#but fr if anyone has an explanation for why it tends to come in much later id love to know | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dozer-moved · 6 years ago

Text

this is a dumb post you can skip it if you want.

hey i’m finally gonna do this. i’m gonna fully gush about my favorite piece of art of all time. something that has permanently left a mark on me in the best way. if you actually do read this like, like it because i want to know who’s reading me ramble for this long. the whole post is under the cut so if you don’t want to, just scroll right past and don’t in.teract please!

okay so i’ve been sitting here slowly tearing up as everything in the last chapter of my life has been swirling around me in a cacophony so i’d thought i’d put my thoughts down in a positive way by associating things with my absolute favorite body of work any musician has ever put out, gush about it, and also kinda be a little bit more personal for once.

forgive me for never shutting up about this album but it’s Dearest Everybody by Inara George.

now like for a bit of context, i’d never been a fan of folk music or it’s peer genres for quite a while. it’s always been too slow and structureless and overall just felt like a giant sappy waste of time. i’d gotten into Inara’s work with her band The Bird and the Bee in between the months of january and like, march or april (which is very pop) so I wasn’t expecting her solo work to be folk-y, piano pop with a bit of country influences. that being said, this album won my heart so quickly and has slowly just become the no contest de facto winner of the “what’s my favorite album of all time” challenge that i haven’t been very quiet about how much i like this album.

as long as we’re being honest i feel stupid for liking this enough to even make this post let alone talk about it to other people. i don’t know. i’m not a big fan of sharing my interests with others, as they’ve been used to ridicule me or been “ruined” for me in the past, so i tend to keep to myself.

this album is special to me tho. in so many ways.

i’ll just do a full breakdown track by track?

1. Young Adult. so this track is the intro, and it starts off with this welcoming chord and syncopated bass. immediately the lyrics paint a picture of a young person knowing they want to follow their gut and do what they think they should, no matter what it is. in the context of the lyrics, it’s following Inara’s father and becoming a musician, but i like to think of it as just being general and applicable to anyone? the chorus and second verse talk about young adult’s cynicism, depression and sarcastic nature while also showing their curiosity and natural drive, whether right or wrong, on the “what do i know? what do i know? i know i want to see where this thing will go” line. i love all of this because it’s highkey relatable! i’m turning 20 this year and i’m not going to lie, a lot of this hits so close to home. i love the almost stubborn nature of the aforementioned “i know i want to see where this thing will go” line, it has this “i’ll show you” type of demeanor about it and i think it just works into the idea of a young adult trying to show that they’re independent and know what’s right for them. the whole song swells as it goes on and all the layers are so simple, yet add so much.

2. Crazy. this song is a lot more personal to Inara, and while i have official confirmation of what the song is about, i won’t be sharing it, at least unprompted, out of respect for her. the song has this very, uneven walk about it? i love the opening lyrics about grass coming up to your knees, and everyone stopping visiting. i’m highkey almost a hermit myself, and these lyrics are very me. the whole song is about loving someone and putting all your energy into them, so much so that you go crazy. i can’t exactly relate to this feeling as it is, but i love how the chorus soars. the background ambiance on this track is also amazing, it adds so much to the immersion of like, walking around in the tall grass. this whole album sounds and paints images as clear as photographs, you can get every single detail out of the soundscape, and it sends chills down my spine every time. i love Inara’s little vocal chime bits? especially when they echo off-beat and just add to the immersion. the whole song has this atmosphere i can’t get enough of, it’s stunning. i love the ending eerie, almost croaking cello. so perfect.

3. Somewhere New. this song starts off with these beautiful vocal melodies, and immediately the vibe has perked up. i absolutely love all the little horn touches on this track. the amount of care that went into the production on these tracks is insane. when Inara gets into the “live it up” part, i love how the sound becomes almost waltz-like? it becomes soaring, and airborne, and yet still has so much movement. i love the clapping and the reintroduction of the vocal riff after the chorus too. it makes the whole song have this liveliness about it, i can’t get enough. the lyrics go into this innate, unwavering, unavoidable desire to go somewhere new. i keep making this about me but i legitimately relate so much. there have been a lot of times i’ve almost just walked out of my house, leaving everything behind to just, explore and find something new. it feels like an inherent desire sometimes, that you can’t avoid. the end of the track has these squeaking metallic noises and i love them for unexplainable reasons.

4. Take Me to Paris. this song is so, so intimate and minimalist. the simple 6th harmonies, the minor cadence before the next section. i love Inara’s vocal runs before the final parts of the verses. and the “run naked through the streets” part. the whole song is so small, so spacey, and yet so warm and tender. each part of this track just compliments the others so much and it climaxes in the most calm way with the “and make you love me even more than you do” parts. the whole song just is this incredibly effective, simple composition and structure, and yet it works so well. the chord progressions are so amazing here too. i absolutely love the way it almost feels like the song pans up to the sky with each section ending. you get this immense feeling of vastness but it’s so close and personal that it feels yours. this track originally flew over my head but each time i relisten to it, it just reinforces how special it is.

5. A Bridge. an entirely acapella track! this track is, in my opinion, the least accessible. the structure and lack of production can be a bit off-putting, but i still love it. i feel like this is the moment where the “paris” mentioned previously falls away, where it’s just Inara and the person she’s speaking to in these tracks, the pure intimacy of it all shines through so well. i really love the backing vocals texture in this track. like honestly i didn’t even notice it was all acapella during my first time listening to it. i was too busy listening to Inara and the vocals covered the bases they had to. i love the vocalization in the “you open up to anything... will you tell me?”, it feels so fitting and i can’t put into words how it sounds to me.

6. Slow Dance. the album picks up again! this track was one of my first favorites from this, and for good reason! i love the themes across this album of identity, change and looking back on yourself. the sound of this song honestly makes me feel like you’re flying down a dirt road, or on a cargo train or something. i love how the chorus suspends around the opening and then swirls around Inara’s vocals and create this immense motion around it all. i haven’t been talking about the lyrics much, have i? sorry omg i’m really bad at this. i love the little chord changes at the end of the chorus too. like honestly this whole album is so good compositionally, production-wise AND lyrically, it’s really hard for me to put my thoughts together about everything. i really love the “the end is the beginning” lyrics, it feels like it’s a new start, and that’s because it is. OH YEAH i love the “though they say youth is wasted on the young, we never could have lasted through those nights, through streets and stars, knowing what we know now” part. it can be so shocking to look back on what you used to say and do and act and EXIST in, and believe you did and had no problem with it. they say hindsight is 20/20, but i think this song is about acknowledging the fact you can’t change the past, and doing what you can while you still have the time to.

7. All for All. this track is really hard for me to put into words. i love it just the same as the rest, but my feelings on it are really hard to put together. i always interpolate the lyrics of standing with the sun on my face, and your words in my mind into the next track, and the sound feels like a lighter, more bouncy version of slow dance. it’s a really good transition between the two but in all honesty it can be hard to parse this one from either of them, but that’s more on me for how i remember the tracks, rather than for how they were designed. Inara’s explanation of what this track meant was also very eye opening, i won’t reveal it again out of privacy respect but i definitely did not get the intended meaning from it, and it made a lot more of the lyrics that i thought were random mean something more. i honestly realize as i’m typing this that this song is the old soul manifested in slow dance, looking back on its life. the song is about death, and i realize that now all for all is perhaps acknowledging how it’s time won’t last forever, and that’s why it goes into the next track.

8. Release Me. okay full disclosure, i really didn’t like this track at first. the verses were fine but the choruses always felt really cheesy and like, basic and they didn’t mesh with me at all. BUT, then i had a personal experience with this song. i’ve been writing to the tracks playing on loop this whole time, but i haven’t even started this song yet because i know i’m gonna tear up if i tell this story while it’s playing. the lyrics in the middle of the song (verse 2 onward) speak about wanting to be free of a ghost of someone, free of the past, free of what’s holding you back from living your life and being in a world that’s calling you out into the wide open experience. this, as people close to me know, hits super close to home. i’ve spent the last several years quite literally fighting to get haunting memories and lingering fragments of other people out of my psyche, and 2018 is the year i finally started doing it. i was standing on the beach last month, and while i was standing there, i couldn’t help but mouth the lines “now i wanna be the writer of this song, and a love, not just a longing, in a world that is just calling me to be free.” perhaps this doesn’t mean much to anyone else, but as someone who’s spent the last 2 or so years basically fighting for my sanity, my safety and my ability to trust people again, being able to finally look up, without the weights holding you down, it can be a pretty moving experience. there’s a whole story as to who and why and what went down to cause me to be like this, but all you need to know is that... perhaps even though these last few years have been a hell for me, that i’ve started looking upwards, i made it through the darkest part of the storm, and i can tough out the rest. that’s why this song means so much to me. i almost started crying earlier because i tried to explain it to a friend and i couldn’t put it into words right. it’s the entire reason i started doing this analysis. i wanted to put down why i love this work so much, how it changed me personally, and what it means to me. so here the fuck i am. as for the song itself? the production is simple yet efficient, the lyrics are great. i love the lines about being forever loving of someone, but not being able to forgive them for leaving you for so long. i also really love the lines about “some people don’t believe us, the things that have been spoken, would leave anyone heartbroken.” i’m not going to explain why but it’s a bit personal, all you need to know. i really like the vocal melody and the part “i’ve been the best, at doing the best that i can” because, i’ve been fighting and almost giving up for so long, and only just now am i getting a footing. the organ embellishments here are also super fucking good. the bridge is also heavenly. ok i’ll shut up now.

9. Stars. this track i still don’t quite completely understand. i love the vocal melody and simple production, the strings work so effectively. i love the line “be brave now, who will i be in the end?” it’ so effectively gets across a concept that not many people ever will have to face. “you know there’s no walking away now” you can’t walk away from a changing self. i honestly think the song is a bit of a reflection on not only the person listening’s self, but how people become and change as a whole. the unifying experience of changing and growing and becoming someone new, without ever realizing it. nihilism, sonder, all existential concepts about how not only we experience ourselves, but how everyone else experiences themselves too. the waltz rhythms all over this track, while simple, really work to this tracks advantage. the whole thing has this motion to it, i don’t think it would’ve in 4/4. it’s a track that manages to stay still and spin so much at the same time. mesmerizing.

