Deja was convinced there was no better turn of events for their first match ceremony. Two perfect matches only a few days into their stay? Who needed AI? (Or whatever did the perfect match algorithm thing.) With a glass of wine and a couple shots in her system, she was feeling loose. She pushed aside some furniture in the lobby to create a makeshift dancefloor, then queued up some music on the speakers. “Let’s get this party started!” she sang out, gesturing for the nearest contestants to join her in the open space.

new girl vibes… something piper wasn’t that unfamiliar with, but it’s been awhile. it’s hard coming to a place that seems foreign but also, the most comfortable place she’s ever been? that didn’t make any sense… with a sigh, piper trust fell onto her new bed and laid there for a while. this experience will be good, she kept telling herself, this is something you need to do to get yourself out there more. it’s hard to join a space where you’re still so… new. and yet, piper felt nothing but joy…. deep deep down.

just when she was going to drift off to sleep, she heard clattering outside her door. she sat up, head tilted, and paused. then again, another sound, almost like something was breaking outside. piper jumped off the bed and hurried to the door, opening it quickly. someone could be seriously hurt! her eyes wide as she saw who was there…

one  sip  from  her  recently  refilled  drink , that’s  all  alana  had  before  accidentally  letting  it  slip  from  her  hand . she  looked  down  while  the  glass  crashed  against  the  floor  in  pure  disappointment . not being able to hold the one in her other hand either . after  a  short  second  to assimilate  the  scene , alana  was  about  to  walk  away  and  find  the  tools  to  clean  it up , until  she  quickly  realized  someone’s  else  presence  next  to  her ,  looking  at  them  with  guilty  eyes .

 chewing the inside of  her  mouth , she  glanced  from  the  floor  to  the  person .  “ whoops ? “  alana  forced  a  large  smile  waiting  to  see if  the  girl  would  give  her  a  reaction and , with  a  long  sigh ,  looked  down  at  the  broken  glass  again , not  actually  seeing  much  of  a  mess  in  it .  “ don’t  worry , i’m  going  to  clean  this   ! shit , and  i  had  just  filled  my  glasses . “  she  shook  her  head  observing all  the  alcohol  wasted  on  the  floor .

if sadie did anything well , it was maintaining eye contact throughout conversations , sometimes it intimidated some people , but the brunette-haired femme liked others knowing that someone else had her full attention . her brown hues didn’t leave alana’s face , humming at the other’s question . “ i was thinking about who is catching my eye right now , and who i wanted to speak with and introduce myself too, ” she answers, looking the other up and down. “I was also people watching  a little earlier , you caught my eye, ” she answers honestly . “i was hoping we would run into each other at some point , not literally , but at least it breaks the ice, ”.

keeping  eye  contact  was  not  a  difficult  accomplishment  for  alana , in  fact , knowing  she  was  being  able  to  hold  someone’s  attention  on  herself  was  nothing  but  exciting . she  enjoyed  receiving  it  and  would  also  try  to  give  attention  as  much  as  she  wanted  to  get  — well , at  least  when  someone  actually  had  her  interest  .   “ oh ! did  i ? ”   alana  raised  her  brows  at  the  straightforward  words , while  a  playful  smile  rose  on  her  lips . “  i’m  flattered  i  didn’t  pass  unnoticed  by  a  girl  like  you . now  i’m  almost  not  feeling  sorry  for  bumping  into  you anymore .  ”

— ✨

“thank you so much!” yuna hands off her bag, but she doesn’t quite get up yet, not when a beautiful woman is staring at her face and giving her attention. she grins, her eyes sweeping over alana’s face. “as long as i make an impression! but i hope it was a good one. especially since you potentially might be my match.” yuna winks at her, a smirk growing on her face until she bursts into laughter. when she gets back up on her feet, she holds her hand out to alana. “i’m yuna, by the way. thank you again for being my knight in shining armor. i’ve always wanted to feel like a princess…”

if  alana  were  to  be  completely  honest , whether  that  first  impression  was  a  good  one  was  still  to  be  decided , she  has  never  been  a  person  to  make  her  mind about  someone  right  away , she  needed  to  observe  more .  listening  to  yuna’s  words , she  gives  her  a  closeted  smile  followed  by  a  quiet  laugh  along  side  the  girl’s .  “ hm ... i’ll  have  to  get  back  at  you  with  that  one .”  she  shrugged , taking  the  offered  hand  in  hers  without hesitation .  “ nice  to  meet  you , yuna ! i’m  alana .”  knight  in  shining  amor , now  that  was  some  words  alana  never  thought  would  be  used  to  talk  about  her . she  slowly  nodded  her  head , another  chuckle  leaving  her  lips  right  after . “ it’s  no  problem ! it’s  not  like  i’ve  done  much  but  i’m  happy  i  made  you  feel  like  a  princess  then. i  think  i  can  assume  my  first  impression  was  good , huh ? ”

{ - }

Alana caught Juliana’s attention, in more ways than one. First of all, she was obviously stunning, but it was something else that had Jules paused, eyes narrowed as she regarded the other woman for a moment. “Excuse me–” she held out a finger, as her lips curled into a knowing smile. “Forgive me if I’m wrong, but that accent sounds awfully familiar…” She was all too eager to turn to her native tongue, the issue of the chairs momentarily forgotten as she posed the more important question at hand, of course, in Portugese. “That’s a Brazilian dialect if I’ve ever heard one…” she paused, catching herself with a sheepish laugh. “Sorry, sorry– got a little distracted there, forgot my manners… I’m Juliana, but please, call me Jules.”

alana  stood  still , now  starring  at  the  dark  haired  girl  instead  of  the  chairs , waiting  to  see  what  she’d  come  up  with  next . the  brunette  was  aware  of  her  accent  and  was  used  to  having  some  people  commenting  on  it , sometimes  in  a  more  unpleasant  way  than  others , but  that  wasn’t  something  to  ever  bother  her . however , when  her  ears  caught  the  sound  of  juliana’s  voice  in  her  native  language , her  expression  changed  completely , being  somewhat  shocked , as  her  eyebrows  raised  and  lips parted  slightly .   “ so  there’s  another  brazilian  in  here ? what  are  the chances ... ”  it  wasn’t  very  common  for  alana  to  meet  other  brazilians  since  moving  to  the  usa , and  the  possibility  of  meeting  one  in  that  show  has  never  even  crossed  her  mind .  “ it’s  nice  to  meet  you , jules ! and  this  is  one  of  the  times  i  mean  it  the  most , trust  me ! ”