#⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ sydney ✧ thread

[cherriesfm]

starter for @hecticlife

sydney  was  never  the  musical  type.  in  fact,  those  who'd  witnessed  her  best  attempts  at  making  music,  whether  it  was  through  singing  or  picking  up  a  new  instrument,  often  argued  she  did  not  have  a  single  musical  bone  in  her  body.  yet,  curious  as  they  were,  that  never  stopped  them.  playlists,  however,  were  easier  for  her  to  curate.  she  had  one  for  every  mood,  every  situation  and  she  was  arguably  the  best  person  to  hand  the  aux  too.  she  was  self  aware,  though,  yet  that  did  not  stop  her  from  pitching  her  latest,  most  impulsive  idea  to  leon.  "it's  the  thing  now,  don't  you  get  it?"  she  pleaded,  seating  herself  before  a  set  of  drums.  "people  love  to  hate  on  influencers  turning  to  music  so  think  about  it..  a  song,  maybe  a  diss  track?  and  a  sick music  video!  it'll  be  a  hit.  you  can  fix  my  voice..  or  i'll  just  look  really  hot  behind  the  drums  and  i  can  pretend  to  play,"  she  wasn't  joking.  "or  i  could  learn,  i  mean..  how  hard  can  it  be?  you  just  smash  the  stick  things,  right?"  in  one  swift  movement,  sydney  struck  the  sticks  on  either  side  of  her  while  pressing  down  on  the  pedal.

[cherriesfm]

"no,  i  know.  believe  it  or  not,  i  meant  it  as  a  compliment.  to  you."  they  responded,  half  smile  tugging  at  the  corner  of  their  lips.  "no,  i  do.  i  wouldn't  have  asked  otherwise  and  i  think  it's  always  interesting  to  hear  what  people  like  you  think  good  music  is,"  sydney  was  always  curious  to  know  what  everyone  who  worked  in  music  in  any  capacity  enjoyed  listening  to,  often  basing  her  likeliness  to  listen  to  their  recommendations  on  it.  "so,  a  little  bit  of  everything?"  they  nodded  in  acknowledgement,  "you're  much  braver  than  i  could  ever  be.  i  refuse  to  suffer  through  a  bad  song.  if  i'm  not  instantly  hooked,  i'm  moving  on.  imagine  the  disappointment  when  my  entire  release  rader  is  trash. though there is also something to be said about finding a gem at the very end of the list."

“ for some , but trust me , for me it does , ” milo retorts , defensive , “ i put in my time in . learned the ropes at the previous shop i worked at . ” he doesn't care to share more than that , knowing that very record shop was the reason he left his home in new york — or rather so , left a certain person associated with the shop  . “ my playlist ? ” he raises a brow , “ i'm not sure you want me to actually answer that but i'll indulge you this one time . it's really got a whole lot of everything on it . i love world music , experimental , trending stuff , the works . there's a song out there for everything . i've been taking time to catalogue them . every friday i spend the day listening to new releases . the good & the bad . ”

[cherriesfm]

CLOSED STARTER: utp @dreamerfms LOCATION: gingerbread house contest

"yes,  this  is  my  final  gingerbread  house,  thank  you,"  sydney  bowed  as  she  gestured  toward  her,  rather  plain,  gingerbread  house.  it  wasn't  so  much  as  she  didn't  try  her  best  to  decorate  it  but  more  so,  that  she  kept  eating  the  decoration  before  it  could  stay  on.  "i  like  to  take  a  more  simplistic  approach,"  she  joked,  a  hint  of  a  smile  on  their  face.  "a  new  take  on  minimalism,  if  you  will.."

[cherriesfm]

CLOSED STARTER: celeste! @astralfms LOCATION: friendship bracelet making

"i'm  so  serious,  letty,  hear  me  out,"  sydney  started,  pulling  at  the  sleeve  of  their  jacket  to  reveal  their  wrist.  "isn't  it  a  little  fucked  up  that  we  don't  have  matching  bracelets  yet?"  there  was  a  lot  that  charlotte  and  sydney  shared,  yet  friendship  bracelets  was  not  one  of  those  things.  "how  are  people  supposed  to  know  you're  the  other  half  of  my  brain?"

