#but believe me when I say r playing guitar is on my mind everyday

[yayee-prsp]

I read you wanted suggestions? and if you're up to it and you like it, what do you think about a Guitarist Grantaire? Or any other instrument you like? It's - just - your art gives me life and musician R gives me life, too, so yeah that's it I think you're awesome and now I'll stop bothering you I hope you have a nice day! ❤️

Love love love ❤️

Oh yes. Definitely yes.

Also thank you so much!! And you too, are awesome ;;hope you have a nice day/night!! ❤❤❤❤❤

[jajanvm-imbi]

Headcanons of Krel living on earth because he’s my favorite and I love him and I haven’t seen anyone do this yet so I feel like I have to

^^^^^because of this very moment I love the idea of Mary and Darci befriending Krel.

Since Aja,Vex and Eli went back to Akaridion-5, Mother was destroyed, and Claire was busy with Trollhunting stuff, earth gets pretty lonely. So Mary and Darci adopt him into their friend group. 

At first Krel was a little apprehensive to joining their friend group, but he quickly warmed up to it because, he, being Krel, loves the attention.

like I can totally see Mary and Darci taking Krel to like a mall or something and doing those like teen romcom movie shopping montages where he goes into a changing room and the girls judge the outfit until they find the perfect one.

I personally believe Krel would adopt a soft boy look, with like oversized button ups and t shirts tucked into jeans, but thats just me.

anyway, because he’s friends with Mary and Darci, Krel has a new found social popularity in Arcadia.

because of this, Krel would prolly get nominated for Spring Fling king and shit

I would say Krel wouldn’t really care about being nominated, but seeing how he cared so much about the science fair and the Battle of the Bands, he would definitely care

Steve is conflicted because he wants to be Spring Fling King, but he can’t mess with Krel like he did with Jim and Eli cause Krel is his girlfriend’s brother 

Krel notices this and takes advantage of it to mess with Steve and actually tries to win.

like Krel would just dominate the contests, and his theme presentation would be the flashiest and most appealing and people would just generally like him, and that would really worry Steve

like Krel, with four arms would be really good at the Touch-a-Truck-athon or whatever its called.

Krel would prolly let Steve win anyway because watching Steve squirm and freak out over prolly losing the crown and not being able to do anything about it cause he's Aja's brother is much better than any highschool dance crown

also the school 100% asks Krel to DJ future dances and events to save money, and Krel absolutely loves it

He would also definitely do the school play. Seeing how much he enjoyed being in Toby and Eli's short film, and again, he loves the attention, he would totally be down 

Also it would just be another chance to mess with Steve to be the lead. 

Because of this, Ms. Janeth would do another Shakespearean play, but do one of those modern renditions. Like it's the same play just in a modern setting, to take advantage of Krel's Akaridion form like they did with Jim's armor. 

If not in the play he would do stage crew/tech.

Like he would create elaborate settings for them using A5 tech and Ms. Janeth would adore it 

moving on, because home life is pretty lonely with just the Lucy and Ricky for company, Krel loves to host his friends for parties and sleepovers and whatever

and since Krel lives in the coolest house on the block, they love coming over

He hosts girl’s night every other week with Mary, Darci, and Clarie (becauuse she deserves a fucking break) 

since we’ve all agreed that Krel is 100% a gaylien, I love the idea that he casually comes out during a girls night

like Mary would be like “So Krel, are there any girls you like?” and Krel’s just like, “*snort* Girls? Who ever said I like girls?” and the others are like “���.....?“ and Krel just rolls his eyes and says "I like boys, ladies” and they’re like “ooooohhhh, okay. Cool.”

So now they spend girls night talking about boys. Claire and Darci about their mans and Mary and Krel about cute boys.

One day the girls give Krel a little rainbow pin and Krel’s just like “what’s this?” And the girls tell him that it’s an earth symbol for the gays and he’s like “theres a symbol for that here? I didnt think it was that big of a deal. On A5 it’s pretty normal” and the girls explain why theres a symbol and he’s like “oh shoot wow, thanks" and he put it on his backpack.

He’s pretty confused the first time someone is homophobic towards him cause like that kind if behavior doesnt happen on A5 and hes just like, “why does this bother you? I hardly know you” and just brushes it off. Its doesnt really bother him, mainly cause he doesnt know the earth insults towards gay people so he doesn’t even realize, but if the girls (or Toby, or even Steve, too) catch anyone being homophobic towards their friend they will attack that asshole on sight. Especially Mary and Steve

Random person on the street: Ha, *slur*

Marry: WHAT DID YOU SAY TO HIM BITCH???

Krel: Marry its fine, it’s not that big of a dealoHSEKLOSANDGAYLENMARYGETOFFOFHIM

Marry: SAY IT AGAIN ASSHAT, I D A R E YOU

Claire and Darci: *trying to hold Mary back* maRY NO

Steve: THATS MY NINJA KICKING SPACE ANGEL GIRLFRIEND'S BROTHER BUTTSNACK I'LL END YOU

Toby: *now chasing after Steve to stop him* stEVE NO

Mary would 100% find out who the rando is and destroy their life on social media. Like she would leak their job, phone number, email, school/college (if applicable) to her thousands of followers and absolutely ruin them with no remorse. And honestly, good for her

Also whilst on the subject, Krel can not drive or cook for 2 reasons: 1. Hes gay and 2. He’s a prince so he’s never had to do either before

Like he can obviously do math but that’s it.

Proof? That one scene in Wizards when Douxie had him drive the airship. You know the one.

Coach Lawrence refuses to get in a car with him at Drivers Ed after the 3rd day Krel shows up.

Krel gets addicted to sugary coffee shop-esc drinks thanks to Darci. Not coffee cause we saw in 3Below Part 1 that he doesnt like coffee, but refreshers, coolattas, frappuccinos etc…? Definitely.

As for warm drinks, he’s more of a tea person.

Moving on

He face calls Aja everyday because he really misses her

He tells her all about school and his friends and whatever and Aja tells him about the changes she’s making to the A5 government

Thanks to the wormhole they visit each other often. Sometimes Steve tags along cause he misses his ninja kicking space queen angel girlfriend. (And Eli, but that's also for another post)

They take turns housing Luug.

Krel genuinely loves it on earth, but he hates the primitive technology so he begs Aja to send him supplies and materials for his projects. 

He would 10000% apply to HexTech for an after school job. Seeing his reaction to HT in Wizards and the fact that “Akaridion tech and magic are so compatible”, he would be the perfect addition to the HT staff. 

The Wizards wouldn’t be sure at first but after he shows them A5 tech and Douxie’s email of recommendation about the time loop thing they made together, the wizards are like “oh yeah we definitely keeping this kid. This is going to be so much fun.”

Their inventions become more and more extravagant because Krel can and he's just extra and the wizards love it.

He would definitely find a way to use magic using A5 tech. But he would have to study magic in order to figure out how, so the wizards help him learn all about magic. And since he's learned everything there is to learn about science and technology and whatever, he's super excited to learn about something completely different and interesting. The wizards are happy to teach him. He would be the first Akaridion to learn and use magic

Like he would make his own staff with his serrator and everything. He's like "earn a staff? Nah fuck that going to make my own"

Speaking of which he really likes human swear words. But he doesnt know when it is and isn't inappropriate to say these swear words so he's gotten in trouble a few times for swearing at the wrong time

For example:

Ms. Janeth: excuse me Mr. Tarron?

Krel: what the fuck do you want?

Everyone in the room: krEL NO

Anyway, back to Krel at HT, thanks to Toby, he would definitely have a bowl of candy in his little lab. More like multiple jars of different candy just scattered around the room. Small candy like fun sized chocolate and skittles and jelly beans and whatever

And a mini fridge, of course.

Steve, Toby and Arrrgh come over to the lab alot to mess around.

Toby has a lot of sci-fi requests for Krel to make

Toby: do you think you can make a shrink ray? Laser blasters? Invisible ray? My own hoverboard? My own serrator *gASP* WITH A WARHAMMER SETTING???? WITH SPACE ARMOR TO MATCH???!!!???!

Krel: Toby you already have a warhammer and armor why do you need more?

Toby: I dont have a space warhammer and armor Krel!!!!!!

Going back to school life, I feel like Krel would take an interest in Spanish class. I mean, his human form is latino and in Trollhunters (I'm pretty sure the lightning in a bottle episode) he said "Si" in response to a question someone asked him, so I feel like he would like to learn another human language. 

I also feel like he would just like to learn about Latin American culture in general since Mother gave him that form. He'd like to get in touch with his human self. 

Claire (when she isnt busy Trollhunting with Jim and the gang) is happy help him learn about Latin American culture and help him with his Spanish. 

Krel, being a fast learner, becomes fluent quickly with a perfect accent. 

Señor Uhl, who already liked the Tarrons to begin with, would really appreciate this. 

Claire's dad would also appreciate this.

Since he has such a fascination with human music, Krel would especially love Latin American music. Specifically reggaeton, since its kind of like techno music in a way and he already likes techno music.

And naturally, he learns to dance. All the styles of latin american dances. And he becomes quite the favorite on the dance floor.

He and Claire become great dance partners cause they both have the natural Latino rhythm and because Jim respects and trusts his girlfriend he doesnt mind them dancing together at parties and stuff

Although, Jim does ask for dance help at some point cause it looks like fun and he wants to dance with his beautiful talented incredible amazing gf and Krel is happy to teach him and anyone else who wants dance help. 

GUITAR LESSONS with Douxie cause in 3Below Krel said he really wanted to learn how to play guitar, steals Shannon’s guitar from the bonfire and is seen multiple times strumming it throughout the series. So of course this is included.

Toby introduces Krel to YouTube and Krel instantly makes his own channel.

of course his channel is called DJ Kleb and he posts his tracks and remixes. and maybe even some vlogs

its a little slow at first, only Arcadia Oaks students are subscribed to it but Mary blows it up by posting one of Krel’s tracks on her own social media and now he has thousands of subscribers

he also gained other forms of social media like Instagram and Tiktok, platforms to post his music

At this point every girl in school wants to be friends with Krel but not in the toxic GBF (gay best friend) way, girls just genuinely think he's 10x more interesting than every other boy in Arcadia Oaks

I think that's it for now sorry this is really long I just really love Krel and I had so many ideas. Feel free to add on!!

[lilchibi-chan]

So I was listening to the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack and had a thought. Kenma and Yamaguchi (separately) having a crush on the reader 🥰 Kinda like “If I could tell her” (that’s the song name)? Could u maybe write something for it? 👉👈🥺

Of course!! I hadn’t seen the show previous to this request, so I took a watch and did my research. Also, it’s so nice to see you requesting again💖 I hope you’ve been doing well and if not, I hope this helps and I’m open to talk if you need someone 🌸 Hope you enjoy 🌸

Kenma

You, Kenma and Kuroo were all at Kenma’s house doing homework/studying. You all live close to each other, so it’s not completely unusual that you all are at one of the other person’s house. Whether it be doing homework or just hanging out, you guys are always together.

You all had a literature assignment to write a poem about love, whether it’s in the form of a person or a place that makes you feel that way and etc.

Kenma decided to write his poem about how he feels about you. He’s had a crush on you for a while and he’s never had the courage to tell you. He still doesn’t, but he thought a good way to get his feelings out would be through this poem.

You all decide to switch papers to see what the other think of the poem you each wrote. Kuroo and kenma switched papers first, or so you thought, and you were gonna go after the two of them read theirs out loud.

“I’m going to read Kuroo’s first to get it over with,” Kenma says

You and Kuroo get comfortable to listen to Kenma read.

Kuroo secretly cheers him on, which you don’t notice

“The poem reads Her hair is dark like the wings of a raven Eyes bright like the sun is behind them Heart made of gold and skin made of satin These feelings I have stay quiet as I hide them Behind these eyes, she doesn’t see I wish she could because I want her with me I lay awake, thinking of her Wishing one day that I could tell her The way she smiles makes my heart skip a beat The way she laughs sets my soul on fire We’ve been friends for a while But I feel like we’re miles apart Due to the feelings I hide in my heart”

“W-wow,” you say taken aback by the words written on the paper

You also noticed that Kenma looked at you the whole time he read it. He was usually the type that avoided eye contact, but it was like he wanted you to hear his feelings and feel them pouring into your soul.

“Kenma, w-would you mind if I took a look at the paper,” you ask

“Uh.. um.. sure,” he says reluctantly handing it over

You read the paper and see that it’s Kenma’s name at the top.

“Kuroo, would you mind if Kenma and I spoke alone,” you ask

“Uhh.. no, go ahead,” he says, leaving the room

“S-so, how long have you felt this way,” you ask Kenma lowly

“A while,” he says not wanting to look you in the eyes

“Kenma, you can face me. I’m not scary,” you say trying to comfort him

“I-I know, but I’m not really good with people,” he says

“Well I’m not just anyone, I’m your best friend and...I kinda..have feelings.. for you..too,” you confess

“R-really,” he says surprised

“Yeah. I love spending time with you and your passion for video games and you teaching me how to play. I love that you never go easy on me either. I know games are like your everything and for you to share that with me took a lot and I know that.”

“Everything is easy with you, y/n” he confesses,“it kinda feels like I’ve known you forever and I’ve never really been that comfortable with anyone.”

“What about Kuroo,” you ask laughing

“He kinda just claimed me as his, but I don’t mind having him around. To be honest, I do feel lonely without him being here, but sometimes even then, I think of you and I don’t feel lonely anymore. Just the thought of you being here brings me comfort.”

You sit there again, this time almost on the brink of tears.

Kenma looks up at you and notices the tears brimming your eyes.

“A-are you okay,” he asks worried

“Y-yeah, I’m fine,” you say,“it was just really nice to hear you say that because I feel the same way. You’re my comfort person and whenever I think of you, I just feel warm and fuzzy inside. It sounds cliche but that feeling is indescribable”

“Y-y/n, would you..maybe...wanna hang out this weekend...but like, a date,” he asks

“Of course, Ken. I would love it.”

He smiles and you hear Kuroo open the door

“Ugh finally! I thought you two were gonna let me stay out there forever,” Kuroo says being dramatic, causing you to laugh

“You would’ve been fine,” Kenma says

“Gosh Kenma, you’re so cold. Why can’t you be nice to me like you with y/n” Kuroo says, fake crying

“You’re both two different people who I have different relationships with. You are not the same,” kenma says

“Wow Kenma,” Kuroo says holding his chest where his heart is

“Guys c’mon,” you say interrupting,“we all love each other now let’s just hang out like we usually do and have fun.”

And you all do just that until you and Kuroo decide to leave.

Yamaguchi

Today at Karasuno, there is an assembly being held with a talent show right after.

A couple weeks ago, when the talent show was announced, Yamaguchi decided that he wanted to do something big. He wanted to confess his feelings to you through a song.

Yamaguchi isn’t the most confident, but he wants to prove that for you, he would do anything.

He spent the two weeks doing research on different songs that explained exactly how he felt about you until he found the perfect one.

He also asked Tsukishima to help him by playing guitar and asked Daichi and Kageyama if they would do background vocals for him.

Tsukishima agreed because he was glad to see Yamaguchi grow some balls and take charge. Kageyama took a little more convincing and finally agreed when Yamaguchi offered to by him as much milk as he wanted and snacks after school if he helped. We all know Daichi being the dad friend agreed no questions asked.

They practiced everyday after practice.

Although they were tired, they knew how important this was for Yamaguchi.

Finally, the day has arrived and the boys are backstage getting ready.

You and Yachi are sitting in the crowd anticipating their performance.

“Wow this is so exciting. I know I could never do it because I’m really bad at dealing with people staring at me, but the good this is that it’s not me up there,” Yachi says to you

“I know,” you say, smiling big,“who knew?! Yamaguchi, Kageyama and Daichi can sing and Tsuki can play guitar!”

“I know this is amazing,” Yachi says gushing with you

After the student council presented what they had to, they announce that Yamaguchi, Tsuki, Kageyama and Daichi were the first act.

They all walk out on the stage and you can see Yamaguchi tense up once he turns his eyes to the sea of people.

You start cheering louder so that Yamaguchi can find you in the crowd and you hold up the poster that you and Yachi made last night.

“H-hi,” Yamaguchi says into the microphone,“I uh..I’m going to sing a song today that describes a really special girl in my life. It’s called Truly, Madly, Deeply by One Direction. Y/n, I hope you like it.”

“I haven’t heard this song before,” you say to Yachi as you both clap for them to hype them up and know that they have your support.

“Me neither,” you say,“but it should be good. One Direction have some amazing songs.”

Yamaguchi starts singing and you couldn’t believe your ears. He was actually really good. You couldn’t believe that he had hidden this talent from you.

You start listening to the words in the song and you realize that this is Yamaguchi’s way of confessing his feelings to you.

You didn’t know that he did, but there were times you thought maybe and you just were never really sure.

At this moment, they were solidified. Yamaguchi has feelings for you and he’s done hiding them. He also wants the whole world to know about it.

This is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you and you think to yourself ‘this is the kind of thing that happens in movies’

This felt like a dream to you. A dream you didn’t want to wake up from.

He looked in your direction the whole time and it felt like you were the only two people in the auditorium.

The song was beautiful and everything about this moment was perfect.

Sadly for you, it did come to an end.

The rest of the acts perform and the talent show ends.

Yamaguchi got second place.

