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smolwritingchick · 3 months

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The Bangtan Gal Chapter 52- One Person Won't Ruin This

Chapter Summary: Jen figures out a way to meet with the NY VIP fans despite the Hi-touch being canceled due to threats to Rapmon. When hanging with Kevin, Jen forgets about her outing with Jungkook

Words: 6.000+

Genre: Angst in this one :(

----

"Are you kidding...?" Jennie frowned.

BTS stood backstage for their Red Bullet concert in New York. The members were just informed that their concert would be cut short and that the fan meeting was canceled after the alleged threats towards Rap Monster.

Jen felt like everything was going downhill. Not only did someone have the audacity to threaten her beloved leader, but now the fans had to pay the price. This was not fair. People did not spend their hard earned money only for it to be canceled. All because someone wanted to be stupid enough to do this.

The threats were taken seriously and caused the hi-touch to be canceled. This wasn't what Jennie wanted. She was so excited to finally perform with BTS in her country but now it's not going to happen because of this.

Jennie decided to stay at the Best Buy Theatre while the other members left. Diana also stayed with her while Sejin tended to the others.

"If they checked everyone's bags and items for any weapons, they're unarmed, right? There's tight security." Jennie tried to explain to the staff members. "If my president has threats coming to the White House 24/7, every single day and still goes out to do what he does, then I don't understand why I can't."

"Jennie, I understand your concerns and how eager you are to meet the fans but someone's life was threatened. You're acting foolish, right now. What if you get hurt? Who will be responsible?" One of the BTS reps firmly responded.

"The person that did this made this into a dumb prank. It wasn't funny and I hope this person gets caught. Every fan in that audience went through security. There were no weapons found at all. Let me see them. Please. Bring a row at a time, to my dressing room. I have five security guards with me. That's enough to protect me, right? Do I need more? Aren't there also police here? Want them to be around me too, so these fans can at least see me, one member of BTS? Then let's do that. I am not letting one person ruin this." She firmly asserted.

"I don't want our bond with International ARMY to be broken because of some punk ass bitch on the internet that decided to threaten my amazing leader for a prank." She added. "Those people have been waiting so long for Bangtan to come to America. And I don't want to come back to America with Bangtan fearing for their safety or other K-Pop acts feeling hesitant to come here for a concert. We always have concerts in Seoul, and the one time, we finally come to my country, to perform, shit wants to hit the fan, and I gotta suffer not being able to see my fans in my own country. I'm not giving up on seeing my American fans."

Diana knew that when Jen felt strongly about something, she wasn't going down without a fight. Jen would become outspoken and passionate about the things that she wanted to do when someone told her otherwise.

The BTS rep sighed and left the room, while Jennie angrily sat on the couch.

"You want to just do something with the fans, tomorrow?" Diana suggested.

"Diana, there are people that traveled to New York to see us! There are probably fans out there that don't even live in this area, that came here to see us! That spent their hard earned money to see and meet us!" She snapped. "Money does not grow on trees. People have different financial issues and statuses. There were probably families that sacrificed and saved up just enough cash for their child to see their favorite K-Pop group. And those people that traveled to New York tonight, they're probably going home, tomorrow. How unfair will that be if I'll get to see only a majority of people that brought a Hi-Touch ticket, while the rest are already on the road or on a flight to go back to where they live? No. I want to see all of them tonight."

"Of course, you'd say that." She sighed. "You remind me of that time Angelina did something like this when there was a threat at one of Amity's concerts. Hang tight, I'll see what I can do." She left to go find the BTS rep.

Meanwhile, for the audience, the fans that had a hi-touch ticket, the staff members on site walked out to let them know what was happening. The fans protested instantly when they feared for the worse and once they were told that the Hi-Touch was canceled, all hell broke loose. Some even cried.

When fans saw Jennie's manager walk out with the BTS rep, they watched them discussing something that looked important.

"Okay. The first row, follow me, please." The staff member gestured, as everyone in the audience, looked confused.

Where were they going?

With Jennie, she stayed in the room with five security guards, making small talk, instead of just sitting in silence on her phone.

Diana walked back into the room with a couple of police officers and the BTS rep. "One of these days, you're going to make me lose my job." she joked. "I'm just kidding. I managed to talk him into letting you do what you want to do with the fans."

"A-are you serious?" Jennie's eyes lit up as she stood up.

"We're allowing you just once, to let a row at a time, come in here and see you. This won't happen again, and there will be police here to make sure there's no funny business. One time only, under strict supervision. Before the fans see you, they'll only bring in their phones and take off any jackets. And they will be checked by security for any threats just in case."

Jennie happily grinned and hugged her. "Thank you! Thank you, so much!"

Eagerly waiting for the fans to walk in, Jennie sat by the dressing room vanity, with her phone in her hands. She started recording the mirror in front of her, to show the reflection of herself, and behind her was the door where the fans would be walking in.

As soon as the first batch of fans walked in, they turned and immediately pointed her out. Screams of excitement as some covered their mouths and teared up, made Jennie start to smile and laugh. She always got a kick out at how fans reacted to BTS, and it always made her laugh joyfully because it made her happy.

"I think they're shooked," Jennie said on camera and stopped the video, posting it on her Instagram. Getting out of her seat, she placed her phone down and waved, giggling at their reactions. "Hi!"

Some started crying harder and it touched her heart that she had that impact on them.

"Are you real!?" One asked with tears in her eyes.

"I hope so." She grinned sheepishly. "All right, about the hi-touch that's been canceled...y'all pissed aren't you?"

She was met with a loud yes.

"Yes! We are! Do something! This is unfair!" And so on were statements the fans yelled.

"I know. I know. So am I. I'm pissed too." She replied with a frown. "I don't want my country to seem like a violent place where we can't have any more K-Pop events, here. I know you guys wanted to meet all eight of us, tonight. Unfortunately, there will be no hi-touch but would you like to get a Miss Bangtan hug and selfie from me instead?"

She received screams of excitement as she started to laugh softly at their reaction. "I'll take that as a yes. All right, let's form a line."

As they got in line, it would be one person per photo. Jennie knew how frustrating it is to be with a group of fans to take a photo with their favorite K-Pop group. The tight security made sure nothing was suspicious that could harm her before they let a fan approach her.

Call it foolish.

Call it not a wise idea and she may get hurt, but she put her trust in the extra security around her and wanted the fans to go home happy, not disappointed. Not feel like they wasted their money.

These fans spent their hard earned money on a VIP ticket, they should be regarded as a VIP ticket holder, not having to cancel the entire concert.

Meanwhile, with the fans still waiting in the audience, they checked their Twitter and began sharing the news that the first row was actually with Jennie, in BTS' dressing room.

"OMG! They're with Jennie!" A girl screamed, showing her friend.

The statement caught the attention of the rest of the fans, as they started asking questions and checking their Twitter.

"Check her Instagram! She just posted a video!" Another fan shouted.

Someone who was in line tweeted various tweets about what was happening, and it caused everyone waiting to feel excited and their night got better.

"This is why she is my bias." One fan exclaimed.

On social media, some fans were complaining about her stupidity in pulling this stunt. Thinking it's a dumb idea and they wouldn't risk their lives for their fans if there was a gun threat around. Some questioned what if she got hurt and who would be to blame. But others praised her on social media for her bravery despite the gun threat and for her passionate love for her fans. Fans were so grateful that they got to meet at least one member.

This is just another reason why she is one of the most popular members of BTS in her country and why she is one of the idols who provided the best fan service.

"Hey! How you doing?" Jennie embraced the next fan in line for the fourth batch of fans.

"I'm doing better now that I'm meeting you. It's my birthday, today. So thank you for making my night."

"Aw, happy birthday. How old are you, today?"

"13."

"Really? Wow, enjoy your teen years. It'll be a wild ride. You're definitely going to learn a lot about yourself in your teen years. It may even be a little scary but continue to love yourself and have fun."

"I will. I'll remember that." The girl lifted up her phone for a selfie. "Can we take a silly one?"

"Yeah! I'll make a meme face."

------

Back in Philly, Vienna, who had yet to contact Jennie since the incident at her play, had gone to the financial aid office, to pay the next payment for her tuition on her payment plan.

"Miss Walker, your tuition has already been paid for, for the next semester."

"What?" Vienna raised a brow in confusion. "My parents didn't say anything about paying. There must be some sort of mistake."

"Someone else already made the payment."

"Who did?"

"Uh..." The man checked his papers. "She personally said, and I quote, 'Your awesome little sister who you are still mad at. I love you and I'm sorry.' Her name is Jennifer Walker."

Vienna exhaled. Jen was something else and the fact that she helped pay for college with whatever money she got with BTS, made her feel even more sad about all the things she said that day.

"You have got to be kidding."

"Well, indeed she strolled right in here. Such a kind young lady and sweet sister to help you with your tuition. Beautiful smile, too. Enjoy the Fall semester and have a great summer."

"Yeah, you too." Vienna left the office. Taking her phone out, she dialed a number. "Hey, what's BTS' schedule like?"

-----

The next day in Chicago, Jennie wore camo jeans, a black beanie with glasses and a jean hoodie, at a local skate park to meet up with Kevin. She found him skateboarding around, effortlessly sliding his board off one of the rails.

"Hey!" Her happy greeting gained his attention as he jumped off his board.

"Jen! You're here!" He smiled and embraced her, lifting her off the ground as she laughed. "Why'd you want to meet here of all places?"

"Well, a skatepark is where we met and besides, I want to skate. I've been practicing. Let me show you."

"Oh really?" He chuckled, not convinced. "Let me see."

"Watch and learn." She stepped on his skateboard and rolled around, maintaining her balance. She managed to do a small kickflip on the board. "How was that?"

He couldn't hide his smile, impressed by her efforts. "Okay, that was all right."

"Oh, shut up!" She playfully pushed him. "You know that was good."

"But I can do it better."

"Such a bragger. So! What's been going on?"

"Lot of things." He took a seat on the bench and she sat next to him. "I'm starting college in September."

"Oh snap! Any idea what your major is?"

"Business. I'm also going to be playing Basketball."

"I need to go to one of your games, one day. Hopefully, I won't be too busy with Bangtan so I can visit."

"Or I can visit you in Seoul if I have a break or something. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah, we still got time. Man, starting college and on the basketball team? Your family must be so proud."

"Yeah, my parents ask about you from time to time, asking if we still keep in touch and if the group is still going strong. They started to get into your music. They're hooked on BTS." He shared a laugh with her.

"Yes, join us. Once you're in K-Pop you'll never get out. It's just too addicting."

"Yeah, I'll admit. I got some of my friends into it, too. They're hooked."

"Good, the more the merrier."

"So any guys dating you, yet?"

"Nah. Not yet."

"Really? I'm surprised. That needs to change before this year is over."

"We'll see. One day. I'm just trying to be mindful of people's true intentions, y'know? Not just smash and leave. I'm not about that life."

"Good. Keep that good head on your shoulders. If any guys give you problems, let me know. I'll set them straight."

Jennie smiled at his statement. "I'll get that in mind, Kev. So, what about you?"

"Nah, no lady tied me down, yet. But what I can't wait for is all these college parties and hooking up."

"Really? But you're ugly, why would any girl want to sleep with you?" She teased, causing him to playfully narrow his eyes. "Ahahaha!"

"You're not funny." He chuckled. "You planning on going to college?"

"Yeah, I want to. I just have no idea what I want to do in my life yet. I won't be singing and dancing forever, I would like to get a college education. I'll think about it when that time comes."

"Yeah, don't rush yourself. I still don't know what I want to do with the business major, yet. How long you here for?"

"Around a few hours and then I'm going to hang with Jungkook."

"Ah, Jungkook. I remember him. He kept glaring at me during the music video shooting." He laughed at the memory of American Hustle Life.

"What? No way. He doesn't do that, does he?"

"It's nice to see that the members are protective of you. I remember seeing them ask you questions about me. The reason I asked how long you'll be here is that I was wondering if you wanted to learn more about skateboarding."

"Heck yeah! Let's do this." She eagerly stood up.

Time flew by quickly as he taught her. As she learned more basic tricks on making sure how to stay safe from falling and stopping the skateboard, Kevin helped her with turning around on the board.

She stumbled when she tried it for the 5th time and he caught her by placing his hands on her waist. "Careful. Lean side to side this time, you'll get it. Just maintain your balance."

Once she tried it on her 9th attempt, she successfully turned and continued doing it again and again.

"Sweet! This is pretty easy, now."

"Told you."

As they continued to skate, a few ARMY had found Jennie while they were walking around the neighborhood and eagerly approached her. "Jennie!" They shouted, happily.

Turning around, Miss Bangtan saw three fans rushing up to her. She gleefully talked to them and took some selfies and they even asked Kevin to get into it too. The fans told her how stoked they were about the Chicago Red Bullet concert and how nice it was for her to see the fans after the New York show, despite the threats. One fan even told her that she inspired her to go back to playing the guitar and work on her old songs that she's kept on her laptop for years.

Although fans always tell their favorite idol that they love them and their work, it's more rewarding to Jennie, to hear fans tell her that she inspired them. She liked being a positive influence on her fans and it's a humbling feeling.

"Are you two dating?" One of the fans boldly asked.

Jennie and Kevin glanced at each other and shared a chuckle.

"She is someone very special to me," Kevin answered briefly, causing the girls to giggle at his response.

"I think you almost killed them with that statement," Jennie added.

After saying goodbye to the fans, Kevin and Jennie decided to take another break, to chill on the bench. Jennie took a funny selfie with him as he sat behind her, with his chin on her head.

'He needs to admit that my skating skills have improved since AHL. Don't front, you know I got better :P #JEN'

ARMY immediately began to freak out, as they positively enjoyed seeing the two together.

'DEAD'

'SCREAMING'

'Relationship confirmed!?'

'GOALS'

'Ya'll so damn adorable!'

"Oh crap!" Jennie shouted, hastily getting to her feet.

"What's wrong?"

"I was supposed to meet with Jungkook 2 hours ago!" She grabbed her bag. "We'll text! It was so nice seeing you, today!"

"Ooooohhhhhhh, you're in trouble~!" He laughed.

"Shush!" She made a phone call so Diana could pick her up.

Once at the hotel, Jennie made her way to Jungkook's room to see him gaming. "Kook! I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He shrugged.

She watched him. Nothing was fine. She knew he was upset. "Are you mad?"

"It's fine, Jennie." He paused his game.

"You're mad. Look, I'm so sorry. We can hang out tomorrow, okay?"

"Where were you, anyway?"

"I was with Kevin. It's been so long since we've seen each other, that I wanted to catch up. I lost track of time."

Jungkook exhaled and frowned. "So, you blew me off for him?"

"No way, that was not my intention. I just wasn't periodically checking the time when I was with him. Look, let's hang out tomorrow. Okay? Wherever you want, we'll go."

And Jungkook agreed to that.

The next day, in the afternoon, Yoongi walked into his hotel room to see Jungkook gaming on the bed. The confusion appeared on the Daegu rapper's features as he closed the door and strolled up to him.

"Weren't you supposed to meet with Smartie?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, why aren't you with her?"

"I changed my mind, hyung." The Maknae bluntly replied.

The Daegu rapper stood there, genuinely dumbfounded. As many times as the Maknae chewed his ear off about spending time with her in America, now he changed his mind?

Something wasn't right.

"This isn't like you at all. Why would you not go?"

Before Jungkook could reply, they heard pounding on the door

Yoongi heard Jennie's angry muttering on the other side of the door, "...'bout to kill him. I swear if he is in this got damn room, I'm going to kill him."

Once she was let inside by Yoongi, she greeted him, "Hey, Yoongi. Is Kook here?"

"By the bed," he said.

"Bed..." She walked in, setting her bag on the floor.

Jungkook paid her no mind as he proceeded to game. Yoongi observed how thick the tension in the room was between the 97 Liners. It was never like this. Something bad must've happened because Jennie and Jungkook had never acted like this.

Ever.

"Yoongi." She called out, interrupting his thoughts. "Can you give us a minute? Alone?"

"You sure I should leave you two, alone?"

"Yoongi, for once, please just listen to my request."

The rapper exhaled. Jennie wasn't messing around. He knew that the tone of her voice meant business.

"You kids are going to be the death of me. Don't kill each other...I really don't want to explain to Jin or Namjoon about how Bangtan went from eight members to six." He grumbled as he grabbed his notebook and exited the room.

Jungkook continued to mash the buttons on his controller, ignoring her presence as she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Jen didn't know if she wanted to smack him or cuss him out because of what happened today.

"Kook." She called out.

No answer.

"Kookie."

No answer.

"Jungkook." She called out louder.

Still no answer.

She laughed dryly. "So just because I unintentionally forget about our outing, you don't want to show?"

"I forgot." He shrugged as his attention was still on the TV.

Exasperated, she marched up to him and snatched the controller out of his hands, tossing it on the bed. "Bullshit, Kook."

Poking the side of his cheek with his tongue in annoyance, he stood up, fed up. "How is that bullshit? I said I forgot."

"Yeah? Well, I said I was sorry. I tried to make it up to you, and you don't show. The heck is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." He shrugged.

Exhaling sharply, she closed her eyes for a moment. "Jungkook...you get on my nerves."

"Oh really? Well, the feeling is mutual."

"You know what? You blowin' my shit, today. You really be doing the most."

"And you don't?" He retorted.

"No, I do not. And you are starting to piss me the hell off and I am not in the mood for this. This is childish."

"Drop it. I'm done talking about this. I don't feel like arguing."

"Well, I'm not done talking because I'm still waiting for a not so half-assed excuse as to why you didn't show up today."

"I just didn't want to. End of discussion."

