#because graham asked him for another song and he gave him one and he loved it

[lock-my-feelings-in-a-jar]

i swear the list keeps getting bigger every time i look at it

[reasonsmandy]

You Make My Heart Beat

Warren Rojas x Fem!Reader

✧.* requested by 2 anon — ¹ omg Person A: You always sing that one line wrong *Person B gets "mad"* Person A: But whatever, yours is better with warren PLEEEASE. ² Hi hope your having a good day/night. Anyway I was really in the mood for something where reader is Billy and grahams little sister and is in a secret relationship with Warren. And when Billy finds out hell breaks loose! If you don’t want to that’s fine :)

✧.* summary — Warren has always been a curious case for you, due to the crush he has on you he would always pick on you when other people were around. But when it was just the two of you he was another Warren, what confused you.

✧.* warnings —Warren and the reader being a little more intimate.

✧.* word count — 4.6k

✧.* 🥁 — Warren's masterlist

✧.* mandy's notes —writing a teenage love is so cute aaaaaa. I put these two asks together bc they fit my idea, I hope that's not a problem 🫶🏾 good reading my loves.

In Pittsburgh things were always very simple, you had your routine, you knew everywhere, and so did most people. But that never stopped you from always being curious about other people and wanting to get closer to them, which is why you became so close with your brother Graham's friends.

Eddie was the first to fit in with you, you took your time to become great friends, Chuck was always nice to you, you weren't great friends like Eddie but he never gave you reasons to complain about his presence, as for Warren... He was always a curious case.

When your brothers had the idea of ​​forming a band, well, when Graham had the idea of ​​forming a band after having his heart broken... You were the first to be the most supportive. You knew your brothers and the potential they had in terms of music, they were pure talent for sure, so soon you had become the band's little manager. Helping them to get some gigs around town, talking to event owners about payment, even fliers you put up around town to help them out while they rehearsed in Chuck's garage.

So little by little this had become your official position in the band, you were always there listening to news about their ideas regarding new songs or changes in instruments and passing all these updates to the small fanbase they had in Pittsburgh.

Because of that you loved being there at rehearsals, to be able to speak with propriety about the songs they are rehearsing, about their performance as a band and honestly being the biggest fan of them. And as you were always there at rehearsals your friendship with everyone grew, you had your relationship with each one of them in a special way.

Chuck and you weren't much for talking, but when that happened you liked to talk about the movies you liked in common, he had extremely similar taste to yours when it came to cinematographic works, and therefore the conversations flowed in a nice way.

Well, with Graham and Billy nothing has changed. you grew up in the same house under the same rules, so even though with time you grew up the sibling relationship hadn't changed drastically. You were always closer with Graham, as you two are close in age, you spent more time together since after Billy had grown up and got "too nice" to hang out with his younger sister.

That phase of Billy where he left you in the corner was difficult for you, out of nowhere a person who was always your support didn't want you so close anymore and that messed with you, but over time you learned to deal with it and look for other people who really wanted you around.Even after years where you are now adults, your relationship with your older brother never went back to the way it was before, and not because you had a grudge against him or anything like that... But things just had changed.

Eddie and you didn't let each other go, you were the dynamic duo, just the perfect friendship pair. You both knew that there was nothing romantic between the two of you, much less a feeling that could grow between you, that was out of the question since you considered each other soul brothers. Without much effort, you became best friends and that's how it persists until today.

Warren was a special case, you never knew how to define your relationship with the drummer in an objective and clear way, because your relationship was far from being like that. That doesn't mean it wasn't a good relationship, the perfect definition would be: confusing.

Although he was one of the people you most wanted to be around, you only had that opportunity when they created the band, and at first it was quite difficult to be alone with Warren without any band member to butt in or disrupt the moment. And for some reason, different from the other boys you couldn't start a conversation with Rojas, because you felt embarrassed and shy around him, it was like he bewildered you.

You'd already watched Warren from afar at school, and how could you not have? He's just charming…

"Hey Y/N, today we're having a rehearsal at Chuck's house, do you want to hang out there with us?" Graham screams at the bottom of the stairs, and you can easily hear him in your room.

"I'm coming down! Wait just a minute." You ask, quickly packing your things to accompany him.

The Dunne brothers walked towards Chuck's house, while talking about random things from their day. Graham was the one who talked the most, he was very excited to show Billy all the band's ideas, the older Dunne would just say "hm" or nod between Graham's lines, which genuinely made you uncomfortable. So, you decided to be the one listening to him, asking him to tell more about his ideas and commenting about everything, adding your ideas and congratulating him for his.

Graham Dunne: Y/N is that kind of person who will do anything to make you feel comfortable around her. I swear to you, she would listen to me talk about the most boring things in the world for hours just to see me happy.

You didn't walk far until you arrived at Chuck's house, Eddie and Warren were already there talking until they noticed your presence. As soon as Warren sees you, he playfully rolls his eyes and mumbles

"Oh great, the kid sister is here." Warren says, while fixing his curls.

You give him a confused look, but he avoids eye contact and pretends to focus on adjusting his drum set.

Eddie, on the other hand, walks over to you and greets you with a warm hug.

"Hey there Y/N, good to see you again!" he says with a smile. You chat for a few moments until Billy calls over to start rehearsal.