You go see Yamaguchi and the rest of the boys back stage.

“You guys did amazing! You totally deserved first place,” you say pouting

“Y/n, can w-we talk for a second,” Yamaguchi says pulling you aside

“Yeah...you did amazing by the way. I really wish you would’ve gotten first place,” you say reiterating that he should’ve won the talent show

“It’s fine y/n,” he says honestly,“this performance was for you and only you, so I feel like I did win.”

“Yamaguchi,” you say smiling

“Y/n...I really like you and I had to tell you. I couldn’t hold it on anymore.. I hope you’re okay wi-,”

You interrupt him by crashing your lips on his.

“I couldn’t ask for a better confession. That was so romantic and I would love nothing more than to be your girlfriend...if you’re okay with it too,” you say with a giggle

“I would love nothing more than to be your boyfriend y/n”

You kiss again and walk back over to the group hand in hand.

There’s clapping and cheers and whistling.

You were so happy. The both of you were.

You couldn’t ask for a better day or a better boyfriend.

I hope you enjoyed this. I really wanted to try and make it perfect for you. I hope this met your expectations 🥺🌸

[theroguequeenaniki]

Questions 2009 -> 2021

This is from my Facebook. It popped up on my memories page thing. I originally answered this in 2009 when I was 15, it’s now 2021 & and I am 27, so I’m gonna do it again. Leaving the original answers. Original answers will be italicized. Commentary on the original answers in parentheses & crossed out? Lol. (I’m not gonna tag anyone, but, like, I guess if you want to answer these random questions from Facebook 12 years ago, go ahead lol) 

Questions

Can you fill this out without lying? You've been tagged, so now you need to answer all the questions HONESTLY. At the end, choose people to tag. Don't forget to tag me so I can see your answers! To do this, copy this entire message, then go to “notes” under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, delete my answers, and type yours. Easy! Next, tag people that you think may enjoy this (in the right hand corner of the app). Click publish (at the bottom). Have fun! :) 1.What was the last thing you put in your mouth? My cup with my Big Red in it The straw to my Kate Spade tumbler to drink my HEB Cola Lol.

2.Where was your profile picture taken? I got it off the internet. it's a random anime girl. My bedroom. 3.Can you play Guitar Hero? Never played it. Probably wouldn't be good at it. Not to good at video games. But I am good at Mario Cart, both 64 and the Wii. plus I'm good at some Sonic games. Still never played it. Idk if I’m any good at Mario Cart or the Sonic games anymore, I haven’t played either in years lol

4.Name someone who made you laugh today? Doctor Who TikTok. My cats.

5.How late did you stay up last night and why? Umm, probably about 10:00 cause it took me forevor to get into bed. Uh..Past 4am. Lol. B/c my sleep schedule is fucked. I was in bed by 3am though, but I was playing games & watching TikToks on my phone. Lol.

6.If you could move somewhere else, would you? Yes. I'd move to either New York or Sweden. I don’t know. Part of me says yes. But part of me says no..b/c even though Texas has it’s faults (a LOT of them), I cannot imagine living anywhere else long-term..

7. Ever been kissed under fireworks? HAHA. Yeah right. I've never even been kissed! Still nope. I have been kissed though. He just didn’t kiss me under the fireworks the one NYE we spent together...

8. Which of your friends lives closest to you? Um, I think R, but D might also. D is accross Stasney from me and R is a couple blocks down (I don’t talk to these people much anymore & I’m not going to share their names on Tumblr) Uh. I think Maybe Raven? B/c they’re the only one who lives in the same city still. But, Sarah might technically be closer distance wise? Hold on. Ok, yeah, Sarah’s closer, even though she doesn’t live in this city anymore.

9. Do you believe exes can be friends? It all depends on the situation.(I totally stold M's answer but it's true) (I don’t talk to this person anymore & I’m not gonna share their name on Tumblr) I mean, yeah. Two of my best friends are each others exes and they’re still friends. I haven’t stayed friend with my ex, but, uh, he ghosted me so? Lol.

10. How do you feel about Dr. Pepper? I love it. I still love it. Lol.

11. When was the last time you cried really hard? I can't remember. I don't think it was that long ago, I had a light cry on Saturday, but I don't remember the last time I cried really hard. When we got back from our trip in July. Had a full on breakdown that night. Overheated all weekend. Overwhelmed. Anxiety. It was not a very good vacation..I cry a lot though.

12. Who took your profile picture? I got it off of google. I did. 

13. Who was the last person you took a picture of? Umm, either myself, or one of my family members. Aside from myself. I think my dad, on his phone, b/c there was a cicada on his shoulder and he wanted to ask the family group chat if he could keep it. Lol. I take a LOT of pictures of cats though. Lol.

14. Was yesterday better than today? Hail yes! To much drama today! And I couldn't avoid it cause I was in the middle of it! (Oof, what drama was 15 yo Linda dealing with that she couldn’t avoid? Lol. I mean, I guess, Sophomore year was a bit full of drama lol) Anyway, I mean, they were pretty much the same. One wasn’t better than the other. One wasn’t worse than the other.

15. Can you live a day without TV? yeah. Now Music there is something I can't live without! Yep, Do it almost everyday. Sentiments about music remain the same. Lol.

16. Are you upset about anything? Yes. I'm annoyed about something and it's making me upset. (I assume this has something to do with the the drama mentioned earlier lol) Always. Anxiety & depression are a bitch. My rooms a mess & I can’t get myself to clean it. My shelves are still a mess.

17. Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? yeah. though i havent really had one yet. I mean, yeah. Even though I haven’t had one last, aside from friendships, but they’re worth it. 

18. Are you a bad influence? I hope not. If so, let me know.(again I took M's answer but it's true) Probably. Idk. Lol.

19. Night out or night in? Depends on what's going on and how I feel about it. Night in usually. I do like going out sometimes, but, like, to dinner. Maybe a movie or a show. But, you know, we’ve been in a panini press, the only thing I’ve been comfortable doing is going to dinner (fully vaxxed & masked). But I also prefer staying home anyway. (Like I usually just go to dinner with my family lol)

20. What items could you not go without during the day? my computer. my book. my journal and a pen. My phone. My journal (b/c I write in it every night, as a diary, 14yo Linda wrote stories). Uh. I didn’t take food or drinks into account in the og, so I won’t in those. But, yeah. My phone & journal. I can go a day without my laptop if I need to. (Went the whole trip in July without pulling it out, though maybe that’s not a good example since my anxiety on that trip was so high..) I want to say a book, but I’ve been in a massive reading slump so...I wish I read as much as 15yo Linda did..

21. Who was the last person you visited in the hospital? I don't remember. I think it was myself.(if you want to know, ask me in person) I honestly don’t know. I don’t remember the last time I was in a hospital. 

22. What does the last text message in your inbox say? "Mrbobbybones:  wish ted would finally meet their mother already. geez. get to it. However, I see myself in that character more and more each episode." yeah. That's what it says. It's from Twitter. (Huh? and I can’t even go check b/c my inbox doesn’t go back to 2009 on Twitter?? (I haven’t had my account that long) Wait wait wait just remembered I used to get tweets to my phone as text messages lol)

Facebook messenger: “ Cool” From our group chat. Lol.

From actual text messages on my phone: “ heeey! Just put up the Tuesday PDS just for you  it’s a big one.” From Phillip Defranco’s text line Lol.

23. How do you feel about your life right now? I'm loving and hating it. but hey nobody gets out alive right? Uh..I mean. I’m alive. I have WiFi. Food. Family. I haven’t seen my friends in 2 years. (Minus Alex, b/c they were here in July to cat/house sit, but I saw them for like, one night..) There’s a lot that could be better. A lot that could be worse. 

24. Do you hate anyone? yes!!! Oof. I mean, kinda.

25. If we were to look in your Facebook Inbox, what would we find? some random conversations. most of my convos on her though have been in chat or through comments. Facebook Inbox is now Facebook Messenger. So you’ll find all my Facebook Messenger convos. Mostly our group chat. And side group chats for secret planning (birthdays & stuff). Plus other chats? Lol.

26. Say you were given a drug test right now, would you pass? I better! (excuse me miss 15yo Linda you absolutely could have passed a drug test you ALSO didn’t drink or smoke or take any drugs lol) Yeah. Absolutely. I don’t drink or smoke or take any drugs so, yeah? Lol.

27. Has anyone ever called you perfect before? 

Yes. But I can't remember when... Yeah. Pretty sure. 

28. What song is stuck in your head? Gee by SNSD(Girls Generation) They're Korean. A few My Chemical Romance songs

29. Someone knocks on your window at 2:00 a.m., who do you want it to be? EDWARD CULLEN! Joke! lol. No I don't know. If it was Edward, I'd call the cops. whoever it is though better have an explaination or they are gonna get hit in the head with my Book of Shadows. (Maybe I wouldn’t mind Edward at my window though? Lol.) Uh. My friends? Lol. Idk if I want anyone knocking on my window at 2am.

30.Wanna have grandkids before you’re 50? I don't know....... Uh. No? Idk. Most likely not gonna happen. 

31. Name something you have to do tomorrow? I can't think of anything right now... Eat. Should probably clean my room.

32. Do you think too much or too little? Way to much! lol. Way way way too much

33. Do you smile a lot? i try to. I think I do. I get told that alot in Theater...

I think so

[mrneighbourlove]

Peace in Silent Innocence

Leere adjusted the tuner on the guitar as she sat on the top of the Eastern tower. A zora instrument, the sound it had was calming to her. The eldest Princess of Hyrule slowly plucked the strings, her voice young and beautiful as she sang the lyrics, many thanks to the magic she used to keep herself youthful. No, could she really call herself a Princess? She hardly was around the castle most of her life, interacting with her family only moments at a time growing up. Her last ‘adventure’ gave her perspective though. Life needed to be spent in peace, with those you cared about. Like this guitar though, she needed practice being part of the larger family unit. “♪ Let’s go in the garden. You’ll find something waiting. Right where you left it. Lying upside down.... ♪”

Tebanam and Faris had woken Skyla from her afternoon nap to practice more sign language and play for a bit. The couple were relieved to see their adopted daughter come out of her shell little by little. She was bright, taking in her lessons very quickly and progressing further everyday. The tiny Garai girl had a love of animals and was not spooked by the ghosts which whispered words in her mind everyday. No, she referred to them as her friends, occasionally getting into mischief with the spirits. Today, however, Tebanam had informed Skyla she was going to meet another aunt of hers.

Looking around for her, Teb clued in to the music coming from above one of the halls. The couple arrived just in time to hear Leere finish her piece.

“... ♪ Everything Stays. Right where you left it. Everything Stays. But it still changes. Ever so slightly. Daily and Nightly. In little ways. Everything Stays... ♪”

Skyla, of course, would never hear music. She could feel the vibrations from certain instruments with her fingers, but would not experience the joy of the lyrics nor tunes. Looking at the new lady, the tiny girl buried her face into Faris' neck. She was painfully shy and still getting used to the social norms. Tebanam shushed her, rubbing Skyla's back.

Leere places the guitar down and gives Tebanam a smile. “Teb. Faris. What brings you around the palace?”

"We were wanting to see if you'd like to meet your little niece?" Tebanam asked Leere. "She's like you in a way... Skyla can see ghosts."

"Skyla cannot control them and does not possess dark magic but has a link to the dead regardless." Faris informed Leere as he gently shifted his daughter into the opposite arm. "She's not afraid of them, rather, she thinks they're her family."

“The spirits?” Leere felt an air of concern at first, but listened closely to Skyla’s connection. “Ghosts can come in variety of shapes and forms. As well as their intentions.”

Leere waved to Skyla. “Hello Skyla. My name is Leere.”

Skyla's big blue eyes looked at Leere as she waved, and then to Tebanam.

"L-e-e-r-e." Tebanam spelled out her name in sign language for his daughter. "My big sister."

Confused, Skyla tilted her head. She looked at Leere, then her Daddy, then back to Leere.

"No look you." Skyla signed to her Daddy. "White. No brown. Tiny. No big."

Faris could not hold back a snicker. Skyla was highly observant and said whatever was on her mind.

Leere studied closely, her red eyes staring softly at the contrasting blue of her nieces. “Is Skyla mute Teb?”

"Skyla is deaf." Tebanam told his sister as he gently took the little girl from Faris. "We've been teaching her sign language. She's trying to read lips, but that will take a lot longer than just basic sign. Maybe as she progresses, she will learn how to speak some words. For now, basics."

Leere acknowledged that with a simple nod. Sad. So many things lost with a sense taken away. Leere tried her best to recall her own sign language teaching, gesturing to Skyla. “Hello. Can I shake hand?”

Skyla perked up when Leere signed to her. Still timid, she looked to her Papa for confirmation.

"It's okay." Faris told her slowly in sign. "Hand. Shake." He demonstrated with Leere. "You?"

Hesitantly, Skyla gradually lifted her tiny hand for Leere to shake.

The moment Leere shook Skyla’s hand she felt her pale cheeks flare up. A spark of being a family woman. She might never be a mother, but an Auntie was a damn fine position. “She’s so tiny Teb.”

Looking back to Skyla she nodded, ending the hand shake.”

"We found her on the streets, so she was malnourished." Faris explained to Leere. "Yet, we think since she's still growing, there's a chance she'll be just fine."

"We called her Skyla because of her eyes." Tebanam smiled at his daughter, signing 'good job', earning a big grin from the little girl. "So blue."

“I guess by that logic that would make me hellscape.”

No laughter. Leere was never one for jokes. “Very noble of you to save her from the streets. I can empathize as a fellow adoptive daughter.”

Leere signed language to Skyla once more. “I’m your Aunt. I hope to know you better.”

"Name S-K-Y-L-A. Daddy, Papa name me. Eyes blue. Like sky." Skyla signed with her tiny fingers, a happy smile on her face. "That." The little girl pointed to the musical instrument. "What?"

"Music." Faris signed to Skyla.

"What music?"

Leere gave a sad smile. “Music is a beautiful thing. Sounds for the soul. Impossible to fully describe. Singing. Instrument playing. The earth itself.” Finishing her sign language, Leere turned to her brother, making a judgement on why they brought their daughter to meet specifically her. “Tebanam, can I ask why you mentioned Skyla’s connections to the spirits?”

"I wanted you to know because... well, you're the only sibling I have that deals with the spooky stuff." Tebanam shrugged his shoulders. "No one else knows the other side like you do. I'm not saying our brothers and sisters don't believe Skyla about the ghosts, they do, but... it's sort of hard to help with something that you can't see or have a connection to, you know? I was hoping that perhaps you could help her learn how to tell the... good ones from the bad ones."

"We've had our share of poltergeists in the room, moving stuff and doing pranks." Faris added with a grumbling sigh. "And no matter how politely we ask them to stop, it sometimes persists."

Leere gave a light sigh. "I know fare well the differences between simple spirits, angry ghosts, and even demons disguising themselves as less dangerous forces. The world is full of many spirits, more dangerous than safe at times. I suppose I can do my best to train Skyla."

The necromancer rubbed the back of her neck for comfort, just thinking about how to safely go about this. "Any guide lines I should know when taking care of her?"

"Don't look so worried, Leere." Tebanam told his elder adoptive sister with a small smile. "You don't have to do this, Faris and I just wanted to ask. We only want Skyla to feel safe and loved, even with ghosts around."

"Skyla does need to spend more time with her family members, and it's a little difficult seeing there is a communication barrier. They're learning as they can." Faris added.

"No. No. I didn't disagree to this. In fact, I think this is good for me. Using my....experiences....for the betterment of others. To learn without the risk I went through." Leere's mind raced to dark places of her past. She was convinced she was cursed to torment and agony. Was why she was intent on settling down at the castle, as it seemed danger only appeared when she went to it. Perhaps it wouldn't come to her if she stayed put. She pulled herself out of those thoughts with a perk of the lips. "So I'd like to do this. Now, as her Aunt, I need to know what is and isn't ok with her guardians."

"Very well, if you're fine with teaching her, we'd be happy for the help." Tebanam gently set Skyla on her feet, who instantly held onto his leg like a koala bear. "We want her to be able to tell the good from evil, and how to push away ghosts which scare her or bother her. We're not too keen on the idea of her getting possessed, or dealing with demons. We just ask that you keep her within safe boundaries without using dark magic."

"My people say the stronger the ties to darker magics, the easier it is for evil to grasp ahold of you." Faris told Leere.

"Dark magic is not an evil thing in itself. Like its mirror in light, it's a choice. I will, however, keep her from the more negative aspects as best I can. Any diet choices for her or specific nap times?"

"You know it's customary to pick a kid back up at the end of the day?" Tebanam joked with Leere. "I'm not leaving her forever. Faris and I just need to go pick up a few things at the market and it's... a bit overwhelming for her sometimes. She's not very good at crowds yet."

"She loves just about any kind of fruit, but no chocolate or sweets right before her nap time which is after lunch at 2pm." Faris patted Skyla's head. "She likes to sleep on our bed then, with her little stuff toy, the war boar."

"Alright. No chocolate before nap time. Got it." Leere gave a sly wink. "I like my space as well, so I'm sure the two of us will get along very well." Leere checked her pocket watch. Was about 9:23am. "I suppose I can get started with her now?"

"We should be back before lunch, but if we're not, you can just take her to our room for a nap." Faris produced the key to their bed chambers. "She likes for us to wait for her to fall asleep. Oh, and she's really picky about fish for some reason, so if that's on the lunch option, I doubt she'll eat it."