"Seriously? And you couldn't have called? Text?"

"Oh, okay. So, you just want to ignore the fact that you did the same to me? How do you think I feel? I really wanted to spend time with you."

Miss Bangtan rolled her eyes. "I don't have time for this. Jungkook, we always spend time together!"

Jungkook frowned and shook his head in disapproval. "You just don't get it." He muttered softly.

"Then explain!" She shouted.

"I wanted to spend time with you, alone!" He shouted back.

"We always spend time together, Kook. It's no big deal, stop being so uptight."

The Golden Maknae stared at her with hurt. "No big deal, huh? Then maybe I'm wasting my time."

"Are you kidding me?" She frowned. "Jungkook, I haven't seen him in what? A year? I lost track of time, we were catching up. I missed him. He's my friend."

"Well, I'm your best friend. I found a beach nearby. I thought it would be cool to hang out there that day. Walk on the beach in America, just like we planned, right? We planned this for so long. I waited and you didn't show. It sucked without you there. That hurt. So how do you think that made me feel? We were talking about this on the plane for hours. And somehow he just took up all your time and made you forget, right? Cause that's how it usually goes."

She exhaled and started feeling the tears coming as she quickly blinked them away.

Why did that make her heart ache?

"Don't do this to me. You are not listening-"

"I don't need to." He cut her off and walked past her.

She turned around to follow him. "Excuse me! Don't you walk away from me! Jungkook!" She heard the bathroom door slam, right in her face. "OH-my God!" She banged her fist on the door out of frustration.

"You are so childish! Open the door so we can discuss this!" She yelled.

When she didn't get a reply, she sighed in exasperation. "Okay, ignore me. Because that's what we do, right? God, you are acting like a jerk, right now."

Swinging the door open, Jungkook walked past her. "Well, what does that make you?" He questioned as she followed him back to where the beds were.

She scoffed. "Me? Are you kidding? I swear to Gosh, I can't stand you sometimes!"

"Good because I can't stand you, either! Do you know how annoying you are!?"

Jen stared at him in disbelief while she let out a sharp breath.

Damn.

She didn't know how much those words could sting until she heard him say it to her. But instead of being sad, she became angrier.

"WOW~! Tell me how you really feel!" She threw her arms up in the air.

Closing his eyes, he ran a hand through his hair. "You know I didn't mean that..."

"No, no, go ahead! Tell me exactly how you feel!"

"Enough." He muttered.

"No, tell me everything, I am all ears, Jungkook! I'm ready, I can take it! Let me know! Let me know, right now! Tell me how you feel about me!"

"Jennie..." He reiterated, trying to relax.

"Tell me how you feel about Jennie. The eighth member of the group. The one that still gets dragged for being a girl in BTS but doesn't give two shits anymore because I'm letting people ruin what I love doing. I'm not letting that hate get to me anymore because I am above all that and why should I waste my life worrying what haters think about me? That Miss Bangtan. That Jennie. What is your honest opinion on Miss Bangtan?"

"Jennie. Enough."

"No, it's not enough! So, don't tell me this is enough!" She raised her voice to him. "So lemme know, Jeon Jungkook. Spill your guts out to me. I want to know your feelings for me. I want to know exactly how you feel since we're being honest here. You go first and then I'll go. So, what do you have to say?"

"It's not the time for this!" He growled in frustration at the fact that they were arguing with each other.

"Yes, it is, since you're obviously being honest with me! So, what's next?!"

No answer.

"What's next!?" She made a fist and banged it against his chest as she started feeling tears develop in her eyes. Composed, Jungkook took it, standing his ground as he felt her strike faintly.

"Let me know. Be honest!" She hit his chest.

Silence.

"Say something!" She hit his chest, again.

More silence.

"Why aren't you saying anything?!"

"Enough!" He gently, but with a firm grip, grabbed her wrist before she could hit him again. Her back hit the wall softly while his free hand rested its palm next to her head. "Enough..." He repeated softly as she held his intense stare.

She saw hints of frustration, sadness and something else that she couldn't put her finger on.

Releasing her wrist, he glanced to the side, trying to calm down his anger. Meanwhile, Jen's heart was beating faster than usual as she noticed the closeness she had with Jungkook. All they could hear were the faint sound effects and voice acting of the game Jungkook was playing on the TV.

Jungkook turned his attention back to her, placing his forearm on the wall and his face got closer to hers. Crossing her arms, she angrily turned her head to the side.

'Just stop fighting me...there are a lot of things I want to say to you...more than you think...but now is not the time. And at this rate, I'm not even sure when anymore.' Jungkook thought to himself.

It was what he wanted to say out loud, but couldn't bring himself to.

They heard a click on the door while Hobi walked in. Jungkook backed up from her while Jennie glanced to the side, uncrossing her arms. The 97 Liners felt a sensation of annoyance by the fact that they were interrupted during their heated discussion.

Hobi spoke to them in a chill voice, "Uh...Yoongi forgot his headphones. Wanted me to go get them. Now I kinda understand why he didn't want to come in."

He felt the tension in the room as he awkwardly headed over to Yoongi's bed to grab the headphones.

Turning around, he observed them. Jungkook had his hands in his pockets, impatiently waiting for Hobi to leave as a vexed facial expression was visible on his handsome features. Jennie glanced around random areas of the room, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"All right, I need to ask. Is...everything all right with you two, kids?" The rapper demanded.

The 97 Liners glanced at each other and then turned their attention to Hobi.

"Yeah..." Jennie murmured.

"We're fine, hyung," Jungkook answered in a grumble.

"All right then..." Hobi nodded, unconvinced and left the room.

Jungkook turned to Jennie who was still angry. "Babygirl-"

"Don't call me that." She spoke sharply, remembering why she was upset with him in the first place. "You lost the right to call me that."

"Don't be like that." He frowned.

"No. How about you don't be the way you were by not showing up."

Feeling his anger come back, Jungkook shrugged. "Well, now you know how I feel."

"Oh, so you just did this to get back at me? You are such a big baby, grow up, Kookie."

"You grow up. And you lost the right to call me Kookie, so don't call me that."

"You know what? Fine, I don't care." She shrugged. "You are so condescending!"

"You are so dramatic." He muttered.

"No, the hell I am not! I'm so sick of this and I'm sick of you!"

"You really want to go there?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm sick of you too!"

"I don't need this bullshit!" She turned, aiming to leave.

"You're the one acting like a brat." He bluntly called out.

Feeling something in her snap, she turned around. "And you're the one acting like an asshole!"

As soon as she said that, Jungkook froze. His eyes stung sharply as the tears threatened to fall. As soon as she saw the hurt on his face, she immediately regretted her words.

Out of retaliation, he retorted sharply, "Sometimes I ask myself why you can't be like our friends in GFriend. Why you can't be like Eunha or Hayoon."

That was the fatal blow.

She stared at him in disbelief, feeling a large lump form in her throat. She shut her eyes to stop her tears before they fell.

Those words cut her like a knife.

Her shoulders relaxed as she slowly exhaled, opening her eyes. He won this argument and she had nothing else to say.

What could she say after that?

She replayed the statement in her head and briefly pondered how he felt when she yelled hurtful things at him, moments ago.

Jungkook saw the pain on her face and he began to regret his words, too. He didn't mean it. He just wanted to win the argument. They both did, not caring how much their words would hurt each other. Their emotions got to them. They were still young, stubborn teenagers. This was bound to happen. When you're angry, you say things you don't mean. You say things to hurt the other to get back at them.

Jennie wanted to scream at him. Scream that she hated him or something more hurtful but she couldn't do it. She couldn't hurt him more than she already had with the previous hurtful words she yelled. She strongly felt like her heart couldn't take it. Her heart was already freaking out ever since the argument started.

Jennie nodded slowly, accepting what he had told her. "Okay...I get it." Her voice trembled.

Watching her place a hand on her other one, Jungkook's stomach dropped when he watched her take off the friendship ring he had given her. When she was right in front of him, she placed the ring in his hand.

"I don't want this, anymore. Take it back. Give it to someone else."

Her sudden statement caught him off guard as he stared at the ring he had given her a long time ago. When he told her that they'll cherish each other until the end.

While Jungkook thought about the day he had given her the ring, his tears threatened to fall as he met her sad gaze.

"Maybe Hayoon or Euhna will like it instead. I'm sure they'll fit your Golden Best Friend qualifications. I'm gonna go before I say something I'm going to regret." She grabbed her bag and left in a hurry.

Frustrated, he grabbed a pillow and aggressively threw it across the room.

"Damn it..." He growled, running his hands through his hair in frustration. 'I'm such an idiot...why did I say that? I just ruined everything...'

Meanwhile with Jennie, outside the room, in the hallway, she leaned against the wall, next to his door. She exhaled sharply and threw her bag on the ground.

"Damn it..." She huffed. 'I didn't mean to say all that...why did I call him an asshole? Why did I hurt him even more by giving him back the ring?'

She felt her chest tighten and her tears began to flow as she silently started crying. Sliding down on the wall, she sat on the floor, with her knees against her chest.

Jungkook, who had been crying too, wiped his tears with his arm. He tried to pull himself together while sitting on the floor, against the wall, next to his door, which happened to be where Jennie was on the other side of the wall.

'I never want to see that again.' He thought. 'I never meant to make her upset, I just...'

Jennie wiped her tears with her hand. 'He was about to cry...I never want to see him like that. I didn't mean what I said, I just...'

She hoped that he would open the door and apologize.

He had also hoped that she would knock on his door and apologize.

Because they both were too stubborn to be the bigger person and apologize. Hoping that the other would, so they can let things go back to normal.

'It's normal for friends to fight, right? But why does this hurt so much more than the fights with the other members?' She thought to herself. 'Why does this hurt so much? Why does my heart feel so damn heavy? What is this feeling? I hate it, it's too much. Just make it stop already.'

Jungkook turned his head to the door, contemplating if she was still there. 'She probably left...'

Sniffing, Jennie cleared her throat. Standing on her feet, she turned to the door. She contemplated knocking but decided not to, despite her heart aching to knock on the door.

'He probably doesn't want to see me...he's angry, why would he want to see me?' She thought with a frown

"Sweetie, are you all right?"

Turning around she saw a hotel maid. She looked like she was in her mid-40s with dark skin and black hair styled in a bun.

"Huh?"

"I heard some arguing when I got my cleaning products, couldn't help but look to see you out here. Is everything all right?"

"Oh God, I am so embarrassed..." She groaned.

Looks like the lady also knew Korean.

"Bad fight with your boyfriend?" The woman assumed in an understanding voice.

The word boyfriend caused Jen's stomach to feel weird as she felt her face heat up.

"Oh, uh...he's...he's not my..." She trailed off.

"I get it. Not yet I presume."

"I-it's not like that." She shook her head.

"You sure?"

Jennie hesitated. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes."

"Hm...I dunno, you don't fool me, for a second, honey. I was like this when I had my first fight with my husband. We started dating when we were in college. Stubborn, the both of us were that day." The woman chuckled softly at the memory. "All the bickering and pettiness. Took us a few days to make up. Both of us didn't want to be the bigger person and apologize first. But arguments are normal, don't worry about it. It seems like things are falling apart and you both are hurting. But just give it time. It's not as bad as it seems. Before you know it, you two will rekindle."

Jen gave the woman a weak smile and nodded. "Thank you for that. I'm Jennie, by the way."

"Just call me Miss Joyce. You have a blessed day, now." She smiled sweetly and walked away to begin her shift.

Heading to her hotel room, Jennie made sure to wipe her tears and clear her throat before she walked in. Hopefully, Taehyung wouldn't notice anything.

Walking in, she was greeted by his boxy smile. There she also saw Jimin with him who happily waved as he sat with Tae on his bed, with random American snacks.

"Ennie!" Jimin beamed. "Look what we got! Smarties! I saw some when Tae and I went to the store. You got us hooked on them. You want some?"

Jennie gave them a fake smile, still feeling the effects of the argument. "No thanks." She responded and went straight into the bathroom.

Jimin raised an eyebrow, looking dumbfounded. "No thanks...?"

"What?" Taehyung glanced at Jimin with worry.

Jennie never rejects Smarties.

Not even when she's sad. The candy always cheered her up. This was a red flag and the 95 Liners were anxious to find out what was wrong so they could resolve it.

"Something isn't right." Jimin assumed as he heard the shower turn on.

"Ennie..." Taehyung murmured sadly.

#bts 8th member #jungkook x oc #bangtan boys #bts additional member #bts fanfic #bts fluff #bts imagine #bts scenarios #bts female member #bts fanfiction #jungkook imagine #jungkook scenarios #jungkook fanfic #kpop female oc #kpop black oc #kpop fanfic

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the1975attheirverybest · 10 months

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I’m seeing so many fans on Twitter complaining about this being an arena tour/saying that it’s going to be embarrassing when it doesn’t sell out…surely they know their demand? They’re not a small band, they haven’t been in a while. The resale prices towards the end of ATVB were insane, a lot of those venues were tiny.

An arena tour makes sense for them at this point. I can only imagine how awful it would be trying to get tickets this time around if they played the same venues they did for ATVB.

It seems like there’s a certain group of fans on Twitter that WANT a door policy on shows. I saw someone say the best show they attended was at a venue with a capacity of 3k, and that the worst show they attended was the O2 n1, aka the show that Taylor was a guest at 🙄 Intimate venues are nice, it just isn’t realistic for a full tour anymore.

This reminds me so much of a conversation that I had with my sister on Saturday. I was telling her about the 1975 touring again and she was telling me about her hardcore and pop punk bands and the fandoms around them. He said that for one of the hardcore bands she likes, they made a record that went kinda semi-viral in that it reached a bigger audience than the bands normal fandom. For that reason ALONE. Some fans abandoned them.

I was like, wait, are they complaining that the album isn’t hardcore enough? Did the band sell out and go to mainstream record label and decide to make money instead of doing the type of music that they normally do? She was like NOPE. It’s just that more people like them now, and the fans preferred when they went to shows and they kind of knew half the venue cuz the fandom was so small and it was always the same people who attend shows.

Which sounds completely strange to me but apparently that’s a thing? Some people would rather their fav band NOT be successful simply so they can gatekeep??? Which is so fuckin weird. It’s not like there’s a finite supply of 1975-ness. It’s not like if more people like it then there’s less left for me. It’s not a pizza, guys! It’s music!!! You can still love them in the way that you do and connect to the music the way that you do, even when they have other fans lmaooo. Idk man that shit is weird as fuck.

I’m thrilled for them that they’re doing arenas! If it makes them more money and therefore means they can do more shows or spend more on their budgets for shit like atpoaim or albums or mvs or can pay their people more or hire more talent like Polly, John, and Jamie….bro why the fuck not. That mentality is too dumb if you ask me.

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kakakakashi · 3 years

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Honestly your writing is just addicting and then I have a total kink for Hawks that I can’t explain????? He is like... kind of annoying but charming and I want to... just love him forever??? So that is what is gonna make it hard not to let things be spoiled lol hawks + your writing = me getting super excited. Honestly only started watching MHA because I saw you were interesting in writing it and didn’t wanna be lost lol 💕 - 🍡

Omg! You’re too sweet! Okay, you totally make sense, though. I totally get what you mean by the Hawks thing. I just… yes. He is incredibly annoying. Charming… I don’t want to admit he’s charming because it feels like a bruise to my pride, but you know what, yeah, he is charming. I just… it’s complicated.

Alright, I’m gonna go on a Hawks rant for a bit. Sorry.

He’s the epitome of what I hate in guys with his stupid arrogant and cocky persona, and I just… my exposure to Hawks probably went the same way it would go if I actually met him. Keep in mind that my friend has literally called me Dabi before, and I’m more of a feminist punk who calls out people on their bullshit, especially guys like Hawks. (If you don’t believe me, you should’ve seen me when someone convinced me to join a dating app. All I did was roast straight guys.)

So, when I first was introduced to Hawks, I saw the adorable gif of him smiling with his head in his hand. Naturally, I was like “Omg! He’s precious? Who is this sunshine boy?” So, I continued with the series. Then, when we met him, I wanted to tear his head off. Sure, he was cute, but the man needed someone to remind him that his dick wasn’t the eighth wonder of the world. If I met him in real life, I know my lack of a filter would have me throwing a few nasty comments his way & rolling my eyes every time he opened his big mouth. However, it’s not like he was a bad character like Endeavor. He was still a decent person, and he has a quick wit, which I always respect. However, the more I learned about him, the more I was like “Alright, this little shit’s decent. He just has a big mouth.” Like, if I knew him, we’d be friends, but we’d bicker nonstop & be borderline at each other’s throats. Like, I’d say, “Sure he’s an arrogant prick, but he’s my arrogant prick, and I chose to spend time with him, so now I must pay the agonizing price of tolerating his presence & regretting my decision.” And, he’d say, “Sure, she’s probably has teeth down there and is a heinous bitch, but she’s entertaining when that little vein in her neck pops out. Like, tell me that’s not hilarious. She looks like a cartoon!” But like, if someone tried to agree with us, we’d be like “Hey, that’s my idiot, you’re talking about.” Ya know?

And, the more I learned about Hawks as a character, the more I loved him. He’s actually a really great character, and I feel like, now, knowing what I do about him, we’d be very close friends. We hold a lot of similar aspects to our personalities, and that, combined with our competitive nature, probably is why we would clash at first if we ever met. I just… ugh. I like him a lot, but I also want to pull his pretty hair out sometimes.

Anyway, don’t worry about spoilers if they don’t bother you. I know they don’t usually bother me, but being a marvel fan, I know how serious some people are about them. Given the current manga arc, I figured I’d just label it just in case. All in all, do what you want. Hawks makes me excited too, so I feel that. I actually got into MHA because I had seen so much Dabi & I just loved him so much, so I totally get where you’re coming from.