As you walk past Warren to sit on the chair you always used to sit on practice, he can't resist making another teasing comment.

"Try to keep up, kid" he says with a smirk. "Maybe if you try hard you can understand at least a little bit."

You roll your eyes and shake your head, but can't help but feel a little flustered by his attention. Warren always made this kind of comment since the beginning of the band, was it something commenting on your age or always teasing you about something you like.

Eddie Roundtree: He was clearly trying to get her attention, he didn't leave any gaps, no matter what Y/N said or did he had to comment on something.

Rojas already had feelings for you before you got close, an intense infatuation that made his heart race every time you looked back at him and smiled. He didn't know how to act on this new feeling about you; you'd always been his best friend's sister and nothing more. But when they started the band, and he started seeing you daily at rehearsals, that little crush grew more and more into a passion.

As a defense mechanism, he started to tease you with everything. He felt nervous around you and used teasing as a way to break the ice, hoping to impress you with his humor and wit. He didn't know why he was acting this way, but when he saw your eyes going towards him, it was an inexplicable feeling. Like an idiot teenager, he just wanted the attention of the girl he liked, and if that was what made him get it, he would keep doing it.

That day after rehearsal, you and Warren find yourselves alone in the garage. The rest of the band has gone out to grab food, leaving the two of you behind. You start to pack up your things, but Warren stops you.

"Hey," he says, leaning against his drum kit. "Can we talk for a minute?"

You turn to face him, surprised by the sudden seriousness in his tone.

"Sure, what's up?" You ask, playing with your hands, you were nervous.

"I heard you say you had a rough day at work..." He starts to say and you arch an eyebrow.

"Are you listening to the conversations of others Mr Rojas?" You question in a playful tone, laughing afterward.

"I'm sorry..." He says, laughing sheepishly. "I just wanted to know if you're okay, if I can help with anything…"

You can't contain your smile, this was definitely not something you were expecting from him, you approach the drummer and he avoids looking directly into your eyes, you notice that your presence makes him nervous for some reason and you like that.

"I guess you can just distract me with anything." You smile at him. "How about showing me that beat Billy wouldn't let you put on? I know you were excited about it."

Warren smiles at being close to you and then spins one of the sticks in his fingers to start playing, he involuntarily played the best way he could to impress you that day.

...

Over the years, you had grown accustomed to Warren's teasing and jabs. It was a familiar routine, and you even found yourself missing it when he wasn't around. But there was something different about him when you two were alone. He was more attentive, more thoughtful, and more interested in you as a person. He would ask about your day, your hobbies, and your favorite bands, and he always seemed genuinely invested in your answers.

At first, you didn't think much of it. You assumed that he was just being friendly or maybe trying to make up for his teasing. But as you spent more time together, you started to notice how your heart would flutter when he touches your arm or leaned in close to hear you better. You tried to ignore these feelings, to convince yourself that you were just reading too much into things, but the truth was hard to deny.

…

One day, while you and Warren were hanging out alone in Chuck's backyard, you were sitting on the grass talking about your favorite bands. The sun was shining, and a gentle breeze was blowing, rustling the leaves of the nearby trees. Warren seemed relaxed and happy, tapping his foot to an imaginary beat.

Suddenly, Warren jumped up and ran towards thr garage, calling for you to follow him. You got up and followed him inside, the smell of oil and sweat hitting your nose. To your surprise, there was a drum set set up in the middle of the room, surrounded by guitars and amps. Warren picked up his drumsticks and started playing a beat, motioning for you to join in. You hesitated at first, but then you sat by his side and started to sing along, your voice blending with his in a perfect harmony.

For the next few hours, you played music together, experimenting with different sounds and rhythms. You forgot about time, space, and all the worries that usually plagued you. You felt alive, free, and unburdened, lost in the music and the moment.

As the sun began to set, you stopped playing and sat down on the couch, exhausted but exhilarated. Warren turned to you and smiled, his eyes shining with something you couldn't quite name.

"You know, I always feel like I can be myself when I'm playing music with you." He said, his voice low and husky. "It's like everything else just fades away."

You smiled back at him, feeling a warmth spreading in your chest.

"I feel the same way, Warren." You said, your voice soft and sincere.

You sat there in silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. Your heart was beating fast, and you could feel the tension in the air. You looked into Warren's eyes and saw the same intensity that you were feeling.

He leaned in closer, and you could feel his breath on your face. His hand brushed against yours, sending shivers down your spine. You took a deep breath and opened your mouth to speak, but before you could say anything, Warren stopped you with a kiss.

His lips were soft and warm, and you melted into his embrace. You wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer to you. You could feel his hands on your waist, pulling you tight against his body.

For a few moments, time seemed to stand still. You were lost in the sensation of his lips on yours, the feel of his hands on your body. You knew that this was what you had been longing for, what you had been missing all along.

When Warren finally pulled away, you were left breathless. You looked into his eyes and saw the same longing that you felt. He smiles still looking into your eyes, you lean to kiss him one more time but you are interrupted by Eddie's voice calling for you two from afar.

…

The problem was that Warren didn't act the same way around other people. When your brothers or the rest of the band were around, he would fall back into his old patterns of teasing and joking, and it made you feel insecure. Did he only treat you well when no one else was watching? Did he actually like you, or was he just being nice?