[cherriesfm]

CLOSED STARTER: utp! @dreamerfms LOCATION: light displays

sydney  held  a  tightly  shut  container  in  hand  as  they  walked  to  the  light  display,  eager  to  find  their  first  taste  tester.  or  victim,  depending  on  how  the  homemade  cupcakes  inside  the  container  would  taste  like.  truthfully,  she  hadn't  even  tried  them  herself  and  was  curious  to  find  out.  "in  the  spirit  of  the  holidays,  i'm  letting  you  try  my  special  homemade  cupcakes.  baked  and  decorated  by  yours  truly  and  probably  a  lot  better  than  whatever  crap  you  find  around  here,"  they  spoke  with  an  air  of  confidence  that  concealed  the  simple  fact  that  they'd  never  baked  anything  in  their  life  before.  "be  honest,  though.  like..  do  not  spare  me.  i  can  take  it."

[cherriesfm]

sydney  was  sure  if  she'd been  caught  at  the  door,  she wouldn't  have  been  allowed  inside  but  she'd just  about  managed  to  slip  through.  there  was  something  satisfying  about  messing  with  the  people she  knew  in  her  own  community,  but  the  real  pot  of  gold  was  messing  with  the  ritzy  people  of  palmview.  nothing  got  sydney  feeling  accomplished  more  than  ruining  their  day  and  as  she  scanned  the  bistro,  her eyes  landed  on  the  perfect  target.  before  she  could  even  get  a  word  in,  the  mere  proximity  provoked  a  reaction  and  it  was  then  that  sydney  thought,  this  is  going  to  be  so  much  fun.  "oh,  god,  i  would  hope  not,"  they  gasped,  looking  around  frantically.  "how  boring  would  that  be?  i'm  just  here  for  the  breadbasket but don't worry, your majesty. i'll be sure to courtsey on the way out."

open starter !! (@palmviewstarters)

location: pearl's seafood bistro

the dim lighting of pearl’s seafood bistro cast an elegant glow over serin as she delicately twirled the stem of her wine glass between manicured fingers. seated at a prime table near the window, she looked every bit the queen surveying her kingdom. but this wasn’t a kingdom yet — it was a stepping stone, albeit one polished to perfection. she glanced toward the maître d’ with a raised brow, her gaze as cutting as a diamond blade. her request for a quiet corner table had been ignored, and now she was stuck near the bustle of the main dining room — a rookie mistake she wouldn’t let slide next time. the murmur of the crowd buzzed in her ears as she leaned slightly forward, a hint of impatience glinting in her eyes. with the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at her lips, she glanced up at the figure who had just approached her table, uninvited. “you don't strike me as someone from around here." she said, her voice smooth and cool as the restaurant’s chilled oysters. “it’s in the way you carry yourself. and, well…” her eyes flicked over them in a way that felt both appraising and dismissive. “you don’t exactly blend in.” serin leaned back in her chair, folding her arms with the grace of someone who knew she was in control — or at least, knew how to fake it flawlessly. “so, go ahead. make your pitch or your plea or whatever it is that brought you over here. i don’t have all night.”

[cherriesfm]

sydney  had  spent  the  past  ten  minutes  attempting  to  be  their  most  persuasive  self  in  front  of  daniel,  with  a  pair  of  microphones  in  hand  and  the  start  of  something  new  queued  up.  there  was  no  way they  were  missing  out  on  singing  it  —  even  if  his  request  had  been  out  outlandish,  sydney  was  prepared  to  take  on  the  challenge.  though,  they  weren't  going  to  make  it  easy  on  him  whatsoever.  "sounds  very  romantic.  the  start  of  your  enemies  to  lovers  arc?  dare  i  say..  the  start  of  something  new.."  they  teased,  moreso  to  rub  it  in  his  face.  "fine,  i'll  do  it  but  you  have  to  promise  me  you'll  actually  sing  like  your  life  depends  on  it.  no  half-assed,  'oops  i  accidentally  muted  my  microphone'  singing,  okay?"

open  starter,  (  @palmviewstarters )  !  location,  @  siren  karaoke  bar !