10. Tusker 4. this and the next track are the first 2 songs i really got into on this record, and they’re both fantastic. i love the opening riff. the weird chord structure. the vocal background textures. i love the lyrics about all the things the subject has, from so much love, to car keys, to piles of dirt, to feelings hurt. it has this immense motion about it again, much like slow dance. this album doesn’t really let you sit still. even on tracks like stars, you can feel the world spinning still. the high background noises on this track add so much to the track while being barely audible, it’s so nice. the vocal backgrounding on “little hands / big demands / things i don’t need” is so nice. the chorus here soars again, this time like you’re holding hands with someone. spinning them around, so much love to give, so you do. i love the melodic minor esque chord structure with the majors on the upswings, minors on the downswings. it gives this all a very otherworldly vibe, and yet it still feels like it takes place in your backyard.

11. House on Valentine. favorite track. hands down. the brass here makes this song so much. i love the way how it’s organize and sounds. the lyrics are so nice. this song is everything i ever wanted. i won’t lie, even without the intended meaning, this song still works so well. you can get vibes of personal growth, change, being afraid of the unknown, and yet still brave to jump into it. moving on from someone, saying goodbye, goodnight for infinity. i love how this song sounds so, sub/urban and train-like almost? the production has this forward motion that you could almost hear a train over, and it feels so well for what it is. also the part where Inara’s vocals soar and the song is sprung into this perfectly still air, it’s fucking blissful as all hell. the goodbye choruses at the bridge? fucking incredible. everytime i hear that bridge, i get chills and goosebumps, it makes me so incredibly emotional. goodbye! goodbye! goodbye! it’s so cheery, you can feel the humanity bleeding out of every seam of it. you know the goodbyes are cheerful, but you know the person behind them is teary eyed and scared, just a bit. but not enough to stop them. say goodbye to the house on valentine, say goodnight for infinity.

12. Everybody. i love this track just the same. the ending of a perfect album and a flawless trilogy. the empty sound of it all, it’s after everybody has gone home. you are left alone with yourself and what we started with. it almost feels like a sonic parallel to crazy in a way. i absolutely love the “the space that i have made, the parts that i have played, it doesn’t go away, it doesn’t go away, i’ll never go away.” it feels like you’re driving out of the town this all took place in, looking back on the places you watched flourish and shine so bright, be so lively, and have so much memory attached to them. it doesn’t go away. it leaves you with a name, try to say it once a day. god i fucking love this song. it haunts you of everything this album stands for, and everything it represents. but not in a bad way, it makes sure you remember that you were there for it. you experienced everybody’s experiences, and even though the curtains of the play have been drawn, everyone said goodbye, it remains. it sticks with you. i’ll never go away.

in short, is it clear i love this fucking album now? i’m not going to review meditation, as it’s a vinyl only track and while, not filler, it’s all instrumental. i love the fact it’s so ethereal and spacey, it feels like you’re looking out into space the night after you went through all the photographs of everybody. their experiences will stay with you. or at least i hope so.

#mine #personal #okay actually personal post time #dont r-blog #read the intro before opening please!#long post #like really long

4 notes · View notes

danachristinehare · 8 years ago

Text

monogamy is a choice.

This blog entry is an update on our moving situation, our living arrangement, and our relationship. Now, as most everyone knows, Matt and i visited florida in January to tell our friends and family that we are expecting a little one! Immediately we were supported and loved, and encouraged to move home. Without much discussion or planning, we immediately jumped on the “let’s move back to florida” bandwagon. It was an emotionally made decision in the heat of the moment while we were visiting, pregnancy hormones never help in decision making either might i add. Our lease being up on my birthday, April 28th, was the day we were planning on leaving the mountains behind us to move back to our beloved beaches. Unfortunately, and yet at the same time fortunately, that is not in the cards for us at this given moment. In the moment we understood moving back as the best possible option for our growing family. Being near our parents is desirable while having a little one, for the sake of having help raise a child, and for the sake of having the child bond with it’s grandparents. We’ve been planning and saving and struggling since january with the promise of moving back the first week of may. Long story short, we have concluded to staying in tennessee for at least another year lease. Life’s funny sometimes, and everything just falls together the way it is supposed too. I truly believe in fate. I truly believe in the idea that everything happens for a reason, and everything happens the way it was meant too all along. Matt and i have since gotten a larger nicer home for a fair price in a better part of town. At this point in our lives, our number one priority is our daughter Magdalena, as it should be, and we can’t wait for her to be here.

This leads me into something personal that i feel i need to explain. I, as an individual person, have known my own feelings towards women since i was about 14 years old. I came out as bi-sexual in highschool to close friends, and slowly but surely all acquaintances as well. I never felt comfortable coming out to my family. After marrying Matt, when i felt i was in a good place mentally, I low-key came out as bi-sexual publicly. Family included. I posted about the pride in my own sexuality on social media and kinda slipped it out there to everyone like it was nothing. Honestly, nothing came about it. Nobody really said anything, nobody was surprised, and i didn’t have to ‘talk’ about it with anyone. Now what some people don’t understand, is yes, even though i am now married to a man, my feelings towards women have not gone away. Sexuality doesn’t just permanently change when a diamond is placed on your ring finger. Something some people don’t understand is that as a bisexual girl, even if you’ve loved 100 men, your love for just 1 woman is important and valid. Whatever your relationship with men is and has been does not devalue or invalidate your feelings towards any woman.

Now i am about to explain something that might be difficult for some people to wrap their minds around, and that is fine. I’ve been nervous about explaining this situation to multiple people for multiple reasons. I have chosen to share what i am about to share in a blog post because i feel like i can be 100 percent myself in writing. I won't let emotions take control, and it gives me proper time to type, edit, re-read, and type again all the points i feel i need to make without interruptions, judgmental looks, or questions.

With all that being explained a little deeply and out there, i will bluntly quickly state that myself and my husband Matthew have a girlfriend. Her name is Chelsea. She is treated as an equal to our marriage and relationship. She lives with us, and we identify our relationship as polyfidelity. So yes, we are in a sense, all polyamorous, but we are not running off with other men or women, we are all committed to to people only within the triad, and we are more into the ‘throuple’ relationship for the sense of a true loving, meaningful relationship. This is not a based on something purely sexual and fun, which some people assume we’re doing. We all have our days, we all have our moments, but the three of us are in this together and share a very strong bond. I will willingly answer any and all reasonable non-judgemental questions you may have, although i can honestly say i am not looking forward to it. Mainly, i am nervous of the unknown reactions and those who are unaccepting to the idea and situation at hand. But for starters, since it’s easier for me over writing, i will try to give a brief explanation of our situation and then answer any questions about polyamory and our personal specific relationship i think will be brought up in a paragraph or so...sorry it’ll probably turn into a short novel. Feel free to skip it and skim through it if you’re already very accepting and welcoming to the idea of our shared partner.

People often assume that a polyamorous person is taking advantage of their partner or partners, using it as an “excuse” to sleep around or avoid commitment. Thanks to binary gender stereotypes, women and people who don’t currently have more than one partner tend to hear, “Why are you letting your partner do that? You’re being exploited!” Men and people who do currently have multiple partners more often hear “Aren’t you taking advantage of your partners? Why can’t you commit to anyone?” It would be nice if people would take “Nope, we’re all happy, thanks!” for an answer, but often, they need more convincing than that. Matthew is not taking advantage of me. This is not a situation i was forced into. This is something him and myself both wanted equally, as well as our third, Chelsea.

What about the child we are expecting? While there aren’t a lot of studies yet, there are a few with some evidence that a polyamorous family can be just as healthy for kids as a monogamous one. To those concerned about our child being exposed to a “sexually deviant” lifestyle, responsible polyamorous parents don’t expose their kids to the sexy side of their relationships any more than responsible monogamous parents do. All our daughter will see and be raised around is that there are lots of adults around who love and care for her and each other. Magdalena is my main priority. Magdalena is Matt’s main priority, and believe it or not, Magdalena is Chelsea’s main priority and having her help and support is a blessing. Between Chelsea and Matt both having better and higher paying jobs than myself, i am able to work less to keep myself healthy and stress free during my pregnancy. I am able to be home and raise my child more once she has been brought into this world. She will be raised beautifully, into a judgement free world. She is our future.

Another question brought up is, “why isn't one person enough?” By that logic you should only have to have one friend. I have multiple friends. I have friends i’m just cool with on social media, and then i have friends i would pick up from jail if they were in trouble. It’s not that one person isn't enough, it’s that lots of people are exciting and can bring something different to the table. Three people isn't necessarily better than two, it’s just something that works for us. It fits our lifestyles, and fits our needs. The reality of this situation we are in as a triad is this is something we all sort of just fell into. Matt and i have been openly into sharing other women since we first got together, and we knew the potential of this situation could arise one day, however, we didn’t go out seeking this specifically or try and force this to work. Honestly because the relationship was so free and relaxed, it happening so easily was just what it was. We didn’t question it. Why question a good thing? Matt and i added women to our relationship as a casual thing, and meeting Chelsea changed everything as we just kind of watched her fall into place in our lives.

“What’s the difference between polyamory and cheating?” Cheating is a violation of the relationship. Polyamory is all about consensual discussion. Open communication is key to having a successful relationship with multiple partners. Polyamory is not about betrayal like cheating is. The best thing you could do to help polyamory work in any relationship is just communication. Love and compassion comes first, right alongside communication. All involving members in our triad openly talk about how we feel and what we are going through at any given moment.

“How do you deal with jealousy?” In all seriousness, jealousy is something we all deal with. We can be jealous of our co-workers, our neighbors for having a nicer house or car, people in our families for having more success or a better childhood. For some reason though, even after understanding how normal jealousy is, we all as humans consider sexual jealousy as this huge insurmountable problem, and it’s not.

You’re probably already aware that many people hear polyamory and think, “orgies! sex!” We have to tell people over and over, “It’s not all about the sex.” In fact, it’s not about the sex at all. Just like the marriage between Matt and myself hasn’t been JUST about the sex. For anyone who is thrown off at the idea, i want to say, “How about, instead of imagining us all having sex together, you imagine us all talking about who’s doing which household chores this week? Because believe me, that happens a lot.” Our relationship is a loving, open, communicative relationship involving more than two people. We don’t really care what others will say. All parties involved are extremely happy.

