Location: Golden Hour Lounge

Open: @aurorabaystarter

Dilan smiled as she walked off the stage waving at the happy crowd. Nights like these at Golden Hour were incredibly fulfilling, each set reminding her why she continued to sing even if all she had run into was trouble as a result. Happily walking up to the bar, "I'll have my usual," she asked the bartender as they made quick work of her drink. Pushing the French 75 towards her, "for you, from them," they told her, pointing in the other direction.

"Are you enjoying your night?" She asked the stranger.

She grinned widely, "you're kidding, that seems like the dream," she spoke excitedly. If only her own father would let her follow her dreams, life would have been so much more simpler. Instead, she had been defeated and took a break from trying to accomplish her dreams after burn out had taken her down.

Anytime music was mentioned, Dilan's heart fluttered and knew only those passionate about music would understand, "I think I'm starting to feel less regret about moving here than I did before," she teased.

"Whatever label it is, I'll be looking forward to it," she beamed, "I think there will be a lot we can talk about." She felt stupid to feel giddy for a date. Dilan couldn't remember the last time anyone had asked her out formally. It had all been about sly remarks and casual get togethers that she forgot what it was like to actually be treated well, "sounds good," she grabbed the record, walking towards the cash register, "of course. So I'll see you on Saturday?"

END.

"It's my place." He was proud to be able to accomplish a close second dream after his first one. It was the second time he had heard that the store must've been a dream job though he did wonder the reasons why others stated that. It could be different from the dream he thought it was.

"It seems so." The best connections were always over music and those seemed to be lasting connections as people who he shared music with would always be special in his heart.

He nodded, a little shock as he wasn't expecting to get this far. "Could be just getting to know each other better, but, a date works too." He didn't want her to feel any pressure over it. It did make him quite giddy inside that she accepted. Being forward got him places, most of the time. Now he would be able to get to know her better instead and looking past her beauty although that was a plus. "Sounds like a... date and I can check you out any time." He felt his face turn red as that wasn't what he meant. "I meant the record you want when you're ready."

The familiar voice made Dilan's eyes roll into the back of her skull as she tried to hold back from releasing a giant sigh from her chest. It was hard to forget the man her sister had been married to. It was through his own behavior that made Dilan dislike Nelson and even after their divorce Dilan kept her wits and still hated the man.

Glaring back, "that's on purpose, Nelson," she wasn't pretending anymore, not since him and her sister and ended things. Dilan would make it known how much she didn't enjoy his company, "I didn't think we ever liked each other?" The only reason she wouldn't bitch him out in this coffee shop was for her sister's sake.

Closed for @kissedfist

Location: Driftwood

Nelson knew that not everyone in town was going to be friends with him but he was one of those people who still liked to be liked. It was why when he would run into Dilan he still tried to on some level to have a good conversation. There was a lot of history between their families and while he knew ninety nine percent of it could be attributed to his own reckless and sad twenties he still was trying to improve on some level. He wasn’t that person anymore and while he still had a bit of a hedonistic streak to him; he also just had his head on straight more now. As he walked into the coffee shop he noticed he was right behind the woman in question in line and wasn’t sure what to say at first. “ Morning Dilan, I haven’t seen you around lately “ He replied with a smile smile

Dilan stared over at him, surprised he was expanding further on his life, "is she your only sibling?" Even though Dilan promised herself that she would keep herself out of a man's bed, her basic urges took over. Sleeping with him should have never happened. Dilan was trying to turn a whole new page but she failed almost instantly. "I think my brothers worry, but sometimes it doesn't come off like that..." Emir cared about Dilan and the choices she made, but his loyalty to their father was far more stronger than anything else.

Her throat tightened as he asked her what this was between them. Dilan herself was unsure. Like every other situationship that she stumbled into, she assumed it was casual. He was an eligible bachelor in a high demanding career... she didn't expect a label on it, "I mean, I'm not asking for one," she clarified, "this was fun! Hanging out with you has been fun!" Chuckling, "yes, that's at least one thing in your favor," she teased, swallowing, "you really don't need to put a label on this. I'm pretty chill, I swear."

Dilan thought she heard incorrectly, "really? But why?" It seemed like a stupid question to ask, but she was genuinely confused why the man she shared the bed with pursued here when there was a million other girls.