Now, you gotta tell me… where are you in the anime / manga? 👀

#cherry chats with friends #🍡 anon #hawks would 100% make fun of me for attracting birds all the time & would probably jokingly call me a swallow #and I would constantly call him out on how he has chicken legs & weighs less than me & is only what? like 3 inches taller than I am?#meanwhile I'd be bffs with Dabi & he'd probably be the reason why Hawks & I hung out all the time.#Anonymous

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discovisiondreams · 3 years

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Top 15 First Watches of 2020

I’ve never been good at staying current on pop culture, and that became especially pronounced in 2020. A year where most of the anticipated theatrical releases were pushed to VOD (and the price nearly tripled) meant that a lot of flicks I was excited for got added to the end of the “Maybe Someday” watchlist.

But in this strange year, I did manage to watch 245 movies- and 195 of those were first-time watches. Some were new, only available on the (virtual) festival circuit. Some were Criterion mainstays, films I’m horrified to admit I hadn’t seen before. But this year, when movies cemented themself as my biggest joy, I began to really track what I watched- including a “top 5 first watches of the month” roundup for every month. These top 5s weren’t ranked, and weren’t even based on technical ability, strength of dialogue, or critical acclaim. They were just the 5 I loved the best.

So without further ado, here are my top 15 of the year- one selected from the top 5 of each month, with some bonus entries thrown in as well. As a general rule, I only included features on this list- I was fortunate enough to catch shorts that streamed at Chattanooga Film Fest, Celebration of Fantastic Fest, and more, but to add them to the running would have made writing this listicle absolutely impossible.

HONORABLE Honorable Mention: The Holiday. Inspired by the fine folks at Super Yaki, I finally watched this Nancy Meyers classic. Why is it two and a half hours long?! Why is that two and a half hours so significantly lacking in Jack Black?! The scenes that Black is in, though, really shine. This one is going to be a Christmas mainstay in the Disco household (and not just because I spent money on the DVD).

15: The Love Witch (Honorable Mention, April). This one came highly recommended to me by friends of all sorts, and like most of my 2020 first watches, I’m deeply embarrassed that it took me this long to get to it. Upon finally watching it, on a rainy Sunday, I described the movie in general (and the color palette, specifically) as “sumptuous,” which is one of the most complimentary visual descriptors I can bestow upon a movie. The plot felt a little convoluted at times, but I still found The Love Witch incredibly enjoyable and am hoping to explore more of writer-director Anna Biller’s filmography in 2021.

14: The Guest (Honorable Mention, October). The Guest is one of the few movies I watched multiple times this year- and the only one I watched twice in one week. From the sultry industrial soundtrack selections to the numerous visual nods to Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The guest was Extremely My Shit. The casting here is truly tremendous- especially Maika Monroe, who was similarly brilliant in It Follows. Also of note: Lance Reddick, one of my current favourite character actors.

13: The Fast and The Furious (Honorable Mention, May). 2 Fast 2 Furious (and its bespoke theme song, Act A Fool, by Ludacris) came out when I was in the 6th grade. Do you remember the music and movies that entered the world when you were in 6th grade? Do you have an inexplicable zealous love for them? 2F2F was the only film in the Fast Cinematic Universe I had seen for a long, long time. Then I saw Fate of the Furious. Then I bought the series box set, as a joke?? And then, slowly but then also all at once, I genuinely started to love this franchise. Some of them are truly ridiculous. Some of them are genuinely bad. But the first one? The Fast and The Furious (2001)? Timeless. Point Break updated and adapted for the early-aughts, The Fast and the Furious walked so The Italian Job (2003) could run. Without The Fast and The Furious, Paul Walker would just be “the guy from Tammy and The T-Rex” to millions of casual cinemagoers. The cultural impact of The Fast and The Furious simply cannot be denied!!

12: Come to Daddy (Top 5, July). Honestly, this is the exact flavor of bonkers bullshit I’ve grown to expect from Elijah Wood, and that is not an indictment. Wood’s genuine love for genre film is evident here, in what can only be described as an uncomfortable film of family, reunion, and redemption. The tense and abrasive first half gives way to a surprisingly relieving wave of violence and exposition in this critically-acclaimed flick.

11: The Stylist (Top 5, September). The feature-length debut of writer-director Jill Gevargizian, based off her short of the same name, is female-led horror that pays homage to genre mainstays like Maniac and Psycho while still being decidedly singular. Not only shot in Kansas City, but set in Kansas City, The Stylist made my midwestern heart happy. This is one that I really, really would have loved to see in a crowded theater auditorium, were this year a different one.

10: In The Mouth of Madness (Top 5, March). Despite being the beginning of pandemic awareness, March was a slow month for me, movie-wise (even though it’s not like I had anything else going on??). But I finally made time for this Carpenter classic, and I’m so happy I did. I’ve long been fascinated by stories about stories, and the people who find themselves trapped within those stories, and this one is truly, in the most basic sense of the word, horrifying. Sam Neill proves that he belongs in horror here, making his role in Event Horizon seem like a natural fit. Also a highlight: noted character actor David Warner, best known (to me) as “Billy Zane’s bodyguard guy in Titanic,” who never ever fails to be unsettling.

9: Profondo Rosso (Top 5, April). Before this year, my only Argento exposure was Suspiria (which is phenomenal), but Deep Red goes off the deep end in all the best ways. The score (by frequent Argento collaborators Goblin) is truly groovy. The number of twists and turns the plot takes is kind of mind-boggling, but also delightful. Daria Nicolodi (RIP) is at the top of her acting game here. This quickly became one of my beloved background movies- if I opened Shudder and Profondo Rosso was playing on one of their live-streaming channels, it stayed on while I was cleaning or cooking or paying bills. Profondo Rosso is a must-watch for those hoping to get into giallo.

8: Crimson Peak (Top 5, November). This one was definitely not what I was expecting, but it was GORGEOUS. I loved the world immediately (a Del Toro trademark, to be honest). As a longtime Pacific Rim stan, it made my heart happy to see Charlie Hunnam and Burn Gorman reunited under Guillermo Del Toro’s vision.

7: Palm Springs (Top 5, August). I am not typically a time-travel movie enthusiast- but I am a sucker for witty repartee and Andy Samberg. This one made me ugly-cry, which I should probably be a bit more ashamed to admit. August had a lot of really great first watches, but the Hulu exclusive takes the cake due to its novel premise, some truly heart-wrenching reveals, and the amazing casting (is there anything JK Simmons cant do?).

6: Scare Package (Top 5, May). Is there any format I love more than the horror anthology? While there have been so many over the years (Creepshow, All the Creatures Were Stirring), Scare Package might be my favourite of them all. A variety of fun and inventive stories combined with a genre-lovers dream of an overarching narrative make this one a must-see- in fact, it was the whole reason I bought a pass to this year’s online version of Chattanooga Film Fest. There’s a cameo here that absolutely knocked my socks off (and continued to do so even on repeat viewings). While the scares here are honestly minimal, Scare Package is a great love letter to the genre at large.

5: Do The Right Thing (Top 5, June). Yes, it took me until 2020 to watch Do The Right Thing for the first time. The palpable tension, the interwoven stories of Bed-Stuy’s residents, all seem timeless. Giancarlo Esposito is, as always, a joy to watch.

4: Knives Out (Top 5, February). “It’s a Rian Johnson whodunnit, duh,” states the SuperYaki! T-shirt famously worn by Jamie Lee Curtis, star of Knives Out (2019). This one has received worlds of critical acclaim, I truly do not know what I could even hope to add to the conversation. I want more old-school murder mystery cinema.

3: The VelociPastor (Top 5, January). It should be testimonial enough that The VelociPastor beat out Miss Americana, Netflix’s Taylor Swift documentary, as the top pick for January- but in case it isn’t, let me end 2020 the way I began it; by evangelizing the HECK out of this movie. Written and directed by up-and-coming triple-threat (Director/songwriter/prolific cat-photo-poster) Brendan Steere, The VelociPastor is a true love letter to genre cinema, complete with a big wink to the criminally underloved Miami Connection. Alyssa Kempinski shines as Carol, a doctor/lawyer/hooker with a heart of gold. The VelociPastor premiered in 2019 but gained tons of attention in 2020 (thanks in part to YouTube sensation Cody Ko)- attention that it truly deserves. A sequel is rumored to be in the works, but mark my words, anything to come from the imagination of Brendan Steere will be worth a watch.

2: Dinner in America (Top 5, October). I genuinely feel sorry for the other movies I watched in October (there were a lot) (they were all SO GOOD). Dinner in America, which I caught during the Nightstream hybrid festival, was not at all what I was expecting. While the other features were all very solidly genre flicks, this was…. A comedy? A modern love story?? I’mn honestly still not exactly sure, but I do know I loved every second of it. I laughed. I cried. I threw my hands up in the air exuberantly (in front of my laptop, looking like a true fool). I did not shut up about this movie online for weeks. I told anyone and everyone that Kyle Gallner is the most underrated actor of my generation and I still believe it! Dinner in America, the story of a punk band frontman who unwittingly takes refuge from the police in the home of his biggest fan, was an unexpectedly heartwarming tale of family, young love, and arson. Watch it as soon as you can.

1: Promising Young Woman (Top 5, December). This last-minute debut from Emerald Fennell, originally scheduled to hit theaters in April of this year, finally made its way to the big screen on Christmas Day, and became the 2020 entry on my annual “Christmas Day Trip to the Theater” list.* Carey Mulligan is an icon and deserves all of the awards for this. The soundtrack is sublime. The casting choices are truly incredible. While I have no doubt that the general themes of the movie will be polarizing, I absolutely loved this one- I sat in my car in the theater parking lot for a WHILE, considering just buying a ticket for the next showtime- that’s how badly I felt like I needed to see it again immediately. I look forward to writing its inevitable Criterion essay.

*Nobody else in rural iowa was interested in seeing this movie at noon on Christmas Day. I’m shocked.

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ourladyofomega · 3 years

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Close to the end of the year, and also when the semester ended, I looked forward in selling my books after finals so that I would get money back. I’d get a friend together to take me to Tower Records in Huntington. In a matter of one hour, that money would be gone. Right now I’d be very excited about what I would find in those bins. But due to the pandemic it hasn’t been the case and the euphoria of being in a store, any store at midnight, has been absent. During the mid-00′s, Tower Records went under and currently co-opting the former Huntington location is a third-rate clothing store.

One day as I was driving to work, people stood on the sidewalks of Route 110 holding picket signs like it was the end of the world. First advertised on those signs were 10%-30% percent off all merchandise at Tower. When passers-by and sidewalk shoppers took a closer look, they ended up in shock as they realized that it was an end of an era of some sort. A few days later, the stakes went up. 40%-60% discounts finally garnered Tower’s final audience and rush of shoppers. The final swan song came when all merchandise was down to a whopping 70%-90% percent off. That was when they had their biggest ever turnout because no one wanted to pay full price for music. (Not then when downloading broke, and still not now.) Music collectors and fans were reluctant to buy any new release or any title that was full price. Now they all jumped at the opportunity to clean out Tower’s shelves with a steal. Buyers hovered and tracked entire sections looking for that one shining crown jewel that made their lifetime.

As a music fan for years, I couldn’t begin to tell you how much Tower shaped my taste in music and style. Unlike FYE and Sam Goody, Tower was the one commercial music chain that had a lot of artists and titles that no other commercial store had. Think of what was the Port Jefferson Music Den (closed in 2002) where they were the one underground record store that had everything other stores didn’t even come close to carry. I remember summertimes visiting the Massapequa location picking up rare CD singles and imports as well as other rare hard-to-find and ahead-of-release-date CD’s and artists I picked up such as Autechre’s LP5 (1999) and EC8OR’s World Beaters (1998).

And being a fan of print media and graphic design, I also bought stacks of magazines every week. The magazine selection in Huntington was unrivaled, measuring at least several rows of 60-70 feet of anything and everything you could think of: Industrial Nation, Punk Planet, The Wire, Disruptiv, Mass Appeal, Mean, Vice, YRB, and art design magazines like LoDown, as well as hardcore zines Short Fast Loud!, Maximum Rock And Roll, Under The Volcano and other cult magazines I happened to be lucky to pick up (Lisa Carver’s Rollerderby, anyone?). Every month went at least $60.00-$70.00 total on magazines alone.

Yet towards the end of Tower’s presence I didn’t pick up on music as much because just like other buyers, I had to stand back at the higher-than-usual prices for releases. Compared to discount chains like Best Buy and other record stores, it wasn’t unusual to find a new release with no-frills to be priced at $19.99 or even $21.99. DVDs I noticed were priced at times to be five dollars higher than their competitors. Maybe some shoppers felt the same sentiment as I did.

Not only that, the forces of internet piracy and MP3 downloading of recent years proved to be too dominant and powerful to be stopped, and is currently but begrudgingly co-existing with other existing record stores this day and age. Consumers then re-routed the system right to their own bedrooms with no price to pay for their music. These factors, plus incurring debt that led the chain to bankruptcy proved to be too much for them.

Without Tower Records, it was less convenient for me to pick up whatever artist or movie title I wanted right away right after work. When Tower closed down it took a bite out of some of the physical record collecting I had. Yet, only they could have given me these experiences: no more magazines letting me know what the latest art direction was or who was in the spotlight. No more frantically walking around with a huge stack of everything and more in my hands still looking for one more CD. No more back room full of posters, sheet music, jazz, classical, hip-hop, techno, and soul. No more silly Hollywood memorabilia and comic-book fantasy merchandise. No more video games, no more characters hanging out in the store wearing goth, back-pack indie, or hardcore.

No more attitudes from the employees who treated customers like nothing because they felt like it. That was really the only problem I had with Tower Records, mostly in Huntington. The cashiers pointed people out with a huff and puff because they were given more than enough change or money, or how they rang up a transaction without even making an emotion or saying a word. Some stuck female cashiers had that flat out know-it-all act for no apparent reason. Sometimes I even renounced the shop because of its sometimes poor service, but that was not the case in the end as the attitude did improve, thank you.

And no more of where I had my first date with my Peruvian then-girlfriend. I would never forget wandering in that Huntington store looking for the next purchase when she walked in, greeting each other with open arms. We left when a thunderstorm knocked the power out but we returned after dinner and had a fun time, the first of many for months to come. This was also where I met a pretty pale Irish ginger who I later met again into at community college the following year.

What is now left of the record store scene on Long Island? A few of them which existed when Tower crumbled are still around (Cheapo’s, Looney Tunes, Infinity Records) and even new ones popped up (High Fidelity and Record Reserve to naming two). Some opened and either re-located (Record Stop) or said good-bye by the time you read this (Permanent Records and Vinyl Paradise). The majority of shops in total are still around because internet opinion made their case about the lack of quality, esthetics, art, and ritual of having the physical thing that you don’t get from digital or streaming; and the classic ritual and synesthesia of experiencing a record store and handling the format makes the case of cherishing these shops. On the online circuit, some titles are now being released in very limited quantity, mainly in the low thousands or even in the mere hundreds. It’s a huge drop-off from what the millions in print runs used to be. Naming your own price for digital downloads, streaming, or even buying from the label or artist directly is the way to go nowadays.

With my radio show, Omega WUSB, I do most of my music testing at home. My habits have been ruined by MP3s and streams as acquiring music is of very low cost and extremely ubiquitous. After all that, it hasn’t stopped me from going to record stores or celebrating Record Store Day to find breaks, samples, or dollar music to win it all. Yes, I still very much prefer to go out of town to buy music with my money which I support the artists and shops I like. Even to this day, I’ll be very happy spending $200.00-$250.00 on music just to have the artwork, colors, lyrics, pictures, ink, liner notes, credits, barcodes, and the entire release itself, because later on I will turn a profit in style points as time goes by, just like when people are hoarding and sharing their vinyl and cassette collections now.

That November was my last visit to Tower Records ever, a few months after getting a substantial check from a near-fatal car accident. Acquired would be some titles that made my pre-Omega shows and would be part of some personal seasonal mixtapes. Prices were 40% off on music and that was when I decided to go and treat myself. There comes a time when you just can’t wait and risk a good sale on music before they’re gone forever. The total spent on my last ever visit there was $200.00 on music and the Andy Warhol book at $75.00, originally $125.00 (have you ever carried a book so massive and so heavy?) I took my bags worth of music and magazines with me to the trunk of my car, never to return to the Tower Records experience again.

On another note, I’m still friends with M-Ro to this day, a former manager there. He moved on to become a lead of Hicksville’s Utopia further west before becoming a ticket broker at an independent movie house. He once had a show on WUSB and was a major figurehead and darling of the Long Island punk scene. You might also know his brother J-Ro, a master archivist who still has his own show with us and is known as a major record collector by practically everyone on the island.

#omega #Tower Records #our lady omega #personal #Long Island #friends #music

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whyfalloutwhenyoucanpanic · 4 years

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is gabe saporta talented

Hi!

So I never got asked this before, so I’m going to try to keep this ask short.

Is Gabe Saporta talented?

Yes.

This guy was in his emo pop punk band, Midtown while dealing with major life struggles, and played bass and was the lead singer for the band. Playing bass and singing is hard (from personal experience). It takes skill and talent to do that really well. Gabe has talent regarding lyrics and music, especially Midtown songs lyric content. Midtown songs deal heavily with major topics and a lot of the inspiration for the songs he wrote are life experiences, like growing up in what was considered a hard neighborhood to live in, and dealing with the struggles that he, his brother and father dealt with growing up, as well as relationships and friendships, people betraying you, and dealing with the difficult things life throws at you. He wrote these as raw lyrics and songs, taking inspiration from his life, as well as other inspiration from his friends lives.

