#ONE CHANCE DEEJAY PLEASE

[minisugakoobies]

Paradise | JJK - Fifteen

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: smut, neighbors to lovers (not quite friends but not quite strangers), slow burn, love triangle, Stripper!AU

Rating: M (18+)

Warnings: we finally get a JinKook showdown in the most ridiculous way possible, the tiniest bit of angst, CONFESSIONS!!, followed by post-confession sex, JK hits it raw, OC in lingerie, fingering, oral sex (f receiving), lots of talking about feelings, I'm sorry but this gets a little soft because I love these two

Word Count: 6.3k

Disclaimers: NSFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: That sexy man on stage - the one currently giving your friend the lap dance of her LIFE - is your super shy neighbor, Jeon Jungkook?!

A/N: We're back and we're nearing the end! Thank you to everyone who has been waiting patiently for the next chapter - I didn't mean for it to take so long, but, well, life 🤷‍♀️ Anyway, I'm very excited to share this chapter with you finally - I hope you enjoy!

Unbeta’d as usual. Please don’t be a silent reader, I’d love to hear from you!  💕

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Despite his words earlier, Jungkook is in fact one of the first people on the dance floor when it opens. And of course, you’re right there with him. How could you say no when he holds his hand out and smiles at you like that - like nothing else would make him happier right now than you in his arms?

After all the time you’ve spent admiring Jungkook’s moves when he dances for you, it’s a whole new perspective to get to experience them when you’re dancing with him. Part of that difference is due to the deejay keeping it wholesome with the song selections, since Jennie and Yoongi’s family members are the majority of the revelers surrounding you. So there’s a lot less grinding and a lot more distance between the two of you.

You don’t really try to keep up with him - it’s not that you’re a terrible dancer, it’s just that he’s so fucking good. His every movement is so natural, like he’s not even trying. He does show off just a little bit, when Jisoo eggs him on, slipping into a freakishly accurate robot that has a small ring of guests gathering around to cheer him on. The giant grin on his face tells you he’s enjoying the attention just as much as the faint blush on the tips of his ears tells you he’s just a little bashful about it. 

After a few songs, the music finally slows a little, the crowd thinning as only couples are left. Jungkook draws you close, one arm sliding around your back as the other clasps your hand, holding it to his chest. The room around you falls away as he takes the lead, swaying with you around the floor.

“Are you having a good time, jagi?” he murmurs after a moment. 

“I am, Kookie.” Lifting your head from his shoulder, you gaze into his eyes, feeling that familiar warmth overtake you when he returns your smile. “Thanks for coming with me today.”

“Like I’d turn down the chance for free food and drinks,” he teases, laughing when you huff and try to pull away, tightening his grip to keep you locked in place. “What? I’m just being honest.” 

“Ass,” you mutter, but you can’t stop smiling, and neither can he. He lifts his arm, hand pressing lightly on your back to guide you in a spin, then brings you back into his embrace. You spot Rosé across the room, watching you and Jungkook dance, and she politely claps as you shake your head, grinning. 

The beat picks up again, and your friends surround you and Jungkook. Rosé, Jisoo, and Jin all dance together as Lisa introduces Yi-Jeong to the group. Even Jennie and Yoongi join in, and it’s true what Jennie told you yesterday - her man definitely has moves. Everyone’s happy and laughing, and you’re so full of joy you could just burst.

Jin suddenly twirls, facing Jungkook with an intense look on his face. The younger man takes a step back in surprise as Jin starts to rock his body back and forth, like he’s about to bust out a breakdance move. Is he seriously about to - 

“Ooh, dance battle!” Jisoo cups her hands around her mouth, yelling. Your other friends start whooping, forming a circle around Jungkook and Jin. Jisoo pulls you next to her from where you’ve been standing, so you’re not between them anymore. “Get it, Bambi!” 

While the others around you are shouting encouragement, you just gaze silently between the two men, unsure if you should be joining in. Unsure if this is a friendly competition or if the tense vibes you feel radiating between them is something more. From the expressions on their faces, it’s clear that they’re going to do this, so you just sigh, bobbing along to the beat, waiting for the show. 

Jungkook stops gawking at Jin and begins bedrocking, swinging his hands as he faces Jin with a fierce look. Jin glares back, sticking his arms out as he undulates in a rather impressive wave, rolling his long limbs from left to right. 

It’s not until you hear clapping behind you that you realize that more people have joined the circle, crowding in behind you, shouting Jin’s name. Jungkook hears it too, his brow furrowing slightly. It’s clear his competitive nature’s kicked in when he peels his suit jacket off. You hold your hand out for it automatically, feeling a swoop of heat in your stomach as he gives it to you with a wink. 

The tip of his tongue slips out as Jungkook suddenly throws himself towards the ground, landing on one hand like he’s doing a handstand, and then kicks his legs out in a cartwheel kick. He’s so smooth with it, inverting himself like it’s nothing, that you actually gasp.

It’s like he cranked the volume up on the crowd, and someone - Rosé, maybe? - starts chanting Jungkook’s name. You can’t help but add your voice to the mix. 

Jungkook lands back on his feet and motions for Jin to go. Jin also takes his jacket off, jaw clenching firmly. He rolls his body a few times before bouncing into the Roger Rabbit, feet stepping quickly, arms flapping at his side like wings. It’s surprisingly loose and funky, two words you don’t typically associate with Jin. 

Lisa yells, “Go chef!” and the crowd divides itself into two chants. Jin ends his turn with a little flourish, dusting imaginary dirt from his broad shoulders. But you know from Jungkook’s smirk that he’s undaunted, and without a second’s hesitation, he swiftly dives to the floor, launching himself into a windmill.

Your friends explode into cheers, watching Jungkook roll round and round the floor. As he picks up speed, he tucks his arms up onto his stomach, doing the trick with no hands. Then he comes to a stop with a freeze, legs hanging in the air. 

The crowd chants Jungkook’s name only as he rises to his feet. He straightens his tie, then gestures to Jin. Jin rocks for a few beats, a strange look in his eye. 

Then he throws his hands out in front of him, holding one steady while the other mimics winding a reel. 

“Is he - is he fishing for Jungkook?” 

You don’t answer Rosé as there’s no need to. Jin’s clearly doing the fishing pole move. One by one, the voices around you grow quieter. Jungkook blinks at Jin for a few seconds, obviously thrown by this decision.

Then he grins, flapping his hands by his face like fins.

“Oh, wow, they share a brain cell,” Lisa says. “Did not see that coming.” 

Jisoo groans. “Well, this is anticlimactic. I was promised bloodshed.” 

“Who promised you that?” you ask, laughing. Feeling a tiny bit relieved. 

The crowd departs, but the two men keep dancing. Jungkook pretends he’s been hooked, thrashing from side-to-side before dropping to the ground in his signature dolphin kick. Always a performer to the end, you think, as he hops back to his feet, and he and Jin take turns bowing to one another. 

The smile on his face gets wider when Jungkook sees you clapping for him. He reaches for his jacket, and you impulsively press a kiss to his cheek, biting back a laugh as his eyes widen slightly.

“If those are the moves you pull out for a dance-off, I can’t wait to see what you’ve got planned for later,” you whisper. Jungkook’s arm grips your side as he tilts his head to look at you. His touch is warm, but it can’t match the heat in his eyes. 

“Careful what you ask for, jagiya,” he replies, gaze dropping to your mouth so briefly that you almost miss it. “I need some water. Do you want anything?” 

You shake your head, and he disappears towards the tables. As soon as he’s gone, you feel someone brush your arm. 

“Okay, I’ll give it to the kid - he’s got moves,” Jin declares, holding his hand out in an offer to dance. You silently take it, letting him pull you close as the deejay cues up a ballad. 

Jin’s quiet for a few beats, leading you in small circles around the dance floor. It strikes you that this is the first time the two of you have really been face-to-face since yesterday, that weird standoff in the hallway earlier notwithstanding. You haven’t had a chance to talk to him alone since - 

“So what’s up with your boy?” 

You meet Jin’s gaze with a raised eyebrow. “Jungkook? What do you mean?”

Jin shrugs, the movement jostling your hand where it rests on his shoulder. “I mean, he looked like he was ready to throw hands when he introduced himself earlier. Like he was just itching for a fight.” 

“And you’re not?” You snort when he blinks in exaggerated confusion. “Oh, come on, all those snide little comments you were making at the table? Arguing with him about who has it worse? What was that all about?” 

Jin maintains his affronted expression for half a minute longer before he starts to laugh. “Okay, fine, I admit I was just pushing his buttons at dinner. In my defense, he made it too easy!” He laughs harder when you roll your eyes and start to pull away. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry. But I had to do something to cheer myself up. It wasn’t easy for me to sit there and watch the two of you together, to see the way you look at him.” 

Your curiosity tampers down your annoyance for a moment. “How do I look at him?” 

Jin smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Like there’s no one else in the world.” 

You glance away, unsure what to say to that. Your gaze flits around the room until it lands on Jungkook, finding him at one of the tables, chatting with Lisa and Yi-jeong. His nose crinkles as he laughs with your friend, tattooed hand coming up to swipe away the hair that falls into his face, and you hear Jin sigh. 

“Yeah, that’s the look,” he says, shaking his head. He shifts his arm from your back, leading you into a gentle spin. “I was honestly surprised at how easy it was to antagonize him. Figured nothing I could do or say would bother him, knowing he won your heart.”

When you don’t respond to that, staring at Jin’s bowtie instead of meeting his eye, he hums. 

“Oh, I see. You haven’t told him yet.” 

Without warning, Jin dips you. You gasp, clutching his bicep to steady yourself.

“Are you having second thoughts?” he murmurs. His hand grips yours tightly, arm cradles your back, keeping you in place while his face hovers a mere breath above yours. 

It’s an intimate pose, the way he holds you now, yet just like yesterday, you feel nothing.

“No. No second thoughts.” You’ve recovered from your momentary shock, voice steady as you reply. “I’m sorry, Jin, but like I told you yesterday, it’s Jungkook I want.” 

Immediately, you’re back on your feet. 

“Yeah, I didn’t think so.” Jin grins a crooked grin. “Had to ask, though.” 

You roll your eyes. “I’m starting to regret this whole ‘let’s be friends’ idea.” 

He ignores your jibe. “Can I ask you a serious question?” 

You take a moment to study his face before answering. All traces of humor have vanished as he waits for your response. Slowly, you nod. 

“What are you waiting for?” 

The rooftop garden glows softly in the night air, lit by tiny lights strung along the trees and flowering plants. Hidden speakers strewn around the open space bring the music from the reception outside, providing a gentle soundtrack for a beautiful summer evening. 

“Where are we going?” Jungkook asks, hand clasped firmly in yours as you lead him out of the reception and across the garden. 

In the corner of the roof, there’s a small nook carved out between two potted cherry blossoms, their branches obscuring the two of you from any of the other guests milling about. Right now, you need a little privacy.

You also need a moment to gather your thoughts. Your stomach’s jumped into your throat at the thought of what you’re about to do, and your anxiousness makes it hard to think straight. It doesn’t help that you’re slightly distracted by the sight in front of you. 

Although the sun’s long since set, the air is still warm. Jungkook’s shed his jacket, has his tie loosened, sleeves rolled to his elbows, hand still in yours as he looks at you expectantly, patiently waiting for you to speak. You can see the moon reflecting in his bright eyes, and for a moment, you’re back in the elevator at your apartment, staring at your handsome neighbor, that shy man with the sweet smile.

It wasn’t that long ago that he was a total stranger. Someone you saw occasionally at the mailboxes, someone who regularly ran away when you tried to talk to him. You didn’t know anything about him back then - what he did, what he liked, what made him laugh. What his kisses felt like. 

It wasn’t that long ago, yet it already feels like a distant memory. One that you never want to return to. Knowing everything you know about him now, feeling everything you feel - you can’t go back. There’s only one thing you need to do now - tell him. 

No reason to wait a second longer. 

Taking a deep breath, you squeeze his hand. “Jungkook, I brought you out here because I wanted to tell you something. I’m… ah, I’m not very good at this kind of thing, but I’m gonna try because I don’t want to drag this out when I don’t need to.” 

Jungkook’s eyebrows twitch slightly, but he doesn’t say anything, so you go on. 

“You know how I went to Jennie’s yesterday? Um, Jin was also there, with Yoongi. He pulled me aside and told me that the job Wendy asked me to interview for is actually his show for Nosh. And then he started talking about the two of us working together and traveling and -”

“Choose me, jagiya.” 

“Huh?” 

His interruption throws you off from the rambly mess you were attempting to say. Jungkook reaches for your other hand, holding both against his chest, and gives you a shaky smile. 

“Choose me, jagi. I know I don’t have a career like Seokjin does, or his money, or - or even a guarantee that I’ll ever have either of those things. I probably can’t promise you most of the things he can.” He pauses to draw a long breath, like he’s trying to slow himself down and not rush over his words, and oh, you want to kiss him so much right now. Even if this isn’t how it’s supposed to go. “But I can promise y-”

“No no!” It’s his turn to look surprised as you raise your hands to his mouth, muffling his speech. “Jungkook, stop! I was trying to tell you that I ended things with Jin yesterday. You don’t have to say another word because it’s over.” 

“Mmt’s omer?” he mumbles against your fingers, eyes widening. 

“Yes, it’s over,” you giggle, uncovering his mouth, and suddenly all of your nervousness floats away on the evening breeze. “Come on, Kookie. Don’t you know? I’ve already chosen. It’s you. It’s always been you.” 

Jungkook continues to stare at you with those big doe eyes as your words slowly sink in, and you can’t help but smile, fondly, so, so fondly, that familiar sensation of warmth surging up from your chest, and you know now that it has a name, that buzz, that elation, that euphoria, and it’s on the tip of your tongue, just waiting for you to breathe it to life. 

So you exhale. 

“I think I’m falling in love with you.” 

For just the slightest of moments - a fraction of a second, a single heartbeat - when he doesn’t do anything, doesn’t so much as blink or breathe, you’re scared you’ve said too much. It’s too soon, too fast, too everything. 

But then he wraps his arms around you, holding you close enough that you can feel his own heart thumping wildly within his chest, and puts your fears to rest with four simple words, whispered softly against your lips.  

“Jagi, I’ve already fallen.” 

He kisses you, soft and slow, every touch so full of tenderness that you could cry. You tangle your fingers in his hair, desperately seeking something to hold onto, to keep you from floating right off the roof. He’s fallen for you. Jungkook’s fallen for you. 