Chase remains observant, wondering what was going through her mind in this moment. He knew the last few weeks the two of them were dancing around where he knew this would take them which was here in bed together. His tongue brushes along his lower lip as he keeps the side of his head against his hand even as she moves to put her phone back on the nightstand. "I have a little sister." He was aware that she was stronger than he gave her credit for and more than capable of handling herself in a situation like this. Plus he had a feeling she was still huddled in her apartment where he assumes most people were doing. "It's a brother's job to worry about their sister."

His eyebrows furrow together at her words, the confusion plain and simple on his features. "Okay... And what is it?" He asks. He's more than sure about the reputation he's built for himself throughout the years since the first two women he actually tried to give the relationship a chance with; ended it as the other ghosted him. His eyebrow arches up as he chuckles lowly, nodding his head. "At least I got that point going for me."

"I'm not pretending. I've been trying to get you alone for weeks, Dilan. I'm down to do whatever you want."

Dilan hadn't expected a follow up from Daniel. After all it had been so long since she had given her number to him. She thought to herself another typical guy playing hard to get or some other bullshit, so when she had gotten his call, she was surprised to be asked out on a date this time. Things had gotten complicated since she saw him last: there was Chase, for one. She was keeping her guard up to protect herself, but he was insistent on getting to know her. Dilan worried she was just another conquest to him.

Nodding with a smile, "yes, please," she looked around, "have you ever been to this thing before?" The festival gave her small town vibes and that was something she had never experienced before back home or in New York.

closed starter for: @kissedfist // location: ab botanical gardens // a long awaited date.

With the storm and all—Daniel had held off on reaching out to Dilan since they exchanged numbers. He had meant to do so earlier, but thought it'd be best until the town returned to 'normal'. The Spring festival felt like the perfect setting to get to know her more and he was grateful that Dilan had responded to him. He was excited to see her again, especially after learning that she sang at Golden Hour Lounge—not that he had seen her perform yet. He stood at the entrance of the garden when she came into view. He shifted his weight as she got closer, a smile slowly spreading on his face. "Ready to explore this place with me?"

Thank you, she murmured, walking off the stage as the small crowd gave their soft applause. Singing at the Golden Hour Lounge was hardly what Dilan imagined her future to be, but it wasn't the worst way to spend her time. Yes, she technically didn't need to work with her sister basically covering all her expenses, but she was enjoying this. For once, the stress of trying to impress a man in hopes that he would get her connected to important people were no longer there.

Dilan watched from the bar as someone interrupted, "hi there," she smiled, "it's nice to meet you, I'm Dilan," she introduced herself as she grinned widely. "Thank you that's very sweet of you," shrugging, "a few months now, actually. Moved here from New York." She grew excited, "oh my god, I can't wait to hear you sing!" Maybe it was the high of her set, but she was more than excited.

Closed: @kissedfist Concept: Befriending a fellow singer. Location: The Golden Hour Lounge

Wow did she sound incredible. Delfina wouldn't be starting until the end of the month, but she wanted to come check out the crowd and scene on the nights she would be performing. The energy was so incredible that it vibrated through her body and bones. It was getting her more and more excited for what was to come and she figured it'd be in her best interest to befriend the other talents.

Waiting for a few minutes to go by, Delfina grabbed her drink and approached the brunette. "Hi!" she said waving towards Dilan. "I'm Delfina, I'm gonna be singing here soon, so I thought to introduce myself. You sounded so incredible!" The Francis knew people had the tendency to boost people's ego, but she was being incredibly genuine. Plus, it wouldn't be in her worst interest to have a friend or two around here. "Have you been performing here for a while?"

Great, Dilan thought to herself as he spoke out the sentiments she had hoped wouldn't be the case with him. Guess she'd be taking care of him for the rest of the night, "okay, well you're not alone anymore tonight, we're going to hang out, even if you didn't want to," she teased. Instead of following her instructions, Lennon let out a loud howl after he spoke the words wolf and the other patrons had turned to look at the pair, "nope, you don't need to howl, I promise," she interjected as best as she could.

It only took a single second to look away for him to find another drink and begin to down it, "no, please," she whined, "I thought we were drinking water, Lennon?" He was shitfaced enough to where Dilan could barely keep him upright and if he were to have more, the two would be on the floor easily, "taking care of a drunk man? Not very long," she joked, "as for singing, my entire life in a way, but I've been here for a month or so."