Following Midtown, he was the lead singer and main lyricist for Cobra Starship. While most of his lyrics written were not really meant to be taken seriously, a few of the songs written were meant to be serious. The song, The City Is At War off the album, ¡Viva La Cobra!, for example is about people in the music industry constantly doing stupid things, because they’re young, dumb, and have money to do said stupid things, while saying that isn’t the life he wants to live, and also that major fame has it’s price. He also mentions and writes the fact people do stupid things to get famous and well known, because of the promised money and lifestyle you get in return if you’re successful. He also writes about people doing stupid things to get higher up in the industry without knowing the price you pay for it. He goes on to say this isn’t the life he wants and he doesn’t give a shit about that crazy lifestyle.

He also has a unique voice too and music style. You notice on the first cobra album, While The City Sleeps We Rule The Streets, theres the combining pop punk and alternative music. Alternative music of this style wasn’t as huge back in the 2000s, so this was seen as different. You notice now a lot of artists are doing the same idea Cobra did, but in different ways. So Gabe definitely made impact on music and the music industry and artists today as well. It’s also interesting he also works his first language, which is Spanish, into a few songs throughout all the Cobra albums, and make references to the language as well. He writes/wrote clever lyrics that can be funny, serious, or just meant to be sarcastic and not meant to be taken seriously. Gabe wrote music for Cobra to be mostly fun, while also talking about serious topics as well, but still in a clever way where it makes you think twice about what he wrote, and to look beyond just the words written.

Despite how people perceive him and how people perceived his music and his bands, he maganged to be very successful and also enjoy being able to have the opportunities he had. He took peoples criticism with mostly a very good attitude, and didn’t throw around insults if people didn’t like his music, or didn’t like him in general. He cares genuinely about fans of both Midtown and Cobra Starship, and never takes the opportunities he got for granted and is always grateful for the opportunities he was given and that people gave him, including most notably Pete Wentz. He to this day, thanks Pete for what opportunities he gave him, and for giving him a second chance.

So yes, I say Gabe Saporta is talented. Both lyrically and musically. He can play bass, guitar and piano and has a unique voice. Plus, his personality and who he is makes him a great person as well, which you can add he has a good, getting along with people, talent as well.

Thank you for the ask!

Also, I apologize for the long reply, but I had to fit this all in lol

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emblem-333 · 5 years

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Let’s Save The Hitman

In my eyes wrestling is corny, formulaic, and whenever someone tries something creative for the sake of change it is immediately the worst. There’s a fine line between PG and PG-13 the WWE walks today. In some ways for the better. The women, while often forgotten, aren’t treated primarily as sex objects. Wrestlers of various ethnicities are treated better, at least in their on-screen portrayal. The Attitude Era content fans yearn to return never will. No matter the platform WWE finds itself on they want to appeal to children to obtain mainstream credibility they enjoyed for a very brief time in the Hulk Hogan-era, and in 2000. You can gauge how in-vogue wrestling is with the casual audience with if one of them hosts Saturday Night Live.

As of today, the WWE doesn’t know what it wants to be. Every year they beg celebrities to show their faces for WrestleMania for that mainstream appeal. They are also grooming Shane McMahon to be the edgy, son of a billionaire heel to fill his father’s shoes from The Attitude Era. Women are challenging man’s masculinity on live television on Raw, then on Smackdown the champion is hugging little children on the way to the ring. C.M Punk is right when he describes wrestling as the most “bipolar” industry.

In 1997 the WWE appealed solely to the crowd who wanted the edgier product. The rejection of the clean-cut Babyface Bret Hart and his stereotypical tendencies, despite his superior in-ring and fine promo skills, the days of the black and white were long over. In ‘97 World Championship Wrestling simply was kicking WWF’s ass. The New World Order was setting the landscape on fire. Heel Hogan rejuvenated his career. It didn’t even matter the wrestling matches featuring the nWo were subpar. The characters were just that great. Meanwhile, the WWF in late in the year knew what had to be done, only they lacked the funds to do it. It wasn’t enough to give the red hot “Stone Cold” Steve Austin the title. Vince McMahon needed more juice in the building for the occasion. He set his eyes for heavyweight champion Mike Tyson. His expensive price tag was paid after McMahon ran Bret out of the WWF into the arms of WCW. WHAT A COINCIDENCE!

The first hurdle McMahon had to conquer wasn’t simply getting the belt off Bret. It was the squeeze a pay day out of the illustrious Shawn Michaels/Bret Hart rivalry before The Hitman walked out the door. The two have worked in singles matches only twice prior. The first time at Survivor Series, 1992, and the famous Iron-Man Match at WrestleMania XII. Each match a four-in-a-half star affair. The two were penciled to have a rubber-match for WrestleMania XIII. Except the champion Michaels “Lost his smile”.

Translation: “I’m the champion. I don’t have to do jobs for anybody. Also, my knee hurts.”

As you can imagine, this caused a rift between The Heartbreak Kid and The Hitman. Prior to Survivor Series, in 1997, all Hart asked McMahon was he’d end his WWF career with his dignity. McMahon insisting he drop the championship to Michaels. Hart won the title from The Undertaker at Summerslam earlier in the year.

The infamous Montreal Screwjob ruined the life of one of the greatest performers the business had ever seen. While simultaneously catapulting the cutthroat McMahon above his competitors to the point he currently holds a monopoly on the wrestling industry. (We’ll see how All Elite Wrestling does)

So what-if a compromise was reached? Or if the whole scene was avoided all together? Obviously the Monday Night War continues into the 21st century. Even as WCW decayed under the inmates running the asylum (*coughs Hulk Hogan*) if the company never felt the need to try anything different after losing their lead in the ratings maybe the company is still around today? With no “Mr. McMahon” character to act as a foil for the anti-Hero Austin how much of what made Stone Cold so great is missed?

How do we arrive at such an occurrence? Simple. Have The Undertaker go over Bret Hart at Summerslam. Referee Michaels catches Bret using a chair on Undertaker and disqualifies him. The stipulation for this match was if Hart were to lose he would no longer compete on American soil. This is earth shattering to the WWF world in 1997 if Hart had to adhere to this stipulation. Hard to imagine this not being an appropriate end for Hart’s WWF career if his heel run comes to a screeching halt at the hands of his arch nemesis. The Madison Square Garden crowd goes bonkers obviously buying the now anti-American Hart.

With no Monday Night Raw scheduled for Canada we probably never see Hart wrestle for the WWF again. Fun fact: his contract was expired by the time Survivor Series rolled around. He didn’t have to work the show. Being the champion at the time he felt obliged. If we do arrive at Survivor Series in Montreal with Hart and Michaels main eventing HBK is the one with the belt. You need this match to have the belt at stake. Is the sting of Montreal still momentous if Hart is screwed out of the title he did not have? I have no clue. It’s awfully hard to believe Hart refusing to do the job if Michaels was already champion at Survivor Series. The circumstances would be different. Michaels could retain via D.Q. McMahon wouldn’t be so hellbent on destroying Hart’s reputation Canada. Perhaps a more dignified exit means no racist angle involving the D-Generation X vs The Hart Foundation vs The Nation of Domination? People forget how clumsy and nonsensical the early stages of The Attitude Era was. HBK and Triple H frequently would crack unfunny, immature jokes. They would blabber on and on and find themselves miles away from the initial subject matter.

Hopefully, in this universe, Undertaker retaining washes all of that away. As for Undertaker, Michaels probably gets the belt at either of the In Your House PPVs prior to Survivor Series. ‘Taker’s younger brother Kane was scheduled to debut at Badd Blood. So his appearance can cause ‘Taker to lose the belt to Michaels and transition both participants to the next story.

Scenario Number 2: The Patriot Defeats Bret at IYH: Ground Zero

Hey! Remember The Patriot? Of course you don’t! Nobody does. But for a brief time (oh, so brief) Del Wilkes was red hot debuting in the WWF after stints in Japan and WCW, popping in just as Bret got one over on Michaels and won the belt from ‘Taker at Summerslam. The Patriot didn’t take too kindly to Hart’s defaming America and challenged him to match on July 14th edition of Raw is War. With a little help from The Showstoppa' Patriot scores a monumental upset win over Hart. Sgt. Slaughter acting as commissioner later ordered The Hitman to defend his recently won title against the Patriot at Ground Zero: In Your House.

Funny side-note: this is the feud that turned Vader face. While Vader and Hart were slugging it out for the title on Raw the Hart Foundation attacked Vader, The Patriot ran out to make the save. The next week The Patriot found himself triple-teamed by Bret, Owen and the British Bulldog where Vader repaid the favor by saving Patriots’ bacon.

Del Wilkes was an average wrestler. He spoke in a slow southern accent, lacked charisma and his backstory never was a mystery despite wearing a mask. His gimmick didn’t make much. Why was he wearing a mask if he was a Lucha Libra? The video package prior to the match tells us who The Patriot is. Informing us he played offensive tackle for the South Carolina Gamecocks with Heisman Trophy winner running back George Rogers.

Watching the match I’m convinced Bret could make me look like a thousand dollars because he made The Patriot look like a million. While the crowd chanted “Austin! Austin! Austin!”, I found myself engrossed. Even though I was well aware of the outcome, with each near-fall I wondered if the upset was possible.

I’m sure Wilkes was a hard worker, but he was not championship material. That all being said, if there was ever a night to crown a Cinderella it was right then and there. Even if it was for ONE NIGHT no matter the aftermath the WWE today could have benefited from an out of nowhere challenger turn champion back when their belts meant something.

In his promos after conquering Michaels, and ‘Taker, Hart still is nagging about how the American fans don’t appreciate him. It’s so bizarre. He is on top of the world and can’t transition from complaining to gloating self-righteousness. I don’t fault Hart for this. Creative just saw him as a whiny heel. But then why give him the belt if you were only going to write him a certain way?

You can have Hart win the title back on Raw (even on the night after Ground Zero), or turn Vader heel and take advantage of a weakened, naive Patriot. Be nice to see what Vader could have done with the WWF World Championship around his waist.

To close out this scenario, I searched for Wilkes on Twitter. He is unverified. Also, he’s a MAGA chud. What is it with wrestlers having terrible political beliefs???

Scenario 3: Owen Hart defeated Shawn Michaels to face Bret at WrestleMania XII

We never really did get that Bret vs Owen rubber-match. The two put on absolute clinics to open WrestleMania X in 1994, and a couple months later at Summerslam. Owen winning the first in an upset over his brother. Bret won the steel cage rematch for the world title. It was Owen’s only world title match. The little brother would never rise outside of the mid-card for the rest of his career. It’s unfair for a great many reasons. Owen was the most technically sound wrestler - even more than Bret. Arguably, Owen was superior on promos because there’s more depth in his heel persona than Bret’s portrayal as a face. After his victory at ‘Mania Owen delivered a stuttering, delusional promo. Owen simply didn’t know how to handle the success overcoming his big brother, feeling he’s finally escaped The Hitman’s shadow — only for Bret to win the world title hours later over Yokozuna.

In 1996 in the run-up to WrestleMania XII the red hot Shawn Michaels recently turned face and was gearing up to take the torch from Bret, having won his second straight Royal Rumble; in his first win, he did it coming in at number one. But Owen earned the right to challenge Michaels’ #1 contender status at In Your House: Rage In The Cage. The two put on an absolute show ending in HBK solidifying his status as the one to challenge Bret at ‘Mania. HBK would go on to win the strap, Bret would go on to dip his toes in acting.

But what-If Owen beat HBK? What-if his manager Jim Cornette waffled Michaels with his tennis racket while the referee was distracted and Owen got the cheap pin?

Well, for starters: it will be the first year where the Royal Rumble winner wouldn’t have gone on to challenge for the title at ‘Mania. A scheme McMahon didn’t concoct until the Rumble Rey Mysterio won in the prelude of WrestleMania XXII a decade later.

Owen relinquishes his brother of the strap, as Bret would not have any qualms doing the honors for his brother like he did in their first matchup since he was already leaving. This wipes away Michaels losing his smile, and Owen nearly killing Austin at Summerslam ‘97.

Owen and Bret meet for WrestleMania XIII, so no iconic submission match for Austin (we’re just cutting off Stone Cold’s legs right now). Austin probably finds himself challenging the white-meat Babyface Rocky Maivia for the I.C title. He probably does the job for Rocky. No feud with Bret means no heat for Austin.

If either of these scenarios became reality we’re watching WCW right now. There’s no way without sacrificing Hart the WWF could have overcome the Atlanta base promotion. At the end of the day, the bad guy did win. It’s a damn shame. But that’s the real world.

#bret hart #owen hart #montreal screwjob #shawn michaels #alternate history #WWF #WCW #Monday Night War #WrestleMania

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avaliveradio · 5 years

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5.20 New Music Monday Playlist on AVA Live Radio

Explore some exciting new music from creators all over the world recently discovered by our host Jacqueline Jax as she searches the far corners of the globe for talented songwriters and music creators who are telling their truth to bring the listener a unique experience. From dealing with hate to sounds that will inspire you to get up and dance or help you feel better about yourself, this show offers everything for fans of New Music from Hip hop to R &B styles as well as Alternative rock favorites.

Listen to the show across all broadcasts.

The Anchor Fm page: https://anchor.fm/ava-live-radio

iHeartRadio station page : https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-AVA-Live-Radio-Musi-29336730/

The Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2toX0f3dPmI8gmUSOKZicx

Artist: Ugly Melons

New Release: "You want More"

Genre: Rock

Located in: Canada

The song is basically about the problems that arise when you act selfishly, and never think of others. There is a price to pay when greed is your only motivation. The price is not only paid by others that you have taken from or hurt along the way, but by the individual who has acted only with their self interest in mind. Material success never really leads to happiness, and that is something that anyone that has achieved any level of monetary success will tell you. Be a good person, help others, and realize that 'more' isn't always a good thing.

Toronto, Canada… We are in Toronto Canada , The live music scene is not what it used to be ,but it’s still alive and working ,its Toronto the small New York we keep fighting and have hope just like we keep fighting and hoping for the Toronto maple leafs to win the Stanley Cup lol

Social Media:

Music Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42Q2HbxK6CA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uglymelon/

Instagram: ugly_melons

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ugly_Melon

Artist: After Aristotle

New Release: Episodes

Genre: Rock, Alternative, Indie, Emo

Located in: Austin, Texas, United States ’Episodes’ is an introspective journey into trying to understand and overcome struggles with depression. The instrumentation of the song echoes this feeling with wailing, emotional guitar leads and driving bass and drums. We hope that listeners will hear this track and find some kind of comfort in knowing that it's okay to not be okay.

The music we are creating is... Our next EP has taken a journey into self criticism and understanding, while also exploring a lot of new directions musically. We took this second album as an opportunity to open up and just express what we felt both as people and musicians. The instrumentals range from shoegaze to heart-pounding punk rock and articulate emotional ideals that we all deal with daily. This album is all about self discovery and being open to whatever feels right and we're just lucky to share those ideas with our listeners.

Right now we are... preparing to release the new EP, "Ghost to Ghost" and also going on tour June 16-22. We'll be visiting several south/central Texas cities and releasing the album on all digital platforms June 14th. We really can't wait to share all the new music!

LINKS: Spotify Link to "Episodes": https://open.spotify.com/track/3FpNOstehQlAQYdDwrXao3 Twitter: @After_Aristotle Instagram: @after_aristotle Facebook: facebook.com/afteraristotle

Artist: Tough On Fridays

New Release: Little Italy

Genre: Rock: Alternative Rock

Located in: Georgetown, TX

Tough On Fridays is a rising alternative rock duo from Georgetown, Texas. Comprised of best friends Katie and Caleigh, the two have turned their shared passion for music into an exciting blend of pop and rock sounds! Inspired by iconic alternative bands like Paramore, Green Day, Basement, and Nirvana, Katie and Caleigh work together to bring a refreshing new sound to the alternative rock genre.

The band’s unique attitude and exciting new sound have garnered serious attention from fans everywhere. As one of 10 songs recorded, the recording of "Little Italy" further defines Tough On Fridays sound as something unique. While many reviewers have tried to categorize the band, the one thing they seem to agree on is that Tough On Fridays, with their edgy, hooky, anthemic songs, may have the ability to bridge the gap between rock and pop in a way that hasn't been done in some time. They refuse to be categorized as a "female-fronted band" as these two can write and play every bit as well as the boys. They have the look, but refuse to let that be the stepping stone that takes them away from the music.

Right now... Tough On Fridays just reached its initial crowdfunding goal to fund the recording of an album in 2020 with the help of a contribution from a local radio station.

LINKS: https://www.reverbnation.com/toughonfridays/song/30698131-little-italy https://open.spotify.com/track/19ljJUXcw6D91AkxCZNDKf?si=SSJqc9XPRg6QF3hXp0qV5A https://www.twitter.com/toughonfridays https://www.facebook.com/toughonfridays https://www.instagram.com/toughonfridays

Artist: Joshua Flores

New Release: Give Me Some Time

Genre: Pop

This is a kind of upbeat pop song that was influenced partially by Lauv and his style. I wanted to write a kind of positive song that people could feel good about when they listen to it.

I've been writing more music and making more song lately so people should be seeing more of my music out there soon.

