#but in the two open door eps ive seen the whole time i was like … this is sad. even tho i liked the style of the house or interior design

[babieken]

MTV Cribs >>>> Open Door Youtube

[waejinyoung]

Can’t Swim - EP . 4

word count: 9.7k+

a/n: i’m late. I’m well aware. i don’t really know what to say to be honest. i hope the episode being close to 10k words makes up for the long wait. there’s alot that goes on this episode. enjoy! we get a peak of jinyung’s pov at one point too! so exciting! no swimming lesson for today though :)

warnings: fluff shit near the end, swearing, dirtyminded stuffs, change in langugage at one point (ive placed translations too so no worries) 

EP . 1 , EP . 2 , EP . 3 , EP . 4 , EP . 5 , EP . 6 , EP .7 , EP . 8, , EP . 9

Thursday had arrived and you spontaneously called a friend who had come down to Jinhae to see if she was available midday. She happened to have some time to spare between her schedule so you two met up for brunch and a simple walk around a local park.

Thursday midday

“It’s been so long since we got to hangout Tan.”

Tan, short for Tanya, was your close friend from university. She now works in a global firm which meant she travelled quite often. You knew she was in Seoul and was going to travel to Busan for a bit. You asked if she could squeeze a bit of her day to travel to Jinhae to hangout and she was happy you offered.

“Tell me about it Y/N. You always claim that nothing had changed but I’m still going to ask. Anything new in your life? Anyone new in your life?” Tan had a smirk on her face knowing she was hitting spots that were non-existent, she thought.

“I usually answer no.” Tan’s face lit up due to the unexpected change.

“Go on…” She was getting extremely excited.

“I’ve met this guy- “

“You… MET A GUY??” Tan had absolutely lost it at this point, and she didn’t even know his name.

“Tan calm down. We’ve only known each other for a week and a half. He joined my beginners class last week.” She bursted into a loud laugh.

“You are telling me the guy you met can’t swim.”

“YA! Don’t be mean. He’s at least mustered up the courage at this age to come and learn. Some people can’t even manage to do that these days. They care too much about image.”

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t expect you to meet your soulmate in a swimming lesson. I thought maybe at the office- “

“You know how I’ve said I would prefer to spend the rest of my life with someone in a different sector of work. I won’t be able to stand someone from the same field of work bringing nothing new to the relationship.”

“I know, I know Y/N. You want to learn from each other rather than talk about the same topics. I understand where you are coming from.”

“But yeah. I don’t actually know what he works as. I’m meeting him tomorrow afternoon for ‘thing’ as he described it. He said I’ll be able to know then what he does then.”

“He seems really mysterious. I hope you’re not getting into something dodgy.” Tan was always protective when it came to you and guys. She knew you had a gullible and fragile personality when it came to men.

“I don’t think so. I don’t even know how to explain it. Every time I’ve been with him I’ve felt giddy and bothered. He does the bare minimum and my whole world flips- “

“Y/N”

You stop in your tracks realising that you had gotten way too ahead of yourself.

“Y/N, you sound like you’re in love. Or close in the least.”

“Tan I’ve known the guy coming up to 2 weeks.”

“Yes Y/N. I understand but you sound like you’ve known him for years and you’ve only just realised your feelings towards him. I haven’t even gotten to ask, what’s his name?”

“His name is Jinyoung. I don’t want to jump in too deep. These feelings need to be reciprocated in order for there to be progression. To him I’m probably just his swimming teacher.”

“Right, and since when did students meet their teachers outside of lesson hours and not only that basically go on dates.”

“YA don’t call them dates. We are just hanging out.”

“Hanging out my ass. He’s bringing you into his life and introducing you to his world. Enjoy the ride Y/N. He sounds like a keeper.”

“You think?” Tan nods and helps you come clear with your feelings.

You two continued with your walk in the park with Tan and settled on a bench after a while.

*ding*

You checked your phone having received a notification. It was Jinyoung.

“Hey Y/N. I hope you’re doing well. If you are still able to come for tomorrow we can meet at 7:00 pm. I’ll be waiting for you at the parking lot again.”

You hadn’t realised but you were smiling like a fool beside Tan.

“Yep, confirmed. It’s him isn’t it?”

You look up at Tan as she took you away from your little bubble. You gave her a nod.

“Y/N this is thee guy for you.”

You didn’t understand how Tan could be so sure. Yes, you have feelings for him but to claim Jinyoung as the guy for me was a little too much, right?

“How can you tell?” You were interested on what she had to say.

“You’re smiling like a 5 year old on Christmas Day. I haven’t seen you like this since you got a first in our last year of uni. This guy’s effect on you is so obvious. He can’t be empty back; I can bet on it. With me just talking about him you’re smiling like an otter.”

You hit Tan on the shoulder lightly for teasing you. You were going to be open-minded about the situation and know that anything can be possible.

“Anyways, why did he text?”

“He just let me know what time to meet up. He hadn’t mentioned it at first.”

“Good luck Y/N.”

Your day with Tan continued. You appreciated being able to catch up with an old friend. You started to feel thankful for Jooheon’s call off. You were able to do things you may have had to wait months for. Although you still wished the call off was given for a better reason.

…

Your day with Tan sadly ended earlier than you wanted, and she was off back to Busan for work.

You prepped breakfast for yourself this blissful Friday morning. You laid out a traditional Mediterranean breakfast since you now had the time. You missed it back home. To have this breakfast alone did drain it’s vibe, you were used to having these large breakfasts with your family. You took advantage of the weather and had breakfast on your balcony. The bay had to keep your company for now until you went back home.

You were caught off guard by a call from your company. You picked up.

“Miss?”

“Yes, Beck”

“We’ve got a dilemma.” You weren’t surprised.

“Go on.” You’d be shocked if something hadn’t gone wrong while you were out of office.

“The eco-hotel that was going to be built on two pieces of land- “

“What about it Beck?” Oh boy. What now?

“Another firm somehow bought one piece of land which we were going to use for the greenery requirements to pass the eco test.”

“Which firm? Beck I’m gone for a couple days and shit has hit the fan this badly?” This was the biggest project in your hands, and it was slipping right through.

“The next door firm- “

You hung up immediately. You were using all your might to not dash your phone into the sea ahead of you. Your rivalry between the next door firm had been going on for years but this time round it was going to be rougher than usual.

You rushed over to your closet and took out a navy suit alongside a simple white shirt + a pair of clear heals. With that you took your car keys and some documents to head to the company.

The speeding cameras could probably understand from the speed you were going at that something important was going on. You arrived at the entrance of your architecture office.

Yes, your full time job was as an architect.

You chucked your keys at the door keeper to park your car and dashed up to the 4th floor of the office. The whole company had turned into chaos in a matter of 2 days. All your employees were rushing around and there was around 6 people all surrounding Beck.

Beck was the second shareholder alongside you of the company. You both graduated as architects and decided to start your own firm as junior architects. Whenever one was out of office, the other covered for the both but this time round Beck was not able to handle all of this by himself.

You called out to Beck and his face changed from stressed to relieved. You and Beck moved to your office and discussed the situation working towards a solution.

A couple hours later

“Wait, Beck”

“Why can’t we just implement all the eco-factors into the hotel on one piece of land?”

Beck’s face was blanked 90% of the time until he heard your suggestion. He sighed a breath of relief.

“We can just add terraces and add green to the lobbies, outdoors and any other dead space we have.”