"Alone—" A hiccup cut him off, rippling through his body and for a brief moment he encountered some semblance of sobriety. It was short lived, and carried little impact as his palms came up to hit his chest to knock out the last of the gasp for air and add theatrics to his next statement. "People don't always need an entourage to enjoy themselves. How much fun have I had here tonight on my own? Think of it as a lone wolf."

And with that, a howl escaped him that was interrupted by a laugh. It created enough of a scene on their slot along the bar counter for him to snag another sip of a drink he'd been told to leave alone.

"How long you been doing this, anyways?"

Dilan kicked off her heels as she counted the tips she had made at the Lounge. She wobbled slightly, a side effect of the few drinks she had through the night. It was a good one for her and now she waited for the Uber to take her back home. Driving was the one thing that Dilan wasn't willing to budge on quite yet and missed the public transportation New York City offered.

A voice spoke up out of the darkness, one that was speaking gibberish, "huh? Moonlight?" Dilan questioned the stranger as she looked around, "have you recently smoked? And if so, where can I get some?"

☆ﾟ*·ﾟWITH A NAME like Halley, of course she had a love for the stars and all kinds of constellations. Because of this obsession, the redheaded got herself in some incredibly sticky situations, including the one today. It'd just gotten dark, and there weren't all that many cars on the rode, so Halley decided it was the perfect time to work with her stargazing notebook. This was how she was splayed out in the middle of the damn street, with a notebook rested on the asphalt and purple, blue, and pink colored pencils next to her. She hadn't expected anyone to be around, and as a result, the sass was remarkable. "You're blocking my moonlight and if these colors are off, you'll be hearing from the constellations and trust me, you don't want to piss them off."

@aurorabaystarter

kissedfist​:

gavin-carrigan​:

Gavin noted her comment and had to admit that did sound like a logical kid answer. “ I mean not even Spotify has all of the songs. There are a lot of things the service hasn’t found versions of yet” He looked at her at her next comment and was pretty impressed with what she was looking for. “ I feel like an original press might be with the more collector items, but weathered it’s probably gonna cost like around 40-60 still. It’s a good original press to look for. Do you ever listen to any Floyd when they still had Syd Barrett?”

“ that also makes me feel incredibly old. “ Gavin laughed softly. “ Is he a huge collector ? I hope it wasn’t to just shut you up. My dad had his studio so I had a habit of sneaking in there when he wasn’t looking to listen to music, eventually he just left door open. “

...

Nodding, "of course," she grinned, "the gnome is great. I feel like when he fronted the band his sound was a lot more psychedelic and that's saying something." Sure, Dark Side of the Moon was her favorite album, but it didn't stop her from delving deep into their discography. "Personally I'm torn, because yes, I love their sound after Barrett got the boot, but then there's the question of what else he could have made."

Shaking her head, "you're not old, I just looked for an escape through music," she admitted, "he did, until I took it all," she grinned. Music was her father's escape at one point in time: a time that he was out searching for himself in his young twenties until he focused on the family business. She hated to admit that the two were alike.

Nodding, "yeah and two older brothers," she mumbled mindlessly, looking at her phone desperately to save her. It's wasn't as if she didn't enjoy her night with him, but things end once their climaxes are reached and she didn't want to come off as clingy to him. "Usually they're the ones worrying about me," she sighed, realizing that willing her phone to have service wouldn't work she placed it on the night stand before laying back down.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned to him, "listen, I know we're stuck together for the night, but I know what this is." Dilan wasn't an idiot, she knew most men had the intention of one night only and she was sure Chase was no different. She didn't blame him, it was the way their society was, "well I do appreciate you not kicking me out on my ass while there is a storm outside."

She laughed, "well board games might me a little lackluster considering the other we did tonight," sighing, "but really, you don't have to pretend."

Chase turns off his phone, placing it on his nightstand as he glances over towards her. "You have a sister?" He's not sure what prompted the question. His usual flings were in and out now this one was going to be stuck with him all night. He didn't necessarily see it as stuck as she probably did since he had to use his hefty duty moves on her. A little part of him was shocked she didn't reject him like she usually did.

"You're not imposing." He shakes his head. "I invited you over, it's not really your fault a storm prevented you from leaving." He keeps his dark orbs on her. "I didn't really want you to leave either." He moves his fingers towards the strands of her brunette hair, twirling a bit of it around his index finger. "Plus I got board games we can play or..." He drifts his fingertips along her arm.