LINKS: https://www.instagram.com/joshuafloresmusic https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJoshuaFlores https://twitter.com/joshuafloresmus https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zffiMLhptfUW8AXmMDDXH

Band Name: FAKKEN

Song name: Si Meg

Music Genre: Hip Hop

I live in... Norway

Link to play: https://open.spotify.com/track/5JfVmnAJiZMqolL6uspjUy?si=uaC42_G-SsCtnk7O9vYkeA

Music is my life, it’s my job, my hobby, my love. and what inspires me. I work hard work hard at it and am dedicated to the vision. This is what I do, I make emotional Rap with real lyrics straight from the heart. My music inspires people through hard times, I made this song after my 4th best friend died of a overdose. It’s meant to touch on that question, Why people give up? What drives me is all the people that tell me I have saved their lives with my music. The music business is hard, no doubt but all the work I put in has paid off over time.

Website & social media links: https://www.facebook.com/FakkenMusic https://www.instagram.com/fakken_offisiell https://open.spotify.com/artist/0ZbBWXNJTyB5IaUWg4TSWY?si=KYDJXVc9QP-3EFryeY3-lQ

Artist: NOVA

New Release: Electrocute

Genre: Jazz+Funk

Located in: Los Angeles

A culmination of all the musical genres that have ignited my passion for music in the very first place. I think I will look back and think of this song as one I HAD to produce in order to move on to other things. It's the most reflective of my artistic voice. I grew up loving all forms of music, but I've always been partial of music that can make you move. Genres that were energetic by nature (Jazz, Funk, & Hip-Hop) have always had a soft spot in my heart. Electrocute is the one track on The Jazzmen Invasion that combines all 3 of those genres & applies them to their fullest effect. In it, I channel 1/3 Eminem, 1/3 Prince, & 1/3 Frank Sinatra; a blend that could be hard to swallow. I always tell people my genre of music is neither jazz nor funk, it's Jazz+Funk. So I see that a lot more songs in my future would build off of the Electrocute formula.

Currently… I've put together an outfit of wonderful musicians who I've reached out to help me re-interpret the music on the EP to a wider live audience. We are Funk Sway, the driving force of the Jazzmen Invasion. With a band of musicians that I trust to carry out my vision with me, new music, & subsequently, new music videos, social media content, etc. will also be inevitable. I am working on building the NOVA movement one song at a time.

LINKS: iTunes link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-jazzmen-invasion-ep/1462599764 Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2J3IK4VbcSzekqpZIoBlre?si=WQjt7LgpS8qEqNTCI8iI5Q Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NOVAguitar Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/novaguitar

Artist: Joshua Flores

New Release: I Wait

Genre: R&B

Located in: Corpus Christi, Texas This song is my first attempt to create an R&B song, I wanted to challenge myself and make something that people wouldn't except from me. I was heavily influenced by Khalid and Drake when it came to the vibe of the song with all the harmonies and music production. I will say that I truly express my feelings through this song so I find it very personal and special to me.

This song is important since it's my way of starting to branch out from doing more than just pop music. I've always wanted to do R&B as well and now people will get to see this new side of my music.

I will be moving to Dallas in June to help put my name out there and continue working on some new songs and perfecting my music production and songwriting.

LINKS: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0zffiMLhptfUW8AXmMDDXH https://twitter.com/joshuafloresmus https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJoshuaFlores https://www.instagram.com/joshuafloresmusic

Artist: Sound Machine (Band)/Sunil Bhatia (Artist)

New Release: L'amore

Genre: Electronic Pop Rock

Located in: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

This is an Instrumental Electronica track with rock elements. It would take one back to the kind of music we used to hear in the 80's and 90's with a College Music kind of feel. Some Electronic sounds have been added to bring a modern day hearing experience. "L'amore" means "The Love" and is found in the Italian, French and Spanish languages.

The music we are creating is... The Music of Sound machine has been varied across Pop Rock, Electronica, Techno and Symphonic Genres and may also be in the category of Thematic Film Background and TV/Drama/Fantasy series. Every track attempts to tell a story as there are instrumental in nature. The artist Sunil Bhatia has been making music for Bollywood and also as an Indie Artist.

Right now we are... Am a Singer, Songwriter and Composer based out of Mumbai. Have also authored a storybook with a poems section too called "My Feathered Friends & the Book of Poems-Part 1" available across online platforms.

LINKS: https://www.reverbnation.com/sunilbhatia/song/30797274-lamore-electronic-rock https://soundcloud.com/sunil-bhatia/lamore-electronic-rock-by-sound-machine https://twitter.com/sunilbhatia https://www.facebook.com/YoursMusically https://www.instagram.com/sonu.sunil.bhatia

#Ugly Melons #After Aristotle #Tough On Fridays #Joshua Flores #FAKKEN #NOVA #Sound Machine

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starry-kfics · 6 years

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curses [myungjun]

word count: 3367

warnings: cursing (obviously)

extra info: staff!reader, English is in italics

author: krys

“Bitch better have my money.”

♡

The clacking of the keys on your computer and the quiet hum of activity in the office room were the only things that kept you in the waking world. All of your mental energy was drained from the amount of articles and emails you were stuck with reading. If the day went by any slower, then you would have mistaken yourself for being stuck in time.

Today dragged you by the hand and made you sluggishly follow behind. You only wanted to lay your head on your desk and have a quick snooze, but you knew that your branch’s supervisor liked to drop by your cubicle for status reports. That, and you owned one of the coolest candy dispensers in the whole office.

Goes to say, things in the office were passing unnaturally slow, and you couldn’t wait for your shift to be done.

It wasn’t that you hated your job at Fantagio Entertainment. It was just one of those rare times where the blogs and posts you had to read and translate bored you immensely. Being apart of the international socials team was great and all, since you got to explore the non-Korean fan reactions and record them for the company yourself, but in the low time between comebacks, nothing big usually happened in the consumer world. There were no large statistics to take note of, nothing that stood out and kept your toes out of the shallows of REM sleep. Thankfully, you looked forward to one thing at the end of your da-

!!!

Your consciousness spiked when the phone in your lap quietly vibrated, announcing the start of the new hour and the end of your office job. With a rekindled spirit, you logged off of your cubicle PC and grabbed your bag, after making sure all of your documents were saved and all physical papers were filed away. Pushing your wheeled chair out, you stretched your stiff body and made your way out of the maze of adjoined cubicles.

You quietly said bye to some of your co-workers, too relieved to escape the hanging fog of hard work. After a couple stairs and corridors, you stopped by the receptionist and waited to get her attention.

It took a few heartbeats for her to get her eyes off of her computer. “(Name)! Just got off from work?” she asked with a delighted tone.

“The boring part at least. I wanted to know if my afternoon class has checked in yet?” you responded, shifting your weight onto different legs.

“Here, let me see… Uh- yes, they all have, but I believe Myungjun is the only one in the practice room right now. I saw the others walk out a few minutes ago, and they told me to inform you that they will be going to the convenience store.” Your eyes immediately widened in disbelief from the information, and you rolled them to the beats of an exaggerated sigh to express your comedic annoyance.

“Aish, those punks.” you said with a scoff, the receptionist quietly chuckling at your reaction. “If they keep doing this to me without bringing any food back, then I’m going to have to actually enforce the consequences.” With a shake of your head, you looked up with a tight smile, but happy eyes. “Thank you for the information, though. I will be in the practice room. Have a nice day!”

You waved goodbye to the receptionist as you walked away, going up one flight of stairs before reaching a hallway of doors. You counted each door as you walked down, until you stopped outside the designated room. With a sharp knock on the wood, you swiftly opened the door, to the surprise of one person residing inside.

“Ah, good afternoon, Teacher-nim!” Myungjun exclaimed from his seat at the foldable table. You noticed that right when you opened the door, he was quick to cover a piece of paper and his phone with a notebook. A strange and intriguing mystery, but you decided to play dumb.

“Good afternoon, Myungjun. How are you today?” you asked him as you walked inside the room. Myungjun hummed and opened his mouth a few times, planning his response back in English.

“I… I am, very good. Full of good. How are you?” Myungjun responded carefully, yet confidently. You strolled to the front of the room, his body following like a sunflower to the Sun.

“That is great! I am feeling good, thank you for asking.” you replied with a vibrant smile. “You’re getting better, Myungjun! To be honest, I think the only thing you need to work on now is finding me a better nickname.” Myungjun made a noise of agreement as he rearranged the neat clutter of study items in front of him, and you noticed that he was careful to stash the paper of interest quickly into his folder.

You placed your bag in top of a foldable table that sat near the white board. After pulling out a couple of textbooks and papers, Myungjun spoke up from doodling in his notebook.

“Ah, the younger members went out to the convenience store to buy some food.” You nodded and pulled over a chair so you could sit.

“Did Moonbin force them, or was it Sanha?”

“Sanha forced Moonbin to take everyone.” You huffed in amusement, a smile blooming as you turned the chair around so you could sit on it backwards. You grabbed your phone that was on the table and rested your arms on the head of the chair.

“Why didn’t you go with them?” you asked Myungjun, temporarily looking up to meet his eyes. Myungjun glanced away after a few seconds of eye contact, and you felt amused at his inability to look at you in the eye. He leaned forward in his seat and rested his elbows on the table, folding his hands together as if he was a businessman.

“Well, from my studies, convenience store food is becoming more expensive by the day. I am not willing to support this kind of nonsense, so in response I am having a strike against the price-raise.” Myungjun animatedly stated, making different hand and head motions to accentuate his point.

You let the tips of your lips curve up from Myungjun’s antics. “Smart idea.” You licked your lips. “You know, it’s raining outside, and we were just about to start our lesson.” You pursed your lips to the side and nodded to yourself. “It’s strange that they like to always leave you alone in here. They’ve been doing this more often.” Myungjun gave a quiet and short hum, being strangely still as you continued to scroll through your phone.

Nothing more was said between you two, which was unusual for the talkative hyung and the sassy Teacher-nim. Though, the silence held no air of tension or awkwardness, which made you glad that you were not forced to start a conversation with Myungjun. You treasured moments like these, because you have rarely been able to witness Myungjun in his neutral, quiet zone, which only came around when he was focusing on art.

However, many times, you sensed him taking occasional peeks from his doodling to look at you before going back to his paper. This made your stomach butterflies do Olympic-worthy gymnastic routines. Myungjun has always seemed to keep that affect on you, no matter what he was doing. The skin on your cheeks began to heat up and your breath became more light when you noticed him glance up again, this time keeping his eyes on you for a longer period of time and with a higher intensity of focus. You felt more self-conscious and shy, yet bashful from the attention he was “secretly” giving you.

You shifted under Myungjun’s gaze and cleared your throat. “I’m going to call Dongmin so that he can make sure that they buy something for me.” you stammared in a mixture of panic and embarrassment. Myungjun briefly lifted his gaze, only to meet your shining eyes once more. Myungjun nodded like the idiot he was and continued his important sketches.

You hummed a pop song to fill the soft silence, occasionally singing the few verses you knew by heart. You didn’t realize it but Myungjun was listening to every note and syllable that came from your lips, despite all of his concentration being shoved into his classwork. He was so in love with your quiet, sweet voice. His heart melted at the thought of you letting your chic and firm guard down with him and just him.

You put your phone to your ear as you waited for Dongmin to pick up. Myungjun didn’t pay attention to a majority of the conversation, except for the times you slipped into English, which was often with Dongmin. He took notes on the way you used slang and how your tone rose and fell to express different emotions, and how you used your accent to enunciate different words. He wanted to show his improvement in his English to you, and he often studied the way you carried yourself when using the language.

“Yes, I want the one with chocolate chips… Minhyuk owes me money so just ask him to pay you for what I’m getting. Rihanna’s been stuck in my head this whole day so in response I shall quote the queen, ‘Y’all should know me well enough, bitch better have my money.’” you said, saying the last part in a sing-song voice. You paused, then giggled, probably from something Eunwoo said back. This was all taken into consideration by Myungjun.

“Teacher (Name), I have a question!” Myungjun called to you, slightly because he was feeling left out. You nodded and said a quick goodbye to Dongmin before going next to the idol to read the book properly.

“What do you need help with, Myungjun?” you asked as you ended the call, somewhat squatting near his seat so that you can read the passage he was stuck on. Myungjun stuttered through his English to explain his problem, internally happy with the one-on-one attention. You pointed to different letters and explained past tense verbs to him once more.

“Do you know the difference between ‘rose’ and ‘raised’ now?” you finally asked, looking up at Myungjun for confirmation. He nodded and bowed his head. He already knew everything you just taught him.

Before you could reach across Myungjun and point out a similar passage in the textbook, the handle of the door jingled, and in came the five other ASTRO members.

“We’re back!” Sanha announced, half an ice cream in one hand and a plastic bag of more in the other. You stood up fully, to the disappointment of Myungjun, but he too then got out of his seat to grab some snacks before they all disappeared.

“Hello, (Name). We’re sorry that we’re late.” Jinwoo spoke up as he walked closer to Myungjun. The two had a short correspondence made of whispers and giggles, plus a chest-slap thrown by Myungjun.

“Hey, hey, hey, English time.” Moonbin said as he placed the plastic bag he was carrying on the table, shifting through it before pushing it away. “Ah, (Name) Teacher, this bag is for you.” You grabbed the bag and looked inside as the other members took their seats and got situated. Myungjun saw your face erupt with joy, and he too smiled when you had your little moment of celebration.

“I was going to get mad at you guys, but after seeing all of these snacks in here, I will forget that you five were fifteen minutes late.” The other five members cheered, and the English lesson finally began.

Myungjun was still not over the thing that Jinwoo whispered into his ear when he came from the convenience store. The reason why the other members have been leaving Myungjun to go out right before lessons is so that he could have the chance to be with you, alone. For the past few meetings, he has failed each time to bring up his feelings to you.

“You just have to do it, bro, or else I will have to do it for you. You’re taking too long and all of my money is being spent by those ice cream vacuums.” Jinwoo had said to him after handing Myungjun an ice cream.

“It was your idea! You can’t blame it on me.” Myungjun whisper-yelled back. He glanced back and noticed that you were talking to Minhyuk, not paying attention to the meeting of the eldest members.

“Just say anything to her, hyung. It’s obvious that nothing will go wrong, since we can all feel the romantic tension between you two.” Myungjun protested with a nervous chuckle and a series of “No~” against the leader’s claims, his hand on the shoulder of the younger. Jinwoo began to whine. “Please~ Sanha made a bet with me and that will at least encourage you to grow a pair so I can win.” In response, Myungjun hit him on the chest and went back to his seat with a growing smile, thinking about the proposition.

“We can use this ice cream as a good example.” you said after finishing the last bite of your ice cream sandwich. “Myungjun, say I owe you money for the ice cream, what do you tell me to ask for money back?” Myungjun snapped out of his pondering and tragically said the first thing that came to mind, which was (not-surprisingly) about you.

“Bitch better have my money.”

Silence.

No immediate response came from you, in which Myungjun’s anxiety rate rose up like lightning. Was that totally wrong? Did he misinterpret the situation and said something that had nothing to do with what you asked for? From his peripherals he saw Dongmin, who was the best at English out of the six, widen his mouth and eyes, switching his eyes from you to Myungjun. Maybe he really messed up?

Myungjun looked to your face for a negative sign of his mistake, only to see your shoulders shaking up and down and a hand to your mouth to smolder a growing laugh attack. The action was quite new to the six, since they have never seen you lost it like this.

“What, did I mess up that bad?” Myungjun spoke up nervously with a smile, shifting in his seat as his eyes danced around the room to dismiss the rising embarrassment in his chest. The others couldn’t help to smile and start to chuckle from your contagious reaction that they didn’t understand, save for Dongmin.

“Hyung-nim, do you know the meaning of what you just said?” Dongmin asked, an uncontrollable smile trying to be held back with a lick of his lips. Myungjun looked over at the younger and back at you.

“Uh, n-no?” he meekly spoke up, meeting your eyes. You finally let your snickers free, which quickly developed to a bursting laugh. You chuckled lightly as you gasped for air, almost snorting, which made you laugh even harder on the way down.

“Myungjun, honey, no, that’s not what you say.” You managed to lightly cry out in the higher register of your voice. Myungjun’s mouth was still slightly open in an act of confusion, him not understanding half of the things you said due to your unclear English. He readjusted his position in his seat once more and looked to Dongmin for help.

You had a difficult time controlling your laughter when Dongmin went over to whisper in Myungjun’s ear, his eyes widening like saucers when he learned the gravity of what he just said in English. He had no vocal response, save for a groan as he covered his face in his hands, which prompted you to go over to Myungjun and place a hand on his shoulder in the midst of your laughter.

After Dongmin pulled away, the other four members demanded an explanation. You called for their attention, which ceased the loudness of the curiosity.

“Myungjun here- ahEM- has accidentally said a curse word in English.” you clarified, prompting an outbreak of screaming from the other members.

Once the yelling and violent shaking of Myungjun by the other members was finished, you sniffled the effects of your laughter aside and ran a hand through your hair.

“I know you didn’t mean to say that, Myungjun, but I will still have to give you the consequences for saying the wrong answer.” Myungjun was spinning as he was trying to recall your consequences. He glanced to a side, meeting a knowing look from Jinwoo when you turned to write something on the whiteboard, and he remembered.

Every time someone answered a question wrong, you held them a few moments after the class ended to go over some key terms they missed. It wasn’t always a bad thing, and it encouraged the six to always get the answers right. But, the shared glances with Jinwoo entailed something more had to happen after the class.

After a few more minutes, you shut your textbook and put both hands on the table. “That will conclude today’s lesson. See you guys next week!” As the other members rose from their seats and put their things away, speaking amongst themselves, you walked over to Myungjun and pulled a chair right next to him. Noticing this, Jinwoo silently motioned for the other members to get out of the room faster.

“Alright, Myungjun,” you said to start, “so you now know what not to say in English, correct?” you asked with a hint of a teasing smirk. Myungjun chuckled and nodded.