You never knew your heart could hold so much. 

All your nervousness from before has dissipated. Now the only reason your pulse races is the nearness of him.

“Are you in any hurry to get back in there?” he asks, tipping his head towards the party.

You shake your head. 

He smiles. “Good.” 

He takes your hand again, locking his other arm around your back. You lay your head on his shoulder and close your eyes, listening to him sing along lightly with the music drifting across the rooftop. Even when the song changes to something more uptempo, he doesn’t let go, just laces his fingers through yours and continues to sway with you beneath the stars. 

Many songs later, when the two of you finally return to the party, you find that it’s already winding down. Jennie and Yoongi are making their rounds to say goodbye, needing to go home  and pack for their trip to Jeju Island in the morning. 

Jennie grabs your arm and pulls you away from Jungkook, waving the other bridesmaids over. “I’m gonna do it tonight!” 

Jisoo pinches her cheek. “Babe, you’ve already done it. That’s why you’re late, remember?” 

“Ha, ha.” Jennie smacks her hand away. “I mean I’m gonna tell Yoongi I’m pregnant, smartass.” 

“Ah, I’m so excited for you!” Lisa gives her a hug, and then you’re all hugging. 

“Have you all had a good time tonight?” Jennie asks, not waiting for an answer. “This has been the most amazing day! Thank you for everything, I couldn’t have done this without you.” 

“Yes, you could have,” you grin. 

“Okay, true, I could have. But it wouldn’t have been as much fun without you all. I love you so much!” 

“We love you too. Now go celebrate with your husband!” Rosé giggles, emphasizing the last word with an energetic wiggle of her eyebrows. 

“Yeah, get out of here. Some of us have plans tonight but we can’t leave until you do.” Jisoo declares. 

“She makes a good point,” Lisa chimes in, glancing over her shoulder at where Yi-jeong sits alone, clearly waiting. 

“Wow, okay,” Jennie laughs, but she’s flying too high to really be mad. “I’ll see you all in a week!” 

It’s as you turn to walk back to Jungkook that you remember. 

“Oh! Lisa!” 

Your friend glances at you as you back away with a giant grin. 

“Pay Rosé her fifty bucks.” 

“Why are your friends screaming like that?” Jungkook asks when you rejoin him. 

You just smile and press a soft kiss to his cheek. “Ready to get out of here?” 

Riding Jungkook’s motorcycle is a much more pleasant experience tonight than it was on your way home from your first date. The sky is clear above you as Jungkook expertly weaves through traffic, and you’re warm and dry sitting behind him, wearing his suit jacket, arms tight around his waist. You spend most of the ride hugging more than holding on to him. 

Every few blocks, he releases the hand grip to let his palm rest on your thigh for a moment, squeezing gently. You think he means it as a reassuring touch, knowing how shaky you are with the entire concept of motorcycles to begin with, how just the thought of riding one still makes you nervous, but the actual effect he's having on you is far from comforting. It’s driving you insane.

By the time you reach your apartment door, you’re feral with need. You toss Jungkook’s jacket onto the floor and Jungkook lets out a surprised yelp when you tug on his arm as he’s closing the door. He barely has a chance to turn the lock before you’re pulling him down, passionately kissing away his confused noise. 

“B-baby,” he finally manages to stammer out after a few minutes of intense making out, “baby, do you wanna move to the couch?” 

You shake your head. “Need you now.” 

“Yeah?” His eyes are so dark that it makes you shudder when he catches your gaze. “Always so needy for me, huh? Just like the first time?” 

You remember that night, the way he’d fucked you against the hallway wall, both of you too desperate to even make it another ten feet to your bed. That same greedy desire burns through you now. 

Thank god for the slit in your dress. Hitching your leg up, you wrap it around his back, guiding him back down on top of you. 

“Just like that,” your voice trembles, back arching as Junghook’s hand snakes between you, rubbing at you through your dress. “Ahh, fuck, just like that!” 

You grasp at the side zipper on the dress, fingers fumbling too much to yank it down as quickly as you want. Jungkook has to do it for you, helping you sit up long enough to shed the entire gown. 

He sucks in a sharp breath. “Jagi.” 

If you weren’t already dying for him, the expression on his face when he sees you in the lingerie you’re wearing beneath your dress would do it. 

“Does it look better in person?” you ask, running your fingers over your chest, thumbs pressing in slow circles to wake your nipples, feeling them swell beneath the lace. 

With a pained groan, Jungkook starts hurriedly tearing at his suit, throwing the items nearly halfway across the open space of your living room in his urgency, not stopping until he’s completely naked, cock already hardening between his legs. 

“Yeah,” he grunts, biting his lip to let his hands do the talking. They travel over your torso, up across your breasts, squeezing your hands so you grip yourself harder. He laughs at your little gasp, and then he’s swallowing your sounds with his eager mouth, knocking your legs apart with his knee so he can press his body to yours. 

Your own impatience has you hooking your calves the backs of his thighs, bending your knees to urge him nearer. But no matter how close he is to you, it’s not enough, an itch you can’t scratch no matter how much you try. 

“I think this is going to have to come off now,” you frown, tugging at your bodice. You need to feel him, skin-to-skin. 

“Oh, not yet,” Jungkook says, voice near enough to be a growl. “Please, jagi, keep it on a little longer. For me.” He looks at you with such a lustful gaze that you find yourself nodding, immediately caving to his wish. If he wants to fuck you in your lingerie, fine. There will be more time to feel him later. 

There will be more time for everything you want with Jungkook. 

His mouth reconnects with yours. You sigh into him as his fingers find the snaps at the crotch of the teddy. He’s not gentle with them, practically ripping them open, but he’s more delicate as he slides his finger into you, finding you just as wet as always. He plunges two fingers in, and you know he’s trying to take his time and make sure you’re ready, but you’re too impatient for his consideration right now. 

“Come on, Kookie,” you plead, cupping his chin to draw his gaze away from his work, “I’m ready. I need you now.” 

“Shit,” he mutters, clearly reading your frustration. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. I wanna feel you.” 

He reaches for his pants, which have been flung over the back of the couch, and you stop him.

“No, I mean, I want to feel you.”

Jungkook swallows hard, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbing. “Jesus Christ, jagiya, you’re going to kill me.” He kisses you again, before his expression turns serious. “Can we? I mean, are you on something -” 

Laughing, you grab his face again, pulling him back to you for another kiss. 

“I have an implant. And I haven’t been with anyone since you and I have been…” you trail off, unsure what to call it. Dating? “Not since the last time I was tested.” 

“No one?” He doesn’t say the name, but you know what he’s asking. 

“No one.” You and Seokjin never got that far.

“I haven’t been with anyone either.” Jungkook strokes his thumb along your cheek. “It’s just been you. You’re the only one I want.” 

“Then have me.” With another sigh, you lift your hips, rolling against him. 

Jungkook groans, and you barely have a second to breathe before his lips take yours again. There’s some shifting, you spreading your legs while he’s propping himself up on one elbow and lining himself up with his other hand, and then he’s sinking in, slowly, filling you up hot inch by hot inch, until he’s completely sheathed. 

You got your wish. You can feel all of him. It’s a new sensation, and it’s intense, but you can tell it’s even more so for him. 

“Oh, goddamn, jagi.” Jungkook presses his forehead to yours. His chest heaves as he holds himself completely still. “You’re so - fuck.” 

“Yeah? Is it that good?” 

He nods a little, eyes squeezing shut, and you run your fingers through his hair, trying to impart some comfort. As much as you want him to rail you through the floor right now, you don’t want to rush him anymore. 

“Does it really feel that different?”

Jungkook shakes his head. “It’s not that. That’s part of it - you feel so fucking good, baby - but it’s - it’s…” He huffs out a short breath, shaking his head again. “I don’t know how to say it. It’s everything.” 

And you understand exactly what he means, not by whatever he’s trying and failing to say, but by the look in his eyes. 

“Oh,” is all you can say, feeling your own words slipping away from you, as he starts to move. 

His cock drags slowly, so slowly at first, his head bowing as he concentrates on the feeling of you, the way your cunt seems to suck him back in eagerly, walls clenching when he snaps his hips experimentally. He observes every breath that escapes you, every mewl and whimper, and adjusts his pace, the strength of his thrusts, all the while drowning in his own perception, the tight heat and wetness of your core making his eyes roll back in his head with each pump. 

Neither of you speak after that, but you don’t need to. Your bodies communicate everything you’re feeling, punctuated by the unrestrained noises you both make. Your nails rake down Jungkook’s back as he fucks into you, drawing whine after whine from him, broken cries of desire, of wanting you to hold him, claim him, just as he’s claiming you. Mine, your fingernails declare, inscribing his skin with scratches. Yours, his hips answer in return, powerfully driving into yours, connecting you again and again, faster and faster. 

His hand clutches at the thigh you’ve wrapped around his waist, fingers twisting around the garter straps, and you can tell from his unsteady panting that he’s close. Your own pleasure is nearing the precipice, but you know he’s going to reach his first. Which he confirms with a strangled whimper.

“Jagi, I’m - I’m gonna come,” he grits through his teeth, brow furrowed, like he’s focusing all his energy on not coming right then and there. “‘M sorry, I can’t stop, I can’t - “

“Don’t stop, Kookie, don’t stop!” You don’t care if he finishes first. This isn’t about just sex anymore. All you want is for him to feel as good as he makes you feel, all the time. “Come on, cum inside me. Give me everything, fill me up!” 

“Fuck!” he grunts, moaning your name, and with only a few more thrusts, he follows your command. His hips jerk wildly as he gives in to the burning need beneath his skin and fills you with his hot release. It seems to go on and on, until he’s gasping, sagging against you weakly, too wrung out to hold himself up any longer. “Holy shit.”

You just hum, stroking his sweat-soaked hair, until he finally lifts his head. 

“I’m sorry,” he says. “I got caught up in the moment. Too much going on in my head and - and, fuck, you felt too good.” He gives you a sheepish smile.

You shush his apologies with a laugh, wrapping your arms around him again, urging him to lay down, so his head rests on your chest. “You don’t have to explain. It’s been… it’s been a long time since I’ve felt anything like this.” 

He sighs, moving slightly so he can leave light kisses over your covered chest. “Me too.” His hand trails lazily down your torso, following the swirls in the lace’s pattern. “I’m glad you said what you did. On the roof. I wanted to tell you before how I felt, but I was afraid you’d think I was rushing things.” His voice gets quieter. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” 

There’s a sadness in his tone, a naked vulnerability that makes your heart ache, so you squeeze him a little tighter. You know exactly what he means. 

He raises his head a little, starts kissing his way down your stomach. “Are you still…”

“Am I still what?” You bite your lip as he reaches the apex of your thighs, gently nudging them further apart so he can lie in between. 

Jungkook presses soft kisses to your inner thighs, one side, then the other, before he looks up at you. “Was that enough for you or are you still wanting more? You were so needy earlier, jagiya.” 

Of course you still want more. You don’t think you’ll ever get enough of him. 

“Yeah,” you say, your fingers combing his hair out of his face so there’s nothing hiding him from you, just as there’s nothing hiding you from him, “I want more. Please, Kookie.” 

The smirk that spreads across his lovestruck face sends your heart racing. Your back arches off the floor when he coaxes the first orgasm from you with his tongue, feels like it might snap in half by the time he pulls the second one with his fingers. 

You melt into his embrace afterward, so thoroughly satiated, so utterly content, that you nearly fall asleep. But Jungkook coaxes you off the floor and into the bathroom, to wash his back in the shower before he tenderly scrubs yours, and then into bed, where the last thing you see before closing your eyes is the smile on his face as he whispers good night. 

“What does this one mean?” 

It’s late. Very late, sometime between midnight and early morning, when you should be asleep. You’d awoken in need of some water, slipping out carefully, trying not to wake Jungkook, only to come back to find him up and waiting for you to return to bed. He wasn’t just awake but up up, and you couldn’t resist, climbing directly into his lap for a slow, lazy ride. 

Now, you’re lying together, back pressed to Jungkook’s chest, with his arm draped beneath your breasts, as he gives you a tour of his tattoos. He tells you that most are symbolic, but a few have stories behind them, and you listen raptly to each one. Even though he’s probably tired, he’s indulging you, answering all your questions without so much as a single yawn.

He tilts his head to look at where you’re tapping on a striped snake. “That one? That’s supposed to represent growth. You know, shedding my skin, like a snake.” He flexes his forearm and the snake moves as if undulating on its own. “Do you like snakes?” 

“I like them a lot more than spiders, I can tell you that,” you reply, giggling. 

He laughs, watching silently as your fingers roam over his skin. There’s so much ink covering him, and you’re dying to know about all of it, filled with a buzzing curiosity despite the late hour. 

“What about this one?” Gingerly, you trace over the orange tiger lily etched onto the inside of his forearm, as if afraid that pressing too harshly will cause the petals to crumple. It’s gorgeously vibrant, the glowing color popping vividly against his skin. 

“Ah, that’s my birth flower.” Jungkook laughs a quick laugh. “That one was actually Taehyung’s suggestion. Do you know what the flower is supposed to represent?” 

“Uh-uh.” 

“Self-confidence.” He laughs again, shaking you a little as his chest vibrates. “He said it’d be a good reminder when he’s not around, that I still need to be confident.”

“Taehyung’s a good friend,” you remark, and Jungkook hums in assent. He rubs mindlessly at the flower with his other hand, fingertips bumping against yours. 

“You know, there’s another reason I got this one. A hidden meaning that tiger lilies are meant to express.” 

“Ooh, a hidden meaning?” You tilt your head to peer at him. “And what’s that?” 

Even in the dim light from your bedside lamp, you can see the tips of Jungkook’s ears turning red as he smiles bashfully, his eyes crinkling when he answers. “Please love me.” 

It’s impossible to resist kissing him, kissing that shy bunny smile that you’ve adored all this time, so you don’t even try, cupping his cheeks gently while you brush his lips with yours. When you pull away, his face is flushed, and he laughs, dipping his head in embarrassment even as he whispers, “Keep going.” 

You giggle, and kiss him again, and then stop. “Oh! Wait a minute.” 

Jungkook lets out a small grunt of displeasure when you leave his embrace, but you return quickly, handing him a small frame from your desk. 

“Jagi, you framed this?” He stares through the glass at the tiger lily sketch he’d drawn for you, back when he asked you out on your first date.