he's  a  man  of  many  skills...  but  singing  ?   well,  to  put  it  lightly,  after  his  friends  heard  him  sing  back  in  the  day  for  the  first  time  they  all  agreed  he  should  be  a  tenor…  as  if  ten  or  twelve  feet  away  from  all  musical  instruments  at  all  times.  but  does  that  mean  he  lacks  the  confidence  of  grabbing  a  mic  to  potentially  (  definitely  )  make  a  fool  of  himself  on  a  friday  night  ?  absolutely not.  “  how  about  this…  i'll  sing  with  you  yeah,  i'll  even  belt  a  troy  bolton  but  you  have  to  get  this  chick  off  my  back,  “   daniel  muses  to  his  company,  motioning  towards  the  legged  blonde  that  keeps  on  eying  him  like  he's  on  her  tonight's  menu.  “  she  came  over  to  say  that  she  can  tell  by  the  way  i'm  ignoring  her  that  she  should  just  wait  for  me  in  the  backseat  of  my  car…  and  she  wasn't  even  joking,  “ 

[cherriesfm]

"bit  hurtful  you  would  assume  so,"  sydney  joked,  gesturing  towards  the  seat  next  to  them  and  nodding in permission. they wouldn't entirely mind the company.  "i  wouldn't  have  lied  to  you.  although  i've  also  run  out  of  excuses  for  the  week.  you  could  be  the  one  using  me  here  though,  couldn't  you?"

open  stater  :  @palmviewstarters  .

location  :  literally  anywhere.

         “  this  seat  ain't  taken,  is  it?  ”   and  she's  desperate  to  hear  the  answer  she's  looking  for  based  on  how  packed  the  area  seemed  to  be  at  this  time.   “  and  before  you  think  'bout  lyin'  to  me,  just  know  that  i  am  great  company  ..  or  so  i've  been  told.  ”

[cherriesfm]

twice  in  one  week  had  to  be  a  record  for  most  times  sydney  stepped  foot  inside  the  record  store  at  a  time,  though  they  hadn't  been  able  to  stop  their  curiosity  at  the  crowd  gathering  inside.  it  was  only  when  she'd  been  inside  long  enough  that  she  glimpsed  a  flyer  with  world  radio  day  plastered  all  over  in  bright  colors.  sydney  turned  around  just  as  kai  spoke,  rolling  their  eyes  at  his  dramatic  display  and  then  just  as  quickly  getting  excited  as  if  a  lightbulb  had  clinked  over  their  head.  "wait,  can  you  pretend  to  pass  out  really  quickly?"  they  questioned,  a  mischievous  grin  making  it's  way  onto  their  face.  "if  there's  a  freebie  involved,  i  promise  to  share...  maybe."

closed \ @cherriesfm location \ world radio day @ mango bay record store !

he's a regular at the record store. visits at least two times a week, on a good week. typically when he stops by at this time in the day, there's very few people there, and that's the way he likes it. today, however, the space seems packed, and he fears he may have missed the memo about whatever event is currently taking place. " what the fuck is happening here ? " he questions, when he spots a somewhat familiar face. " too many people, " he begins, mockingly reaches up to his neck as if he's suffocating on the lack of air, a subtle amusement lacing his otherwise irritated tone. " i'm allergic to crowds. can't breathe. "

[cherriesfm]

"this  is  how  it  starts,"  the  games  were  always  tempting  to  sydney,  the  competitive  nature  inside  them  awakening  with  their  presence.  "they  hook  you  in  and  it's  downhill  from  there  because  they  design  these  games  specifically  for  you  to  lose  them."  though,  that  never  stopped  sydney  from  participating.  the  regret  would  always  follow  but  in  the  moment,  nothing  mattered  more  than  winning.  never  mind  the  actual  prize,  the  win  alone  would  be  satisfaction  enough.  "i've  considered  my  own  booth  actually.  maybe  next  year."  they  eye  the  game  for  just  a  second  too  long,  temptation  drawing  them  in  further.  "that  said..  i  think  we'd  be  better  than  most  people  who  have  tried  to  win  this  today  so  maybe..  just  maybe..  we're  the  exception?"

closed : @cherriesfm nova ft. up to player ! location : game stalls.

she's stood by the games stalls, watching in amusement as others try their best to win big prizes. and she's tempted, she really is, if only to prove to herself if she's capable. " i'm trying to decide if my bank account would hate me for giving this a go, " she motions towards what appears to be simple game of knocking down some fake PRESENTS with a ball that resembles a snowball, and yet no one seems to have claimed a prize thus far. " i've got competitive genes, i know i wouldn't be able to stop until i won. " there's a soft chuckle, shake of her head before she glances across at them with a soft smile. " just how rigged do you think these things are ? "

[cherriesfm]

"mm,  invalid.  being  a  business  owner  does  not  directly  correlate  with  being  good.  being  a  successful  business  owner,  now,  that  is  something  else,"  sydney  responded  with  a  light  shrug,  watching  as  he  flipped  through  the  crates.  "about  as  familiar  as  i  am  with  penguins  but  that  sounds  very  intriguing.  nothing  has  ever  hit  the  same  as  ladyfingers  and  i  think  i  might  hold  onto  this  recommendation  a  little  too  tightly  just  for  that. what's your playlist like?"

