#I had the current idea to create a backstage room for over 2 years

[simstrouble]

📻

[rovewritesit]

Angel Of My Dreams (Chapter 1) John Deacon x Reader Series

I’ve read so many fan fics in the past four months and I thought it was high time to try my hand at it. I’ve created this side blog so that I can 1) Express my love for Queen and 2) Not annoy the randos from high school and college who still follow my main. This’ll be a slow burn folks, so hold on to your hats.

Series summary: After reluctantly joining a band with your childhood best friends, you are thrust into oncoming stardom with no sea legs and an overwhelming sense of anxiety. But you just might find your way, thanks to some seasoned pros by your side. And the interest of one particular bassist.

This series is a work of fiction, and is loosely inspired by real people and events. Absolutely no offense is meant to actual Queen or their families.

PART 2 - PART 3 - PART 4

Pairing: John Deacon x Reader (eventually)

Chapter Warnings: Lots o’ curses

Chapter Summary: This is basically just some set up for the series. No Deacy yet, but a meet-cute to happen very soon! I got the band name with the help of some random band name generator so be kind. I’m hoping to introduce in some songs readers may not have heard - I was thinking of “Heart of the Night” by Juice Newton while writing this, hence the single name and album.

Song/Title Inspiration: Angel - Fleetwood Mac

- - - - - - -

Days of Our Lives Documentary Shoot - 2010

(Brian May and Roger Taylor Joint Interview)

“The early 80s were huge for us, for sure. I believe we were at our biggest then, internationally speaking.” Brian states, glancing over to Roger.

“Yes, Another One Bites the Dust really set things a-flame I think. The traveling and playing were constant. The crowds getting bigger by the venue. Parties, hotels, girls, more parties. We were meeting just so many people.” Roger adds.

“And one of those being a certain American female rock singer.” The interviewer adds quietly from off-camera.

Roger glances over to him with a questioning look, but Brian catches on quick, like always.

“Ah yes, that particular rock goddess. We did meet her around then, I believe, yes. Maybe a few years after.” Brian says knowingly, still playing along.

Roger stares into space with a confused look on his face until the realization hits him. “Are we talking about Y/N?” Roger mutters to Brian. “Yes” Brian chuckles, patting his friend on the shoulder.

“Oh, what a spit-fire she is! Not back then though. Fred really worked some magic with that one. Almost inseparable those two were.” Roger laughs out, a wave of nostalgia washing over his face.

Brian raises his large eyebrows, “Deacy would beg to differ I think.”

Roger smirks, “Oh, well that’s a whole different story.”

- - - - - - -

1982 - MTV Studios, New York City

You run your hands up and down your thighs, trying to will your left knee to stop repeatedly bouncing up and down. The satin of your pants does nothing for the layer of sweat on your clammy hands. You fold them together in your lap and gaze around the studio instead, taking in the bustling of crew members as they ready for the pre-taped interview. The god-like VJ, Alan Hunter, sits in a chair off to the side as someone artfully pieces his blonde locks into place. He grins over at you with a small wave. You limply lift your hand in a greeting, pasting on a small smile that doesn’t reach your eyes.

You catch your pained expression as you glimpse a monitor off-camera. A friendly woman backstage had painted your face to the point of being almost unrecognizable. Gone was the evidence under your eyes of the restless sleep you’d fought the previous night. They were wide and doed, rather than their normal crescent shape. Your lips full and vibrant, your hair bounced and fanned out around your face. And your skin seemed to be glowing, masking the spots that had popped up overnight from stress. You looked every bit the rock goddess the label hoped to paint you as, and the exact opposite of the nerves currently threatening to overtake your body.

“Y/N, I can feel you vibrating from here. Take a deep breath. It’s gonna be fine.” Rich commented from beside you. His legs were splayed out, his arms bent behind his head. Looking as relaxed as can be, as if he were on his couch at home catching a movie marathon, about to doze off.

“How can you be so calm right now?” You rush out. “Who knows how many people are going to see this interview. Do you know how many times a day I accidentally let the F word fly out of my mouth?”

Rich lets out a snort. “I happen to know exactly how much you curse, thank you. Yesterday you said fuck 3 times in one sentence. It was charming, my mom loved it.” He moves his right arm to squeeze around your shoulders. Usually, it would be a comforting display of friendship, but you shake it off.

“And look at those three. Already so at home, I see.” You nod to the three other members of the band. Steve is exuding energy like yourself, but it’s excitement that bubbles from him. His eyes flit around the room quickly as he taps out some unknown rhythm on his bent legs. A wide grin permanently fixed on his boyish features.

At the far end of the couch, Eddie and Lawrence are wrapped up in a not-so-silent game of knuckles.

“Son of a-- Will you take off those damn rings? It’s my turn and I’m still getting bruised.” Lawrence huffs. Eddie wiggles his long, skilled, silver-clad fingers in front of his face and raises his eyebrows. “It’s all about the look, baby. Gotta play the part of the guitar god.”

“Will you both knock it off.” You call over to them. “We need both those sets of hands in playing shape for tomorrow night.”

Eddie turns, probably to counter with some playful comment about how you mother them too much, but Alan approaches.

“Alright, guys. And girl.” He flashes his perfectly white teeth your way again. “We’re about 5 minutes out from going up. Anybody need anything? Water, vodka, beer…” He turns his gaze to Steve, who is still tapping lightly on his legs. “A Xanax, perhaps?”

“Waters all around would be great, thanks.” You offer. Alan nods to a twitchy PA waiting to his side and they hurry off.

“Oh wait up, a Bud Light too, if you have any!” Eddie calls after them. The other three boys echo the same as well.

“You can take the boys out of Long Island…” you mutter to yourself. Rich teasingly pokes your side. “And something stiff for the lady!” He shouts out.

“In all manner of ways” Steve giggles. You feign a shocked expression and reach over to place a gentle slap to the side of his head. He looks over with big apologetic eyes and you stifle a laugh.

In record time, the lanky PA rushes back over with a myriad of drinks, all threatening to topple over on the tray they were precariously balanced on. Another PA trails behind, handing you all water, which you’re in desperate need of. They hand the drinks out one by one and stop before you. “Your water, Miss. And I didn’t know what you liked so I have a jack and coke, a whiskey sour, and a gin and tonic.”

“The gin and tonic is great, thanks.” They hurriedly hand you the drink and go to turn away. “Love your hair by the way.” You tell them. “I’m absolute shit at styling mine. Guess I’ll have to learn now.” They smile back at you and run a hand through their short locks before disappearing amongst the rest of the crew.

“Okay, we’re ready to rock n’ roll!” Alan exclaims, getting the band’s attention as he sits down in a chair next to your side of the couch. “We’re going to start off with a few basics on the band. Your lower thirds will have your instruments labeled but feel free to explain how you guys started out, your influences, your process. I’ll prompt you in between and then we'll talk about the album and promote your upcoming tour towards the end. Should take 15 minutes tops, so keep your answers brief. But I won’t say no to any rowdy stories you want to throw in.” He finishes with a wink.

The band nods along as you gulp down a breath, your palms becoming even slicker. The stage manager’s high voice rings out around the studio. “Playback ready! Live to tape in 5.. 4...” Rich places a hand over your knee and gives a squeeze. “Light em’ up, Bun” he mutters in your ear.

“3.. 2..” She holds up a finger and then points it at Alan, a wide smile already set on his face. The camera light flicks red as the MTV open plays from speakers around the room. Alan beings as the song fades out.

“We’re here in the studio and boy, am I excited to get to know this next band. Over at MTV we’ve been watching the steady rise of their single “Heart of the Night” on the charts. And as an added surprise, they’re here to introduce their very first music video. I’m very pleased to welcome to the studio, Lo & The Limbs!”

You try to relax your face as a camera pans across the band and settles on a two-shot of you and Alan. You know your eyes are gleaming with anxiety so you glance down the couch, silently praying for one of the boys to take the lead.

“Thanks for having us Alan, it’s such a trip to be here.” Eddie says with ease, resting his forearms on his knees.

“So, I have to ask. Who is Lo? Is it you Lawerence?” Alan questions the piano player.

“Oh god, no.” Lawrence chuckles. “Our high school was affectionately called Lo High, for Long Island HighSchool of the Arts. So we sort of tacked that on while playing during those years to let people know where we were from. That and well, as you can see we’re all above 6 foot except for Y/N, so a lot of limbs going on here.”

Alan gives a short laugh. “You released your debut album, Quiet Lies, earlier this year to growing success. Why don’t you tell me how you all started out.”

“Well, the boys and I have been together for a few years. We’ve been friends since grade school and we always just used to jam about. As we got older we started playing local bars back on Long Island to mostly middle-aged crowds, trying to break in, but it wasn’t working. Then Rich had the idea to invite Y/N to join up and it’s all kind of all taken off from there.” Eddie explains.

“We needed a pretty face to balance out all these ugly mugs” Steve pipes up.

“It took a while for her to finally concede though. She was off being too studious for the likes of us.” Rich adds on with a smile and nudge to your side. Your eyes grow wide as you feel a question directed at you coming on.

“Is that true, Y/N?”

“I- I guess, I was at NYU studying documentary filmmaking.” You choke out, but continue on. “Love this lighting set up, by the way, it really hides all sins.” That gets a light chuckle out of the crew surrounding you.

“And these sins you’re hiding are…” Alan grins but quickly bounces to the next topic. “Certainly a good call, Rich. Heart of the Night is the only song off the album that Y/N is singing lead on and look how well it’s doing. How did that happen?”

“Most of our songs were already written from before when we finally got the money to record. We wanted Y/N to feel a part of it, so she went on and wrote Heart of the Night and we were all very pleasantly surprised that it’s become such a hit.” Steve explains. “She also directed the music video we’ll be debuting today. I can’t believe she let us do all the things we did in that… well, you’ll just have to see for yourselves. We can be a bit of a handful.” The boys all chuckle.

“That and she plays the weirdest collection of instruments. Rhythm guitar, any type of strings, the saxophone… She's a boss on the harmonica.” Eddie turns to you as he speaks. “You just need to get over those pesky little nerves about your singing, Bun!” He points in your direction.

You feel the heat rise behind your perfectly painted cheeks at the slip of your nickname. You cast your gaze down at your lap. Not liking how the conversation has turned directly onto you.

Alan quirks an eyebrow at you. “Bun?” He teases.

You have yet to lift your eyes when Rich answers for you. “Bunny, an affectionate nickname. It’s stuck around since grade school when she wandered into Lawrence's backyard in search of a rabbit she was chasing.”

“A rockstar called Bunny. There’s a first for everything.” Alan quips, but quickly notices your displeasure in the current topic. Sensing your growing panic, he addresses the rest of the group. “This has been quite the debut album, with more hits sure to come from it. Any bands you’ve taken inspiration from while writing and producing?”

Rich jumps at the question. “Fleetwood Mac would be a big one. The way they layer their sounds is just unmatchable. You catch something new with every listen of an album of theirs.”

“I can’t be a pianist from Long Island and not mention the granddaddy, Billy Joel.” Lawrence adds. “His songs take you on such a ride. They’re full stories, each one of them.”

“And you, Y/N?” Alan directs the next question. “Who will you be drawing inspiration from when you write your next hit single?”

You smile to yourself. “It’s gotta be Queen for me. I’ve loved every one of their albums. I mean, the way they’ve changed their sound just in the past few years alone. They’re always transcending. Never afraid to try out something new or weave a different genre into one of their songs. But you always know it’s a Queen song. I saw them 2 years ago when they played the Garden, and fu--” You catch yourself as you get more animated. “And they were all just so on. Perfectly in sync. There’s something so distinct about their sound, so practiced. I’d love to get to their level, to be able to experiment like that. To give joy in the way they’ve given it to me.” You finish. Realizing you’ve rambled for a bit, you turn your eyes downwards yet again.

“I think that’s the most I’ve heard you talk since you came into the studio!” Alan laughs. “Well, you heard it here first folks, Y/N L/N is a Queen fan, just like the rest of us. I’m sure you’re just as excited about their new album as well.” You nod quickly as Rich hides a smile. Knowing full well you’ll be first in line to purchase their new album, Hot Space when it drops.

“But before you get off to writing more hits, I believe you have a tour coming up!” Alan states, signaling that the interview is wrapping up.

“Yeah, we have a small American tour starting in February. But until then we’ll be opening up for Hall and Oates during their tour of the NorthEast next month.” Steve says excitedly, bouncing slightly in his seat.

“And with that, I think we’ll roll into the long-anticipated music video and directorial debut for the lovely Y/N L/N. Thank you all so much for coming in today and I can’t wait to see what’s next on the horizon for you. Here’s Lo & The Limbs with Heart of the Night!” Alan keeps his painted smile till the red light vanishes from above the lens on the large pedestal camera in front of him.

You breathe out the breath you’d been choking on as Rich puts an arm around your shoulders. He leans in and whispers lightly, “And only one hint of a fuck, ladies and gentlemen. She might just make it in this business after all.”

- - - - - - -

One Month Later - Veterans Memorial Coliseum - New Haven, Connecticut

The Limbs bound off the stage in full force, glistening with sweat and excitement. It was the largest crowd they’d played for by far. 10,000 people cheered from the audience as roadies and crew moved around them to set up for the main act, Hall and Oates. Rich spreads his long arms and huddles the rest of the group into a family hug, your skin sticking to one another, the smell of sweat filling your noses.

“I just want us to all remember this moment.” He speaks to the group, foreheads touching. “Even if nothing happens past this album. That was insane.”

“Absolutely bonkers, dude!” Steve says and he bounces up and down beside you. You all take a deep collective breath and squeeze.

“Alright, get off of me you fucks.” You laugh, untangling yourself from their vast expanse of limbs. “We all stink and I have to get out of all... this” You gesture to the skin-tight bodysuit your best friend, Dawn, had insisted you wear. Eddie presses a light kiss to your temple as he lets you into the dressing room first to change out of their view.

You close the door and sigh, glancing at yourself in the mirrors that line one wall of the room. Your eyes are bright, your hair is two times the size of when you went out on stage an hour before, and your makeup looks like you’d been in a fight. Grinning to yourself, you start to unlatch the halter top of the bodysuit, excited for the air to cool your skin.

Just as you are about to shimmy out of the rest of the ensemble, the door bursts open.

“Shit! Lawrence, what the hell?!” Scrambling to cover your top half.

Lawrence trains his eyes to the ceiling as he speaks. “Bunny, you gotta… just cover up and get your ass out here. You just... You gotta see, c’mon.”

Flustered, you hurry to redress your sticky body. After making sure everything is properly covered, you step out into the hallway backstage, already glaring at the boys. They’re all tight-lipped, staring at one another. “Okay, someone want to tell me what the hell is going on?” You say loudly. “Shhhhh” Rich hisses as he gestures behind him with a shake of his head. You glance over his shoulder to see the backs of two men. John Hall and Daryl Oates.

“Yeah, okay... I don’t get it. We’ve hung out with them like 5 times. Why are we fangirling?”

Rich widens his eyes at you and you glance back at them again. This time they part and you can catch a glimpse of who they’ve been talking to.

The flash of a tight leather jacket, a mustache, and two front teeth shining while laughter erupts from behind them.

You gasp.

“Fucking, fuck. That’s Freddie fucking Mercury.” You say, a bit too loud.

The bold man in question locks eyes with you. Something mischievous dances behind them as he narrows his gaze. Daryl and John move to their roadies to get fixed up before heading out on stage and Freddie lets out a sharp burst of laughter as he makes his way over. Your stomach churns with embarrassment but you can’t tear your eyes from his.

“Quite the redundancy of expletives, my dear. All you had to do was say hello.” he grins at you, all teeth. You’re not one to get too clammy in front of other musicians, but your voice gets trapped in your throat. You pray to whatever gods are out there that your eyes don’t get any wider.

Eddie’s easy charm luckily saves you. “This beautiful songstress right here is Y/N L/N.” You barely lift your arms as Freddie pulls you in for a light hug and kiss on the cheek. “But you can call her Bunny.” Eddie grins. So much for easy charm you think as you stare daggers into the profile of his face.

“Ha! Bunny? Oh my, that is wonderful.” Freddie chuckles. “It sounds as if you’re a socialite... Or a stripper. I can’t tell.” He beams at you. You can’t help but beam right back.

“Come along. Let us watch the show and you can tell me which one it is.” He says with a wink. “And introduce me to these giants you call your band.” He grabs your arm and leads you off, the boys in tow. Bouncing with excitement for what’s to come.

[guccitaehyung]

Surprising Him On Tour (Namjoon X Reader)

Requested?: No (but requests are OPEN)

Genre: Slightly sad at first then turns into fluff, mentions of smut

Warnings: Mention of smut (no actual scenes or details)

Word count: 2k

*(y/n)’s POV*

I was currently sitting on my bed in my shared bedroom with my boyfriend, Namjoon, as I was staring at him through the screen of my laptop. He was currently on tour with his band, BTS, which also includes my younger brother, Jungkook. 

We stared at each other for a few minutes before Namjoon decided to say something.

“I miss you so much” He says

“I miss you too. The bed is so lonely and cold without you here” I said pouting

“I just wished you could’ve come on tour with us” He said 

“I know, but you know what’s keeping me from coming on tour with you” I said 

“Your work, I know. I swear you should just stop working, I earn enough money for the both of us of survive” He said with a sigh

“And you know that I’m an independent woman and I don’t like to depend on people” I said back

“I know, I know. And that’s why I love you” He said sending me a flying kiss and I made a hand motion to show that I was catching his kiss.

We talked for a few more minutes before Namjoon had to go.

“Babe, I gotta go, we have a very hectic schedule tomorrow and I have to be rested properly for it” Namjoon said sadly

“Ahh, well goodnight then” I said sadly waving at him 

“Don’t worry, I’ll call you tomorrow when I get some free time” He promised

“Ok, byeee. Sleep well babe” I said 

“You too, bye” He said waving 

The call ended and I let out a sad sigh. But that’s when I got an idea and I decided to text Jungkook.

I dialed Jungkook’s phone number, it beeped 3 times before he finally picked up the phone.