“Well, yeah. It was too pretty not to.” 

You take your place between his legs again, his arm automatically sliding around your waist while he gazes at the picture. “But it was just a quick little drawing. It’s not my best work.” 

“So? I think it’s beautiful. And… it’s from you.” You can feel your neck warming as you speak. “I like to keep it on my desk when I’m working. Every time I get annoyed by something, I look at it, and it calms me down.” Your lips quirk in a little smile. “So you can imagine that I look at it a lot,” you say, half-joking, half-not. Because it’s true, you do stare at it a lot. The drawing always brings you peace. Because it reminds you of Jungkook. So fiery and bright, but also so lovely and delicate. 

“Jagi,” Jungkook says again, swallowing thickly. His arm squeezes you closer.

You take the frame from his hand, placing it on the nightstand, before shifting to face him, legs straddling his as you loop your arms around his neck. “Be honest - were you sending me a hidden message with this?” 

His ears are burning red again. “Maybe. Guess it worked.” 

You surge forward, kissing the cheeky smile right off his face. His hands settle on your hips, holding you tightly, as if right now there’s any danger of you leaving. There’s nowhere else you’d rather be, with no one else. 

But you’re also wondering something you’ve been wondering for a while now, and since he’s been so obliging so far, you decide to ask him one more question. “Can I ask you something?”

“Jagi, all you’ve been doing is asking me questions,” Jungkook grins. 

You roll your eyes at his teasing tone. “Yeah, okay, I just mean, can I ask about something that doesn’t have anything to do with your tattoos?” 

He nods. 

“If I hadn’t come to Paradise with my friends that night, would you ever have made a move?”

He clearly wasn’t expecting that question, judging by the look on his face. His eyes fall out of focus as they stare unseeing at you, and you know he’s lost in thought. You give him the time to find his way to an answer, running your fingers through his hair soothingly while you wait.

“I don’t know,” he finally admits. “I’d like to think that yes, I would’ve gotten up the nerve to talk to you. But it might’ve taken a while. Seeing you at Paradise kind of gave me an opening.”

“I think this still would’ve happened,” you tell him, suddenly filled with an unusual amount of confidence, bolstered by his hands on your waist, his eyes locked on yours, “all of this. I think we would’ve ended up just like this.” 

“How do you know that?”

“I would’ve worn you down at the mailboxes,” you grin. “At the rate we were going, it probably would’ve taken a decade, but we’d get there eventually.” 

He laughs, hands locking behind your back as he holds you close. “Or maybe I would’ve shown up at your door one night and danced for you. Maybe that’s what I did in another universe.” 

“I’m sure it worked,” you murmur, leaning closer to his lips. “I think in any universe, we end up like this. We’re just lucky that we got here so fast.” 

“The luckiest,” he agrees, closing the space between you. 

When you finally fall asleep again, you dream of falling through other universes, following the same dark eyes and wicked smirk through each.

If you liked this fic, please consider reblogging! Likes do not help it get seen by other readers. 💕

Masterlist 💜 Find me on AO3 💜 

© 2021-22-23-24 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

[shamelessrabbithole]

Serious question, Bunny, how do you think Cameron sees/perceives his fans? I think for him there are two groups: people from the Shameless fandom (and who are also into Gallavich, maybe even Mosher) and people who follow him from Star Wars.

I get vibes that he might just... not like them very much (unless maybe he gets a kid fan or a very pretty fan). He does his job and he does it well at cons but yeah, that's it. And he doesn't owe to fans for more than the service they purchase (which is a picture, a brief talk, etc), of course. It saddens me that the Shameless experience for him ended up being not so good because I know his character and Mickey means a lot for a lot of fans but I don't think he likes it a lot. I checked some comments from fans at cons asking him to sign his favorite Gallavich quote on a fanart or something and he said nothing came to mind and to please remind him or something. And again, I get that but idk. If fans know his own script by memory, how come he doesn't remember like one or two phrases from the role he played for years?

It specially saddens me because I loved him as Ian Gallagher so so much, and I'm sure that character is just buried in the past and he'd rather not being asked about it. Worst thing is that Ian Gallagher happens to look a lot like him (Jerome Valeska for instance doesn't, neither does his role in The Giver or his other movies). So I see him in pictures and I kind of see Ian, and I think of Ian being 31 like him and so on.

There's really a minimal chance I'd be able to see him in a con unless he comes to my country but even then, I don't think I'd go to see him. I would feel afraid that he'd think I'm either an annoying fangirl who can't get over a series or, well, Idk how he feels about his SW fans, but some people in general aren't very kind to geeky kind of fans. I know I'm probably just proyecting and I'm sure other actors who played LGTB roles might feel the same, specially if they were "shipped" but yeah I can't help feeling like that. It truly feels for me like paying for him to pretend to like me as a fan for two or three minutes. I'm still kind of sad about today news so that's why I'm thinking all this stuff, I believe.

I posted about this subject a little while ago. I wrote that Cam sees people as those with and without a SAG card. It was probably very mean of me, but I guess I was in a mood that day. But, essentially, I feel he is willing to give his time in a real, meaningful way to meeting people in his own industry. Whether they are an actor or a filmmaker or a game developer or an artist, as long as they have some connection to his own line of work, or tangentially to his inner circle, being a model or a deejay or an influencer, then they're worth the effort.

Everyone else falls under the heading of fan or "other," like a service person who cleans his hotel room or gives him a ride in their Uber. I think he's perfectly nice to service people; I don't get the sense he's unkind or a diva. Fans, however, have become a sea of faces for him, because how could they not at this point? He meets thousands every few months and there's no way he can parse them out and decipher among them.

I'm sure he's especially nice to children and maybe a pretty girl will pique his attention too, although, I think he's rather even-keeled at these things and doesn't show much favoritism in that way. I also don't know if he expressly feels more connected to Jedi fans versus Gotham or Shameless fans, but the Shameless fandom is the root of the toxicity he's experienced, so it's possible he can sense an unhinged Shameless fan from a mile a way and is more likely to move them along and out of his autograph line the quickest.

I also understand how you feel about wanting to meet him, but only under the circumstances where he'd see you as a person and not a dollar sign. Or that it wouldn't be so strictly limited and timed for efficiency, so that you feel like a cog in an assembly line. It's something I definitely struggle with too and I feel this unique pain often. And exquisitely. 🫂

[kriticallydamaged]

BRO HEAR ME OUT HES LITERALLY SO FINE

[love-amihan]

| ʜᴏᴍᴇ | ᴊᴊᴋ | ᴀᴏᴛ | ʜǫ | ꜰɪʟᴏ | ᴛᴀɢʟɪsᴛs | ᴍɪᴍɪ |

CRUSH // INUMAKI TOGE

amihan's note: oh god this is so embarrassing, some of this may or may have not how i acted towards my crush, out here exposing myself- bear with my humiliations i bought upon myself, happy reading!

summary: modern au wherein you have this crush on inumaki toge and you cannot function right whenever he's around. what can i say? he just takes away your words with his mere existence 🥴✋

crush!toge x gn!reader

the first time you noticed him was when he accidentally bumped to you yes it's cliche i know shhh

your friend happen to know him! would you look at that, luck's on your side

but it was a mistake asking your friend, yuta

he won't stop teasing you whenever toge's around

saw him passing by? yuta pokes your side and starts calling for toge, "toge c'mere!" then off you go to 'meet' your teacher to talk about that non-existent project you were gonna have.

your actions didn't go unnoticed by toge

he even joins yuta for the fun of it

oh you're having a good day? let's ruin that and make you humiliate yourself:

you inform your friends that you're having a great time so far, currently munching on your food happily.

all the stress gone along with the projects and homework that was piled up. until yuta thought it would be fun to ruin your streak.

he apparently just so happen to tell toge, out of all people, that it's alright to have lunch on your table.

surprise, surprise, the only available seat was beside you. "you little shit" you glare at yuta sitting across you who have the biggest smile on his face.

you gulp nervously as toge takes the seat beside you, "hey, i hope you don't mind" his soft voice making you feel fuzzy inside, oh that dreamy voice of his.

yuta gets all giddy, he chuckles at your state. he really thinks this will be the good time to introduce you, like c'mon you haven't even got time to fix yourself properly!

you're still recovering from the all-nighters you pulled. "i'm sure y/n is more than okay to have you here~"

yuta gestures to you, "l/n y/n, inumaki toge" toge turns to you smiling sweetly, "nice to meet you" he holds out a hand.

your throat becomes dry, looking back at him, trying not to look away because goddamn he looks good, who gave him the right?!

you snap out of your daze when you hear yuta's snickers, you feel heat rushing up your cheeks.

subtly rubbing your sweaty palm on your uniform before shaking his hand, "y-yeah, nice to meet you."

you mentally slap yourself for stuttering, quickly letting go of his hand and going back to your food. doing your best to pretend your crush is not beside you also eating his lunch.

after that faithful day, toge never fails to tease you with your little crush on him

oh did i forget to mention he's your classmate?

on top of that, you didn't even know how it ended up with having him as your seatmate

you can't help but give him side glances whenever the lesson starts

he will always catch your eyes on him making him smirk a little

one time, he straight up turns to face you staring right into your eyes small smile on his face, you squeak turning your head to the side quickly. you hear him chuckle at this before going back to writing down his notes.

if you're wearing glasses;

he playfully flirts with you if the teacher gives you a little break. he will nonchalantly pull your glasses off your face and try it on.

"woah, kinda high but not so far from mine" he said while scrunching his nose cutely. let's just say he wears contacts

he cocks a brow at you still wearing your glasses, "you think i suit this frame?" you nod your head hesitantly, looking away, face feeling hot.

"need my glasses please," you manage to mumble out. he chuckles nevertheless giving your glasses back.

there's this event on your school wherein toge was pulled from the sea of students

making him the center of attention, it was the usual event that the school hold every year wherein they teach you about relationships and such.

"what about you, young man?" the host points at toge's direction after giving a heartfelt speech about relationships.

"come and join me," your eyes zeroes on toge as he stands beside the host hands on his back, looking all polite and kind.

"anyone you fancy in these school?" the host puts his mic in front of toge gesturing at the crowd, toge smiles after getting the question.

"yes," a simple answer that have you a little disappointed because damn you're wishing that's you.

the host's smile gets wider, "oh we have a lucky one, such a fine handsome young man they would have."

the host continues the event letting toge go back to his seat after the little interview.

'indeed, lucky them' you thought to youself.

however, before toge could sit down. his eyes locks with yours, your breath hitch and busy yourself with your id looking at it like it's the first time you've seen it. yuta laughs at your crisis and shakes his head "you're hopeless."

yuta most likely forced you to have the courage to hit that follow button

you know what happened next? only a few seconds passed, he already accepts your follow request

of course, you come and check his profile right after

there's also that day when you encourage yuta to send a message to his crush

but yuta got an idea of making this fair for the both of you

he really likes the idea of you and toge working out

this is a great opportunity to push you towards him

he tells you to send a message to toge, so that it would be equal for you two

how stupid of you to agree with this boy

as soon as you hit send, you toss your phone to yuta wanting the floor to open up and just fall down on the bottomless pit

yuta gasp loudly seeing the response

he smacks your stomach which was closest in his reach and shoves your phone to your face, laughing loudly.

you: hey, i just wanna tell you that you're really smart and i can't help but also admire your pretty handwriting :>>

inumaki.mp3: oh thank you, thought you would compliment my face considering you stare more to it ;DD

your mouth hangs open looking back to yuta who's still laughing

to say that you're embarrassed and not wanting to exist right at this moment would be an understatement

last embarrassment for this headcanon

yuta just loves messing with you

there's this sports event in school wherein lots of students gets a chance to have an excuse to take picture with their crush if u're from philippines u know the feels

yuta takes this chance to get you one, of course he's that great of a friend like that

a little context for this, there's this kind of like a party for the students to enjoy after the long sports week that happened. with deejay and all plus the loud music blasting! -well our school provides one i dunno bout urs-

toge's sweating slightly after getting out of the crowd, still laughing from the little showdown they had in the center of the little crowd his friends gathered.

this day of the sports week is definitely his favorite part, his friends pats his back as they shout to each other over the loud music.

staying back where it's more calm and less people compare up in front where the students are jumping up and down restless.

yuta happen to pull you out just in time of finding toge with his friends chatting. he grins at you, you look back at him scared not knowing what's going on.

he drags you to where toge's group are standing, once you arrive you bite your bottom lip eyes widening after seeing toge.

you begin to turn on your heel and just straight up ditch yuta, however, luck's not on your side today. "togeee~!" yuta shouted patting his shoulder.

toge turns and sees yuta, smile still on his face. his eyes widens in recognition, "oh yuta!" he nod at him.

he moves his gaze to your back seeing you're about to flee the scene. yuta pulls you back making you face toge, "you remember them right?" toge nods giving you a smile.

you quickly look away, palms already sweating. your mind working on how to kill yuta in so many possible ways, "they wanna take picture with you, if that's alright?" yuta asked waving his phone, your plan scratching to killing him right now.

before toge could reply, his group of friends notices the little interaction and teases him.

"oh what do we have here?" nobara looks at the scene with a knowing smile, yuta pushes you to stand beside toge readying his camera.

yuji whistles seeing you two together, "c'mon~ put your arm around them!" yuji ushers, as toge's friend cheers in the background.

toge looks at you, his smile comforting you before wrapping an arm around your shoulder. you inhale deeply from your nose, trying to calm down yourself.

"smile for the camera!" yuta shouted having fun with this as he clicks away on his phone capturing every moment. yep, you're definitely gonna kill him later.

copyright © 2021 by love-amihan all rights reserved. do not repost in other platforms. reblogs are welcome and highly appreciated! <33

[silverlake-archive]

It’s...party time!

Saturday has finally rolled around here in Silver Lake ladies and gentlefolk, and we are ready to kick off our Back To The 90s party! Prepare for a day and night of games, dancing, and partying until the early hours! 

OOC: Please read the event descriptions below, as we have quite a lot going on with this event, both IC and OOC! There will be a few separate posts coming in regards to costume competition details and other things, so keep a lookout for those too!

Don’t forget to tag your event starters with #sl90s and send them to @slchat​ through IM as always to make sure we catch them! We’ll tag them as event starters on the starter blog, and will be taking them down once the event is over.