“You’ve done it again!” Beck rushed to hug the shit out of you. He raised you off your feet and swung you around.

“Beck, calm down!” He put you back on your feet with a large smile on his face.

“Y/N this is exactly why this company needs you?” You high five each other. A weight had lifted off both of your shoulders.

You hit Beck’s shoulder realising the rush you had been to get here.

“We could have solved this with a Facetime call. Did I really have to rush over here?”

Beck just gave a childish smile. We all knew he just wanted you to be there physically. He couldn’t be the only one suffering in the company. Even if it was for a couple of hours.

“That’s all?”

“Yep, can we not have a tea? You haven’t been at the company for days.”

You checked the time and saw it was 4:00 pm. You could spare some time for a quick tea.

“You did absolutely ruin a lovely breakfast that I had prepared at home. Tea’s on you.”

You guys walked down to ground floor to grab a tea from the company café. There was a duo table free near the entrance windows, so you guys sat there.

“Y/N. How do you manage to keep up with the projects and the swimming classes? Isn’t it too much?”

You’ve heard these questions from Beck on countless occasions. He knows the answer but just can’t process how it’s possible.

“Beck you know that the swimming classes don’t feel like a job to me. It’s so nice to share a skill with those who are unaware of it. I love seeing all the kids smile every lesson. It’s so refreshing and fun it makes me forget about the projects. When it comes to the company, I have a really reliable shareholder who fills my absence when needed.” You smiled at Beck knowing he would get an ego raise at the compliment.

“You bet. The other shareholder is extremely reliable.”

“You can always tell me if I start to drift a little too much from the company. I sometimes lose track on how much time I’ve spent on both jobs.”

“Y/N are you kidding me? You somehow do the same amount of work as me whilst having another time consuming job. You finish project drawings in less time than the workers that have nothing better to do. You’re doing more than enough, trust me.”

You smiled. It felt good that you were able to balance both jobs well with any concern.

“That’s good to hear. I have plans for the afternoon so I’m going to have to dip early. Thanks for the tea. Next time, consider a Facetime call when it comes to a similar dilemma.”

Beck waved you off as your car was brought back from the parking lot to you. You waved Beck goodbye as you drifted from the company back home to get ready for this “thing” tonight.

You arrived home to see the time was now 5:00 pm. You need to leave at 6:40 pm. That gives you an hour and forty minutes to get ready. You didn’t even know if there was a dress code. Was this a meal or an activity that you were going to? You circled in your walk-in wardrobe trying to figure out an outfit that would suit most occasions. You looked at casual floral dress. It would work only if it were daytime, it’ll be close to the evening so that won’t work. Jeans and a top? Too boring? Ugh.

You spent 30 minutes trying out outfits and hadn’t settled down on even one. You figured to solve the dress code problem by giving Jinyoung a ring. As much as it may be an embarrassing question you didn’t care. You weren’t going to take the risk and make a terrible impression of yourself to his circle.

He picked up.

“Hey Y/N. Are you well?”

“Hi Jinyoung. I’m well. I hope you’re too. I was getting ready for this ‘thing’ of yours, but I have no clue if this ‘thing’ will be taking place in a casual or formal setting. Basically, I don’t know what to wear.” You chuckled as you gave up trying not to be direct about why you called.

“Hahaha,” Great made a fool of yourself again, “I understand. I wouldn’t call it a formal setting. That’s for sure. A simple casual outfit would do. Just don’t come looking like a hobo.” He chuckled again.

“Great you just saved me from my worries of making a laughingstock of myself.”

“Don’t worry you won’t. See you at 7.”

“See you!”

Now that, that was out of the way you went back into your closet to pick out an outfit. You chose a pair of denim mom jeans and a black sleeveless bodysuit. You glammed up your outfit with silver jewellery pieces and your black Chanel bag. You wore a pair of white air forces to make sure your feet were comfy and headed over to your makeup stand.

You weren’t exactly a big makeup girl. You tended not to use a skin makeup like foundation or concealer. You basically used mascara and that was about it. You weren’t going to fake it; you were happy the way you were. Your lashes were curled, and you glided some mascara onto them. You weren’t going to bother with contacts this afternoon, so you put back on your turtle shell brown glasses. It was now 6:00 pm.

You had 40 minutes to spare so you went on your laptop to reply to some emails and work on some renders for the eco-hotel you worked on with Beck today.

40 minutes flew by and you shut your laptop and took a deep breath. Don’t fuck this up Y/N, you thought to yourself.

You hopped in your g-wagon and drove a new route to the entertainment company parking lot. Jinyoung was there like he had promised and waved you hello. You flashed your headlights as a way of reciprocating to Jinyoung’s wave. The gates slid open and parked your car in a free slot. There were more cars this time round. You guessed that there was something going on at the company.

“How have you been Jinyoung?” You greeted him as you locked your car.

“I’m a little nervous,” He saw your puzzled face, “You’ll understand why soon don’t worry.”

“Can’t wait.” You both strolled towards the entrance of the company. The same flashes started again. Like last time.

Jinyoung wrapped his arm around your shoulder and guided you quickly into the building. He whispered in your ear to keep your head low until he said so. You did as he said. Around 10 steps after walking into the building Jinyoung let you know that you could look up now. You were puzzled as ever. What is going on? Jinyoung realised the both puzzled but also annoyed/stern expression.

“Just a little longer. I promise.”

You guys took the escalator to the 2nd floor this time alongside several other people. It was busier than the last time you were here. A lot of cameras and staff. You could hear them whispering among themselves in the lift. You were sure you heard the words ‘actor’ and ‘script reading’. You had no clue what they were referring to. Probably some entertainment company things.

The lift arrived at the corresponding floor and you guys all stepped out. You were registering the things around you. There were banners hung up near the glass room ahead. They read ‘drama script reading’ and we were walking straight towards it.

You tugged on Jinyoung’s sleeve. You kind of felt uncomfortable feeling so alien-like in an extremely new environment. He took you to aside to avoid being in people’s way.

“Y/N I wouldn’t do anything to harm you. Trust me. This is all new to me as much as it’s all new to you. I wish I could be by your side, but we’ll be separated. Remember Bambam for last time?,” You nodded, “I’m going to sit you next to him and my other friends he’ll introduce you to them. Don’t worry they wont bite.” He lightly chuckled.

You guys slowly headed to the glass room. It was packed with tons of staff and people like you. A long banner was pinned up to the wall. When My Love Blooms was what it read. Underneath it in smaller font read four names. One of which was… Park Jinyoung.

He’s an… actor?

You saw Bambam like Jinyoung had said and was seated next to him. You took this chance to ask Bambam what in the world was going on.

“Hey Y/N.” Bambam seemed really excited too.

“Hey Bambam. Can I ask what’s going on?” He realised your puzzled expression. He could tell Jinyoung hadn’t told you anything about tonight.

“Jinyoung hyung hasn’t told you?” You shook your head no.

“Today is the first script reading of a drama Jinyoung hyung will be acting in. He’s the second male lead actor. He plays the younger version of the main character.” So, he was an actor.

“He didn’t even tell me that he was an actor. He hasn’t told me anything about his work.”

“That’s typical Jinyoung hyung. He’s usually secretive when it comes to work and this industry. It’s kind of complicated to explain but he treats all the new people in his life the same way don’t worry.”

“Right…” This whole industry thing was new to you too. You were going to go with the flow and see what happens.

“He also mentioned meeting his ‘circle’ as he described it. Who exactly is he referring to?” Bambam’s eyes lit up as he looked to his other side which consisted of 5 other guys. Very handsome you must say.