“Ello” He said 

“Hey Jungkook, how’s tour?” I said making small talk

“Good, why you’d call me?” He asked 

“Listen, I want to surprise Namjoon by flying over to where you are currently. You in?” I explained

“Yeah sure, anything to make him stop rambling about how he misses you” Jungkook said with an exaggerated tone

“OMG, I better come save you guys quick” I said and giggled at the thought of the members having to listen to my boyfriend just ramble about missing me. It was cute, to be honest.

“When do you wanna come here?” He asked

“When is your next concert?” I asked back

“In 2 days, Saturday, why?” He asked

“I’ll come on Saturday morning then” I said 

“Ok cool, need help to book a ticket?” He asked

“Thanks but no thanks, I’m old enough to do it myself. By the way, what are you doing up? I believe it’s nearly midnight where you are?” I asked in a taunting way 

“Um-I gotta go (y/n), Namjoon is calling me” He made up an excuse

“Namjoon went to sleep Jungkook” I said while silently laughing 

“Right... see ya!” He quickly said and hung up

“He never changes” I said to myself shaking my head

For the next 2 days, I booked my plane ticket to where BTS currently was which is California, USA and had a discussion with my boss about using my accumulated holidays to cover the rest of the tour. Being quite close with my boss, she and I were able to come up with an agreement of being able to work from home whenever I wanted to join Namjoon and BTS for tour. This would work in both our favors as I would be able to be with Namjoon more and my boss would have her job done by the end of the day and I would not have to use up my holidays available.

It was so hard not to tell Namjoon about me being able to work from home and join him on tour and it was even harder to not mention that I was going to come see him in a few days.

I was waiting to board the flight when I received a call from Namjoon. I didn’t answer as there was a high chance that he would suspect something, especially if an announcement was made during the phone call. I decided to send him a text saying that I couldn’t talk right now. 

I felt bad about having to lie to him but it would pay off eventually. After I boarded the plane, I prepared myself for the 12-hour plane ride to California by playing my playlist I had created earlier while waiting for the plane. I also had brought my neck pillow hoping to get as much sleep as I can.

*Skip plane ride* 

I finally arrived in California at the airport of LAX. I got off the plane and through immigration. As I was waiting for my suitcase, I called Jungkook to tell him that I had arrived. We had arranged that he would come to pick me up from the airport to go to the hotel. 

“Hey Jungkook, I just landed and I currently waiting for my suitcase” I said after he picked up

“Ok, I’m waiting for you just outside the baggage claim area” He replied

“Ok, I’ll be out soon, bye” I said and hung up

I quickly got my suitcase and headed out to where Jungkook was. Once I got out, I saw my younger brother along with his group member, Jimin, both wearing back face masks to not attract the attention of any possible fans around. I hugged both of them as soon as I reached them. 

“Heyy guys, how have you been?” I asked excitedly

“We’ve been good, your boyfriend, not so much” Jimin said 

“Huh? What do you mean?” I asked worried about Namjoon

“He constantly whines about missing you and how you should have come on tour with us. I’m pretty sure Yoongi is close to strangle him, so you’re being a lifesaver for all of us” Jimin explained 

“Oh my, let’s get going then” I said and they both laughed 

They led me to their car that was driven by their chauffeur. Jungkook helped me get my suitcase in the trunk and sat with me in the back as Jimin sat in the front, next to the driver. 

During the ride to the hotel, Jugkook, Jimin and I started catching up on what was going on back home and what was happening on tour such as the funny moments, the fans and all the amazing stages and talk shows they were invited to. 

When we arrived at the hotel, the boys were able to sneak me into the hotel lobby and to the elevator without anyone realizing that I was here. We got to the floor of my room which was luckily not on the same floor as the boys and the staff as we didn’t want to get caught by Namjoon after all of our efforts into this surprise. 

I was sitting on the queen-sized bed of my room alone. The boys had already gone to the venue of their concert tonight to practice. They were going to come back in the afternoon only to leave again for the venue to prepare for the concert. While waiting for the afternoon to come, I decided to visit the town and go shopping. 

After my little shopping spree, I came back after the boys already came back and left for the concert. I got ready and changed into a plain white off-shoulder with jeans skirt overalls and I wore white converse high tops. I grabbed my BT21 Koya bag which had my ‘ARMY Bomb’, phone and wallet in it. 

The chauffeur from earlier was the person that was taking me to the venue. So once I got ready, I went downstairs, headed to the car and drove to the venue. Once I arrived, I headed towards the entrance where all the fans were. I was waiting with them for the doors to open and while doing so, I made small talk with the ones that recognized me. Mine and Namjoon’s relationship went public 2 years ago so the fans got used to see me around and accepted me. Of course, there were the ones that were jealous of our relationship but I learned to not let it phase me. 

The doors opened and I headed backstage. I texted Jungkook to inform him of my presence and he told me exactly where to go. They had finished doing their hair and makeup so I headed there and stayed in the room until they were on stage and the coast was clear. In the meantime, I spoke to the hair and makeup noonas in the room. And they all told me that Namjoon had spoken a lot about me and that they were, quite frankly, fed up. 

The time passed by really fast and the boys were now on stage doing their first quarter of the show before they had to come backstage and change again. I sneaked out to the wings of the stage and enjoyed the concert from there. I spent the whole concert trying not to be spotted by Namjoon and whenever they had to come backstage, I would hide in a vacant room that I knew they wouldn’t use. At some point, they were performing ‘Mic Drop’ and during the choreography, I saw Namjoon turning and looking in my direction and I quickly hid behind the curtains that were nearby hoping that he hadn’t seen me. 

*Namjoon’s POV*

I was performing our song ‘Mic Drop’ when my gaze shifted to the wings as something got my attention and I saw a girl that looks exactly like my girlfriend (y/n). I tried looking again but the figure disappeared. Weird I thought. 

When we went backstage to change, I was looking around a lot to the point where I got the attention of the other guys. 

“You good hyung?” Jungkook asked

“Yeah, why?” I replied still looking around

“You looking for something?” Jimin asked cautiously

“Nope, just looking around” I replied without looking at them

*(y/n)’s POV*

I enjoyed the rest of the concert while still making sure that Namjoon didn’t see me. At the end of the concert, I went to their changing room to wait for them to get off stage. 

While waiting, I sat on one of the sofas that were in the room and started scrolling through my social media to pass the time. I waited for about 10 minutes before I heard a ruckus in the hallway. I put my phone away knowing that the boys were about to get here any second now. 

The door opened and the boys got in it took a few seconds for Namjoon to realized the massive elephant in the room, which was me. When he did, he froze in the spot with his mouth agape. 

“Hey Babe” I greeted him

He didn’t say anything and just came over to me and held me tightly in his arms. 

“Oh my god, am I dreaming, or are you really here?” He whispered in my hair

“I’m really here babe” I said looking up at him and pecked his lips 

“Jagiya I missed you so much” He sighed after the kiss

We held each other for a while before I decided that I had to greet the other guys so that I didn’t seem rude. I tried to get out of Namjoon’s grip but he seemed to hold on for dear life.

“Babe, could you let go?” I asked cutely at him

“Why?” He asked looking down at me

“So I could say ‘hi’ to the other guys” I replied

“Nooo” He said pouting

“Babe” I said giving him a look “Besides, you’ll be able to have me the whole night” I said winking at him

“Damn right, Jagiya” He said smirking and tapped my ass as a walked off to the other guys

For the rest of the night, the guys and I went for dinner at the restaurant near our hotel and it was there that I told them the news about me being able to work from home and join them on tour. They were all excited about the news and that they wouldn’t have to put up with Namjoon’s whining anymore.  

It seemed like Namjoon couldn’t hold his excitement anymore as when we got back to the hotel, well, let’s just say that Namjoon and I didn’t get much sleep as we were occupied filling each other’s needs and cravings that were formed during the time we were apart.

REQUEST ARE OPEN

[ichigopanhpff]

BNHA Fic: Blink! Ch. 20

We’ve reach chapter 20! Does anyone really read this thing though? lol

SPOILER ALERT: This is leading up to the Redemption Arc, so there’s a bit of spoiler to the main story here. This one is a much shorter chapter compared to the last one.

Read. Ch. 19 | Masterlist

With November coming to a close, winter was in full swing. There was always something about the cold in Japan that made Ren want to bury her body under a kotatsu and hibernate. She lethargically emerged from the her warm cocoon of her bed to get ready for class. The chill of the air made her shudder aloud and rubbed her arms furiously to stay warm. Putting on her designated “home hoodie,” she grabbed her belongings to wash up downstairs. Even after fully clothed, 1-A’s resident advisor found herself moving much slower than she liked. And her monthly visitor’s cramps did little to help. She saw Asui coming down with half-lidded eyes and yawned aloud.

“I’m sorry, ribbit,” the amphibian girl apologized and rubbed one of her eyes. “Winter is always hard for me.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, Tsuyu-chan,” Ren agreed and proceeded to boil water for some tea. “Would you like some? Maybe it’ll help wake you up.”

Asui slowly nodded and let out another yawn.

Leaning her head on the refrigerator door, the pink-haired girl found herself drifting asleep, only to be rudely woken up by Bakugou.

“If you’re gonna sleep, don’t do it somewhere where people need to grab stuff,” he exasperatingly refuted and pinched her cheek hard to get her to move.

The stinging from the pinch woke her up halfway as the electric kettle turned off automatically. Heaving a heavy sigh, she wobbled over to the other counter and made English Breakfast tea for herself and Asui. Adding a splash of milk and half a spoon of sugar, she stifled a yawn before sipping the hot beverage. She then handed the second cup to the napping frog girl, to which she thanked her for. Heaving a long sigh, she grabbed two pieces of toast and munched on it like a turtle.

Class went by in a blur and Ren managed to halfway wake up just as the day ended. The classroom door to 2-A suddenly slid open and revealed a very excited Ito with something in his hand.

“Everyone! The photos from the festival have been printed!” her classmate announced.

“About time!” one student chimed.

The class crowded over Ito as he opened the album and flipped through until they found the group shot of their class.

“Whoa! We look out of this world!” Tomoe exclaimed.

“I do have to say, the costume team did a wonderful job,” Seri commended. “My dress was so comfortable to move around.”

“And thanks for adding that last minute train to mine,” Ren sighed out. “It was much appreciated.”

“You’re still sensitive ‘bout that?” Tomoe asked with a tone of surprise. “Dude, let it go. Flaunt it.”

“I absolutely refuse to,” the pink-haired girl deadpanned and blushed. “I don’t want it to be bodysuit-gate all over again.”

“Speaking of your costume, Takahiro,” Ito interjected with a sly smile. “Your photo was one of the top three most requested for reprints next to Hadou-senpai’s.”

She blinked stupidly.

“I’m sorry, what now?”

“This one.” He flipped to the page where her photo had the full page spread of a mid-action shot from when she jumped off of the swing. She let out a panicked scream.

“It seems the audience was quite entranced by your wisp character,” Hayasaka remarked, staring at the photo. “Maybe it was a blessing in disguise I injured my ankle and helped backstage instead.”

“Your quirk would’ve made the wisp freakin’ legendary!” she reasoned. “I did what I could while running on 3 hours of sleep and barely remembered half the shit I did!”

“So?”  Akiyama huffed. “ I was on energy drinks and was awake for nearly 36 hours making all the costume adjustments.”

“Well no matter,” Miyake disregarded. “What’s important is the festival was a huge success and we were able to pull off the performance thanks to your help, Takahiro.”

Heading back to 1-A, she found Aizawa with the Big Three and Eri-chan sitting on the couch. She overheard Aizawa saying U.A. was now in charge of her well-being. Before Ren was able to go over to say hi, Togata and Aizawa waved her, Uraraka, Midoriya, Asui and Kirishima out the door to talk.

“It seems like Eri-chan’s parents abandoned her,” their homeroom teacher revealed. “And her closest blood relative is the boss of the Hassaikai, who is currently in a coma. So she has no where to go.”

“You may have heard this from sensei, but her horn is the source of her quirk,” Togata chimed in and tapped the left part of his forehead.

“We heard it shrunk and everything was good though...” Kirishima replied.

“The horn seems to have grown a bit recently,” the third year blond revealed.

“So… we need to make sure “that” doesn’t happen again?” Ochaco asked, thinking back to what happened to Midoriya after Overhaul was taken down with Eri’s quirk.

“That’s why her transfer was U.A. rather than a foster home,” Aizawa summarized. “I’ll be watching over her in the teacher’s lounge to monitor her situation. Hopefully, we can find a way to work out her power.”

“Aizawa-sensei, it seems like you’re taking on a lot of work,” Asui said with a tone of worry.

“This is where, I, friend of Eri-chan and student-on-hiatus, come in!” Togata shouted happily with both hands on hips hero pose.

“We’ll be busy but you can visit her every once in a while,” Aizawa finalized to which those present agreed to.

“If Eri-chan’s mind and body are stable then maybe...” Amajiki clasped a hand on Togata’s shoulder. “The return of the fearless hero could be soon.”

“That’d be nice,” Togata replied with a dry laugh.

“Third years, this is sudden, but can I leave Eri with you for a bit? I have something do.”

“Of course!” Togata enthusiastically agreed.

The first years were asked to return to their dorms to receive some guests. Ren followed them back in and saw the Wild Wild Pussycats talking with the class. She remembered from the report Aizawa gave her they were there at the training camp when the villains attacked. The resident advisor politely greeted and introduced herself to the idol heroes, noticing a small boy bashfully standing with Midoriya.

Talks of their return to the spotlight and the JP Hero Billboard Chart came about; the list of heroes aggregated twice a year based on their level of contribution to society, approval ratings, popularity, etc.

The following night, everyone tuned into the official announcement of the top 10 heroes. As expected, Endeavor was in the number one spot, with Hawks moving up to second. The R.A. glanced over at the bi-hair coloured boy, unflinching and expressionless watching the ceremony. His back almost felt distant from everyone. She wanted to ask how he was feeling about all this, but didn’t want to pry into something that’s not her business.

The next day, everyone was doing their own thing in the dorms. The TV could be heard in the background as several 1-A students hung out in the common area; Ren was huddled on the corner of a couch knitting. Some of the guys were talking and joking around with a few of the girls.

Kirishima, however, was entranced and emotionally invested with how fast their R.A. was going through the yarn, trying to figure out how she was creating something tangible from a thread like magic. Stopping momentarily, she counted her stitches and clicked her tongue. Muttering under her breath, she immediately removed the needle and unraveled a row. The spiky redhead exclaimed loudly as she did it, catching her attention.

“Did something happen?” she looked up and blinked in surprise.

“Gah, you worked so hard at it and you’re taking it apart?!” Kirishima groaned out. “Just leave it!”

“It’ll be uneven if I did. Besides,” she looked down to smooth out the yarn thread before starting again. “One row is nothing. I can remake it in my sleep.”

“What are you making anyway?”

“Something for Eri-chan,” she answered mid-stitch and picked up the rhythm after figuring out where she went wrong. “Christmas is coming up and I figured I’d give this to her as a present.”

“Oh that’s right!” Ashido chimed in. “We should all do something as a class!”

“We can’t exactly go off campus to have a party,” Kaminari lamented and leaned back on the couch across. “Kacchan and Todoroki still have their provisional lessons too.”

“How about we throw a party here after those two take their licensing exam?” Ren suggested and looked up. “As for presents...”

“We can do a Secret Santa!” the pink-skinned girl excitedly proposed.

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Hagakure agreed and clapped her hands together.

“Looks like we got a plan!” Uraraka eagerly said. “I’m getting excited!”

“Mina-chan, I’ll let you take care of the Secret Santa details then, budget and everything,” Ren directed.

“Roger!” The alien queen saluted with a wink and toothy grin before heading up to her room.

The TV suddenly turned to a breaking news screen, showing part of a city in ruins somewhere in Kyushu with the headline “Endeavor, Number One Hero, Fighting Engineered Nomu.” The camera then pans into a bloodied Endeavor laying on top of rubble. The once vibrant common room fell silent with shocked eyes on the screen. Midoriya grabbed the remote and turned up the volume to hear the newscast. Ren dropped her knitting needles and clasped her hands to her mouth.

Feeling a new presence, those sitting on the couch turned to see a shocked Todoroki staring at the TV. It was like time suddenly slowed down and all the noise faded away from the loud beating of his pulse in his ear. Ren could only look on at the boy with extreme worry.

“Todoroki!” Kirishima called, with Midoriya following right after.

“The scene here, is sadly reminiscent of the nightmare from three months ago...” the caster presented.

The camera zoomed in at the Nomu beginning to walk away, with Endeavor immediately getting back up and rushed the monster with his flames. The scene then cuts to civilians panicking and screaming as they’re trying to escape from the disaster.

“This is society without a symbol of peace!” the live voice over strongly stated.

The main entrance of the dorm bursted open, revealing Aizawa running to them.

“Todoroki...” he panted. “You already saw what’s going on?”

“You’ve got to be kidding me...” the red and white colored haired boy uttered out nervously.

“Stop saying that crap already!” A voice from the TV abruptly shouted, revealing an angry young boy on camera. “Open your eyes before you say that crap! Especially at a time like this! You still see those flames up, right?! Endeavor’s still alive and fighting! So don’t give up just cus the other guy’s gone!”

Panicked pedestrians were still pushing the boy, but he wasn’t giving up.

“He’s still out there risking it for all of us! Can’t you see?!”

The camera changed back to the aerial view they have of the fight. As the broadcast continued on, everyone watched on with bated breath, hoping for a good outcome for Todoroki’s sake. Endeavor’s flames discharged with intensity out of his body and at the Nomu. Hawks then came from behind to assist him with his feathers. By now, the newscaster had changed her tone.

“Dad...” Todoroki’s voice quivered out with strength. “I’m watching!”

All they could see on the screen was a blinding exploding supernova in the sky on the screen and in that instant, two falling figures dropped from the sky at an alarming rate. After the smoke cleared, the victor was clear.

There he was, Endeavor bloodied and beaten up holding a victorious pose with his right fist up in the air and a super crispy Nomu on the ground.