“Is this life change and practice due to your religion?” “does this mean you’re practicing a new religion?” You are thinking of polygamy. Polyamory and polygamy are two separate things. Polygamy for the most part is more of a legal term and more linked to religion. Polygamy is more about the man having subservient women. With polyamory, everyone has a voice. Its separated from religious ideals, and its not based on gender roles or ownership.

“Is non-monogamy normal?” I think this is where we all have to ask ourselves, is monogamy normal? It’s kind of just whatever works for you, for your relationships and partner(s), and for your family life choices. We can choose to be monogamous just like we can choose to be vegetarian. It’s okay to be non-monogamous as long as you choose to do it in an ethical way that doesn't betray anyone while still respecting yourself.

We are a slightly abnormal, but still healthy happy family. We all have different assets brought to the table, and yet we all still have Magdalena as a top priority. Having Chelsea around allows me to not work as much, as stated earlier. With both Matt and Chelsea working i am able to put all my focus, love, and nurturing into Magdalena, instead of stressing about finding baby sitters and working 40 hours a week to put food on the table. If you really wrap your brain around the concept of our relationship, a child having three parents is kind of the norm these days. The difference is, most children that have more than two parents are the product of divorce. They have separated parents with new parent figures in their lives coming at them from two different angles. All that matters is that we are raising Magdalena in a house that promotes love, and the idea that love is love no matter the gender. We look after eachother, and we take care of each other.

Conclusively about this relationship, i don't want anyone to think, “wow, Matt is the luckiest guy in the world.” Chelsea and i are not his servants. He does not own us. We were not forced into this against our will. This isn't some blessing for only Matt. This is a blessing for all of us. All three of us. We are ALL the luckiest people in the world. Or at least that’s what it feels like to be in the situation we are all apart of.

The THREE of us are very excited for what changes are about to come into our lives. This summer, as stated, we will be visiting florida to have a baby shower, see family and friends, and have everyone meet Chelsea. We plan on coming down in June. We’ll be traveling back home to Tennessee in time for me to be a walking watermelon ready to pop any minute. We are very thankful for your continued support. Magdalena is a very lucky little girl already to have such a supportive and strong group of friends and family members.

14 notes · View notes

zodiacc-rp · 8 years ago

Conversation

The signs as people i’ve know

aries: passionate verging on obsessive. defensive of both themselves and the people they love. few layers; what you see is more or less what you get. good-hearted, intelligent. always up for a challenge, but becomes stressed out very easily and handles stress very poorly. even when they’re tired, they somehow seem so alert and two steps ahead of you. responsible. they prefer to lead and lead very well. interesting, competitive, loyal. although they like to be correct and love to prove people wrong, more than anything they just want someone to listen and expand on their point, not disagree with it. romantic but they like to pretend that they aren’t. they seek instant gratification and hate doing things that they’re not naturally great at (but they’re naturally great at a lot). can be very self-absorbed, but it’s not conscious. so loving and so lovely. the yang to my yin, the storm to my calm. a friend who completes me.

taurus: extremely nice, and they never want to hurt anybody’s feelings, so they tend to skirt around the truth or omit their opinion. truly, genuinely kind, the sort of person you hope will always stay in your life, the sort of person you feel like you really need. dependable, hardworking, stable. they have been through a lot, but looking at them, you wouldn’t know it. will ultimately put themselves before you (which is a good thing), but is always there for you when they can be. very realistic; they know what they can achieve and expect themselves to do so. private to a fault, and doesn’t usually express their feelings. there is something about their soul that makes me smile whenever i think of them. one of the people i love most in this world. my equal, the friend who i hope knows how much i love them.

gemini: endlessly charming, supportive, and brave. always wants to make everyone happy, often at the expense of their own desires, so they’ll do things they don’t want to do but be kind of grouchy about it, leading others to believe that they are picky and that they change their mind too much. frequently changes the details of a story to either make it more interesting or get out of trouble. wants more than anything to see and experience the good in the world but is very often a victim of the bad. overly-trusting. they can make any experience memorable, and they are the most fun you’ll ever have. quite self-critical but they also know that they have a certain power over people. forgetful, tolerant, warm. often feels quite overwhelmed and may not handle this feeling wisely. crazy but kind. the one whom words fail to describe. the biggest piece of my heart, my mother.

cancer: both friendly and intimidating. difficult to read. patient and cooperative but more often than not, they think their idea/opinion is better than yours. very, very smart. super dependable, so sensitive, hold grudges like it’s their life’s calling. courageous. behave very differently around authority figures, likes being seen as innocent and cute. they will keep your secrets but they will kind of hold them over you, and they tend to taunt others by saying, “i know [x] about [y] and you don’t.” very funny, dark, and sarcastic once you get to know them, but initially sweet and sugary. survivalists; they protect themselves first and their loved ones second and don’t really care about everyone else. friendly. once they’re in a relationship, they become rather absorbed by it and neglect the other parts of their life. dramatic, obsessive. rather strong-willed. when they’re having an off day, get out of their way. they will never forget anything you tell them. they see life as an inside joke. my figurative fraternal twin. the friend who is just like me but whom i’ll never understand.

leo: impressively loving, astonishingly generous, the whole universe in one person. soft and loud, wild and cautious. they are full of power, grace, and energy, and they awaken within you the sense that you are good and that you can do whatever you want to do. even when they’re quiet, their presence is felt. very self-critical, constantly questioning their worth. always in need of validation, which is why they like to be the center of attention; in order to know that they’re a star, they require a standing ovation. they want to love themselves, they need to love themselves. such a romantic, wants to be wooed and adored, and they’ll gladly return the favor. soothing. they are so easy to trust, but they are more careful with their own secrets than they seem. they love with every bone in their body. they want, more than anything, a best friend. loyal, inventive, go-getters. great listeners. can somehow empathize with every situation, but are mildly obsessed with themselves. love winning. my idol, the part of myself i hope i grow into, my aunt.

virgo: hilarious, dependable, treats you like their kid. trustworthy, sympathetic. they are fascinating and unique, but they are too attached to their own magic. more obsessive than they like to think they are. they take criticism very well, perhaps because they dish it out even better. level-headed but aspirational. they prefer to be the less loving one in all of their relationships. feels guilty for feeling sad or emotional. curious and interested. can talk for hours if you let them. kind and smart, wants to be special and different from everyone else. treats the people closest to them the worst. believes in tough love. loves to joke and be sarcastic but usually takes it a few steps too far. perfectionistic, which leads them to put little effort into things that they feel they can’t do flawlessly. the one i protect who thinks they’re protecting me. the friend whom i loved right away.

libra: angelic, enchanting, sweet. picky. they are so afraid of offending someone that they have to know someone really likes them before they’ll be honest with them. so many layers. funny and diligent. treats everyone like their best friend, but when you are their best friend, there is just something so slightly different about how they treat you, something that makes you feel amazing. good at everything. completely unable to make decisions. gossipers. they want to like everyone, but they just don’t. absolutely hates saying no, but will do it if it’s 100% necessary. sleepy and goofy around people they love. works hard to look good, trendy. smart, fair. nervous around authority figures. fearful of loss and of growing up. secret control freaks. they are at once youthful and wise. crazy patient on the outside, just crazy on the inside. always somewhere on my mind, the one who i was always meant to know. my very best friend, my soul’s sister.

scorpio: the best listener. truly wants to know everything about you. extremely devoted, passionate. knows you very, very well. so funny, so kind. will stick with you through thick and thin, always on your side. gives great advice. the person across the room who you can’t stop staring at. secretive, fearful, romantic. both observant and judgmental. will hate you for judging them while they judge you. their heart is bigger than anyone else’s, and all they really want is to fill it to its brim with love. very often the sidekick, but they stand out to me. they are quite obsessive and they rarely wait for explanations. they want to own the people they love. intuitive. loves you soooo much. impossible to know fully. deep, powerful. the ocean flows inside them, yet all too often that ocean is stormy. the person many people think i am, the person i sometimes i wish i was. my confidante, my partner in crime, my heart, my friend.

sagittarius: the most supportive and dependable person on the planet. an amazing friend, the best person to have in your corner. honest and disorganized, friendly and capable. very quick to anger and has a hard time admitting they’re wrong. devotes themselves wholly and completely to their partner and puts them on a pedestal, but once they’ve moved on, they’ve really moved on. tends to succeed, lucky. has a hard time seeing the truth of a situation and often must be told what’s really going on. charismatic and caring, overly generous. can spread themselves thin. guided chiefly by morals which they never abandon. has a strong sense of right and wrong (specifically, they’re right, you’re wrong). my backbone, my other mother.

capricorn: pensive and stoic. has a brain that never stops going. they wake up every morning in the climax of a novel they’ve written in their sleep. loyal, just, intimidating. cold and private. mean to people who are mean to them. shuts down entirely for seemingly no reason. the wisest of all. mature. silently romantic. victim of their thoughts. intense, original. they want someone to fall really deeply in love with them, but they close themselves off to everyone. admires the beauty of the world, moved by small details that many people miss. always thinking of the future, no matter how good the present is. judgmental. wants to be better than everyone else. exceptionally smart. often falling apart on the inside. can think themselves into sickness, into joy, into anything. loves to be alone, hates more than anything to be lonely. soft on the inside. the best leaders but they don’t like to lead. kind-hearted and always doubting it. immensely fatalistic. the dreamy head behind my eyes. myself.

aquarius: very patient. analytical, detached. they have favorite people and things and they will be honest about who and what these favorites are. they love you, they just can’t tell you. wants to be cared for without caring in return. easy to talk to, somehow always makes you feel safe. impressive intellect. generous with the people they love. genuinely good, inspiring. easily overwhelmed. resorts to humor when offended. doesn’t try very hard to act like they like someone they hate. wants to be special. artificially nice to authority figures. can be surprisingly mean without intending to. very good liars. super funny. compliments mean a lot coming from them. the person i forget i am, the friend i should talk to more.

pisces: kind-hearted, funny. to really know them, you kind of have to know them forever. so easy to love. hates to think about the difficulties of the world and prefers to just have fun. very much in the present and tries not to think about the future. as such, they sometimes behave without thinking and wind up messing things up for themselves. they tend to be kind of lazy in regards to some things and extremely passionate in regards to others; there isn’t a lot of balance. can be very mean and very angry. won’t apologize first when you’ve made them mad. must express themselves in some way. no matter how much they say that they love you, they always love you more than that. quite sensitive, hates few things more than being called annoying. super generous, always wants to be there for you but hates not being able to make you happier. truly the sweetest. my favorite person, my brother.