“Guys!” Bambam got the attention of all 5 of them.

“Bam what do you want now?” The guy with 2 moles on his eye lids looked up from his phone.

“Jinyoung hyung wants us to meet a friend of his.” You were kind of nervous. The one who had replied to Bambam had a bit of a cold aura.

“Really?” His expression kinda lightened.

“Yes hyung. Guys this is Y/N.” You gave a smile to all of them not knowing who should speak next.

“Hi, it’s nice to meet you all.” That should do it.

“Hello Y/N. I’m Jackson.” He had a bright puppy smile on his face. He seemed like a social butterfly very eager to meet new people.

“I’m Mark.” Mark raised his hand to show who was talking. The staff were making a bit of noise, so his voice sounded a little muffled, but you were able to hear him. He seemed cool though.

“I’m Jaebeom.” The 2 mole guy spoke. He gave a sweet smile. You take back your thought of him having a cold aura. He seemed nice.

“I’m Yugyeom.” He started throwing gang signs trying to act cool. The guy beside him bursted out laughing and hit his shoulder trying to get him to stop. You joined in with him due to his contagious laugh.

“Hi Y/N. Last but not least I’m Youngjae.” He gave you wide and welcoming smile.

“So that’s everyone Jinyoung hyung wanted me to introduce you to. You’ll most likely see us often. We stick together most of the time.” Jaebeom rolled his eyes at the clingy child.

“How did you meet Jinyoung?” Jaebeom asked after putting his phone away.

“Actually, Jinyoung is my student. I’m his swimming teacher.” The guys looked at each other and started laughing.

“Waaa, that punk actually signed up to take lessons. Good on him, I thought he wouldn’t be able to.” You were kind of confused

“How come?”

“Jinyoung doesn’t like it when he’s not good at something. He’s an absolute perfectionist so to see him show a side of himself to people in a skill where he’s not thriving in… I didn’t expect him to actually sign up for classes.”

Ahh, so he’s a perfectionist.

“I didn’t know but he has been attending and cooperating well. He’s also a quick learner so he’ll be advancing quickly from my inspection.”

“Typical Jinyoung hyung,” Bambam commented, “He’s always good at everything.”

An old man stood up from the table Jinyoung was on and silenced the whole room for the beginning of the script reading. You looked over at Jinyoung to see that he was already focussed on you. He looked a little nervous so you sent over a small smile and nod to let him know that you’re fine and that he can do this.

“Thank you all for joining us today for the first script reading of When My Love Blooms. We will now be starting with the first episode reading. Let’s see how the actors have worked on their characters.”

You were excited to see what this was going to be like.

The script writing commenced, and everyone was concentrating on all the characters and the scene. The story line sounded really interesting and the chemistry between the actors and their characters seemed like a match made in heaven. You internally giggled when you found out that the main characters name was Jaehyun, remembering that this Jaehyun wasn’t the lifeguard Jaehyun back at the centre.

This side of Jinyoung looked so classy and sophisticated. He had a similar pair of glasses on like you and a simple black shirt on. He would move his glasses up whenever they would slip a bit whilst looking at his script. You could see how much he was in character and the passion in his voice trying to voice his inner Jaehyun.

“From today onwards, we’re dating.” The dialogue between Jinyoung and the younger role female lead continued until the director interrupted.

“I wish…” Everyone started laughing at the director’s sudden comment. I don’t blame him. The story line is to die for. If only life was the same.

Every now and again the boys beside you were trying to contain their laughs. They were like a bunch of brothers trying to find dirt on Jinyoung to tease him about later. They reminded you of your friends when you all hangout together specifically for someone’s occasion.

The script reading ended soon after the funny moment. The staff started packing up all the refreshments and the paperwork everywhere. The actors were taken to a little set up area to take teaser photos ready to be posted before the launch of the drama.

“So, Y/N…” Jackson caught your attention and you drew your eyes from Jinyoung and the other actors to Jackson.

“Yep.”

“You teach swimming lessons. Is that your full time job or is it a hobby sort of thing?”

“It’s a part time job I do on the side. I pursue a more serious career as an architect.” Jackson’s expression turned surprised.

“You’re an architect?” The rest of the guys circled around you with interested looks.

“Guys calm down. I just design buildings for a living. Me and a friend own a company- “

“You’re CEO?” Jaebeom launched himself forward towards you since he was out of it at first. Was it this big of a deal?

“More or less.” The boys all started clapping. The staff joined in thinking they were clapping for the actors and the end of the first script reading. You joined in to cover up for their initial intention.

Jinyoung joined you guys as the claps continued. He was baffed at what was going on, but you just shook it off. He whispered a simple ‘you good?’ in your ear. You nodded in response to his question. The group + you faced Jinyoung and continued clapping in his face like a bunch of seals. Jinyoung wrapped his hands around yours to stop you from clapping. The contact between you and him caught you off guard but his hands were warm and protective. Your small hands fit perfectly in his much larger hands. It felt like the contact you wished for years to happen between you and your dad but that never happened. Your eyes were close to tearing, but you knew showing any sign of sensitivity will trigger another load of questions not only from Jinyoung but the rest too. He removed his hands realising the awkward closeness he showed among all the guys.

The clapping ended.

“How was I?” Jinyoung diverted his attention from you to the rest of the guys.

“Jinyoung hyung as always performed well. I’m starting to get used to the fact that you’re good at everything hyung.” Yugyeom tried to act unphased but we all knew the experienced actor could see right through his lie.

“You outdid yourself again Jinyoung.” Jaebeom patted his shoulder like a granddad (lol).

“I’m jealous of the female character.” Everyone looked at Bambam waiting to continue why he said what he said.

“I’d wanna be dating Jinyoung hyung too, it’s not fair.” Jinyoung put an arm around Bambam’s shoulder and you all started laughing at the absurd comment.

“Jinyoung hyung already has someone in mind Bambam. You have to go search for someone else.” Jinyoung had someone else in mind? He likes someone? You just kept smiling trying to show you weren’t hurt from the sudden confession. Damn… looks like you were a little late Y/N. Of course, a fine man like Jinyoung wouldn’t go for you, you thought.

Jinyoung gave Youngjae a death stare. You guessed that wasn’t information he was willing to just share casually.

“I’m sure she’ll fall for you with those acting skills.” You tried to lift up the mood that had turned awkward. The guys gave you a look and then looked at Jinyoung. They knew who Youngjae was referring to. You were the only one that was oblivious to the situation.

“I hope so too Y/N. I hope so too.” Jinyoung gave you a warm smile. His eyes crinkled and his teeth gleamed white. Whoever she is, she’s lucky you thought.

“I’m starving, can we go for a meal?” Mark suggested as he changed the topic.

“Yh, Y/N you can also join us unless you’re busy.” Yugyeom kindly offered.

“No there’s no need. I don’t want to be interrupting your guys’ meal.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m sure Jinyoung will be happy with you joining us anyways.”

You looked over at Jinyoung and he just smiled. You guessed Bambam was right. You had nothing planned for the rest of the evening, so you joined them.

“Did anyone come by car? All the staff vehicles are being used for the director’s team.” Mark raised his hand although there was still a problem.

“Yh but there’s 8 of us Mark. Your car can hold 5 of us, what about the other 3?”

“Looks like it’s good that I’m coming then. I came by car too. The other 3 can come with me. I’ll follow Mark.”