“It’s Endeavor! He’s standing tall in victory, no! Standing tall for his beginning!” the newscaster shouted in elation. The once panicking crowd then erupted into screams and cheers. The other students jumped off of their seats and ran to over to him. Any energy Todoroki had was completely zapped when he squatted down and breathed a sigh of relief and placed his hands together over his forehead. But that peace didn’t last long as the surrounding area was engulfed with blue flames.

“It’s him!” Aizawa stated. “What’s he thinking being out in the open like that?!”

“The League of Villains is here! It’s league member Dabi!” the newscaster announced. “He’s surrounded Endeavor and Hawks with a wall of flames!”

The three got into a confrontation and a fight started breaking out, but was soon broken up by Mirko’s powerful kick.

“You’re one of those League of Villains bastards ain’tcha?!” she proclaimed. “I’ll kick your ass till kingdom come!”

As fast as Dabi came, he disappeared with a black essence coming out of his mouth. And moment of silence filled the void, with only the TV caster announcing the fight was won. Heaving another soul-leaving sigh, Todoroki gathered the strength in his legs and slowly stood back up. Aizawa took him to the side to talk one-on-one. All Ren could do was look on like an outsider.

After a quick discussion, 1-A’s homeroom teacher gave special permission for him to go home for a few days. With the rest of the students retreating back to their respective rooms, Ren decided to stop by Tororoki’s to check on him. She stood in front of his room door and swallowed hard, her right hand freezing mid-air.

What kind of face would he show her?

Would he even want to talk?

Was she here as his friend, the R.A. or something else?

Gathering what courage she had, the door opened just as she was about to knock. She met his hetero-chromatic eyes expressing surprise. All she could do was stand there in stupor, unable to move.

“Ren-senpai...” he softly greeted. “Did you need something?”

“Huh? I, er, uh…” she stammered out at a higher pitch than she liked, feeling her cheeks get warm and looked down at her now fumbling hands. “I-I just wanted to see how you were d-doing and–”

She cleared her throat and calmed herself from her botched words.

“I came by to see how you were doing, that’s all,” she managed to get out and looked away.

Todoroki merely blinked at her slowly. It took him all of his willpower to not pull her into his room and embrace her. He wanted to feel her warmth to comfort him, but he had to hold back. Anyone could come out of their rooms at any moment and would misunderstand their relationship.

But… what was their relationship exactly?

He wanted to say more, but all he could default to was, “I’m fine. Aizawa-sensei’s letting me go home tomorrow to see my siblings and my dad.”

“Oh, right. I’ll… leave you to it then,” she said with a look of distance in her eyes.

Watching her small form walk away from his door, Todoroki felt that sensation bubbling up again. The tinge of pain in his chest she’ll disappear if he dared look away for one second. His hand instinctively grabbed a hold of her wrist, jolting her muscles and turned her head. He looked at her with loneliness reflecting off of his glassy gaze.

“Todo-kun?” she questioned.

Realizing what he’d done, he immediately released his hold.

“I-I’m sorry...” he whispered and grabbed his hair by the roots, looking away with shame. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

Ren slowly walked back and stood in front of him with a softened gaze.

“Just remember it’s okay to not be okay,” she gently spoke with an encouraging smile, making sure to keep a moderate distance from physical contact in case anyone saw. “You have people on your side to help.”

[imaginexwwe]

Rebound 2|2 Drew McIntyre | Seth Rollins

ANONYMOUS

PART TWO - UNABLE TO STAY BACKSTAGE ANY LONGER AS HER CURRENT REBOUND AND HIS FRIENDS ATTACK HER EX, Y|N HURRIES OUT TO THE RING

•

With my anger at a new high, I reached the ring and quickly slid in before throwing myself between Seth and Drew, trying my best to shield my ex boyfriend from the kicks of the two men.

"Y|N," Drew huffed with his deep voice that was laced with a strong Irish accent, looking down at me with narrowed eyes. "Move." He demanded, his tone seeming more intimidating then when he'd said my name seconds ago.

So you could continue beating on Seth?

No thanks, I'm fine right here

"Just leave him alone, Drew." I replied back to him, my words coming out in one loud shout.

"Move, Y|N." Drew again demanding as if what I had just shouted at him, didn't register in his ears.

Or maybe he just thought that if he repeated himself a second time, he'd actually scare me into listening.

I shook my head, backing up to Seth a little more, not because Drew and his words were getting to me, but because out the corner of my eye, I could see Dolph's sneaky ass moving in closer, and let's be real, neither one of them would really take a shot if it meant risking me catching one of those kicks, right? "No."

"I don't want you to get hurt," Drew mumbled through closed lips as he leaned down to me. "This isn't even your fight."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "And I don't want you to hurt Se-" I began saying, before getting quiet after a strong hand gripped me, dragging me away from Seth while I instinctively reached out to grab him with the hand that wasn't being used to create distance between us.

But it was no use.

The person who I immediately recognized as Dolph, after hearing his voice had already dragged me across the ring, giving just enough space for Drew to continue his assault on an already weakened Seth.

Was I that lost in the moment of standing up to Drew that I didn't notice Dolph sneaking up to me?

"Let go of me, Ziggler."

"You should've just stayed backstage," He spoke almost as if completely ignoring me. "We didn't plan on hurting him too much." Dolph added with a dry laugh.

Again using my free hand that hung at my side, just after Dolph had pulled me up to my feet, I reached out and brought it back up, letting my hand come in contact with the side of Dolph's face.

After the slap I gave him, Dolph sucked in some air, his chest puffing out right before he opened his mouth to speak but closed it, once the theme of my group blasted through the arena with Roman and Dean running out towards us.

The crowd's reactions got even louder as boos turned into cheers when seeing the other two Shield members.

If only they knew none of this was scripted.

Dolph's grip on my wrist quickly loosened and he soon left me on the other side of the ring to get in position to fight off Roman and Dean, and I again ran back over to Seth's side, seeing Drew had now left him alone.

"You okay?" I asked looking down at him with sympathetic eyes.

"You didn't have to come out here," Seth responded, his voice sounding tired. "I was handling them."

I nodded, trying to resist giving my stubborn ex boyfriend a much deserved eye roll. "Of course you were." I replied sarcastically, still looking down at him.

•

"I'll met you guys at the hotel," I said breaking off from Dean and Roman to head down another direction of the arena. "I'm gonna stop by the medics."

Last I heard, Seth was still being checked up on and I just wanted to see what they had to say.

Because, in all honesty, my thoughts of what happened tonight wouldn't let me sit through a long drive without not knowing.

"He's going to the same hotel as us," Roman sighed, already knowing who I wanted to see after I had mentioned medics. "He can fill us in when he gets there."

"Five minutes, Rome." I said with a sly smile, turning around and walking off before he could say anything else to convince me to wait.

•

Hold up, which room did they take him into again? I silently asked myself before coming to a stop after realizing I didn't even know where to find Seth.

I mean I knew where he was and who he was with but at the same time I didn't.

Confusing, isn't it?

"I'll just call him." I giggled, before pulling my phone from my bag, all while shaking my head. "You're so smart, Y|N." I sarcastically added, feeling a bit dumb as to why I hadn't thought of that at first, while searching and finding Seth's name and number in my contacts.

Seconds after tapping the call button and bringing my phone to my ear, I could her a loud ring close by but as fast as the ringing started, it stopped even faster.

That's crazy

Just like I previously had done, I again dailed Seth number, this time following the ringing throughout the hall before it quickly stopped again.

A low gasp left my mouth, my lips staying parted as I stared down the hall at Seth who had no idea I was behind him.

Did he really just do that?

"Did you seriously just send me to voicemail twice?" I asked, as I stomped over to my ex boyfriend, reaching him in a few anger fueled steps.

•

Seth almost froze in some kind of shock after basically being caught in the act of ignoring Y|N's call.

Twice.

"I uh..." Seth slowly stuttered out, almost speechless as he searched for a way out of this by using the right words.

Problem was, there wasn't really anything coming to mind.

Like, Seth really couldn't form a sentence, and obviously standing her in front of Y|N wasn't any help because the second he'd open his mouth, she was ready to jump down his throat.

"Seth," She spoke up again, resting her hands on her hips. "Why did you ignore my calls?"

"I didn't want to be bothered with you right now." He painfully admitted.

He loved talking to her, still.

Just as much as he still loved her.

But like now, in this moment, after everything that happened tonight, Y|N was the last person Seth wanted to be bothered with.

"What the hell, Seth?" Y|N asked, raising her voice a little more in the hallway that was occupied by only the two of them. "I stayed behind just to see was you okay, only to get a cold shoulder from you." She continued before adding more. "I could've just stayed with Roman and Dean and headed to the hotel. I could've been on my way to sleeping by now if I hadn't been so worried about yo-"

"I didn't ask you to worry about me, Y|N," Seth groaned, the pent up frustrations from what happened in the ring and what he'd been told by Drew all coming out on his ex girlfriend. "Just like I didn't ask you to come to my rescue in the ring tonight."

Y|N let out a heavy sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Are you fucking..." As her words trailed off, she shook her head. "Are you still stuck on this?"

"Yes, because it was stupid that you would put yourself in the middle of that."

"I didn't feel like it was stupid if I was being mentioned, and having stuff about my private life being said and twisted into lies." Y|N replied, trying to justify her coming out there when she did. "And then I saw your facial expressions change and I know you enough, Seth to know that when you get the look you had on your face just before you attacked Drew, nothing good was about to happen. So I tried to get out there before it went too far considering it wasn't a even fight."

Seth shook his head before almost dismissing everything Y|N had just said. "Dean and Roman were backstage."

"They were but guess what I got there first."

"And getting there first could've been the reason you got hurt." Seth spoke and even though anger was still present in his words, his emotions were also evident. "I mean, it was just like in just a split second I went from wanting to hate you with everything in me after hearing about you and Drew, how much you loved him, maybe even is in love with him, and how he made you happy in the way I couldn't in the years that we were together, to just being afraid that somehow you was going to get hurt as soon as I saw you entering that ring."

"Seth," Y|N whispered, going up to her ex and brushing her hand against his. "I don't love Drew." She finally admitted to him, feeling guilty that she had let everything come to this point. "And honestly I came out there being more concerned about the man I've ever been in love with and still love, not about my safety because you and me both know, neither Drew or Dolph was really going to be stupid enough to really lay and hand on me."

"But Y|N," Seth sighed. "Dolph--"

"Oh, please." Y|N giggled quietly already knowing where Seth was about to go with his words. "That drag was nothing, really," She smirked before adding. "Besides, I'm sure that slap I gave him was worse."

That slap did look like it stung, Seth mentally agreed with her, having caught a glimpse of it as he looked around to see where Dolph was taking her just before taking another one of Drew's kicks.

"So, there was no feelings for him at all or there was no feelings in the way he made it seem?"

•

"I just admitted I never stopped loving you and all you can ask is if i had feeling for Drew or not?" I questioned, feeling like the most important part of mu sentence went in one of Seth's ears and out the other.

Or worse, that he didn't feel the same way anymore.

"I heard you, Y|N and I even though I didn't show it much tonight, I think you know deep down that I never stopped loving you."

A smile crept on my face for the first time tonight, of even since I found out I would be reuniting professionally with Seth, because of the Shield reunion. "It still would've been nice to hear you say it back."

"I love you too Y|N|N, and never stopped loving you." I heard him reply and I just knew those words were honest and from his heart.

In a few short steps I was directly in front of Seth, closing in the distance between us and wrapping my arms around him and breathing in the familiar scent I would always smell when I was near him, and almost immediately his arms were wrapping around my waist while one of his hands made soothing circles on my back.

As the seconds flew by, changing into minutes, it felt like nothing could ruin the moment of this embrace.

Of course until Seth opened his mouth again.

"Why Drew?" He asked, causing me to pull away, not so much that I was out of of arms but just enough to look at him.

"What?"

"There's so many men on the roster or even in the world that you could hook up with nut you chose Drew. Why?"

I shrugged, feeling my face turn red as I hid it against Seth's chest. "Because he was the closest thing resembling you." I admitted in a shy mumble, before hearing his obnoxious but cute laugh.

"That's what I kept telling myself when I saw you and him together. I mean, I would just brush it off as my ego not accepting you with another man but damn, I was right."

And just like that, after Seth had gotten his reassurance or answer that he wanted, things were quiet between us again.

A peaceful quiet.

All just seemed right in my life, at the moment and all I could silently hope for is that it lasted.

That me and Seth could have the future we pictured together, before he destroyed the Shield and eventually my trust.

But most importantly that we make it to the isle.

"I missed you."

•

TAGGED -

@calwitch @eshia16 @shieldgallover @cam0flug3 @pookiepookie8 @monochrome-decadance @jadalecki-jackles @scars-tears-and-suicide @lost-in-the-stories @crossfitjesusinskinnyjeans @jerseygirl1290 @nikora3010 @ambrolleignsgirl90 @lauren-novak @roman-puppy-reigns @mainlywwwe-shitposts @queenofthearchitect

[mitchmarnier]

say it right

summary: Working side by side with somebody for nine hours a day was bound to end in some sort of friendship. Eddie will continue to tell himself and anybody who asked this until he’s blue in the face. Because that’s all it is, and all it will ever be.

[or: Eddie and Richie work together in book cafe, and Richie is determined to turn Eddie into a coffee drinker by making him the perfect drink. And if Eddie happens to fall in love with him in the process, well then that’s just an added bonus.]

chapter count: 5/7

[1] [2] [3] [4] [Read Full Story on AO3]

Radio silence. That was the only way that Eddie could describe his current status with Richie.

It had been almost quarter to eight before Eddie had responded to the texts from Richie, the feeling of guilt in his gut and something much more painful in his chest completely overwhelming him.

To Richie Tozier @ 7:43: Richie I am so so sorry

To Richie Tozier @ 8:03: If you want we could go grab coffee or something and talk about this please

To Richie Tozier @ 8:09: I know I deserve to be ignored but please let me know that you’re okay Richie

Eddie had the next two days after his skipped date with Richie and he nearly wore a path in his living room flooring, and ignoring at least four phone calls and texts from Bill demanding to know how his date with Richie had gone. It made Eddie want to throw up, just the idea of talking to Bill and telling him what he’d done, how he’d hurt Richie. It broke Eddie down, wanting to walk down to the Brewstore and see Richie, corner him and try to talk to him or even just make sure he was okay but he everytime he got close to leaving his apartment, the burning anxiety of fear towards a fight with Richie had him running back to the safety of hiding under the blankets in bed.

Eddie almost called into work on Tuesday morning but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to afford that kind of behaviour. It seemed, of course, that he didn’t need to be afraid of anything when he caught sight of Ben opening the store. “Did I get the schedule messed up, are you supposed to open today?”

“No.” Ben said shortly, a simple, detached tone that was so different from the usual warmth in Ben Hanscom’s voice.  Eddie’s stomach churned and he fidgeted with the tips of his fingers. “I’m opening for Richie.”

Eddie swallowed harshly. “Is Richie… Where’s Richie?”

Ben shot Eddie a look over his shoulder that for most people would be expressionless, but in two months of working with Ben Hanscom… Eddie knew it was a dirty look. “He went home to visit his parents. His dad picked him up two days ago.”

“He’s… gone?” Eddie asked, his own voice barely coming out. An uncomfortable expression came over Ben’s face, almost as though he was contemplating something. He looked Eddie over once, twice, three times before sighing.

“He’s not gone gone. He’ll be back.” Ben said, tone not exactly friendly but quite a bit warmer than before. “He put in emergency vacation for the week. He still has school stuff anyway.”

Eddie nodded, and followed Ben into the building. He watched Ben move towards the coffee counter but reached out to grab him on a reflex. “Ben I… I know you know what I did. I just wanted to say…”

“I like you, Eddie,” Ben interrupted, shaking his head so slightly that he might not have even been aware that he was doing it. “I think you’re a good guy, I really do, but Richie is my best friend. We have been through so much shit together, for years. And you hurt him, Eddie. You hurt him so bad he went home to his parents. He hasn’t done that since…” A dark look came over Ben but Eddie could simply tell that it wasn’t directed at him. Ben cleared his throat. “I don’t think you meant to hurt him so badly and I don’t doubt that you had your reasons. But I don’t care about those reasons- I can’t care about those reasons. The only thing I have time to care about right now is Richie and making sure that Richie is okay.”  

Eddie swallowed hard and forced back the tears. “You’re a really great guy, Ben.”

Ben smiled softly. “You are, too, Eddie. And Richie will give you another chance, probably three or four of them if needed, when he’s ready. See to it that you only need one, or I won’t try to stop Bev from hurting you.” Eddie laughed, a sad and wet sound, and Ben’s smile dipped down in slight concern. “Stop looking like a kicked puppy when I’m trying to convince myself that you’re the bad guy. Please.”

“I can’t help it that I’m pathetic.” Eddie whined tearfully, wiping at his face frantically as the tears started to fall. “I’m just so pissed at myself for hurting Richie, I just… I just didn’t want anybody to get hurt so I thought it would be easier if we didn’t start dating at all but then I didn’t go and he got hurt and knowing I hurt him just hurts so fucking bad, you know? Because like Richie… he’s the like the first guy that I’ve really and I… and you said you didn’t want to know my reasons and here I am spilling them out to you anyway like a fucking idiot I’m so sorry I…” Eddie got caught off by Ben coming forward and wrapping Eddie up into his arms. Ben held him there for a long moment, slightly rocking them. Eddie let out a shaky laugh. “Has anybody ever told you that you give great hugs, Ben Hanscom?”

Ben laughed, too. “Richie, at least once a day. Bev, too, actually.” Eddie tucked his head deeper into Ben’s neck and he felt more than heard Ben sighing. “Alright, Eddie… I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt for like one second and you’re going to pretend that I didn’t.”

Eddie pulled away slightly, frowning at Ben. Ben glanced around, almost though making sure that there was nobody around despite the knowledge that it would be only Ben and Eddie working for at least the next three hours. “Richie will definitely be back by Saturday night because that’s when his group has to put on their play. Richie may not seem like somebody who takes this seriously-”

“I’ve never thought that,” Eddie interrupted on a reflex, and an odd expression came over Ben’s face.