#⏤ ☽ aries #⏤ ☽ taurus #⏤ ☽ gemini #⏤ ☽ cancer #⏤ ☽ leo #⏤ ☽ virgo #⏤ ☽ libra #⏤ ☽ scorpio #⏤ ☽ sagittarius #⏤ ☽ capricorn #⏤ ☽ aquarius #⏤ ☽ pisces

42 notes · View notes

squaredancing-weston · 8 years ago

Text

para || Westrose: Spaghetti-O’s, 12/10/2016

Tagging: @wmhs-marleyrose and @squaredancing-weston

Time: Saturday evening, 10 December 2016

Setting: Treble Titans Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser, Lima, OH

Summary: Brody invites Marley to join him for Spaghetti, Marley records Hairspray! Live for them to watch afterwards

Part 4 (End)

“You know, some of it looked really cool, like the extreme sports and stuff,” Brody couldn’t help but continue. “Like climbing a ladder on a helicopter or the jet ski jump. But yeah-- I would not want to do that second challenge stuff.” He shuddered, grinning that Marley remembered it. “Glad I’m not that old, then.” The older teacher flashed a smile at her reply, and then shook his head in amusement at her addition. “Nice,” he laughed.

The women all tittered happily at Marley’s enthusiasm, although Brody could see that they weren’t especially sold on the idea of them not coming together as a date. Not surprising-- Brody tended to be encouraged to date anyone he brought to these things unless they were married or otherwise attached. Even men, funnily enough. It was one reason he liked the Hens-- they knew about his lifestyle, and would encourage him with anyone that they thought was cute. They seemed to think besides his inability to settle down, he was just a good teacher that was good for his kids, and that was really all Brody wanted from any parent.

Brody bit back a laugh at Marley’s reaction. It wasn’t fair, after all, to be amused that she’d been taken so off guard by the offer-- he probably should have warned her. But...well, it was cute, the way she sputtered, trying to remain polite. “Really, it’s no problem,” the older woman insisted. “I mean, we all know how hard it can be to find that special someone. In fact…” she reached into her purse and Brody couldn’t believe she was actually pulling out a business card-- how long has she been holding on to that? “Here. If you change your mind, that’s Scott’s cell right there-- I’ll let him know you have it. He’s such a nice man.” The other women nodded in agreement, and Brody spared a sympathetic glance at Marley. Whoops.

Cheryl’s face brightened at Marley’s recommendation, and Brody and the other women paused to listen. “Oh really! Why that’s wonderful. You see Diane, I told you, it’s not the curriculum, it’s the students.” To which the other woman huffed. “Well, maybe. But I still think it’s a lot to ask of students these days to be able to do so much. Crystal is devoting so much time to the Trebles, it’s just ridiculous that she has no time for anything else except schoolwork, and even then, she can barely pull a B in some of her classes.” Brody didn’t mention he himself had had the sophomore for Algebra, and it had been like pulling teeth trying to get any work from her. He imagined the only reason she’d passed with a B is because he’d been constantly hounding her, and not a lot of teachers had the same patience for their students’ success. Instead, he offered up, “Well, you know, Marley’s actually taking some effort to incorporate some new stuff into the curriculum. She had the kids reading The Hunger Games awhile back, didn’t you Marls?”

“I mean I guess that stuff is okay, I am just not that fond of bugs, thats all.” She shuddered at the thought of them crawling all over her, and made a face. She didn’t like thinking about that at all. He was such a bad influence. “Oh, but you kind of are.” She teased, giggling. “Yeah.”

Still, the idea of being set up by these women was not something Marley considered. Not that she didn’t like their idea of men, she didn’t know him, but it seemed so.. Forward? Personal? She didn’t expect it at all. “It’s fine, really..” But soon enough, she had a card shoved in her hand, and she looked up at the woman, and nodded her head slowly. “Um.. Thank you?” She asked slowly, glancing over at Brody, and back at them.

They began talking amongst themselves, and Marley was kind of confused, since her answer was so vague, still she followed along as much as she could. “I mean you have to decide on what is more important to you, I mean personally I think classes are more important, but Crystal is very talented.” Marley offered up, even though she barely remembered the girl. Smiling at Brody, Marley nodded. “My younger students really enjoy the course load with Hunger Games. I tried incorporating some activities, since it has to do with what they are into now, but we can’t skim on the classics, they’re reading Pride and Prejudice right now.”

“I’d rather be in bugs than eating some of that stuff,” Brody added; not that the idea of bugs all over sounded any good either. “Although maybe we should call the conversation there before one of us gags.” He scoffed, “Kind of.”

Brody sat back and watched the scene unfold. He wasn’t really happy with the idea of Marley taking the card, but it wasn’t his place to say anything-- God knew what the Hens would think if argued against Marley dating. Although it wasn’t like he had a problem with her dating-- he just thought she could do better than Scott, that’s all. But she took the card, so Brody bit his lip, his face composed as he quirked a shoulder up when her eyes met his.

The older man, smirked, leaning over to clarify, “Some of the girls have been having issues with academic eligibility in the last year,” he whispered quickly. “Did you have Crystal Martinez? She’s a sophomore now.” He figured if she recognized the name she’d be able to catch the gist of the conversation. Sure enough, Marley managed to speak up in encouragement about the girl, although Brody wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth or just being kind to her mother. Either way, it might not have been an unwise move, depending on how long Marley wanted to hang around and debate academic standards. “Well, of course no one’s saying school’s not important,” came the rationalization, “But with all of the extra requirements for passing each grade and testing and then some, I don’t know how any college expects her to have any time to do anything else. And these schools are so competitive, if Ms. Berry keeps holding my poor girl back, she’ll be stuck going to some state school and her talent will be wasted.” Some of the other women looked over with interest at Marley’s explanation, and Brody grinned, “Yeah, I mean, I suggested having a class-wide reenactment, but you didn’t seem to think that would be the best idea. I’m still kind of hurt over that.” Michelle added, “Oh, Pride and Prejudice-- I love that story. It’s so romantic. It’s so good our kids are getting some decent books in. I remember back in my day, reading things like Of Mice and Men and Animal Farm. Awful things. This seems much better for them. More relatable.” Brody himself scoffed quietly-- he hardly saw how those books in particular had become anything less that relevant in today’s climate, but maybe teens couldn’t extrapolate anymore. Besides, he taught math, so it wasn’t like he had much insight into English requirements.

“I don’t know.. I mean maybe? Since they are full of protein or whatever.. Still gross.” Marley nodded her head. “Sounds like a plan. I appreciate that one.” Because the last thing she needed to think of was her spaghetti is worms or something.

Marley knew better than to take the card. That is why she just held it in her hand, thinking. “I really can’t though.” Marley said finally, handing her back the card. “I am sure your nephew is wonderful, and I appreciate it, but I…” What? She isn’t seeing anyone. She really has no excuse in that area. “It isn’t professional. Thank you though.”

“I figured that much.” She whispered back, and nodded her head. She had Crystal in her class, but still, she probably should have bit her tongue. “Well, most universities do hold their students to high standards. They have to be the best, if they want to achieve the best.” Marley commented. “I think Ms. Berry is doing the best she can, considering all that is on her plate, and there is nothing wrong with State schools. They are getting to be just as competitive as other schools.” She should have kept quiet. Grinning over at Brody, Marley rolled her eyes. “He wanted to use real weapons and everything.” She teased, and grinned over at Michelle. “It is a fantastic book, and I try to include most of them in my curriculum, however Of Mice and Men, and Animal Farm are more for the upper years, Freshmen have more fun.”

Brody watched as Marley fingered the card in her hand, before handing it back to the Hen. He kept his features carefully schooled, but he had to admit he was proud of Marley for not giving in to his girls-- for his own part, he usually took the cards just to placate them, although he rarely called any of the numbers. The older woman, for her part, seemed a tad disappointed, but nodded her head in acceptance, tucking the phone number back in her bag. “Well, just let me know if you change your mind.”

Brody nodded along as Marley commented on academic demands. Personally he could understand some of the Hens’ arguments-- while state schools could be fine, if you wanted to perform it was unlikely that you wanted to remain in Ohio. And the arts were a very competitive field-- he knew himself from past experience. Getting into Sonoma State had been like falling out of bed compared to the rigors of getting a place in Tisch. But it was also worth noting that some of these girls just weren’t as brilliant as their parents seemed to believe, and so Marley wasn’t necessarily wrong either. “I suppose,” Cheryl conceded, “Although I admit I was much happier with the last director.” “You mean the one who was removed for having marijuana on campus,” Michelle scoffed, and they were off tittering again, to which Brody had to cough to stifle a laugh. “Excuse me-- I never said real weapons. I said weapons-- like nerf guns or foam swords or something. And bloody aesthetics, and prosthetic limbs,” he added with a smirk. Brody glanced over curiously. “They don’t read of Mice and Men for Freshman English anymore?” he asked curiously. Or more suprised, he supposed, because he wondered what the upper classes had dropped in order to push those two books up into the higher levels. But he hadn’t been in a high school English class in quite a while, he admitted, so he was still surprised that contemporary literature was incorporated into the classes, to be fair. In his mind, Freshman year had been the least fun of the classes, filled with vocabulary and grammar and the like. It was definitely not high on his list of things he would love to do again, despite how he spoke of enjoying the books.

The auction was wrapping up, and Brody leaned over in his chair. “Hey, it’s just going to be idle chatter for the rest of the night,” he told her. “You want to get out of here? I mean unless you want to bid on something.” He glanced over at the tables where items were stacked up and quirked his lips up at the girl next to him.

Marley almost felt bad for giving back the card. The woman seemed pretty excited over the idea of her dating her nephew, but Marley didn’t think it was professional at all, so it was best to give it back, and not make her think they may be related one day. “I will. Thank you for thinking of me though.”