“Are you windows tinted?” What a weird question to ask.

“Erm.. yes.”

“Great, that works.” Jaebeom clapped after the situation was solved.

“Let’s go half and half. I’m going with Y/N.” Bambam came by your side ready to follow you to your car. Jinyoung joined him and shrugged a helpless shrug towards Mark.

“You fuckers are leaving me, wow.” Mark put a hand on his heart acting like he was heartbroken.

“Don’t worry Mark. I’ll join you.” Jackson and Yugyeom joined Mark.

“Rock, paper, scissors?” Youngjae offered to Jaebeom.

“Guys it’s just a car rid- “ They were actually doing this weren’t they.

“Rock, paper, scissors!” Youngjae threw rock and Jaebeom threw paper.

“Good luck putting up with Jackson and Yugyeom.” Jaebeom waved Youngjae a farewell. Now that this was decided, you guys headed out of the company building.

“I’ll tail you until our destination. Just in case we lose your car, does anyone riding with me know where we are going?” You walked along Mark settling on an agreement.

“Yh, Jinyoung knows where we are going. He can guide you just in case you lose the car.”

“Great.”

“By the way Y/N…”

“Yes…”

“Actually, don’t worry. It’s nothing important.”

“Sure…” You couldn’t lie. You kind of wanted to know what it was that he was going to say.

“WAAAAA… Y/N you’re full of surprises. First it turns out that you’re actually an architect now we find out you rock a classy car too. Keep it coming.” You guess Bambam is the type to hype his friends. Like you mentioned before, praise is something that motivates you. It’s rewarding.

“WAAAAA… Bambam it’s just a car.” You mimicked him.

“Yh… but a really nice car.” He eyed your possession and circled round it.

“Look at this big boy… what did you name it?” This kid honestly.

“I shall not be disclosing that piece of information.” Bambam gave you puppy eyes in hopes for it to work.

“Fine. He’s called Prince.” You shut your eyes with your hands to avoid the embarrassment.

“Ahhhh and because you own him… does that make you a Queen?” You laughed at Bambam’s analogy.

“No specific reason for the name Bambam. Come on, Mark and the others are waiting for us.”

Jinyoung took the passenger seat beside you whilst Jaebeom and Bambam sat behind. Bambam specifically behind you.

“Everyone seat belts on please. I trust my driving, but I don’t trust the driving of others.” You smiled at your comment. So vain.

“I’m going to tell Mark hyung you don’t trust his driving.” Bambam is an actual kid, you concluded in your mind.

“That’s not what I meant Bambam.”

“I know, I know.” You started the car as all of the guys, and you had put on your seatbelts.

You signalled to Mark for him to go ahead since your car was now ready. You followed his white Jeep out of the parking lot and started your journey.

“So where exactly are we going to?” You still didn’t know what you was going to be eating for dinner.

“We often go to this seafood place near the bay. The fish comes fresh every day and they also have non-fish options too. Jackson doesn’t like seafood much, so it works well for him too. You’ll definitely like it.”

Hmm, there was a restaurant at bay that you also went to often similar to what Jinyoung was describing. Maybe it’s the same place.

“What’s the place called? I live near the bay so I may know of it.”

“It’s called Ali’s Clam.” Bambam responded from the back.

“Ali with the lisp?” If he replies yes now, you knew exactly where you were going.

“You know of him?” Of course.

“We come from the same country. I’ve known him since I moved to Jinhae. He was one of the first people I met.”

“Small world. Weird how we didn’t recognise each other. We must have been present at the same time at some point.” Jaebeom figured.

“I would agree but I always order into the company or home. I don’t usually have the time to eat in. It’ll be a great surprise for him too since it’s been a while I’ve been at the restaurant.”

A couple minutes of silence went by. You had some music from back home playing quietly as you drove to Ali’s. You do love jamming loudly to music but only when alone. You weren’t going to embarrass yourself in front of people you’ve only met a couple hours ago.

“So where exactly are you from Y/N?” You appreciated how the guys actually wanted to get to know you.

“My parents are both Turkish. Although… I was born and raised mostly in London. I did go back often to see family, but I lived and grew up in London. Studied there and then work led me to Jinhae.”

You stopped at a red light.

“I was going to ask what coloured contacts you used. I guess they are real.” Bambam and his ridiculous questions.

“Yes, they are real Bambam. Sorry to disappoint.”

“It’s okay. I’ll just stare at them instead.” This kid. Jaebeom and Jinyoung laughed at the sadness in Bambam’s voice.

“I’ll let you borrow them if you want.” Bambam triggered your sarcasm to come out. What a fool.

“I’d be honoured.” You liked how he continued.

“So, Y/N…” Jinyoung spoke up.

“You’re an architect?” You just nodded and you kept your eyes on the road.

“Why teach swimming then?” This question again.

“Here’s how I’ll answer that question,“ He was listening, “Isn’t it so refreshing and fun being with the kids in our group? To see their faces light up every Monday morning because of me and my lessons. It’s an amazing feeling knowing I’m touching their lives by giving them a life skill that they’ll be grateful for. It never feels like work.”

As you explained your reasons, Jinyoung had been staring at you in deep thought. The way you were concentrating on the road as you spoke about pure innocent things. The way you were so passionate about helping the kids learn a vital skill. He couldn’t register everything at once and felt so overwhelmed. Your eyes glistened as you continued talking about your love for the kids and how much you loved swimming. He watched your every move and could feel his heart thumping stronger than usual. He knew what was happening and was willing to comply to his heart.

You realised you had been rambling off for a while and hadn’t heard a single thing from Jinyoung. You glanced to your side to see a loving stare coming your way. You wished you could reciprocate but eyes on the road was something you were going to stick to. He realised his own stare and directed his look to Bambam. You just smiled. Luckily it was dark, so your flamed up cheeks weren’t visible to anyone.

…

Your phone rang… it was Max. You guys still hadn’t sorted out whatever it is that’s between you two now. You didn’t know if you should pick up. Due to the lovely thing called technology, your car picked up on the fact that you were getting a call so everyone could see who was calling. Jinyoung aware of who Max was.

“Feel free to pick up.” Jinyoung prompts you to pick up.

“You guys okay if I pick up?”

“Go ahead.” The other two responded.

You picked up the call.

“Hey Max, how are you?”

“Doing better Y/N. You free to talk?”

“Yh sure, go ahead.”

“I wanted to talk about Monday.”

You looked over at Jinyoung. He didn’t seem phased, but you felt uncomfortable.

“I’m listening.”

“Stay away from him.” Not this again.

“Elaborate ‘him’.”

“You know who I’m on about Y/N. Don’t make me say his name.”

“Elaborate or I’m hanging up.”

“Fine. I’m on about Jinyoung.” Oh boy the air in this car just got even more awkward.

“Fuck my life Max. You’re still dragging this out? Can you speak up like a man with a pair of balls?”

Jaebeom and Bambam looked at each other. They sensed the change in atmosphere as expected.

“Alright Y/N. What I’m saying is you have to stay away from Jinyoung from now on! I see the way he looks at you Y/N. His ass is so whipped for you and it has only been 2 lessons- “

“And?” The awkwardness had hit cloud nine. You wanted to hide in a box and stay away from humans for weeks at this point, but you had to stay strong. You weren’t going to give in like a weakling.

“What do you mean ‘and?’? Aren’t you bothered? Are you ready for someone else to crush your heart again just like Chas- “

“Don’t you dare say his name.” Max was crossing over the line. This call being on speaker didn’t help either.