“I just…” Ben ran fingers through his hair. “Richie takes his theatre stuff really really seriously. He’d never miss a show, and he’s really intense about this one. I thought Mike was going to beat him by the end of it, but I know it’s going to be amazing.”

“What are they doing?” Eddie asked, fighting off the urge to crack his knuckles.

“They have to adapt some sort of novel and make it a musical,” Ben said, a small smile coming over his face. “Bev put up a big fit about doing some Stephen King book, even though Mike told her a hundred times how hard it’ll be to re-create telekinesis on a stage. But anyway…” Ben shook his head, getting off track and knowing it. “We all have tickets and backstage access because all our friends are in the play and wrote it. And… because I’m giving you the stupid benefit of the doubt… you’re coming, too.”

Eddie’s eyes blew wide. “Wait, no, Ben, I really shouldn’t. Richie is definitely mad at me and I’ve never read or seen Carrie and..”

“This may come as a surprise to you, Eddie,” Ben chuckled. “But the play will definitely tell you enough about the storyline from beginning to end that you won’t need to read the book. Actually, you know, it tells you everything. It re-creates the story.”

Eddie flushed. “Yes, okay, I know that but Richie…”

“If I know anything about Richie Tozier, he’s not mad at you.” Ben shook his head. “To be honest, Richie would just usually shrug something like that off completely but on top of all the other stuff this year, I think it was just too much. Not to let you off the hook for standing him up, because that was still crappy, Eddie-“ Ben shot him a small glare and Eddie felt himself flush again. “But the rest of that stuff isn’t your fault and Richie wouldn’t blame it on you, either. So come to the show and talk to him.”

Eddie nodded, giving Ben a soft smile. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. And if it goes bad, I’m not the one who invited you.”

-

Eddie spent the rest of the week missing Richie and trying to read Carrie. It was surprisingly hard, Eddie finding himself getting stuck at the same point near the beginning over and over.

To Billy <3 @ 7:55am: Carrie is a terrible book

From Billy <3 @ 9:21am: Most Stephen King books are. Don’t know how anybody can read that crap.

To Billy <3 @ 9:22am: They can’t all be that bad.

From Billy <3 @ 9:22am: They are. Have you ever read the demon clown/acid trip turtle book?

To Billy <3 @ 9:30am: Uh

Saturday night came rolling around and anxiety was deep in Eddie’s chest, reaching out and threatening to suffocate him. He called Bill three hours before he needed to head out and reached a very unimpressed best friend on the other end of the line.

“No, Eddie.” Bill said in replacement of a hello. “You’re going to the fuh-fucking show and you’re going to uh-auh-apologize to that loud boy from your work. Then muh-maybe make out with his fuh-face.”

Bill hung up and Eddie stared at his phone in betrayal.

-

Eddie showed up outside the school’s large theatre and found Ben and Stanley both standing outside waiting for him. He was wearing the same sweater and jeans he’d worn when meeting Richie and the others at the bar that night that had felt like years earlier.

Ben smiled warmly as he approached, and Stan reached out to pat him on the shoulder. “Richie got back into town like an hour ago and looked like death ran him over twice,” Stanley said in that straight forward fashion of his. Eddie frowned deeply and Ben closed his eyes. “Don’t worry, Eddie, I’m sure it’s not because you left him standing at the side of the road for an hour. It’s probably because he hates his parents and just spent a week with them. Because you left him standing at the side of the road for an hour.”

“Are you done?” Ben asked, raising a brow. Stan smiled almost sarcastically and gestured towards the door. Not for the first time, Eddie wondered if he underestimated the friendship between Richie and Stan. They moved into the front row and took their seats, Eddie on one side of Ben and Stanley on the other. The lights came on the very scene that Eddie had deeply struggled getting back while reading the book began. Admittedly, it was a little hard to recreate a shower scene when you couldn’t have running water on a stage but Eddie almost didn’t notice.  

The play moved on swiftly and Eddie found himself getting into it when Beverly came out and stood center stage. He’d noticed her several times, playing on the biggest leads in the play, but he was suddenly floored looking at her in her 70s style clothes and deep red hair. She shot the crowd a half smirk and opened her mouth to sing.

“Guess what, ever since the world began. Same plot. Everyone’s been dumping on their fellow man.”

Eddie’s eyes widened and looked over to Ben and Stan, whom were both staring up at their friend with similar looks of dazed adoration. “I’m straight now,” he whispered to them both. “Richie who?”

“Right?” Ben said, waggling his brow while Stan shook his head slightly. “He’s dating the girl playing Sue.” Eddie crinkled his brow, remembering the statements Richie had made about Mike and Stan, and the things he’d seen himself. Ben nodded, and patted Eddie on the wrist. “Life is complicated.”

Richie was playing the male antagonists, Beverly’s boyfriend, and he looked so good in his badboy attire that Eddie’s breath hitched in his throat every time Richie came on the stage. He watched the scene where Richie and Bev were beginning to plan their methods of harassing Carrie White and Eddie had to clasp a hand over his mouth as Richie began to belt out his lyrics with an air of douchebaggery that Eddie wouldn’t have thought possible in the huge nerd he was falling so hard for.

“You always amaze me with the way that you think… If I were your daddy, I would buy you a shrink.”

Eddie watched the rest of the show with his tongue heavy in his mouth and he stood along with Ben and Stan to applaud once it was over. As Ben rushed to the back of the stage to greet his friends, Eddie began to step back slowly. Stan reached out and clasped his wrist.

“Where are you going?” Stan asked, narrowing his eyes at him. “You’re coming with us, Eddie. We sat in the front row, there’s no way Richie didn’t see you. If you just leave right after, you might as well kiss every chance you have of making up with him goodbye.”

Eddie let out a shaky sigh and nodded. He followed Stan back to where the cast and their friends were all throwing their arms around each other. At the sight of them, Richie let out an excited noise and Eddie’s stomach dropped out his ass at how good he looked. The distance between the stage and Eddie’s seat hadn’t done him justice, Eddie now staring at the closeness of Richie’s dark eye makeup and sweaty, shiny face. A million thoughts, most dirty, ran through Eddie’s face until he truly thought he was going to forget how to breathe altogether.

Richie tossed his arms around Stan and pulled him in, the pair of them slapping each other on the back as they hugged. Richie stepped away from, grinning widely and his eyes fell to Eddie. The grin faltered just slightly, something deep in Richie’s eyes bringing that horrible feeling of guilt back to Eddie’s stomach. “Heya, Eds. Like the show?”

“You were amazing,” Eddie said earnstely, nodding. His eyes met Mike and Beverly, and he smiled wider. “You all were. Really.” Beverly blew him a kiss and Eddie was pretty sure if he was even the slightest bit heterosexual he would have melted right into the floor and died in that moment.

“You guys are coming back to Mike and Richie’s for the party, right?” The pretty girl who’d played Sue said from her spot pressed in Stanley’s side. Eddie’s heart leapt in his chest and he felt Richie’s eyes burning into the side of the his face.

“Yeah,” Ben said from where he was- for whatever unnecessary reason- feeling Mike’s biceps and blushing. “We’re all coming. Right, Eddie?”

Eddie looked up, eyes meeting Richie. Richie gave him a soft smile. “Yeah. Yeah. We’re all coming.”

-

Eddie had been sitting awkwardly on Richie Tozier’s couch for two hours, pressed between Mike and Stanley for the panic that had been twisting his gut all night really started to get the better of him. Richie hadn’t looked or spoken to him once since they’d left the show and Eddie didn’t know how much longer he could deal with this.

Excusing himself quickly, Eddie jumped gave a poor excuse of getting another drink from the kitchen and fled. He gripped onto the counter, brain running wild as he squeezed his tearing up eyes shut. He could see Richie that first morning at the BrewStore, tired and sitting on the counter. Promising to find a coffee drink that Eddie would love, implying that Eddie would fall in love with Richie himself. Richie in his beanie outside the bar. Richie with his busted lip but bright smile. The feeling of Richie’s hand in his when Richie asked with a shaking, nervous voice if he wanted to go out.

Eddie let out a single sob, and slapped a hand over his mouth.

“Hey, Eddie, if you don’t like the-” Richie’s voice carried over to him as he came into the kitchen before stopping. His voice went through at least three emotions as Eddie wiped quickly at his damp cheeks. “Why are you crying? What happened?”

“I…” Eddie inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry, Richie. I shouldn’t be huh-here. I already messed every-everything up. I’ll just…” Eddie moved to walk past him but Richie’s hand came out and curled around his wrist.

“Come on the balcony with me, okay? I think… I think we have somethings we need to say to each other.”

[susanwardmegsunsetbeachfans]

Clive Robertson (Ben/Derek)

Soap Opera Digest Behind The Scenes

Behind every great scene is a backstage story!

Last Updated: July 2nd, 1998

Double Trouble

Soap Opera Digest, June 16, 1998

SUNSET BEACH's Clive Robertson Duels with a Dual Role

Daytime has a long history of asking it's strongest actors to tackle two or more roles. Currently, AMC's David Canary (Adam/Stuart), GL's Kim Zimmer (Reva/Clone Reva), and SUNSET BEACH's Clive Robertson (Ben/Derek) are pulling double duty. Here's a candid interview with Robertson, explaining allthe reasons why playing a twin is not necessarily a walk on the beach.

DIGEST: What has your schedule been like? ROBERTSON: I feel completely brainwashed. It's been difficult, because they've been scheduling me last everyday. I've had so many scenes that I come in at 1, often don't get on [set] till 5 and go until we finish. We shoot late, and it's difficult to concentrate at that time. If we finish at 10 or 11 [pm], then I have to go home to learn all my lines and I don't get to bed until 2am. I've been getting up at 10 and trying to remember the lines I learned the night before. It's been a vicious circle and I haven't really had a life.

DIGEST: Do you think the story is working? ROBERTSON: It gets better from what I've read. The way they've been writing Ben since he's been locked up has been annoying me. I'm really bored with him. Ben has never allowed anyone to get the better of him, and he's not been allowed to express himself in the way that he would. They've been writing all these great, great lines for Derek, but nothing for Ben. I'm looking forward to getting Ben back to himself.

DIGEST: Which would be what? ROBERTSON: The interesting thing about Ben is that I never set out with the intention of making him likable. He's fairly abrupt, fairly anit-social, but with different people, other sides of his character are brought out. That's what the audience brought into him. He's a bit of an anithero.

DIGEST: Do you enjoy playing Derek? ROBERTSON: Yes, I've had a lot of fun playing him. I find Derek a lot easier to play. Ben's quite difficult to portray, actually. Ben has this sort of economy with movement in the way he walks, talks, and does things, whether it's picking up a phone or whatever. Derek, I find much more liberating. I've purposely not given him that same ease with things.

DIGEST: What else do you do to differentiate Derek from Ben? ROBERTSON: When I first played Derek, his voice was much posher. He was more sophisticated, brought about by the fact that he was trying to copy Ben, but not doing a very good job. Lately, Derek's become more comfortable with being Ben, so the differences are fewer.

DIGEST: Have you had any problems with how easy it's been for Derek to take over Ben's life? ROBERTSON: Some situations are a but difficult to believe. They haven't made it very clear that Derek's soundproofed the room and put speakers in. That's how he's able to hear what's happening. And the password - the fact that Derek has all Ben's ID's, but can't access his password. I would have thought he could go to the bank with his passbook and credit cards and checkbook and get the money. I assume it's in a Swiss account and you need ID's for stuff like that. And Derek used to always have the same clothes as Ben. My idea was that he's been plotting this for a long time. He's been keeping such close tabs on Ben, he's probably broke into the house and bought the same clothes he saw in Ben's wardrobe, actually monitoring him so closely that he was able to wear [the same outfit] on any given day. But they sort of brushed over all that.

DIGEST: Anything else? ROBERTSON: Meg is in the warehouse with Derek, so you would expect Ben to shout at her. But Derek has said he'll kill her if anything happens, so I guess that's fair enough; he's not going to endanger her. But then Casey shows up. Derek does have a knife in his hand, so I suppose Ben is thinking that Derek will kill Casey and then, kill Meg. But personally? I would have screamed.

DIGEST: What are you thoughts about continuing to play a dual role? ROBERTSON: It's fun to play two completely different characters, and there are some interesting things coming up between the brothers that I am excited about doing.

DIGEST: Do you think the fans are buying the story? ROBERTSON: They can buy anything now that Ben isn't the killer.

Full Scream Ahead

Soap Opera Digest, January 1998

Hoping to capitalize on the success of the movie Scream 2, which opened to huge audiences in December, SUNSET BEACH launched it's own horror-filled muder myster on "Terror Island".

The story began in late December, when Ben gave Meg a house on a secluded island for Christmas. "He suggested she hold a New Year's Eve Party for all her friends," explains Ben's portrayer, Clive Robertson. "Minutes before everyone boarded the boat to go to 'Terror Island,' Ben back out for business reasons. Or so it appeared.".

Those who made the fateful (or is that fatal?) journey were Meg, Mark, Casey, Michael, Vanessa, Virginia, Sean, Elizabeth, Jade, Gabi, and Grogan (the boat's captain) and two of them are already dead. Tim and Amy pop up on the island eventually - as does Ben - and murder and mayhem ensue.

The SUNSET BEACH set designers were given the incredible task of designing the house and the island in the studio in just a few weeks. The crew, led by production designer George Becket, created enough gruesome interiors and spooky exteriors to rival those used in the typical horror flick.

"It was rustic and creepy, but cool at the same time," describes Dominique Jennings (Virginia). "There were a lot of gargoyle things outside and the forest area was very creepy."

"It's sort of THE ADDAMS FAMILY revisited," adds Director Peter Brinckerhoff. "There's a large living room and the furniture is old and very gothic. There are a lot of old weapons that look like they are from the Middle Ages - broad swords and axes of different types - ultimately used by the principals for their protection."

The gang turned to the rusty tools for self-defense after both Elizabeth and Jade were bludgeoned to death. "One of the things we try not to do in daytime is show too much blood," Brinckerhoff says. "But it was hard to justify not doing it here. So, we see the end result of the mayhem but we don't see the mayhem itself."

To add to the fear factor, the writers included scenes where the trapped participants dined on drug-laced soup, which caused terrifying hallucinations. Academy-Award winning makeup artist Matthew Mungle (Edward Scissorhands) was hired to bring the special effect transformations to life.

"I look in the mirror and my face morphs off," recounts a squirming Sherri Saum, in character as Vanessa. "They made a plastic cast of my face and Matthew worked on me for about two-and-a-half hours. People were shocked. I had to look at it and I was horrified. It's very frightening."

Other hallucinations included Mark seeing the silverware turn into writhing snakes and Tim envisioning Meg with blood running down her face.

"Using special effects - snakes, faces morphing, blood, dark lighting conditions, a lot of candles, smoke - adds to the complexity of the experience," Brinckerhoff explains. "I was incredibly impressed with the dedication of the actors, who worked 14-16 hours a day for two weeks."

"The days were horror in themselves but we all wanted the end product to be really good. So we put in those 16-hour days and grinned and bore it," smiles Saum. Adds Jennings: "The days were long, but Terror Island was an emotional rollercoaster and so much fun."

Last week, mark was attacked and he pulled off the killer's mask during the struggle - to reveal Ben's face. "It's pretty brutal, what I do to Mark," Robertson says of the stabbing. It looks really nasty. They had (a body double) in to do all the other attacks. I was just there for this gruesome attack on Mark."

Is the killer really Ben? Will he be found out? Tune in this week as the mystery of Terror Island continues

[pubtheatres1]