Marley knew they were defending their children, and since she wasn’t a parent, she didn’t understand that aspect of it. She didn’t attend a state school, she went to a private college, but Marley worked her ass off to get there. While she knew arts could get one into a good college, she also knew that without the grades backing the talent, there was no chance. The last one was a hot mess. “I mean if anything, Ms. Berry will make your children better at what they do. Isn’t that the purpose?” She asked, shrugging her shoulders. “Still, I don’t need to lose my job, Brody!” She grinned over at him. “No, Figgins thinks it’s too ‘violent’ for Freshmen. He wanted to take it off the reading list, but I talked him into Juniors.” She shrugged. She thought it was stupid, but what could she do?

Marley ran her hand through her hair, and peered over at Brody. “Yeah, we can head out.” She said quietly, looking over at the items. Nothing she’d want to own. “Ready?”

Brody nodded, proud of Marley for her mediating abilities, as well as arguably defending her coworker. “That’s a good point, Cheryl. I mean, you can hardly argue that Rachel doesn’t devote all of the time she’s got to these kids.” The woman was hardly pleased, but she conceded grudgingly to the point, and they moved on. “Eh, the principal likes you-- he’s not going to fire you,” he argued with a laugh. “I’m sure I’ve done far worse and look how I’m still hanging around. Kids need visual aids-- it helps stick associations in their heads.” Brody quirked an eyebrow: the admin thought killing a mouse and a woman was more violent than a bloody killing spree young adult novel? Man he was glad he didn’t have to navigate those waters. “Well, so long as they don’t miss out on the brilliance that is Steinbeck and California writing,” he replied with a smirk.

Brody nodded, and straightened up, “Well, ladies,” he announced, stacking the dishes in front of him. “It was lovely to see you, but I do need to get Ms Rose here home before she turns into a pumpkin, and I have my own obligations as well. I’m looking forward to seeing all of you next week for the Winter Spectacular.” He stood up, and held out his hand to Marley, carefully navigating her away from her chair as she was quickly surrounded by the Hens all eager to say goodbye and how happy they were to have met her, and she should definitely come by again soon.

#ttl #Marley Rose #para #Spaghetti-Os #p. Marley #fundraiser #Spaghetti Feed #Treble Titans #Westrose

1 note · View note

butyouholdon-blog · 6 years ago

Text

I’ve Been Feeling Everything (SL with @FadingFromSight and @APerfectSong_)

Wes: -The past couple of weeks had been kind of a whirlwind. I wasn’t surprised that Lindsay had been insistent that she would only work with me in the studio. It had been a contingency of her signing on with this studio when I’d first been hired and she’d first been signed. I had a bit of a reputation around the studio for being a hard ass in the booth, even though I was very different with her than I had ever been with anyone else, and I always had been.

Everything that I did in the studio was designed to get the best possible performance out of the artists that were under my supervision, which meant that I pushed some people past their comfort zone. It was where the real art lay in most of them. Some people couldn’t handle that. Some people needed it. Those were the musicians that I worked well with.

I had no idea how Aaron Bennett worked, but the two of us were about to find out. I was in the recording booth beside his assistant, Ophelia, while he was preparing to record a cover of Kiss Me. I was just waiting on him to give me the signal that he was ready while I was making last minute adjustments on the levels of everything in the studio. I knew today was a test to see if the two of us were going to be able to work together before he recorded anything with Lindsay.

I leaned in to the microphone, pressing the button to pipe me into the studio where Aaron could hear me.-

Just say the word when you’re ready, Aaron.

-Releasing the button, I turned to the young woman next to me, trying to be friendly, though the two of us had really just met.-

So, how long have you and Aaron been working together?

Ophelia: *There wasn’t much I could say to the man in the studio with me and Aaron. I wasn’t entirely sure how to tell him the full story. I started working for Aaron because I was around him all the time. It was the nature of our relationship. It wasn’t even that we were married. Because that was not a step I was ready to take with him. I liked where we were. It was comfortable. It was just that I knew how to read him better than anyone else.

But realistically, I knew what the answer had to be. And there was no reason to not lie about this part of our relationship. He was my boss. And it wasn’t the biggest deal in the world. We made everything work for us. Clearing my throat, I looked up from the phone that had my attention. There was a million and one things going on, and Aaron still didn’t know if he was going to get his wish of doing a duet with Lindsay.* A couple of years, Mr. Francis. Mr. Bennett has particular tastes in the people he keeps close to him. And it seems he has grown rather fond of me. Or maybe it’s because I keep him on schedule. Most producers don’t know how to keep him focused. And right now, he’s not. He’s itching to record a duet.

*It wasn’t that I was bitter about the duet. Singing was not my forte. But I knew that Aaron wanted an answer about working with Lindsay Evans. And the record company had told us that there was some kind of hold up with her. They’d have their answer about her recording with him after he started work on his new album. But it was still something I continued to check on for him. He wasn’t often someone who asked to record with another artist, but when he had found out Lindsay Evans was part of this label, he was excited to sign. It meant working with someone that I had hoped wanted to work with him.

Sending out another message to the label executives, I tried to gather more information about why there was a hold up with Lindsay Evans. I just knew that the diva act was something that was bothering me. She didn’t have to do this to him. She didn’t have to force him to lay a track before she decided if she wanted to work with him. It was almost unfair of her to demand that. But all I could do was curse down at my phone as the executives told me to not reach out to her. She’d come to her decision on her own terms.* I hate divas. I hate girls who think they’re better than everyone else. I just need an answer! Sir deserves an answer.

Wes: -I couldn’t help but to listen in to the things that Ophelia was saying, and there was only one thing I could imagine that she was talking about. I’d been watching Aaron through the glass as he prepared for recording. I could tell that he was on edge. From what she was saying, I figured it was about his desire to record a duet with Lindsay. I knew she’d put out there that he was required to lay down at least one track with me to make sure that he could record with me, because she wasn’t going to record with anyone else.

I wasn’t sure how much I should say to her, but she was clearly upset about the situation. I didn’t want either of them walking into things thinking that Lindsay was a diva, because she was far from it. She simply knew her limitations, and working with another producer wasn’t something that was going to happen.-

I know he wants to record with Lindsay Evans. I’ve worked with her since she was a teenager. I’m not exactly the easiest person to record with, but she can’t work with anyone else. I’m not certain how much anyone here has told you. She and I sort of come as a package deal.

Ophelia: *And suddenly I was mortified. I had never taken into consideration that it wasn’t her being a diva. It was something Aaron had dealt with before. So I was protective of him when it came to female artists. I wanted him to get what he wanted, but I didn’t want him to get hurt in the process.

Looking at my hands, I felt the soft apology slip from my lips. I wanted to be open with him. I wanted him to know exactly what had happened and what we had been through.* Aaron has had many female artists make the same demand that Miss Evans did. And they tend to back out once he has a track done. For one reason or another.

He’s been looking forward to recording with Miss Evans. He loves her sound. And signing with this label is exactly what he wanted. Because it gave him the chance to work with her. But no one has told us anything. No one wants to explain her motives. They just expect Aaron to roll over for everyone.

Wes: -I felt bad that I’d made her want to apologize to me. That wasn’t my point. I’d just wanted her to understand what was going on with Lindsay before she jumped to any conclusions. I knew how tight lipped the executives here could be. They thought it made them seem more authoritative, and I knew that it just made the artists who were waiting for an explanation that much more nervous.

I was flattered that he liked her work. It was, by extension, my work, even though what immediately came through was Lindsay and her incredible voice. The arrangement and the details were my stamp on all of it. I’m the end, each album had been a collaboration between the two of us.

There was more to what she was saying though. She was far more protective of him than I would have expected an assistant to be, even a long term one. She had also called him Sir which gave me a little more insight into how things between them worked and how I could best work with him. I just wasn’t sure if I should bring it up to Ophelia or not-

You have nothing to apologize for. I know how cryptic communication can be in a studio sometimes. She’s actually excited to work with him. She’s been talking about it for weeks at home and in the studio.

-I was interrupted by Aaron piping in from the studio, and put my focus on the sound that was coming in through the headphones perched on my ears-

Aaron: -I had no idea what to expect from Wesley in the studio, but my recording with Lindsay Evans was contingent on this. Why this producer? I didn’t know. No one had told me anything. I was itchy to get started with the track I really wanted to do, and this just seemed like an obstacle in the way of what my goal really was.

This was something I just had to get through to get there, and the sooner the better. I knew I was driving Ophelia crazy with my questions and irritation. I had no idea how she was tolerating me these days, but we’d been through worse together. I could be temperamental when things weren’t going my way, and as much as I might try to suppress it, it came out when I was off my guard.

I had signaled that I was ready to begin to the producer and he counted down to the beginning of the recording. I’d practiced this song before, and I could play and sing it without a second thought. If this was the show I had to put on to make this duet happen then so be it. I just knew that Ophelia was going to know I was half assing this.-

Ophelia: *As soon as Mr Francis said at home, I knew we had a lot more in common than I originally thought. He and Lindsay were an item. And this was how we were going to be able to give Aaron his current dream. And I was going to do everything in my power to make it happen. Even if that meant doing something that would upset Aaron.

I needed to test him. I needed Wesley Francis to be what everyone had warned me about. I needed him to push Aaron to his best performance.* He’s being lazy. His control over the guitar could be stronger. His chords are sloppy at best. He’s phoning it in just so he can work with her. Don’t let him get away with it. Don’t let him do the easy thing. If she’s just as excited as him, make him work for the opportunity. Call him on his flaws. Tell him you hold the keys to Lindsay Evans. It’ll piss him off, but he’ll work.

Wes: -I could hear what Ophelia was talking about before she ever opened her mouth, but having her permission to push him made me that much more determined to get the best work out of him possible. I simply nodded at her with a single sentence-

I hope your Sir realizes that I have the best interests of both of them at heart.

-I left it at that without waiting for her response. If getting the best performance out of him would come from pushing him for his best then I was going to push him until he gave up whatever attitude was holding him up from putting all his effort into this. I was a dom, and I knew what kind of challenge I would have taken seriously. I just hoped I was right on this judgement call.-

Is that the best you can do?

-I saw him freeze and the air of defensiveness wash over his face as Aaron moved to reply, but I cut him off before he could give into his instincts and rebel against what I was saying-

I’m serious. Be perfectly honest with yourself and tell me that that was the best you could do on that song and you weren’t just going through the motions, and then I’ll know you were lying to me. That was sloppy at best. All of it.