“You get the point. Your ass is going to fall deep into his trap too only to be left like a shattered mirror again. Continue being like this and I won’t be there to fix you either.”

With that Max hung up. You didn’t speak. You were trying to contain the anger you were feeling rise up. You were carrying lives in the car. You weren’t going to express the anger now.

“You good?” Bambam couldn’t stand the silence and asked the comforting question. You had to be honest. You weren’t exactly feeling like answering although you thanked him internally for caring.

You mustered up the energy to talk after burying the anger inside.

“I deeply apologise for what just happened. I didn’t exactly want you guys to witness this not-so-nice side of me let alone on our first meeting,” You faced Jinyoung for a split second, “I owe you another apology. I don’t know what’s gotten into him but- “

“You truly are unaware aren’t you.” Jaebeom interrupted you. Kind of rude.

“I don’t know who that guy was, but he sounds extremely jealous.” This again. Jinyoung opted to stay silent.

“You think?”

“I think? It’s almost fact. He sounds so riled up. As a guy the only reason I’d ever be so ‘like him’ would be because I’m jealous.” For everyone to say this keeps solidifying the assumption. You guess everyone was right.

“Jaebeom hyung is usually right when it comes to knowing things. What he says usually turns out correct. I also agree. He sounds pissed and jealous.”

You chose to stay silent until you arrived at the restaurant. Everyone went back to what they were doing before the rude call. A couple minutes later you all arrived at Ali’s Clam.

You and Mark parked near the venue and walked it to the table Ali had given the rest.

“No way!” Ali ran up to you and gave you a warm hug. It had been around 1 month since the last time you saw him. Although you could feel the life being squeezed out of you too.

“Ali let me breath,” you laughed as you hugged him back, “It’s good to see you too.”

“Y/N seni bir aydır görmüyorum. Nerelerdesin?”

[“Y/N I haven’t seen you for a month. Where have you been?”]

“Bizim büro büyük bir proje kaptı. Beck’le onun üstünde çalışıyoruz. Biliyorsun ki yüzme derslerim de var buraya gelmeye zaman bulmak zor oluyor.”

[“Our firm received a big project. I’ve been working on it with Beck. You know about the swimming lessons too, it’s hard to find time to come.”]

The guys all picked up the change in language. This is what it must feel like for our fans, they thought to themselves.

“So how come you know of these lot?” He was referring to Jinyoung and the rest, “And how do you guys know of Y/N?”

Yugyeom stepped up to explain.

“Long story short, Y/N is Jinyoung’s swimming teacher. The rest of us met Y/N today at Jinyoung’s script reading.”

“Riiiight… So, what can I get you guys today? Everything’s on me!” Ali clapped in excitement for reuniting with his friend alongside his favourite customers.

“Can we get our usual lobster in the middle plus the baby crabs plus Jackson’s order?” These guys don’t order the stuffed oysters. What in the world?!?

“You know what else to add Ali. I can’t believe you guys don’t order the stuffed oysters. It’s Ali’s signature dish.”

“I got you Y/N! I’ll make it a bigger portion so the rest of you guys can try it too.” Ali jotted down the order on his little notepad.

The small chit chat continued. You were sat between Jaebeom and Jinyoung. Your table looked out to the bay and was decorated with shells and blue and white ribbons. You always loved the ambience of this restaurant. It reminded you of the fish restaurants back in Turkey that you and your mum would go to when you were younger. Whenever you felt homesick you knew you could come here to sink the feeling away.

“So, Miss is an architect.” Jinyoung turned to you as the rest spoke among themselves.

“I guess I am, and Mr is an actor” You chuckled. You both found out each other’s careers in very different ways.

“I guess I am.” He mimicked you. You eyed him having picked up on what he was doing.

“So, what’s the story behind you and everyone? How did everyone meet each other?”

“Get ready for another surprise. I’m not exactly just an actor… All 7 of us make up a k-pop group called GOT7.”

“Yh, right.” You laughed at him assuming he was joking around.

“Wow don’t believe me. Guys!” Jinyoung got the attention of the rest of the guys.

“Jaebeom hyung when did we debut?”

“16th Jan 2014.”

“Seun-ah what was our debut song?”

“Girls, girls, girls they love me” Jackson sang and displayed some hand movements along with it. Were they being serious?

Ali came over with the baby crabs and the stuffed oysters. He was just about to go back for the lobsters but Jinyoung asked Ali the same questions he had asked Jaebeom and Jackson.

“You guys debuted under JYP Entertainment as GOT7 on 16th Jan 2014 with the song,” he changed his stance like he was ready to dance, “Girls, girls, girls they love me.”

“Jackson also had a plant sticking out from the top of his head then.” The boys started laughing but Jackson gave Ali a deaf stare. Ali gave him an apology hug and insisted that he couldn’t let the opportunity slide.

“Is that why you kept your job a secret at first?” Jinyoung nodded.

“People tend to act different towards us as if we are not ordinary people. There seems to be this analogy of a pedestal where we are placed higher and we don’t really like that since it makes it hard for us to get to know genuine new people. Me keeping that a secret meant you looked at me for who I was not for someone who was a singer.”

“That makes sense. People forget behind the stage and platform there’s someone just like all of us with feelings and hobbies. We all like to chill, lounge around, go for a walk. It makes up only a part of us not all of us, but many people don’t see it that way. So, I understand why you chose to hide it although I can let you know that I’m not one of those people. It’s the inside that counts.” You pointed to your heart. Jinyoung just kept falling for all the mutual comments you were making. He agreed with everything that was escaping from your mouth.

“I’m happy we are on the same page.” He ruffled your hair like you were a 10 year old kid. His eyes gleamed with playful energy. You wish you could have stared longer but you were among his friends. You didn’t want them to get the wrong idea. With that you sorted your hair along with Ali placing the lobster and Jackson’s dish on the table.

“Ellerine sağlık Ali. Her zaman ki gibi çok güzel kokuyor her şey.”

[“Thank you for the meal Ali. Like always the food smells really good.”]

“This isn’t fair we don’t understand.” Bambam started sulking like a kid.

“I’ll try and contain myself. Since I usually come here alone I’m used to speaking in Turkish with Ali. Sorry.” You showed your innocent eyes (not an aegyo way, not a fan) to Bambam.

“If you look at me like that, how can I even get annoyed? Talk all you want I trust you wouldn’t speak ill of us to Ali.” You smiled at the kind words from Bambam.

“Let’s tuck in!” Youngjae suggested. You all started tucking into the food laid out. You had convinced Jaebeom to try the stuffed oysters since no one would say yes. You showed him how to open the oyster and scrape the filing with one shell from the other. Then eat from it like it was a spoon.

“How is it?” You tried to read his expression. He continued chewing and his eyes started to widen.

“We’ve been missing out.” Mark passed his plate over to you for you to put some oysters on his plate after seeing Jaebeom’s reaction.

“How do you did it again Y/N?” Mark asked.

“Let’s do this. Anyone who wants to try it put your hand up?”

Everyone but Jinyoung and Jackson put their hand up.

“I’ll let Jackson slide since you don’t like seafood,” You turned to Jinyoung, “This is bad sportsmanship come on everyone’s willing to try.”

JINYOUNG’S POV

She’s hitting you with those colourful starry eyes again. How could you say no?

“Fine Y/N. For your sake.” A wide smile spread across her face. She passed you an oyster too.

“If everyone’s ready, watch me then copy. We good with that?”