"We could also get to know each other more."

"If you escape them, can you tell me how? I've been trying to do that all my life and I've failed miserably each time," she laughed, sipping on her drink. Dilan thought of every man that had come into her life and left her worse off then before. Maybe she chased the things she had never gotten from her father and was doomed to repeat the cycle.

Leaning forward as Vanessa suggested an idea, "we can do that and I'll do the same for you," Dilan wasn't sure if she loved the idea or just had too much to drink, "I just have very little control in my life, it's pathetic really," she made fun of her own shitty habits, "I said I swore off men for the time being and I fell into bed with a guy who definitely hasn't thought about me since and then a guy who asked me on a real date, which I don't know what to do with," she said spilling everything.

"Yeah, the raging narcissists is what I'm trying to get away from," Vanessa admits, taking in a guilty suck of air through her teeth. She's often hard on herself about the way her marriage panned out and the things she didn't see in it or willfully ignored for so long.

Then again, what way was there to detect that the boy you met and fell in love with at seventeen would grow into a self-involved man who grew irritated when your life stopped revolving around his?

Then an idea occurred to her.

"Hey, do you wanna make a dating pact? Like, if I meet a guy who is nice but doesn't fit my vibe I send him your way?"

"I would hope so," she joked, "so this is your place?" She referred to the vinyl shop, "sounds like you have a dream job." Since she was little, all Dilan wanted was to be surrounded with music, even if her father would yell and tell her to turn it down, she never listened. He should have known then that he wouldn't be able to sway Dilan in the direction he wanted.

"I could never, only because depending on the type of day my answer might change as well." Dilan hadn't expected to meet anyone in Aurora Bay who shared the same passion she did when it came to music, especially so quick. "Thank you and by the sound of it, I think we enjoy the same type of music."

At first, she didn't quite process his offer, only digesting the offer of a half price record. It wasn't until she stood there silent for a moment that he was asking her on a date, "a date?" It came out incredulously, only because it wasn't a request she had heard about, especially during the day. Usually the invitations were made under the guise of night after a few too many scotch on the rocks and with the promise of furthering her music career, not that she was referencing a specific incident or anything.

"I think that would be nice," she said quietly, surprised at all of it, "we can talk more about our favorite albums. I'll give you my number and you can text me where you'd like to meet."

Daniel held his head high with a smile when he noted the woman blush. It landed, good, because she was cute. "It's a good thing that music lovers are my favorite people then." Keep the momentum up, right?

A small grin formed as soon as she said that. "Good to know." The more she spoke, the more it confirmed that she was his kind. The music lovers. "I, too, am indecisive. Don't hold it against me if I say a different favorite the next time I see you." He spoke confidently. If he was going to settle down, he had to take a shot with women he found attractive and had something in common with even if it led nowhere. "I like the range you have." Though he is the kind to fall quite fast too and he knew that. "Now that you're here, I realized I'm running a limited-time offer instore. It's half price any record you buy, and you get a free drink or coffee with me, valid within five days."

Dilan laughed, a small blush creeping on her cheeks, "you flatter me sir, I'm just a music lover," she silently cursed herself by being swayed by a few flirty words. However, music wasn't something she pretended to be when she said music had been her life for so long. It was her escape when her father pressured her into a life she never wanted. She left all the business dealings to her sister and brothers.

"Wow, great choices, love the Janis Joplin mention." Sighing, "something you should know about me though is that I am way too indecisive to choose a favorite," she reasoned with him. Shrugging, "off the top of my head though, I need to go with Arcade Fire's 'The Suburbs,' even if it's a little different than psychedelic rock."

The fastest way to Daniel’s heart was music especially if there was shared love for an artist or album. He didn’t believe the woman in front of him was real after her answer. "And the gods made love and sent you right to me.” He couldn't help let the flirty line slip, and whether she responded was up to her. “If we stay in that era itself, Cheap Thrills by Big Brother & The Holding Company would be a favorite.” He thought for a moment as he tried to think what album was his favorite now. "If we jump to current times..." He trailed off bringing his hand to his chin, "Any album by Durand Jones & The Indications, probably."

Dilan stared at the ceiling, her fingers picking at her nail beds. She did the one thing she promised not to do: jump into sleeping with a stranger without a second thought. She told herself over and over again that she needed to focus on herself and heal after New York, but here she was falling into old patterns once more.