                    THIS WEEK’S BREAKDOWN OF EVENTS

FRIDAY 19th: 90s MEME HOUR

SATURDAY 20th: ***IC DISCORD CHAT EVENT***

Though we still do not have an official Discord server, this will be a onetime, IC chat event where characters can party it up in quick chat mode in both Five By Night and Los Globos and! The chat will start at 2 PM PST // 5 PM EST // 10 PM GMT  so set your alarms! If you would like to participate, just add bernard black#9974 before the event starts and we will add you to the server.

MONDAY 22nd: SURPRISE PLOT DROP!

WHEEL OF FORTUNE DROPS

Feeling lucky? Put it to the test when we bring out the big Wheel of Fortune! Spin the wheel if you dare and receive a prize or plot drop for your character specifically. More details to come in another post, but go grab your lucky socks and get ready. But be warned, some outcomes may not be pleasant!

ALL WEEK LONG: EVENT STARTERS, WHEEL OF FORTUNE DROPS, COSTUME VOTING, ETC.

FRIDAY 26th: 

The event officially ends. This will be the last chance to submit your votes for who your characters think should win the costume competition, after which time the votes will be tallied and the winners and runners up of the costume competition will be announced!

We start off our festivities at Five By Night! Here is all that will take place, listed below: 

Five By Night Main Bar Start off your evening by grabbing a tropical cocktail or beer at our main bar! The TV screens around our bar will be showing episodes of The Fresh Prince, Friends, Sex and the City, and even Twin Peaks!

If you get peckish, we have an entire array of nostalgic treats including Sno cones, Squeezits, Dunkaroos, some good old American Pie, and even an Easy Bake Oven DIY station! And not to mention the staple of any 90s party: pizza, pizza, and more pizza.

Board Game Mania In this room, we've got all the classics: Girl Talk, Operation, Mall Madness, Fraidy Cats, and even Do the Urkel! Come see if you’ve still got it with all the great board games you used to play.

Spin the Bottle x Seven Minutes in Heaven This one’s for those of you for whom the 90s was less childhood nostalgia and more sweet teen memories! Come join us for a good ol’ game of spin the bottle, complete with dares, shots to drink, and seven minutes in heaven for some special lucky someones! Ooh la la!

Movie Room If you want to get away from it all for a brief respite, you can come chill in our beanbag-strewn movie room, where we will be screening all your favorite 90s films, from Pretty Woman to Jurassic Park!

Video Games on the Upper Deck Thanks to a collaboration with Ready Player One, we’ve got consoles on our upper floor patio if you want to play Mario Bros, Zelda, Street Fighter, and more!

Arts ‘n’ Crafts on the Upper Deck Miss the time when you used to make arts and crafts in class, or just miss the feeling of being the chaotic kid who’d cover their hands in Elmer’s glue just to peel them off? Join us at the arts and crafts table where we’ll recreate all your favourite crafts, such as spaghetti necklaces, friendship bracelets, beaded lizard keychains, shirt bedazzling, and not to mention, all the scented markers you can sniff.

Annie Are You Ok, Karaoke Our famed karaoke rooms will be open all day and all night for anyone wanting to bust out a  ballad, belter, or beloved 90s rap song!  Think you can rap like MC Hammer? Belt a little Celine Dion? Take on a group Spice Girls rendition? It’s all happening here!

*FYI, if clubbing is not the scene for you, Five By Night will be keeping its doors open late into the night, until 3AM!

As soon as 10 PM rolls around, just two blocks down from Five By Night, Los Globos opens its doors and our guests will come pouring into the two-floored nightclub. We will have an array of deejays spinning the decks this night, including DJ Jude Nolan (a.k.a. DJ Rude Nolan) and DJ Ione Cora! 

Expect your favorite 90s acts including but certainly not limited to: Mariah Carey, Prince, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Salt-N-Pepa, *NSYNC, The Spin Doctors, Lou Bega, MC Hammer, TLC , Bell Biv DeVoe, Spice Girls, Ace of Base, Michael Jackson, Underworld, Backstreet Boys, Alanis Morisette, Wu-Tang Clan, Tim Dog, Haddaway, Milli Vanilli, Cypress Hill, Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, Marilyn Manson, Nirvana, Hole, Beck, Faithless, Blur, Vengaboys, Nine Inch Nails, The Prodigy, Aqua, En Vogue, Soundgarden, Vanilla Ice, Will Smith, and more!

We will be serving drinks specials on Gin and Juice, Samantha’s Cosmos, and the Jurassic Park canister special: 10 glowing test tube shots for only $10.99!

[ontherockswithsalt]

A Made Man

/1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ /7/ /8/ /9/ /10/ /11/ /12/ /13/ /14/ /15/ /16/ /17/ /18/ /19/ /20/ /21/ /22/ /23/ /24/ /25/ /26/ /27/ /28/ /29/ /30/ /31/ /32/ /33/ /34/ /35/

A/N: Please understand that this has been my vision for how karaoke night would unfold with this group forevveerrrrr so I’m excited we’re here. Nobody puts Bella in the corner mmkay? Oh and it gets a little suggestive so y’all know what we’re in for soon.

Chapter 36.

"So what about them?" Ben questions while we all witness Vinny and Bianca make their way to the karaoke microphones. "How long have they been together?"

"They're not," I tell him. "They just met tonight."

Ben gasps, eyes flying wider as he looks at us. "Shut up. I love that. I'm so glad this is happening."

We’ve stood up from our stools at this point, gathered behind our table for an optimum view.

Vinny receives his shot from the bartender, lifting it appreciatively to our table and tosses it back. Then he hands the empty glass off to the deejay and smacks his own chest with his palm as he gets the booze down.

Noble nudges my arm and chuckles in amusement. "Watch, watch."

The TV screens around the bar always display the upcoming song just before it starts and we glance up to see (I've Had) The Time Of My Life roll across the screen in fuzzy, bright purple text.

Vinny studies the monitor in front of him, furrows his brow, then looks out at us, confused.

The three of us all blow out a hard laugh while the rest of the bar is already excited, hooting appreciative cheers.

"Yes!" Bianca tips her head back and grasps Vinny's arm. "You know this one," we hear her assure him. "Dirty Dancing."

"Oh shit," he groans in realization.

"Look, the parts you sing are in green--" Bianca instructs, pointing to the screen. "Be ready, it starts quick."

Now I-- The song begins and Vinny glances around at the unexpected start and Bianca pushes against his shoulder to prompt him.

"... the time of my life--" He hesitates, edging closer to the microphone.

As soon as Vinny starts, Noble immediately hollers for him, clapping loud and triggering the crowd around us to scream out for the easily recognizable song.

"Oh my god." I mutter the words and my amazement keeps both my eyes and my mouth from closing while I watch.

Vinny cautiously sort of mumbles his initial part until Bianca joins in with hers. And when she does, the clear, airy melody actually starts to sound familiar.

Laughing at himself, Vinny drops his head and shakes it when the beat settles in. But it makes everyone around them cheer even more.

Bianca looks out, nodding at them as if to keep it coming for him. Then she goes to work during an instrumental measure, pops Vinny's microphone off the stand and hands it to him before lifting up the stand to move it out of the way. She does the same to her own mic, just in time to return to the screen and point to the new lyrics that roll in.

"This is you," she tells him.

"I've been waiting for so long… now I finally found someone to stand by me…" He tries to get the hang of the phrasing with only an instrumental track to back them.

When Bianca sings her part, it helps even out the tempo. She gestures to the screen again to alert him, "This is both of us--"

"Now with passion in our eyes, there's no way we could disguise it secretly…"

"Okay--" Vinny announces with a nod of confidence that’s starting to take hold the more everyone else around him cheers and joins in with the words. "I got it. I got it now."

"So we take each other's hand, 'cause we seem to understand the urgency…"

“Just remember!”

I smack my grip onto Noble’s arm and seeing this might seriously be how I die. “Holy. Shit, dude.” I’m struggling because I want to crack up but I’m too stunned watching and I can’t believe it’s happening. And Ben on the other side of Noble wailing “YESSS!” in appreciation makes it even funnier.

They fall more in sync as they build to the chorus and Vinny finally begins to relax next to Bianca.

“I’ve never seen a karaoke crowd like this,” Noble observes. “This is fucking hilarious.”

“I’d say we’re pretty rambunctious at our karaoke nights here in general,” Ben shouts over the music. “But this song always brings the house down and I’m loving them so much.”

I have to laugh at the guys gathered in front of Vinny and Bianca, singing along, dancing with one another and so into it.

Bianca starts off the second verse and encourages Vinny when it’s his turn. I’m amused every time he focuses intently on the monitor to follow the lyrics when he’s not entirely sure how to string the words together. And then parts will become more familiar to him, like he’s just saying fuck it and would rather deliver a good performance.

Ben wasn’t kidding about the song being a crowd favorite because when the chorus kicks in the second time, there’s literally a disco ball that lowers from the ceiling, casting colors all across the bar when the lights overhead go dark. The entire room erupts in this wild cheer and even though Vinny and Bianca have the mics, you can hear everyone like a collective chorus.

Because--

I’ve had the time of my life…

I finally notice I’ve been smiling all this time. This entire thing is funny and fucking joyful as hell and I don’t think I’ve ever experienced anything like it. I keep turning to drop my forehead onto Noble’s shoulder to laugh there against him and he does the same to me, gripping hard at my back and pulling me into a hug.

“Oh, my god,” he groans during the lively instrumental break and saxophone solo where everybody’s just dancing. “Dude, I’m fucking pissed this is happening,” he tells me. “He’s gonna win her over with this shit.”

“Oh, I think she’s winning him over,” I suppose. “But yeah, talk about lengths a guy will go to. He’s done it.”

“Yeah, I assure you she’s in love with him,” Noble decides. “Dammit.”

With a thoughtful tilt of my head, I peer out at the stage. “I’m kind of proud of him, though.”  Leaning my back against Noble’s chest, he keeps his arm draped over my shoulder. “I’d hyperventilate before I did something like this, so good for him.”

“How much shit are you gonna give him on Monday?”

“Dude, so much.” I chuckle. “I’ll never forget this for the rest of my life. I hope we’re partners forever and I can tell this story at his retirement party.”

Letting his head fall, Noble cracks up, his drunken laughter tickling the side of my neck. He pushes his face there, then he meets my cheek for a kiss.

Shifting in front of him, I turn my head and lean up to touch my lips to his. My hand grasping his face and into his hair, his grip trailing high along my side, I kiss him long enough to forget all that’s around us, for merely a still moment. Probably nothing to anyone else nearby, but for me it feels significant.

I've kissed him a hundred times but my heart's racing when I slip away. It takes me a second to notice it and I tilt toward him, nudging my head against the edge of his jaw to calm the flaring pulse I can feel between my ears.

Pressing my lips together to force some feeling there, I turn away after a quick, rough squeeze of Noble's hair in my fist. And I don't miss his throaty little grunt when I do. It doesn't matter how many other distractions surround us, he won't pass up a chance to react to a cursory hair tug.

Damn, it just sort of came over me how badly I need to go home with him. But I don't have to tell him when I meet his heavy gaze for a brief moment, then move away and reach for my drink when I remember what I'm supposed to be watching.

"Hey, you have to help me with something," Noble says. He follows in behind me and I feel his hands low on my hips. "Because I'm super horny and I might forget."

I nearly cough out my whiskey when I laugh and turn to face him once again with a narrowed gaze. "Oh yeah? A bar full of cute boys has got you super horny?”

“No.” He grins at me in the glittery darkness as I linger right there against his chest. “Just one. And he’s more fucking hot than cute,” he decides, before he dips his head so his mouth is at my ear. “And irresistible, and sexy as hell and god,” he groans. “I really wanna take him home and suck his dick right now. So forget cute, alright?”

Shit. I’m so buzzed and turned on and the weight of it, of my want for him, just tugs deep and hot inside me. Enough to make me chew on my own lip until I suppress the temptation. It’ll surface again, though, with a little more momentum. “Well damn." I smirk. "Don’t let me keep you from him."

With a nod to the front where Vinny and Bianca close out the last chorus, he proposes, “After this, let’s head out, yeah?”

“What am I supposed to help you with?” I remind him.

He gestures a finger up toward the microphones. "She can't go home with him. I don't know where this is all going to lead tonight. But if we turn our backs and her ass sneaks into a cab with him, I'm calling the cops."

I regard him thoughtfully. "Good plan. The cops'll totally get him."

“I mean it,” he laughs.

“You don’t trust Vinny?”

He lifts defensive shoulders. “I don’t trust… the situation just yet.”

While it’s a bit of a double standard -- Noble thought it was perfectly reasonable to run around with me in the city he’s supposed to avoid and yet he won’t let his sister out of his sight -- I understand.

And really I can’t determine whether Vinny and Bianca even have those intentions with one another. Right now they’re kind of jumping around on the stage while the music begins to fade out. And knowing him, he probably just wants to laugh the whole thing off, say his goodbyes before heading home for the night.

“Let’s hear it for Bella and Vinny!” The deejay announces to another adamant cheer from the crowd around the stage.

The two of them replace their microphones on the stands and deliver a bunch of high fives to everyone there. The idiotic pride I feel swells again and I can’t contain a smile when I clap hard for him as they return to the table.

“Good work, partner.” I laugh.

He slings an arm around me to pull me into a hug and I slap him hard on the back. “I found my true calling,” Vinny decides. “But seriously we’ve gotta get the fuck outta here soon.”

“No encore?” I question, reaching over as Bianca slides under my arm for a hug. I turn to her and pull her in. “Look at the magic you made happen with him.”

“I knew he could do it.” She shrugs.

“I don’t think we could top that.” He looks at her, his brows pulling together. “How many guys have you sung karaoke with?”

Bianca grins. “That’s a personal question.”

“But was I the best?”

She reaches out and pushes her palm flat against the center of his chest. Her head tips back with a laugh. “Oh my god.”

He smiles. “I just wanna know.”

“To be determined,” she gives her coy answer.

I glance over at Noble to see if he’s witnessing this and he shakes his head in disapproval.

“Alright, I’m gonna go settle my tab,” Vinny announces. “Be right back.”

Clearing my throat, I offer Noble a reassuring squeeze on his shoulder before I turn to follow Vinny to the bar. “Yeah, me too.”

[prorevenge]

More ProRevenge from the radio business.

The ProRevenge post that I made yesterday, about the radio business, was well-received. Someone asked me if I had any other stories from radio. This is the only other one that I could think of. It is more about my colleague Petey than about me.

I hope it qualifies as professional level revenge. At the time, it felt pretty pro. THIS IS A VERY LONG STORY.