"Aunt Leere teach you." Tebanam signed to Skyla, gesturing to his sister. "Ghosts and magic. Okay?"

"Now?" Skyla asked.

"Yes."

"Market?"

"Papa and I go market. You stay Aunt Leere."

Skyla looked uneasy. She was always scared when it came to new people. Some were bad and some were nice, like her Daddy and Papa. If Aunt Leere was nice, then Skyla supposed it would be okay for a little while. Slowly, she nodded her head.

Leere took the key and gave her giant of a brother a hug. "Thank you for trusting her to me. It means a lot that you believe in my character."

Leere waved goodbye to Faris and Tebanam as they left. She could feel the unease from the little girl. The princess hoped she didn't come across as rude with her sign language. "It ok. Me worried as well. Never been a guardian figure before. I hope we both find happiness and learn from each other."

Skyla was quiet for a moment, watching the door as her Daddy and Papa left. When she was finally alone with Leere, she seemed so timid and small. This was a nice woman. She was not mean. Her Daddy and Papa would not leave her with someone who was mean. Even the ghosts were whispering to her now.

"She can see us too."

"It's okay, don't be afraid."

"Will help, will be nice."

Skyla slowly started to sign, her little fingers making the appropriate signals.

"Family say you nice. I believe." Skyla never referred to the ghosts as what they truly were, but as family. "Grandpa. Grandma. Uncle. Great Grannie." She pointed out the spirits one by one. "Keep me safe no Daddy, no Papa. Can hear in head. No hear with ears."

Leere took a look around. Her inner eye of truth could detect spirits, and she was surprised to see such light flames of the soul flutter around Sklya. Her senses told her they were not manipulative, but she wondered if she could coax them to reveal more of a corporal form. She spoke aloud while doing sign as to ease Sklya of her intentions. "Spirits? Can I see more of you? Skyla here tells me you are family. I am family too. I have a deep understanding of the spirit world. I will not bring harm."

"We have been here since she was born."

"Our little spirit seeker."

"She can see us, talk to us with her mind."

"Her father and mother had no qualms about tossing her aside."

"No magic, no talent, they said."

The spirits were not as strong as others in this realm, but possessed enough power to shield Skyla from harm and maintain a form as a ball of light. A corporal form was difficult when most of their energy went to speaking with their tiny family member. So an invitation was extended.

"Touch us."

"You will see us."

Leere did so, reaching a soft hand outwards.

As Leere touched their floating orbs, she had a vision of what that particular family member looked liked in the past. The great-grandma lived to be quite old, but was capable of seeing ghosts like her great-grandchild. Her dark magic was very low in strength, but she could still soothe and ease disturbed spirits. The grandparents were both gravekeepers, taking care of the cemeteries and presenting small tokens to the dead on the day of their passing. The uncle, unfortunately, passed away when he was young, unable to breathe correctly. He lived until his teen years, and then stuck around to watch after his little sister... and then his niece when she was abandoned for being 'useless'.

"See?" Skyla asked Leere with a tiny grin. "Family."

Leere looked at them, and gave a breath of unbelievably. How incredibly lucky Skyla was for having her ancestors watch over her. A loving family that wanted her to be safe. "A pleasure to meet you all."

Pulling away she looked back down at Sklya, speaking to her in sign again. "Very lucky to have family. Loving spirits hard to find. Have you felt presence of other spirits?"

"See good spirits. See bad spirits." Skyla told Leere as she looked around the room. "Family keeps bad spirit away. Not see bad spirit in long time." She thought for a moment, thinking of the past years. "See demons. Bad. Scary. Hide when see."

Leere held concern in her eyes. Even the word 'demon' now made her feel a heavy need to repress flashes. "What kind of demons? Where?"

"Red eyes. Yellow eyes. Black eyes. Big, many arms, many legs. Black fur or no fur. No flesh. Bones. Long tail. Teeth, big teeth. Talk, many talk, many..." Skyla struggled to describe the demon she had seen. "Many voices." She pulled Leere over to her art table, full of blank paper and crayons. So she started to drag a black creature, partly decomposed and skeletal in appearance, but menacing. "Like this."

Leere nearly had a panic attack seeing it. This was an abomination she had encountered before. A disgusting demon that followed the scent of those with dark magic, specifically young children. It taunted younglings by lathering them in fear, hopeful on devouring them; in both flesh and soul. It took a great amount of mental fortitude to banish it, and she hadn’t seen it since she was a child herself. Just one of the many evils that haunted her growing up. How dare the same evil keep haunting children in her family. She gave Skyla a soft hug, choosing to flip the picture over. "He's a bad one. Do my red eyes scare you?"

"Demon red eyes bad. You no bad. You nice." Skyla used logic to explain her thoughts to Leere as best she could. "Hear demon talking. Bad. No good." She shook her head, and the gestured to her mouth, using the sign for eat. "Demon eat like me... like you. I hide. Demon no find."

Leere looked around the castle. Even with all the good Hyrule had done, it still held enough death and darkness in the cracks to be the perfect hiding spot for such evil. "He won't eat you. Teach you to beat it."

"I no magic." Skyla told her aunt, holding up her little hands. "No magic, like Papa." Faris had been taken as a child and never developed his skills to use any necromancy in his lifetime. Now, he figured it was too late and never wanted to try. He was content to be a father and a husband, learning how to fight was good enough for him. "Daddy no want me learn magic." Skyla tried to think of how to explain correctly. "I see bad demon now. No want bad demon to come to me."

Leere shielded her niece's view and smiled down at Skyla, hiding her own fear and rage effectively. As an adult, Leere couldn’t see it now, but she believed it was nearby. She had to fill Skyla with positive emotions. "Magic is ok. Anyone can learn. But first, what makes you happier than anything?"

"Cake!" Skyla signed enthusiastically, a whole list of items that she loved. "Chocolate, animals, Daddy, Papa, and Tiny!" She held up her toy war boar for emphasis, giving him a big hug. "Aunt Zarazu made Tiny for me."

"Chocolate eh?" Leere took out a grade A chocolate bar from her pocket and broke off a piece for Skyla. "Would you like a piece? I only give them to winners. But you're a winner, right?"

Skyla took the piece of chocolate and stared at it briefly before breaking it in half and promptly shoving the other piece at Leere's mouth.

"You no hungry." Skyla knew what it was like to go hungry and was so used to hording food. After Tebanam and Faris adopted her, she was always full. It was not right to keep something so sweet to herself.

"Please. All for you. Have enough for both." She broke off another piece. "Eat together?"

"Tiny want chocolate too." Skyla held up the piece for the toy to 'take a bite' and then ate the chocolate herself with a wide grin. "Daddy say war boar, real boar, be mine when big!"

"War boars are cool. I like dogs though more. They protect you better. Bark at mean ol ghosts. I could take you to see one if you'd like. But first, lesson.” Leere holds out her hand, producing a small light. Softly she has Skyla hold it. “Can you feel that?”

Skyla wondered what Leere meant by feeling it. It was light, nothing she could actually feel, right? Though she could sense a bit of warmth... so that's what she told Leere.

"Warm." Skyla spelled the letters out with one hand. "Warm ball."

“That’s good. Faris was wrong than. You can feel magic. At least a little. Take it within your heart, feel it, and bring it out again.”

Skyla was not sure what Leere was asking. Did she want her to produce more light? She did not know how to do that. She would try. Children, as many knew, were a little unpredictable. Skyla took Leere's words in a literal sense. Smashing the ball of light close to her chest, Skyla watched as the ball disappeared. Now, she had to bring it out again. So, the little girl simply spelled with her hands, "Light come back."

“Oh my god.” Leere said vocally, holding her hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh at Skyla smashing the ball against her chest. “Good start. Close off your external senses. Imagine the magic forming in your hands. Will it back. Have it all you care for as you think positively.”

Imagine? Like... playing tea party? Skyla knew there was really no tea in the teapot, but nonetheless, she still served all her stuffed animals and the ghosts a cup of tea anyway. So she held out her hands and tried to imagine the ball of light coming back. It was white before, and white was so boring. She liked purple instead! When the orb returned, it was a shiny lavender color, bobbing up and down slightly.

Leere gasped, incredibly proud of the magic Skyla pulled off. “Amazing Skyla! So pretty too! With this small amount of magic I can teach you an important spell! I want you to imagine you can make an invisible ball or circle around you. Like a hula-hoop or hamster ball. It will protect you from mean baddies like the one in your picture.”

"Big." Skyla signed, when she thought about how size comparison to the ball in her hands. "Small." The little girl was not sure if she could do it. The ghosts whispered to her, saying they would let her borrow some of their energy to help. Three floating orbs settled on Skyla, one on each shoulder and one on top of her head. After some convincing, Skyla tried to perfect herself in the ball. Leere said it would protect her from the meanie demon.

“Magic comes from the will. Believe in yourself Skyla, and you can accomplish feats beyond imagining.”

Skyla doubted at first, never thinking she'd be able to use magic. Aunt Leere wanted her to try, so she would. However, neither Leere or Skyla were expecting a bigger effect with the added energy from the ghosts. The ball did indeed form, but it was larger than intended, causing a few pieces of furniture to skid across the way.

Leere held her guitar down and watched as a lookout chair fell off the tower top. She watched in awe at the young girls potential spark out so wide. Such spiritual magic, even with assurance from her family, at such an young age was unheard of. “Good. Very good Skyla. Now internally tell it to come back in. I want you to practice taking the magic in, pulling it out, and making a protective circle a few times.”

What Faris and Tebanam did not know was Skyla did not have dark magic, no, but she did possess the capability to do a few minor spells. With the help of the ghosts, it was a strong effect. Without the ghosts, it was normal. When Skyla did manage to pull it back, the bubble popped and she fell on her backside. Blinking a few times, Skyla grinned widely and signed repeatedly, "Did it, did it, did it!"

“You did! So proud of you! Do that every time you go to sleep or feel scared.” Auntie’s spoiled their nieces right? Leere was ecstatic, wondering why she never became a teacher until now. For her first student learning so well, Skyla was going to get a special treat. “Tell me Skyla, do you like pets?”

"Love animals. Want all them!" Skyla signed as she giggled, and started naming off the current list of pets she desired. "Boar, dragon, kitty cat, puppy, bird, unicorn..." The list went on and on, until she finally stopped at a bunny rabbit.

“Well, guess who’s going to Aunt Orana’s zoo of wonders to pick out a puppy!” Leere pokes Skyla on the nose to give the answer.

Skyla clapped her hands together in excitement, and then went to fetch one of her books displaying different animals. She pointed out a Uskarian Ice Dog, which was a huge breed. It resembled that of a wolf in size, but was more so docile in temperament.

"This one." Skyla pointed at the fluffy dog in her book. "Want." Of course, Skyla had no idea that these dogs were meant for the ice and snow.

“That’s a big snowy dog. Might not be one here. But let’s go see!” Leere picked Skyla up and carried the Garai on her shoulders. It was a completely bizarre sight to see Leere in. Cheerful and with a child no less. Her hair was perfect to feel for the young girls hands as her Aunt trotted to the southern ranch built outside the castle. She held both hands on Skyla to keep her steady, whistling to Orana to get her attention. “Hey sis!”

"... holy son of a kraken, they actually let you keep Skyla by yourself?" Orana was waiting on Corsaire to return home for the evening. Since her husband was the captain of the navy, he often taught defensive and offensive maneuvers at sea. He retired from traveling for a while to help Orana raise their children, but every so often, he would help the rookies learn and run the exercises. "Tebanam is so obsessive over that kid, he hardly lets her out of his sight."

"Aunt Orana!" Skyla signed happily with a smile. "Big kitty?"

"Oh, you don't want to see me, just Mahaan, huh?"

"... see you now."

Orana snorted with a grin.

"She's a quick witted one, Leere, don't let the smallness fool you." Orana whistled for her Mologani tiger, Mahaan. The saber toothed tiger was her first anniversary present from Corsaire. He was getting on in years now, slower and older, but still loved his family.

"Kitty, kitty!" Skyla patted Leere's head. "Down, down, down! See kitty!"

Leere settles Skyla down to see the big cat. In the distance some war boars play, a few horses gallop about, a griffin flies by to its nest, and a young Spinosaurus, a gift from Klinge, rests by a body of water, soaking in the sun. When the animals were old or big enough, they were released into the wild. As for the smaller, less exotic animals, they had their own section of field.

“Yeah. Even taught her a spell. Unsure on her limits, but I hope her magic potential will be grand.”

"I think Teb and Faris have been keeping her away from that." Orana shrugged her shoulders as Skyla darted to Mahaan. "Something about enabling her to see bigger, badder ghosts or something. I'm no expert, but I'm sure you can help her with that. Magic isn't my strong suit."

Mahaan was an old tiger now, but still sweet. As Skyla hugged him around the neck, he lifted one paw to 'hug' her in return, wrapping it halfway across her back. Laying on his belly, the tiger was patient as Skyla fetched the brush from Orana's belt and started brushing his fur.

“Demons actually. And that’s exactly why I’m teaching her. So she can protect herself. But magic isn’t the only thing that keeps them away from a troubled mind. I came down her to adopt some puppies for Skyla and myself.”

"Adopt a puppy, huh?" Orana snickered. "Are you sure that's okay with Faris and Teb?"

Mahaan started chuffing as Skyla scratched behind his ears. The girl was so small, she had to climb on top of his back to do so. The old tiger loved three things; his family, fish, and ear rubs.

“Isn’t the point of being a good Aunt spoiling your nephews and nieces?” Leere shrugged. “I’m sure they’ll be fine with it.”

"Very well." Orana then gently picked Skyla off of Mahaan and carried her over to the new batch of puppies. "Okay, so we had three mamas give birth in the recent months. We have Kahli's and Zizi's farm dog that gave birth, Klinge's bear hunting dog, and Corsaire's ship dog. Take your pick."

Skyla observed all of the puppies for a moment, and then signed one word.

"All."

Leere chuckled nervously as she signed to Skyla. “Skyla dear, it’s a big responsibility to take care of a puppy. Perhaps you should start with one?”

"All." Skyla insisted. "All puppies mine."

"Skyla, you can have one." Orana signed firmly. "Just one. When you're bigger, get more."

"All!" Skyla sulked with her arms crossed.

"One or no puppy."

"... fine." Skyla relented and went into the gated area to look at the puppies playing. The puppies were almost three months old, and could now be separated from their mothers.

Skyla sat in the pen with the puppies, until she finally settled on the biggest, fluffiest, puppy there. It was a bear hunting dog, sure to be absolutely huge one day. Of course, Orana left that little part out, knowing that it would be very funny later when Tebanam and Faris would be watching after Skyla and a giant drooling dog. Carefully picking up the puppy, it was a little heavier than she thought and she flopped on the ground with it. The puppy barked and licked at her face, causing her to smile so widely.

"Mine." Skyla signed to Orana and Leere. "B-a-r-e-n-d."

“Barend. That’s a lovely name. I think it likes you.”

Leere noticed one of the farm dogs, a border collie study her, the little pup waging her tail in concern. It almost sensed a sadness deep in her, and wanted to help her not feel sad. Leere appreciated the curiosity in the patient dog, and picked her up, pretending to understand dog in an exaggerated way. “Hey there. You got a name?” The pup licked Leere’s nose. “Oh, your name is Minerva huh? That’s a beautiful name.”

"Family say Barend is name." Skyla explained to Orana and Leere. "Family say strong. Sweet."

"I'm guessing she's talking about the ghosts she sees, huh?" Orana asked Leere. "Corsaire made the mistake of saying ghosts didn't exist and came home one day to find the furniture on the ceiling. He freaked out." Orana snorted. "Skyla said her family was making sure he knew they were there."

“Yeah. He got lucky.” Setting the puppy down in a basket, she searched her pockets. “How much do I owe you?”

"Nothing, you know I take care of these dogs cause I love to, besides you didn't take one of Corsaire's dog's puppies." Orana told Leere. "You know Asa and Klinge... damn it, I mean Asa and Malik, still getting used to that name change, just want the puppies to find good homes. Zizi and Kahli are keeping one of the puppies, probably, but the others need homes as well. Corsaire's ship dog, they're better suited for those who live on water since they're strong swimmers." She watched as Skyla took Barend to meet Mahaan. The old tiger was doing his best to be patient when the puppy nipped at his mouth, wanting to play. He finally took his paw and settled it on top of the puppy, not hurting him but keeping him still. Skyla promptly moved Mahaan's paw, and shook her finger at Barend who jumped on her and licked her.

“Oh right, of course. I’m still getting used to things as well...” Leere put her wallet away. “At least let me owe you favour. Maybe entertain the kids on a Halloween or something.”

"You know, honestly, I never thought you'd be the one to enjoy the company of kids." Orana then gestured to Skyla who was now leaning against Mahaan while attempting to brush out her puppy, who thought the brush was a toy. "But so far... looks like you're doing good. As a favor, let's say you'll babysit one night while Corsaire and I play 'Walk the Plank'." She winked at Leere. "A woman needs a good night with her man."

“Don’t need to know about your nightly activities sister. I’m deciding to be open to many things now that I’m retired. Actually pretty good at guitar since I picked it up when I started singing again.” Leere smiled watching Skyla play. “I think it’s the innocence in her. It’s very peaceful to be around.”

