COCO JONES Wins The Best New Artist at the BET Awards 2023

LISTEN ( x ) / @nepofminspo

hot hot / pressure / go to town / atm / best friend ( special guest appearance from @gemmajcmes ) / girls / mooo! / juicy / persuasive / somebody like you ( orchestral version ) / tia tamera / bottom bitch / yucky blucky fruitcake / cyber sex / like that / rules / stressed / crazy / streets / say so

simone was a girls' girl through and through; she collected women as friends like they were pokemon going out of style. there was nothing that she loved more than a good friendship with another woman, and that was exactly what she had with luci. they just.. meshed well together, and even though luci was a few years older than her, that didn't stop them from being such great friends. "i'm so glad you enjoyed the show! it was the first time i performed a few of those songs for a live audience, so it was a little nerve wracking, but i'm glad everyone seemed to love it." the excitement coming off of luciana only fueled her own. she quirked up an eyebrow. "wait - another fight? when was the first one? you know what.. don't even tell me. let's try to focus on the fun and not the drama." she hugged her back firmly, her hand rubbing against her back in an affectionate gesture. "lead the way! i have no idea where anything is - i didn't have time to scope out the festival earlier."

                          feeling  arms  around  her  ,  luciana  looked  back  before  a  huge  smile  pulled  at  the  corners  of  her  lips  at  the  sight  of  simone  .  once  she  was  facing  her  ,  luciana  reached  out  and  grabbed  her  hands  .          ❛      simone  !  you  were  so  good  !  literally  ,  showstopper  stats  !     ❜        and  luciana  𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐘  believed  that  .          (     she  was  insanely  talented  .     )         there  was  no  taking  that  away  from  her  .  not  only  did  she  write  𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆  music  but  she  put  on  𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆  shows   ,  not  to  mention  her  live  presence  .          ❛     are  you  kidding  ?  can't  wait  !  honestly  ,  i  probably  𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃  to  keep  you  by  my  side  .  everyone  is  losing  their  shit  out  here  !  next  thing  i  know  ,  another  fight  will  break  out  or  something  .     ❜          she  spoke  before  pulling  the  other  girl  into  a  hug  ,  pulling  away  shortly  after  ,          ❛     it's  so  good  to  see  you  ! we have to go get some celebratory drinks after that amazing set you just had !     ❜

the designer didn't bother trying to stifle the snort that slipped past his lips, matching it with an eye roll that couldn't be described as anything else but fond. no matter how much grief they gave each other or how much they bickered and argued, tristan would always hold a special place in dontaz's heart. "yeah, you better bask in it as much as you can, because it'll be a cold day in hell before it ever happens again. compliments from me are precious and not easily given." he could practically feel the high energy coming off of tristan in waves. it filled him with a little happiness knowing that someone he cared about was finally getting to have their moment, and that he was obviously enjoying it. "ha!" he laughed, the sound loud and heavy. "not at all. listen.. i know that you've been in love with me for the longest time and you're just starting to accept your feelings, but you and me.. it could never work. i could never be with a man that uses coupons."

                    a  smile  crossed  over  the  males  lips  as  he  made  his  way  closer  to  dontaz  .  the  two  shared  an  interesting  bond  .  always  poking  at  each  other  ,  giving  the  other  a  hard  time  but  at  the  end  of  the  day  ,  they  cared  .  where  the  hell  would  tristan  be  𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐓  dontaz's  presence  in  his  life  ?  what  would  the  world  be  without  dontaz  ?          (      probably  ,  boring  .     )          ❛     wow  ,  i  gotta  record  this  moment  .  can't  forget  the  moment  dontaz  moore  praised  me  like  this  .  kinda  feel  like  𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘  .     ❜         the  brunette  joked  ,  honestly  ,  he  was  riding  a  high  .  the  𝐀𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄  from  playing  a  show  as  popular  as  the  festival  they  were  at  .  some  big  names  playing  and  still  ,  his  band  got  a  chance  .  it  seemed  like  a  𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌  .          ❛     is  this  the  part  where  you  finally  admit  that  you're  in  love  with  me  ?     ❜         he  teased  ,  a  laugh  following  his  words  .  the  sarcasm  always  being  thrown  between  the  two  .

simone couldn't help but laugh at sasha's quick recovery, shaking her head in amusement. "i'm glad you're looking forward to them! i am too. there's so many different artists performing tonight.. it's going to be like hitting shuffle on my spotify playlist - you never know what genre you're going to get." she affectionately rubbed her hand against the hand that squeezed her arm. "hopefully you won't be disappointed by what i bring to the stage."