TESTAMENT by Sam Edmunds The Hope Theatre 14 May - 1 June 2019 INTERVIEW WITH WRITER SAM EDMUNDS In the beginning God created the heavens and earth and… Max! Max is in a car crash with his brother and his girlfriend Tess, who dies in the accident. Following the loss of his girlfriend, he tries to commit suicide and fails, but when he wakes up, he believes she is still alive. Driven by an electronic soundscape, biblical apparitions and haunting physical sequences, we follow Max in his search for the truth. Hello Sam, We’re pleased to see Testament is being remounted at The Hope theatre after runs at Bread and Roses and Edinburgh fringe. Has it been a bit of a rollercoaster? Hi Heather! It certainly has been quite the rollercoaster. I started writing the play as part of my studies at East 15 Acting School to be staged at their Debut Festival back in January 2018 under mentorship from Charlotte Josephine, Jesse Briton and Uri Roodner before deciding to further develop the play for 24 shows at Edinburgh Fringe. Taking on the Fringe came with needing to raise over £8000 before even thinking about getting bums on seats. We were delighted with the response the show received and even more pleased to transfer to London with shows at The Bread and Roses and Four sell out shows at The Hope Theatre. Now we are fortunate to have gone from a shoe string budget to be funded by Arts Council to produce our first full London run at The Hope Theatre, following such a lovely run their last year. After this year we will have performed the show over 50 times, with many bumps, twists and turns and are thrilled to be doing so. If it’s not too personal could you tell us what was your inspiration for the show? My inspiration to write Testament came through anger towards the way we treat male mental health issues. I have always been infuriated with society’s approach to male mental health and mental health in general and in particular with Toxic Masculinity or even the term Masculinity and the jaded and institutionalised expectations or labels that come with being ‘a man’. It’s a fact that suicide is the biggest killer of men under the age of 45 and it’s vital that we create theatre that discusses this, raises awareness and tries to tackle it. When researching further into this I noticed in studies a correlation between suicide and grievance and started to become more aware of our suppression of grief in a Western society. It’s an expectation of people but men in particular for us to remain strong and emotionless when faced with loss and any sign of emotion is deemed to be a sign of weakness. Having experienced loss as a young man with these pressures placed on me, I could start to see how overwhelming these expectations can be on vulnerable young men. I think it’s incredibly important that we make theatre that addresses this in an open discussion that helps those struggling to overcome it and know that it’s ok to be upset. I was inspired to write a play with the aim to help make that change. Exploring suicide, loss and guilt is heavy stuff so it’s rather impressive that Testament has won so much critical acclaim, but what’s it been like for audiences? We’ve had wonderful audience responses and many people find the show very entertaining. A lot of the show is very light and uplifting and therefore elements of comedy are found throughout, and I don’t think audience members expect this upon first impressions when reading about the play online. Lots of audience members have shed a tear but on each occasion, we find that people take many different things from away from the show. People tend to comment on the spectacle of the play, from our use of physical theatre to electronic sound design and find all of these elements to be gripping and sometimes surprising. A lot of audience members comment on how relatable the show is, be that any age or gender even if it is a heavy subject matter and I think there has always been something in the show for everyone to enjoy or reflect on. Was there any aspect of the show that was difficult to bring to the stage? There are many enactments of car crashes throughout the play. Of course, you cannot physically have a car crash on stage, so when tackling this we had to be innovative. One of the main idea’s that I want to achieve with Testament is using the set pieces in Max’s hospital room to create everything in the show. Therefore, we tend to merge reality and fantasy a lot, turning the hospital bed into a car and even a coffin. I think the hardest part about bringing this show to life on stage, is portraying the horror of Max’s situation in a visually compelling way, whilst hardly ever-changing location. The story contains biblical characters, and we wondered whether there’s a religious message in the work? To me there is more a spiritual message than a biblical message as so much of the show is a discussion on the importance of life and the acceptance of death. I use biblical characters within the play to symbolise the saint and sinner, whats right and whats wrong, how do you forgive and can you forget. It’s less of a message and more a question. It’s the proposal of ideas and morals when in the face of grievance. When writing the play did you have an end sight in mind? I think with a subject matter this personal and heavy you can’t really give an opinion on things or cast a judgement but what I do believe is that it’s important we discuss it openly and support those struggling with it. Everyone deals with this differently and in a way that helps them to overcome it and within Testament that’s what we capture – the ability to ‘overcome it’ and that’s the message I want to send out. Do you think you’ve learnt something as a writer through the whole process? Hear your text out loud as much as you can because things sound so differently off the page. Also wondered whether you’ve you got some more new writing up your sleeve which you’ll be developing in the future or is there something else you’re keen to work on? As a company we are currently developing a new play called ‘Acknowledgements’ and will be undergoing an R&D for this in late July. I am also writing a new play alongside this, which has a focus on the history of my home town, Luton. Finally, there must have been a lot of memorable moments in the making of Testament. Could you tell us about anything that really stands out for you? I think our first performance at the Edinburgh Fringe I will never forget. The nervous energy, the excitement and seeing something you have spent months and months working on being performed on stage to a paying audience. I will never forget that moment and the pure joy backstage when it finished. It was a special moment shared with a wonderful cast. THIS SHOW HAD ENDED TESTAMENT writer/director: SAM EDMUNDS Presented by: Chalk Line Theatre The Hope Theatre 14 May - 1 Jun 2019 7:45pm Tickets: http://www.thehopetheatre.com/productions/testament-2/ TESTAMENT is an award-winning play exploring suicide, loss and guilt. In the beginning God created the heavens and earth and… Max! Max is in a car crash with his brother and his girlfriend Tess, who dies in the accident. Following the loss of his girlfriend, he tries to commit suicide and fails, but when he wakes up, he believes she is still alive. Driven by an electronic soundscape, biblical apparitions and haunting physical sequences, we follow Max in his search for the truth. @April 2019 London Pub Theatres Magazine Ltd All Rights Reserved

[uniquejay-blog1]

Unique Calamity - 방탄소년단 (BTS) x Reader {Best Friends} [Angst Oneshot]

더 나은 세상��� 만들고 꿈을 이루십시오.

"안녕!" You smiled softly at the screen in front of you. The gentle glow of the computer seemed to caress you with fluttering rays of light.

It's been nearly 1 year since you've met BTS and became their best friend.

Nearly 3 years that you've had that one dream.

Nearly 2 months since you've quietly anchored your feelings within your heart.

But that's not the best place to begin, is it? Let's start from the very beginning. The beginning of a treacherous journey.

~XX, XX, 20XX~ {Reader's POV}

It started a couple years ago. Three, to be exact. It was hard to believe that perhaps just a couple of months before that time, I had absolutely no idea who BTS were. It just so happened that one day, a kpop fanatic decided to ask me who was the most attractive in the group.

"So...the one that's the most good-looking?" I quirked an eyebrow.

Was it normal to simply stalk boybands and stuff? This...was weird.

"Yeah, I guess." The Korean girl shifted in her seat next to me, adjusting the computer screen to avoid the Bio teacher's eyes.

I halfheartedly scanned the seven-member boyband.

'What the heck...they're all the freaking same.' I bitterly thought. 'Didn't she say Taehyung was hers? Man, that's not creepy at all...so maybe I should choose someone else to make sure she doesn't get mad at me or something...'

I awkwardly coughed and pointed to the male standing next to Taehyung. "Uh, this guy? I-I guess?"

To be completely honest, I didn't care about the looks of the boyband. Sure, I suppose they were good looking, but if they had talent and golden hearts, that's when I'd join the fandom. And even then, I could barely think of myself of a fan. More like...an awkward admirer...

The girl grinned and 'mm'ed. "So you think Jungkook looks the best?"

"Y-yeah!"

'Who even is this...I can barely tell the difference...' I thought, eyes swirling in confusion.

Before I could get a grasp on the current situation, the bell rang and the class quickly dispersed. However, I was curious to find out what the fuss was about.

~Afterschool that day~

"BTS....BTS BTS BTS..." I muttered softly to myself as I searched the Internet. "Ah...7-members...Korean boyband....ok..."

To my surprise, the rest of the day was spent in attempting to figure out the difference between Jungkook and Taehyung. That was successful, and soon I had gotten intrigued in their music, personalities, and overall presence.

~Fast-forward a couple of months~

Eventually, I had gotten hooked on the Korean boyband. Something was so...different about them. Kpop was generally an enjoyable genre; you either hate it or love it. While it's quite rare to find fans that think of kpop as another music genre and kpop idols as normal human beings, it was also quite rare to see such open idols and such a pure company.

It sparked something within me. I couldn't pinpoint why or how, but I felt that I had found...a purpose. A sudden purpose that I needed to fulfill. No matter how long it took.

I wanted to be BTS's friend. I wanted to support them by becoming an affiliate of their company, sponsoring them and creating a larger budget, and simply...do what I could as, not their "fan", but their friend.

Of course, that purpose had its drawbacks. I began mentally beating myself up, constantly repeating that this was unrealistic, selfish, and completely unnecessary. I got scared that I couldn't achieve the dream. I got scared that even if I was successful, I would be hated. I was scared that the members would be in the military before I had a chance to approach them.

And most of all, I was scared of being selfish.

Self-deprecation. That was the only thing on my mind everyday and every minute. I tore myself down and mentally bullied myself for having such thoughts. And yet, with every minute, the urge to achieve that dream grew stronger. And with that, the hate within myself, for myself, grew bigger.

This process continued every single day. I wished for things to move faster, I wished for the steps in my dream to be easier.

But a few years later, through every hardship and difficult time, I had finally achieved my dream. I had met the band by attending Kcon and performing, my Youtube fans being incredibly loyal and supportive. Backstage, I had seen them and casually talked, and...oddly enough, they seemed to sense something different within me as well.

When Kcon ended, the band didn't leave without giving me their contact information.  I had confessed my dream and to my utter surprise and slight humiliation, they were ecstatic. I would have cried on the spot if it wasn't for my stubbornness.

Fast forward a few months, and I had become their best friend. Hallelujah, I had taken up Korean as a child, and had decided to study abroad at Yonsei University. The time BTS and I had spent together grew longer and pleasant.

I had fun messing with the members.

I played dress-up with Jin.

I showed my swag side to Suga.

I rapped alongside Rapmon.

I danced and goofed around with Jhope.

I got teased because of my height with Jimin.

I acted weird and confusing with V.

I sang duets and wrestled with Jungkook.

All these things were the very things that kept me alive. They reminded me that I was not only supporting an amazing kpop group and company, I was also creating a better world through my other projects. All was well until a day I never assumed would come.

Because of me, BTS grew closer to new people of status and received better friends because of their experience with me. They learned how to open up and be friendlier; they made good friends and exchanged numbers within minutes. They created friend groups that soon didn't include me.

I had to come to the ultimate conclusion that...I was no longer their best friend. I was forgotten and once again, my friends and loved ones left me.

I shouldn't be too surprised, right? Maybe I should've seen this coming. Maybe it's me at fault.

Maybe I have a bad personality.

Maybe they don't enjoy my friendship anymore.

Maybe they've gotten bored with just me.

Maybe I'm not unique anymore.

Maybe I'm not...good enough.

That's it. I 'm not good enough. That was the reason for the other times, wasn't it? Yeah..

Soon, I decided to speak to Jimin about my troubles. Jimin was the comforter for BTS; I was Jimin's comforter. Even so, he found ways to comfort me even when I was comforting him.

"Jimin?" I knocked gently on his door.

Jimin mumbled a 'yeah' and shuffled to open aforementioned door. He gazed at me for a second, as if confused. Snapping out of his trance, he pulled me inside and shut the door. Scanning my nearly weeping face, he sat me down on his bed.

"What's wrong?" His face clouded with concern. It was hard not to scoff.

Words refused to escape my mouth. They would only bring trouble. However, I forced myself to say something. "Jimin...am I not good enough?"

That simple question dragged my tears out of my eyes, dripping like melancholic raindrops down my cheeks. It seemed to destroy his heart as well.

"What do you mean? Of course you're good enough! Did someone hurt you? Did you have a boyfriend and not tell us? Did he break up with you? Oh my go-"

I shook my head at the last question furiously. Jimin shut his mouth and scooped me into his arms in a brotherly hug.

"You have more friends, Jimin...it's like I'm not unique anymore...I'm not your best friend anymore...I'm so selfish...I wish I was the only one who could make you guys smile like that..." I sniffed and clenched my fists in anger.

Jimin's heart skipped a beat and his mouth curved into a frown. This was the reason you looked like a destroyed puppy? He was terribly upset.

"(Y/n)...hey, no...you're still special, you're our best friend...don't think like that..." Jimin was quick to disagree.

The night went on with Jimin and I talking our hearts out, and by the early morning, I felt better and relaxed. I ended up heading out to class the next morning while the boys hung out alone, and I trusted myself not to be selfish with BTS again. They were allowed to have good friends, of course. It's simply selfish to wish I was their "bestest" friend.

The day went on like normal; classes, lunch, and soon another school day was over. Especially so, the term for university was over and I had officially finished my second year of university.

The afternoon seemed decent as I trekked on to BTS' dorm.

"Hey guys I bought some 떡, let's eat-"

My jaw went slack as I witnessed BTS fawning over another girl around my age. With an awkward cough, I gazed at the girl giggling. The group didn't even notice me, and I left the food on the table.

"Excuse me..." I shyly called out. Social anxiety was taking over at the wrong time.

The girl looked up and blushed at the sight of someone watching her. I held in a gag and watched BTS mumble excuses and saying that "they weren't that close".

I shook my head slowly and tuned out the laughing and joking around. It hurt to see that my best friends had already found better and bigger groups of friends. The group didn't even notice my retreating form into the shared room of Jungkook and I. Being closest in age with the maknae made the relationship between the two of us quite stable, that is, until now.

Feeling the urge to run, I quickly began packing my suitcase and didn't notice the presence of Jimin approach me.

"(Y/n)..."

I yelped in surprise and acquired a martial arts pose. Seeing that it was Jimin, I let out a resigned sigh and dropped my arms.

"What?" My response sounded harsher than expected.

Jimin let out an exasperated sigh, as if I had been causing trouble. "You know what. I told you, you're our best friend."

"Mhm."

I needed to run. I didn't know where. But I did. I quickly tried to run past Jimin but his agility and speed caught me off guard. He gripped my arm harshly and I nearly yelled in pain.

His eyebrows crumpled in confusion and suddenly his eyes widened. I turned away in fear as he pushed up the sleeve of my sweatshirt.

Laying there were 5 cuts. There were some fresh ones and some not so fresh ones. But they all meant the same thing.

"(Y/n), no no no no, why?!" Jimin's voice cracked and pain and it was hard not to pull away from him and run.

"Jimin, you know why. I didn't know what else to do. You don't know what goes on in my life besides you guys too."

The male simply stared in sadness and at the moment of weakness, I bolted out of the dorm, refusing to look at the other 6 members on the couch.

I heard yelling and shouting, and within seconds, BTS was running right after me. I looked back for a moment before carelessly crossing the street.

Cliche, right? Exactly.

I couldn't see the car coming straight for me.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

I couldn't move, feel, or see anything. However, my ears seemed to work just fine.

The last thing I remembered was BTS singing.

"Thank you for letting me be me. Your unique calamity saves me."

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP-

[realrhythmskrp]

DISPATCH, (05/03/17): Kaleidoscope Records has officially released information about stylist, Moon Hyeji, on the staff’s official website! Moon Hyeji is a ‘92 liner and has been beloved by fans since she earned her job. Find out more about Hyeji below!

I, MOON HYEJI, have read and understand the terms and conditions as my position of STYLIST and agree to honor the standards that are to be expected of me as an employee of KALEIDOSCOPE RECORDS.

OOC INFORMATION

Preferred name: Chloe

Pronouns: She/her

Timezone: PST

Other muses: n/a

IC INFORMATION

Faceclaim: Pony (Park Hyemin)

Name: Moon Hyeji

Stage name (if applicable): n/a

Idol concept: Hyeji is Kaleidoscope Records’ resident stylist unnie/noona. Despite her young age, her open, mother-like nature makes her the one to go to for advice whether it be for personal life or what outfit to wear. Although she has tried to stay on the down-low as a staff member, she has already been spotted by several Kaleidoscope fans for her looks and style that don’t lose to her idol clients. Why don’t you try and be an idol or actress?, Hyeji’s small fanclub asks. Many people question why she doesn’t try to get in the business since she’s at the prime age for an idol career, but what many don’t know is that she is in fact an ex-idol. Either way, Hyeji feels just fine being behind the scenes.

Birth date and age: December 30, 1992 / 24 years old

Company name: Kaleidoscope Records

Group Name (if applicable): n/a

Group Position (if applicable): Staff member (stylist)

Strengths: (+) Flexible and talented. As a stylist, Hyeji can do hair, makeup, and fashion. Graduating as one of the top students of the cosmetology school she attended, she is more than capable to work with hair and makeup. Among the number of employees at Kaleidoscope Records, Hyeji is known to be one of the top stylists in the company despite only working there for 2 years so far. With just one look at a person, she can decide what colors/looks are most suitable for that person, bringing out their inner beauty and charisma. She has also previously lived in Japan, and despite the short time she gained an incredible amount of fashion knowledge and inspiration. She incorporates what she has learned as well as her own personal Hyeji flair into the looks she creates for her idol clients. (+) Approachable. Hyeji may come off as strong and intimidating at first sight due to her resting bitch face and flashy looks, but she greets everyone with a smile. She is ready to assist anyone who asks for help, and offers it when she sees people struggling. For this reason, she is even friends with some Kaleidoscope trainees as well as some idols from other companies due to interactions in the waiting rooms. (+) Perseverance. Whether it be in her work or in personal life, Hyeji will never give up until she has done all that she can. Even if you tell her she can’t, she will insist that she can and prove you wrong. Though this has sometimes gotten her in a bit of trouble with the senior stylists, her perseverance has always resulted in some of her best work.

Weaknesses: (-) Indecisiveness. It is easy for Hyeji to make decisions when it comes to her career as a stylist for idols. However, the same quality does not seem to quite transfer over to Hyeji’s personal life. It is difficult for her to make her own decisions on some of the simplest things, resulting in her close friends being quite frustrated with her when she texts them randomly for help choosing between this or that. (-) Perfectionist. Hyeji always wants to help people as much as possible, and with this comes her desire to give the best to her clients. Because she spends so much time trying to perfect her ideas for her clients’ looks, this sometimes results in too much work piled up for her. However, this perfectionism does result in some of the best styles for her clients.

Positive traits: compassionate, dedicated, enthusiastic

Negative traits: critical, indecisive, perfectionist

PERSONAL HISTORY

Age 1. To celebrate Hyeji’s first birthday, her parents set up the table for Doljabi. In this Korean tradition, parents put various objects on a table that reflect the child’s life in the future. Her parents put up the traditional items of string, calligraphy brush, money, and more. However, when the time came, Hyeji did not choose any of the objects on the table. She took a tuft of her father’s hair with her left hand, and a loose strand of her mother’s hair with her right hand. Before the two could understand what was going on– Yank. With her two small hands, she pulled down on her parents’ hair. There was a moment of silence, before her grandma laughed heartily. “Looks like she’s destined to take over the family salon,” she said with a smile.

Age 14. Starting from middle school, Hyeji had begun to help out at her family’s salon whenever she had free time. She wasn’t forced to do it at all—in fact, she really enjoyed her work. She was able to balance this “part-time work” with her schoolwork, maintaining her place in the top 15 students in her class. Though she was young, she often had long conversations with the customers as she did her thing—the elders loved her the most. “Hyeji-ah, you really have a talent. When you’re older, you can catapult this small family business into a salon chain!” many customers have said. Her parents were extremely proud of her, and thus began their goal of having Hyeji take over the family business.

Age 16. Hyeji was just working as usual in the salon when her customer gave her a card. Before she could ask what it was for, the customer had already paid and left. She looked down at it—“XXX COMPANY, Talent Agency Scout.” At the bottom of the card was a scribbled note, “We are planning to debut a girl group within the next few years. Please attend our audition.” She was utterly confused, but mostly in disbelief. Her? An idol? She wasn’t sure if she could do it, but in that moment she thought that she really wanted to do this. She was young and had no idea what she was doing. But her parents still accepted this, not wanting to restrict her. After all, what were the odds that their Hyeji would really make it as an idol?

Age 18. After that one fateful day 2 years ago, Hyeji was now about to debut in the girl group XXX after 2 years of training. She was excited, but scared at the same time. Was this all worth it? Would her hard work pay off? She took a deep breath as she, along with the 5 other girls, stood backstage on stand-by. It was their time to shine.