"Poor girl had a rough beginning, but now I think she has a chance at a happy life." Orana watched as Skyla squawked as Barend knocked her over, and stole the brush. She proceeded to chase the puppy around Mahaan in a circle until finally the tiger had enough and trapped the puppy with his paw once more. "It will be good for you to be in her life."

A rough beginning…Leere knew that more than anyone. Felt like she never stopped having a rough life. The least she can do is do her part to have someone else happy. “I hope so. Thank you Orana.” Leere walked over, signing to Skyla. “Time to go rest up Skyla.”

"Bye bye kitty." Skyla kissed Mahaan's nose and the tiger purred. "Bye bye Aunt Orana."

Leere picked Skyla up and the dogs followed right behind her. Now at Skyla’s bedroom, Leere set her into bed. “Still able to cast the protection spell?”

Skyla nodded her head and then pointed to the bed, then at Leere.

"Sleep?"

“You want me to sleep with you?”

"Yes. Barend and Minerva" Skyla patted the bed again, and scooted under the covers. "I dream. No like dreams. Some good. Some bad."

"Tiny?" Skyla offered Leere her stuffed war boar toy after using her tiny ball of magic to make herself feel safe. "Help sleep."

“Thank you.” Leere smiled as she held the doll. “Think happy thoughts.”

"Papa, Daddy, Barend, Tiny, Leere..." Skyla listed off what made her happy as she yawned and closed her eyes. "Family."

“....I’m glad to call you family too Skyla. Sweet dreams.” She knew Skyla couldn’t hear it, but it didn’t matter. Leere sang her the lullaby Zelda sang to Leere years ago, a charm to keep dreams safe. No more demons, only peace as they drifted off.

[yehet-me-up]

Fate, or Something like It

HAPP BELATED BIRTHDAY BAE @yeoltidecarol  🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉 I hope you enjoy soft shameless Katyeol fanfics because *tosses confetti* HERE YOU GO FERN 💕💕💕💕💕💕

WEDNESDAY

‘Can you believe we're finally here?' your friend says to your right before throwing an arm around your shoulder.

You sigh. 'Thank God, this year has been four thousand years long.’

Turning, you watch her take in the Chicago skyline, drenched in a rosy sunset light. The excitement on her face mirrors the electric joy running through your veins.

'Who are you most excited for?' she asks.

Pursing your lips you run through the lineup in your mind. 'Tool, for sure. I can't believe they're here. I'm going to die. Hmmm. Bazzi will be AMAZING. ODESZA's set is going to blow my mind.'

'What about that guy? The one you spammed me with last week that does the electric stuff and plays guitar?' she interrupts. 'Lonely? Is that him?'

You stop mid-stride and feel your heart skip a beat at his name. 'Fuck. That's right. Loey is performing Saturday night. It doesn't feel real, I can't believe they somehow landed him last minute.'

When you turn she's smirking at you. 'There it is, I almost thought you forgot.'

Pursing your lips you glare at her until she laughs. 'Like I could forget. His voice is everything I'm? His EP is blowing up, I can't believe we're going to see him live. I keep blocking it out, it's too good to be real. Pinch me, am I dreaming?'

'I won't pinch you, I’m opposed to violence,' she laughs. 'I will support you in eating though. Let's get dinner I'm starving,' she whines, rubbing her stomach.

THURSDAY

The energy in the dorm is already buzzing when you finally drag yourself from bed after ten. But the first day of Lollapalooza is too exciting for you to care about being tired. You and Jess make your way to breakfast, weaving through a sea of similarly antsy festivalgoers.

After shoving some food in your faces the two of you head down to the entrance, aiming to be some of the first people in the gates. Something in you unwinds, relaxes, as you stand in front of the big industrial fans that line the bridge into Grant Park. This is your home, this is you. Away from work and bills and the stress and minutiae of everyday life.

Here there is only music and dancing and community and the intangible sense of life operating on hyperdrive. Already the feeling of your everyday life is melting off of you in the sweltering midday heat. You know by the end of the weekend you'll be stripped bare, filled to the bone by a haze of dancing and alcohol and the kind of connection that can only come from sharing something amazing with an entire city full of people.

Next to you Jess pulls out her phone, holding it up at an angle and making a peace sign. The sight makes you smile and tightens your chest with a feeling akin to jealousy and desire but gentler than either. Longing is what you decide to call it before you shake yourself from your thoughts.

'Is Min dying cause he misses you yet?' you ask when she hits send, nudging her shoulder with yours.

She turns to you, beaming, a blush coloring her cheeks that has nothing to do with the heat and everything to do with love. 'He says he's counting down the minutes until we're back together.'

You laugh and lean your head briefly on her shoulder. 'That's so gross, I fucking love it.'

She wrinkles her nose and laughs. 'I know, right? Hey, what can I say? The man makes me mush. At least it's mutual.'

'Maybe you'll meet the love of your life here?' she carries on, raising and lowering a shoulder and giving you a wink.

'Yeah, right,' you counter, sarcastically. 'I think if the universe was going to send me the love of my life they'd have to literally smack into me to get me to notice.'

The line finally brings you to the front and after a quick bag search you're through the gate. Once you're through the two of you pull out your phones and begin strategizing what shows you want to see and what you want to eat for lunch.

You both decide to grab a quick bite and then to swing by an acoustic set from a london-based R&B singer in one lounges. When you arrive the room is packed, probably because it's so hot outside you ascended to another plane of existence and the space is being cooled by big fans.

Neither you nor Jess mind. Good shows, in both your opinions, are worth just about anything. You can handle crowds.

The singer starts out and instantly you turn to each other, grins pasted on your faces. She's amazing, a thousand percent better live, and she was already phenomenal. Without a hint of hesitation you start swaying your hips to the beat and the two of you move closer around people lingering at the entrance.

A tall man moves to let you pass, his deep voice saying ‘after you’ sounds vividly familiar, but in an instant you’re lost in a sea of bodies and shake your head.

By the end of her set your hair is frizzed up from the heat, sweat and contentment running down your spine. It always astounds you how quickly you succumb to the world of the festival. Each one is different in its own way, but all they’re all alike in the way they remake you into someone more yourself.

Here you worry less, going where your desire and heart direct you. Here you feel free and confident and sensual in a way that your everyday life doesn't allow. Here you chase the high of the moment without the driving machinations of your mind forcing you to think of the future, of consequences.

After a walk through the merch tent and a stop into some of the sponsored tents the two of you decide it's officially time to grab a drink. When you join the line at the bar a man with broad back blocks your view. Something about the cap on his head, the line of his profile, catches your attention…

When you get to his ears you swallow a gasp. You practically pull Jess’ arm off in your jolt of realization.

‘What is it?’ she asks, confused.

You lean in close to whisper to her. ‘Fuck. Jess that’s uhhh… that’s him.’

She looks around. ‘Who?’

‘It’s Loey,’ you say, pointing to the tall man in front of you, doing your best to keep calm.

Her eyes go as wide as yours must be. ‘Holy shit. Well. Say something.’

Your heart feels like it leaves your body. ‘Say what?!’

‘I don’t know. ‘Hi’ is probably a good starting point?’ she laughs.

The energy coursing through you is equal parts terrified and excited. There’s something in the air, an electricity and a heat in the two feet that separate you from this man. It’s inexplicable, but the urge to reach out and wrap your arms around his waist, to press your face to his back and inhale, is bordering on insanity.

The thought is there, an image playing out in your mind. You’d tap him on the shoulder, give him your warmest smile. Let him know you like his music in a subtle enough way that there’s no pressure on him if he doesn’t want conversation. He’d return the smile, drawn by your energy and obvious knowledge of music. Maybe the two of you would…

But no. You shake your head and wipe the image from your mind. ‘I can’t bother him,’ you whisper back, your shoulders slumping. ‘Being this close is enough.’

Jess nods, instantly understanding. She wraps an arm around you and the line moves forward. He orders a beer, the depth and warmth of his voice wraps around you even tighter than her arm does, and you know the sensation will stay with you much longer.

Beer in hand, he turns to leave. He turns to look around and notices you behind him, his mouth tugging into a soft grin. With a polite nod he heads off, taking what feels like your heart with him.

The brief glance you get of his face before he moves into the crowd and disappears is disastrous for your sanity. He’s even more handsome than you imagined. With a sigh you step up to order, determined to let the moment pass, but it sits low in your gut waiting, tormenting you with what might have been if you’d said something.

That afternoon at Bazzi’s show you and Jess use your passes from work to get backstage and practically bounce with excitement while you wait for the show to start.

‘I’m gonna die. Literally. My soul will leave my body,’ Jess says, holding her drink in the air in celebration.

‘Here’s to that,’ you agree and clink cans with her.

Finally, the lights dim and the show starts. The two of you jam out with the small crowd of fellow VIPs on this side of the stage. One of your absolute favorite songs starts but abruptly your attention drawn from the singer to Jess elbowing you in the side.

‘What’s up?’ you yell over the music.

She discreetly points at the opposite side of the stage. In less than a second you find what she’s pointing at. Loey is watching your side of the stage with a fond smile. No, not this side of the stage - he’s watching you.

‘I think they call that fate my friend,’ she yells joyfully. ‘Or coincidence. I don’t know. Either way he’s obviously into you.’

You can’t help it, you turn and look around you to see if he might be staring at someone else. When you finally accept he’s definitely looking at you and turn back, he’s gone. Frantically you look around to see where he might have gone. Jess has resumed jamming out and you stand there for a moment, lost, wondering if you hallucinated the entire thing.

Someone taps on your shoulder and when you realize it’s him, standing this close to you, that sensation of electricity and heat surges through you once again.

‘Hi,’ you say over the music.

‘Hey,’ he starts, sticking his hands in his pockets, his lips pulling back into a shy smile that almost undoes you. ‘I’m Loey, but my real name is Chanyeol.’

‘I know,’ you counter, unable to stop smiling. You laugh when you realize what you said. ‘I know your music, I mean. I love it. I’m Kat.’

His cheeks color with pleasure. ‘Thank you, that’s nice to hear. This is all so -’ he gestures around at the stage, the crowd singing along with Bazzi, Lollapalooza in general. ‘Much. It’s nice that I know there’s at least one person here who likes my music.’

Your brow knits together in confusion. ‘Did you come here alone?’

He laughs and shakes his head. ‘No, no. I’m here with my manager and some other people from my label. But it’s been such a wild ride I haven’t felt connected to anyone in ages. Then I saw you dancing yesterday at Nao’s show. Then again at drinks...’

He reaches out a hand, ghosting it over your shoulder, before he realizes what he’s doing and checks the movement. The whole exchange, surrounded by the heat and energy of the crowd and Bazzi’s soothing voice, feels once again like a dream.

‘Then I get here and see you again, free and happy and dancing and I just -’ he continues. ‘I don’t know, I just feel like... I’m meant to know you.’

Something draws his attention and he pulls his phone from his pocket. A name shows on the screen and he sighs. After a few moments the call goes to voicemail.

He looks so conflicted you want to melt and run your thumb along the crease in his brows to undo it.

‘I have a meeting with my manager for the soundcheck,’ he says. ‘But will you give me your number? I want to see you again.’

You nod and he opens up a new contact. After he types in the number he tilts the phone back to himself to enter a name.

‘What did you save me as?’ you laugh, pretending to sneak a peek.

He meets your eyes and gives you a mischievous smirk. ‘That’s my secret for now.’ With a wave he makes his way through the crowd and disappears.

When you manage to come back to reality you look over at Jess and she’s giving you a knowing look. ‘Oh, no, there���s no way I could meet my soulmate here. Nope, absolutely not,’ she says loudly in an imitation of your voice and grins.

‘DID THAT REALLY JUST HAPPEN?’ you call to her over the resounding chorus of the song.

‘YEP’ she answers, bumping hips with you.

Unknown Number 5:47pm: any chance you want to watch my set from backstage?

The text comes through while you and Jess are grabbing a quick dinner before heading to Loey’s show, umm, Chanyeol’s show, you guess. Reading the words you almost choke on your taco. As quickly as you can gather yourself together you type out a reply.

You 5:48pm: is that even a question??? You 5:48pm: just tell us where to go and your #1 fan will be there 😄 Chanyeol 5:48pm: 😊😊 Chanyeol 5:49pm: lake shore stage, round the back Chanyeol 5:49pm: i’ll tell them you’re coming You 5:49pm: on our way!

You can almost feel him grinning through the phone. After telling Jess the plan the two of you wolf down the rest of your food and start weaving your way through the crowd. The security guard hands you two passes the moment you walk up to him, with surprising ease.

‘I recognized you right away,’ he says with a smirk. ‘He said it would be the feistiest, most excited, tiny black-haired woman I’ve ever seen.’

You purse your lips and Jess cracks up next to you. ‘Come on, let’s go!’ she says, calling a thanks to the security guard.

The backstage area is filled with people milling around, checking the speakers and setting up equipment. Chanyeol is tuning a guitar, his hair falling across his forehead. The sight turns your heart to liquid. 

He waves you over the moment he sees you. His energy is even more excited than the last time you saw him, no doubt due to his first major concert happening in oh, five minutes. He opens his mouth to speak and then closes it. Turning to look at Jess he gives her an apologetic smile. 

‘Do you mind if I borrow her for a moment?’ he asks and she waves him away with an amused shake of her head. 

He leads you to the walkway at the far side of the stage. It’s miraculously empty, only you and Chanyeol and the view of the harbor. Energy pours off him in waves, sending heat to every nerve ending in your body. 

For several long seconds you stare at each other, both equally baffled and amused by the feeling that you’ve known each other for years, the obvious connection and attraction between you that somehow supersedes words. 

The two of you cave to the desire to touch each other at the same moment. Stepping closer you fist your hands in the fabric of his shirt as his hands slide to cup your jaw on either side.

‘I’m glad you’re here for with me. The first,’ he says with a contented smile playing along his lips.

‘You’re going to be huge, you know,’ you say with confidence. ‘It’s the first concert of many.’

He shakes his head with a grin that barely hides his giddy excitement. He bends down and presses a kiss to your lips, full of passion and excitement. It must only last a second or two but the feeling of his lips against yours, his hands, calloused from guitar playing, holding your jaw, and the breeze spilling in off the harbor - all of it feels like it lasts a thousand lifetimes.

When he reluctantly pulls back he rests his forehead against yours. ‘No, I mean the first time I get to kiss you,’ he says softly. ‘My good luck charm.’

With a gentle kiss to your forehead and a wink he disappears back onto the stage. You hear the roar of the crowd, Chanyeol’s voice starting his set, the sound of a guitar - but all of it fades as you press your fingers to your lips, laughing at the way your day has somehow become a fantasy.

Eventually you make your way backstage in a haze, feeling like you’re flying. Jess takes one look at you and laughs.

‘He kissed you, huh?’

All you can do is nod and she shakes her head in amusement before grabbing your hand and dragging you over to the side of the stage so you can watch the show.

He’s amazing, you knew he would be. The passion in his voice, the lyrics that cut straight to your heart, the way he engages the crowd - you knew you were screwed the moment you saw him in the line for beer. Knew it in a way you couldn’t express rationally, and yet here you are, falling in love with a man you barely know and loving every second.

Once he finishes his set he moves to the side of the stage to speak who a woman who you assume is his manager. The crowd starts drifting off to the other side of the field where the next act has started playing. Chanyeol catches your eye and smiles, mouthing ‘I’ll be right there.’

He runs over and slips his hand into yours. ‘I was supposed to leave after my set, but I convinced my manager to let me fly out tomorrow morning so I could spend the night with you instead.’

It feels as though your heart has stopped beating. Jess squeezes your shoulder.

‘I can entertain myself tonight, I’ll meet up with Grace I know she’s around here somewhere too. Just text me if you’re going to be umm… not back tonight,’ she says pointing a finger at Chanyeol and narrowing her eyes in mock sternness.

He salutes her. ‘Yes, ma’am, I promise to take good care of her.’

‘Okay good. You were very good and clearly my friend likes you, so I’d hate to have to kill you.’

With another gesture signifying she’d be watching him she grins and exits the stage where you guys entered.

‘So, how about dinner?’ Chanyeol asks.

Dinner at an incredible hole-in-the-wall Italian restaurant his friend recommended blends into walking hand in hand through the city. You’d both felt the connection instantly, but neither of you could imagine how similar you are - in musical taste, in food preferences, in travel dreams. 

Something good and right is growing between you and it takes everything you have to not jump to conclusions past tonight.

When night sets, covering Chicago with a blanket of indigo sky sparkling with stars, Chanyeol say he has a show he thinks you’ll enjoy. 

He guides you through the crowd of bodies, his warm, rough palm against yours feels like the only thing tethering you to the earth. The excitement of the audience is infectious, a living thing that joins the alcohol and desire flowing through your veins to make your body a live wire.

At last, the two of you break through near the front and Chanyeol turns to look down at you, squeezing your hand and giving you a lopsided smile you already know will be seared into your mind after this weekend is over.

The bass from the speakers is so loud and deep it shakes the ground around you. How fitting, you think, for the man attached to you is rapidly crumbling your world as you knew it.

The band is one of your favorites. You’d screamed out loud when you saw their name on the festival line up; but now that you’re here the chorus of one of their hit songs fades into the background, eclipsed by Chanyeol as he leans down to be heard over the music.