“ of course i'm good , how do you think i became a business owner ? ” milo crosses his arms over his chest , pointed , “ but i digress — you say you're open to everything ? how familiar are you with Penguin Cafe Orchestra ? ” as he rattles on , he flips through the crates , pulling out just what he was looking for , handing it over to sydney , “ they align more with herb alpert — instrumental if you will . very folk meets dance . a nice variety that sprouted from the 70's . the ectasy of dancing fleas is a total vibe . highly recommend . ”

[cherriesfm]

"damn,  you're  good,"  sydney  grinned,  shaking  her  head  at  his  words  as  she  scanned  the  room.  "they  need  to  pay  you  more  for  this,  or  maybe  i'm  just  easily  influenced  but  i  already  do  want  to  buy  a  record  just  to  keep  you  sane."  their  attention  was  averted  back  to  the  counter  as  he  pulled  the  sticker  from  the  dish  and  offered  it  to  her.  "now,  this  is  just  a  straight  up  bribe,"  she  reached  out  to  accept  the  sticker  then  continued,  "as  for  my  poison,  well,  if  my  playlist  can  go  from  paramore  to  ladyfingers  i'd  say  i'm  pretty  open  to  everything."

“ oh , it's very hard , ” milo rolls his eyes , his palms pressed to the counter , “ honestly , it's probably the hardest thing i've had to go through . the only thing getting me through this difficult time is when people come in and buy more records . it's what keeps me afloat , ” his words are sharp but playful , never knowing when to cut it out . one day it will land him a bad review , he's just hoping it's not today . “ and here — “ he offers , pulling a sticker from the dish in front of the register , “ you can take this a little souvenir , ” he paused , " as for recommendations , that would entirely depend on the mood you're in and how open you are to the variety of genres we offer . pick your poison , i'm sure i'll have something in your wheelhouse . ” 

[cherriesfm]

sydney  let  out  a  loud  laugh,  louder  than  they  had  intended  to  and  immdiately  suppressed  it,  as  if  going  back  into  character  to  match  his  dramatic  effect.  "sorry,  god,  your  life  must  be  difficult.. being the alien reject and all,"  she  nodded  in  feigned  concern,  only  meant  to  prolong  the  skit  and  not  at  all  to  mock  him.  "getting  a  new  shipment  is  always  fun  until  you're  too  deep  into  it  you  lose  track  of  everything  else,"  she  spoke,  averting  her  attention  back  around  them  in  an  attempt  to  spot  anything  she  might  find  interesting.  "honestly?  just  browsing.  i  got  sidetracked  on  my  morning  walk  and  now  i'm  here  so  i  might  as  well  get  something  out  of  it.  got  any  recommendations  for  me?"

“ well , to be fair — ever since the alien abduction , it's been hard to keep track of what planet i'm on — let alone the day or time , ” milo shrugged , as if that were a reasonable defense for his lack of organization , “ it's incredibly harrowing , “ he paused for dramatic effect , eyes wide , ” no but really , i just got sucked into placing our next shipment of albums . lost track of time . “ truth be told , it was incredibly overwhelming to run the shop solo and it was starting to catch up to milo . reduced hours might or hiring someone might be the only feasible relief , but perhaps an attitude check on his part would do a bit of damage control . ” anyway , you just browsing or was there something in particular you were looking for ? "

[cherriesfm]

"you  can  try  as  much  as  you  want  but  you  can't  protect  someone  from  something  they  didn't  ask  to  be  protected  from,  it  sort  of  only  leaves  them  hurt  instead  of  it  resonating  as  this  big  gesture,"  sydney  shrugged,  nodding  along  as  leon  spoke.  she  didn't  do  well  with  honest  conversations,  often  diverting  the  topic  away  or  forcing  a  generic  response  to  move  the  conversation  along  quickly  but  in  a  way,  she  could  relate  to  him.  "i'm  sorry  about  that.  if  she  was  sick  and  suffering,  it  is  a  kind  of  mercy  to  be  at  peace  now."  she  smiled  at  his  next  words,  "so  you're  telling  me  if  we  round  up  your  exes  in  one  room,  they'd  basically  shit  on  you?  that,  i'd  love  to  see."