These conflicting emotions weighed heavily on your mind, and you found yourself thinking about Warren more and more often. You started paying closer attention to his body language and the way he looked at you. The more you thought about it, the more you realized that you might have feelings for Warren too.

Despite your doubts, Warren continued to act differently around you when you were alone. He would bring you your favorite snack when he knew you had a long day at work, or surprise you with a new album from your favorite artist. These small gestures made your heart swell with affection, but you couldn't help but wonder why he couldn't be this way in front of others.

…

Today the rehearsal was at the Dunne house, you were in the kitchen with your mother listening to them play in the distance, you were talking about your day at work and about some things in your day. Billy was singing "look me in the eye", your favorite song of theirs, excitedly you get up asking your mother for permission to go see them play one more time.

You make it in time for the chorus to start, you enter the garage already singing, you raise your fist to your face imitating a microphone while singing, Eddie smiles when he notices you, Graham laughs of your "performance", Billy rolls his eyes then smiles (he probably knew you were coming to listen), Camila was filming them and soon turns her camera towards you.

Warren felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw you, you looked so beautiful he just wanted to hold you and kiss you but he couldn't do that. So he holds back his smile when he sees you, trying to ignore your presence he ends up getting the timing of the song wrong. Billy turns to him, clearly annoyed.

"Let's take a coffee break." Billy says, turning off the microphone and taking a seat next to Camila.

"Will you stop right at my favorite?" You say, pretending to be sulking. "Very unfair!"

Warren comes out from behind the drum set, taking a seat on the couch next to Eddie and Graham.

"How come this is your favorite if you always sing that one line wrong?" Warren points out, laughing along with everyone but Camila.

If that comment came any other day you'd laugh along with them, but it struck all of your insecure thoughts about how the drummer really felt about you, you immediately frowned. And he noticed that, immediately he regretted what he said, for the first time you looked upset with him and he hated to see that.

"But… whatever, yours is better anyway." He ended up trying to make you smile, but when he saw that his favorite smile wasn't on your face, his heart sank.

You force a smile so that the atmosphere doesn't get awkward, a silence was established in the place but soon Eddie brings up a subject noticing that you wanted to escape this situation, you smile at him for saving you like that. As the conversation grows you take the opportunity to sneak out of the garage back to your room with frustration in your chest, damn be the moment you fell in love with that drummer.

You were lying in your bed, staring at your bedroom ceiling with your thoughts racing, insecurities slowly eating you up with absurd suggestions as to why Warren behaved like this.

"Hell, why do you have to be so fucking complicated?" You ask the wind, feeling a great deal of frustration with the drummer.

Your thoughts are interrupted by three knocks on the door, you take your gaze to the door that was now ajar, you can see Warren with a worried face. He was afraid of how you were feeling, afraid that he had hurt you anyway.

"What do you want? Have you come to mock me here in my room now?" You were upset, and he didn't blame you for it.

"Can I come in?" You couldn't ignore him even if you wanted to, so you nod. "Look, I'm sorry…"

"I don't understand you, you know?" You sit up to look deep into his eyes. "What do you have with me? One minute you treat me like I'm the most special person in the world and the next you just ignore my existence."

Warren drops his gaze, he was hating himself for making you feel bad anyway.

"I like you Warren, fuck I'm in love with you but you confuse me!" You were holding back some tears, and it made his heart squeeze. "So, I ask you please... Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Warren plucked up the courage to look you in the eyes, he brought his hands up to cup your face caressing your cheeks gently. His touch made you feel butterflies in your stomach, his gaze was so intense it made your heart race.

"I love you so much Y/N..." Rojas confesses, his brown eyes seem to see through you. "I've loved you since I was a stupid teenager and that's why I might have been a jerk to you, I clearly didn't know how to act in the presence of a woman as wonderful as you, I wanted your attention and that was the only way I could get it."

You listened to him attentively, trying to understand his position regarding everything that had happened between the two of you so far.

"Now we're adults, there's no reason for me to act this way I know..." He says, now holding your hands. "But there's a lot at stake here, you know? I don't mean to say that it's not worth risking things for you, in fact there were times when all I wanted was to send my fear of your brother's reaction to hell."

You laughed weakly at the last comment, little by little that weight of insecurities left you as he told how he felt.

"I just wanted to make sure none of this affected you negatively, I didn't want your relationship with your brothers to be damaged by something I did." He confesses, you quickly cut him off to clarify something.

"Everything would be so much easier if you had told me this before, pretty boy." You say taking one of your hands to his hair strands. "I know Billy can be... Intense at times but I would help you work things out."

"I just need to make it clear to you that my heart is yours, and this may sound extremely cliché but I feel that you make my heart beat." You couldn't contain your smile. "Please forgive me for being a big asshole to you, I didn't want to hurt you in any way, my love."

You don't answer, you just kiss him deeply in the intention of solving all the questions between you. He gently pulls you onto his lap, holding you close like he's afraid of losing you every second, you keep kissing him while stroking his hair, his hands caress your skin under your shirt and you sigh with the contact making him smile in the middle of the kiss.

You part your lips from his, a smile spreading across your face as he brushes the hair from your eyes. The way he looks at you makes you feel like you're the only person in the world.

"Is rehearsal done?" you ask, flashing him a mischievous grin.