Age 19. Hyeji opened what seemed to be her third bag of potato chips as she sat on the beat-down couch that stood at the center of the small dorm’s living room. If she had become so famous, why would she have enough free time to binge eat junk food? Well, the truth is, she wasn’t famous at all. In their debut year of 2012, almost 40 girl groups made their debut. Of this large number, only a handful managed to make it out alive and succeed. Hyeji’s group was not one of them. She was now out of work and had no recognition. She resorted to eating her troubles away.

After the company finally got enough money, Hyeji’s group made their comeback to an unwelcoming audience. The comeback was low-budget, and they were unable to get their name up there. The only publicity they ever got was when they were ridiculed by netizens on the Internet for their lack of success. Even so, they were at such an epitome of “nugu” status that they didn’t even have that many antis. Among the bad things said on the Internet were hate comments directed towards Hyeji’s “drastic” weight gain. Though it was not much due to her metabolism, her stress-eating resulted in her gaining an obvious amount of weight. “Someone with that body can be an idol? Her legs are so stocky, she must have used all her free time before the comeback to eat!” a comment said. Hyeji didn’t dare to read any of the online forums. After just a little over a year of activities, with only 2 singles to their name, Hyeji’s group and the company itself dissolved. From debut to their disbandment, their songs never even reached the top 500.

Age 20. Hyeji was now well-situated back at home, and it was easy to adjust back to her “normal” life. Now free from the stress of the idol life, she worked on losing weight and changing herself through diet and exercise alone, never resorting to surgery. She wanted to do something for herself, to be successful at something. After her group’s disbandment, Hyeji used part of her savings to fly to Tokyo, Japan. She had decided to stay there for 6 months on a whim, gaining an interest in fashion as she walked the roads of Harajuku and Shibuya. She had been too scared to face her parents after her failed career as an idol, instead using Japan as her safe place to live freely by herself as she waited for the right time. When she came back, she was a whole new person. She exuberated confidence, and it was evident by her flashy wardrobe and colorful hair. She was now working at her family’s salon again, just like old times, and she was welcomed back with open arms by the regular customers. “Hyeji-ah, have you ever thought of pursuing a career in cosmetology? My daughter is currently enrolled at a cosmetology school, it’s the top beauty school in Seoul and I think you would do well!” one of the customers had suggested. Why hadn’t she thought of this as a Plan B? She already had the basic skills and talent to work in a field of cosmetology, but she hadn’t thought about it after being preoccupied by the memories of her past idol career. From then on, she enrolled in XXX Cosmetology School and began her studies.

Age 22. Being one of the top students of the school, Hyeji graduated with recognition and support from her fellow classmates. She was the role model of her underclassmen, and she felt truly happy with her chosen path. She was able to get work right after graduating, but despite many love calls was unable to decide on what to do from then on. That was when one of her friends, currently working as a stylist at a idol company, suggested that she put Hyeji’s name in as a suggestion to her boss. At first Hyeji was hesitant due to her past experience in the entertainment industry, but then it clicked. She decided that she wanted to try this out, to help people who were going through the exact same process she had gone through years before. She wanted to make them beautiful, to give them the confidence they needed to make it big and shine out there. What better place to do this than in the place where she has failed before? She still had regrets from those experiences, and she was never given the chance to redeem herself in the entertainment field. She wanted to start over.

And so began Hyeji’s career as a stylist at Kaleidoscope Records…

[helloworlddemo1122-yahoopar-blog]

'DWTS' Strategy: The Pros Reveal What It Takes to Impress the Judges Ahead of a Double Elimination Night

The competition on Dancing With the Stars is heating up!

The contestants on the current 24th season of the popular dance competition show are stronger than ever this year, and although there were a few frontrunners right out of the gate, there have been a few stars who've surprised us week after week and have drastically climbed the leaderboard. As the remaining seven couples gear up for their seventh week in the ballroom next Monday, ET's breaking down exactly what it takes to impress each individual judge, in hopes of getting one step closer to taking home the coveted mirror ball trophy.

WATCH: Normani Kordei & Val Chmerkovskiy on Shocking 'DWTS' Elimination & Missing the Perfect Score Again

Strategy #1: Know what the judges want.

Dance pro Sharna Burgess, who is paired with professional bull rider Bonner Bolton this season, recently stopped by ET's Los Angeles studio for a Facebook Live interview, where she revealed the judges are all "looking for different things."

"Len [Goodman] is always looking for that technique," she explained. "Bruno [Tonioli] is looking for the personality. Carrie Ann [Inaba] is looking for those lifts."

Troupe dancer Alan Bersten (Heather Morris' temporary pro fill-in for Maksim Chmerkovskiy this season) echoed Burgess' statements during his exclusive sit-down interview with ET, saying, "Just Carrie Ann specifically, no lifts in ballroom dancing. That is the No. 1 concern… no lifts."

And Tonioli had no problem admitting what he does and does not like in the ballroom when we caught up with him backstage at the show. "The thing I really can't stand, people that don't put their passion and emotion [into it]," he revealed. "Go wrong, but do it with passion."

Strategy #2: When choreographing each routine, focus on your partner's strengths.

Choreographing is no easy task when it comes to creating a dance for non-trained dancers. Let's not forget that the dancers choreographing these routines are ballroom professionals -- they've spent years training with different partners, not to mention most of them have mastered a slew of other different genres, like ballet, hip-hop and contemporary. That being said, it can be quite difficult to just focus on the basics and not wow the crowd with all the tricks they've previously grasped and performed with fellow professional partners.

While it's good for the pros to challenge the celebrities to step outside of their comfort zones, it's important to take note of what they can and cannot do. Burgess, for example, has been really great about that this season. Bolton suffered a near-fatal accident last year when he was bucked off the back off a bull, resulting in a number of injuries and surgeries. He still has a lot of pain, and is unable to execute the flips and tricks competitors like Simone Biles and Normani Kordei have perfected.

"You have a routine, you have an idea of what you want when you walk in the room, but you can't get married to the steps," the red-headed beauty explained. "Because if that doesn't look good on them, you have to find another option."

Strategy #3: Work on your chemistry.

Connecting with your partner is key! If you're not getting along in rehearsals, or there's any type of tension, it will show on the dance floor. That's why it's important for the pros to always make sure their partners are happy, and have a clear understanding of the routine's vision. Is this supposed to be sexy, or is it emotional, or maybe a mix of both?

"Julianne [Hough] I feel is more, as well as Carrie Ann… they like the emotion," Bersten said. "I feel Julianne really likes the connection between the couple."

A perfect example of this is the contemporary number that Rashad Jennings and Emma Slater performed to a cover of Katy Perry's "Unconditionally" during week 4. The NFL pro dedicated the dance to his father, Albert, who lost both of his legs due to diabetic complications. It told a story, and everyone in the audience felt the emotion, thanks to #TeamShadSquad's strong partnership and undeniable connection.

Hough gave the pair a 10, saying, "I can't even talk right now. Do you feel that? What you just did, I have no words for."

Strategy #4: Know when to incorporate lifts, and when to avoid them.

When your competitors are jam-packing their dances with surprises, it's easy to want to take your choreography to the next level by adding advanced moves. But you have to be sure the star is mentally ready to take that next step.

For example, during this week's show, David Ross and Lindsay Arnold received the second lowest score of the night (29/40) from the judges. The reason? Despite the strength of their actual tango steps, the horizontal lift they attempted was extremely shaky.

In the interview package, viewers saw that the former MLB pro was having a difficult week, caused mostly by heightened stress from traveling and, of course, the pressures of long rehearsals, which every pair faces at least once in the competition. But, had Arnold waited a week or two to showcase this lift, they most likely would have been able to perform it with no problem.

"I think the week just caught up with me," Ross told ET backstage following their performance. "I had no energy last week, no entry."

"It gets tough. Any person that's on this show will tell you there's, like, a middle of the compensation hump that you have to hop over," added Arnold. "It's hard, especially [when you're] traveling."

Strategy #5: Don't get bummed if you receive a low score from the judges. Accept their critiques and encourage viewers to vote!

Ever wonder why you don't really hear the majority of the dance pros interact with the judges after listening to their feedback? It's all part of strategy!

"I try not to interact with the judges because it never goes down well! You accept it, listen, and at the end of the day, they're hired for their critiques and they're watching the dance and they're all going to say something different," Burgess shared. "You have to accept that they all have their opinions of your dance and just nod, smile, take it on the chin and try to work and be better, so they don't say it again. That is my view of the judges -- just be gracious and take it."

And if the judges don't love your routine, it's absolutely necessary to emphasize the importance of voting to your fans on social media.

"[Fan voters] have a huge amount of power in the end," Tonioli said. "Especially with the finale, when our score doesn't count."

"The final freestyle dances usually get the public," he added. "They just get on their phones and that's what gets you the mirror ball."

WATCH: 'Dancing With the Stars' Week 6 Dance Recap: Best Lifts, Kicks, Tricks and Flips!

Week 7 of Dancing With the Stars takes place next Monday, with a new "A Night at the Movies" challenge, which features a double elimination and dance-offs.

As we patiently wait to see who wows and who falls short, press play on the video below to see highlights from Heather Morris and Maksim Chmerkovskiy's shocking exit.

[rawiswhore]

Hunter Hearst Helmsley x Fem Reader- “Balls to the Wall”

At Summerslam 1997, while standing by the ring shielded by a huge steel cage, watching Hunter Hearst Helmsley beat the shit out of Mankind, Hunter wrapped his arms around Mankind, lifting him off of the ring only to drop his crotch area on Hunter's knee and hurt him in the groin.

What did Mankind do to Hunter afterwards?

Besides hold his crotch in pain for a few seconds, Mankind wrapped his arms around Hunter and lifted him off of the mat, dropping him on his knee, hitting Hunter in the groin.

Seeing Hunter get hurt in the crotch gave you anxiety, your face looking worried and concerned.

A few minutes after seeing Hunter get a lowblow in the gonads, an idea popped in your head that you're going to tell him when the match is finished.

Despite that lowblow, you honestly love this match.

Why?

Because Hunter goes from having his hair long and flowing yet having a strand of his hair in a small little ponytail to having his hair completely long, blond and flowing, no braids in his hair, no ponytails, nada.

This is just the way you like Hunter, though you do like it when he has a ponytail with some strings of hair out of place, like he looked when he wrestled in the ring in 1996.

When the match was over with, you walked Hunter back to your dressing room, your arm draped behind his neck and across his shoulders.

While walking to your dressing room, you told him you had an idea and you told him your idea, though this idea does make you a bit worried.

Hunter was slightly worried too, but maybe it could go over well.

Once the two of you were in your dressing room, Hunter walked over to the leather couch in your dressing room and plopped himself on that couch, not laying across the couch's cushions, just sitting there.

He was tired and exhausted, his muscles inside his body aching, and he could use something to ease the pain.

It's a good thing the two of you are doing this in your dressing room, that way the two of you can be together and no one will hopefully barge into your room and see what you're doing.

Though, you have done some things with Triple H while several people watched it...

You walked over to him, shutting the door as you entered your dressing room and putting a "do not disturb" sign on the doorknob.

Once you were right in front of him, you crouched down on the floor, directing your hands to grasp onto the elastic tugging his hips.

You gently helped pull his tights all the way down to his knees, and thank God he wasn't wearing underwear.

One of your hands moved from the elastic waistband of his tights to his balls, you swallowed a big gulp of air before you could do anything with him.

You just hope you don't hurt him.

One of his testes was in between the area between your thumb and index finger, the pad of your thumb was sitting on his right testicle.

That pad of your thumb began to gently and slowly rub a circle over his scrotum covering one of his balls, you were trying to be gentle not to hurt him.

"Are you okay?" you asked him, looking up at him, pausing at rubbing and caressing his testicle. "I'm not hurting you or anything?"

"No, you're fine" he confessed.

Honestly, he probably didn't get hurt that much when he got a knee to his balls, he wasn't crouching and holding his nuts in pain.

The pad of your thumb resumed caressing in circles on one of his testicles.

Hunter actually loved this very much, his balls (as well as most men's nuts in general) are very sensitive.

He leaned his head back and lifted his arms from the couch and reclined them across the top of the couch.

He looked like he was having an orgasm.

"Ohhhhhhhhh, Godddddddddddd" he moaned, his eyes closed and mouth slightly open. "I need something like this"

His cock was growing harder and harder, blood was rushing and circulating to his cock, making it stand up.

The pad of your index finger, meanwhile, was at the back of his scrotum, where you tried caressing the pad of your index finger on his testicle you're currently rubbing with your thumb.

You let the pad of your thumb roam on his testicle you're currently rubbing, letting that pad travel on his nut.

You also let the pad of your index finger roam and brush behind his front scrotum, rubbing your index finger on the same testicle that your thumb is caressing.

"Yeahhhhhhh, just a little more" Hunter begged and moaned, his voice sounding quiet and hushed.

Hunter might play an old fashioned gentleman, but he uses modern words like "yeah" backstage.

Not to mention, last year, at the Slammy Awards, Hunter bragged that he has the biggest balls, and he isn't just talking about balls with elegant gowns and tuxedos.

Since you're busy rubbing on one of his testicles, your other hand moved to his other testicle, where, likewise, you held his other nut in the area between your thumb and index finger.

The pad of your thumb began to caress and rub this other testicle, whereas the pad of your index finger at the back of this front testicle rubbed and caressed the back of it.

Now you had 2 hands rubbing 2 of his balls.

The pads of your thumbs and index fingers rubbed and caressed circles on his balls, in unison as well.

And when the pads of your thumbs and index fingers caressed and roamed on his balls, they did it in unison too.

You could feel his balls inside his scrotum when you caressed them.

Since his cock is standing there erect and you don't want to leave it alone, you have to do this.

While still caressing on his nuts, you leaned your head into his erection, lifting your head above his cock and opening your mouth.

You widened your mouth enough for his penis to fit in there, and his cock slowly began to enter your mouth, where your lips circulated his shaft when it slid in your mouth.

You began to suck on his cock all while still caressing and rubbing his balls.

Hunter definitely needs something like this, and he was heavily enjoying this.

His chest was heaving up and down, he was even letting some moans and groans out of his mouth.

Precum was slipping out of the slit of his penishead, where you gulped and swallowed his cum down.

You didn't really want his precum to spill down his shaft, though maybe that's a good thing.

Your fingers were still trying to caress and rub his balls while you sucked his cock.

While you sucked on his erection, your mouth was releasing these "mmmmmmmm", "mmmmmmmmmm", "mmmmmmmmmm" noises over and over again, albeit those noises were covered by his cock.

You making those noises while sucking his shaft created and felt a buzz circled around his cock, which felt so good.

As you sucked his cock, your head, lips and face were going up his shaft, your mouth sucking the precum dripping down his shaft.

You wanted his precum dripping down his shaft inside your mouth and gulping down.

The pad of your thumbs and index fingers shifted up his balls, only to turn across the top of his testicles and slide down his nuts.

When these fingers reached the bottom of his balls, they brushed up the middle of his nuts, caressing them, trying to be gentle.

Sometimes, the pads of your fingers went up and down his nuts in different directions.

While one hand's pads were going up one of his nuts, the other's went down.

Hunter, meanwhile, lifted one of his arms off of the top of the couch, where one of his hands moved behind your head, his fingers slipping through your hair.

His hand pulled your head into his crotch further, hopefully you don't choke on his cock.

Your head and lips were sinking further down into his erection while you sucked his cock.

While this is wonderful and all, you're afraid he'll cum in your throat and you'll choke on it, and you don't want that.

Your head lifted up his shaft, where you wanted to stay there, and you'll precisely tell him why after he cums.

However, you still wanted a bit more of his shaft in your mouth, so you sunk your lips and face more down his erection, until you felt like you had enough of his cock inside your mouth.

And speaking of cum, sucking on his dick for a long time while sucking his nuts was bound to have a reaction.

That reaction was the slit of his penishead releasing his cum in your mouth, and that cum was his official ejaculation, not precum.

When he came, one of his hands gripped onto the leather of the couch, whereas his other hand was trying not to grab onto your hair so he won't hurt you.

His face clenched and tightened as if he was in pain.

Your mouth was trying to balance the cum inside your mouth and not swallow his cum, yet.

But while his penis was still in your mouth, you still tried gulping his cum down, and successfully did swallow his jizz.

You slowly lifted your head off of his cock, his dick flopping out of your mouth, now flaccid and limp, your mouth still swallowing and gulping his cum down.

However, you somewhat weren't done...yet.

Since you've rubbed his balls and sucked his cock...

Your eyes were staring and focusing on his balls, contemplating whether to, well, take a guess.

He probably sweat a lot through his tights tonight, though you did suck his cock and rub on his nuts.

You took a deep breath as well as a hard gulp (not swallowing cum), never doing something like this before, really...

You decided to do it anyway, even if it might not taste very good.

You leaned your head into his ballsack, where you wrapped your lips around one of his nuts, beginning to suck his nuts.

You sucking his nuts startled him a bit, he looked down at you sucking his balls, you hope you're not hurting his balls.

Although, considering he wasn't complaining while you sucked his cock and rubbed his nuts at the same time, you're sure he's okay.

His balls did taste a bit salty and sweaty, but his nuts were perfectly shaved.

He enjoyed you sucking one of his nuts, even though he already came.

Your tongue slipped out of your mouth, where it licked up his scrotum.

You let your tongue snake, travel and roam on his scrotum, your tongue caressing his ballsack.

Even your tongue could feel his nuts protected under his scrotum.

Your tongue slid up to the top of his testicle you're currently sucking on, sometimes shifting over to the outline of his nut you're sucking on, as well as trying to stretch out behind his testicle and lick it there.

Your tongue stretched out across his right nut, where you tried getting his other testicle in his mouth.

You were trying to get both of his nuts inside your mouth, though, it isn't so successful.

Really, it's better if you just suck and lick on one of his nuts instead of both.

Pretty soon, his testicle escaped your mouth, where you moved on to his next nut, wrapping your lips around his testicle, sucking that nut and licking it like you were licking that testicle.

While you were sucking and licking his balls, some saliva was sticking onto his scrotum, your mouth was somewhat salivating while you sucked his balls.

________________________________________________________________

Is it me, or is there a lot of fanfiction out there that involves sucking cocks, but not sucking balls?

Tbh, I never fantasize of sucking men's nuts.