“This sounds like another swimming lesson.” You couldn’t help but remind her how similar her instructions sound like her lessons.

“Wooow. Are you criticising my teaching?” You could now pick up on her sarcasm. She wasn’t being serious. You just shrugged playing secretive like always.

“You should appreciate you haven’t drowned with your skills.” Oh no she didn’t.

“WAAAAAAA… I like it. Finally, someone else as savage as me.” Bambam high fived you across the table. Jaebeom had his mouth agape and Youngjae looked at you.

If the guys had made that sort of comment, it would have been game on. But when it came to Y/N, you couldn’t even find a way of retaliatin. Not only did you not know much about her, you got caught looking at her in disbelief. Your brain couldn’t register a comeback.

“Waaa… she actually got him silent. You achieved something I haven’t for the past 6 years Y/N.” Yugyeom started clapping. You looked at him and your eyes did the job. He stopped clapping as soon as he realised he weren’t going to take shit right now.

“Like I was saying. We ready?” Everyone raised their oysters. You watched her eagerly demonstrate how to eat her cuisine. Her passion for her homeland was present and you liked how she was patiently teaching you all how to eat the delicacy.

“Then you scrape it like it’s a spoon using the empty shell, like this.”

Surprising you all were pretty good. None of you dropped the filling on your plate.

“Then…,” Y/N got up from her seat and grabbed a lemon slice, “You squeeze some lemon on it. Keep your oysters up a little I’ll come around and squeeze some.”

She went around the table and dispersed some lemon.

“Now voila, eat.” You were a little hesitant. You weren’t a big fan of oyster, but you were willing to try it based on Y/N’s recommendation.

And you weren’t disappointed. The combination of the crustacean, rice and the herbs worked so well together. You could see why Y/N was surprised when this wasn’t a part of the group’s order. It tasted delicious.

“I can read all your faces now and no one seems disgusted besides Jackson.” She laughed at Jackson’s reaction to all of you tasting the new dish.

“Bro, how do yall do it?” Jackson questioned.

“Do what Jack?” Mark didn’t understand.

“Eat seafood. Madness.” Jackson resumed to eating his burger.

Ali dropped by having seen you guys taste the oyster.

“What do you guys think?” Ali asked.

“Y/N is right. Ali where have we been?” Youngjae was experiencing his version of food enlightenment.

“I don’t know Youngjae. Where have you guys been?” Ali laughed at Youngjae’s absurd question.

You guys dug into your food whilst conversing and getting to know each other. It turned out that Jackson and Y/N were close to meeting each other earlier on in life. If they had both pursued in their sports and competed in the Olympics there was a chance they would have met. Small world. Jackson explained to Y/N how he switched his career path and Y/N spoke about the lack of opportunity and motivation in that field left her to divert her attention to architecture. Both succeeding exceptionally well in their fields.

Y/N’S POV

“So, what’s been like your biggest project so far?” Mark asked since you both stopped eating having felt close to full.

“We have an active project going on right now for an eco-hotel set to be built near the end of the bay. The client is a really well-known person although I can’t disclose who he is due to privacy regulations. I can say you are all well aware of who he is that’s for sure. I never imagined someone with such high status would want us to design something for him but yh… we are working on it.” Y/N explained.

“That’s really cool. It’s nice to hear what people are doing in different industries. We are always surrounded by the entertainment industry so it’s nice to see a different expression of creativity going on around us.” You appreciated Mark’s kind words and appreciation for the architecture field. The field didn’t receive much cover and is overlooked so it was nice to hear those words.

“I agree. The same thing goes for you guys. I have one friend who does work got to do with music production although I didn’t really get much insight into what he did. It must be really warming having an audience who support you and your work constantly.” You liked having logical conversations. It seems like Mark’s somebody you would get along with well. He seems very knowledgeable.

“Ali! Can you bring over a couple bottles of soju?”

“Coming right up Jaebeom!”

Ali came pacing to our table and placed 7 glasses and 5 bottles of soju. He knew you didn’t drink.

“You forgot another glass.”

“Ah, I don’t drink.” You waved off Jaebeom.

“Waaa… does that mean we all get to drink? We have a driver to get us home guys!” Jaebeom joked around since you would be sober.

Ali came back since he heard what Jaebeom had said, “7 drunk guys and Y/N that sounds like chaos.”

“Come on Ali! We aren’t that bad drunk, are we?”

“Definitely not Jaebeom.” You picked up on Ali’s sarcasm.

“I’ll join Y/N for today. We won’t drink you guys go ahead.” Jinyoung joined the sober team for today.

“Jinyoung hyung~ you’re like the most entertaining person when drunk. Are you just too scared you’ll end up confessing to Y-“ Yugyeom smacked his hand across Bambam’s mouth and kept it shut. Was he about to say your name? Nah… surely not.

“You guys know I’ve been cutting down on drinking. There’s no other reason besides how wild we are when we are drunk. Can’t let Y/N handle all of 7 of us alone.” You appreciated his concern.

“Thanks.”

…

It took about 20 minutes for all 7 of the guys to be out of it. You and Jinyoung took the opportunity to part from the group and walk along the beach.

You could hear the waves crashing gently in the summer breeze. You took a second to take deep breaths of fresh air.

“Ah…” You sighed as you let out the fresh air, “Don’t you just love the sea?”

“I think I would like it more if I could swim in it.” You giggled at his confession.

“I’ll make that happen one day. I promise.” You smiled up at Jinyoung as you watched your feet sink into the sand as you guys walked. You both stayed silent until something came up to mind.

“I mean you can still have fun in the sea without having to swim in it.”

“Wow, I thought Jaehyun was the dirty minded one. I can see who he learnt it from.” He eyed you knowing that what he was hinting at was most likely something that wasn’t on your mind.

You were gobsmacked. Him too? Were all guys like this?

You slapped his shoulder, “You guys are atrocious. I meant splashing each other.” As you said the word ‘splashing’ you knelt down and splashed water at Jinyoung.

He was ready to win you over at this fight. He retaliated with even more water and caught you off guard. You guys ran up and down the beach trying to splash one another as well as not get caught by the flying water droplets. The cool breeze made the water on your body colder than usual. You guys were practically drenched when you dropped on your ass because your foot got caught sunk in the sand.

“You okay?” Jinyoung crouched down to your level and smiled at you like a child.

“I would be if my ass wasn’t soaked.” He lent you a hand. Was he this naïve? You took the opportunity to give Jinyoung a taste of what it felt like. You grabbed his hand and dragged him done to your level.

“I should have seen that coming.” Damn right he should have. You both chuckled as you watched the moon and the rippling reflection on the sea’s surface.

You started to tear up at the familiar scene although the person beside you wasn’t the person in the flashback. It was Chase. Chase was your ex-boyfriend. He was probably the best shot you had with a guy and things were going well until you found out that he was cheating on you for 2 months with a waitress at Ali’s restaurant. You had shared your ups and downs with him meaning him cheating on you left you extremely hopeless for other guys. Max’s extra possessive and protective reached its peak during that time hence the phone call today. When Ali found out, he fired the waitress immediately knowing how hurt you would feel every time you came across her at the restaurant. Even worse when she was with Chase. You guys would hang out at the beach after meals similar to how you and Jinyoung had today. Although today felt different, Jinyoung meant more to you than Chase in a shorter period of time. You still lacked on so much about Jinyoung, but he never gave off a single bad impression on any occasion. You trusted him.

He realised your mood change.