-I left it there. I figured he knew where he’d been slacking off. If I’d seen him putting in effort I would have been more constructive with my criticism. As it was, I just wanted to see what came of it when he was actually trying. I knew I’d put on my dom voice without even trying. I could feel that part of my personality wash over me. It was something that helped in the studio from time to time, but this time it was me turning the tables on another dom. I could only hope it didn’t backfire.-

Aaron: -I recognized the tone of voice coming across from the booth immediately. It was one I’d used plenty of times myself, but it hadn’t ever been used on me before. It got my hackles up. I wasn’t nearly ready to admit that I hadn’t put my all into that song for this producer. He didn’t know me or what my best was.

I narrowed my eyes and flared at the booth before glancing over at Ophelia. She was listening to all of this, and she knew more of the truth than Wesley Francis ever could. I toyed with the strings of my guitar for a moment before replying .-

I guess we’re doing another take then?

-It was the only thing I could come up with without going off like a bottle rocket at this guy I didn’t know from Adam's house cat. All I knew was that he was the one thing standing between me and the duet that I really wanted. -

Ophelia: *I didn’t hesitate as I slammed my hand down on the button to talk to Aaron. I wasn’t going to give him the full story. I was just going to tell him what I felt he needed to know. There was only so much that he could understand. My voice was a low growl, one I only used when I needed Aaron to put his best foot forward. This was exactly what he needed to hear.*

Stop being lazy. Stop giving attitude. Do you want to work with Lindsay? Lay the track. And lay the track right, Sir.

*I accentuated the word Sir. I was telling him that I wasn’t hiding our relationship from the producer next to me. I wasn’t pretending that we weren’t an item. And I was forcing Aaron to understand all of that.

I didn’t bother to say another word before I let my hand fall back to my side. I was already kind of exhausted with the way Aaron was being. But I knew the truth. I knew how serious he took his music. And I knew how much he wanted this.* He’s going to fight you, Sir. Give him another take to prove that he’s serious. Give the constructive criticism, but then slowly give him some kind of hope about recording with Lindsay. He has a track picked out. He’s trying to rework it into a duet. But he’s getting ahead of himself.

Wes: -I knew exactly what she was talking about. He was ready to have all this over so much that he was putting the cart before the horse. It hadn't escaped my notice that she’d also called me Sir. I wasn’t exactly hiding the fact that Lindsay and I were together or the nature of our relationship as much as I wasn’t advertising it either. Ophelia was good at picking up the clues I was leaving her though. -

I’m going to trust your judgment. I don’t care if I piss him off. If he’s mad that means he’s at least taking me seriously.

-I sat back in the chair and just watched him for a moment as he struggled to wrap his head around the fact that we were both calling him out on his bullshit before I spoke to him again-

We’re doing another take. First thing I need you to think about is that guitar. I know you can play it. So why don’t you show me?

Aaron: -I’d heard the growl in Ophie’s voice and the challenge in Wesley’s. It left me feeling stripped almost bare with both of them coming for me at once. At least with Ophie, I knew she was only challenging me to help me get what I wanted. Maybe this was going to be the best way to get it. She had to trust him if she’d called me Sir in front of him instead of Mr. Bennett or just plain Aaron.

I wasn’t going to be able to let go of the anger I had rolling through me that easily though. This whole situation had me feeling petulant as hell. It was like I had to audition for the part. I knew Lindsay Evans was good. But I didn’t like the idea of thinking all of this and I were somehow beneath her. It was going to poison my performance until I got it out of my system. I just didn’t know how to let go of it all.

Instead, I just grabbed the guitar and started playing the opening chords to the song. I was putting emotion into it this time, but it was the wrong one. This song didn’t call for the raw anger I was feeling at the moment but it was all I had to give. -

Ophelia: *He was feeling attacked. I could tell it in the way he was playing. He was angry and frustrated. And this was not the way it needed to be done. There was more to it than this. He needed to understand what was going on. And he needed to know that I still cared about him. And as much as I hated going into the booth, he needed me in there for a second. Just so he could get into the right frame of mind.

I saw Wes nod his head in my direction. It helped that he probably went through this with Lindsay. He understood that sometimes you just needed to be in the same space as the person you were connected to. It made everything that much more powerful.

But the raw anger wasn’t the right thing to be feeling. It was the wrong emotion for this song. Not for this one. I knew the original. I knew that this was nothing about anger. It was all about love. It was all about my relationship with Aaron. Even as just AJ and Ophie. It was us at our core. Without the titles and everything else. It was just us. The walk was slow as I tried to gather my composure. I needed him to understand why this was going to be okay.

As I opened the door to the booth, I slipped inside as he tried to lose some of the anger with each chord. My lips pressed against the back of his neck to try to get him to calm down. I wasn’t sure how much was too much, but I had to give Aaron something. I had to let him know what was going on. He needed to know what information I had. My voice was just a whisper against his skin. I was used to communicating with him in the studio. I knew what he would hear and what he wasn’t going to hear.* They’re just like us, Sir. He’s protecting her just like you’d protect me. Prove to him you’re serious about recording with her. Give him the best you have.

*I felt my voice waver as I thought about the next sentence out of my mouth. I knew it was a gamble. It was something I wasn’t entirely sure about, but I had to take this chance. I had to give him the okay to sing this without his Dom side getting in the way.* Sing this for me, AJ. Forget everything else going on around us. Sing this for me.

Aaron: -I noticed Ophelia moving from her seat in the booth towards the glass door that lead into the studio where I was trying to make this work. I hadn’t known what she was doing until she walked over to press a kiss to the back of my neck. All the tension that had been building since I’d first asked to do a duet with Lindsay Evans was melting out of me as soon as she called me AJ.

We had our moments. I was her dom from time to time. I was her boss part of the time. The rest of the time I was AJ. And she was right. This song called for a lot more love than I was giving it with how frustrated I’d become. I didn’t care if Wesley was rolling tape on this take already. I knew what kind of magic a producer could do with a recording, and instead of just keeping on going down the same track I’d been going on, I decided to start over.

I wasn’t sure what exactly Ophie meant by saying he was just like us, except that he had to be involved with Lindsay. Of course he would have been screening anyone who wanted to go work with her. It made sense now that I knew. I just wasn’t exactly sure how much more like us they would be. I only knew that she was comfortable calling me Sir in front of him so he had to understand something. It explained a lot of his reputation.

This time around, I pretended there was no one else in the world except me and Ophie in this little recording studio and I played this one just for her. -

Ophelia: *I knew what he needed. I knew that he was trying to just get through this. He wasn’t thinking about the record. He was thinking about getting his duet. But I knew that he needed to focus on the album as a whole. And having him lay this track was a reminder that he did need to focus on the album. He had time to figure out other songs. He didn’t have to have all the answers right this second. But he needed to take this seriously.

As he settled in to play, I took a seat on the floor. I didn’t want to disturb him, so I wasn’t going to walk out of the booth. And I knew the truth. He needed me here. He needed the constant reminder that this was the way he needed to sing it. He needed to be in the same space as the thing that was the most important thing in the world for him.*

Wes: -I just let whatever was going on in the studio happen while I rolled tape on this. I didn’t care how long it took him on this take. I could trim it down to capture the best parts of it. That was my job. When she walked over to him, planted a kiss on the back of his neck and whispered something that was just between the two of them, I could watch the tension drain out of him. He needed her. I knew the feeling. I needed Lindsay the same way, and I’d seen her get lost in her emotions just like that in the studio. It appeared all of us had more in common than we’d originally believed.

This performance was far different than the two that had just happened. There was just as much raw emotion in it as he’d had the second time around, but this one was more focused on the woman who sat on the floor in front of him simply watching him play. It was more gentle, more what the song was about. I listened to him sing and understood exactly how he was going to mesh with Lindsay’s voice. His was deep and sonorous where hers was more soft and sweet. The two of them were going to work well together as long as I could get them in the right headspace to work together. I knew I was going to need Ophelia’s help with that.

For now, I was just happy to catch the emotions between the two of them. Now that he’d gotten all that frustration out of his system.-

Aaron: -I remembered why I’d picked this song the moment Ophelia settled at my feet. It reminded me of her and it had since the moment I’d heard it. It couldn’t have been better than if I’d written it for her myself. I found her eyes while I was singing my favorite part of the song, just concentrating on putting the right emotions into all of it and forgetting all the technical aspects of everything-

I’ve been feeling everything. From hate to love, from love to lust, from lust to truth. I guess that’s how I know you…

-She was there through the entire gamut of emotions that I went through, no matter what happened. I wasn’t certain I deserved her, but I didn’t ever intend to let her go as long as I could.

I’d loved her since the first time I’d laid eyes on her, even if I hadn’t been able to tell her for awhile afterwards. She’d been my assistant longer than she’d been my girlfriend, but I’d been hers for my entire life.-

Ophelia: *As soon as AJ was done, I gave him a few minutes to come down. I knew how the emotions ran through him when he was singing for the album. And I knew that it was just a little bit more with this song. It was one that we both loved. And it was one of the ones that had brought us together. It meant so much to us. So I stayed in my position on the floor in front of him. I knew the microphones were going to pick up this conversation. But I also knew that Wes wasn’t going to ues it against us.

AJ needed to hear everything that I knew. He needed to know why I was going to side with Wesley on everything with this album. It was about me protecting AJ as much as it was going to be about Wesley protecting Lindsay.* You want to know why I encouraged him to push you the way that he did? It’s because he’s the reason we haven’t heard back about Lindsay. She can’t record with a different producer. She has to have him as her producer. And apparently it’s been that way since she was a teenager.

*I gave the man in front of me a smile as the lightbulb went off in his head. Producers were just another person to us. But it was true that there were certain producers that worked very well with their artists. And it seemed that Lindsay was very attached to Wes.* I don’t know what happened, but you know the tone you heard from Wesley. You know he’s a Dom. I don’t know if it’s his rules that she can’t record without him, or if it’s something more than that. I’m willing to bet it was something from before. But you need to prove that you can work with Wesley before you can go to Lindsay. Is that something you can do?

Aaron: -I was already kicking myself for being a stubborn ass as soon as I heard the words that Wesley Francis was the gatekeeper for Lindsay Evans. Of course she wasn’t going to take up the offer of a duet from just anyone who offered it to her. I had expected it to be a little difficult, but the fact that she had her producer looking out for her in more ways than one should have already occurred to me. It was the same way that Ophie and I worked to an extent. She screened things from me at times. It was part of her job as my assistant, but there was an element to it that wouldn’t have been there if the two of us hadn’t been involved with each other.