“This actually might sound bad, but I said that phrase because I heard you say it on the phone.” he explained, this time mustering everything in him to look at you in the eye.

“That is very good that you are listening to me use English outside of lessons and learning from that, and I’m sorry for laughing at you. It must’ve been a little embarrassing in front of the other members.” you chuckled and started tapping your foot, a nervous habit Myungjun noted.

“It’s okay! I’m always embarrassing the others, so I’m quite used to it.” You both giggled, and you tilted your head to the side, becoming more quiet and sincere.

“Well, uh, to make it up to you, I was wondering-this might sound dumb and I’m sorry- if you were okay for me treating you for some boba tea?” you sheepishly asked. “I know, out of place and probably too random, but I have been actually been meaning to ask you if you wanted to go get something together, like the two of us…” You shyly trailed off, your cheeks becoming tingly and too insecure to look at Myungjun in the eye.

Myungjun was shocked beyond his world. You, the person he has taken a liking for ever since ASTRO has been enrolled to your English classes, the person that he adored relentlessly and showed his adoration for by studying every lesson given (something he rarely done in grade school), and the person who has stolen his heart and his breath many times, just asked him in the cutest way possible if he wanted to go on a date.

Of course, he had to play it cool and act like he hasn’t been daydreaming this event for the past two months. “If you’re asking me on a date, then the answer is yes.” You looked up at Myungjun with a smile he has fallen in love with over and over again.

“Really? Are you sure?” Myungjun couldn’t help but to snicker at your question. He decided to go with it all.

“Only reason why I’m agreeing is because I have been meaning to ask you the same thing, but since you have done it for both of us, I will thank you by taking you on a date and paying for your boba.” Myungjun’s eyes couldn’t have shined any brighter, and the strong fondness that radiated from the softness of his smile yearned for you to embrace him and cuddle to no end.

“I can’t believe we both didn’t have the guts to ask each other out.” you spoke up, the specific words making your stomach do excited twists. “Who knew this would all be thanks to the curse word you heard from me.” You both giggled and got up from your seats, preparing to leave the room. You both weren’t surprised to find the other five members crowded around the door outside, dismissing any accusations you and Myungjun threw at them as you all walked out of the building.

#drabbles: mj #astro #astro drabbles #drabbles #astro imagines #astro scenarios #mj #myungjun #kim myungjun #myungjun scenario #myungjun imagine #kim myungjun imagine #aroha #fluff #mj fluff #author: krys #*krys

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roseisread · 6 years

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You Make Me Not Wanna Die: The return of the Pop Menagerie playlist! It’s been way too long since I posted anything on this blog. My only excuse is that I’ve had a crazy year in my personal life and sometimes internet things take a back seat to self care. But right now, I think my best form of self care is listening to and sharing my pop culture faves so I’m back to do just that. I’m starting off with a playlist that contains songs I love to sing along to, cry along to, dance along to, write along to, and think along to. Almost all of these songs are from albums released in 2017, although there may be an exception here or there for songs released earlier that I only discovered recently. In any case, here you go. Enjoy! 1. Allie X - That’s So Us If you love Carly Rae Jepsen, you should love Allie X. This song makes me so happy, and also it makes me cry sometimes because it reminds me of those people that you really can be yourself around and they love you anyway. Those people are rare and wonderful, and if you are one of them for me, then thank you. “You make me not wanna die,” as the song says. I love that line so much I used it to title this playlist. 2. The Drums - Shoot the Sun Down Remember these guys? Kind of sunny indie pop, hit it big with “I Don’t Know How To Love” off of their album Portamento back in 2012? Yeah. They are still here, still awesome, and the album this came from just gives me shivers it’s so freaking great. Also, I joke that this song is dedicated to my cat when she tries to bite and scratch me at night, because of that repeating line, “I put a blanket over my face.” Nena, this one’s for you. 3. Knuckle Puck - Conduit I have such a goddamn soft spot for emo-leaning pop punk, you guys. I can’t even lie. As a bonus, they’re from the Chicago area so technically I can claim them as a local band. This song reminds me of the best of Blink 182, early Jimmy Eat World, and maybe even a little Brand New. I also love the lyrics, with their references to grinding teeth and lucid dreams. Definitely relatable for me. 4. MUNA - End of Desire You might be familiar with MUNA if you love Tegan and Sara, because this band appears on The Con: X covering Relief Next To Me. I love the way their voices blend, and I love the vulnerability of the lyrics. This song is open to interpretation, but it seems to allude to having feelings for another person that you didn’t ask for but can’t get rid of. Who hasn’t been there? 5. Kiasmos - Jarred The Icelandic duo is back with more incredible, chilly electronic tunes that almost sound like icicles forming or frost creeping up the inside of your window pane in the night. This song definitely makes me want to hop the next plane to Reykjavik and spend a week sipping dark liquor in some poorly lit club that only the locals know about. 6. MUTEMATH - War You know about my love of MUTEMATH by now. Their latest album goes in so many different directions musically--not just from one song to the next but within the space of a single track. This one is a banger live, and one of my favorites on the album. Lyrically, it reminds me of my own not so great tendency to get heated as I try to convince someone they’re wrong and I’m right. A good debate is healthy sometimes, but not everything needs to be a battle for the ages. “War’s in my nature,” all right. But I’m trying to find a way toward peace. 7. Cat Dealers/Groove Delight - Calabria This is just a sick dance track. I can’t claim to know all that much about Cat Dealers, although I know they hail from Rio de Janeiro and that this song makes me want to tear it up on the dancefloor or the living room or the driver’s seat of my car. Groove Delight is Brazilian as well, making me think I probably need to go to Brazil sooner rather than later to discover what other booty shaking gems I’ve been missing. 8. Converge - A Single Tear Can you believe these guys have been around for 27 years? This song encapsulates so many things I love about them, from their always insane percussion to the insistent guitar melodies to the impassioned vocals of Jacob Bannon. The lyrics (which allude to “holding you for the first time,” presumably about becoming a parent) are so sweet, a word that doesn’t probably come up in a lot of reviews of metal and hardcore songs but still, I stand by it. 9. Luna Shadows - Jesus Christ (Brand New cover) I have always loved this song, and it’s awesome to hear a young up and coming artist take it on. She really puts her own spin on this classic of the emo genre, and I look forward to hearing more original tunes from her. 10. ROMES - Someone I just saw these guys open for MUTEMATH and they have so much energy live! Canadian by way of Ireland, they bring out anthemic indie pop tunes that are just irresistible. I’m reminded a little bit of Peter Gabriel and a little bit of Bastille, but not in a derivative way. 11. Fever Ray - Red Trails Ahhhhh! Fever Ray is back!!!! It’s been way too long since we’ve heard from her, but the album that she just released online helps make up for the absence because it just kills. She still has that haunting, hypnotic voice layered on top of unexpected instrumentation and arrhythmic beats. The lyrics are mysterious and dark. There’s something sexy about it but not in a Britney Spears way. She sounds kind of dangerous but you can’t help but want to follow her wherever she’s going. 12. ABRA - Bounty Speaking of hypnotic and sexy, ABRA is definitely both. Based in Atlanta, she sounds like she’s based in another planet altogether. Her off kilter brand of R&B does not fit any category--she has this supple voice that leads us along across breathy beats and frantic counter melodies. It’s unsettling and gorgeous at the same time. 13. Tove Lo - Disco Tits Tove Lo is my ride or die. She’s unabashedly herself in all her nympho trashy glory, and I adore her for it. I promise I’m not into club drugs, but Euro pop songs about them sure are fun. I put this song on the car radio when I’m driving to work just to wake myself up and then have to make sure my phone volume is on mute before I walk into the office because “nipples are hard ready to go” is probably not appropriate lyrical content for the workplace. 14. Golden Features - Funeral Tom Stell, aka Golden Features, has sold out tours in his native country of Australia but it won’t belong before he’s selling out everywhere. This track makes me want to see him in an underground dance club at 4am. It’s fire. 15. Jessie Ware - Stay Awake, Wait For Me Another one of my faves is back! I love her upbeat songs but this is one of those instant classic pop ballads, and I had to find a spot for it on this list. It’s intimate and romantic and sexy in a grown up way. Don’t put this song on if you’re trying to be celibate, is all I’m saying. 16. Hundred Waters - Particle If you miss Imogen Heap/Frou Frou, you should most definitely be listening to Hundred Waters. Nicole Miglis has that hushed tone in her voice that belies intense feeling, and the skittering electronic elements fill the spaces in between as a sort of musical representation of anxiety and uncertainty. This song, about a romantic coupling that seems lopsided. “I’m only a particle, a drop in you, forever dissolving,” she sings. Damn.

17. The Tuts- Dump Your Boyfriend What’s not to love about this UK based garage girl group? This song describes the kind of toxic relationship that it’s easy to criticize from the outside but harder to shake when you’re the one who’s in love with an asshole. 18. Fellwarden - Sun of an Ending This kind of moody, atmospheric black metal is so soothing to me. It feels ancient and primal, like the old gods are still roaming the land slaying dragons and protecting those that live in their realm. If you’re a black metal fan, you may recognize the vocals as those of Fen frontman The Watcher. 19. Palehound - Silver Toaster On Boston-based Palehound’s second album, the writing sounds more self-assured and the songs even more personal than those on the debut. Frontwoman Ellen Kempner attributes this in part to being more comfortable in her own skin as a queer-identifying woman, and in part to being in her first healthy adult relationship. This song is short and simple, but I love the unexpected turns of phrase and imagery, like the line, “hack off my split ends.” There are plenty of bands doing the whole DIY stripped down aesthetic, but this one rises above the rest. If you were into artists like Kimya Dawson and Mary Lou Lord, you should definitely be paying attention to Palehound.

20. Kelsea Ballerini - Miss Me More Nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy earlier this year, Kelsea Ballerini hits the ground running on her latest release. She’s been writing songs since she was 12 years old and listening to Britney, Christina, and N Sync. Something about the fact that she considers Shania her biggest influence really charms me. I am obsessed with this song, which I can relate to on a very personal level. Sometimes you don’t realize how much you’ve compromised yourself for another person until you don’t have them in your life anymore and suddenly the real you starts to re-emerge. 21. The Maharajas - Too Late To Repent If you hear this song and think it must be a re-release of some little known 1960s garage rock/British Invasion group, I don’t blame you. I wondered that myself. But it turns out these Swedish dudes have only been active since the 90s, and they are still recording music that sounds like it’s from a bygone era. A little Kinks, a little Beatles, a little surf rock--it’s all here and it’s all great. 22. Margo Price - Don’t Say It This Illinois native was signed by Jack White to Third Man Records, and she recorded her debut album at Sun Studios in Memphis. Both of those things make sense upon hearing her traditional country sound. She has one of those clear, classic voices that really do harken back to the Lorettas and Patsys and Tammys. Her second album even features a duet with Willie Nelson, proving that she’s definitely earned her classic country bonafides. 23. Peaness - Skin Surfing OK, yes, initially I was drawn to this 3-piece English band because of their silly name. But once I heard the first guitar strums and vocal harmonies, I was truly done for. Formed in 2014, they have songs about everything from wasting food just because it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing (”Ugly Veg”) to George Osborne of Brexit fame (”Oh George”). This song is very seductive while staying playful and affirming consent. I dig the occasional Veruca Salt vibes it dips into as well. 24. Dori Freeman - Ern & Zorry’s Sneakin’ Bitin’ Dog I guess an acapella song about a mean neighbor dog might be an odd choice for a playlist but it’s so adorable I couldn’t leave it out. Dori Freeman, who cites Peggy Lee and Rufus Wainwright as her major influences, hails from Virginia and her songs have an Appalachian flavor. I predict a T-Bone Burnett collaboration in her future. 25. The Blow - Summer It’s hard to believe The Blow has existed in some form for going on 20 years, but it’s true. The K Records vets continue to release hypnotic, electronic indie pop with a lo-fi feel, and this song has been stuck in my head from the first listen. It’s a simple melody but good luck escaping that hook. 26. Austra - Beyond a Mortal The Canadian dark wave is back with their third album, this time recorded in Mexico. For this particular track, singer Katie Stelmanis says she recorded the vocals over 100 times to achieve the hushed, whispery effect. The rest of the album, titled Future Politics, is a meditation on the state of the world as it is now and what we all wish it could become. 27. MGMT - Little Dark Age Finally! It’s been 5 years since MGMT’s last album, and even longer since the world sat up and took notice of them. This lead single off their upcoming album makes me think that they’re poised to re-take the synth pop throne. This song has elements of their earliest work, but it also incorporates bits of industrial and even krautrock. I listen and think Depeche Mode! Kraftwerk! Skinny Puppy! So many of my musical faves somehow distilled into a single track. I can only hope that the rest of the album lives up to this single. 28. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Ring-a-Ring O’Roses To me, there’s always been an otherworldly quality to Charlotte Gainsbourg’s voice. She took some time off from music to do some acting, notably in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac volume 1 and volume 2 and Melancholia. Those films required heavy lifting and emotional degradation, which perhaps allowed her to tap into a deeper place when recording the songs for this album, her first in seven years. The video for this song features Gainsbourg’s son, carrying on the family tradition started by Charlotte and her father Serge Gainsbourg. 29. Sun Glitters - Where the End Begins If there’s one thing I love, it’s shimmery electronic music. And Sun Glitters, who hails from Luxembourg, produces just that. Rarely does an artist’s name so aptly describe their sound, but this is one such perfect marriage. If you enjoy the likes of Gold Panda, Boards of Canada, Fennesz, Teen Daze, or Blackbird Blackbird, you will definitely dig this sound.

#playlist #2017 music #mgmt #charlotte gainsbourg #sun glitters #austra #mutemath #the drums #allie x #tove lo #fever ray #romes #the tuts