"I'm not sure," he shrugs, "Camila and Billy took off somewhere, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was too worried about you."

You roll your eyes and laugh, feeling a warmth spreading through your chest. "And what about the others?"

"Eddie, Chuck, and Graham are still in the garage," he whispers, his breath hot against your cheek.

"So that means I have you all to myself?" you say, your smile growing wider and more playful.

You trail your fingers down the front of his shirt before lifting it up and over his head. His eyes follow your every move as you toss the shirt aside. You lean in to kiss him again, your lips soft and warm against his skin. He shivers under your touch, his hands finding their way to your waist and pulling you closer to him.

"I believe so, Hermosa," he murmurs, his voice low and husky as you continue.

You keep kissing his neck, feeling his pulse racing under your lips. The atmosphere between you two is electric, filled with passion and desire that had been building up for far too long.

Warren's hands wander up and down your back, feeling the curves of your body. You can feel his muscles tense and relax with every touch, his breath hot on your skin.

You pull back for a moment, looking into his eyes. They're filled with so much love and adoration that it almost takes your breath away. You can't help but smile, feeling your heart swell with emotion.

"God, I love you," he whispers, pulling you in for another kiss.

Your lips meet again, this time more urgently, as if you're trying to make up for lost time. You run your fingers through his hair, tugging gently, making him moan into your mouth.

It's like nothing else matters in that moment, just the two of you, lost in each other. You feel his hands slip under your shirt, trailing up your back, making you shiver with pleasure.

You finally break the kiss, both of you gasping for breath. Warren leans his forehead against yours, a smile on his lips.

"I never want to let you go," he whispers, and you feel your heart skip a beat.

"I don't want you to." You answer, still out of breath. "Come on Rojas, I'm all yours."

…

In a few weeks the band and Camila were going to move to LA, and your heart ached at the thought of having them away. They were all what kept you happy and losing them all at once was scary.

Warren told you to meet him earlier before rehearsal, so soon you were in the garage waiting for your favorite drummer. You hear a noise and soon you see your boyfriend entering the place, he runs to you hugging you tight.

"My girl!' He says between kisses on your cheek. "I missed you so much princesa."

"Missed you two." You say kissing him.

"Hey kiddo, Mom said Warren is home, did you see him?" Billy walks in coming across Warren kissing his sister. "What the fuck!?"

Billy without thinking approaches you, pushing Warren away from you, losing balance, Rojas falls and you get scared with how quickly everything happened, you quickly get closer to your brother, pulling him away from your boyfriend.

"Hey Billy, it's okay!" You say calling his attention to you.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Billy doesn't lower his voice, he continues his tantrum. "What is on your fucking head Warren! Are you crazy?"

"What's going on here?" Graham enters the place trying to understand the reason for the confusion.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you." Warren feels a shiver down his spine at the older Dunne's words.

"Would anyone care to explain to me what's going on?" Graham looked confused. "Why is Warren on the ground?"

"Warren is fucking Y/N." Billy says, bringing his hands to his face in frustration.

Warren stands, watching you with a concerned look. You say "is everything alright?" in a whisper and he nods in agreement.

"Is that true?" Graham was shocked.

"I'm in love with her." Rojas says, Graham can't help but smile and Billy rolls his eyes.

"You can't be fucking serious." Billy scuffs. "You barely talk to each other."

"Or you just don't pay attention to anything but yourself…" You say and Billy looks at you in disbelief.

As you speak up to your brother, you can see the shock in his face. He never expected you to be so bold and confrontational.

"Excuse me?" Billy says, his eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.

"You heard me," you say, not backing down. "You never bothered to pay attention to me or what's going on in my life. All you care about is yourself and your fucking band."

"I can't believe you're saying this," Billy says, his voice rising.

Billy looks taken aback by your outburst. He opens his mouth to say something, but no words come out. He just stares at you, his face turning red with anger.

"Y/N, I think you should calm down." Warren says, putting a hand on your shoulder.

"No, Warren. I'm tired of him always acting like he's the only one who matters." You say, turning to face Billy. "You didn't even notice that I was happy, that I was in love with someone. All you cared about was yourself."

"Unbelievable!" Billy storms out of the garage, leaving you alone with Graham and Warren.

As you let out a frustrated sigh, Warren notices your unease and takes your hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing your knuckles gently. Graham watches the exchange between you two and chuckles, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I can't believe my little sister is dating Warren Rojas." He says, the amusement evident in his tone.

You and Warren laugh along with him, feeling more at ease now.

You lean your head on Warren's shoulder and he kisses the top of your head softly. Graham takes notice of Billy's absence and decides to go check on him.

"I'll see how he's doing." Graham points towards the garage door. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Once Graham leaves, you turn to Warren, still worried about his fall due to Billy's outburst. You reach out and cup his face, showing your affection.

"Are you okay, pretty boy?" You ask him, your concern evident in your voice.

"I'm alright, princesa." He assures you, giving you a small smile. He leans in and plants a gentle kiss on your lips.

"Sorry about that whole scene, seriously." You say, feeling embarrassed by your brother's behavior.

"It's not your fault, Hermosa." Warren says, using the affectionate nickname he has for you. "I'm just happy to be with you. And now I'm going to tell the whole world that you're mine."

You smile and pull him in for an intense kiss, never wanting to let him go.

...