"i was a fucking pussy," he shrugs his shoulders. the whole thing had been with the best intentions, pushing her away so she wouldn't abandon him. okay, not best intentions. "my grandma was diagnosed with alzheimer a few years ago," he starts his story, "and my mom was overwhelmed taking care of her, so i went back to seattle to help them. and i knew it would be too much. my mental health is never healthy when i'm around them," the blond sighs. his mom started drinking heavily and his grandmother was very very tough to live with. he knew he would eventually lash out at salem and she didn't deserve it. not at all. "i thought i was protecting her, from me. idiot idea, i know." salem scolded him for it, because he refused to contact her. "well, my grandma died a few months later. i know it sounds horrible, but it was a relief for both me and my mom. besides, my grandma was really suffering, so..." the word hangs in the air before he shakes his head, shaking the whole thing off as if it's no big deal. "rumors?" leon chuckles. he's not sure he's into that idea. "i might sound stupid, but honestly my exes were great. i was an asshole i guess."

[cherriesfm]

"now  what  the  hell  did  you  do?"  they  questioned,  getting  sidetracked  for  a  minute.  "a  general  diss  track  feels  too  safe  too.  like  why  are  we  generalizing  when  we  could  start  speculations  and  rumors?"  sydney  was  mostly  kidding,  though  they  were  never  one  to  shy  away  from  any  attention.  whether  it  was  good  or  bad,  it  usually  didn't  matter.  "god,  let's  put  all  our  exes  into  one  person.  that  sounds  like  a  nightmare."

leon chuckles as he sits up straighter, "yeah," he agrees, "people are different." you never know, she might be the next chad smith. the next karen carpenter. that would be cool. another laugh escapes him as she talks about how she'd diss every person she's ever met. "i think that could be a good idea. like a... general diss track maybe? i don't know, i don't really have much beef with anyone. i mean, my ex-girlfriend might hate me right now, and i don't exactly like her very much right now. but i would never make a diss track for her," the blond shrugs before standing up and walking over to sydney behind the drumset. "what if... we do a diss track about a person we've never met? we can create like, the worst person possible and diss them," he suggests.

[cherriesfm]

truthfully,  sydney  had  no  clue  when it came to  anything  related  to  jewelery  making.  it  was  blind  optimisim  keeping  her  going,  for  most  things,  and  especially  for  this.  there  was  a  vision  in  mind,  though  whether  it  would  be  achieved to perfection  was  questionable.  she  started  collecting  the  pieces  she  would  need,  laying  them  out  as  closely  to  the  pattern  in  her  head  as  possible.  "you  always  know  what  to  say  to  keep  my  head  big,"  sydney  joked,  getting  to  work  on  her  bracelet  as  she  spoke.  "no,  we  need  to  get  you  better  snacks,  babe.  what,  with  all  the  free  samples  going  around,"  were  they  actually  free  samples?  sydney  wasn't  sure.  "what  vibe  are  you  going  for  for  mine?  give  me  a  hint."

“i  fully  trust  that  you'll  make  me  the  most  fashionable  friendship  bracelet  anyone  has  ever  seen,”  she  assures  sydney,  leaning  toward  her  to  bump  shoulders.  even  if  the  bracelet  wasn't,  celeste  would  wear  and  show  it  off  as  if  it  were.  a  sentimental  person  at  heart,  she  was  sure  that  anything  sydney  gave  her  would  be  a  prized  possession.  “who  said  i  wanted  to  get  rid  of  the  gum  on  the  bottom  of  my  shoe  ?  i  was  actually  saving  it  for  later,  in  case  i  get  hungry  during  all  the  festivities,  you  know  ?”  laughs  at  herself,  collecting  various  different  beads  and  laying  out  the  design  in  her  head.  “no  getting  rid  of  me,  baby,  we're  locked  in  for  life  !”