"no, not really," sasha even shook her head in response to simone's question though she was also quick to realize that made her seem uninterested which was far from the case. "i'm excited for all of the different sets!" she explained, "oh you're telling me. i feel like i'm melting," she laughed, "i can't wait to see it," she reached out to give simone's arm an excited squeeze.

the smile on dontaz's face widened considerably at their answer, watching as abel took the drink from his hand. "you and me both." he cocked his head to the side, a playful glint in his eyes. "now why would i ruin the surprise like that? don't you trust me?" he asked, before letting out a laugh. "i'm just fuckin' with you. it's just a little bit of tequila. it's a festival after all, right? had to bring out the good stuff."

"well, you don't have to tell me twice," abel laughed as they eagerly accepted the frozen drink from dontaz. "i'm a sucker for all things frozen," they added. though, it wasn't entirely true. "a secret ingredient, you say?" they arched an eyebrow, "do i get any hints? or do i have to guess what it is?" they took a sip of the drink.

simone had to admit that having friends that never failed to hype her up was one of the biggest reasons why she had so much confidence in herself and her music. they always sung her good praises, even the ones who were more brutally honest than others. even if her music wasn't their tastes, they still gave her positive feedback and, when it was needed, constructive criticism. "please, now you're just trying to flatter me." the words were playfully, dripping in fake modesty as she waved the other off. "i'm so glad that you enjoyed my set though! i actually haven't performed in a bit, so i was a little rusty." and by 'a bit', she meant in a month or two. which, in the grand scheme of things wasn't a long time. "you know what? you're absolutely right. i should be celebrating - and you're going to celebrate with me."

               luna   was   shaking   her   head   before   simone   could   even   finish   her   question.   ❝   are   you   kidding   ?   ❞   the   exclaimed,   body   leaning   in   in   an   exaggerated   manner   that   matched   the   tone   they   took.   ❝   the   only   thing   anyone   was   paying   attention   to   was   how   good   you   sounded,   how   good   you   looked,   and   how   fucking   good   you   performed   !   ❞   as   someone   who   knew   just   hard   hard   it   was   to   pull   a   show   together,   even   if   it   was   just   a   short   slot   in   the   grand   scheme   of   things,   luna   knew   the   uncertainties   and   second   guessing   that   was   going   through   simone's   mind.   but   she   also   knew   that   simone   was   someone   who   was   born   for   this.   there   was   a   lot   of   talent   in   the   world,   but   very   few   who   exuded   star   quality   just   be   existing.   simone   was   one   of   those   people.   ❝   anyone   who   didn't   get   to   watch   your   set   is   going   to   regret   it   for   the   rest   of   their   lives,   you   were   amazing   nena.   you   should   be   celebrating   right   now   !   ❞

"hm? oh, i'm fine! don't worry about me. a little push definitely isn't enough to take me out." he politely waved off their concerns with a wave of his hand. "i hope i didn't hurt you or anything. i know i'm not exactly small." with his taller frame, it wouldn't be a surprise to him if he had accidentally caused her harm. "or your shoes." he glanced down at their shoes, frowning a bit. "they're cute. way too cute to be ruined because of some asshole at a festival."

mikayla  stops  in  their  tracks  when  the  other  is  suddenly  on  their  path,  she  grumbles  under  her  breathe  and  is  ready  to  make  her  distaste  louder  when  she  notices  the  situation.  her  features  soften  as  she  realizes  it  wasn't  his  fault  in  the  matter,  mikayla  sighs  and  shake  her  head  "  it's  fine,  i  agree..  "  she  turns  to  the  culprit  rolling  their  eyes  "  some  people  need  some  manners.  are  you  hurt  ?  "

dontaz was no stranger to relationships. at his age, he had been involved with plenty of people both romantically and sexually, and while a good amount of those relationships were fly-by flings, a few of them were serious and lasted a solid amount of time. but like most things, both good and bad, they came to an end. although his dynamic with luciana never really ended. they had stripped away the relationship aspect of it and left behind the sexual aspects of it; which dontaz didn't mind. however it seemed to be something that plagued luci. as much as she tried to seem indifferent to his presence, dontaz couldn't help but bask in the fact that he still had the ability to make her flustered, even after all this time. "seems as if us running into each other is fate.. or you're just hard pressed to seek me out whenever you know i'm around." a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "did you miss me that much?"