‘Our second.’ His lips brush your ear, the roughness of his cheek sending a thrill down your spine.

This kiss is longer, lingering. His hands roaming down your sides, searing heat along your skin covered only by your thin shirt. He tastes better than you could have every imagined. The world fades and the entire show passes in a blink of an eye, pressed against the railing kissing the man of your dreams. 

When the show ends he pulls back, breathless. ‘Want to go back to my room?’

You nod, already wondering what the rest of him will taste like, what his hands will feel like in places that are currently covered lest you get an indecent exposure charge. The two of you take off at a steady speed for the exit to the park, laughing, your hand clasped in his.

FRIDAY

The first thing you see when you open your eyes is a naked chest. The second is early morning light filtering through the curtains around the man tangled with you. 

For a few minutes you let yourself savor the leg pressed between your, the arm wrapped securely around your waist, the hand that even in sleep is protectively cradling your head.

The night floods back into your mind - the shower he’d started for you two before washing your hair and your body. The way he’d kneeled down, draped your leg over his shoulder before setting his mouth to your center and giving you your first explosive orgasm of the night. The shower sex that had followed, and the next several rounds in the bed you’re currently in.

You bite your lip to stifle a laugh. The teeth marks on his shoulder are a souvenir of his time in Chicago you’re delighted to send him home with.

The two of you had finally fallen asleep just as the sun had cleared the horizon. For a few more minutes you enjoy the warmth from his body before you allow reality to enter. The uncertainty and melancholy replaces the content that surrounded you like a bubble of peace. He’s leaving today, back halfway around the world.

He stirs and opens his eyes, the blissful smile on his face at seeing you next to him wipes away any worry you feel.

‘We’ll figure it out,’ he says with a sleepy smile before giving you a kiss. You tuck the words away inside your heart, letting them carry you through any worry or sadness you feel at his departure.

The morning is spent in almost silence, you helping him pack in between kisses and gentle touches. In the car ride to the airport he cradles you in his arms, raising the partition so the driver doesn’t see what’s going on. He doesn’t talk of the future but neither of you feels worried, you’ll see each other as soon as you can.

All too soon the car pulls up. ‘I’m leaving something with you,’ he says, meeting your eyes with a sudden intensity.

You purse your lips in confusion, digging through your purse trying to find whatever he stashed away. He laughs, resting his hands on top of yours to still the movement. He bends down so only you can hear.

‘I’m leaving my heart with you. And I don’t want it back.’ His velvet voice caresses your ear.

[aaronafgash]

Best Songs Under One Minute: A Top 10 List

A majority of songs released throughout history have followed similar structural patterns: most, in some order, utilize a verse, chorus, bridge, hook, and refrain. To fit all of these sections, songs tend to be around three to six minutes in length, depending on factors such as tempo and repetitions of individual structures. Things start to get interesting, though, when artists start to shrink down songs under the traditional three minute mark. Which sections will be cut out? Will there only be a single verse or hook? How will an artist tell a story or capture an emotion in such a limited amount of time? I became fascinated with these sorts of questions, and it led me to paying more and more attention to the best “short” songs. Here is my top 10 list of songs under one minute.

10. Sometimes (Mix #9) - Erykah Badu (0:44)

R&B music was being redefined in the late ‘90s, with songwriters like D’Angelo and Maxwell leading the pack of new-age soul artists. These artists paid homage to greats who came before them in the genre, but added more current hip-hop elements to spice up their songs; “Sometimes (Mix #9)” perfectly exemplifies that sentiment. The song begins with a light bongo drum pattern and distant background vocals, but soon, the mood changes: a harder hitting drum pattern overtakes the previously heard bongos, and in comes Erykah with a smooth, laid back verse. Badu rides the beat like an MC, with lyrics like “I’ve got the paper stacked, and a pimped out track,” but she does so while singing in her unique tone. It’s hard not to believe that artists like Lauryn Hill and Missy Elliott were influenced by previous Badu songs like this one.

9. Demons - Sampha (0:54)

Before the Drake and Kanye features, before “(No One Knows Me) Like The Piano,” before touring with the xx, Sampha was a lesser-known songwriter from South London. “Demons”, the first track off of his 2013 EP Dual, gave us a taste of what was to come with the artist we know now. The track begins with Sampha leaving a voicemail, quietly stating “I rang you earlier but you didn’t pick up.” Immediately, the track begins, driven by a repetitive, dragging bass drum, and distinctive piano chords. Sampha chimes in, singing “I guess I don’t believe you / And I think you don’t believe, too / So take all these demons and go.” It’s a short ballad that introduces us to Sampha; he may now be a world-renowned artist, but he’s still battling his demons just like the rest of us.

8. Her Majesty - The Beatles (0:23)

Written in jest about Queen Elizabeth II, “Her Majesty” is the Beatles shortest song in their spanning discography, yet in 23 seconds, it captures everything that makes the group so undeniably excellent. The subject matter is, of course, silly; Paul McCartney is singing about loving the Queen as if she’s a normal, everyday woman that he’s trying to court at a bar. But when he sings “I wanna tell her that I love her a lot / But I gotta get a bellyful of wine,” he’s still

able to make what is clearly a joke a relatable topic of conversation -- only the Beatles could make a song like this one

7. Track 14 (Chix) - Jai Paul (0:51)

Jai Paul is a mysterious artist. Since 2011, he has only (officially) released two songs. The lack of material left fans yearning for more music, but in 2013, an unidentified Bandcamp user uploaded what looked like Jai Paul’s 16-track debut album to the site. A day later, Paul tweeted out that what was uploaded was a collection of demos that had been previously stolen from one of his laptops. Regardless of how or why the music got out, it undeniably exists, and it is an outstanding piece of work. On “Track 14”, which fans nicknamed “Chix”, Jai Paul shows off his eclectic sonic pallette; in just 51 seconds, we hear a beautiful stringed orchestra, glittering electronic synthesizers, and poetic lyrics of frustration and devotion: he sings “I don’t know what you mean / I’m always on the scene / Your time and your company / Let me get you home with me.” If Paul’s unreleased demos are of this quality, I can’t imagine what an official studio album would sound like. But even if that project doesn’t see the light of day, at least we have this.

6. Fertilizer - Frank Ocean (0:39)

Acting as an interlude on the critically acclaimed Channel Orange, “Fertilizer” sonically comes off as a fun little pop track, but in one poetic lyric, we quickly discover that Frank is not singing a happy song. When he sings “Fertilizer / I’ll take bullshit if that’s all you’ve got,” he’s attempting to elicit any sort of response from a person who he loves and cares about; even if they aren’t going to tell him what he wants to hear, he’ll take it. In a 2012 Esquire article, Gavin Matthew’s affirms this, stating that “Ocean begs for his love not to treat him like the titular bullshit. But the sorrow in his voice and the painful laugh track tell us he’s not having much luck.” Frank’s unparalleled writing abilities allow for him to pack a surprising amount of meaning into shorter tracks; he may or may not appear later on this list.

5. Parachutes - Coldplay (0:46)

Most people today know Coldplay as one of the biggest bands in the world, with pop hits like “A Sky Full of Stars” and “Something Just Like This”, but at their best, Coldplay gave us well- produced albums of interesting, unique alternative music. Their debut album, Parachutes, balanced bright, upbeat tracks with calmer, acoustic songs to create a near-perfect alternative masterpiece. The project peaks, though, on the title track “Parachutes”: here, Chris Martin, backed by only an acoustic guitar, sings quietly of fidelity and commitment, with lyrics like “ Here I am and I’ll take my time / Here I am and I’ll wait in line, always / Always.” The gentle nature of the song allows listeners to feel like Martin is personally telling them his story, and that quality makes for a captivating track.

4. Intro - Brandy (0:49)

Brandy burst onto the scene in 1994; at 15 years old (!!!), she had just released her self-titled debut Brandy, and soon, the album was receiving critical acclaim. Eventually, Brandy went on to go 4x platinum, allowing Brandy to establish herself as a successful R&B solo artist. While Brandy was an excellent project , the topics of her songs were (understandably) a bit childish considering her age. So when Brandy released her next album, Never Say Never four years later in ‘98, she knew she had to prove that she could be a grown up. Any doubts that critics might have had immediately went out the window when Never Say Never dropped, and “Intro” perfectly set the tone for Brandy’s newfound maturity. The production of the track is tighter and darker, and Brandy sounds like a totally different artist; while she may just be singing “Never say, never say, never say never” repeatedly, her tone is now provocative and seductive. Her experiences with love and life have given her a new outlook on relationships; in an interview around time the album was released, she stated “I’m not the little girl I was when I made my first record.” Brandy grew up, and “Intro” sets the tone perfectly for her transition into adulthood.

3. Commes des Garcons - Frank Ocean (0:53)

On “Commes des Garcons”, a track off of the criminally underrated visual album Endless, Frank Ocean weaves together a complex love story over playful, tropically-infused production. Frank cleverley sings of infidelities (“We was dating on the side / He was seeing double”) and makes witty sexual references related to items you’d find at a local hardware store (“All this drillin’ got this dick feelin’ like a power tool”). To close out the song, he repeats the phrase “Commes des Garcons”, which means “like boys” -- in doing so, Ocean is referencing his coming out letter in which he brings up the first time he fell in love with a man. Just as he did in “Fertilizer”, Frank makes efficient use of his limited time on “Commes des Garcons”, but this time, he’s telling a sophisticated story.

2. Beach is Better - Jay-Z (0:55)

No one expected 44-year-old Jay-Z to include a Mike-Will-Made-It produced trap anthem on his 2013 album Magna Carter Holy Grail, but he did just that with “Beach is Better”. For all the album’s flaws, “Beach is Better” immediately became one of the best Jay-Z songs we’ve heard in the last decade. The beat is slithering and metallic at first, but suddenly, monstrous 808- drums kick in with mesmerizing synth blips that give the production more melody and a plethora of different high-hat patterns to give the beat a sense of chaos. Jay-Z is at his absolute best, rapping about what he loves flaunting the most: his wife, his money, and his dominance in the rap game. Lyrics like “Girl, why you never ready? / For as long as you took you better look like Halle Berry / Or Beyoncé...shit, then we gettin’ married!” exemplify peak Jay-Z boasts. In an interview with MTV, producer Mike-Will was quoted saying “[Jay] was like, ‘Man, let’s do something so effortless,’ and that just stuck with me when he said ‘effortless.’” This idea of effortlessness for both Jay-Z and Mike-Will resulted in a track where they’re both in their comfort zones, and the combination allowed for a perfect rap interlude.

1. Elephant Parade - Jon Brion (0:28)

In composer Jon Brion’s “Elephant Parade” off of the soundtrack to the 2004 film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there are no sophisticated lyrics to analyze. There are no complicated allegories or connections to make. There is simply a piano and an acoustic guitar, softly playing together for 28 seconds to construct a short song. But those 28 seconds provide some of the purest, most blissful musical moments you could ever capture. Brion’s ability to create so much out of so little is remarkable; “Elephant Parade” is everything you could ask for in a sub-minute song, and it does so using two of the most basic, universally-known instruments known to man. To this day, it strikes a certain emotional chord with me that I have a hard time putting into words. The ability to leave a listener speechless is nearly an impossible task, but “Elephant Parade” manages to do that to me. For that reason, it’s my favorite song under one minute.

[shuakkinda-blog]

Seventeen’s s/o never telling them about their problems

There’s no doubt you love your boyfriend, a Seventeen member, and you trust him with everything. But knowing how busy he can be with his crazy idol life, you often choose to vent to other people about your problems instead of “bothering” him. However, he eventually finds out about your unintentional secrets. How would each Seventeen member react?

Requested by anon. Thanks for requesting this idea! Hope you enjoy <3

Seungcheol

“Hey y/n, is there anything that’s been on your mind lately?” Seungcheol hesitantly asks out of the blue. You’re both on the couch; his head is lying down comfortably on your lap as you play with his strands of hair. “You haven’t been telling me a lot about your days lately, and it’s kind of been worrying me to say the least,” he blurts out. Truth is, Seungcheol spotted you the other day venting to Jeonghan about your problems, and it made him wonder why he wasn’t the person you went to for that. “I don’t know..” you sigh. “You’ve been so busy lately and I’d just hate to bother you with that kind of stuff, you know.” Seungcheol immediately gets up from your lap and takes both of your hands in his. “There’s never a day I wouldn’t be willing to sit down and talk to you.” he looks at you softly. “And I’d do it for hours honestly. I want to be here for you the same way you’re always here for me.”

Jeonghan

GRUDGE! ALERT! The minute Jeonghan finds you talking to Joshua about personal things you haven’t told him, he’s going to be in utter disbelief. Did his s/o really just pick someone over him? A n g e r y He’s the type to confront you as soon as possible because nO shAme. “Y/n, how do I put this subtly… do you trust me?” Jeonghan says as he holds your arm firmly so that you don’t turn away. “Uh yeah, of course,” you quirk your brow. “Is there something wrong?” “Well it doesn’t seem like it since you’re always hiding these problems from me,” he says with disappointment apparent in his tone. You figure out that he’s been eavesdropping on you and Joshua and can’t help but feel a bit guilty. “Look, Jeonghan, I trust you. I really do. It’s just that your schedule’s been pretty hectic lately compared to everyone else, so I don’t want to burden you with anything more than what’s on your plate.” Your explanation makes him feel bad for getting a little mad at you, so his face softens as he pulls you in for a hug. “Look,” he says quietly into your ear. “I may seem pretty busy, but I’d literally drop everything just for you. Believe me.”

Joshua

No doubt Joshua would be concerned about your relationship if he sees you talking to Junhui about your problems instead of him. But he’d be so fucking good at hiding his worry from you… Well at least for a good while, because if he gets stuck in a quiet moment with you, he’s probably gonna let it out then. “Y/n, can I be honest with you for a second?” he asks, his face staring away from you into a distance. “Yeah, of course,” you laugh a little. “What kind of relationship doesn’t have honesty?” “Well,” Josh pauses briefly. “I’ve just been getting the feeling that you don’t want to talk to me sometimes about… the less happy things going on in your life…” He also confesses that he eavesdropped on you that one time you were talking to Jun, but you don’t take it too personally. You explain your side, how you don’t want to put any more weight on his shoulders with that busy schedule he’s always got. Josh looks to your hand and inches his closer to yours. “Y/n, believe me when I say I’d go the extra mile to take the weight off of your shoulders too,” his hand lies atop yours and he slowly intertwines his fingers with yours. “Opening up to me is all I ask of you.”

Junhui

“Can we talk, y/n?” Junhui suddenly pulls you aside. The moment he caught you talking to Soonyoung about your problems has been bothering him for a good week now, and he just had to bring it up. “About what?” you ask, confused. “About… trust? Yeah trust, that’s the word,” he hesitates. “Mmm, I’m listening,” you reply. “Well, I noticed that although we talk a lot, we don’t seem to talk about… everything,” Junhui looks down. “Jun,” you start after realizing what he meant by “everything.” “I want to tell you all about my days but… I don’t want to make your day any more tiresome with my problems. I know how much you go through everyday already,” you stare at your shoes to avoid his gaze. “But don’t you think I’m curious about your day too?” he leans in a little to recapture your eyes. “Y/n, I want to know you as well as you know me. I’m always worried about you… always. Just trust me and I’ll do anything I can to make you happier.”

Soonyoung

Soonyoung honestly wouldn’t take it too seriously but he’d still be kind of hurt to see you chatting out your problems with Wonwoo instead of him. “Jagi,” he calls you cutely from afar in a room that only the two of you occupied. “Yes?” you answer with only half of your attention. “Just wanted to let you know that you can tell me absolutely anything… anything at all,” he hides his worry behind a cute smile. “Soonyoung,” you suspect. “What’s going on?” “Nothing,” Soonyoung hums nervously. “I’m only reminding you that I’m an excellent boyfriend who can listen to your hopes, dreams, the happy things… the not-so-happy things…” he trails off in the end. “You give him a stern look. “You heard me talking to Wonwoo about my problems the other day, didn’t you?” “Okay fine, yes I did,” he gives up his overly-cheery facade. “But why though? You know you can always come to me, right?” You tell Soonyoung all about how much you respect his busy idol life, and how much you don’t want to ruin his mood with the negative happenings in your life. “Jagi,” he pulls you close and sways you side to side gently in his arms. “I want to make you happier, but I need to know what’s on your mind so I can figure out how it can do that. Don’t worry about me too much, okay?”

Wonwoo

“So I heard you’ve been talking to Soonyoung a lot lately,” Wonwoo brings up the topic out of the blue while you’re cuddling on the couch. “Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” you ask. Ever since Wonwoo caught you two talking about personal problems, he’s definitely been a little concerned. Was your boyfriend not trustworthy enough for the things you told Soonyoung? “I just want to let you know that you can come to me for anything, okay?” Wonwoo replies as he looks into your face with concern. “You caught us talking about my life the other day, didn’t you,” you reply while looking away from him. “Mmm yeah I did,” Wonwoo replies guiltily. “But I’m sorry, I just can’t help but think that there’s something wrong if you’re not coming to me for problems.” You tell him that you think he’s always busy and that you’re afraid of the negativity your problems might give him. “I’m never to busy for you, y/n. Tell me whatever you want to tell me, I’ll always listen,” he says before pecking your forehead lightly.