Here we go:

Once upon a time, when terrestrial radio was popular, Brian was was one-half of a radio morning show. You know the kind that I am talking about, two pleasant personalities giving weather reports, rehashing entertainment gossip and playing a song or two.

I was the advertising sales manager for the station that broadcast his morning show.

Brian came to us from a larger city. Before working with us, he was an entry-level on-air person, doing overnight radio deejay shifts on the weekends and copying commercials from CDs so that they could be put on the air. This kind of job is the lowest position that a person could hold at a radio station. The position has since been replaced by technology.

It is important to understand that geography is critical when understanding the career level and prestige of an on-air and/or radio programming job. A job in a larger city (or most accurately described, a larger media market) usually pays more, has more listeners and is a more prestigious position.

As I mentioned before, Brian came to us from a larger city, which we will call BigVille. When you see BigVille, think LA, NYC, Chicago or San Francisco. The actual city doesn’t matter for this story.

Our station group is in, shall we say, MiddleBurg. My city is in flyover country but is hardly a sleepy little town. Cities like mine are San Antonio, Cincinnati, Salt Lake City and Jacksonville.

Brian’s transition to his job with my company was a huge step up in actual job title. He went from part-time lackey to full-time morning show radio personality. To make that jump, he moved down in market size from BigVille to MiddleBurg.

Brian’s boss, the station program director, was a guy named Petey. He was responsible for everything that was on the air, except commercials (which was my job), including personalities and music.

I think that his peaceful and kind personality was created by the fact that he and his wife had five kids at home. He was used to dealing with strong personalities and emotional conflict. In many tough professional situations, Petey was like the opposite of a catalyst. When he showed up things usually calmed down.

He was also a great person, evidenced by the fact that three of his five kids were adopted out of a foster care.

Over time, it became clear that Brian didn’t like nor respect Petey. It started with little snide comments to coworkers about so-called stupid decisions that he made. Brian’s familiar refrain was, “that’s not how we did it in BigVille.”

Brian made multiple attempts to get Petey fired. He would come into my office and say things like, “Petey’s decided to [insert managerial decision], don’t you think that this a terrible idea. This would never happen in BigVille?” I always just responded by deferring to Petey.

Eventually, it devolved into Brian screaming at Petey on a regular basis. He would get angry about something and unleash his fury. There were multiple instances where he stomped off and told Petey to go fuck himself, that he quit and was going back to BigVille. Brian would cool off and come back a few hours later.

At Petey’s urging, everyone acted as if nothing had happened. “He just needed to vent,” Petey explained.

Through it all, Petey was patient with Brian. The morning show performed fairly well, had many listeners and got good ratings. My sales staff sold gobs of commercials at good rates. We all made money. Petey was content to let Brian be a raging monster to him as long as he performed on air.

The thing is, though, his morning show wasn’t actually that good. It performed well in the ratings because there wasn’t much competition in this particular radio format. That changed a few years later when a competing station put a popular syndicated national program on the air against Brian.

His ratings immediately began to crumble. What was once a dominant morning show in the target demographic, was now facing stiff competition.

It was unclear if Brian even noticed the change. My sales staff and I noticed it. Demand sets prices and we suddenly had a lower-demand product that was selling at lower rates with fewer customers.

Eventually, my boss noticed and it was decided among the group of managers (including Petey and I) that a change needed to be made. If this had been corporate radio then Brian and his on-air partner would have been out-on-their-asses. Fortunately, this was a privately held company and the owners cared about people. They were willing to figure out a way to keep both morning show hosts on staff, including Brian, at current salaries, doing other on-air jobs somewhere else in the cluster of radio stations.

There was a window of weeks in which the managers knew that the morning show was going to change, but we weren’t sure to what the new programming was going to be. Only the management team knew about the impending change. Brian wasn't aware of his impending reassignment.

During this window, one morning, immediately after his morning show ended at 9, Brian went to Petey’s office to discuss the weekend remote schedule.

Remote broadcasts (simply referred to as remotes) are one way that a radio personality can make extra money. You have probably heard them on air: Hey there, this is Chickenboy, broadcasting live from Salmonella Chrysler, Ford, Jeep...etc.

For remote broadcasts, the advertiser pays the personality a talent fee. At the time, the hourly rate was $100. So, a deejay could do a two-hour remote, sitting around at a car dealership, bullshitting with the sales guys, and walk away with $200.

Most weekends there were five or six remotes. Petey was in charge of assigning talent to each remote. He tried to keep things as fair as possible so that all of his deejays had a chance to make extra money. Brian often lobbied for more than his fair share, and often got it

One Tuesday, after Petey had just assigned remotes for the following weekend, Brian stomped into his office, which was two doors down from mine. He demanded to know why he wasn’t getting more remotes. Petey calmly explained that he already had two of the six scheduled remotes for the weekend. That wasn’t good enough for him.

Brian then walked to my offices and said something like, “Don’t you think that the station advertisers would prefer to have a top morning show personality doing their remote instead of some random nighttime deejay? That is how we did it in BigVille.”

I replied, “Assigning remote talent is Petey’s responsibility. He will make good decisions for the advertisers and the station.”

He harrumphed, shot out of my office, and flew back to Petey’s, slamming the door.

From my office, two doors down, I heard him scream, “Fuck this. You are an idiot. I fucking quit. I'll go back to BigVille.”

He tore out of Petey’s office, through the front reception area and out toward the parking lot into the station-provided dealer demo car that he was driving around as part of an advertising promotion.

I gently walked over to Petey’s office and poked my head in.

“He’s just venting, right?” I said to Petey.

Petey replied, calmly, “You heard everything he said? You heard him say that he quit.”

“I am pretty sure half of the building heard it.”

Petey requested, “Could you follow me down to the business office?”

“Sure.” I knew what was about to happen.

We walked down to visit with the person in charge of Human Resources, Dolores.

“Brian just gave his resignation to me, verbally in my office. He heard it,” pointing to me. “Is there any additional paperwork that we need to do in order to formalize this?”

Dolores said that it would be best if Petey wrote a memo to Brian, describing what happened in the office, and formally accepting his resignation on behalf of the company.

Then, Dolores began the process of separating Brian from the company. She turned off his access key code to the building and turned off his company email.

Petey prepared the memo.

I wish that I had been at the station when Brian returned. Unfortunately, I was away on a sales call. Here is what Petey and the station receptionist told me:

Brian showed up a few hours after the blow up, like normal. He tried to enter the building through an employee-only side door. His code didn’t work.

He marched around to the front of the building and through the main, public door. Inside of the reception area, he tried his code again, to get through the door into the employee area. The code didn’t work. “Fuck!”

The receptionist called Petey. He flew up to the front with memo in hand.

In the reception area, in front of the receptionist, Petey said, “Brian, your resignation has been accepted. This memo is for you. Would you please sign here that you received it?”

Brian was dumbfounded. He signed the paper acknowledging receipt, still not saying a word.

“We will need the keys to the dealer demo that you have been driving.” Petey continued.

Brian detached the key from his ring and handed it over.

“We will box up all personal items in your desk and in the car and overnight it to you. Should I send it to your current address or somewhere in BigVille?"

Brian said "current," a tear welling in his eye.

The receptionist called him a cab.

Brian sat in front of the station office building, crying, until his cab arrived.

—

Brian tried to get another on-air job in our town but I don’t think that he ever got anything. I have no idea where he is or what he is doing.

His former on-air partner is still working on-air, doing afternoons on a different station.

We replaced Brian’s show with a better show. The ratings recovered.

The car promotion moved to afternoons. The afternoon drive deejay gratefully drove the dealer demo car around for three months.

(source) (story by radioburner9988)

[unicornio-unicorniando-blog]

Online Vocal Instruction And Singing Techniques

The Advice on Singing

- There are a number of basic singing exercises offered to help you be considered a better singer, or even a rudimentary knowledge of these fundamentals can dramatically boost your voice

-  In fact, learning a variety of singing exercises is vital in succeeding as a much better performer

-  Always remember that even very talented singers must practice on a regular basis and ensure they look after their voices

-  By doing this, they have an inclination to harness the talent they have and employ it to its maximum advantage

That being said, obviously there are some pointers which you can use to aid train your voice and have it to where you desire to be. Two of the most important exercises could possibly be two of the most obvious, but they're actually the least utilized. Interesting, isn't it. Well, the two thing are, singing itself and recording yourself. One of the most important and finest things you can do when you wish to improve your singing, is always to actually sing whenever and wherever you'll be able to, all the time.

Your voice is like anything else that you might want to cultivate as well as the more you employ it and develop it, better it will become. It's a basic rule to check out however it is so very important. Your voice can be a muscle which needs to be exercised and also the more its exercised the greater its likely to perform to suit your needs. Have you ever noticed that sometimes a certain song comes on radio stations that's never a problem to suit your needs to sing before, is now a little difficult in your case to sing comfortably?

This is because the muscle, "your voice", will not be exercised and therefore loses a few of its ability. Sometimes it loses a lot of it ability. So doing the point that you really love the most, which can be singing, you'll regularly exercise the pc muscle as well.

-  You can start by picturing yourself doing it

-  In fact, you can go on it a measure further by simulating it

-  For example, you can grab a brush or any situation that includes a long handle

-  Then you stand it front of the mirror and commence singing

-  The aim is to feel more confident in regards to the concept of singing

-  By being able to see yourself within the mirror, you'll be convenient of using the microphone and humming out the tunes

Facial expression can seriously curtail your singing in case you let that person have its way. Try singing a really high note and notice what that person does. Chances are, your jaw and throat become very tight. The veins stick out. You might even increase your head just as if physically reaching for the note. NONE OF THIS IS HELPING YOU HIT THAT NOTE. In fact, that person is so that it is much much harder to sing it than in the event you used no facial expression whatsoever.

Not all great singers are created exactly the same way when you are. There is nothing different in how a large amount of great singers are born. They do not have bigger lungs or better shaped vocal chords to allow them to sound awesome. What they have may be the expertise in the way you use their voice the appropriate way when singing and you may learn that as well.

It could be the sweet melodies with the impromptu African acapella sung in the 3 or 4 - part harmony at any sort of function where individuals are gathered, mostly family or friends, or even the radio deejay playing smooth, silky soulful sounds about the local station or yet it may be the church choir on an early Sunday morning singing "Hallelujah"

-  It does not matter which part of your lifetime you see it in music is not resisted or avoided

-  I give you some precious thoughts I have around the arena of music

Place your hand around the corner where your chin and neck come together. Now swallow. Did you recognize that thing moving up and down your throat once you swallowed? That little thing is termed your larynx. You can feel it move whenever you swallow, nevertheless, you should not be able to feel it move if you sing. If you do feel it move, you're singing the wrong method.

- The easiest way to start out deciding on a striker is usually to search for a store that sells singing bowls in person

-  Here you will discover a good selection to choose from

There are other varieties of chords you can learn, apart from the major triad. The "major six" consists of the most important third chord, plus the sixth note. The "major six add nine," obviously, consists of the most important six plus the ninth note. The "major seven" can be a major triad in addition to the seventh note, whilst the "major nine" is the major seven plus the ninth note. There are countless other chord variations, and several can be truly complex and challenging. But you can use all of these chord structures as the building block if you learn to sing harmony.

Actually my present seems to be cemented in classic or traditional country as aficionado's reference it and again there are numerous favorites it hard to pick one over another, numerous great songs you merely wish you can sing them all. Somewhere across the early nineties I decided that I would perform some writing of my own, personal and compiled a ten song cassette's worth of home grown. We went in to the studio and recorded it with a few of the highest quality musicians on earth producing something I was proud to set my name on. I didn't do much with it incidentally of promotion because concurrently I was too involved operating a trucking business that consumed almost all of my waking hours.

Proper Posture for Better Singing

- Are you looking for ways to learn how to sing vibrato

-  Well, it's vital to realise why when make use of it

-  A number of singers use vibrato to reach a fantastic crescendo

-  However, one of the leading hurdles faced by many singing beginners is learning to sing this vocal style

-  Many people progress to attempt to become skilled at some other singing method and they're struggling to achieve the correct tune to sing vibrato

-  Learning to sing vibrato is imperative since it adds flavor for your voice

-  This will also open other doors for the career, because everyone likes it and many people stop trying from becoming skilled at it, so that it includes a high demand

Currently, you will find only 2 Justin Singing dolls singing hits including Baby and One Less Lonely Girl. The other dolls are each put on another fashion outfit including red carpet, street and music awards. Each fashion doll comes with the 12" Doll, unique fashion outfit and microphone, sunglasses and headphones, as well as a collectible mini magazine. Singing dolls comes with a 12" doll with outfit from his famous music video combined with the music from any particular one video in addition to a collectible mini magazine.

- It was the director Anurag Basu who noticed Hritik singing once after pack up

-  He insisted that Hritik should sing a song inside the movie, and after much prodding Hritik finally consented to sing that song

-  Being the bona fide and hardworking sort, he tried his level best anf the husband adds that he isn't a professional singer

-  However, the director Anurag Basu was so excited which he continued to advise that Hritik should think of music as a substitute career

If you're shy your singing and speaking will probably be shy. There are terrific books, videos, seminars and classes which can help you with this particular problem. Go on the internet, visit a bookstore find the best therapist. But first you have to admit and accept your shyness. If you shrug it well and say "oh that's only the way I am" you might never be a singer or public speaker. You don't have to affect the way you are, but you do should try to learn the way to place it aside when you're performing.

Our annual Awards Night gala was quickly approaching, and I wanted singers and dancers. Jennifer approached me planning to sing...a solo! We brainstormed and found the ideal song; a straightforward, yet catchy tune. What came next? Leading up to the important night was comprised of weeks of rehearsing, minor breakdowns, and Jennifer ultimately mastering the song; along with she managed. She performed beautifully, being a shining star! She owned it looking at bavarian motor works logo that has reached over 100 people! Was her performance perfect? No, but the thing that was perfect was her ability to surpass her fears, and are proud of herself for who she was and what she accomplished. This was successful, not the failure she had been conditioned to.

How to Develop Your Singing Skills

- You might be a novice to the karaoke scene but there are several that have become so pleased to be singing who's has spread nationwide in popularity

-  People really adore to sing mainly because it makes them happy relieves many of the stress of the day and so they like to have some fun at the same time

-  Even professional singers enjoy commencing a bar and singing along to a karaoke machine

-  You are usually with people that have a similar tastes while you and that means you are out for any good time

What do we do, as Voice Professionals, whenever we must sing a concert, provide a presentation or speech, whenever we wake up your day of our event and also have an excessive amount of mucus on our vocal cords as well as in our throat? This is among the numerous challenges in the Voice Professional. Excess mucus is practically always due to something. Diet.