I couldn’t stop myself from strumming at the strings of the guitar while we spoke. It was a hard habit to break, and being in the studio made it even worse. It was just easier for me to think if my hands were doing something I didn’t really have to think about. I’d been petulant, and I had gotten the push from Wesley because of it. I’d deserved all of that, even if I hadn’t realized it in the moment.-

I can do it. If that’s what it takes. I don’t mind being pushed. To be honest, I needed it, especially now that I know it has a reason.

-I couldn’t help glancing over at the glass window that separated us. I knew he could hear every word we were saying. That didn’t mean I was holding anything back. I’d have said the same thing even if he’d been in the room with us. What I’d been so worked up over was not knowing where any of this was going.-

Wesley: -I could hear the two of them talking through the headphones I’d left on, though I’d stopped the recording as soon as he’d stopped playing. I might have felt a little guilty about being the reason that Aaron and Ophelia were kept in the dark if I hadn’t done it out of protection for my Rose. There was more to it than just the fact that she could only work with me. It did mean that Aaron was going to have to be able to work with me as well. But I was always going to make sure that Lindsay wasn’t getting herself into a situation that wasn’t going to work out for her benefit.

Aaron had a bit of a temper, but most artists did. It wasn’t anything that she and I couldn’t deal with, and it was slightly understandable considering the circumstances. But now that I understood about the relationship between Ophelia and Aaron, I knew that the two of them were going to be much easier to work with than I’d anticipated.

I didn’t care that Ophelia was telling Aaron her suppositions. She didn’t know all of the details, but she knew enough to share the important parts with him. I could fill them in on the rest when we were out of the studio if they wanted to know more. For now, I was content to make sure that he knew enough for the three of us to get things wrapped up in here more quickly.-

Ophelia: *Honestly, it was up to Wesley about if he wanted AJ to record another track. But I had a feeling the three of us were done for the day. We all had gotten what we wanted in a way. Lindsay was still up in the air, but I knew it was simply a matter of Wesley and her talking. If he thought AJ could record with him, then I was sure it was going to be a done deal. Both of them seemed to want it. But I knew how AJ could be once everything started to get to him. And I wasn’t going to let him get that way with her in the room.

Standing from my spot on the floor, I looked at the man who was still fidgeting in front of me. He was still just as terrified of Lindsay telling him no as he had been when he walked into the studio. But I knew it wasn’t going to be a no. Wesley had gotten the best out of AJ. There was no doubt in my mind that we had found our producer for the album.* You have a temper when you record. And you pout when you don’t get your way from the word go. You can’t do that when she’s in here with you. You cannot explode if something isn’t going right. We’ll talk to Wesley to figure out the best moves if you both get stuck. But you cannot do what you normally do. Do you understand me?

Aaron: -I could only laugh when Ophelia started to warn me about being stubborn and contentious when I was working in the studio with Lindsay. I was going to have to be on my best behavior. I figured I could manage that much. As far as working with Wesley went, I could manage that as well. If he could manage me without losing his cool as he had, then he and I were definitely going to be able to work together.-

Then we’ll figure it out, Love. I promise to behave myself around Lindsay, and if I start losing my cool, you’ll be the first to know. I want this enough to know not to screw it up.

-I walked over, letting the guitar fall to my side as I stole a kiss from Ophelia’s lips and glanced towards the glass and Wesley-

So, is that a wrap? Or do I need to do it once more from the top?

Wesley: -I’d heard enough in the last take to know it was probably the best I was going to get out of him. After Ophelia had walked into the room, he’d changed entirely, and the song had shown that change. Having her in the room had given him the exact right motivation to get it done as it was meant to have been done without any further prompting from me. It was pure, and I wouldn’t have been able to reproduce those emotions if we’d done it a million times. It wasn’t about that song being perfect. The song he’d chosen was all about the emotion, and emotion wasn’t something I could fake or practice a musician into.-

I think it’s perfect, Aaron. If you’re happy with it, then so am I.

-I didn’t think either of them was going to demand another take, but I’d been surprised by an artist before. I wanted to offer them the opportunity to record it again if they wanted, but I could tell from the sound of Aaron’s voice that wasn’t going to be a thing. -

Ophelia: *For some reason, AJ looked to me for an answer. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to hear, though. If Wesley thought it was perfect, there wasn’t much else I could tell him. I was only here as his girlfriend and assistant. It was not my job to decide how well he was singing. All I could do was tilt my head at him and wait for his answer. But it seemed he wanted my opinion.*

I can’t be in this part of the booth, AJ. Not every time. And you know that. I can sit behind the glass with Wesley. But I cannot always be in here. I don’t think you’re going to get a better version of the track than you just laid down. It’s damn close to perfect to my ears. Maybe Wesley can find some work for it, but if he’s not telling you to record it again…

*I let my words trail off with a shrug. I wanted to give him the chance to make up his mind. Gently pressing my lips to his jaw, I whispered softly against the skin.* I think there’s still a discussion the three of us need to have before you and Lindsay jump into the study. Ask your producer if it’s okay for us to talk.

*I didn’t give him a chance to answer me before I was sliding out the door. I needed to take a breath and think about where we were going before I went back to Wesley. I knew that the next step was getting her into the studio. We needed the two of them to get together and see if this was something that was going to work. But I wasn’t going to let anyone walk into her space if she wasn’t ready for all of this.*

Aaron: -I knew she was right about us needing a talk. I figured Ophelia had more cards in her hand than I did at this point with the situation we were in. I wanted her opinion on the track, because that one had been for her and no one else. It didn’t matter that we’d gotten it on tape or that it would be going on my next album. That song would always be hers.

I let her walk out of the room after stealing a kiss off the back of her hand. I knew after this one, I was on my own more or less in the studio, even if I was working with Lindsay. I had to keep my shit under control.

I shot a glance over behind the glass at Wesley and knew he was listening, though I was going to ask him for a chance to talk anyway-

So, Mr. Francis? What do you say about you, me and Ophelia sitting down for a little chat after we get everything wrapped up here? Your office?

Wesley: -It seemed like there was a lot we needed to talk about. Ophelia had been smart to suggest it before she’d left the studio, because I would have asked them to join me in my office when we got finished in the studio anyway. I needed them to understand a few things, and I felt like I needed to understand their dynamic a lot more before we dove into all of this.-

Why don’t you take a quick break while I get things saved and loaded where I can work with them a little more back in the office. Then we can meet back upstairs if that’s alright with you.

-Aaron just nodded, grabbing his guitar and heading out into the hall to take a breather. After the intense session we’d just had, I figured he could use it. If he was anything like most artists, that had taken a lot out of him, but we still had a lot to talk about concerning how things were going to go in the future.-

Ophelia: *I gave AJ a smile as he walked out into the hallway. Taking the guitar from his hands, I let him press his lips against my cheek. Just to the side of my piercing. This was absolutely the right move for everyone. I needed AJ to prove that this was how we were going to be, but I wasn’t going to be a distraction in the studio. I was there to help when he needed it, but I wasn’t going to step on anyone’s toes to get his best performance out. Lacing my hands with his, I started pulling him out towards the parking garage. I didn’t want to have to carry his guitar up to Wesley’s office with us. And there were still a few things I wanted to talk to him about before we made our way up to the office.

Taking a breath as the warm air hit us, I turned to face the man next to me. Giving him a small smile, I let a soft laugh slip out.* You can do this without me. I know you can. But you need to be confident. Wesley isn’t going to tear you apart unless you give him a reason to tear you apart. Don’t give him a reason, Sir. You know this.

*By switching from AJ to Sir, I was letting the silent question fall into the air. What did he want me to be when we were in Wesley’s office. Was I going to be Ophelia the assistant, Ophie the girlfriend or Doll the submissive. The way that he responded was going to tell me how he wanted me to act.*

Aaron: -Ophie had spent all of our time back in the studio calling me AJ, and as much as I felt like I’d been chastised back there by Mr. Frances, I needed my girlfriend at my side more than I needed the submissive side of her at my feet. I could enjoy both halves of her, and I needed the part of her that was my assistant and kept all my life in order. But right now, I needed her to hold my hand through all of this. My music left me a little bare at times, and today was one of those times.

I let her get to the car and slide my guitar into the backseat of the car before I reached out to thread my fingers between hers, pulling her into me as I reached around her to shut the car door in one smooth motion.-

Then I won’t give him a reason to tear me apart, Ophie. Just be there holding my hand while I try not to make an ass of myself, okay?

-I leaned in to steal a kiss from her lips before wrapping my arms around her and pressing her chest against mine. I needed her at my side more than anything at the moment. I knew we were going to have some talking to do with Wesley, and that there was more to his relationship with Lindsay than meets the eye. I just wasn’t sure exactly how much to be prepared for as we made our way back into the building.-

Ophie: *It had been my job to learn about the building. I knew where we were going without thinking. I didn’t want to give AJ the time to get lost. Because he would. With the way his nerves were acting, I knew he was distracted. And taking control was something I could do for him.

All I could do was relax, though. Going into Wesley’s office, we were going to be on the same playing field. I wasn’t going to be Doll. I was just going to be Ophie. I could switch roles easily, so I could have been Sir’s Doll. But hearing that he needed Ophie more than he needed Doll made me breathe a little easier. The receptionist outside of Wesley’s office gave us a smile and nodded her head. It was her way of letting us know that he was waiting for us.

I didn’t hesitate as I took a seat across from the man that I had spoken to earlier. I wanted AJ to understand that all of this was going to be okay. We were going to be able to make all of this work.* He’s not going to shut you down, AJ. I’m pretty sure he has a million and one ideas for you and Lindsay.

Wesley:-As soon as I’d wrapped up everything in the recording booth, I made my way back up the stairs to my office. I half expected Aaron and Ophelia to be waiting there for me when I’d arrived, but I was glad to see that they’d taken my offer to take a break and then come upstairs to meet me. I knew the two of them probably needed a moment to themselves before we carried on with the next steps of whatever was about to happen. I didn’t intend to keep any secrets from the two of them. I didn’t think I was going to be betraying any confidence of Lindsay’s to let them know the type of relationship that the two of us had, especially if it meant that Lindsay and Aaron knew better how to work with each other when they finally got into the studio together.