Jihoon

*Cue Jealous! Jihoon* because oh boy, he’s gonna catch you talking to Jeonghan about your problems and instantly want to pull out his guitar and sMacK tHe BoY. He’d kinda be hurt too, like why ain’t you coming to him for this stuff?? “Y/n,” Jihoon calls your name out of nowhere while you guys are hanging out. “Yeah?” “Why don’t you ever talk to me about your problems?” Jihoon speeds through his sentence out of nervousness. “I mean, you’re always telling me about the good things that happen to you, but I know that’s not all of what you have to say.” Silence sets in for a moment. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off as intrusive but-” “No no, I get what you mean,” you cut off Jihoon. “It’s just… you’re always so busy and I hate to bother you with the not-so-great things that happen to me.” “Y/n I’m always gonna make time for you, and you can tell me anything at all.” Jihoon then pulls you into a hug and rubs your arm.

Seokmin

He’ll try not to take it too seriously tbh. Seokmin will probably just come up to you one day and give you a reassuring smile before saying, “hey jagi, you know you can tell me anything whenever, right?” And the way he says that would be pretty suspicious so you’d ask him why he’s suddenly bringing this up. “I don’t know… you don’t seem to talk to me about… you know… your problems,” he trails off as he looks to the floor. “You’re always so busy, and I hate to ruin your day with negative things like that,” you reply quietly. “Y/n, I want to help you,” he smiles comfortingly. “If there’s anything I can say or do for you to help you get through them, I’ll do it.”

Mingyu

Poor puppygyu would get pretty sad when he overhears you venting about your problems to Minghao. The fact that you’re not telling him anything this personal would put a damper on his day, and it’d be obvious. “Hey Mingyu, are you alright?” you tilt your head slightly to observe Mingyu’s sad facial expression from afar. “You’re always so happy when you talk to me, but…” his face lowers. “I know that’s not all of it.” Silence sets in. “I would tell you everything, but you know how much I hate to bother you when you’re clearly busy with work,” you sigh. “Y/n,” Mingyu takes a hand of yours and steps closer. “I care about you too much to leave you like that. Just let me help you, because I promise I’ll do anything I can to help you get through anything.”

Minghao

After Minghao catches you talking to Seungkwan about your problems, it’ll be obvious that he’s thinking about it. He’ll get super clingy when hanging out with you because he wants to see your reaction, as one question will constantly linger in his mind: are you really distancing yourself from him? “Minghao, you’re never this touchy with me,” you giggle as he holds onto your arm tightly and leans his head on your shoulder. “Y/n,” he starts of hesitantly. “Is there anything I’m doing wrong?” “Wrong in what?” you ask curiously. “In our relationship,” he replies. “You can tell me anything, you know. I’ll respect whatever is on your mind.” You explain to him your effort to give him some space with his busy schedule, but Minghao shakes his head and smiles, slightly relieved that you weren’t actually distancing yourself from him. His face comes closer: “I care about you more than some schedule. That schedule means nothing to me when I’m with you.”

Seungkwan

Seungkwan would be worried as heCk when he finds out you’ve been telling Hansol about your problems. Are you distancing yourself from him? Is there something wrong with your relationship? Has he been coming off as judgmental lately? These questions would be circling in his head for nights until he finally asks you about it (he’ll probably try to make the convo more casual to make him less nervous) “sO I HEARD FROM A BIRDIE THAT YOU’VE BEEN TELLING HANSOL ALL ABOUT YOUR PROBLEMS. INSTEAD OF ME???” You finally explain to him that you think he’s always busy and you don’t want to burden him with your problems, so he’ll get hella soft and probably want to cry while hugging you sadly. “Jagi, I’m never too busy for you. I’d stop time for you any day.”

Hansol

Like Seungkwan, Hansol would be pretty concerned when he finds you sharing your problems with Joshua instead of him. After a few days of contemplating, he’d straight up ask you, “Hey, why do you never come to me when you have problems? You know I’m always here to listen, right?” “I know how tough your job is, Hansol,” you say as you twiddle your fingers. “I don’t want to give you anything else to worry about everyday, that’s all.” “Hey,” he takes a hand and makes you look at him. “I’m always thinking about you and wondering how you’re doing. And if you’re not telling me how you’re doing, you only make me more worried. You don’t have to hold back from telling me anything, okay?”

Chan

He’d feel pretty left out when he finds out you’ve been telling Hansol about all of your problems instead of him. Chan might start to think that you’re interested in someone else, and that would keep him up at night. “Y/n, can we talk?” he’d randomly ask you while you’re sitting closely together on the couch. You nod. “Well, I know I shouldn’t be nosy like this but… have you been talking to Hansol a lot lately?” “Yeah, but I only go to him when I’ve got something on my mind,” you respond. “Why?” Chan asks. “You know, if anything is bothering you, you can always let me know too.” He sighs before continuing. “I just feel like you haven’t been telling me a lot lately. I want to talk to you.” You explain yourself and how you don’t want to interfere with his busy life, so his arm around you pulls you closer to his chest. “Y/n, I want to take care of you. Just let me.”

[homestuckcanonconfirmer]

15 Tips About best beginner piano

Correction Appended

On an album of bittersweet childrens tunes that she wrote in excess of a decade back, the woman who came to generally be known only given that the piano Instructor offered what, in hindsight, looks like an eerie glimpse of her have long run.

Im going away currently to an area so distant, in which no person appreciates my title, she wrote within the lyrics of the music referred to as Going.

When she wrote that track, she was young and vivacious, a piano Instructor and freelance tunes writer who beloved Beethoven and jazz, sunsets and river Seems, long walks and anything about The big apple.

On a kind of beloved walks, through Central Park in the intense Sunshine of a June day in 1996, a homeless drifter conquer her and attempted to rape her, leaving her clinging to everyday living. Once the assault, the phrases to her track arrived real. She moved absent, outside of New York City, from her aged life, and all but her closest buddies didn't know her identify. To the remainder of the earth, she was -- such as a lot more well-known jogger attacked in Central Park seven many years before -- an nameless symbol of the urban nightmare. She was the piano Trainer.

Now, around the tenth anniversary from the assault, she is celebrating what is apparently her total recovery from brain trauma. She is forty two, married, with a small youngster. She's Kyle Kevorkian McCann, the piano teacher, and she or he hopes to explain to her Tale, her way.

Her medical doctor advised her it would consider 10 years to recover, and Sunday was that talismanic anniversary. I feel my lifetime has actually been redefined by Central Park, she explained many times ago, her voice gentle and hopeful. In advance of park; immediately after park. Will there at any time be a time when I dont Imagine, Oh, This is actually the 10th anniversary, the eleventh anniversary?

She spoke in her modest ranch home inside a wooded subdivision inside a Ny suburb. She sat inside of a dining space strewn with toys, surrounded by photographs of her cherubic, dim-haired two-year-aged daughter. A Steinway grand filled half the area, and at one stage she sat down and played. Her playing was forceful, but she appeared humiliated to Enjoy various bars, and shrugged, as opposed to answering, when questioned the identify of the piece. She requested that her daughter and her city not be named.

She phone calls that working day, June 4, 1996, the day After i was damage.

Hers was the first in a string of assaults by exactly the same guy on four Females around 8 days. The last target, Evelyn Alvarez, 65, was beaten to death as she opened her Park Avenue dry-cleansing store, and in the end, the assailant, John J. Royster, was convicted of murder and sentenced to existence in jail.

Nevertheless the attack over the piano Instructor will be the a single people today seem to be to remember quite possibly the most. Component of the fascination should do with echoes from the 1989 attack within the Central Park jogger. But In addition it frightened men and women in a method the assault around the jogger did not mainly because its circumstances had been so mundane.

It didn't take place in the remote Section of the park late in the evening, but in the vicinity of a popular playground at three in the afternoon. It could have transpired to anybody. The tension was heightened by the mystery on the piano academics id.

For 3 days, as law enforcement and Medical doctors tried to see who she was, she lay in a coma in her clinic mattress, nameless. Her mothers and fathers have been on holiday vacation and her boyfriend, also a musician, was in Europe, on tour. Lastly, one among her students recognized a law enforcement sketch and was in the position to detect her inside the hospital by her fingers, mainly because her facial area was swollen beyond recognition. The police didn't launch her title.

The very last thing she remembers about June four, 1996, is offering a lesson in her studio condominium on West 57th Avenue, then putting her extensive hair in a ponytail and heading out for the stroll. She isn't going to remember the assault, Despite the fact that she has listened to the accounts on the police and prosecutors.

To me its just like a simple fact I learned and memorized, she reported. As if I were being a university student in school researching historical past.

She isn't going to take into consideration The person who did it. I might have been angry for a moment, although not for much longer than that, she reported. How could I be offended at John Royster? He was declared not crazy, but I assume by our standards he was.

Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, her medical doctor at Ny Hospital-Cornell Health-related Middle, as it was recognized in 1996, advised reporters that she had a ten percent possibility of survival. Physicians experienced to get rid of her forehead bone, which was afterwards changed, for making area for her swelling brain. When her mother produced a general public appeal to pray for my daughter, 1000's did.

After 8 times, she arrived away from a coma, very first in the vegetative point out, then in a childlike condition. As she recovered, she slept minimal and talked regularly, at times in gibberish. I had been finding mad at folks when they didnt respond to these text, she said.

Like an Alzheimers affected individual, she experienced minor quick-time period memory and would neglect visitors when they still left the place.

More than many months, she needed to relearn ways to walk, dress, read through and publish. Her boyfriend, Tony Scherr, frequented daily to Perform guitar for her. He encouraged her to Perform the piano, against the advice of her physical therapists, who believed she might be disappointed by her incapacity to Perform the way in which she the moment had. Mr. Scherr performed Beatles duets with her, taking part in the left-hand part even though she played the right.

That was my greatest therapy, she mentioned.

In August, she moved back again dwelling to New Jersey, together with her father, an engineer, and mom, a schoolteacher. She visited aged haunts and named pals, striving to revive her shattered memory. I used to be quite obsessed with remembering, she reported. Any memory decline was to me an indication of abnormality or deficit.

Her therapists imagined her development was great, but her two sisters protested that she was not the deep thinker she were.

What bothered her most was that she experienced misplaced the chance to cry, as if a faucet inside her brain had been turned off. One night, nine months after she was damage, she stayed up late to view the John Grisham movie A Time to Get rid of. Just after her father had gone to mattress, she viewed a courtroom scene of Samuel Jacksons character on trial for killing two Gentlemen who had raped his youthful daughter.

The faucet opened, as well as tears trickled down her cheeks. I thought about my mother and father, my father, and the things they went as a result of, she stated. Minimal by little, my sensation returned, my depth of brain returned.

Urged by her sisters, she went back again to school and acquired a masters degree in audio education.

Not every thing went effectively. She and Mr. Scherr split up five years following the assault, nevertheless they continue to be friends. She dated other Males, but she generally informed them in regards to the assault instantly -- she couldn't aid it, she mentioned -- and they hardly ever called for any second date.

We have to search out you a person, her Good friend David Phelps, a guitar participant, claimed 4 yrs in the past, ahead of introducing her to Liam McCann, a pc technician and newbie drummer. For as soon as, she didn't say anything concerning the attack until eventually she acquired to find out Mr. McCann, then when she did, he admired her energy.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who experienced usually frequented her at her bedside when she was from the hospital, married them in his Times Sq. office. She wore a blue costume and pearls. Although she was pregnant, within a burst of creative imagination, she and her friends recorded When Had been Young, an album of childrens tunes that she experienced penned ahead of the assault, including the music Relocating. Her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Scherr, generated the CD. On it, her husband performs drums and he or she plays electric powered piano.

Is her existence as it had been? Not specifically, although she's hesitant to attribute the discrepancies to her injuries. Her final two piano pupils left her, without having contacting to clarify why, she claimed. She has resumed taking part in classical songs, but simple pieces, mainly because her daughter doesn't give her the perfect time to exercise. As for jazz, I dont even check out, she explained.

She would like to drive much more, emotion stranded during the suburbs, but she is easily rattled. She attempts to be written content with being dwelling and caring for her daughter.

Dr. Ghajar, a scientific professor of neurological surgical procedures at precisely what is now known as NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare facility/Weill Cornell Healthcare Middle, who operated on Ms. Kevorkian McCann following the attack, claimed previous week that her degree of Restoration was unusual. Shes basically usual, he explained.

Other professionals, that are not Individually informed about Ms. Kevorkian McCanns scenario, tend to be more careful.

Regaining the chance to Engage in the piano may entail an Virtually mechanical process, a semiautomatic remember of what the fingers ought to do, reported Dr. Yehuda Ben-Yishay, a professor of clinical rehabilitation drugs at Big apple University University of Drugs. As soon as brain-injured, you're generally Mind-hurt, for the rest of your daily life, Dr. Ben-Yishay mentioned. There's no heal, there is only intensive payment.

The more telling Element of a recovery, in his look at, is psychological, and on that rating he counts Ms. Kevorkian McCanns marriage and child as an important victory.

For her aspect, the piano Trainer understands she has adjusted, but she has built her peace with it. I was kind of a hyper ---- I dont know if I had been a kind A, but I had been bold, she states. Why was I so formidable? I used to be a piano Instructor. I dont know what the ambition was about. I really did return to the individual Im designed to be.

Correction: June thirteen, 2006, Tuesday An short article on Thursday about Kyle Kevorkian McCann, a piano teacher who was beaten and sexually assaulted ten years back in Central Park, misstated the title of her album of childrens music. It can be Even though Have been Youthful, not When Have been Young.

[surveysonfleek]

555.

how do you typically introduce yourself in online settings? i never talk to strangers online anymore. tbh i haven’t in the last ten years. what do you think will bring on the end of the world? nuclear war, global warming, black hole, etc. global warming. do you believe in the death penalty? we don’t have that here so i’m not sure. have you ever done role play? no i haven’t lol. my boyfriend and i would not be able to take each other seriously. have you ever/would you ever do anal? no and probably not. it would take a lot of discussion to convince me.

what’s more important- length or width? why? eh, i don’t really have a preference. do you talk dirty during sex? not often. lol. what was your first orgasm like? is it bad that i don’t remember lol. i’m sure it was amazing though. do you own any hair extensions from hot topic? nope. 7-11, sheetz, wawa, or starbucks? starbucks. what do you want to name your kids? i have no idea yet. when the time comes i’ll plan. do you personally know any authors? no. kissed someone within a day of having a bf/gf? no. have you ever kept it a secret from someone that you liked them? basically my high school life. have you ever finished an entire jaw breaker? nah. is there anyone you would date on your facebook friend list? i’m already dating him. ever been swimming in a lake or river? yeah a lake i’m pretty sure. first time you kissed the last person you kissed? 2009 lol. have you ever broken someone’s heart? i don’t think so. ever had a near death experience? not really. as a kid i thought it was. when was the last time you held someone’s hand? today. can you play guitar hero? haven’t played in years. who is someone you know that can play the piano well? my cousin. he’s a whiz. who is the best dancer you know? angel. name a time you thought you were going to die? wasn’t this just asked? have you ever not been able to get someone out of your head? yup. do you know your neighbors? not that well. i know them enough by first names i guess.

how do you feel about interracial couples? i’m all for it. i’m all for any adult couples. what restaurant do you think has the best french fries? umm mcdonalds. who’s your best guy friend? my boyfriend tbh. do you like fruit roll ups? no. i’d hate when they’d get stuck to my teeth. what’s the worse type of weather in your opinion? hot with hot wind. do you have a kindle or ipad or neither? kindle. growing up, did you see your cousins often? yes but they were older. around what time do you usually eat dinner? 7-8pm. do you like carrots more if they’re raw, or cooked? cooked. did you play with legos as a kid? yes!! which bothers you more… spelling mistakes or bad grammar? i couldn’t choose... they’re both terrible. spelling mistakes i guess since i never capitilize my survey answers lol. is there a food that you love the taste of, but makes you feel sick? milk, cheese, all dairy products. which did you discover first, myspace or facebook? myspace, duh. have you ever turned to drinking or smoking to solve a problem? no. i guess i’ve smoked after i’ve gone through a stressful situation but it never solved my problem. if you HAD to get a piercing (not ears) what would you get? ugh. nose again i guess. what do you wish you had more knowledge about? world issues. have you ever dealt with a divorce or parents fighting or any kind of abuse at home? my parents separated after one big verbal fight. so that was kinda hard to to process, it was out of nowhere. do you drink more apple or orange juice? neither.

do you think relationships are hard? they honestly shouldn’t be. but every relationship will go through tough times. what is your favorite pop-tart flavor? none. ever had the ‘birds and the bees’ talk with your parents? not properly. do you think you have to be skinny in order to be beautiful? no. would you ever get gauged ears? hell no. have you ever been in a school talent show? what for? i was in a dance group lol. so lameeeee.

have you ever dated someone you met online? nope. are you a competitive person? only if i know i have a chance in winning haha. do you believe in aliens? i wouldn’t be surprised. but i’ll believe it when i see it.

do you like dancing? nah. where are you from? sydney. how much more social are you when you’re drunk? about the same... i just get louder. if you had to be named after one of the 50 states, which would it be? dakota. what’s your favorite form of exercise? cross trainer. do you like guacamole? looooove. do you consider yourself sexually open minded? for my personal tastes, not really. for everyone else, hell yeah.