“Did you come here often with him?” How did he…

“I can tell you haven’t been here alone before. Did you guys come here together before? With the guy Max was about to mention on the phone call.” Smartass.

“Wow, I didn’t even need to explain. You’re spot on.” You let out a chuckle. It must have been really obvious.

“It must suck. We can go back-“

“No, no… I’m not going to let past memories be the reason for me to run away from a beautiful landscape. You being here helps too.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Although my backside is about to drop off.” You had completely forgotten that your bottom halves were being repeatedly soaked by the crashing waves.

“Not having much fat in that area is a struggle isn’t it. I can’t relate.”

“I have you know I have an ass.” You were dying at the confidence. You make sure to check him out secretly when the peach is in view.

“Clearly not big enough for the cold.” He pushed you over and your back got soaked from the damp sand.

“Ahhhh! Jinyoung I’m gonna catch a cold. It’s freezing!”

You were going to get your pay back. You launched your hands onto his shoulder in the hopes that he would also fall back but you underestimated his strength. You guys squabbled trying to put the other down. As expected he had you done in no time grasped onto your wrists. Some water droplets from his shirts fell down onto your warm skin. The position you guys were in raised the heat of your body at an unhealthy rate. Your faces were inches away just like how they were at during the water dodgeball game. Your chests heaved trying to get back your breaths, but he looked too good to be true. How could you go back to breathing normally when he looked gorgeous?

“Still cold?” He swept you away from your thoughts.

“Y-Yh…” You were boiling to be exact.

“This should help.” He dropped lower towards your face. Your noses brushed each other’s, and you could now feel his warm breath across your face. He looked deeply into your eyes as if there was a transcript written in them. He took his time analysing your features until he got to your lips. He couldn’t help staring at your lips for a little longer than your other features until he couldn’t take it anymore. He was going to make the first move he wanted to make since the beginning.

He teased your lips slowly making contact with them not knowing this was going to be the beginning of something life changing. You moulded into his lips and you could understand that he wanted this as much as you did. The passion as he moved trying to taste every inch of you made you blame yourself for not noticing his interest sooner. You were most definitely not cold anymore.

You were happy that your interests were not one sided and couldn’t wait for what else this new possible love had in store.

---

Thank fudge cakes this episode is over. I apologise for how late this episode has been. I think the word count being close to 10k explains why it took so long. I struggled to find a place to stop for this episode, so I just continued writing until I was happy with it. A lot goes down in this episode so grab a snack and enjoy. It was also really nice bringing in some native tongue into the series. I’d like to get your opinions on whether I should continue with the native tongue conversations between Y/N and Ali. I also introduced Y/N’s full time job. I hope it was a nice surprise for you guys. Until next episode 👋 

writer-nim x

[iamforevercaptured]

Darkblade (s1 e12)

going to do just one ep tonight but will try to do them more often in case anyone cares. this stupid adorable show has become one of my comfort shows. 

oh ya cuz that's smart marinette. it won't work, ive seen this in a movie before DONT TRUST THE BOX

takes out hearing aids, pulls out headphones, does not plug headphones in, hits play, hears nothing, realizes problem, like an idiot. ok hold on this idiot needs cookies and where is my cat?? Ok im back with orange jaffa cakes, and no cat.

aww tiki is the best pep person. they are so cute

YOU LIVE NEXT DOOR HOW ARE YOU ALWAYS LATE

wait how does alya know that i thought she was new this year

uhh ok i have questions on this supposed blackmails. like dude everyone is scared of spiders to some degree. how does chloe know scrapbooking-wait no i know the answer to that one. I love that they encourage her to run but like guys oversleeping is an actual problem and y'all shouldn't make it sound like a joke. (spot the insomniac, its the one who gets triggered on sleep jokes) ...ok maybe encourage was too strong a word? 

alya you really think our girl thought this through??? lol

but its cute that they feel they can come to her

OMG that head pat? so cute! ALYANETTE

oh sabrina hun

i love how when new characters are introduced sometimes the animators forget about previous story play and try to convince you that it isn't a new thing lol like “he’s been here the whole time”

SABINE YOU DONT JUST LET ANYONE INTO YOUR HOME UNSUPERVISED omg sabine be smart 

our adorable son omg sunshine boy

okayyyy thennnn crazy backstory but uh ok...

freaking paparazzi

i can't get my jaffa cakes out T.T

#freethejaffacakes2k19

bless his speech

NADIA’S LITTLE LIFTING OF THE CAMERA LOL

i...i dont get how no-one sees these idiots transform...

poor gorilla

omg i cant do this, it’ll b too messy jus trying to get them open *cries in french*

true words of a dictator in the works

wow she took forever to go upstairs. sabrina suggests yarn. chloe calls her a dingbat. thats officially my new favorite insulting nickname.

THE BOX!

he looks so forced omg

best friend goals

LB CHAT NEEDS YOU but uh how?

YES you got this Mari!

chloe its um locked...you have nothing??

alya translating is wonderful

CHAT BABE that pun tho i freaking love this ep for chat content

oh jagged not the time lol

MARI’s FACE omg its almost as good as chloe saying “quit chloe” realizing what she said then hiding

i love that tiki helps Mari think things through and manage her anxiety, its freaking precious

mylene and ivan awww

TAKE CHARGE MARI and alya rubbing her gf’s success in chloe’s face #alyanette

again i jus...i get time is short but isn't your identity like a secret?

CHAT IS FUCKING PRECIOUS

ah yes the colorful acrobats that save paris lol

well alrighty then. thank you animators for that night hitting the wall. kills me every time.

Somebody please make a gif of the knight flying into the wall. I need it.

what was her plan here?

FORTNIGHT: MIRACULOUS EDITION

I’m so sorry

ah yes ill sit here and wait for the black wall to envelope me. run people!

about time for that charm. i love this charm lol. And chat’s confidence.

~pound it~

ok wait two things. 1) chat didn't use his catalysm so why is his ring beeping?? 2) so did miraculous ladybug put the people back on the ground or are like a ton of parisians standing on the roof now completely confused?? (if you caught Chat’s catalysm tell me where)

Adrien your chat is showing. i also love how they look after him all confused like wait is that really adrien?

*la gasp* sabrina lol *more gasps* *more gasps* ok guys

Alix is really short, like i didn't realize she was shorter than mylene. they pulled a mike wazoski on her lol

I WANNA SEE MARI BEING CLASS REP AND KICKING ASS AT MULTITASKING WITH ALYA

wait guys can you imagine if mari becomes major someday, wait no nvm i want fashion designer extraordinaire mari 

and can I just say, A++ Chat content this ep.

[randomliven]

Ep 1. Rewatch Long postb

Ya daddy still obsessing about yo mama history.

Tree to tic "i almost didnt recognize you without those coke bottle glasses on"

( maybe the boy in the library was tic)

Sammie to tic "fit expensive enough to be a police man" (william)

The block party Ruby singing "i need a tall papa"

Slick willie "why America cant trust bill clinton

See yea leti didnt even remember tic

(& yes ive been very wrong that Ruby didnt really kno tic)

Ruby has been applying steady

Leti talked about pioneering and working in the

department store make money to get a house

Two shattered kneecaps

Hypo "got this crazy idea to get out on the rode ... What if them crazy white men "

Unc seen the reaper Dee drew on the map before they left. Drew other goblins.. Also drew the castle.