"Hmm?" She turned her head towards Chase, "what?" She grabbed her phone that had been discarded on the floor along with the rest of her clothes, "shit, I need to make sure my sister's okay." Maybe it wasn't Dilan's smartest move to hook up a man who was a stranger only a few hours ago in the middle of a severe weather incident.

"Damn, no service," she cursed her own bad decisions. Aurora Bay was supposed to be a new start and she ended up doing the same things. She offered a small smile, "so we're stuck together for the night?" Biting her lower lip nervously, "I swear I didn't mean to impose," she trailed off. Dilan had heard Chase mention something about being a footballer and realized she was another conquest. Now the one night stand was making herself comfortable at his place for the night.

CHASE'S PLACE w/ @kissedfist

Earlier in the night, Chase went to the lounge. He wasn't exactly seeking out to take someone home especially since him and Valentine promised to be more discreet about their extracurricular activities but the second his dark orbs fell onto Dilan at the bar, it was all out the window. Two or three drinks later, the two of them decided to head to his place for a night cap... and the night cap led to the both of them being tangled in his sheets at some point.

He lays on his back next to her, catching his breath as he listens to the storm brewing outside. He reaches his hand back towards his phone on the dresser next to him, picking it up and raising it up high enough for him to see the storm warning flashing across his screen. "Ah, it says..." He smirks. "That all residents must remain inside until the storms passes." He turns his head to look over at her as he reaches back to place his phone back on the nightstand. "It seems..." He muses, rolling over to face her. He props his head up on his hand as he brushes his tongue along his lower lip.

"You won't be heading home tonight."

Shrugging, "I feel like most of the men I meet are raging narcissists, I wonder if we were picking them from the same dating pool." First there was her father, a man who thought he knew best in every situation no matter the context and then followed all the men he thought would make a good husband for Dilan. They had to have realized at some point she wouldn't be the subservient woman they desired. She thought leaving Turkey would solve that problem, but the guys who claimed to have their foot in the door of the music industry were just as bad, using their power to put her in her place and taking what they wanted without a second thought.

"It would be easy if they would just tell the truth," she sighed, "I mean they promise you the world and sometimes all you get back is a lackluster sexual experience. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything," she laughed. "It would be easy if that's what you were getting, but I haven't found a man who's been able to even do that."

"Maybe I'm just a magnet for sleeper narcissists," Van thinks out loud with a disgusted curl of her lip at the thought of her ex husband -- if anything, the man had been roaring proof the that people didn't stay who they were when you met them.

Sure, she had changed since she was eighteen too, but she had liked to think it was for the better. But if you couldn't trust someone after over a decade, then how could you trust anyone?

"But I appreciate the guys who are just honest about wanting a hook up, you know? Like, hell, at least they're honest. And sometimes you just need a good ass slap and orgasm to feel on top of the world again, right?"

gavin-carrigan​:

Gavin hadn’t anticipated other people having their own older music tech stories, but it was something he found endlessly fascinating. If you were a certain age you stood on either one of two sides of the argument. Younger people who defended themselves, or those around his own age that find this sort of ignorance a bit surprising but also soul crushing. He hadn’t felt old until he started teacher and now he feels ancient. I wonder how his audience he had when he was famous in his early twenties felt now that they were all older  “ Ouch. I have to admit hearing that one really hurts. They still release a lot of music on CDs now too. It’s an old medium but it’s still done considering most cars have CD players in them. It’s not like VHS tapes where I have no idea where to even buy a VCR. “ Gavin explained before nodding his head at her comment. “ Same. My dad has this music collection I still am green with envy over. “ 

...

Nodding, "I'm not even that old, but it made me feel old. They just asked me how does the music get on there when they just have spotify that has every single song on the universe ready for them at a moment's notice." Her nephews might have been a little spoiled, but that came with the Ozdemir name. "All the while I'm searching for classics on vinyl," she looked through the racks, "I'm looking for 'Dark Side of The Moon' but a weathered version that was obviously made when the record originally came out.

"It's weird how CDs are now vintage," it was a thought that made her shudder, "yeah, my dad gave me all of his music collection when I was younger, but I think that was to just shut me up." Her father was a big scary business owner who didn't have time for anything fun when she was growing up and at least he thought it would keep Dilan calm, but it backfired when she decided she wanted to do music for a living.