how do you feel about porn? idk, i’m a bit weird about it. some scenes are really degrading. who was your hottest ex? no exes. do you want/have kids? no. someday! has anyone ever told you that they wanted to marry you? yes. do/did you have to wear a uniform to your high school? yes. what’s your favorite flavor of iced tea? peach or mango. have you ever been to a casino? if so, which one(s)? yes. all over the damn world. all over australia, london, barcelona, monaco, venice, brussels, berlin, prague, vegas, toronto, vancouver, montreal, manila, singapore, mauritius etc. my boyfriend and i always like visiting them even though we don’t play big haha. do you love or hate olives? haaaate. have you ever visited a sex shop? yes. do you like the name cindy for a girl? nope. how many sets of keys do you have for your house? one for every member of my family plus a spare set. do you know anyone who has parkinson’s disease? yes. how many cousins do you have? what are their names? man too many. have you ever ridden a bicycle through a busy city? no. do you use instagram? how often do you post there? i look on it everyday. don’t post that often. what’s your favorite brand of beer? i hate beer. i prefer ciders instead. do you like writing? how often do you write? never. i should just to get my mind going. what’s your favorite place to get pizza? domino’s! has there ever been a fire inside your house? tell me the story. no. have you ever had a scary encounter with a wild animal? no. how many piercings do you have? four. do you own any sports bras? where’d you get them from? yes. bonds. what’s the most expensive restaurant you’ve ever eaten at? quay and momofuku. who was the last person to tell you that you were beautiful/cute/good-looking? are you attracted to that person too? my boyfriend. and yes. has anyone ever called you stuck-up? no. when is the next birthday in your household and whose is it? my sister’s, next friday. what color are your father’s eyes? brown. in winter, would you rather wear a jacket or hoodie? jacket. have you ever voluntarily read the bible? i have before. how much is gas where you live? $1.47 a litre. what a joke. do you have any gay friends? yes. do you like the state you live in? i guess. who is your favorite person to watch on youtube? jkparty. how often would you say you take naps? usually on my days off when i have nothing to do. have you ever played bejeweled? yes. does your mom have a facebook? yes. have you ever been bitten by a rat? no. why do you not wash off your makeup on some nights? i never do that. it’s so bad for the skin. does blueberry syrup sound good to you, right now? no. did you get lucky on prom night? no. have you ever fallen for your ex’s best friend? no. last song you had stuck in your head? i forgot. did you ever spill something and actually cry over it? no. do you think that everyone is capable of love? ummm. i’d like to think so but probably not. do you believe in astrology? if you mean just horoscopes, then no. if you had to wear a hat for the rest of your life, what would it be? a cap that suits my head. would you rather have a musical alarm clock or a regular one? regular. when you were little, what was your favorite game? tekken or the sims. do you prefer to wrap gifts or use gift bags? gift bags, let’s be real. wrapping gifts look prettier though. do you own a trenchcoat? yes. are you currently in a smoking environment? no. if a stranger smiles at you, do you smile back? yes. have you ever known a guy who caused a lot of drama? lmao yes. have you ever taken care of a drunk friend? yes. what’s your opinion on people who go hunting for sport? tbh it’s not a big thing here so i don’t have that much knowledge on it. have you ever gone in a sauna? yes. i hate it. out of these colors, which appeals most to you: orange, blue, or green? blue. do you believe in finders keepers in most situations? no. has anyone in your family fought in any of the wars? not that i know of. would you make any changes to your current bedroom? i’d love to but cbf. what animal have you always wanted as a pet but couldn’t have? panda. do you own many pairs of shorts? yes. is there a certain song you like to head bang to? no. who was or will be the maid of honor/best man in your wedding? i’m not sure yet. possibly my sister. what is your favorite lunch meat? ham. do you still have your tonsils? i do. red or pink? pink! do you have a special talent? eh, idk. where were you born? sydney, aus. do you own any clothes you wouldn’t wear in front of your mother?  no. what do you think the hardest part of surviving is?   just the pain of it. do you know anyone with a lazy eye? yep. can you remember your parents’ birthdays? yes, of course. what piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? tbh, none. what brand of hair dye do you prefer to use? haven’t dyed my hair in years. are you any good at applying make up? i’d like to think so but i have a lot more to improve on. are you currently wearing any hair accessories? which ones? no. do you like potato chips? not really. unless there’s dip. gold or silver? white gold. is there an animal that creeps you out? cockroaches. have you ever seen northern lights? no, it’s on my bucket list! do your parents smoke? no. is your favorite animal endangered? possibly actually. how old is your best friend?  26. if there was a large spider in your room, would you stay in the room? hell no, i’d kill it first. what color is your cell phone? black. do you take vitamins daily?  no. what’s one thing you hate about your best friend? he’s never on time. be honest: do you illegally download music? no, i just use apple music now. what’s the worst crime someone can commit? rape and murder. you’re painting your room. what color do you choose? turquoise. what dog breed is the cutest ever? corgi. are cherries delicious? no. have you ever experienced a tornado? nope. how about a flood? yes but i was overseas. i just stayed in. do you or have you ever owned a pair of light up shoes? sure, as a kid. what is a current goal you’re trying to achieve? get out of my job now. is there something that you thought you would’ve outgrown/gotten over by now, but haven’t? nope. how often do you “draw a blank” mentally? a lot nowadays. i need to read again or do something to get my brain working lol. have you ever played the sims?   yes. is your current hair color your natural hair color?   yes. can you run a mile in under 7 minutes?   no lol. do you have your license?   yes. have you ever sleep walked?   no. where was your first job?   at a new age crystal store haha. it was cool. do you remember your second grade teacher’s name?   mrs. la scala. what do you like on your sundaes?   bananas, walnuts, caramel syrup. have you been blessed with the ability to cook and/or bake?   i have the ability, i’m just not the best.

have you gained more than 5 lbs within the past year?   yes.

do you want kids at some point?   i do. are you lactose intolerant?   yes. do you believe in abstaining from sex until marriage?   personal choice. for me personally, no. what is your sexual orientation?     heterosexual. have you ever bought clothing online?   yes, i prefer it. do you think shakespeare is difficult to read?   at times, yes. do you play solitaire in the computer?   no, i don’t have it. have you ever received nude pictures from someone?   yes. admit it: you had a neopets account.   yuuuup. is there a pet in the room with you right now?   no. how weight conscious are you?   very. is there anyone else with you right now?   nope. have you ever been accused of cheating?   nope. have you ever taken a train?   yes. is being thin really all that great?   who knows. have you ever been to a night club?   yes. does any accent annoy you?   not really. someone’s voice can annoy me more than an accent. what’s worse: crocs or uggs?   crocs lol. but they’re comfy as hell. do you feel awkward when a stranger sits next to you?   only if there’s other seats available lol. do you have any taylor swift songs on your ipod?   no. do you want your tongue or belly button pierced?   no. do you hate it when people smoke around you?   sometimes. what is your blood-type?   no idea. are you donating your organs?   idk how to choose that? do you sleep on your side, stomach or back?   stomach. have you ever been a fan of ‘n sync?   no. i liked bsb more. do you know anyone that has/had cancer?   yes. were you a big jump roper back in the day?   hell yes. has a boy/girl ever cheated on their boyfriend/girlfriend for you?   no. do you like chinese food?   i have to be in the mood for it, but yes! do long distance relationships work?   they can but it takes the same amount of effort from both parties to make it work. how do you like your eggs?   scrambled. mcdonald’s or burger king?   bk.

[avaliveradio]

Behind The Music with John O'Brien on But You're Gone

Artists: John O'Brien

Song name: But You're Gone

Music Genre: pop/jazz/R&B/rock

I live in... St Augustine Beach, Florida

Link to play: https://open.spotify.com/track/22pMfP6guhsOqkDqyCgWiu

This song is about when it’s time to move on after a relationship ends. I started writing this some years ago when I lived in a summer resort community and every summer the rich and powerful would come from all over the world. I was playing music in a couple of the nightspots there as a solo and was approached by a beautiful foreign woman who asked if I could play at her summer home for a small party. Of course, I said yes, but when I showed up it was just her and I. We started a relationship and she was very private with her personal life at first, which I thought just went with the territory.

I found out she had a very rich father from southern Europe and slowly found out that she had a boyfriend back home. However, there was a tremendous amount of passion and sincerity in our relationship. When I looked at her deep brown eyes my heart would skip a beat and all I could think about was my vision of us remaining together. We started our relationship in the early summer and went into the early fall when she suddenly started showing up around town and seemed to be just picking up guys on vacation. I was devastated and then her fiancé from Spain (unknown to me) showed up!

It took about three weeks for me to resign myself to the fact that it was over between her and I and that I really needed to move on in my life. It really was “just a fling” for her even if it was very real for me. Interestingly, I finally finished the song about two months before finishing the recording of the new album and we actually put the bridge of the song together in the recording studio while recording the basic tracks. It was my bandmates who said that I should make it clear in the lyric that I got over it and that I wasn’t in love anymore. I do love the song.

The reason I create music is… because there are deeply held, emotional messages inside of me that I really want to express. In everyday life, one does not really have the opportunity to express emotions so that others can hear them. Songwriters are lucky in that they can do that, and they can express their emotions on such a deeply personal level and hope that they connect with the people who listen to those songs.

It’s that sense of self-expression that is hard to capture, at least for me, outside of writing music and lyrics. In terms of the music, it is the active matching the emotional expressions with the musical progression that carries that forward as an active and real passion. I’ve been writing music since I was a preteen and I recently looked back at my notes which I always keep and I will be putting out an album soon with some of my earliest songs on it the way I wrote them – just me and my guitar and my vocal. Every one of them recalls a very explicit and especially dear adventure in my life. I recently decided to move towards a full-time career in music which until now escaped me because of the financial burdens. For years I’ve been playing 4-set gigs in bars where, quite frankly, they didn’t want to hear original music and instead wanted to hear covers of their favorite songs. After too many years of complying with that formula, I decided to change what I was doing completely. I bought a really nice Takamine acoustic guitar and started playing my original music at festivals as a solo, added a percussionist for a couple of festivals after that and then added a bass player and a keyboard and lead player.

That all happened over an 18-month span and all I played was original music. The act sounded so good that I decided to record an album. The five of us worked in the studio and remotely to produce the tracks which we then fully mixed and sent to a marvelous mastering shop outside of London for final mastering. The album had over 100,000 Spotify streams in the first week was out and a number of very positive reviews in the web and blogsphere. We’re now scheduling performances and a tour and I think this is exactly what I was hoping would happen when I decided to become a full-time musician.

How do you think this release represents your current direction.. This single “But You’re Gone” reaches to a number of my influences at the same time. I’m a very big fan of R&B, pop, jazz and rock all at the same time. The elements of the song touch on all of those influences in one form or another. My keyboard player, Mark Connolly added a beautiful Fender Rhodes piano piece which sits underneath the R&B style of my bass player, Ray Ploutz who played fretless, my drummer David Matthew plays a tremendous rock beat and my lead guitar player Dwayne “Chubby McG” McGregor sets out a great jazz guitar style. All of these very talented musicians found their own voice in the song and then the harmonies and tags are beautifully set forth by Amy Hendrickson. As a result, the song does exemplify the style of music that I would like to continue producing and performing. I am very much a believer in collaboration in music production. The way we created this album was that I would bring a song to, what I call the “rhythm section”, which is myself my bass player and my drummer. We would spend hours working out an arrangement for the song that would bring out the intent and beauty of the progression itself. After that we would record the basic tracks in the studio and begin to add vocals and accompaniment. I’m in Florida and my keyboard player is in Rochester, New York and he would record tracks and send them to me, and we would go over them in a live online remote studio setting so we could agree on where the keyboard tracks and synthesizer sounds would go for each song.

After that I would add vocal scratch tracks then circulate those stems to the guitar player who would put them into his own studio and create the lead guitar parts. After that, I would get together with the vocalists I work with and we would develop an approach to the overall vocal piece of the song. In answer to your question, I do work very closely with musicians and listen very intently to what it is that they believe would enhance the song itself and the production and final product. I always listen to advice from great musicians.

What most inspires you?:  I most inspired by two things. Of course, like all other songwriters I am moved by the subject and feelings of love that people can feel for each other. But I am also moved by peoples’ situations and what pains them outside of the realm of love.

For instance, my song California Wildfire is a song I wrote after reading many news reports of the feelings that the people in Paradise, California had when they were awakened from a deep sleep and in a matter of moments had to run for their lives with nothing but the clothing that they had on. When I saw the news reports of it, I felt I had to do something, and I am strong believer that we must as a people and as humans address climate change which is the cause of those wildfires being so prevalent. Of course, I also wrote the song that you and I discussed in our last interview “By The Throat” about losing a loved one to opioids. It tries to answer the question “what else could I have done to prevent it?” The music video for that song will premier in a couple of weeks

I create music because I can’t not create music. In the words of a songwriter friend in Nashville, he tried everything he could not to be a songwriter, but he failed. I guess when you have the capability of expressing yourself in that manner, in a way you don’t have any choice except to express those feelings even if it’s just sitting by yourself with the guitar or piano and putting together the musical expression of your feelings. For anyone who wants to write a song I implore them to just sit down and do it. It’s a real catharsis. Creating music enriches my life for a number of reasons, but so far it’s not money! I guess the act of performing, particularly if you’re doing your own music, is an incredible experience and there’s really nothing like it. Seeing the reaction of people when you’re performing or when you have feedback about a recording you did that is very positive is sort of an emotional rush that it’s hard to get anywhere else outside of a personal relationship with someone.

I don’t think I will ever stop creating music, basically because I can.

My favorite instrument is the guitar when it comes to playing, although I do play piano just not very well. I’ve written several songs on the piano, a couple of which became very popular and one of which is on the new album.

My voice is my favorite instrument and on the album I recorded a song I wrote on the piano with a popular female vocal artist in Los Angeles which appears on the album “Leaving In Your Own Time”. She recorded her vocal in LA and we merged with the production here in Florida and it came out very beautifully. Interestingly, it’s a song I almost dropped as I originally wrote it in 1979 and just didn’t think it would go anywhere, but I sent it into Taxi Music for review just to see what they would say and the response was that I would be out of my mind to drop the song – so I didn’t. We just finished recording a bilingual version of the song which we will have out as a single in the next few weeks. I am hopeful that the Hispanic community will embrace the song.

The music business… it changes so rapidly now that it’s hard to really even say where it goes next. I read Billboard every week just to get a clue about what’s going on, but even that doesn’t really work with all of the music moving over to streaming, the changes in how the charts are calculated with “album equivalency”, the change in popular music as it moves slightly away from traditional rap to hip pop and ultimately to hip pop with strong vocals and it and the rise of adult contemporary as a genre for the listening public including younger demographics. It’s a real jungle out there. Being a musician today gives you so much more opportunity to create and market music. The one thing that I would caution any musicians out there to avoid is trying to follow the trends. The listening public to music is expanding extremely rapidly and even a small niche can now result in a highly popular type of song and recording including instrumental sounds. Also, I would advise to stick to an instrument. In listening to alternative rock and alternative pop today one rarely hears guitar and in many cases, there are no live instruments on the recording at all.

I don’t think this will last since the creativity in many cases seems to be rooted in coming up with a new sound rather than new music. I don’t think this will last. You have to bring yourself to listen to every kind of music that’s out there and when you least expect it, you are going to fall love with a new type of musical progression or harmony which is largely absent from much of today’s music.

Website & social media links: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2Vb5M2W Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/john-obrien Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnobriensmusic Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnobriensmusic/?ref=bookmarks  ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/johnobrien7 Bandcamp: https://johnobrien1.bandcamp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwzP4-jgRZ1ofrEaKgQWX4w

John O’Brien interviews with host Jacqueline Jax on building your musical team, achieving your dreams as a songwriter and keeping the faith even when things get hard. “The day you wake up without feeling inspired is a day you never want to have. “

[onestowatch]

Q&A: Aaron Camper is Making Music to Fit People, Not Genres

Aaron Camper honed his talents behind the scenes with some of music’s brightest icons —Stevie Wonder, David Guetta, and Diddy to name a few— but lately he’s been branching out on his own and seeing impressive results in the process. His 2016 debut album Blow signaled the arrival of a versatile, experienced artist, and now his follow-up EP Hi-Def shows more of the same from an artist who refuses to be boxed into a singular sound.

Camper fits the whole palette into 26 minutes of music, blending sounds with a vintage yet timeless treatment. Sampling the iconic disco track “The Glow of Love” by Change on “The Heat,” Camper creates a modern, summer-y groove that takes on a life of its own, rather than acting as a tired rehash of the original. “That Body” is equally upbeat but with a much funkier, antique undertone, that relies on pounding percussion to keep the song rolling.

When Camper decides to slow the tempo, his soulful, passionate voice is more than capable of holding the listener’s attention. “Inhale,” the very first song on the tracklist, demonstrates this truth as he serenades an old flame over resonating guitar progressions. “High $ Habit” contains much colder, trap-influenced production, further extending the breadth of sounds that Camper dips into on Hi-Def.

The man behind the music is as genuine as his catalogue implies, and he is a thoughtful creative who keeps an open mind inside and out of the studio. Valuing the individual human experience with music, Camper attempts to keep specific people in mind when he’s making music, ensuring that the final product will appeal to a wide range of listeners.