- There are many different varieties of singing lessons available these days

-  Of course, there is certainly still the woman across the street which will to utilise her piano and play scales as you sing along

-  That will never change

-  But, i am not saying that she is the best way to learn how to sing

-  Just have a look at some singing course reviews and you'll notice that these day there are many alternatives to the traditional methods

There are other varieties of chords you can study, aside from the major triad. The "major six" contains the most important third chord, together with sixth note. The "major six add nine," as you know, contains the most important six as well as the ninth note. The "major seven" can be a major triad plus the seventh note, even though the "major nine" is the main seven as well as the ninth note. There are countless other chord variations, and several could be truly complex and challenging. But you may use these chord structures since your foundation once you discover ways to sing harmony.

They must activate their creative mind! Sounds like an oxymoron, that singers should try to learn to activate their creativity... But it's the  singers have trouble accessing higher amounts of creativity. Why? Because most of them are utilizing their and engaging their left brain hemisphere a lot more than their right brain hemisphere.

Learn to Sing Songs

- Learning how to sing songs properly can be a testing time

-  While some everyone has lots of singing talent and pick-up things effortlessly with hardly any effort others struggle with concepts and application of these singing techniques

-  So what sets these individuals apart

-  These discover how to sing properly tips may shed some light for the issue

Currently, there are only 2 Justin Singing dolls singing hits including Baby and One Less Lonely Girl. The other dolls are each dressed up in a different fashion outfit including red carpet, street and music awards. Each fashion doll comes with the 12" Doll, unique fashion outfit and microphone, sunglasses and headphones, plus a collectible mini magazine. Singing dolls includes a 12" doll with outfit from his famous music video combined with the music from that specific video as well as a collectible mini magazine.

- What most experienced wedding planners feel is that you simply cannot really do without one or perhaps the other because every one has a unique role to play

-  Most people believe that a live band is essential for wedding music because it can begin to play the level of music that goes best with all the occasion

-  Not only will this guitar rock band be able to provide music for the main ceremony and the events before it nonetheless it may also play dance music to keep guests entertained through the reception

Warm up is an additional important things to accomplish to be able to sing well. Our voice have to be gently heated up as a way to are very effective and avoid damage. Singing intensely without right warm up will produce a harsh and rough sound and definately will eventually damage your voice box (larynx). Even 10 mins of warm-up is enough. Warm up exercises on your voice include breath control, scale exercises and humming.

Conventional singing lessons can be very expensive without any guaranteed results. However online lessons are not only affordable, but also help to further improve your singing as lessons could be repeated as frequently as you would like. Expertise that has been once available the wealthy is available at the internet at affordable rates.

[ear-worthy]

“Spotify: Mic Check” Latest Episode: EQUAL Opportunities For Female Musical Artists

I have a confession to make. If it weren’t for the Spotify: Mic Check podcast, my playlists might include five artists in total. And three of them would be The Beatles. That’s just sad. But thanks to Spotify: Mic Check, I get the opportunity to listen to music from around the world and from U.S.-based artists who have gotten exposure from Spotify’s EQUAL program.

Spotify has released the newest episode of its original podcast series, Spotify: Mic Check, focusing on several voices from Spotify’s EQUAL program, which is committed to extending resources and generating more impactful opportunities for women in music.

You can listen to the full episode here.

In this episode, Spotify: Mic Check sits down with a few artists/ambassadors who have seen first-hand success from the EQUAL program, including Mickey Guyton, Silvana Estrada, Margaret, JOPLYN, and BruSes. The talented group of artists covers important topics including gender equity, advocating for other female artists, tapping into vulnerability to write music and more.

Available to stream for free exclusively on Spotify, please see below for interview highlights in the episode.

Mickey Guyton on uplifting other rising female country artists and making an impact. “If I see an artist and a woman that’s talented, I’ll pick up the phone, and I’ll call my A&R, and I’ll be like, “Hey, I met this girl. I’ll send her music over”, whatever, because that’s how you pay it forward. And that’s the only way that I believe things will get better in this industry for women as a whole.”

Silvana Estrada on how music has helped her find her place and voice in the world. “I grew up in a family of musicians. My parents, both my mom, she’s a clarinet player and my dad, he’s a double bass player. And they also make instruments. I also grew up feeling like music is a beautiful tool, like to create community and to create identity. And I learned through music kind of my role in this world. And because of that, I’m super grateful every day.”

Bruses on tapping into deeper pain and vulnerability to create her music. “Um. I had a bad car accident when I was 20, about five years ago. And I died. I actually died. I went into a coma and I woke up and that just changed my entire life. I knew that I wanted, or at least I had to try, to be an artist, and I had to write about this stuff that I was feeling, you know? And I was, I was ready to talk about my issues, my real issue, which is living with depression and anxiety…”

Margaret on equity and advocating for women in music. “Sisterhood is really a big thing in my art, in my songs. But sometimes when it comes to talking about it, just it’s too many emotions for me sometimes. I get very emotional. Have this record label. So I always make sure that amount of artists is equal, so if you have one male artist, then I’m like, okay, so now I’m going to look for a female artist. So it’s always like, you know, 50/50, showing that like women are as just talented as men.”

JOPLYN on encountering sexism in the music industry. “…and of course, you tend to get sexualized a lot. Especially as a female deejay, I feel like what happens when you’re on stage deejaying, you hear comments from left and right, and it’s not a good feeling. But I think as, uh, as awful as all of that is, I think it’s also like such a chance always to be the odd one out because you always, you know, stand out. You’re always, whether you want to or not, part of the movement and getting more women into this world because the moment you put yourself out there as a woman doing what you’re doing and like showing how passionate you are about that, you’re actively working on more.”

You can listen to the full episode here.

[a-tardis-at-downton]

A/N: It’s two in the morning and I don’t have the gumption to do any more editing. Inspired by REO Speedwagon and Nicholas Rush, the prickliest teddy bear in the world.

In which Belle French deejays for the university radio station and enjoys REO Speedwagon way too much, Rush is her grumpy college professor who just wants her to succeed and encourages her in his own way. Belle, as always, sees the best in him because really, Rush did mean well. He’s just awful at emotions.

Belle French was nose deep into Steinbeck’s To A God Unknown, a personal favorite and occasional re-read of hers. The headphones were looped around her neck, the bulky earpieces providing a perfect perch for her chin as she passed time in the silence of the radio station. The sound box was to her left, within arms reach, and the computer awaited her next queue up, blinking steadily as the final strains of U2 faded out. Belle’s focus was pulled away from her book and she popped her headphones on, patching the mic through.

“This is Belle French, the only lonely DJ here at ZZUX, and here we have our next request. Bob, if you’re listening, U2 is the band for ultimate broken-hearted jam, so, well chosen, my friend.”

She was tired, and if it was unprofessional to clear her throat on air, there was no one around to say otherwise. All she had for company is Joseph the fortunate farmer and the steady flurry of snow outside the studio windows.

“Up next is a personal favorite of mine. Let’s take a moment to appreciate REO Speedwagon’s Keep On Loving You,” Belle nearly grinned at that. It was something of a personal joke of hers, considering her and three other people listened to the university’s station at three in the morning. What’s the harm in playing the same song five nights in a row?

Kevin Cronin’s vocals, high and smooth, filled the air, and Belle shifted in the ridiculously uncomfortable office chair she’d roped from her boss’ office. What Keith didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. Returning to her novel, she pressed on, eager to discover the fate of Joseph and his paramour, as if she hadn’t read it a thousand times. The words began to blur in front of her, and she blinked blearily. Belle rubbed her eyes, and at that, nearly missed the blinking light of the telephone, and sighed.

Slipping off her headphones, Richrath’s amazing guitar solo faded as she answered the phone. 

“Hello,” her voice chirped, saccharine and kind, despite her annoyance at being interrupting.

“You know, I’ve been listening to this station for some time, and quite honestly I enjoy it. What I don’t enjoy is hearing REO Speedwagon five nights in row,” A unfamiliar brogue grunted out over the crackling line, shaking and unclear. Belle cast a look towards the window, mind drifting to her early morning walk back to her apartment.

“I’m— sorry?” she said after a moment, brows knitted together in confusion.

“Yes, well, see to that, if you will.” Click.

“I— Oh, my god, he hung up on me.” Belle glowered at the phone, jamming it down on the receiver and scowling at it as if the inanimate object were at fault. Her mood had been sullied by this mysterious caller, and she ground her teeth, jaw jumping with irritation.

“It’s three in the morning, prick!” Belle shouted. To absolutely no one. Because she was alone.

God, she was tired.

Heat suffused her cheeks, and a blush of shame erupted across her features.

“Fuck.”

Her head dropped to her hands, and she frustratedly rubbed at her temple. Her physics final was next week, when class resumed after break, and she had no idea where to start, she’d offered to take Mulan’s shifts for the next month, and she was royally screwed after the disastrous Thanksgiving row she and Gaston had gotten into. He’d been a bit awful, honestly, as far as boyfriends went, but she’d thought that perhaps, with a little attention and some more of her time, he might see that they could be well-suited. That hadn’t gone over well.

Instead, she’d been bulldozed by every class she’d had this semester, and her only hope of passing her physics course was by the grace of God Almighty, or Doctor Nicholas Rush, as it were. Rush was everything Belle despised in professors; arrogant, too casual, and cruel to those he perceived as beneath him, which apparently was everyone, he annoyed Belle and she could not wait to pass his exam, though with her luck in that course, she’d have to dredge through it for one last semester until he pitied her and passed her through simply for the joy of never needing to see one Belle French again.

Belle French was an utter failure, and she felt very little joy in passing off the headphones and studio duty to a bright-eyed Fred later, who, bless him, had thought to bring Starbucks. Belle’s walk home was slow and meandering, her eyes squinting at the dappled rays of sunshine that burned through the slate of grey clouds above. Her bag was heavy, and she stopped to readjust the straps a time or two. Augusta was a small town, with a main road blinking out advertisements from shop windows that boasted New Tech! IPA here! Town meeting at four!; it was certainly smaller than Portland, Maine, and as such, the sleepy town was rarely witness to her morning journey home. Today, more than ever, she thanked the unknowing residents, because she had slipped on the unsalted sidewalk no less than three times in the three block walk to her apartment, the snow and ice making travel difficult, and her heels, chosen prior to the unexpected weather, making travel impossible.

A good twenty minutes later, Belle stumbled noisily into her home, hissing out a no as her keys clattered on the table far too loudly for— she studied the clock— six in the morning.

A door squeaked, and Ruby poked her head out from behind, her long hair tangled with sleep and her eyes still shut.

“’S okay?”

“Yes, Ruby, I’m sorry, everything’s fine. Go back to bed.”

Belle plopped onto the couch, staring forlornly at her backpack, it’s keychain winking in the pale morning light. She groaned, guttural and long, and reached for the remote instead.

The next night found her similarly busied, and she thought very little of the caller who had demanded so callously that she stop playing REO Speedwagon. Classic, she thought, and anyone who says otherwise is a complete idiot.

Complete Idiot did, in fact, call again when the opening strains of Don’t Let Him Go played, the steady, staccato drumbeats filling the air.

“Please, stop playing REO Speedwagon. Maybe Def Leppard, Journey, or if you like trite favorites, and you seem to have taste limited by that, try Aerosmith.”

This time is was Belle who hung up.

She played Take It On the Run next.    

By the time dead week was over, she’d run the station’s entire music selection through twice, and not a single person was the wiser for it.

The morning of her final dawned dark and gloomy, and Belle thought wryly, that it was fitting really. The physics study session she’d had with Ruby had been largely unsuccessful, especially since Ruby had taken the course over three years prior. Belle tried not to think about how she’d wished she’d done the same.

Pulling on her leggings and a crisp, blue pencil skirt to match her blue buttoned blouse, she shoved her boots on before lumbering out of her room. The clatter of a plate on the counter had her furrowing her brow.

“Ruby?”

Belle cocked her head, watching as her friend pointed to the clock.

“I thought you left, like, an hour ago. Dude, you’d better grovel now.”

8:45.

Her physics final was supposed to start at—

No.

“Nononononononononono!” Belle shouted as she sped down the stairs, swaying wildly as she peeled out onto the street, running as fast as her boots could take her.

Eight and a half long minutes later and out of breath, she tugged nervously at her hair, scuffing her boots on the shiny marble tile outside of Doctor Rush’s office. She was fully prepared to prostrate herself at his feet, offering up whatever she could— which wasn’t much at all, she knew— in exchange for a chance at the final. Without it, there was zero chance of her passing Rush’s class. An hour had gone by, and rather than bore herself to tears when she was so close to them already, she opened her novel and immersed herself in the dusty California farmlands.

A grunt interrupted her, and she looked up to see Rush fishing in his pocket, his keys jangling as he stuffed one into the lock on his office door. Her book snapped shut, almost of it’s own accord, and Belle sprung to attention, her full height drawn up the length of her spine. She stood straight as he walked into his office, unbothered, it seemed, by her presence. She may walk away defeated, but she could still be pro— no, no, there was no pride to be had here. Not when her entire future lay on the temperament of an ill-mannered professor.

His office door was ajar, and the soft light from the single lamp beckoned her. Still unsure, she gave a tentative knock at the doorjamb.

“Enter,” came his voice, and he was quieter today, less firm, somehow, and though she’d never say it aloud, and certainly not to him, he sounded soft. Bristles of silver stood out on his cheeks, and he sucked in a breath and let it out in a long suffering sigh.

“I s’pose you’ve come to grovel now, aye?” His glasses glinted in the warm light of his reading lamp, even as he sat, the leather of the chair groaning as he settled. Belle gulped. Bravery, that is key.

“Y-yes. I— really… I had a late shift, and…”

“I’ve not got all day. Out with it, or you can leave and see me next semester.” Rush leafed through the sheaf of papers on his lap, pulling a few out here and there, seemingly at random, his dark gaze focusing on his task.

“You’re a horrible professor, you know.” She hadn’t meant to say it, really, but she was running on three hours of sleep and no coffee and dear god, if the earth could just open up and swallow her now, that would be amazing.