Also, does anyone fantasize of other men you lust over if you read a certain fanfiction?

[idolizerp]

LOADING INFORMATION ON CHERRY BOMB!’S MAIN RAP LEE JUNHEE...

IDOL DETAILS

STAGENAME: leesoul CURRENT AGE: 25 DEBUT AGE: 19 TRAINEE SINCE AGE: 16 COMPANY: MSG SECONDARY SKILL: music production (r&b, soul)

IDOL PROFILE

NICKNAME(S): wonder soul, soul-pd (from her skills as a video editor and background in music production) INSPIRATION: it was her brother who first introduced her to music. as she watched him pick up instrument after instrument, she found herself falling in love just like he did, following in his footsteps. she found a lot of inspiration from underground indie artists as well. SPECIAL TALENTS:

mimicking her members and other idols

extensive knowledge of contemporary music

being able to tell who someone is based on touch alone

NOTABLE FACTS:

is known for having a lot of male idol friends

graduated from yeungnam university with a degree in music composition

has shown open support for the LGBTQ community several times in the past

once stated in an interview that her ideal type is “someone who can love me for me” 

IDOL GOALS

SHORT-TERM GOALS:

at the moment, she wants to focus on her own personal projects: expanding her youtube channel, making higher quality content that her viewers will enjoy, building her portfolio as a producer, experimenting with different sounds, and perhaps releasing a single or two on her personal (soon to be announced) soundcloud account. she’s done what msg wants for long enough. it’s about time she gets to do what she wants instead.

LONG-TERM GOALS:

in the end, she wants out. she’s dedicated years of her life to msg, yet they seem to have no intentions of fulfilling her wishes. she wants more opportunities than their giving her, more chances to showcase her talents not just as a member of cherry bomb! but as an individual as well. slowly but surely, she’s been putting distance between her and the company, venturing into other creative spheres such as filmmaking, directing, and self-producing. if msg won’t help her reach her goals, she’ll just have to do it herself.

IDOL IMAGE

she’s rushed into debut without a clear concept in mind, and it shows.

the rapper who can’t rap. the singer who doesn’t sing. the disappointment.

when leesoul is introduced to the world, she is plain. average. mediocre in every way, shape, and form. so they give her something she can work with. attach a pretty vision to her name.

—

SIDE A.

her role is simple enough: she’s the attention grabber, the stan attractor. stylists ensure her outfits are always the most eye-catching, the most visually intriguing because they know her stage presence alone isn’t enough to hold her up. bold prints, abstract patterns, and dramatic makeup distract from the areas in which she’s lacking, are what make her interesting.

( “but i can’t—” do this, she wants to say. i can’t put on the show you’re asking me to. i can’t pretend to be something i’m not.

she can’t.

she won’t.)

in the end, she isn’t given a choice. fake it till you make it, they tell her. so that’s exactly what she does. she wears the mask of false confidence with surprising grace, turns into the version of herself people want to see.

she’s a circus act, meant to be ogled at. with her, they can afford to push the boundaries of what’s expected ever so slightly. the name she builds for herself comes not from music but from the fantasy she’s created of a girl who is somehow larger than life.

people like that she’s weird. loud. quirky. the oddball of the group, known for her high-pitched laughs and godawful puns. her charm lies in the ability to entertain.

SIDE B.

as junhee grows, so too does leesoul.

with their fans being older now, they don’t care so much for theatrics as they do for someone they can connect with, relate to on some level.

maybe they’re finally starting to see that she has something to offer to the world just as she is, or perhaps they’ve come to terms with who she wants to be, but she’s allowed a little more freedom in recent years. they give her room to form her own identity, one that is unique and solely her own. she’s as open as she can be without overstepping her boundaries, and it shows. there’s an assuredness to the way she carries herself that wasn’t there before. the set of her jaw, the gait of her walk. it speaks of someone who feels good in their own body.

the insecurities don’t go away, but they aren’t as prominent as they once were.

the lines between who she is and who she’s perceived to be start to blur. junhee is leesoul is junhee, and maybe this is how it was meant to be all along.

IDOL HISTORY

it’s hard to imagine a time before.

before her father left. before her mother lost the will to live. before minjun traded his life for drugs. before junho gave up on his dream.

still, she tries.

—

TRACK 1: HER LAST.

he doesn’t leave right away. he can’t. the guilt keeps him trapped to a life he wants nothing to do with. he stays, long enough to see his wife bring two baby boys into the world. he’s a good father to when he wants to be.

it’s when junhee is born that he can no longer pretend to care, taking along with his luggage a lifetime’s worth of memories and unconditional love.

her mother’s voice is always void of emotion when she speaks of him. not cold, exactly. she doesn’t have the capacity for that whenever he’s concerned. instead, it’s as if all the life has left her, leaving an empty shell in its wake. there are no photos of him to be had, no signs that he had ever lived at all.

as far as junhee is concerned, her father does not exist.

TRACK 2: YOUTH.

growing up goes like this.

sometimes food is scarce. sometimes rent is paid a week late. sometimes their mother works two jobs, seven days a week to make ends meet. sometimes seoul feels more like a cage than a city. there are months where they can afford to indulge a little—a new shirt to wear to school or extra japchae for dinner one night—and there are months when they just barely scrape by. maybe it should scare her, knowing how low they fall on the socioeconomic ladder. and it does, to a certain extent. it makes her cautious, makes her grow up faster than she should.

it also makes her strong.

TRACK 3: FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.

she forgets how it happens. their mother is working late again and minjun is sleeping over at a friend’s, leaving junho to watch over her for the second night in a row, and she’s waiting. waiting for the click of the front door as junho slips out the apartment to go—somewhere. where he goes, she has no idea. all she knows is that he’s back before dawn, breathing a little easier than he did when he left.

she asks one night while feeling exceptionally brave to go with him.

and to her surprise, he lets her come along.

junhee is thirteen going on fourteen when she first finds herself transported to a world of neon lights and multicolored hair and 90s-inspired vaporwave. seoul’s underground scene is nothing like she thought it would be, but it’s learning her brother—quiet, soft-spoken, with a heart of gold—is in the center of it all that comes as the greatest shock.

it’s sneaking into open mic nights, falling in love with music and the way in which words come together to create such beautiful sound. it’s watching her brother rap on stage with the sort of confidence she can only hope to gain and suddenly imagining herself up there, taking control of a crowd, making heads spin. it’s thinking maybe, maybe (someday, hopefully one day).

it’s exposing herself to people from all walks of life, hearing stories of failure and success, and realizing that seoul doesn’t have to be a cage.

for some, it can be a realm of possibilities.

TRACK 4: EXISTENCE THEORY.

it’s been a week since their mother’s gotten out of bed for more than a few minutes at a time, and all she can think about is the card in her hands, given to her backstage after another one of her impromptu performances in hongdae.

(she’s a horrible daughter.) (she’s a horrible daughter, and she knows it.)

“i’m scared,” she whispers.

she’s sixteen, insecurities pouring out of her in waves as she stands in line, the girl with nothing to her name in a sea of rising talents.

junho is there. he squeezes her hand as the line moves, smile made of sunlight and stars. “it’s okay to be scared,” he tells her, sounding so sure of himself, and it’s times like these that make her forget there’s only two years separating them. “a little fear isn’t going to stop you.”

he’s right, of course.

but don’t tell him that.

TRACK 5: I REMEMBER YOU.

not many have a story like hers.

most come to seoul for the sky universities and shopping malls, for the chance at fame and promises of false dreams. they’re so blinded by high rises and pretty lights that they don’t notice the lost souls, the ones who’ve slipped through the cracks and ended up at the bottom, looking for ways now to claw themselves out.

this city has been the only home she’s ever known, and yet she feels more like a stranger than the ones who traveled here by train.

she clings to the ones who have gone through what she has and hides from the rest. timidness is mistaken for arrogance, forming a barrier around her that few choose to break. loneliness wraps around her like the cold of winter, seeps into her skin and settles there.

exhaustion becomes as familiar as breathing, a constant weight she’s forced to bear on her shoulders along with the rest of them. the practice room becomes her second home. she rehearses the same routine until her muscles scream, lungs on the verge of collapse. months of extreme diets and overexertion turn into little more than skin and bones.

good, she’s told. one step closer to perfection, she’s told.

through it all, she thinks of junho and the promises she’d made to him. she’d written them all down so there was no chance of her forgetting one.

keep going.

even if it hurts.

keep going.

TRACK 6: THE BEGINNING OF FOREVER.

debut comes, but the war doesn’t end there. criticism finds her from the moment leesoul enters the spotlight.

(”she doesn’t really do much, does she? i mean she just sorta stands there lol”) (“i was so excited for leesoul to debut but now i feel like it was a bit lacking”) (”isn’t she supposed to be the rapper? but she had like three lines and they weren’t even that good”)

junhee is being torn apart before she’s even the chance to truly begin.

where’s her strength now? she wonders.

her company is at a loss for what to do with her. nothing is working. they can’t seem to find an image that sticks.

two comebacks in, she considers it. giving up. going back to a broken home. to a mother she no longer recognizes, to a brother who fought to get her to this point, to the ghost of her father’s son (not her mother’s, she thinks, not since he went too). she thinks about the years that’ll have been wasted, everything leading to this moment, all of it for naught.

in the comfort of night, her fingers find imaginary guitar strings, hover over invisible piano keys, and she’s reminded of why she’s here.

the music. it’s always been about the music.

it will always be about the music.

TRACK 7: BUDDING ROSES.

things get better.

for a while, she does what she’s told. latches onto the image of safe and quirky that has been proven to sell well and develops a modest fanbase in the process. she sings and dances, not in the way she wants but enough to satisfy for now.

she stops expecting and starts settling. it hurts less when she does.

TRACK 8: EVERYTHING I AM.

there’s a slip of the tongue.

a commentary on the double standards placed upon females in an industry that exploits their bodies for profit. a passing remark about the treatment of idol trainees. posts about her less-than-stellar upbringing.

after several years in the making, she finally loses her momentum. suddenly, leesoul has become a source of conflict among the idol industry. some see her as a martyr, a symbol of the changing times. more often, though, she’s found to be her repulsive, rude, obnoxious. everything an idol isn’t and should never strive to be.

damage control is swift and to the point. she disappears from the public eye for a few months while the media buzz surrounding her fades. social media is off limits as is just about everything else. she’s scared for what’s to come, but there’s excitement there as well.

she no longer has a reason to hide.

TRACK 9: US.

junho calls her one night after a concert in osaka, full of heavy sighs and feigned joy for her sake. she misses him, always, but especially now. misses the sound of his voice when he sings from the heart, the soul in his hands as they dance across a piano.

when was the last time she heard him play? she can’t remember.

“how are you?” he asks.

the answer is can’t be expressed  in words. how does she tell him she’s never felt so free and so constricted at the same time? it took her this long to finally feel the slightest ease of comfort in her own skin, and now she’s being punished for it. she’s bigger than she’s ever been, but no one knows her for her music. she’s tired of waiting for her voice to be heard.

(this was supposed to be us, she thinks. we were supposed to reach the stars together.)

“junhee?”

she breathes in. exhales, slow.

“i’m getting there.”

it’s the closest truth she can give.

[rbeatz]

A Beautiful Tragedy: An Interview with Conrad Clifton

I met Conrad Clifton at an event and like most new producers I meet at these events, I immediately checked out his music when I got home. I was impressed by the versatility in his beats and eclectic nature to his sound. There were elements of hip-hop, trap, indie, latin, and dream synth oriented electronic music that had me dubbing his sound certainly as unique. I couldn’t quite put my finger on a specific genre, and at the same time, I couldn’t stop listening. When I normally hear someone who makes “beats,” I’m waiting for a top line (aka vocals) to help the track add another layer; however, Conrad’s beats stand alone and that need for a vocal element doesn’t necessarily exist. Although he has some vocalists on certain tracks.

Conrad Clifton has been praised by various publications. He is an Independent Music Award Winner for BEST DANCE/ELECTRONICA EP. He was dubbed one of the Top 10 Standout Act at SXSW 2017 by Culture Trip. He performed at Billboard Hot 100 Festival in 2015 and has continued to work with artists and other producers in the industry. His sound production and arrangement narrative are super professional, and he does a lot of his acts LIVE. This is NEXT LEVEL if you ask me.

His newest album, Infinity Pool, was released this spring. I listen to this album while I work, while I clean my house, and I’ll throw it on in the background if I have a bunch of people over. It’s the perfect ambiance music, and I’ve heard through the grape vine that his live act really takes his music to the next level.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Conrad Clifton. You know the drill, click the Spotify embed below and read his full interview below to get the FULL Conrad Clifton experience.

INTERVIEW:

Where are you from and how has that shaped the musician you are today?

I grew up in the Midwest, where everything I listened to was also influenced different genres. I mainly listened to hip-hop, but being in the middle of the country, rap didn’t really have it’s own distinct sound, so we pulled heavily from the East Coast sound as well as West Coast and Dirty South. I came up listening to a lot of Wu-Tang, Nas, Snoop, Dr. Dre, OutKast and UGK. Hip-hop and the samples being used in their productions really exposed me to all different genres of music, so from that, I started studying songs from jazz, soul, indie rock and experimental electronic music. It wasn’t till much later that I got into dance music and started seeing how all these sounds and vibes fit together, or (more importantly) how they could fit together.

What instruments did you play when you were younger?

I studied piano for a few years when I was a kid. My parents got me lessons, but I had too much energy and would’ve rather been outside playing basketball or doing anything else that was actually fun, haha. So I didn’t stick with it, unfortunately. I retained just enough to be creative, now. Can’t really read music anymore. I just play by ear.

Are there an instruments that you currently wish you COULD play?

I’ve always wished that I could play the drums. Percussion really, really speaks to me. You can hear that in my music, I love the creative possibilities of what you can build with only percussion-like sounds.

Tell us the story of how you started creating music on your computer?

I use to play around with rap when I was really young, rapping to songs on the radio or rap instrumentals, but eventually I decided I really wanted to try to write lyrics and make songs. That’s what made me start producing; the necessity of original music to make songs to. I started using really lightweight programs like MTV Generator & Hip Hop eJay, where you just drag and drop samples into place on a timeline. I’ve come a loooong way since those days, thankfully. I graduated to hardware samplers, and then heavyweight DAWs like Cakewalk, Nuendo, Cubase, and ultimately ProTools. Now, I do all my work in Ableton.

What was your favorite studio moment when producing your latest album, Beautiful Tragedy?

Wow, I’m not sure. Probably when I was able to finesse my field recording Roll Call into a percussive transition going into Prince of Crown Heights. I actually recorded the sounds of the West Indian Day Parade, around the corner from my apartment. Then I layered up those live sounds with some tribal percussion that I use throughout POCH. It’s so important for an album to be more than just a collection of songs. It should breath. Like there should be moments, you know? That whole transition from track 1 through track 3 really gave the album a unique feel.

What do you like to do when you’re simply hanging out – aside from music?

I’m pretty heavy into movies. Thrillers and Sci-Fi mainly. And of course, that’s where you hear the most interesting and creative sound design and score. So even there, I can’t get away from it, haha. I’m determined to make music for movies some day. S/O to RZA and Trent Reznor.

Who are your musical influences?

I’m really influenced by “1-of-1” artists and producers, which is what I hope to become. Like, there’s only one Timbaland. Nobody could innovate the sound of a genre the way he did. There’s only one Four Tet, Flying Lotus, Hudson Mohawke, Thom Yorke or J Dilla. So it’s hard to be different. It would be much easier for me to go out and emulate the lit trap artist, or the most pop sounding future bass producer, and win. But that’s short-term thinking. Long-term it makes more sense to be genuine to your creativity and passion.

Who is one of your favorite acts right now to watch live?

Instrumentally, I’d say Bonobo. I love the way he makes use of the players in his band, and all of the sections of his music where he’ll bring in a full choir, or whatever’s necessary to fulfill his vision sonically. In terms of overall music and creative sound design, I love seeing Four Tet or Hudson Mohawke. The way they compose and deliver the music in a live format, and the music itself, really gets to me.

Who has been one of your favorite artists to collab with?

I’ve been working with some really amazing artists that everyone needs to hear. I plan on putting more music out with them in 2018. As far as more established artists, I really loved working with Yelawolf. We did a lot of work together in the past, and to see him become so successful has been really dope. He’s always been a true artist.

What are some of your favorite venues to play and why?

Soundpieces at Monarch in San Francisco was really dope. The sound system was incredible, and the crowd was one of the best I’ve ever experienced. So much love and good vibes from the people there. Also, the main room at Flash in DC was super lit for pretty much the same reasons: the sound system bangs, and the people were dope. In NYC, Rough Trade and Knitting Factory are really good too.

Have you played at any festivals?

Yes! Looking forward to doing more. Billboard Hot 100 Fest was sick, I actually got to watch Lil Wayne’s show from backstage. This year, SXSW was amazing. I got to do a showcase that included some of my favorite artists, like San Holo, Sweater Beats, Chrome Sparks and a lot more. I really loved NXNE in Toronto, as well.

What DAW do you use and why?

I’ve used so many over the years, but now, I do everything in Ableton, composing, mixing, mastering, and performing. It’s the best thing I’ve found that allows you to creatively make different pieces of music, and randomly trial-and-error how pieces fit together like a puzzle. It’s really freeing to be able to work that way, verses lining all your pieces up on a linear timeline, and building song sections that way. It’s also really fun to perform with, triggering audio clips, and throwing in sound effects on the fly.

Do you have a typical music production process? If yes, can you explain it?

Since I’m influenced by so many genres, it’s hard for me to just pick what type of song I want to make before starting on a track, so I don’t fight that. I usually just start by searching for a sound element or virtual instrument that inspires some feeling. After that, I follow it down a rabbit hole, in a way. Depending on what vibe I’m getting from the initial sounds I used and chord progression, I can start to hear/feel how the drums should sound, and I’ll adjust the tempo before starting to add percussion sounds. From there, it’s a whole building process, all driven by feeling. I just go were it takes me, and I never force it. I can’t even complete a song, unless I’m in love with it and feel like I could listen to it over and over.

What is your favorite MIDI Controller or instrument to produce with right now?