Ones to Watch recently spoke with Aaron Camper about his philosophy towards music and his exciting position in the industry as a rising musician with a plethora of high-level experience to tap into. Read on below for the full interview!

OTW: You’re newest album, Hi-Def, released in January. Looking back, how do you feel about the project?

Aaron Camper: I feel good. I like the way we rolled it out, it was kind of unexpected. To see the response that it’s gotten, it grew quickly, and I’m just glad we got that; it shows that people really want fresher material, which is good to see. I’m grateful for sure.

OTW: Going into it, what were you trying to accomplish with Hi-Def?

Aaron: We had singles out all last year, just testing and seeing what lands where, how people reacted to different vibes we put out. Then towards the end of the year — we wanted to drop something earlier, but we were just waiting because when we put out “Fire” it did one thing, but when we went to put out “High $ Habit,” we just got totally different responses. So towards the end of the year, the team just put our heads together and just said “let’s get it out, we’ll drop it all at once.” So like I said it was unexpected, because with most projects you have those countdowns and everything, but I didn’t really want to do that. It was unique in that way, to just drop it out of nowhere, but keeps everything fresh, so it’s exciting.

OTW: The cover looks almost like a lone planet in outer space — does that tie into the theme you were trying to get across, or was it just some art that you liked?

Aaron: That was done by my dawg Gavin! To me, since it’s called Hi-Def, I think the cover played into a vintage VHS magnavox set, it visually just takes on that aesthetic where it’s like packaging in itself. But the way you think its space; as far as it pertains to my last album Blow, Hi-Def is kind of a 8 song EP that just fits in its own space, not to be compared with anything, you know what I mean. It’s just another unique piece of work, and another extension of myself, another view of me. So to me it kind of ran like one of those VHS’ my mom would have by the VCR, it just kind of looks like that. But yeah, having its own space is how I see it anyway, so I think it all came across in the artwork, it was dope.

OTW: I saw that you believe writing for just one genre is kind of limiting, especially in today’s music scene. How do you try to avoid that — are you consciously balancing your music across the spectrum between genres, or is it natural for you?

Aaron: I think it’s natural for me, whereas for a lot of other artists, it’s kind of a debate. I’m a musician first, and I love all kinds of music, honestly. I play the guitar and the drums, so when I pick up my guitar, some days I feel like Jodeci, some days I feel like Bruce Springsteen. [Laughs] Yesterday we had a jam at my crib with the homies and homegirls, just kicking it and tuning guitars and stuff, that’s just how it goes. I don’t think anyone wants to be limited to just one thing, I don’t think Kanye wanted to be labeled as just a rapper, like that would have bugged the hell out of him. I find myself at home when I’m writing towards what’s sincere to me as opposed to writing towards a genre, that’s kind of limiting. Being a songwriter, even writing for other artists sometimes, that would limit me before, because you’re trying to write with the artist in mind, and you stray away from what you really hear for yourself, and you push what your heart is saying towards the back to get the job done. So just honing in and writing for myself, getting these projects out to speak for myself and get my narrative across, I think it’s important in being a songwriter to be true to what you want to say.

OTW: So it definitely sounds like the story is more important to you than the genre, but is there any sound that you feel brings it out of you easier, or do you have a favorite style to work in?

Aaron: I think the sounds now, whether it be trap, emo, alternative, R&B, there’s so many lanes and subcategories. And I’m laughing because, we talk about this all the time, like what is your music like, how do you describe it. It’s become so tainted with labels and genres, that you don’t let the music fight its own fight. At the end of the day, a good song is a good song, a great song is a great song, and people will label it however they want. But as far as categories and genres, I try to make sure my music can fit all of these different spaces and cater to all these different listeners, so I just go into the studio and keep myself open, so that way I know I’m reaching out to everybody.

OTW: How do you keep that openness in the studio?

Aaron: It’s been a little journey, it’s been a trip to get that science together. Me and my partner producer, we’ve been writing for the past three summers, you know, like hard-body, everyday, dedicated, for three years straight. So we’re just finding chemistries, because we both have been musicians and traveled the world, and had conversations with people and keep them in mind. I was at Revolt the other week, and I was explaining to them that when I’m writing, I kind of keep people and situations throughout the day in mind. I got a homegirl who I know likes to get dressed to music when she’s going out; I got a homeboy when he gets off work at 5:00, he likes to hear certain vibes in the car. So I kind of keep these instances in mind, like “if someone is about to go out tonight, what do they want to feel, what do they want to hear?” Most girls want something sexy when they’re getting dressed in Vegas or Miami, I just keep that in mind. I look at music like a service, I’m just out here trying to serve everybody food.

OTW: You’ve worked with some big name artists behind the scenes in the beginning stages of your career. Was that hindering your solo career at the time, or did it help you get to where you are now?

Aaron: Nothing can hinder you until you quit, but for me, it definitely helped. Like I said, getting into those other spaces and seeing what those other arenas are all about, and knowing what’s what in the musical landscape. If you’re a journalist and you just work for your city and stay local, I don’t think that will expand your writing as much as it would at a bigger publication sending you abroad for a year and a half, which is kind of like a tour. Like you go to Spain and write on some other music cultures, or you go to London and you have to write about grime. That’s clearly going to be totally different than writing about something here. Well, it may be the same, but you just never know.

I also look at it like, I’m a big basketball fan, and you have some people who come from Europe to America like Manu Ginobili -- he has a European clip to his game that just makes him that much more unguardable. He came to the league with a Eurostep, it gives you that extra clip, where if somebody thinks you’re hindered, you can do something else, where they can’t block you in. I kind of look at it like that.

OTW: You definitely have a lot of strong connections within the industry, but then a lot of fans are still discovering your solo music. Where do you see yourself at this point in your career?

Aaron: I’m excited, I’m at an exciting space. Like you said, working in those different lanes, it can get anyone discouraged when you’re trying to be something, but I was never trying to be anything besides good at what I do. Now that I took the time away from a lot of it, really, and have just been writing in the lab creating, I know I’m still new to people, and I understand that, which is why we’re taking it slow, we’re kind of sourcing it out, like “this person likes this, or these people like that, or this shorty just jumped in the DM and she likes this.” It kind of gives you a map, so me and management just wanted to take out time and see what the audience is, what their profile looks like, what do they do. As you build your tribe and people are connecting with your music, I like to do the math on them as well, so that as we grow, I’m giving out the best food, and giving everyone what they need to hear.

OTW: So in terms of your goals, as you’ve grown in your career, have your goals also shifted, or have they stayed the same?

Aaron: My goals are pretty much the same, I mean, I want a Grammy, I want to keep knocking conversations and tables over with the unexpected. I’ve always been about that, I’ve always been in situations that have led to some good conversations in music. I just want to stay there and grow with that, trendsetting and leading the conversation as far as not being lumped into one thing. Especially in R&B, it’s very easy to be typecast as just R&B, so I think it’s a unique time for me and the music, I’m just excited to see as we navigate and curate this whole thing, I’m anxious to see how far it goes.

OTW: Last question: Who are some of your Ones to Watch artists?

Aaron: Ah, damn. Actually, I just started some personal playlists of mine on Spotify, which I would encourage you to follow. I added some things the other day, like Ravyn Lenae, she’s very dope. My girl BOSCO, I think she had one of the dopest songs last year with “Cruel,” I like that one a lot. Sonder is dope; Brent Faiyaz is from the crib, he’s from Maryland. Kali Uchis, I was in LA and heard her song with Tyler, The Creator and was like “what the fuck is this?” I was at a taco stand, that shit is hard. [Laughs] It’s a groove. There’s a ton of people I’m just getting hip to, and their vibe is such an energy, I’m all about that. I like when I turn the song on first, and it’s got that energy to it, and it has some sounds that just get me in from the door, I fuck with it. CyHi the Prince’s album is fire, of course K.R.I.T.’s album was fire, Black Panther is fire. Hi-Def is fire! 

I’m loving all the new music that’s coming, especially from an urban perspective, because it doesn’t get the chance to grow and mature. I’m loving the effort that everyone’s putting out to be the staple of that sound, I champion that.

OTW: Awesome! Any last words?

Aaron: Go grab Hi-Def, everybody should be adding it to their playlists. We have a whole lot of fire coming this year, I have another album that’s dropping, so be on your toes for that. Way more visuals, and then we get back on the road, we’re ramping it up even more.

[lucia-zvaigzne]

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

1.in love with a ghost - sorry for not answering the phone, i'm too busy trying to fly away 2.in love with a ghost - flowers feat. nori 3. in love with a ghost - i was feeling down, then i found a nice witch and now we're best friends 4. Toccata and Fugue in D minor - J.S.Bach 5. POP ETC - IS 6. M.Ravel - Tzigane

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be? Thomas Sanders. I have a few others that came to my mind but they are a bit intimidating.

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17. “voyager la France” et sont sur leur depart. Nous allons les... From Barret/Gurgand “Ils voyageaient la France”

4: What do you think about most? My past and future. Also human relationships is general.

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say? It is a congratulation on my birthday. I really don't use my phone much. 

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on? Both. Depends on season. 

7: What’s your strangest talent? I can feel from a distance if somebody is thinking about me or if a close person to me feels seriously bad. A high level of intuition i guess?

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence) Girls have the advantage to make a choice if they want to be dependent on a man or if they want to be independent. Boys don't have such a clear choice. But it is just a general thought of mine. It all depends on the specific situation each person has to go through in their lives. 

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you? Not that I know of.

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar? A long time ago. But I play air violin; piano and flute from time to time. 

11: Do you have any strange phobias? I think not. Only a few normal ones like a fear of the dark. 

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose? Not of my knowledge.

13: What’s your religion? I don't have a definite one. I'm agnostic with a few guidelines and I acknowledge that there are different paths to god. 

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing? Taking a walk. Going for a lesson. Enjoying the nature. Shopping for food. 

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Both. Also depends. I like to be a model, but I get quite nervous when somebody takes photos of me. And I love to take photos but not when a person whom I am to take a photo of is being fake.  

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band? I don't really have one. Maybe Big bang or PTX.

17: What was the last lie you told? I don't remember. I haven't had a big need to lie lately. 

18: Do you believe in karma? Yes, heavily. 

19: What does your URL mean? Lucia is my first baptized name. Zvaigzne is my grandmothers from mothers side surname before she got married and it means star. 

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength? Weakness- I stress to much and overthink. Also my health but that is bad due to stress so back to square one. 

Strength- I'm able to adapt quite well. 

21: Who is your celebrity crush? David Brown/ Daniel Howell/ Thomas Sanders/ Philip Lester.

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping? Yes and I love quite a bit.

23: How do you vent your anger? I cry and listen to heavy music if i have access to it, sometimes I write it out. 

24: Do you have a collection of anything? Kind of. It is a collection of stones and minerals from my father but I share the ownership of it with my sister and I didn't make it. And also I could say good, educational books.

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online? Video chatting. I feel uncomfortable if I can't see the expression of the person I am talking to.

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become? Mostly yes. But I have some really bad habits to work with. 

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love? Hate: People chewing. If I eat at the same time as thy it is ok, if not I get mad fast.

Love: purring; soughing of leaves; the sound that snow makes when you step on it; the sound of flowing water and ocean/sea waves. 

28: What’s your biggest “what if”? What if I chose a different path in life? What if I'm making a mistake?

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens? I believe in both. 

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm. A water bottle. A book.

31: Smell the air. What do you smell? Scent of cookies. 

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to? A bar with a bad public. 

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast? I can't because I don't have a sufficient amount of information about either.

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender? Maybe Troye Sivan or GD or David Brown.

35: To you, what is the meaning of life? To help as many people as possible. To evolve myself as a person. To leave behind some art that other find to be a “safe place”.

36: Define Art. It is a way to express even the deepest parts of oneself that is otherwise impossible to achieve. A beauty. Something magical.

37: Do you believe in luck? Yes

38: What’s the weather like right now? Cloudy but quite warm.

39: What time is it? 10:56

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed? I do drive, but I only have learners license. I've never crashed.

41: What was the last book you read? Some book about music in 19th century. 

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline? Not really.

43: Do you have any nicknames? Hmmm... Not ones that have stuck around. I have a short name and was never the type to have em I guess.

44: What was the last film you saw? Troy.

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had? I had a concussion in fifth grade. It was considered a light one but I remember seeing the world as if I was watching tv even two months after but a slightly mystical doctor/acupuncturist noticed that something was off and made everything normal. I couldn't even say anything to anyone because I was so out of it and I guess I could go on doing everyday things normally so nobody noticed.

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly? No.

47: Do you have any obsessions right now? Not really. I don't think I have a very obsessive personality.

48: What’s your sexual orientation? I might be pan but I'm not sure of that yet. But I am bi for sure.

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you? I might, but it has never reached my ears.

50: Do you believe in magic? It depends on how you define it. 

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong? Oh yes. 

52: What is your astrological sign? Sagittarius

53: Do you save money or spend it? Both. I try to save it but if there is a need or if I really want something and logically am sure I really need it I spend too.

54: What’s the last thing you purchased? Food.

55: Love or lust? Love.

56: In a relationship? No.

57: How many relationships have you had? None. I've always been afraid of getting burnt. Because of that I always keep my distance until I am sure, but either I find a great fault or my emotions cool down before anything starts. 

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue? No.

59: Where were you yesterday? I lazed around at my home and didn't go anywhere.

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you? Yes. 

61: Are you wearing socks right now? No.

62: What’s your favourite animal? Snow leopard.

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you? I don't have any. I'm not so versatile in the flirting game yet.

64: Where is your best friend? I don't have one at the moment. I change my life and places I live too often and I'm bad at keeping in touch via Internet or phone.

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr. l-e-v-i-ackerman ; b-a-r-a-king ; thefelixkot ; cynthiatedy ; snnns

66: What is your heritage? As much as I know I'm purely Latvian. But knowing Latvian history it is highly unlikely. The mix could be with some other european country.

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM? Painting living rooms table. 

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name? I don't think he has one.

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off? No.

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend? Both yes and no. If I new all of my quirks then sure. If not I might start to dislike me as a friend after a while. 

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? It depends. If I like my job a lot or am heavily dependent on it I would continue walking and call out to others if there are other people around, if there weren't I would call the boss and quickly explain the situation(if they were humane) and then save it. If me loosing my job wouldn't hold too huge consequences I would just go and save it. And explain everything later. 

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? I would tell. The closest people to me for sure. They have the right to mentally prepare for my departure. Maybe everyone too, but I'm not so sure about that. b) What do you do with your remaining days? I would go to places I like and know. Do things I enjoy. Maybe write some letters to the closes people to me, as I'm quite bad with talking. Spend some time on spirituality. Write some poems. Finish all of my started paintings and paint some more. Enjoy nature.  c) Would you be afraid? No. I think that death is a liberation from life on earth that can be extremely tough at times.

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love. Love would be the one. If I myself could either only love or trust I chose love. I would feel too detached from people otherwise. And also if I could only receive only one it would be the same. As trust puts a burden on me. I feel as if I need to fulfill it. 

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it? I don't have a song like that. 

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number? 4971

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship? Communication; love; at least some common interests; a somewhat similar view on life.

77: How can I win your heart? By being intelligent; being able to accept that your view or opinion is flawed if I or somebody else provides evidence of it being so;

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity? Oh it surely can. I have experienced it myself and there are many proofs of it too.

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far? The last that comes to mind is to travel alone for 3 months.

80: What size shoes do you wear? 39,5 EU.

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone? Thank you for visiting, have a nice day. /my name/

82: What is your favourite word? Interesting

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. Warm. The next is the medical stuff.

84: What is a saying you say a lot? We'll see. 

85: What’s the last song you listened to? Right now I'm listening to “Mendelssohn Violin Concerto E Minor OP.64 (Full Length) : Hilary Hahn & FRSO”

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours? White, Indigo blue, green, violet, blue, sunset orange, dark red.

87: What is your current desktop picture? A painting of a mermaid sitting on a rock. 

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be? No one. Each have their time to go. Even if they might make things really bad. But  right now I don't have to deal with problems so big as to consider to really use such a chance if I got one. 

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

It would depend on the situation, but nothing comes to mind that I would feel the need to lie of on all occasions. 

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

I would look anxiously for any suspicious moves. If they don't do anything bad even when I step off they bed I would try to go to a different room and lock myself in a toilet or something and wait for them to disappear. 

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power? To create anything I want at any given moment with no price to pay. Even foods and beverages. 

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again? I would like to take walk again on mt. Koya/Japan.

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be? Almost getting raped when I was drunk at a festival and my sister left me alone with an acquaintance of ours. Ah that dumb-ass. Well I'm much more careful now but still it is a bad memory.

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be? Simply no thank you. I don't want to have an intercourse without proper feelings on both sides. 

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? Venice. I've never been there and if I am to buy a ticket back it wouldn't be too expensive either. 

96: Do you have any relatives in jail? No.

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car? Yeah I have. A few years back. I was sick with the travelers disease. I thought that I was over it so I thought it would be a good idea to go down to the city from a mountain town eat indian food and then go back up the same mountain road. It was a bad idea. I started to vomit when we were midway and I even had to walk a portion of the way because I felt so sick. Oh fun times. 

98: Ever been on a plane? Yes, many times.

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

“Do one good deed today” If everyone was listening and it wasn't through TV or radio they might think it was the God talking. And the world would profit by people doing a bit more good.