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topfygad · 5 years

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5 U.K. Cities To Catch Great Live Music The very best British cities to hunt down homegrown musical talent. Cities U.K. Stephen Connolly | POSTED ON: August 16, 2019 The group, Mother Funkers, boogie down at Lakota, in Bristol. Photo Courtesy: Giulia Spadafora/Soul Media Musicians on tour are great, but nothing beats the floor-shaking reverberations of a crowd stamping for its hometown heroes. On my travels, whenever I catch a local artist playing a show the atmosphere around me completely changes. Instead of feeling like an unremarkable outsider, I suddenly feel the comfort of home, even if just for a couple of hours. The whole experience helps me see people in a new way—unguarded, open, and as familiar to me as old friends. For those keen on experiencing British music at its source, consider adding these U.K. towns to your bucket list and get to know the scenes—old and new. Visitors unaccustomed to the inconsistencies of British weather will be happy to know that good music can be enjoyed at all these places year-round at indoor venues, which will keep them dry and warm. Manchester Although it can be hard to see beyond Manchester’s headline history of bands like Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, and Oasis, arguably its biggest contribution to modern music was The Haçienda, a legendary nightclub. Throughout the 1980s, Manchester’s most important club was the de facto home of English dance music and the great populariser of the house sound of America. The city’s love affair with dance music remains central, but it’s now splintered into scenes that typify the diversity of Britain’s most linguistically rich city. Different sounds, different voices, and different cultures can be found across the town every night of the week. If hip hop is your thing, then the multi-talented LEVELZ collective regularly bring their raucous street knowledge to venues like YES (average price £12-15/Rs1,000-1,300), while on the other end of the spectrum, the much-respected trumpeter Matthew Halsall’s Gondwana Orchestra blends spiritual jazz with modern electronics at venues like Band on the Wall (£15-20/Rs1,300-1,700). For cutting-edge electronic music, try the dancehall flavours of the Swing Ting party at Soup Kitchen (£8-12/Rs700-1,000), or seek clandestine venues such as The White Hotel (£10-20/Rs850-1,700) and Hidden (£10-20/Rs850-1,700) for the deep-digging selections of DJs and producers like Ruf Dug, the city’s own sonic cyberpunk. If it’s a full-on acid house experience you’ve come for then don’t miss Homoelectric(£12-20/Rs1,000-1,700), Manchester’s wildly hedonistic disco. A busker lets his guitar gently weep in front of Big Ben. Photo By: Anatoleya/Moment/Getty Images Oxford With around six million visitors a year, Oxford is already high on many travellers’ wish lists. Guidebooks sing the city’s praises for having a historic heart where jumbles of elegant buildings cling to each other like lovers. However, in the rock and roll rooms underneath the dreaming spires, the city’s also been breeding bands like Ride, Supergrass, and the area’s most famous sons, Radiohead, since the 1990s—yet another reason to visit. For a city dominated by university life, perhaps it’s no surprise that the music scene in Oxford remains filled with clever young people with access to cheap instruments. To this day the town still thrums with intelligent indie rock bands such as Kanadia, MOTHER and Self Help. In recent years, by far the biggest band to come out of Oxford has been Foals, who’ve gone from house party gigs on Cowley Road to headlining arenas. The biggest players in town can be found at the 02 Academy (from £20/Rs1,700), while more independent sounds can be found at The Bullingdon (from £8/Rs700) and The Jericho Tavern (£8-15/Rs700-1,300), the latter being the fabled pub where Radiohead played their first show in their previous incarnation, On A Friday. If you’re in the mood for something less rambunctious the city also has a rich tradition of symphonic and choral music, fed largely by the presence of serious music students. Two good (and cheaper) places to start are the Oxford University Orchestra (£7-15/Rs600-1,300) and the Oxford University String Ensemble (£5-10/Rs400-850), both offering top-class talent. Glasgow At all turns, Scotland’s largest city keeps taking on its detractors and producing lively, life-affirming cultures that reject the narrative of the city as just a working class Edinburgh. From the hallucinogenic comic books of Grant Morrison to the caustic humour of comedian Frankie Boyle, Glasgow is filled with unapologetic outliers fashioning creativity in their own ways—its music scene being central to the city’s expressiveness. Glasgow’s been showing its pedigree for decades through massively popular acts such as Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand. It’s even responsible for one of the pop acts who dominated the British music charts in the 1980s and ’90s, Wet Wet Wet. Although, perhaps the less said about them the better. A fan savours the show and her bevvy at Manchester’s YES. Photo Courtesy: Jody Hartley Famous for the buzzing liveliness of its pubs, clubs, and locals, Glasgow is a place to find loud music and sweaty dance floors. A new breed of bands like Comfort and Hairband offer everything from industrial noise to melancholy pop music. They’re at their best in the city’s classic venues, from basement crowds of dive bar Nice’n’Sleazy (£5-10/Rs400-850) to King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut (£15-25/Rs1,300-2,150), labelled by some in the music press as “quite possibly the finest small venue in the world.” The Barrowland Ballroom (from £20/Rs1,700) is an unembellished temple of sound where the crowd bounces on the sprung wooden floor and the history of performers including David Bowie and Daft Punk fills the air. It all helps to create an atmosphere that makes it the favourite venue of bands including Metallica and Oasis. The city’s electronic music scene is no slouch either, with places like La Cheetah (£5-10/Rs400-850) and Sub Club (£5-10/Rs400-850), which are filled with the house and techno sounds of current favourites Denis Sulta and Jasper James. The uninitiated should pay a visit to Sub Club to see the DJ kings, Optimo, for a bit of insight into the importance of dance music in Glasgow. Bristol More than any other place on this list, Bristol’s music scene is the idiosyncratic result of its history. As one of the main slave trading ports in the 18th century, the population of this south-western city has long had significant influences from Africa and the West Indies. It was in the 1950s and ’60s, however, when immigration from the Caribbean expanded the already diverse population, that sound system culture made reggae and ska the default setting for house parties and street celebrations. The influence of those communities on the following decades of DIY post-punk bands like The Pop Group and hip-hop acts such as The Wild Bunch was critical. It was this bedrock of sound that led to the city’s biggest musical export, trip hop. In the 1990s, Massive Attack, Portishead, and Tricky all represented Bristol with their beautifully strange, fiercely independent blends of gender and genre; rave and race. That’s a tradition that lives on today in the city that’s still regarded as a hotbed of innovation. In the 2000s, Shackleton and Appleblim’s Skull Disco label changed the course of dubstep with African polyrhythms, while today, Timedance, Idle Hands, Tectonic, and the Livity Sound imprints all continue to push the edges of underground bass music to psychedelic extremes. The best place to find electronic music is in venues like the hip, audiophile bar, The Love Inn (from £4/Rs350), or the darker, more diverse rave pit known as Lakota (£4-8/Rs350-700). For some of the biggest and most popular acts (from £15/Rs1,300), a connected set of abandoned warehouses voted as one of the best nightclubs in the world. It’s not all just dance music though because bands like Geoff Barrow’s (formerly of Portishead) Beak and current punk darlings, IDLES, are also pushing a different agenda. For guitar-based music get down to the cheap and cheerful Louisiana (£5-10/Rs400-850), a 140-person capacity venue that’s known as the place to find the next big things—The Scissor Sisters, Florence and the Machine, and The National all having made their Bristol debuts there. Alternatively, for everything from rock to classical head to the beautiful Colston Hall (£25-50/Rs2,150-4,300) where where past acts have included The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Things get soulful at The Pickle Factory. Photo Courtesy: The Pickle Factory London Whether it’s via Eddy Grant’s stroll down Electric Avenue or The Kinks’ view of the Waterloo Sunset, most music fans have already met London, even if only through lyrics. More than any other city in the U.K., London’s polar mix of urban isolation and multicultural communion inspires and produces waves of new artists and important scenes. There’s something to suit every taste and budget, but if you’re interested in what’s really thrilling about London’s contemporary music culture, then it’s time to get away from the gargantuan stadium rock of the 02 Arena (from £40/Rs3,500). South of the river Thames you’ll find venues like Corsica Studios (£5-15/Rs400-1,300), and Rye Wax (£5-10/Rs400-850). In Shoreditch, to the north, there’s XOYO (£10-20/Rs850-1,700), while the east has the Pickle Factory (£10-15/Rs850-1,700). Varied as they are, all these places exemplify the kind of cross-pollination of musical styles coming out of the capital. Look out especially for the Rhythm Section record label’s parties, which bridge the gaps between house, techno, jazz, soul, hip-hop, and world music. Check the listings across the city and you’ll find a bubbling mixture that encompasses both live music and energetic, impromptu rave takeovers in bare-walled buildings. Particularly important in recent years years has been the south London jazz scene, which has flourished in established spots like Camden’s Jazz Cafe (£10-20/Rs850-1,700) and the Hackney Arts Centre’s EartH space (from £20/Rs1,700). These are the places to head if you’re keen to see why artists like Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, and Rosie Turton are cultivating so much love from a new generation of British music enthusiasts who pack the bars and clubs to hear their heroes play. (function(d, s, id) var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.5&appId=440470606060560"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); (document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk')); http://cheaprtravels.com/5-u-k-cities-to-catch-great-live-music/?feed_id=9&_unique_id=5d5e1e4269e7c

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avidreviews · 5 years

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cheaprtravels · 5 years

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fulloflesbeans · 7 years

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Hazel Eyes & Cake Pops [Ch. 6]

Read on Ao3 here

It was finally the weekend. I was still livid on what happened in the library. I was up late until four AM, actually finishing homework and signed up for the two classes, and finally went to sleep when every channel on TV was some paid programming.

I was at home with Rachel while Chloe was at work, lazing around on the couch while the TV was on. We were still in our pajamas and paying more attention to our phones than each other.

Most of the time, Rachel was on her Instagram and checking her likes and comments. I was surprised Rachel was able to stay up to date with her Instagram account; Chloe must have been taking her to more places than she tells me. However, I, on the other hand, was still getting random text messages from a random number. I knew who it was, but it has been a year since I have seen him.

"Rachel," I put my phone down, wondering if I should block the number, "How do you deal with an ex that won't leave you alone?"

"Like in person or by phone?" She looked at me right away. She was bundled in her oversized hoodie and sweatpants, her hair up in a ponytail and sitting against the very end of the couch with her legs to her chest.

"It's by phone right now. He keeps texting me and asking to hang out." I crossed my arms. I leaned back and saw on Rachel's phone that she was Twitter now.

He has never texted like this before. Asking so many questions, wanting to see each other again, I was more freaked out then anything.

"I would block him. How do you know it's him and not some creeper that got your number?"

"Well, the first things he sent were like "miss you" and some lovey-dovey stuff. Plus, he's the only person I've dated, I don't know anyone who would give my number like that."

"That's true. If it took this long to text you again, he must still be single too."

It was a possibility. The thought of even seeing him again made my heart sink. It didn't end bad, but I felt like I just lead him on. I left Arcadia Bay to get away from all that shit and if it was following me, I would lose my mind. I took my phone again, went to his number, but my thumb hovered over the "block" option. He seemed hurt enough through these messages, but I never wanted to see them again.

"I can see you hesitating." Rachel addressed it in a worrying tone.

"I don't know why I am."

"Okay, then," she grabbed my phone and turned the screen off, "You don't have to do it right now. We should do something."

"What is something?"

Last time she made me do something, I ate at the bar of a club. I didn't hate her ideas, they really did help, but they were still more in her terms of "fun." It was an experience, at the very least.

I was back to my old habits of only drinking coffee, against Rachel’s plans, but she tolerated it for the day.

"Is there something you want to do?" She asked with a smile.

I thought about it. There were a lot of things that we've done, but not just the two of us. I answered, "I kinda always wondered what it was like to shop with you. We could go to an outlet and go into—"

"Done," she stood up and went into the bedroom, "I need to shower. Would you like to Uber?"

Her head was peeking out of the door as she asked.

"Yeah, I had enough of that limo."

"You got it."

Rachel threw on yet another flannel and ripped jeans. She loved her blue flannel and wore it for most occasions. I was back in my grey jacket and blue jeans; she was still dressed better than me. I never realized how far we actually lived from all the places we went to; I just went along with Chloe.

We walked out the apartment complex, greeted a few neighbors on the way out and into the warm weather. Our sleeves were way too long for the heat, we were already sweating and we were only out for a minute.

“Holy fuck, it’s hot today.” She fanned herself. She didn’t seem to mind, though.

“Yeah, we shouldn’t have layered so much.”

"You're right about that," Rachel turned to me, "Listen, I'm thinking of shopping for you. Your style is getting there, but I want to get something for you. You're literally wearing the outfit you wore every single day at Blackwell."

"I was going to ask you to. I need help." I laughed at my outfit I had on. It was the first thing I saw in my closet. It didn't help that I had my hair down again.

"I got you, Max. I already have some ideas and it just might impress Kate." Rachel winked at me.

"You should've seen her yesterday. She had her hair in this braid and wearing all black. I was losing my freaking mind."

"I thought you were losing your mind when you were hitting your head, but sure, it was her."

I shrugged my shoulders. I was surprised I didn't get a headache from it.

Rachel said it was a red car, a brand-new Honda Civic, so we waited for it while we continued talking about random things like her time in Tokyo and my time stuck in an elevator with the crazy conspiracy guy from the seventh floor. I learned more from him about Hollywood than I ever did in school, I felt like I was starting to believe it all after two hours past.

The ride was uneventful. The driver was playing a playlist of just Gucci Mane and Drake and Rachel was dancing by herself in her seat. I rocked my head from side-to-side, but I wasn't really into it.

We get out, thanked the driver, and started to walk through the outlet. The majority of stores were places like Coach, Prada, Tory Burch, and Michael Kors—all places I would never shop in. The outdoor mall was full of people, mostly foreign people from what I could tell from their languages, holding about ten bags in each hand, there with their families, or just alone.

"Okay, let's start," Rachel scanned through the stores left and right as we strolled through the middle, "What kind of style are you looking for?"

When that sentence ended, I forgot who I was. I stared down at my body, looking at my jeans and Jane Doe shirt. I just wanted to be casual and comfy, but it made me look very awkward. I might also need a bag that was not a messenger? I wasn’t sure.

Rachel started talking again, "I'm thinking you should try a more skater look right now. Chloe has always been a punk ass, so I'm trying not to copy her style."

"So, more plaid is what you're saying?"

"Exactly, but I know you don't really skate, but Chloe and I can teach that, too. We should order online too! I've seen some cute off-white sweaters you would love."

"That brand costs hundreds of dollars, right?"

"Yeah... and?" Rachel truly had a lot to spend. I thought about it and there were some nice things we could just get online, but what if she turned me into a fuckboy of some kind? Or was it called fuckgirl?

"Are you going to turn me into a fuckboy, Rachel?" I acted appalled.

"Wow, I didn't even realize I was," Rachel cracked up, "If you want to look at it that way, yeah! There is a Vans store, right there, so we're going in there now!"

We ran into the large store, greeted by the smell of brand new shoes, and went to the women's side first.

"Forty dollars is a lot, but don't worry." Rachel started to look through the racks. I was definitely uncomfortable with that, but she was okay with it. The price was just for sweaters, what was she going to do?

We decided to separate and I aimlessly walked around. It was a little packed inside, because Vans always have a two for the price of one for shoes. It was always dark and loud pop music always played inside. I always liked the brick walls and how lots of jackets and backpacks would line them all the way up to the ceiling. Everything was so expensive now that I paid attention. This was going to the most expensive closet I've ever own, thanks to Rachel being so giving. I past the backpack three times before I decided to stay there.

About thirty minutes pass before I finally heard someone stumbling behind me.

"Max, there you are!" Rachel's arms were full of shirts and flannels.

"Oh, my dog, Rache, what did you find?" I grabbed all the clothes in her left arm.

"A lot of their shirts are really cute, but they're called "boyfriend tees" and that's yikes. I found a bunch of these flannels in red and blue. I found some baseball tees and hoodies and sweaters; I can't wait for you to wear them!"

Everything she had was at least four hundred dollars; I felt lightheaded. I could buy a textbook with that! I knew this wasn't half of it.

"I'm going to buy these, for now, and keep looking." She took the pile back and then went to the line. I snickered a bit, but I appreciated what Rachel was doing. I left the store for a bit and called Chloe. I had to call her twice because she didn't answer the first time.

"Yeah?" She sounded pissed off.

"Are you okay?"

"Sorry, there was this customer that made me want to lose my shit," She growled, "What's up?"

"Rachel and I decided to leave and we went to the outlet. It took a long time, but Rachel is paying for everything."

"Oh, that's cool."

"Do you want anything?" We should get something even if she said no.

"If you want, but I'm happy with everything I have right now."

It wasn't a no, but we should get something small. I was given about fifty dollars from Chloe, so I wasn't left with one dollar anymore. Rachel came up to me with two huge bags; she looked so excited from her smile to the shine in her eyes.

"We'll think about it. Gotta go now, we have more shopping to do."

"'Kay, have fun. Oh, pick you up later?"

"Yes, please. See you later." I put my phone back into my pocket. I took the bags from Rachel and I immediately felt ten times heavier.

"I need to go in there one more time. I saw pants and shoes on the way out for the both of us." Rachel was very animated, but it was also contagious.

"We should get Chloe something," I advised, "That's what I was talking about with her."

"I was planning on it, but in a different store. Is there something in here you want to get her?"

"I was just thinking of a beanie. I want one too, so could you get two?"

"Yeah, just sit somewhere and I'll be out."

I watched as she went back into the store. I faltered a lot towards a nearby bench. It was empty, thankfully. I sat down, loudly. I took my phone out and went through my apps, greeted by those damn text messages again.

It was another thirty minutes before Rachel came back out again, holding three bags. I could tell one had two boxes in it.

She plopped herself next to me; she was still smiling widely.

"Being recognized is tiring sometimes." Rachel flipped her blonde hair. She placed the bags on the empty seats next to us.

"I can't imagine," I sat up straight, "Must be annoying sometimes too."

"That hasn't happened yet. When I'm irritated or it's, you know, the week, I won't leave home. I wouldn't want anyone to feel like I hate them."

I nodded, "I would do the same. So, where to next?"

"I need to go to Versace and Lacoste," she stood up again, "I want to buy Chloe some nice outfits for dates I want to take her on. I'll go to Jimmy Choo and Gucci for myself at the end."

I was rendered speechless by those stores being named so casually.

"By the way, Max, I think a better word to describe your style is just being a tomboy or androgynous, even."

She was doing that to me and Chloe. I was going to surprise myself when we went back home, but I ended up looking in the thirty minutes she was gone. I was actually pretty into it; I think she was just getting me away from the hipster style as much as possible, though.

"Alright, Max," Rachel grabbed two bags, "Let's go."

"Hold on," I took my phone out again, "Strike a pose, Rachel Amber."

She did multiple ones, some she obviously learned from modelling and some she just did awkward poses with two heavy bags. She looked great either way, if it were me, all of them would be bad. I put it away and grabbed the other three bags.

It was a path in the order she named them. When I went into Versace, I felt like throwing up. The prices ranged from as low as three-hundred (for coin purses) and as high as three thousand (for pants). I was intimidated by the name above the opening, black and bold, and it was all gold inside. I couldn't stand being inside because I didn't belong there. Rachel was looking around, got recognized once again and was apparently given a hefty discount. She was looking at pants from a rack next to a mannequin; it was black and looked to be skin tight.

"Do you know Chloe's size?" Rachel asked me.

"Uh... tall?" I choked.

Rachel laughed out, "I know it. I was just testing you."

It was yet another test I have failed.

She ended up with the pants (six-hundred and ninety-five dollars) and a black watch (one-thousand, three-hundred and ninety-five dollars).

"You okay?" Rachel placed her hand on my back. The bags in her hand hit me in the butt.

"... This is a lot of money you're spending." I was barely functioning.

"I'm barely making a dent. I've been checking my account all day."

How much did she have to spend if it was barely?

"I went through hell and back for this career, you know?" She sat down at a bench and I followed her, placing the bags on the floor.

She continued after a deep sigh, "When I met Chloe, she was going through a lot of terrible shit. She thought everyone was out to get her and that she was driving everyone in her life out. And you, I can see you still trying, to this day, to redeem yourself for shit you did. Chloe is a lot more grateful than you think. I admire that and I admire her for getting here. She has changed a lot for good. I just want to spoil you guys because I feel it's deserved."

I nodded as she spoke. Rachel was an amazing person. She was charming and she just knew how to connect with everyone. She wanted happiness in general and did a lot in order to help herself and us. I hoped I didn't look like I was taking any of it for granted.

I finally smiled, "I'm sorry, Rachel. I do love everything you're doing. Even when our furniture is complete garbage.”

"Well, Chloe told me she wanted to earn a better apartment herself," Rachel admitted, "So, clothes are the nicest things I can do for you two."

For the rest of the trip, I only got down what she bought: Lacoste polo and belt, Jimmy Choo heels, and a Gucci leather jacket. I couldn't name all prices, but I'll always remember it all costed five thousand dollars. That made me lightheaded as hell.

Our hands were completely full. Clumsily, I managed to call Chloe again.

"Hey," Chloe answered right away, "I'm in front of Gucci."

"Holy shit, we just came out of that." I said.

"I'll drive closer." she hung up right after.

Rachel and I walked to the street, where the parking lot was, and saw the matte finish car coming up.

When it parked in front of us and Chloe came out, her eyes widened at everything we had.

"Holy fuck, did you buy everything?" Chloe grabbed the ones in Rachel's hands. She gave her a quick peck on her lips and started placing everything in the trunk.