Hi, I hope you enjoyed it... If you wanted to ask for something my requests are open, and if you want to ask and don't have any ideas check out my prompt list :) xoxo

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[arwenofcintra]

Wattpad - Carlssrighteyee

CARAMEL CARMEN (bassist and backing vocals in The Six): I never really remember things from when I was really little, unless they're significant. I think I must've been about four when Eddie had some friends over our house. I was sat in the garden watering my flower patch. (Laughs smiling at the Author) I loved that little lump of petals and earth. Eddie and his two friends; Graham and Chuck Williams. They were kicking around a ball, playing piggy in the middle too. This time, Graham was piggy.

GRAHAM DUNNE(lead guitarist in The Six): I hated being piggy.

CARAMEL CARMEN : The ball was thrown to far, by Eddie of course, Graham fumbled and accidentally whacked it over towards me. In my flower patch.

GRAHAM: I still remember her big brown eyes sloping as soon as that ball hit her flowers.

CARAMEL CARMEN: I wasn't that upset.

EDDIE ROUNDTREE(Rhythm guitarist and backing vocals in The Six): She started crying.

CARAMEL CARMEN: Graham came over to me, he picked up one of my flowers. It was a brown Angel Amber Kiss Pansy. He gave it to me, in my tiny hand. And said something like "Look, it's caramel like you. I mean Caramel like Carmen."

GRAHAM: It was brown like Caramel.

I'm pretty sure I said  "It's a brown colour. Caramel like Carmen, you're a Candy." Then I stopped talking like a blubbering five year old and actually apologised. (Laughs)

CARMEN: We went and ate lunch, I was fine after I ate Mama's Con Carne.

GRAHAM: I like to say my pick up lines got better.

EDDIE: He never got better at verbally picking up girls.

GRAHAM: I felt bad for the rest of the day, it was better after lunch. Carmen came and played with us and vouched to be piggy in the middle for me.

CARMEN: I always liked being in the middle.

EDDIE: About two years after that I picked up a guitar. (smirks) It was love at first sight. My Grandpa was something of an entrepreneur so when he got his hands on a Gibson Acoustic it seemed effortless. I mean they aren't cheap. I remember it in the corner of his front room. Just sat there, all polished and I don't know. Calling for me. Yeah, that's it. I asked him if I could play, he told me.

"Go ahead kid, but I haven't a clue of how to play one."

I picked up that guitar and strummed like how I saw Elvis play on the radio shop TV. My fingertips hurt like a bitch, but I realised that all came with time and practise. My Grandfather said I was a natural, what did he know? (Laughs) I sounded like a screaming tyre. Either way, thanks to my Grandfather's dodgy hearing he bought me a chord book. It all really sprouted from there.

AUTHOR: What song did you first learn?

EDDIE: Must've been. Ah, the chords to All Shook Up by Elvis. Yeah that one.

CARMEN: My big brother was playing guitar. Little me thought he was so cool. When Eddie was in his room with the Gibson I'd sit at the foot of his bed and watch. It was always me and Eddie when it came to music. I wanted to be just like my big brother.

EDDIE: I feel bad now for what I said.

CARMEN: I said to Eddie, "I want to play guitar too."

Eddie replied with.

"I play guitar, you can't aswell."

EDDIE: I told my seven year old sister she could play Bass. Or Sing. Or play the recorder.

CARMEN: I did all three. And I learnt guitar. It took a while to get hold of a bass, until then I played the Gibson. Eddie didn't know I took the guitar every Wednesday when he had scouts, until he came home early from cancellation. And I was sat in his room with the Acoustic on my lap and he strolled inro his room, stopping dead in his tracks upon the sight. He wasn't that angry, I can't really remember, all he said was.

"Play me something."

I did. I played Tutti Fruiti. God, I loved that song. I messed up the second verse but it didn't matter. I think Eddie enjoyed it because he asked me to play another, that's when I played All Shook Up which was the song circled in red crayon in his chord book. Eddie never clapped, only nodded his head.

Of course that was the only approval little Carmen needed from her amazing brother.

That's when I knew I was good. Never a lead guitarist, but I could give you a solid rhythm section. Easy.

EDDIE: She was no good at the recorder. My sister is a very talented woman, wind instruments were not her forte. But strings, yeah there was something there for sure.

CARMEN: I always used to think Bass was boring. It was the version of guitar no one hears, or so I thought. When I started listening real hard to songs I could hear the thrum of the bass. Soon, I'd hear it over the drum beat. Bass was groovy, and free. I could reside with that. When I first got my little hands on that Fender Bass and my tab book, I should have been more excited. It was red and black, with a mahogany neck. After ten minutes or so, I really started to feel like Paul McCartney. I got into the groove. That's it with bass, you carry the song so you gotta enjoy it.

EDDIE: When I started playing guitar with the boys, I struggled to stand with my feet apart and have some sort of presence. For Carmen, she swayed with it, her head bobbed and her feet tapped to the beat of whatever track she'd play along to. My sister, Carmen Roundtree, knew her shit.

CARMEN:  It was natural, Eddie could keep his 6 string, I had something far better.