❛ ⏤ 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 ╱ 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐙 ( @libcrtine )

                       luciana  didn't  know  if  there'd  ever  be  a  day  when  seeing  dontaz  𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓  make  her  want  to  immediately  turn  around  and  run  for  the  hills  . . .  she  didn't  know  if  there'd  also  ever  be  a  day  when  she  𝐃𝐈𝐃𝐍'𝐓  ignore  those  feelings  to  get  the  hell  out  of  dodge  .  that  she  didn't  go  against  every  voice  in  the  back  of  her  head  and  go  up  to  him  anyways  .           ⏤           almost  as  if  she  was  trying  to  act  𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐙𝐄𝐃  and  𝐔𝐍𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃  by  being  in  his  presence  ,           (      despite  them  both  knowing  that  couldn't  be  any  further  from  the  truth  .     )           luciana  pressed  her  lips  together  ,  flipping  some  of  her  hair  back  and  behind  her  shoulder  .         ❛     dontaz  ,     ❜         she  asked  ,  still  trying  to  seem  unaffected  even  though  she  was  currently  𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆  on  the  inside  .          ❛     so  many  people  here  and  we  still  manage  to  run  into  each  other  .  not  sure  what  that  says  about  either  of  us  .      ❜          other  than  ,  it  said  that  she  𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍'𝐓  stay  away  but  that  was  besides  the  point  .

"you're welcome! i always give props when they're deserved, you know? and you definitely deserve them. honestly, i don't think bass players get enough credit from people who aren't musically inclined. it's such an important aspect of music.. half the music the world loves would be shit without bass players." she nodded her head enthusiastically, her hands clapping together. "yes, i loved it. i could tell you were feeling yourself out there - as you should. i hope it's not the last time you decide to let loose."

                    joey   feels   out   of   place   as   compliments   come   his   way   .       it   isn’t   that   he   doesn’t   appreciate   them   ;       he   just   struggles   to   respond   properly   .       hand   instinctively   rise   ,   short   nails   nervously   grazing   the   back   of   his   neck   as   he   turns   to   meet   simone’s   gaze   .       “   thank   you   ,   simone   .       i   really   appreciate   it   .   ”       he   manages   to   utter   ,   a   surge   of   gratitude   warming   features   .       “   did   you   enjoy   my   take   on   the   songs   ?       i   mean   ,   i’m   all   about   hiding   behind   the   bass   and   letting   everyone   else   shine   ,   but   for   some   reason   ,   i   was   feeling   a   little   adventurous   and   decided   to   give   it   a   shot   .   ”

the differences in personality between the two of them were more than enough for outside eyes to judge their friendship. people who knew both tristan and nigel were oftentimes confused and shocked by how close the two of them were. even though nigel wasn't the most affectionate person, verbally or physically, he held his friendship with tristan in very high regard. even though he had his questionable habits and behavior from time to time, nigel would still go to bat for him. just as much as he would call tristan out on his sometimes shitty behavior. "oh damn.. i haven't heard that song in years. are you guys going to put a spin on it, or keep it close to the original?" he snorted under his breath. "remember who you're talking to.. who else would i tell?" not only did nigel not have that many friends who he would go gabbing off to, but he was good at keeping secrets.

                      there  was  something  calm  about  being  around  nigel  .  a  calm  that  tristan  didn't  have  a  lot  of  when  it  came  to  the  people  in  his  life  or  the  𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒  he  put  himself  in  because  . . .  he  wasn't  a  calm  person  .  always  flinging  himself  into  the  fire  at  any  given  moment  .  but  nigel  was  a  breath  of  fresh  air  . . .  or  maybe  they  were  just  a  breath  of  reality  .  a  snap  back  to  how  things  𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘  were  instead  of  this  very  𝐍𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄  outlook  that  tristan  could  have  on  the  world  at  times  .  a  smile  pulled  at  the  males  lips  as  he  looked  over  at  nigel  .  he  was  excited  about  performing  .  this  was  one  of  the  first  big  and  more  𝐌𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌  type  events  or  gigs  his  band  was  able  to  get  .           ❛     we'll  probably  play  our  most  popular  songs  and  then  a  cover  of  untouched  by  the  veronicas  . . .  alessandro  is  𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐃  with  that  song  or  something  .     ❜          he  shook  his  head  before  laughing  .          ❛     but  you're  not  allowed  to  let  anyone  in  on  the  insider  details  .  if  you  do  ,  you're  gonna  have  to  live  with  the  fact  that  you  ,  as  one  of  my  closest  friends  ,  have  betrayed  me  .     ❜          the  brunette  joked  .

nigel offered the other an apologetic, half smile. "my bad. no, i should've been paying more attention. i'm not a fan of people who cut in lines.. they're the scum of the earth. i'd hate to be one of them." his words might have been dramatic, and his tone might have been a little flat, but it was obvious that he was joking. "you can go ahead - one more person in front of me won't make much of a difference."

as usual, roman was distracted, this time by the passing festival goers and their brightly colored outfits, the food in their hands, pretty much everything. he'd completely forgotten that he was in line for food himself until nigel said something. "oh shit," he blinked, "yeah i was but you're good man," he smiled, "i should probably pay more attention."