His long hair fell forward limply as his head snapped up, and Belle’s eyes widened, her mouth open to offer any apology for her gross misstep. Instead, a sharp noise jolted her from her stupor, a loud crack filling the air, and then another, and another.

He was— clapping?

“I’m—”

“Miss French, you astound me. Not only do you fail to grasp the most simple of concepts, but you manage to insult me and tell the truth at once. Well, half-truth,” he leaned forward, his lips pressing tightly together as he studied her, and she had never felt more exposed, “You see, I’m not horrible at teaching. You are horrible at retaining what I’ve taught, however,” he considered her once more, “however, I’m not a complete bastard, as some in the rumor mill would suggest. As such, I will let you take my final. I want to see how much you’ve learned.”

Belle’s eyes blistered with tears of thanks, but before she could offer a watery gasp of contented and heartfelt apology, his eyes traced her knotted and mussed hair, her disheveled clothing, and bid her sit. Any further arguments from her would wait until her grade had been submitted and she was out of his class.

“But that final will be taken here and now, Miss French.”

Dread crept up her spine and she dropped into the seat across from him. Rummaging in his bag a moment, he brandished a copy of the final in front her, before handing it over.

“I assume you came prepared?”

Belle searched her bag, but it was with a heavy heart that she remembered lending Ruby her last pencil before heading out for her late night shift the night before. Flushing, she couldn’t bear to see the smug grimace on Rush’s face, instead taking her time selecting a pencil from his proffered canister.

The clock ticked away the time, and an hour and thirteen minutes after she’d begun the exam and fifty-seven questions into the blasted things, she noticed. A gentle hum of a tune had begun, struck up by the man across from her. He had barely moved, except to cross the short distance to his small coffee maker and pour two cups earlier, one of which he had quietly placed next to Belle— unexpected, the coffee filled her warmth. At least, she told herself that it was the coffee and not the act of kindness itself that made her grin. But now, his foot tapped out a beat, soft against the plush carpet of his small, cramped office, and the beat was vaguely familiar.

The bassline for REO Speedwagon’s Keep On Loving You. Suddenly, realization crashed in around her, as though she’d been doused with cold water.

“Yes, well, see to that, if you will.” The snide tone, the deep brogue that demanded so much of her. A brilliant blush of scarlet bloomed across her cheeks, and she was thankful that Rush didn’t look up. Her heart seemed to beat out a thunderous dance in her chest, and she swallowed her nerves. Surely he knew who she was, of course he had. He had to! Belle studied him then, perhaps seeing him for the first time. His blazer was crumpled where it lay on his sidetable and his navy teeshirt had a few snags, and a slight stain, she assumed from coffee, even as he absently lifted his mug to his lips and let a drop dribble from the corner of his mouth.

“Shit!” he hissed, scrambling for the box of tissues that was perched very haphazardly at the edge of his desk, “sorry,” he placated, as though remembering he had company as he blotted at his stubble. His brown eyes found hers, and she allowed a grateful smile to brighten her face, and Rush attempted one, it seemed. His lips quirked into something of a half-grin, loose and unnatural, and for a brief moment, Belle wondered if Rush had many reasons to smile often in his life.

She busied herself with the last of her final then, and with only two questions left, Rush’s voice was clear and pronounced as he called, “Time!”

Belle set the final in his outstretched hand, and Rush nodded.

“Go.”

Though she’d been dismissed, Belle took her time gathering her things, and offered a last smile.

“Thank you, Doctor Rush, really. Thank you.”

She pulled the door shut and went on her way.

Three weeks later and well into her last semester, she spotted him crossing campus, coffee thermos in his hand and files balanced in the crook of his opposite hand. Belle grinned, and started for him.

“So,” she caught up to him, and Rush startled, “why do you hate REO Speedwagon so much?”

Rush paled, and the way his skin drained of color almost had Belle laughing, but she grinned good naturedly instead, and his cheeks soon pinked.

“I—”

“No half-truths this time, Doctor Rush.”

“I don’t, not really. You,” he straightened, drawing to his full height, and his glasses perched awkwardly at the tip of his nose, reddened with the January air, and he coughed, “you were lonely. I thought maybe I would call. You said you—”

Belle’s heart flew to her throat, and her lips parted. Her lungs squeezed out her last breath in a puff of white, and her hands found purchase at the lapels of his blazer. His lips were soft beneath hers, pliant and unsuspecting, and his stubble scratched into her chin and lips and cheeks as he moved with her, pressing close, as if he wanted to be as near to her as he could.

He tasted of coffee.

A shuddering gasp for air parted them, and Belle was unsure which of them had broken their embrace.

“Call me Nicholas, please.”

“You’re an idiot, Nicholas.”

Belle grinned.

Three and a half months later, Belle’s last shift at the university radio station had begun with Nicholas plying her with a new book and a very large coffee, earning him an eager kiss.

Sometime later, nose deep in her novel and with the beat of Seven Bridges Road fading out, the phone rang.

“I’d like to hear Can’t Fight this Feeling,” the caller requested, Nicholas’ voice soft and low over the crackle of the phone line.

“By?” Belle nearly laughed at the long suffering sigh, audible over the line.

“REO Speedwagon.”

[impulsetravels]

playlist. 08 december 2021.

peven everett - testin me // chi mr. jukes + barney artist - blown steam (open up your mind) // ldn dj harrison + nigel hall - coffy // richmond + d.c. anderson .paak - jewelz // el lay kaytranada + mach-hommy - $payforhaiti // montréal + haiti + el lay keys n crates - chopped soul // toronto bonobo + jordan rakei - shadows // uk + el lay joao donato - liasons (dibiase remix) // brasil + el lay logic1000 - 21 // sydney + ldn flight facilities + drama - move // sydney + compton manatee commune - majestic driver // seattle classix + local natives - weekends // el lay charlotte adigéry + bolis pupil - blenda // france + ghent + martinique + guadeloupe fat freddy's drop - razor // new zealand — empanadamn live impulse mix: moonchild + alex isley - you got one // el lay + jersey mean joe scheme - p.s. (breathe + stop) // bk lakim + boombaptist - jerry mane // va + atx deejay theory - sensemilla problems // sf khruangbin + leon bridges - b-side // htown + dallas tennyson - iron // watertown cutted files - she // ? poison zcora - mcgroogor send // ldn daniel maunick - a chance to see again // ldn mr. sonny - james dirty // philly + el lay gazzi - mejor soltera, tía // barcelona ion the prize + cardi b - horchata please // sf + bx dj delish + deee-lite - oh, la la [kier kut up] // philly + nyc kooxla - bkbxqm // qns sepha - lost woods (sepha bmore remix) // washington mosca - the whole place was crawling // españa arma - sade tool (feat. sade) // ldn 4am kru + layla sibelle - keep 4 eva (extended mix) // ldn » LISTEN «

[dagr8fm]

Haven's Way

All the way from Indianapolis, Indiana Dagr8FM presents Haven Ways.  Born June 8th, 1996 Haven Ways is the youngest of 5 children introduced to the world of music by a cousin named Deejay.  Growing up, his life was far from perfect.  Diagnosed with A.D.H.D. as a youth, Haven Ways struggled to excel academically and socially amongst his peers.  Family life was not ideal either, both of his parents were together for the beginning of Haven Way’s life into his adolescent years.  Everything changed when his father began developing an excessive drinking habit.  His irresponsible behavior grew so rampant he ended up losing their family home and they were forced to move in with relatives.  This resulted in a slew of financial woes and shortcomings that began to take a major psychological toll on Haven Ways and his family.  These issues reflected in his performance in grade school.  He began to focus more on his external issues than his school work which led him to drop out during his senior year.  Fortunately, after realizing that he, along with all the other dropouts, was headed down a very dark road that would probably have ended him up dead or in a prison cell, Havens Ways made the conscious decision to re-enroll and complete his secondary education.

During these tough times,Haven Ways really started to take his music career seriously. He had always written songs but now they were so much more meaningful.  He wrote about the many turmoils of his upbringing like living with a disability and experiencing the negative effects of alcoholism.  He began using his writing as an emotional outlet, a means to maintain sanity in a world plagued by strife and inequity.  One of his most popular tracks “Trying”, available now on all music platforms, is a primary example of his mindset.  The song itself is beautifully produced featuring subtle bass kicks, piano notes, and string instruments to really give off an R&B meets neo-soul/jazz vibe very reminiscent of artists such as Chance the Rapper and Lyfe Jennings.  As for the message being conveyed, Haven Ways simply says that despite all that he has gone through in life so far he will persevere.  He talks about hoping to “touch a million”, drowning the feelings that have consumed him for so many years, and how he refuses to settle for his current circumstances.  This track is surely to become an anthem for individuals feeling defeated along life’s journey.

Presently, Haven Ways is working hard in the studio finalizing his upcoming motivational E.P. project titled “Commitment” set to release in August of 2020.  He is also in the developmental stages of an L.P. called “C.P.M.” (Coach Player Mascot) as well. He hopes his career will lead him to collaborate with some of his industry favorites like Starlito and Don Trip. Through his music, Haven Ways aims to connect with those who feel unworthy or defeated due to their circumstances.  For now and for many years to come, this man will be showing us how to overcome our demons to fulfill our destinies; the Haven’s Way.

To read more blogs please visit our site: dagr8fm.

[archetypical-series]

The Princess Story - Part 5

The three of them made it back to the castle without incident. They stood a few yards from the main gate as Deejay and Elizabeth prepared to say their goodbyes. When they stopped back at the ship, Deejay had removed his ruined hoodie and bandaged his arm. The t-shirt he was wearing underneath read “Have fun storming the castle”. I'm pretty sure it was a coincidence.

“Regardless of the circumstances,” Elizabeth said to him, “you did protect me today. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”

“Hey, no problem. I was more than happy to do it. I'm sorry if I kind of got you in more trouble, but if I hadn't gotten involved when I did, I never would have had a chance to talk to you.”

“It's okay. I'm glad you did.” She smiled at him, still blushing slightly. “It's strange… Even though we’ve just met, I feel so comfortable talking with you. You're not like any of the princes I've met.”

“Heh, yeah, I get that a lot. Well, I'd love it if we could talk again sometime.” He leaned in close and put his arm around her waist. “Maybe next time I could show you around my castle, and you can show me a little of that gratitude you were talking about.”

Deejay's hand started moving further south, but Ty grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.

“And that’ll be enough of that,” Ty said. “Can we hurry up, please? I want to get out of here before the guards see the two of us.”

“Alright, alright…” Deejay straightened his shirt and smiled at Elizabeth. “Well, could I at least get a little farewell kiss from the beautiful princess?”

“You’ve got 3 seconds. No tongue.”

“I wasn’t asking you, Ty...”

Elizabeth giggled. “Of course you may… my brave knight.”

“Oh brother.” Ty face-palmed, a gesture of exasperation he had long since developed strong muscle memory for.

Deejay and Elizabeth shared a brief kiss, then she waved goodbye and walked up to the gate still beaming, where a very confused guard let her in. Ty and Deejay walked away, back toward their ship. Deejay had a mischievous smirk on his face. More mischievous than usual, in fact.

Ty realized after a few moments that Deejay seemed to be muttering to himself. He wouldn't tell me what he was saying, but whatever it was put Ty on edge. He glanced at the blood that had started trickling down Deejay's injured arm.

“Hey,” Ty said finally. “You feeling okay?”

“I'm fine,” Deejay grumbled, only it didn't sound like him.

“Okay... I was just wondering, have you kept up on your medication today?”

Deejay turned to him, his face caught somewhere between frustration and confusion. “What? Shut up, I told you I'm fine.”

“Then show me.”

“Ugh, fine. Look.”

Deejay rolled up the sleeve on his uninjured arm, revealing a square silicone patch stuck to his skin. The patch was a vibrant red color. His expression softened, and he bit his lip sheepishly.

“Uh... Oh. Oops. Sorry, uh... I could swear I put on a fresh one this morning. Maybe all the activity today burned it off a bit faster than usual. Okay. No problem.”

“You do have more, right?”

“Yeah, of course. In my coat pocket. And there's some stashed in the ship for emergencies. And I've got more in my room. And if any of that runs out, it's easy enough to synthesize more in the lab. Really, I promise, I'm on top of it.”

“I sure hope so...”

–

Ty and Deejay returned to the ship and took off for home a few minutes later. Deejay got a fresh medication patch on his arm, this one a bright green color with a cartoon spider in the middle.

“Feeling better?” Ty asked as he piloted the weird spherical craft into the sky.

Deejay nodded, offering a cheerful grin. “Much. Good call, man. I'm going to have to figure out a more obvious warning indicator for these things. Maybe I could hook a chip up to it and have it beep in my comm when it's almost depleted. Can't remember the last time it happened, but hey, better safe than sorry, right?”

Ty smiled, relaxing a bit. “Absolutely. You should work on that when we get back.”

“Sure thing.”

The two of them fell silent for a beat, listening to the quiet hum of the engines, until Deejay spoke up again.

“Hey by the way, something’s been bugging me.”

“What’s that?”

“Well I was just thinking… if I took the ship here by myself, how did you get here? I mean, we only have the one ship, so...”

“Hmm? Oh, never mind that. That’s just a plot hole.”

“You're... kidding, right?”

He was.

Probably.

[ontherockswithsalt]

A Made Man

/1/ /2/ /3/ /4/ /5/ /6/ /7/ /8/ /9/ /10/ /11/ /12/ /13/ /14/ /15/ /16/ /17/ /18/

Chapter 19.

“It’s Terminator!”

“It's Terminator 2,” Noble mutters, glancing overhead at the oversized television screen in the corner of the bar.

“No, dude.” His friend Andrew -- the groom-to-be in this group -- insists across the pub table from us. The loud rendition of the Beastie Boys’ Hey Ladies plays over the one minute window of time each trivia team in the bar has to answer the question: What was the first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie to win four Academy Awards? “Terminator 2?” Andrew disputes. “Fuck no. It's never a sequel.”

“Terminator 2 is like, the known superior Terminator,” Noble argues.

“You guys,” Sebastian cuts in, another guy in our group. “It's Jingle All The Way.”

“It's Kindergarten Cop!”

“Oh my god,” Noble complains, shaking his head at me as I can't help but laugh at the idiotic suggestions from his friends. “Fucking write something.”

“It's kind of hard to top the original though,” I offer.

“Exactly,” Andrew points his pen at me. “See? He's a lawyer, he knows.”

“But that's not the question,” I reason. “The question’s about awards, not which one you feel is a classic.”