[frankterranella]

A Letter to my Grandchildren: Don’t Be Afraid to Dream Big Dreams

Recently, my daughter and son-in-law gave me the happy news that later this year I am going to be a grandfather to a new baby girl. I already have three wonderful grandchildren—Bryce (9), Caroline (7) and Giovanni (3) and I can’t wait to add a new female to even out the group. How Giovanni will feel about having a little sister I cannot say. But I think eventually he will love her as we all will.

Last month I turned 70, and looking back at those seven decades of living, I think it’s useful to try to distill what wisdom I have picked up, so that my grandchildren can have the benefit of my experience. As I prepare to welcome a new member of my family, I think the most important advice I can give them is to dream big. Dream far beyond what you might consider the bounds of reality, because your dreams are likely to be the ceiling of your reality. Few of us achieve beyond our dreams, but many of us dream well below what we can achieve. I urge my grandchildren to have outrageous dreams of achievement. The sky’s the limit. Dreams make life better, even if they never come true.

Dreams have always loomed large in our culture. Martin Luther King said “I have a dream” and inspired a nation to embrace civil rights. John Lennon imagined a world with “all the people living life in peace” and sang “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.” Dreams help us to imagine a better world for ourselves and others. And it is the personal dreams that I want to focus on today.

Several years ago, I saw a Broadway musical production of Pretty Woman that began with a character on Hollywood Boulevard walking up to people on the street and asking each of them “What’s your dream?” The people on this boulevard of broken dreams all seem to have dreams of better lives, but little hope that their dreams will come true. It’s a common state for many of us. Yet our fiction is full of stories about outrageous dreams that do come true.

Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella is all about dreams coming true. In fact, the movie that was made from the book was called Field of Dreams. You probably know the story. A farmer in Iowa turns his cornfield into a baseball field for old-time players who were banned from playing, or who just never got the chance to play. Among those is Shoeless Joe Jackson, a member of the Black Sox team that took money to throw the 1919 World Series. Jackson was banned from baseball in his prime.

Also playing on the “Field of Dreams” is Moonlight Graham, a small-town doctor who got to play just one inning with the Giants before life took him into the medical profession. But the dream that the farmer most wants to make come true is that of his own father, who banged around minor league ball as a catcher for several years, but never got to realize his major league dreams. Getting a chance at last to play with major leaguers, the young catcher asks the farmer, who he does not know is his son, “Is this heaven?” The farmer responds, “No. It’s Iowa.” But for many people, heaven is defined in those terms. It’s the place where dreams come true.

Another film about the power of dreams is Flashdance. It’s the story of a woman who works as a welder but dreams of being a dancer. The movie contains a song that was a hit for Irene Cara. It’s called “What A Feeling.” The song begins with the lines:

First when there’s nothing But a slow glowing dream That your fear seems to hide Deep inside your mind

And of course that is where most dreams reside. Most of us (in the words of a song from Gypsy) “got the dream, yeah, but not the guts.” But the woman welder in Flashdance finally has the guts. The song we hear there says, “Take your passion and make it happen.” And she does. But she spends most of the film getting up the courage to apply to a ballet academy. It’s not until after she is told, “You give up your dream, you die” that she finally takes the plunge. Dreams often require a leap of faith.

How does passion fit into all this? Passion is the fuel that makes dreams come true. Once you’ve found your dream, it is passion that propels you to take the often-hard steps toward fulfillment. And if you have enough passion, the sky’s the limit. You can make your dream come true.

There’s an old song by Oscar Hammerstein and Sigmund Romberg called “When I Grow Too Old to Dream.” That’s actually a very sad thought – that one could be too old to dream. But you’ve probably met people like this – people who have given up on life. You give up your dreams, you die inside. Dreams are always in the future tense and so if you feel you have no future, you can have no dreams. But for those of us who have dreams, it’s a reason to get out of bed in the morning.

To my grandchildren I say in the words of the famous disk jockey and philosopher Casey Kasem: “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.” Whatever your dream is, I hope you never grow too old to take your passion and make it happen.

[danishmuseuminterns]

Communication Intern Emmelie's Favorite Danish Music

Sounds like home....

In an attempt to culture Communications Specialist Amelia a bit about Danish music, she suggested that I make a playlist for the blog – so you, too, can get a bit of a look into some of my favorite Danish songs. Some are new, some are older, but all of them are really good (In my opinion).

I’d say Danish music has a bit of everything, and while we’ve had many great exports (Lukas Graham, Mø, Lars Ulrich), leaning into the Danish language for many genres – from pop to hip hop and to rock and new wave, is something that sounds like home to me, so while I’m an avid listener of many American artists (read: Taylor Swift), some Danish ones will sneak into my playlists too.

I’m very insistent that you can still enjoy music, even if you cannot understand the language, but I have tried to include a little fact or two about each song or artist, just for context, and I swear all off these are mainly non-explicit, so you can sing along with your family!

Here is the link for the playlist on Spotify

Here is the link for the playlist on YouTube

I have added a few more on both, if 12 songs aren’t enough for you!  

Johnny Deluxe & Anna Nordell--- Drømmer jeg?

This one is one of my all-time favorites – and you can sing along with a Swedish friend, too! “Drømmer jeg?” (Am I Dreaming?), from 2004 is a collaboration between the Danish band Johnny Deluxe and Swedish singer Anna Nordell. The song deals with a relationship (or situationship?) between two people on either side of Øresund, between Denmark and Sweden and the I really like how one sings in Danish and one in Swedish

Pauline - Ny og Næ

Pauline is relatively new to me, but this one I really like. “Ny og Næ” (Now and then) has a very catchy chorus and is overall very enjoyable. “You gave me rain when I asked you for shelter”.