"i'm using my powers for good by giving you one of these water bottles, right?" nigel asked, a soft chuckle escaping their lips as they shook their head. "and i wouldn't say i'm lucky... just blessed," he joked, lips quirking up into a smile. he unscrewed the cap on the bottle of water when she took the second one, bringing it up to his lips and downing a good portion of it. "what's there to do around this thing? ...that doesn't involve a lot of people." finding something to do at a festival that didn't involve hoards of people would be quite the task, but nigel was up for it if she was.

sofia  turns  to  the  source  of  the  voice  as  it  reaches  her,  she  smiles  at  him.  eyes  slowly  widening  as  they  continue  to  explain  their  predicament  "  what  ?  "  she  said  exasperated,  "  someone  gave  you  a  free  water  at  a  music  festival  ?  dude,  you  know  how  lucky  you  are  ?  that's  crazy,  if  i  were  you  i  would  try  to  use  my  powers  for  good  now.  "  she  laughs  lightly  but  finally  nods  in  response  "  but,  yeah,  i  actually  am  thirsty.  thanks.  "  she  goes  to  grab  the  bottle  and  grins  at  the  other.

eyes low from the weed and alcohol that coursed through her system, she was surprised when a familiar face approached her. tristan was the last person she expected to willingly interact with her, especially with the amount of tension that lingered between them whenever they were in the same vicinity with one another. she bit back a sarcastic response to the praise he gave her. "thanks.. so were you." simone couldn't lie. tristan was talented and knew how to put on a good show; she had to give him his props where they were due. she hesitated at the question, her lips parting to respond, before she cut herself off. did she really want to accept his offer? her immediate thought was no, but the substances flowing through her bloodstream lessened her inhibitions and made her a little bit more susceptible to being swayed. "you know what? yeah.. okay, i'll take that drink. do you remember what i like?" she asked, quirking up an eyebrow in jest, testing to see if he still remembered her drink of choice - anything with vodka in it.

𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 ╱ @ 𝐒𝐈𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐄 ( @libcrtine )

                     as  the  day  started  creeping  into  the  night  ,  tristan  was  already  drunk  ,  high  . . .  name  it  ,  he  was  𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  and  𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆  imaginable  .  taking  a  break  from  the  crowds  ,  tristan  stood  near  the  side  of  some  merchandise  tents  before  his  gaze  was  directed  to  the  very  familiar  figure  .  sure  ,  he  probably  𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃'𝐕𝐄  left  simone  alone  . . .  for  so  many  reasons  .  he  was  already  forcing  her  to  work  with  him  .  the  least  he  could  do  was  leave  her  alone  when  they  were  outside  the  studio  but  as  if  he  was  a  moth  to  the  flame  .  tristan  made  his  way  over  to  the  girl  .          ❛     you  were  amzing  up  there  today  .     ❜         tristan  mentioned  ,  despite  her  being  off  the  stage  for  a  bit  now  .  it  was  still  𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄  and  the  words  couldn't  be  any  more  true  .          ❛      can  i  get  you  a  drink  ?     ❜         there  was  something  that  seemed  inappropriate  about  trying  to  spend  time  with  simone  without  the  𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒  he  was  using  to  spend  time  with  her  .          (     making  music  together  being  one  of  them  .     )          but  here  he  was  ,  unable  to  pull  himself  away  from  her  .          ❛     i  promise  ,  i  come  in  peace  .  no  fighting  ,  just  a  drink  between  . . .  colleagues  .     ❜

"you're asking me?" simone couldn't help but be surprised, albeit a little amused, by the question. as far as any of the people she associated with knew, she avoided tristan like the plague. he was the last person she wanted to keep tabs on - or at leas that was what she consistently kept trying to tell herself. "um.." she took a second to think about it. "not up close. i saw him disappear into a room backstage like an hour ago, but that was the last time i saw him. why?"

simone / @libcrtine

in  the  grand  scheme  of  things  then  it  was  quite  obvious  that  alessandro  had  a  strange  obsession  with  hating  his  cousin  ,  their  relationship  up  and  down  at  any  moment  .  simone  seemed  many  a  time  to  be  caught  in  the  middle  of  his  complicated  feelings  about  tristan  having  everything  that  he  didn't  deserve  (  and  aless  did  )  .  sunglasses  on  ,  he  is  actually  looking  for  tristan  rather  than  planning  to  tattle  to  simone  about  whatever  is  upsetting  him  these  days  when  he  bumps  into  the  woman  .  "  have  you  seen  tristan  ?  "

COCO JONES — for Barbie x Boohoo (June 30, 2023)

(   ❝ 𝓭.   //   starter for @flowcrbcds   )

"watch where the fuck you're going!" dontaz snapped at the person who had not so graciously bumped into him, forcing him to step into someone else's personal space - and right onto their foot. he turned to the person he had unknowingly assaulted, flashing them a smile. "sorry about that. some people," he cut his gaze sharply over to the back of the person who had caused their collision, before looking back at them, "don't know how to be aware of their surroundings."