In addition to a few other keyboards, I use the Ableton Push 2 when producing and performing. It’s definitely my favorite piece of gear. The tech is deep, and it makes everything easier. I don’t even need to look at my laptop screen when I’m performing, and my sessions are really involved, so that says a lot.

What is one of your favorite or go-to VST Plugin?

I use Native Instruments Komplete, which is more of a collection of VSTs, but it’s definitely a go-to. So many options to choose from to spark ideas.

Do you have a key production tip for our young producers out there?

I’d encourage young producers to take a class on audio mixing, or take lessons from someone who knows. Sooner or later you’ll realize how important it is for you to be able to manipulate the sound spectrum, and be able to bring all your ideas to life. Plus, it’s great to not need someone else in order to finish your own song.

What food do you eat the most?

I’m vegan, so mostly fresh vegetables, big salads, and thick hearty soups.

What is next for Conrad Clifton?

Well Beautiful Tragedy came out this spring, and I released the Nitemare remixes in the summer, but I’m ready to put out some more new music. So I’m currently finishing a follow up to the album. It’ll have a crazy remix of  Time on it, plus some really vibey new originals, and a surprise VIP mix. Beautiful Tragedy was such a strong overall project, and I just want to continue where it leaves off, like a stream of consciousness in a way. You’ll understand when you hear this new EP. Can’t wait to share it!

from rBeatz Radio http://ift.tt/2yIX8RE

[illnameitlast-blog]

OMG it’s been more than a week since I’ve started this personal project.

I’m going to retry calling as much as I can remember up to today.. 9/11/2017. Might not finish. 

so 

the original plan for that Thursday was to connect two friends in the music industry at 2, clothing photo shoot w a Postmates driver, L, who I quickly befriended at work (a cafe in Brentwood) at 5, and then around 8pm I was going to sleep over at a coworker’s house so that she could bleach and re-color my hair. 

..here’s what really happened. 

I woke up somewhat early, maybe around 9:30/10am. Currently my long-time high school friend Kristine is going to move in with me into the small studio I live in. Her lease ends the last day of August, & that’s today, Thursday. The night before, my friend Taylor said last-minute she needed a place to couch surf after all & will be putting her room up for Airbnb. [Taylor lives in a master bedroom by herself in a large apartment right next to The Grove. The last time I saw her a few months ago I told her I would be down to move in with her and she agreed it would be cool. We agreed she’d Airbnb her room for extra money for September, while I saved rent money to move in with her in October.] 

I walked less than 10 minutes to get a bunch of breakfast for myself. I’m talking about pancakes, toast, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, and sausage. When I come back, I eat about 3/4 of what I ordered and eat half of an acid-laced sour patch kid, roughly equivalent to half a tab (I’d like to think). It’s about 12:30. 

Alright, now I need to start getting ready as fast as possible before the acid hits. First I talk to house owners Danny & Tara about Taylor moving into the studio with Kristine & I. A little unsure at first, they eventually agree. I go back to getting ready. 

The acid doesn’t hit until about an hour later, when I’m about to leave for my 2pm froyo meeting with friends Yael & Josephine. After getting Pressed Juicery’s matcha “froyo” w almond butter, pineapple, & extra pineapple, we walk withYael to some place she knows of where we can hang out. We’re on Abbot Kinney and arrive at the TOMS store. As you walk in, there’s a coffee bar. Past it, a seating area with tables on the right side and shoes for sale on display on the left side. Past THAT, you go down a few stairs onto grass turf with tall, stair-like seating all against the right side with a couple tables & chairs on the floor against the wall across the entrance of area. We all sit & talk for a bit, where I find out that Yael will be at the Anaheim House of Blues the next day, Friday, where I’ll also be to support a friend’s band that’ll be performing. We agree to try to see each other the next night. Around 3:30/4, we leave to walk back towards our cars. On our way back, we pass the Wheel of Fortune that seems to be some type of known landmark? I spin the wheel, first getting WISDOM but then it quickly switched over to FUN. currently, I do not disagree. maybe later in life I might. 

I get back to my car. right before meeting Yael & Josephine, L texted me asking to rain check the photo shoot. since I was free & I knew Kristine needed some help bringing things to my place, I decide to go over to her apartment in Westwood. when I get there, I’m feeling amazing. I had just linked two amazing people in the music industry and that was the first meeting I’d ever scheduled. I was ecstatic! earlier in my day I had come up w the idea that instead of Taylor putting her room up for Airbnb, Kristine & I could just move in instead. I was going to move in October anyways. I needed to check with Kristine first, & she was for it. So I called Taylor & told her my idea. Taylor loved it! In the span of about a 5 minute phone call, we were moving to West Hollywood. Because of that I was also able to help another one of my friends that was looking for a place to stay for the month of September! ***side note about the weather, during my phone conversation with said friend, that was the day when there was like, apocalyptic weather going on, where it was very warm & humid, but pretty windy & even started raining at some points during the day. I say this because I was observing the weather from the open window at the moment***  during my time there I created this tumblr on impulse. eventually Kristine’s roommate finally left for home & it was just the two of us. it was starting to get late & nothing had been put away in the car yet. WE NEEDED TO BE OUT & DONE BY SUNRISE.

I start packing things in the car. We need to start moving. Once we finished, we drove to Kristine’s home home, about 1:15 hour drive away. We got back to the apartment around 4am I believe. I’ve never mentally pushed myself that hard before, I was so freaking EXHAUSTED moving everything to the car while Kristine cleaned, back & forth, from the 3rd floor (but thankfully had an elevator). We didn’t finish til 7am. I ordered food around 7:30 for pickup on my way home. 

I leave Kristine around 8am. She’ll meet me at my place for food & a shower soon. I get home, scarf my breakfast sandwich down, eyes-closed, hoping to simulate resting. As soon as I finish I hop in the shower right away. I get ready, tell Kristine how to lock up, then leave. I go to work from 10am-6:30pm. 

I’m EXHAUSTED. I magically make it on time. Work is rough. After about an hour, I use the bathroom & check my messages for anything important. Tara is very upset about Kristine leaving her burrito leftovers & the dog got to it, after just telling me the other day to make sure the rules about food in the studio were known. I don’t have time to reply, so I just go back to work & go back to cutting the watermelon up for juice, since we didn’t have any ready. I’m extremely stressed at that point & start tearing up. My coworker/big brother figure Isa sees me, takes over, & sends me to the bathroom. I’m crying. The only 2 bathroom stalls are occupied. I’m crying. A woman on the phone walks into the bathroom & is in line now. I’m still crying. One of the shift leaders Val comes in, hugs me, & takes me to the office in the back. She’s had enough breakdowns to know what was happening with me & I’m thankful for the care she showed me. FINALLY, I’m done crying. I go back to work, feeling better, and finish the rest of my shift. 

As soon as I clock out, I change outfits & head to the House of Blues Anaheim to see birthday! I saw birthday @ SXSW earlier that year, where I also met the frontman, Duran. Although I was DEAD & exhausted, I had this show in my calendar for about 2 months, had told them I would be going the same day they announced it, & refused to flake on them. Their last show I’d missed their set, but I’m so glad I saw this one. The energy was amazing, & it made me want to introduce him to Yael even more for potential booking purposes. Unfortunately, Yael was in a different room than me & couldn’t leave, since she was there as Production Assistant for the show. After birthday’s set, Duran & I catch up a little & watch a few songs of the next opener. It was very interesting. 

Duran says there’s a band he wants to see in a different room & is going to find the stage hand to see if we’d be able to go check it out. The guy gives us two shiny pink wristbands & we head outside towards the entrance to the Foundation Room. This is the room Yael is in! I’m STOKED. We go past the door, it’s immediately an elevator. Take the elevator to the 2nd floor. Exit, walk across the catwalk above/between the stage downstairs & the ramp entrance to the room I saw birthday perform in. 

We enter the room, which is in the shape of a rotunda. Very nice. Duran is standing behind my shoulder. I ask the girl at the front desk if we just walk in. 

Girl: “Do you have tickets for the show?” 

Me: *shows wristbands* 

Girl: “Oh! You’re a member?” 

Me: *quick pause of hesitation* ... “Yes! :D” 

Girl: “Would you like a glass of champagne?” 

Me: “If you would like to pour it for me, thank you so much!!!” 

Duran & I walk in, both holding a glass of champagne. Eventually I introduce Yael & Duran to each other. Towards the end of that show I run into Alexa / Plexxaglass! Shortly after, Duran & I dipped. we went back to the first room we were in. He gets me backstage, into the green room. I help the boys put away their things to leave. In the next room over, Bro Safari is playing.. & Duran has 4 tickets. It’s about 11:30pm. As much as I really wanted to go, I knew I couldn’t let myself, unless I wanted to LITERALLY die of exhaustion. Also, I worked the next day 8am-4:30pm. Duran offers to walk me to my car, except we actually literally walk down the ramps instead of take the stairs to the floor I needed lol. Long story short, I lost my car, we looked for it for about 20 minutes including one of the other boys in the group, then found it on the floor beneath the floor we were looking all over. 

I get into my car, & check my messages. Turns out my friend had moved into the studio already, meaning to me that I couldn’t sleep over there that night. Kristine was at her old apartment where her friends had moved into, but there was no furniture yet meaning there was only hardwood floor to sleep on. Taylor’s place wasn’t an option yet, as she was still cleaning her stuff for us to move in. On my way to Anaheim I’d seen a sign to Riverside & thought about sleeping over @ my best guy friend’s house. Except he’s in Vegas for the weekend. I didn’t wanna go back home home to Rancho/Fontana bc that was way farther than Riv & I know I was already so tired.. So I texted my coworker Bekah, who was supposed to color my hair the other day, to see if I could sleep over for the night. I got to her place at about 1. Her cute ass bought me granola bars & milk in case if I wanted cereal in the morning. (’: We talked a bit, drank wine in bed, then I FINALLY passed out. I woke up the next morning, left around 7:30, and there was ash on my car bc apparently that day there was a fire nearby. Nature is being hella crazy as of lately. 

[terencecopland6-blog]

Examination Ordered As Russian River Turns Red.

A luxury cruise along this Globe well-known River Nile in Egypt is a holiday that you'll never forget. Which would certainly figure, due to the fact that Neymar has actually simply started Maidana from behind. From the previous experience I had running a KS campaign it's a common incident that orders will either obtain shed or delayed. For information call totally free on 0800 096 0092 or go to/ river-cruises. As well as always remember the fallen leaves - you could utilize them in soups or stews just as you would certainly spinach or kale, or fry them in a little oil with mustard seeds, garlic and also ginger. Free of charge wine, beer and also soft drinks are also available to finish the delicately loosened up cruise ships. The Amazon. If you cherished this short article and you would like to get more info with regards to http://netegitim.info/ kindly visit our web-page. com is a popular component on globally container listings and also Amazon cruises properly fulfill demand. Williams likewise noted that the return of riverboats to the Mississippi does greater than offer an one-of-a-kind travel experience - traveler brows through can likewise help the small river towns that have shed population as well as jobs.|Toms River, NJ - Mark Patrick Reduce weight Seminar With Hypnotherapy. Nile Musical Instrument + 2 Backstage passes to any type of Nile Task All Stars efficiency + kazoo + CD + DVD + Tshirt + water bottle + Meklit Hadero's On A Day Like This ... album download. Butte Education Office states the colleges will remain shut due to the required emptying and also the unsure duration for the return of evacuees".|TSUNAMI CAUTION: Sunken ship packed with dynamites in the Thames tidewater postures major risk. Although November to January is a popular time to head to places like the Caribbean or the Mexican Riviera for the holiday weeks, there are other tropical locations that delight in low period throughout these months, appealing less crowds and more affordable costs. This Kickstarter job will certainly money the update and also redesign of the existing map, as well as the ink, paper, letterpress plates, and also time had to develop the hand published maps.|Mekong river cruise ship: Gyles Brandreth's river cruise vacation journey. The London Gatewat port can handle the globe's largest container ships. These river luxury yachts are not only the initial all new vessels under the Crystal River Cruises brand. The sun deck has actually been upgraded with high-end in mind, offering up more area as well as serenity for holidaying visitors. AUSTRALIA as well as NEW ZEALAND BACKERS go through higher shipping expenses than those noted. Many Avalon ships cruise Europe's rivers, yet it likewise has Avalon Myanmar on the Irrawaddy in Myanmar (Burma) as well as Avalon Sim Enjoy on the Mekong in Cambodia and also Vietnam with ships cruising the Amazon and also the Nile. Yet the most extreme procedure drifting about is one that can completely transform the city of Chicago, due to the fact that officials are considering blocking off the Chicago Sanitary as well as Ship Canal entirely.|Toms River, NJ - Mark Patrick Slim down Workshop With Hypnosis. Sign and also obtain tickets up for the newsletter at/ cruiseshow. . It is designed to mimic the look of a laptop at 176( W) x 81.9( D) x 26.7( H) mm as well as can be found in glossy red or black. From ₤ 1,299 per person leaving July 2017, consisting of Eurostar train travel (0333 122 8660; ). Currently we prepare to earn the ended up movie, as well as we'll require a couple of months of permanent modifying to place the film together as well as do post-production work.|The Thames is 'fluid history', states David Starkey. The Chief Executive Officer and also President of First Financial Bank, Issa Stephan, offers South Toms River Grade school with a look for $500. Full display introductory at the beginning and end of the film. I just wish, now the river has actually shed several of her innocence to business admirers, that the union will be a happy one, for various other suitors will definitely look for to exploit her appeals.|Saga Cruise ships charters resort barge Anacoluthe for unique brand-new French rivers vacations. There's still a great deal of job to be provided for the Yankees making the dive from edge challenger to World Collection threat, yet male, they are established actually well today. Even as this individual became a renowned writer throughout the later areas of his way of life, he complied with the requires of the Celebrity's composing style overview in regards to making use of straightforward sentences and paragraphs additionally, the usage of the English language.|Search Telegraph Travel's collection of European river cruise ships. As I said, we were on a weird road at night and every light that we saw we believed we went to the Inn, but finally we saw the bright and friendly lights of the Inn and examined in. As assured we were assigned to none besides Space 118 (seems familiar) With the exemption of 2 years that because of health reasons we were not able to find.|If you are considering taking place one of the Danube river cruise ships for vacation it is essential to know how you can load. As this post from Vox says: America's lead problem isn't really simply in Flint. The stunning Abbey of St Cyril in Goritsy - whose huge strongholds had resisted attack by Polish and Lithuanian troops - we found invaded by a crowd from six cruise ships. Incorporating satellite imagery with survey information, lead author Greg Asner and also his group of researchers located that land made use of for prohibited cash cow boosted by 400 percent between 1999 and also 2012, which deforestation rates have actually tripled considering that the 2008 global economic situation, when gold prices increased. . Congratulations to HSN ASR student Ethan Liou for putting Second in the American Water Functions Association Water Filter Contest. SEE ALSO: Outrageous drone video shows huge damages as well as flooding at The golden state's Oroville Dam. A lot of Ama's ships are in Europe, however, extensive with included adventures, a fleet of cost-free bikes to make use of and on-board social enjoyment. Once the job funds, all backers will obtain a very early accessibility variation in pdf. The Physical CD of the new cd 2 weeks before launch, along with the deluxe electronic download (with bonus offer tracks), hand-written thank you card as well as a commitment pen! We find out ways to resolve the challenging system in California to get the water relocated from point A to factor B," she claims. For the past 5 years he's worked throughout LA Area building landmark proficiency, motivating local stewardship and also empowering community voices of any ages in local watershed planning initiatives. William offers assistance for instructors from K to University by bringing a detailed river curriculum adhered to by a check out from FOLAR's mobile museum, the L.a River Rover to colleges and area events within the landmark. A complete year's digital subscription to Fiction River! If we believe that resources are limited which developing wealth means sacrificing an individual life, or that past difficulties will certainly avoid us from creating future joy, these ideas will certainly strain of our lives - although they are attempting constantly ahead in. Ridership (especially commuting) will certainly increase as the bridge attaches a number of midtown loft real estate projects with the smooth path system. On land, included trips absorb luxurious palaces and world-class art galleries; on the cruise, there will be vodka tastings and also a standard Russian tea event. We'll send this version to everybody who sustains the Fiction River registration drive at the $5 level or greater. They overfish it, reroute it for hydropower, as well as obstruct it with container ships. Currently through July 31, find bold brand-new handles renowned jobs-- and take home an item of Kickstarter Gold. Pre-order my following cd, Miss River, through kickstarter and come to be a part of the partnership! River travelling in general has actually exploded in popularity over the last few years, using an extra conventional method to experience travelling than the mass-market megaships that bring thousands of people as well as are loaded with attractions such as flights and also Broadway shows. She was pleased enough she wed me shortly after as well as we have been returning to Little River Inn and rooms in Van Damme Residence since, always over Christmas, in 2015 being our 20th return. LONDON'S Tower Bridge isn't just an around the world icon, it's additionally a port for luxury cruises. The rural federal government of Manitoba has backed calls for a nationwide query, as last month did a UN Committee in a report which implicated Canada of a severe offense" of Aboriginal females's civil liberties. Your choice of a non-editioned photograph made by among us, printed on 8x10 inch brilliancy paper (see options in the slide show listed below) + Your name in the thanks credits on our vehicle as well as on our website. For wine aficionados: Cruise to the Beaujolais region as well as appreciate a wine making demo as well as sampling on an eight-day Lyon as well as Provence cruise ship along the Rhône and the Saône. While we can not understand the exact last prices of whatever up until we know the number of individuals will go with which incentives, right here is a graph showing the approximate break down of exactly what the cash will go to if we get to the $2,000. A digital download of the Movie (for personal use), your name on the main Movie internet site, normal updates, and also an electronic thank you in the Movie's credit ratings! NEW ORLEANS-- European river cruise large Viking, currently getting a high account in the USA with its sponsorship of preferred PBS television shows, revealed Tuesday that it will certainly make New Orleans its first North American house port for Mississippi River cruise ships expected to begin by late 2017. Tauck (see listed below) includes a see to the Porsche Gallery on its Rhine, Swiss Alps as well as Amsterdam holiday.