Andreas Odbjerg -  Føler Mig Selv 100

Andreas Odbjerg is an artist who have taken over Denmark the last few years. I saw him live at Grøn Koncert in Odense last year – his hometown - and it was such a good experience! This song is about having fun and not caring about what everyone else thinks. It’s so fun and catchy and you definitely want to dance when Andreas is singing “Everyone is watching while I’m dancing by myself”!

Andreas Odbjerg – Hjem fra Fabrikken

I included another one by Andreas Odbjerg, mainly because this song is very sweet and catchy as well. It is about going home from work, excited to see the one you love at home. “Baby, are you missing anything, I’ll bring it to you. It doesn’t matter if it’s heavy or expensive, as long as you’re happy”

Tobias Rahim – Flyvende Faduma

Tobias Rahim is another artist who really exploded in popularity in the last few years. His songs are both deep and pop-heavy, and he definitely has some more explicit songs. This one though, “Flying Faduma”, is very sweet and about young love and friendship. “In a hot air balloon, we’re killing time, when you look at me, I see something new in me”.

Pil – Når Du Går Herfra (Nattely)

Pil is, like Pauline, relatively new to me. This song about heartbreak and dishonesty is not the happiest, but it does tackle the subjects of giving up on another person. I really like it and it has been among my most heard tracks of 2022. “Where do you go when you leave my place? ‘Cuz you’re not going home when you leave my place”

TV2 - De Første Kærester på Månen

This one means a lot to me – when I was young, I lived in Nuuk for about a year, and we would have the TV2 CD in the car, playing and singing this song on our way to and from school. The title directly translates into The First Couple on the Moon, and it deals with growing up, meeting challenges along the way but then overcoming them in the end. “And now we’ve landed here. We have everything we need, and we’re still standing. And no matter what happens on the last day of school, we’ll be the first couple on the moon”.

Minds of 99 – Emil

Minds of 99 has had a very strong position and reputation on the Danish music scene for a long time now. Since 2012, they have made rock and new wave tracks that are timeless and unique. This one, “Emil”, has a sort of nostalgic vibe, that reminds me of summer. The lyrics are quite simple, but I can’t help but listen and whistle whenever the track starts.

Minds of 99 - Hurtige Hænder – Acoustic Version

Another one of my favorites from the band, this acoustic version of their song “Hurtige Hænder” (Quick Hands), is mesmerizing and very good in my opinion. “You are carefree, I love it. I love how you are yourself, I wish I knew you”.

Sys Bjerre – Tabt mit hjerte

This beautiful and kind of sad song is originally by Anne Linnet, but I really adore this cover. The title, “Lost my heart” is, of course, about love and loss.

Benjamin Hav - Spice Up Your Life

I really have no idea why this song is referencing another really good song by the Spice Girls – but that doesn’t take away from how good I think it is. Benjamin Hav’s music is usually a bit more up-beat and he is known for featuring on more party-ish songs, but this one is sort of gloomy in a very interesting way. The music video was also filmed in the area where I grew up, so enjoy the nice images of Southern Jutland! “You think I remember everything you say. The truth is, it's not a lie. I got us a coffee, you got the next one, I said: "I'm all alone at home", You said: "It's funny, that's just life", But you know, maybe we'll meet again.”

Jung – Hun Kommer Tilbage

Jung is another artist I had the pleasure of seeing live last year and this track, “She’s Coming Back”, has definitely been on my summer playlists last year. I have to admit that I’m not always sure what they are singing, but I get the main meanings of their songs.

I hope you liked my little list, and that it gave you a little taste of what Danish music CAN sound like today! There’s a lot more out there, and it’s good!

[banana-pancake5]

Under the cut because it’s quite long :D

What am I doing? I should be asking him about his situation! Here I am making him think about all my problems! He has enough in his plate-

A series of small little taps on his leg made him look down. Angie was tapping his little hand onto Donnie’s leg. Donnie didn’t know why he was doing it but it felt a little grounding and comforting. Lee was still tugging at Donnie’s mask tales but he didn’t stop him. Usually to would be getting on his nerves at this point but he didn’t want to ruin his little twin’s fun.

Then Mike started talking. He started talking about his experience. He reminded Donnie of how his his brothers, even in the future, cared. They took him in as apart of their family immediately.

Donnie stared at Mike, although Mike was busy preparing the graham cracker for the s’more.

He got it. He understood. Donnie was so glad. Nononono that sounded awful. Why was he glad that Mike has had such an awful experience!? No he wasn’t glad that he had the experience. He was glad that he wasn’t the only one. He was glad someone, other than everyone in his new timeline who hid under a crafted facade, understood. He was glad he could talk to someone who, though he may be downplaying his own problems, could relate.

His face became hot under the threat of tears. Why am I so emotional today? Shut up tear ducts I need to think not cry!

The tears were becoming a bit more of a problem. They were now at the corner of his eyes. He didn’t dare blink in the case that they would fall.

When Mike talked about Donnie’s brothers he seemed so sure. He was so sure that they loved him. So sure that they wanted him to be happy.