For some reason, my heart skipped a beat watching them. I don't know what the feeling was, but maybe... I was envious?

"I bought you guys new closets." Rachel said very confidently.

"I said it was fine. You didn't have to buy me things."

"I know, but I wanted to."

Chloe put the bags I had into the trunk and shut it loudly, "Alright, time to head home."

Chloe and Rachel spoke to each other in the front seats. It was about her day, Rachel's time at the outlet, what clothes we got, and going out tomorrow. I stayed out of it. They were a happy and normal couple, talking about normal things, and there was me, who looked on. Maybe it was jealous and I wasn’t admitting to it yet; I stared at them with the overwhelming feeling.

Back at our place, we all stumbled as we got out of the elevator with the ten bags we had. We all placed the new articles of clothing on the bed.

I went to the kitchen, I wish we had time to eat at the outlet. All I grabbed was water. Chloe went into the bathroom, after saying that she needed a shower for later. What was she going to do later? I had no idea. Rachel was in the living room, turning the TV on to Fox and it was TMZ. She probably worries a lot about showing up on it. I grabbed two water bottles instead.

I sat next to her, handing the other bottle.

"Thanks." she said and watched the commercial.

I was curious about something. Rachel only briefly talked about how she gained the fame she had. When I compare her to other runway models, she wasn't as tall or as skinny as everyone else. Yet, she showed up on high fashion shows, fashion magazines, commercials for makeup and hair, and had millions following her on her social medias.

We heard the shower stop and Chloe came out, her hair was still damp. Her outfit was just thrown on and it showed enough skin for the warm night.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

"Dana called earlier and she had to teach me how to do everything," Chloe forcefully put her shoes back on, "I said it was fucking stupid, but it was important. So, I have to go now to watch and learn."

"You'll be back in the morning?"

"Yup. Luckily, it's a busy night and I have no work with crabby old assholes tomorrow." She gave Rachel a quick kiss on the lips and then ruffled with my hair, "Love you, I'll see you later."

"Love you too." Rachel's eyes were stuck on the TV.

"See you." I waved.

She left, slamming the door and locking it.

"I saw Rachel Amber at HUE sf last week, with two other girl friends." It cut to a video of all three of us going inside. "She was seen dancing with one of them on the floor and it was getting a little touchy." It cut to a video from afar and zoomed in on Chloe and Rachel grinding and dancing with each other.

"Do you think she's actually gay?"

"I mean if I saw a girl that close with another girl, I would assume so. Or just real drunk."

She only laughed.

"Okay, okay, now everyone knows I'm really gay," She turned to me, "I went out a lot with Chloe and that's all they have? I wasn't being that discreet about it. I need to check my Twitter after this."

I stayed quiet. Every other person would be freaking out right now, but Rachel was such a carefree person. She was going to say it outright and then let it be.

"I can tell there's something on your mind." Rachel put her phone into her back pocket.

"I've always wondered how you got here," I shifted in my seat to face her, "In your career, I mean. You never talked about what you did or how you did it. If it's touchy, I'm sorry, but it was on my mind."

"It's okay. It just never came up and some of it is a little blurry for me," Rachel turned the TV's volume down, "My manager is hella awesome. She took a chance on me and made me work my fucking ass off with classes on walking and posing and how to carry myself. She taught me a lot about being independent and being extra sneaky. She was really strict, especially about Chloe, because I was going to be away a lot and being gay is never talked about. She was just looking out for the both of us. But, what I'm trying to get at is, I always did two-hundred percent more than everyone else did. I don't look like anyone else, but I did everything more and better almost, and that's what attracts people."

I tried to think of ways that could apply to me. Work my ass off and work two-hundred percent more than everyone else. It would be a good mindset to have for school right now. Especially right now with the bad test grade. It could make me more confident and help me talk to Kate, even.

"You're an incredible person, Rachel," I complimented, "I'm grateful to have you in my life and Chloe is beyond grateful, whatever that word is. Usually by now, Chloe would be out drinking and then come back to go out cold. But sometimes, she would cry and bellow about missing you."

I never liked saying the second part. I spent a few nights comforting her and helping her sleep again, and the fact that Chloe has no memory of it, it made those nights surreal. Those times when she would rest her head on my lap and cry on and on, me trying to say something, but she wasn’t listening to me or even herself. I don't know if I should ever bring it up to her; every time I try, my words get caught and I would ignore it once more.

Rachel looked like she was caught off guard by that statement. Saying it aloud, I’ve realized Chloe had a problem. I froze in my seat and we stared at each other. Neither of us knew what to do, except sit in silence and stare each other down.

“Do you want me to talk about it with her?” She sounded ready to pule.

I pressed my lips together, “If you don’t mind.”

She turned the volume back up again. We watched the TMZ segment until it was a commercial again. I couldn’t stop looking at Rachel as she started to become aloof and distant. I’ve seen her like this before. She had her arms crossed and her knees up to her chest, her eyes wide toward the screen. I took a hard gulp.

"Do you want to model the clothes or order more online?" I asked her first. I was sick of watching TV and I hated seeing her like this. I was afraid she was going to snap at me or raise her hand, instead she looked over to me and then smiled.

"I'm offended you think that I wouldn't want to model," Rachel stood up and stretched her arms, "Let's wear these clothes."

#life is strange #max caulfield #kate marsh #marshfield #my fanfiction

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r3almellow · 7 years

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Nothing More Chapter 7

A/N: Now you guys are caught up with the people of FF!

Rating: M

Ship: Nalu

Series: Fairy Tail

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

xxx

There were so many things Natsu could have been doing right now. Sleeping, eating, confessing to his best friend that he had been in love with her for years. Natsu wanted nothing more than to go back to Lucy's apartment tell her how he felt, grab her by the waist and make up for all the years lost by his stupidity.

Unfortunately, Erza's threats were never threats; they were more like promises. And Erza never broke a promise. Arms and legs sure, but never a promise. So, there he was, driving halfway across town to meet with her.

Suddenly, the chorus of "Let It Go" started emitting from his phone. That ringtone was reserved for one person and Natsu wasn't up for another round of "Did you do it yet?" with the man. But he knew if he didn't pick up the phone, the following fight might result in Gray being the lucky recipient of a broken nose. Reluctantly Natsu answered, placing the phone on speaker.

"Shouldn't you be at Lucy's right now?" Straight and to the point, as always.

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Because you're talking to me." He had a fair point. Natsu would rather use his mouth for something else other than talking to Gray.

Natsu sighed in frustration. "You're not going to stop bothering me, are you?"

"Not until you grow a pair and talk to her." This guy was like a parent; as if Erza tough loving him to death wasn't enough.

"I'm going to do it!"

"How about I do it for you?" Gray asked simply.

"You wouldn't dare!" He would dare, that asshole.

"She's on the phone with Juvia in the other room. I could easily get her attention." Gray was never the bluffing type. He always carried out whatever he planned and it was one of the most annoying things about him. There had to be a way to buy Natsu some time and keep Gray from saying anything. An idea popped into Natsu's head and smirk formed on his lips.

"You know, Gray, it would be a shame if someone told Erza who really ate her triple layered strawberry cake." There was a pregnant pause between the two. Gray would never risk tangling with Erza if he valued his life.

"You ate some of it too, so if I go down so do you." Gray countered.

"That's a small price to pay to keep your mouth shut. You remember when she thought it was Jellal? I wonder what she'll do if she found out it was us." The memory alone was enough to send shivers down Natsu's spine, but he was a man on the edge and if that meant he'd have to face Erza to keep Gray quiet then so be it.

Hearing a few curse words from the other end of the line Natsu knew he had him. Gray sighed in annoyance. "You're such a little shit. I don't know why I've involved myself in your messed-up love life."

"Because your boring ass life could use some spice and you care about me." Natsu made no effort to hide the satisfaction in his voice.

Gray scoffed. "I want to see Lucy happy and as sappy as this sounds, I know she'll be happy with you. So stop wasting time."

He knew Gray meant well, but this was something he had to do on his own. "I don't need you nagging me. I will handle it."

Natsu was more than happy end his conversation with Gray once he pulled up to a large building that looked more than worse for wear.

The old Everlue Library, a place where Natsu spent most of his early high school years with Lucy until its closure during their junior year. A building that was once filled with books was now nothing more than an empty shell. An empty shell that was charred and needed to be put out of its misery.

Getting out of his car, he was greeted with the scent of smoke and sounds of chatter amongst nearby firefighters, police officers and a few bystanders. Most of the men in uniform he knew and received waves and shout outs as he passed them.

Natsu made his way inside the building and was immediately confronted by a tall blue haired man. He wore a black jacket with the words "Arson Investigator" written over his chest. Natsu had met the man before through his work as a firefighter, but only exchanged a few words. Even though there short interactions, Natsu knew the guy wasn't his biggest fan. Not that he cared.

What was his name again? Charlie? Bill?

The man in question placed a hand up to stop Natsu from continuing further. "You can't come any further without wearing proper attire, Natsu."

Natsu looks down at himself and raised an eyebrow. "Not a fan of denim, Dora?"

There was a spark of annoyance in the man's eyes. "It's Bora and you know the rules, Dragneel. Station 36 has everything under control and my guys are doing a sweep of the place. There is no need for you to be here."

"I called him here." A firm feminine voice announced, causing Natsu to look over Bora's shoulder with a grin. Bora on the other hand was not as happy.

"Is that really necessary, Detective Scarlet? The fire is out and we're almost done."

Erza raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Are you questioning me?"

Natsu knew that tone all too well. If Bora was smart, he'd know the right way to answer that.

Bora's shoulders tensed and stepped out of Natsu's way. "No, ma'am."

Erza motioned for Natsu to follow her as she walked towards the back of the library.

"Aren't you on another case?"

"Duke Everlue is a person of interest, so I'm here to see what I can find."

"Couldn't you do that without my help?" Natsu couldn't hide his frustration even if he wanted to. Helping Erza with a case was about as fun as listening to Gajeel serenade his girlfriend.

"While the arson investigation team is good at what they do, your skills far surpass theirs. I'm hoping you'll find something they haven't." Natsu was never one to brag, but she was right. He had the ability to do better than most of those qualified, but he preferred his role as a firefighter. The adrenaline he got when faced with dangerous flames was more than enough to satisfy him.

Erza stopped in front of small room gesturing for Natsu to walk inside. "This is where the fire started."

Natsu's eyes scanned the room, analyzing the amount of damage done. He instantly recognized it to be one of the old study rooms. One of the many Natsu found himself him passed out in while Lucy and Levy ventured through the library.

There was a pile of ashes on the floor that caught Natsu's attention. He leaned down inspecting it closely as Erza preoccupied herself by looking through her notepad.

"I noticed there were four potential origin points here. One in each corner of the room. Is that normal?"

Natsu was ready to respond when he was quickly interrupted by Bora. "It's far from normal."

Did he follow them in here? That guy really didn't like having anyone steal his thunder, did he? Bora continued, "It could have been a bunch of punks trying to start something."

"What makes you say that?" Erza asked.

Natsu didn't have to look at the man to know he had a smug look on his face. "Some of the fire had a green color. A combination of hydrogen peroxide and methanol."

"Boric acid." Natsu said flatly, still preoccupied with the pile of ashes.

Bora narrowed his eyes. "We only detected hydrogen peroxide and methanol."

"Boric acid and methanol makes the fire green. Hydrogen peroxide is highly flammable which is why the fire spread as fast as it did." Natsu countered as if that was something a baby could have figured out. He inhaled deeply. "Smells like some sort of alcohol based product was used too. Might be hand sanitizer."

Natsu could tell by Bora's laugh that he didn't believe him. It was a normal reaction he received from people who doubted his knowledge. Being the son of a man who practically lived and breathed all things fire, you tend to know a lot more than the average person should. Arguments with chemistry professors were one the highlights of Natsu's college years.

Natsu points to the remnants of the hand-sanitizer dispenser without another word.

Erza was not amused by Bora's failure to deduce the information Natsu had come up with in the short amount of time he was there. "I would hate to have to report that your team can't do their job properly, Bora."

Bora begrudgingly apologized and continued his sweep of the area. Erza turned her attention back to Natsu. "Where would someone get these items?"

Natsu only shrugs as he gently kicks away the rest of the ashes. "It's not hard. Boric acid can be bought over the counter, so pharmacies should have them. Methanol is basically antifreeze and what automotive store wouldn't have that?" He responded.

Erza nodded. "I understand the use of the boric acid and the methanol, but why the hand sanitizer?"

"I've used them for fire tricks mostly. It could be used for holding fire in your hands without gloves or making fire pur-" Natsu stopped himself as a thought crosses his mind. Borat was onto something. These were ingredients for a lab experiment.

An experiment he was all too familiar with.

Natsu turned his attention to the investigator across from him. "Hey, Boris, was there anything else found in the debris?" Bora was ready to correct Natsu on the mispronunciation of his name when Erza shot him an impatient look. The woman's stare alone could make even a lion cower in fear.

The blue haired man coughed awkwardly. "J-just a yellow lighter with the letter R scratched into it. Forensics are dusting for prints as we speak."

Natsu looked back at the scorch marks on the walls with a frown. "Shit…"

Erza's eyes narrowed. "Natsu, what are you thinking?"

Natsu turned his gaze to Erza, his expression mirroring her own. "Pretty sure Romeo's been here."

xxx

"I think you might be overthinking this, Lu." Levy's voice emitted through the phone.

"Juvia agrees. What if it's not what you think?" Juvia chimes in who was joined by Cana.

"While I'm all for shitty ideas that can get you laid, this isn't right."

Lucy pouts at her friend's disapproval. It had been thirty minutes since Natsu left and since she had agreed to be Dan's date for the party. Lucy called her friends soon after to give them an update. She had hoped they would be happy, but she was greeted with their distaste for the idea. And when even Cana didn't care for a plan that involved dating, partying, or drinking, then Lucy knew she was in over her head.

"Shouldn't you guys be cheering me on? It's been awhile since I've been on a date and it's with someone who isn't a creep."

Cana snorted into the phone causing Lucy's pout to form into a deep set frown.

"Dan is not a bad guy." Lucy protested. She still couldn't understand their problem with him, when Dan had always been nothing but cordial towards them.

"O-of course not! We're just saying it isn't wise to jump the gun and assume something as big as a proposal."

Lucy had a horrible habit of assuming and thinking the extreme. But if the pieces fit how could she ignore the evidence?

"Yeah and I bet sex with pretty boy won't be nearly a-"

Cana was quickly cut off by Juvia. "What she means is…" Juvia pauses trying to find the right words.

"Is that you might regret this. A proposal might be the furthest thing from Natsu's mind. Using Dan to cover up your feelings isn't going to go well." Levy strategically added to finish Juvia's sentence.

In a way, she was using Dan, Lucy had to admit that. It was a crappy thing to do, but how else was she supposed to get over her feelings for Natsu? It wasn't the first time she used Dan like this, but at least she enjoyed being with him. She didn't regret the months they spent as a couple. At least not completely.

"Even if that was the case, Natsu is in a relationship. My life should not revolve around his life choices and I won't let it. I'm not backing out of this."

Levy sighed in defeat. "Well, if you're going to be adamant..."

"Stubborn." Cana added.

"Call me what you want, but I'm going and that's final." Lucy was set on this path and no one was going to deter her from potential happiness.

"Sounds like you're tellin-"

"Tell Bunny Girl she's makin' a big mistake." A gruff voice interrupted Levy, causing silence to fall amongst the women. There was no mistaking who that familiar voice belonged to and Lucy couldn't be anymore mortified when the realization hit her.

"Levy!" Lucy screamed into the phone.

"Heeeey, Metal Detector!" Cana snickered, followed by small giggles from Juvia.

"He just walked in! He didn't hear all of it!" Levy's reassurance couldn't even crack the embarrassment Lucy felt.

Lucy grumbled under her breath, completely ignoring Levy begging for forgiveness while scolding Gajeel at the same time, with Cana and Juvia laughing in the background.

Why exactly did she have friends again?

xxx

Lucy wasn't the only having a rough night.

A few blocks away Minerva Orland sat at her desk at Sabertooth Collection, dealing with even bigger problems.

"I was promised discretion, not a trail for law enforcement to follow." The calmness in her voice was the opposite of how she truly felt.

The amount of "I'm sorry"s and "Please accept our apology!"s she heard as a response did nothing but fuel her anger. Between the arrest of her father, her event in a few days, and the police poking their noses everywhere, this was not something Minerva wanted to deal with.

"This better not happen again." Without waiting for a response, she hung up.

The sound of a slightly amused male voice burst Minerva from her thoughts.

"That sounded fun."

She looked up to find one of her bodyguards, Rogue, leaning against the doorframe.

Minerva gave him tired smile and laughed. "Dealing with incompetent people is always fun." She sighed heavily.

Within seconds she found herself leaning back in her chair as a pair of hands firmly massage her shoulders. Who needed to pay for a masseuse when you had someone with the hands of a god? And a body to back it up.

Rogue leans down brushing his lips against her ear. "What can I do to make things more to your liking?" He asks in a low almost husky tone.

Minerva looked at him with a small smirk. "Is that a trick question?"

She rose from her chair and turned to face the raven-haired man before her.

Rogue wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her against him. "Just being polite."

Minerva leaned in, brushing her lips against his. "I don't need polite. Not tonight."

xxx

A/N: Finished! Again, I'm sorry for the wait! Did you like Natsu in this? I'm not one for chemistry or science so my knowledge on the matter isn't that great! Get ready for NaLu interactions next chapter! Remember to review!

#fairy tail #nalu #nalu fanfic #fanfiction #nalu fanfiction

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