Noble's friend glances down to start scribbling. “You guys are clowns. It's Terminator.” Then he stands up and takes his slip of paper with the answer up to the deejay who stands in front of the TVs.

Amused, I reach for my beer and shake my head. When Noble -- who is strictly Nick tonight -- told me we were bound for a bachelor party, sitting with four other guys in a mundane sports bar playing pub trivia is not what I expected, especially considering Noble's usual knack for finding trouble. But it was entertaining enough and I wasn't exactly interested in waiting in a long line outside some insufferable club.

The music fades as the deejay pipes up, “Allll-right. What was the first Arnold Schwarzenegger movie to win four Academy Awards? Believe it or not, it was Terminator 2: Judgment Day--”

“What?!” Shouts an incredulous Andrew and Noble tips his head back with a dramatic eyeroll.

“You're fired,” Noble announces, reaching over to steal the pen.

“The category is sports,” the deejay calls out as he goes to his laptop and clicks to the next question on the screen to display on the television. “In boxing, who is the youngest, undisputed heavyweight champion of all time?”

As he draws out the last word of the question like a typical radio announcer, the opening of Santeria by Sublime settles over the bar.

I tilt over to Noble. “It's Mike Tyson.”

His pen stalls as he lifts his gaze to me. “It's Muhammad Ali.”

I reach over and pull the pen from his hand before I lean in to write what I know is the correct answer on the small piece of paper.

“Dude,” he calls out, dismayed with hands spread as I push my chair back.

I glance back at him over my shoulder with a smirk. “I'm right.”

“You better be right, Jamie,” Sebastian scoffs as he turns to survey the bar. “Because I'm about to forfeit and order some shots.”

“Shots are a good idea either way,” Noble decides.

When I return, I don't miss the chance to lay a firm hand on his shoulder and I give it a rough squeeze.

He clears his throat and adjusts in his chair. “Are we winning?”

“No.” I chuckle, settling in beside him. “But I know my boxing titles.”

“Well I know Schwarzenegger movies,” he announces to the table, pointing his beer bottle at Andrew before he intentionally gets louder -- “but nobody listens to me!”

Already it takes considerable effort not to respond to that the same way I would in private so I just let the curve of a smile tease my mouth before I hide it with my beer.

“Allll-right--” The deejay cuts in, the way he does every time he's about to declare the answer, the music fading. “In boxing, who is the youngest, undisputed heavyweight champion of all time?” He recites. “The answer was Mike. Tyson.”

Half the tables in the bar cheer for themselves while I tilt my head to give Noble a look.

He spreads his hands to answer to it. “I doubted you. What was I thinking?”

“You should never.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Oh hey, was the answer six Jägerbombs?” Sebastian declares returning to the table with a bartender close behind to help carry the tray of glasses. “Because now it is. Forget the game.”

I know I grimace a little as the cocktail server sets the highball glasses in front of us. “Oh damn, seriously?”

“Are you…” Noble starts, lifting a shiny gaze to the waitress. “Legally allowed to serve us these? I'm like, ten years over the acceptable age limit for drinking Jägerbombs.”

“Ha! I dont buy it.” The blonde tilts her head with a grin, glancing to him as she distributes the shots. “You're the youngest guys in this bar anyway, so you get a pass.”

“Yeah, well--” Noble scoffs. “That's not saying much.”

“Here's a game I like--” She starts, straightening back up to rest a hand on her waist. “Show me some ID without showing me your ID.”

I quirk an eyebrow. “How do you mean?”

“Oh I get it.” Noble nods, then eases back in his chair as if to consider it. “Let's see. How about this? The very first date I ever went on was in seventh grade,” he recounts. “--To the movies to see Mighty Ducks 2.”

My head falls back and I let out a loud laugh.

The rest of the table claps their amusement. “You sure it wasn’t Terminator 2?” Andrew teases.

“It wasn’t,” Noble laughs. “But I like sequels apparently.”

“That is hilarious,” the waitress approves. “I love it. And you're definitely too old to be ordering Jägerbombs.”

“Who was it?” I question.

“Who was who?”

“The date. Do you remember?”

“Ahh.” He smiles down at the table, his shoulders shifting a little with a bouncy chuckle before he answers. “Lisa Palermo.”

Everyone at the table hollers and entertained cackle. “Lisa Palermo!” Andrew proclaims as if he knows her, then he picks up his shot glass. “Let's cheers to Lisa Palermo.”

“What the fuck?” Noble laughs. “No, dude this night's about you. We have to toast you.”

“No,” Andrew dismisses it. “It's not like this is going to be our last shot of the night.”

“What happened to Lisa Palermo?” Sebastian cuts in. “We should call her.”

I sputter another hard laugh and slap my palm on the table. “Yeah dude, was Mighty Ducks 2 just the beginning?”

“Um, she had her friend dump me at the ice skating rink at Central Park but thanks for making me remember that pain, Jamie.”

The whole thing is cracking me up and I'm just thankful I don't have to keep a straight face around him, especially when he nudges me in the arm with his own.

“Alright. To Lisa!” Andrew calls out, raising his glass and prompting everyone else to do the same. “And Nick, her biggest regret.”

We all let go of the shot, dropping the Jägermeister into the highball glass of fizzy Red Bull. I down mine, swallowing hard before I clear away the lingering spicy sweetness in my throat. “Good god, that was a flashback.”

“Yeah dude,” Noble agrees, setting his glass down hard on the table. “I'm picking the shot next time.”

“Let's do one more round,” Sebastian suggests, pointing over his shoulder. “And then we'll roll out somewhere else.”

Pushing my chair back, I stand up. “Be right back.” Then I cross behind the table to make my way to the bathroom.

I can practically feel Noble's gaze as it trails me but I don't look back. Winding through the crowd between the pool tables, I turn down a dimly lit hallway and push into the men's room.

I'm only in there a couple minutes before the door opens while I'm at the sink.

“How about those Jägerbombs bro?” Noble teases.

“Bro--” I laugh. “Your frat brothers are pretty mellow. I expected to be plastered in a toga by now.”

“I can make that happen.”

Another guy approaches the sink beside me, washes up quickly and moves to pass through the door, leaving the two of us alone.

“I know you can.” I toss my paper towel in the trash and turn to him. “Were you in a fraternity in college? Please say yes.”

“Alpha Phi Delta at Stony Brook? Hell yeah man.” He grins. “Weren't you?”

I glance up at him, cutting a slow shake of my head. “Definitely not.”

“You should pledge.”

“Yeah?” I smile at him with a tilt of my head, unable to resist playing along. “That could be cool, I'm new on campus--”

“Ss--shit.” He hisses a tempted laugh. “Don't you dare.” Then he steps closer and his hands go to the sides of my face. “God and you question how much porn I've been watching.”

I exhale a soft laugh as he backs me up against the outside wall of the nearest stall. Tilting my head up, I accept the weight of him as he presses into me, the sly friction of his hip at the top of my thigh.

“Are there pictures?” I wonder, lifting my gaze to him, the corner of my lips curve. “Of you washing cars or playing ultimate frisbee or something?”

“You sick fucking jerk,” he whispers before his lips skate over mine. “Don't be a tease tonight.”

My heart pounds with this hot, jumpy thud considering the door just beyond Noble’s back. But I kiss him. And then I’m quick to leave his bottom lip with the slow pinch of my teeth. “Why not?”

He mumbles his answer into the side of my neck. “Because you look too damn hot, and you smell too fucking good right now.”

“Hmm.” I merely offer a scratchy hum and let my eyes close for a beat to appreciate the heat of his mouth on my skin.

Drawing in a deep inhale just at the collar of my shirt, he draws his face up to the edge of my jaw, “So I don’t think I can handle the tease.”

With a cleansing breath, I arch my neck back before I straighten up in front of him. Reaching down, I quickly flick the dark brown leather of his belt from its buckle. I see the way his lips part, his gaze flicking down, a hopeful jump of his brow just before I maneuver out from between him and the wall. “You can,” I assure him with a smirk as I head for the door. “You’ll like it.”

[danithebookaholic-blog]

SPOTLIGHT!

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The Bridal Chase

By Robert Downs

Publisher: Black Opal Books Publication Date: May 12, 2018 Genre: Mystery, Suspense

Synopsis:

Elisha Crimson thought her wedding day would be the happiest of her life. But losing her fiancé to two thugs in a dark sedan wasn’t part of the plan. She, along with the rest of the wedding party, can do nothing to stop the abrupt abduction, so she pursues at the first opportunity, navigating the West Virginia interstate in a white wedding dress behind the wheel of a pickup truck. But will she catch the sedan in time to save her one true love? Ronnie Washington had known his past would catch up with him, eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen on his wedding day. He hates enclosed spaces, and now he’s bouncing around in the trunk of a car after being abducted from the ceremony. His only hope is to talk his way out, but the thugs don’t seem inclined to listen. He knows Elisha will come after him, but, even if she catches them, what can she possibly do against men like these? Can these two unlikely heroes save the day, and the wedding, or is their life together over before it even starts?

Goodreads

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Excerpt:

Saturday, 2:45 p.m.:

Her long, white dress billowed around her. Mascara raced down her face, her eyes frazzled, and a tear formed as she took off at a dead run. Her brother tossed her his set of keys. She caught them in midair and didn’t even break stride. She peeled out of the parking lot, as a spray of gravel pinged a Mercedes, two BMWs, and a Lexus. Through the open window, the wind whipped her hair. Her green eyes were fixed at a distant point on the horizon. Her gaze was just a bit above the dashboard, as she slammed the pickup truck into second gear. A string of curse words emitted from her lips and smacked the wheel. The cup holder beside her held a plastic cup filled with spit, and she picked it up now. Tobacco juice flowed from her lips, and into its predetermined location.

Elisha Crimson flipped the air conditioner on high, even though it was only sixty degrees outside. She honked her horn, gestured with her free hand, and merged into the passing lane. A silver car swerved in front of her, and she screamed and pounded the steering wheel in agony. This time, she neglected to salute the idiot behind the wheel with a cell phone pressed to his ear.

Her eyes flipped to her rearview mirror, and the sea of cars behind her in an intricate rainbow of colors. The trail of cars resembled a python, and the road in front of her was a never-ending façade of red taillights. An accident loomed up ahead, so she slowed down. Two cars—neither one moving—in the right-hand lane were both torn to shreds in twisted metal and crumpled bumpers. Her mind raced, and adrenaline shook her right hand.

She grabbed the cup beside her and spit another glob of juice.

She’d nailed second gear within five hundred feet of the parking lot, and third came soon after. Fourth proved a bit more of a challenge, but now that was behind her as well. Her lips moved at a constant, steady pace, and the cup beside her filled quickly as well. The pouch stuffed between the passenger seat and her own was a third gone.

She hadn’t smiled since this morning with her hairdresser and sister in the same room, as her mother waited in the room next to hers. Elisha flipped the radio low and her voice high. A rapper spoke about life in the ghetto.

She held onto the steering wheel until her knuckles turned white, and her joints ached. A song came on the radio that reminded her of him, and she turned up the volume loud enough to rattle the frame. With the windows rolled down, the sound traveled toward the trees on either side of the highway. A motorcycle engine roared behind her, and she pushed the pedal all the way to the floor. She smacked her lips and tapped her forehead. She kept thoughts of her fiancé,

her wedding, and the family she left behind to herself and slammed down the lid. She discovered a ball cap within arm’s reach and thumped it on her head.

She floored it around an old Porsche and a Mercedes with custom wheels. She held one thought and then another—What would her family think? How could this be happening to her? Was her fiancé okay?— collecting them like stamps and compartmentalizing each one in her mind until such a time when she could gather them whole and shove forward with her life.

She’d known Ronnie’s past would catch up with them one day, but now was not the time for second guesses.

She kept one eye on the horizon and her goal in mind. Her whole world changed when a car pulled out in front of her. She veered to the left, the pickup nearly coming up on two wheels, the center of gravity shifting with brute force. And then she shoved the pickup hard to the right, as the center of gravity changed once again, and the whole cab moved and shook around her. The wind whipped through with blazing speed, and her knuckles locked against the wheel. She pinged to the right and careened to the left like a ping pong ball through a maze.

Steam rose up around her, and she hoped it wasn’t her own. She bit her lip and drew blood, and even managed to swallow a little of the chewing tobacco. Coughing and gagging and sick to her stomach, she had no idea how to continue onward. Only that she had to. If she failed, she couldn’t deal with the consequences.

She had insisted on a big wedding filled with a dessert buffet, two guitars, one ice sculpture, three photographers, and one deejay. Had she scaled back, she might have found herself in a different predicament than the one she currently found herself in the middle of. The voice on the radio called her a liar.

She discovered love at eighteen when it bit her on the ass and decided to hang around. The fucker, Ronnie Washington, had smiled at her, and her knees buckled in the heat and humidity. Unable to string a coherent sentence together for five minutes, she waited for him to walk away. But he didn’t. Ten minutes later, he asked her out, and she said yes before she gathered what remained of her senses. Six years later—the best six years of her life—he still asked her out, the romantic bastard. Sure, the ups and downs sucked, and he charmed her with all five of his senses, but dammit she loved him anyway. She loved him with her entire body, and still that didn’t seem like enough. Now, in her brother’s pickup, with her whole world abandoned at the golf course, and her fiancé kidnapped in a black piece of crap with four wheels, she shed more water beneath her eyelids.

If she failed to push forward with everything she had, she never stood a chance at success. Sure, she had failed at almost every corner and streetlight. Sure, failure pointed the barrel of its gun in her direction. But failure didn’t stand a chance this time. She’d find a way to succeed, even if it meant she exhausted every last possibility. Even if she didn’t have a damn clue how

she’d do it.

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Purchase:

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / iBooks

Author Bio:

Robert Downs aspired to be a writer before he realized how difficult the writing process was. Fortunately, he'd already fallen in love with the craft, otherwise his tales might never have seen print. Originally from West Virginia, he has lived in Virginia, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and now resides in California. When he’s not writing, Downs can be found reading, reviewing, traveling, or smiling. To find out more about his latest projects, or to reach out to him on the Internet, visit the author’s website: www.RobertDowns.net. THE BRIDAL CHASE is his seventh book and second novella.

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From one bookaholic to another, I hope I’ve helped you find your next fix. —Dani

Have a book you’d like to suggest or one you’d like me to review? Please feel free to leave your comments down below.

[paramediks-blog]

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