I’d needed a bit of a break as much as the two of them had seemed to. We were all learning a lot about each other, and it seemed that we would be learning a lot more in the very near future. All I could manage to do was settle into my desk and wait for the two of them to join me for the rest of this conversation.

Only a few minutes must have passed, though it seemed like longer before I heard them coming through the outer doors and went to hold open the office door for the two of them.-

Come on in. I think we have a lot to talk about.

Aaron: -I grabbed Ophie’s hand to pull her into the office behind me. Wesley was right. It did seem that we had a lot to discuss, just based on the things she’d told me on our walk out to the garage and back. I hadn’t been party to most of it while I’d been shut away in a different room, though I didn’t think they’d actually discussed that much. The only thing I could think of doing was making all three of us sit down and figure out all of this, even if it meant that he was going to tell me that Linsday and I weren’t going to be able to work together. I needed to know, no matter what was going to come of it.-

Well, why don’t we get this thing started? I think that’s probably the best idea.

Ophelia: *I knew AJ was nervous. He still didn’t have the direct answer of if he was going to be able to work with Lindsay. I wanted to reassure him. I wanted everything to work out for him. But I also knew it wasn’t entirely my place to tell him that this was going to come together for him. Wesley was her producer, first and foremost. Yes, he may work with other artists, but Lindsay was the center of the world for him as a producer. She was his precious gem. And he would do anything to protect her and her sound from falling into the wrong hands.

But I knew that AJ had a way with music. It was rough, but it could be turned into something pretty amazing with the right opportunity. And I wanted him to have this opportunity. And I was afraid for him. He was closing himself off because he wasn’t entirely sure where Wesley stood on the idea of AJ and Lindsay in the booth together.*

Take a second to breathe, AJ. You’re getting ahead of yourself. And before you say a word, it is absolutely written all over your face. *Turning my attention to the man across the desk from us, I gave him a smile while spinning the piercing in my cheek.* Tell him he can work with her. You’re going to allow Lindsay in the studio with AJ.

Wesley: - I hadn’t said anything to Ophelia about Lindsay working with AJ, but I was convinced that the two of them were going to sound amazing together. They just needed to understand more about how the two of us worked together if this duet between the two of them was going to work out.-

You absolutely can record with Lindsay. She won’t have a problem with it. I just think you both need to know a few things about her process before the two of you work together. It’s going to take some time, and some patience, maybe out of both of you, but it’s her first time recording a duet with anyone.

-The two of them needed to know about the only time she’d tried to record without me, and the fall out from all of that. It was an absolutely necessary story for them to realize the way things could go if we didn’t to this right.-

There was only one time she’s tried to record without me. She was upset with me, and rightly so. I’d earned it, but going into the studio with anyone else turned out to be a disaster. She got lost in her head, and no one knew how to pull her out when she melted down into a full blown panic attack. Someone had to come and get me to take her out of it, and even then, it took me days to get her back into the right mindset to really start working on the album.

I don’t want you thinking she’s fragile. It’s just that she’s such a perfectionist that she’s going to spiral when things aren’t exactly as she pictured them unless I can give her something else to focus on. It was how we figured out that there was more to the two of us than just being a producer and a performer. I had to blindfold her to get her from getting lost in her head.

To be honest, there are a lot of things the two of us are still figuring out. Especially about the two of us being a couple while we work together, but we’re a package deal. Take or leave it.

The two of you are going to need to spend some time together to work out what you want to sing and figure out the right arrangement, and then you’ll need to spend some time in the rehearsal studio to get it right before we ever step into the studio to record it. The thing is…

-I glanced over at Ophelia before the next thing came out of my mouth.- I don’t think that either Ophelia or I need to be there when it happens. The two of you should get a feel for each other before we ever step into things as a group.

-I wasn’t sure how either of them was going to respond to that, but it was absolutely a thing that needed to happen.-

Aaron: -I knew that Wesley had a point there. I didn’t mind if Ophelia was around, but if Lindsay was as particular about the way she worked as she seemed to be, then having two new people around her was only going to make it that much harder to get the work done. I could understand something like that, and I needed to make sure that I got a feel for her and the way she worked before we ever stepped into the studio together. Besides, we needed to work out exactly what we were going to do first. I had a couple of ideas I wanted to run past her, but I had no way of knowing how she was going to respond to them.

I just wanted to make sure that Ophie was going to be alright with it all. I glanced over at my girl, giving her hand a squeeze. She’d left me alone to do my thing plenty of times. We came as a package deal, but we could operate on our own well enough-

I’m down for it if you are, Ophie. I’m just ready to get the ball rolling since we’ve all been waiting so long to see what comes of this.

Ophelia: *All I could do was nod my head. I couldn’t exactly tell them no. Not when this was the right move for both AJ and Lindsay. I could absolutely be the demanding girlfriend. I could tell him that I wasn’t going to let him go alone. But I wasn’t that girl. The problem was that I didn’t have much of anything to do. AJ and I weren’t from New York, so the hotel had been our home since we had arrived. And I wasn’t sure if he was going to go have me do stuff while he was with Lindsay.

I felt my shoulders rise and fall in a shrug as I looked at the two men in front of me. They knew what would work best for this recording. AJ knew his process, and it seemed like Wesley knew Lindsay’s process. But that shouldn’t have been a surprise. Especially if she had been his artist since she was a teenager.* If you think it’s for the best thing for the recording, I can’t stop you. I don’t have it in me to play jealous girlfriend. But I can honestly tell you that I don’t want to be locked up in a hotel room while you’re off working on this song.

*I wasn’t sure what they wanted to hear. But I also wasn’t going to just give in to them, either. Yes, AJ may have be my Dom. And Wes was a Dom. But this was not a playroom or a BDSM club. I didn’t necessarily have to put on the perfect sub facade for either one of them at the moment. This was a space where I could completely come to terms with what I was feeling and why I was feeling that way. I wasn’t being Doll. I was being Ophie, just as AJ wanted.*

Wesley: -I could tell from the look on Ophelia’s face that she wasn’t thrilled about the idea of being alone while AJ was in the rehearsal space with Lindsay. I couldn’t blame her. The two of them were more or less new to the city. They were staying in a hotel until they found a more permanent place, and she wasn’t going to know anyone. Leaving her alone to her own devices, even for a couple of hours, wasn’t something that I was a hundred percent willing to do.-

Then don’t sit around the hotel room. There are a couple of places in the city I think you’d enjoy visiting. You should come around with me while the two of them work on rehearsing. Besides, there are a few friends I’d like you to meet. I think you’ll enjoy getting to know them a little better. It will give you someone in the city to know at least, so you’re not completely on your own.

-I wanted the two of them to know that they were most certainly not alone in the city, and I thought taking Ophelia to the Little Shoppe of Temptations and maybe showing her Trinity would be at least a way of introducing her to the city.-

Aaron: -I gave Ophie’s hand a squeeze. Getting to know the city would be a good thing for her, along with meeting more people around here. The two of us barely knew our way between the hotel and the studio, much less anything else. Getting out of the hotel while I worked with Lindsay was probably the best plan, but I wasn’t going to answer for her. She needed to make up her own mind that this was what she wanted to do. I still wanted her to have my encouragement, however-

You should go, Babe. It’ll be a good chance to get out and meet some new people, and it’ll give you something to do when I’m busy. I won’t need an assistant that day, and you deserve to get out and have some fun.

Ophelia: *I wasn’t sure I wanted to believe him. But I knew that if he was telling me to go out and have fun, I was going to go out. And the offer from Wesley was almost too good to pass up. I figured he was right, though. I did need to get out and meet new people. And there was really no one better to spend the day with than with Wesley. He understood the city. He knew people. And both of them were right. The best thing for me was to meet other people. I just wasn’t entirely sure where we were going and why Wesley thought it was a good idea.

I gave AJ a smile, though. I wanted him to understand that I got it. This wasn’t about me. This wasn’t about him leaving me. This was about his career. It was the best thing for everyone. And if that meant going into the city with Wesley for a day, I was pretty sure it was something I could do.*

I’m not opposed to going out for the day with you, Wesley. You know the truth about me and AJ. You know we’re living out of suitcases right now. And I think the possibility of us making New York our home is something we’re both seriously starting to consider. So if you think there are people in this town worth meeting, then we can go ahead and meet them. I’m just not sure where you want to start this little field trip of ours.

Wesley: -I knew what it was like to be new to the city. I’d been there myself a few months ago. I also hated to hear that they were living out of a suitcase. I thought that was at least something the studio could take care of. I had a bit of an idea there, but it was something I was going to have to run by the executives a little higher up than me to make sure that it happened. That could wait, even if not for long. Introducing Ophelia to some of my closest friends was something that was a bit more immediate.

I knew that Lindsay had felt utterly alone when we’d first come to New York. It had been one of my shortcomings as her boyfriend, even if I’d been new to relationships in general, at least relationships where I really and truly cared about the other person. I still had some guilt about that, but I could help prevent it for Aaron and Ophelia as much as possible.-

Good. I promise you won’t regret it.

-Turning to Aaron, I grabbed a pen and some paper to jot down the address for the penthouse that Lindsay and I lived in along with my cell phone number, passing it over to him.- Here’s my address. You and Lindsay can use the rehearsal studio there, and I’ll be waiting to take Ophelia around town for the day. Just call me if you have any trouble finding it.

-I had to admit I’d been a little nervous about the way that things might go today. I’d half expected Aaron to say that he wasn’t going to be able to work with me and effectively end things then and there. Instead, it seemed that they were going to be a lot more of an element in mine and Lindsay’s lives that I’d first thought. I was now just looking forward to seeing just what they thought of the other important people in our lives. Something told me that they needed to meet Cay and Myrick almost as much as Lindsay and I had. Being isolated was a bad thing, and not being sure who you could trust with the details of your life made it even worse.

We could take care of the fact that they were living out of a hotel sooner or later. That would take more than a day to organize. Tomorrow, though, I had already blocked out the day to spend with Aaron in case things hadn’t gone as planned in the studio today. It would be easy enough to give them the time they needed. I just hoped for everyone’s sake that I was doing the right thing here.-

#IveBeenFeelingEverything

0 notes