Drip… Drip…

There come the tears.

Mike didn’t seem to notice. He had finished prepping the graham cracker and was now looking into the fire. He seemed to have wet eyes as well.

Mike moved on from the topic of Donnie’s brothers. Donnie checked on the marshmallow. He brought it away from the fire and closer to his face, it was really just an attempt to hide his face as the tears dripped down. Little El in his lap looked up with grabby hands trying to reach for the Marshmallow. The Marshmallow was practically done but he put it back to the fire as he wiped the tears from his eyes. The marshmallow gave him something to focus on as Mike spoke. It helped give him an easy thing to look at when his eyes suddenly felt like looking at Mike would be the end of the world.

Mike began talking about the small things. Explaining how sometimes it makes all the difference when you focus on the good, however subtle it may be.

Although Donnie couldn’t watch a sunset because the sight of the red sky made him sick, or find any cool rocks because anytime they were outside the resistance they were under the looming threat of Krang, he could listen to his favorite song, he could sing loud during karaoke nights in his older self’s lab, he could pull pranks on Leonardo, he could talk to Casey, he could watch Michelangelo paint on the walls, and so many other small yet meaningful things. There was fun in the apocalypse, it was just difficult to find. But he would find it.

“Don’t get so stuck in the past that you can’t live in the present.”

He didn’t want to live in the present. He hated it. But he had to. It was really really hard to think not think about his brothers every conversation he had with Leonardo and Michelangelo. And it was even harder to not think about the huge gap in the family, the one brother that even in another timeline he can’t have one more moment with, Raph. But he had to move past that. His new present needed him so he would pull through.

Knowing he had to pull through and be strong didn’t help one bit. Even when you know you need to it can still feel impossible. But he could always try.

His face was still hot with the teats that slowly escaped. He wiped them off as soon as he could but it still left a wet trail down his mask.

They both sat there looking into the fire a moment. It reminded Donnie of the resistance. But this fire was more comforting than the raging fires all across the apocalypse. This fire had someone in the other side. Someone who understood Donnie. Someone who shared some of the same trials.

It was strange talking to someone about these things. It was just on the edge of uncomfortable but it stayed there, just in the edge. In every scenario in his head a conversation such as this would tip the bottle, it would suffocate him, he would be screaming for it to end. But not this time. This was comforting, this was nice. He could only hope the same for Mike.

Mike sniffled. Perhaps a tear fell, but Donnie couldn’t see.

“Does that make any sense?” Mike asked after the silence became too loud.

“Yeah…” Donnie’s voice surely revealed he had been crying and if it hadn’t the little sniffle he gave certainly did. he hated it, but he continued, “Thanks, it’s… it’s nice to talk about this stuff. It’s nice to know someone else gets it. And uhm,” why am I so bad at comforting people??? “I’m sure your Donnie wants the same for you… Eh- I mean the happiness. I’m sure he wants you to be happy in whatever situation you’re in.”

Mike sniffed again but didn’t say anything immediately.

Donnie reached over to the graham cracker Mike had prepared. It was sorta sloppy but he couldn’t blame him. He carefully squished the marshmallow between the crackers with expert precision. The s’more was practically sparkling. Truly a perfect s’more.

“Bon appétit!” Donnie proudly lifted the s’more into the air as a show of its magnificence. Then he carefully lowed it to baby El who excitedly received it. Hopefully he would enjoy the s’more.

———

Oh my this got way longer than I expected :>

Thank you!! I’m so happy to hear you and your friend enjoyed the art so much!! I hope you can enjoy this one as well! (Sorry I forgot about mini Dee ;-;)

I hope this is an easy thing to continue off of! Also again I LOVE your writing so much!! You convey emotion really well!!! And because of this whole interaction I really really wanna start watching the 2003 show (I’ve only seen rise and 2012)

Also I would love to see that paragraph about the hug! (Even if you don’t use it in this interaction I’d love to read it if you would like to send it in an ask :D)

@tmnt-fandom-family-reunion cabins 11 & 14 yet again!!

“Greetings from Cabin 11, I have come to inform you about how to correctly create a S’more”

Donnie will NOT tolerate any burnt marshmallows

(@tmnt-fandom-faimly-reunion)

From where he was sitting by the fire, three baby turtles in his lap and one only slightly less baby turtle at his side, Mike hummed. "This is no four star Michelin restaurant, but I can certainly take that under advisement," he lied. He took the paper, holding it up to read and squinting at it to pretend like he was committing it all to memory.

Unfortunately, as he did so, it came in range of El's grabby hands.

"Hey!"

It was too late. The paper had gone down the hatch.

"...guess he's hungry?" Mike said. He huffed as a sudden thought struck him. "Hey, I know you've probably got a lot of people to lecture - I mean, uh, coach? - about the perfect s'more making process, but if you wanna stick around for a little bit and take a load off... I'm sure my nephew here would love to try a correctly made s'more, and you seem to be a world renowned s'more chef. He's never had one before and he deserves the best."

Mike was perfectly fine with munching on clumsily half-burnt marshmallows, no chocolate required, but he didn't want that to be El's first s'more and he did not have the patience to sit there and wait for a marshmallow to turn a nice gentle golden brown... he was not opposed to outsourcing, though.

@tmnt-fandom-family-reunion