Drew where the kkk where known to he

Devon county may be good trip

" Not after you see this" ( shows dee drawing of the reaper)

The Count of Monte Cristo

The pic of dorris unc and mon falls from the pages

There is a fist hole in the wall

Tic calls Ji for the 1st time

Tic sees leti

The checklist

Flares came in handy

1st foreshadow of Aretha Blue

James Baldwin

The segregation at the ice cream parlor

The monkey mocking

Leti calms down tic

He buys a flower for leti

The american way

Tic taks a hoe bath

The rabid dog

There are fire burns on the next building

The white man immediately leaves

2/3 hrs till leti brothers place

What he do to ms. Lydia.

Why is the white house white..

Sirens

Woddie got great tires

"Let me drive" says unc

My name NOT GIRL letitia fucking lewis

Christina came outta NoWhere

Force field

They all couldnt figure out what happen so they made up whatever could make sense

Hung a woman who slept with a demon who looked like a negro man

Bunch of missing people due to the sheriff

Naacp complaint file (cuz who you call the police on).

Middle of nowhere, no guide (safe) spots

Called to repair broken spaceships and telescopes (diana got the gift of foresight)

Unc saying he wants hyp to come along on the next trip

Tic being triggered by the fighting

Ruby and the brother left letit to deal

Reporter came by to interview about being a negro solider, "inspire others to make the same stupid mistake"

Montrose wanted to know about tic just didnt kno how to speak on it. Wouldnt go home till unc brought it up

Ya pops was "....he took the brunt" shoulda protected him ... I was small too " you never protected me"

Leti couldnt stay

Devon county

"Pull over"

Dont wanna be out here after dark

Something in the woods

Issa a shoggath... Lovecraft creature( it aint real

A blood with 100 eyes

Unc cant out run one

(For shadow as fuc)

Yea we kno

Sundown county. Id be my sworn duty to hang you from them trees

6min south speed

Head north

Tic shallows his Whole pride

"Let this smart nigger make a uturn here"

3kil

Cant speed( did they have speedometer)

Woodie window still blown out

They thought they made it

Gypsies

If you like" "did this nig give me permission

Soon as tic was in danger the shaggoths start

Tic and leti both left unc

If those things wanted unc hed be dead. They watched him, that lil light did nothing

They only ate what was after tic

Why blow a hole in your only safety

How you making commands wit ya shoulder missing

Unc recounts "listen to them children of the night, what music they make"

Leti ran track in highschool

I walk through the valley of death

Journee killed that run

The pig starts to change, why ol dude was like 'you ok( bruh he changing before yo eyes)

"You need to shoot him"

Yea them things were made from pink meat

Leti didnt kno dude changed so why she just run the car into the house

The whistle

They see the silver car (Christinas car)

William opens the door

We've been expecting you welcome home

[fangirlfiles1]

Making Contact Part 4

Summary: Humans!AU. Roman and Logan are professional ghost hunters. They get a call from Patton and Virgil about a ghost problem but it may turn out to be more than they can handle. There’s something weird about this Virgil kid, and will Roman even survive this?

Honestly it’s better than it sounds, please give it a chance. If you read any of my writing, let it be this!

Warnings: This gets pretty intense and dark. A lot of blood, wounds, trauma, abuse of many kinds, guns, etc. If I need to tag anything else let me know. Basically if you’re looking to be stressed and enjoy some angst, here you go!

Spoilery TW: Hospital, parental abuse, car crash

Part one is here

Part two is here

Part three is here

Roman’s arm felt cold. That was strange. He let his eyes open a fraction, blinking as light flooded into his vision. He looked down to see a needle in the crook of his elbow, dripping IV fluids into his bloodstream. He felt better than he had before, less numb and more awake. There were familiar voices shouting from just outside the closed door.

“Oh, you’re awake!” He turned his head to see Patton sitting in a chair near the window. His eyes were red, like he had been crying. Roman couldn’t blame him. He had gotten a lot more than he signed up for. “How are you feeling?”

“Fan-flipping-tastic actually. I may have superpowers now,” Roman joked, trying to make Patton smile. “You?”

“I’ve been better.” Patton shrugs with a weak smile, but it was something. He looked toward the small window in the door, “Logan and Virgil have been fighting for a while now, I made them leave when they started yelling. I didn’t want them to wake you up.”

“What are they fighting about?”

“Verge won’t let anyone check him out to make sure he’s okay, and he keeps saying that he needs to go home. Logan says he’s being ‘ridiculously illogical.’” He accentuated his impression of Logan with air quotes and a deep voice. He sighed before standing and clapping his hands together. “Alrighty then. I’ll bring them back in here!”

Roman watched as Patton poked his head through the door and told them to come back in the room. Virgil pushed his way past him. He was wearing his hoodie again, his hands shoved as far into his pockets as they would go and his shoulders raised. His hoodie must have been packed in the messenger bag that hung over his shoulder. He was clearly in quite the huff as he plopped himself down into the chair and pulled one leg up to his chest, arm wrapped tightly around it. His fingers tapped aggressively against his ankle as he avoided eye contact with Roman.

Logan was much more composed. He straightened his tie and gave Patton a curt nod, heading directly toward the bed. Roman cringed inwardly at the sight of the blood on his shirt. It was wet, like he had tried to clean it off but it was already stained.

“As it turns out, it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought. In fact, your syncopal ep-” Logan stopped himself, and restarted. “Your passing out was more due to stress and dehydration than blood loss. You’ve been given IV fluids to rehydrate you and they’ve given you dissolvable stitches. You should make a full recovery with minimal scarring. Though they did question me about the strange qualities of the wound. You have minor electrical burns around the entrance point from the modifications I’ve made to the bullets. Why that didn’t cauterize the wound I’m not sure but--”

“For the record, I don’t plan on being your test subject again anytime soon.” Roman interrupted. Logan always rambled on when he was stressed, and now he seemed like he was reaching his breaking point. “Thanks for worrying about me, Lo.”

“Alright, he’s fine. Can we go now?” Virgil grumbles from the corner next to Patton, finally making eye contact as he chewed on the skin of his thumb. He looked desperate to leave, like every fiber of his being needed to go back into that house. Roman couldn’t figure out why. That man would just hurt him again and again, why would he want to go back?

“Roman needs more time to rest,” Patton says quietly. He sounded almost guilty.

Virgil let out an exasperated groan and stood to pace around the room. “I need to go back.”

“No. You are not returning to that house. Not until everything is taken care of.” Logan visibly tensed with frustration, over pronouncing every word like he had already said it a thousand times. Which, if what Patton said was true, he probably had.

“You don’t understand!” He gripped at his hair before quickly smoothing it out again, his pacing increasing in speed. How many times was he going to say that they didn’t understand before he actually explained why? “It’s not safe here.”

“Yes. It is. Ghosts can’t wander far from what they’re tethered to. I’ve already explained this.”

“I know!” Virgil shouted, ready to fight again.

“Tell me why.” Roman said, causing them to turn towards him. Virgil stared for a moment, blinking in confusion.

“What?” Virgil asked.

“Tell me why. If it’s a good reason, we’ll take you back.” Roman shrugged, instantly regretting it when pain flashed through his shoulder.

“Roman, we can’t--” Logan began, but Roman interrupted him.

“Just hold on, Logan. I know there’s a reason.” It had to be something about his ability, there had to be more to the story. Roman felt the anticipation growing in his stomach, hoping for something to hold onto, something more than just what he had seen. Which could have all been a hallucination with everything else going on. Something inside of him knew that it was real though, the heat that he felt when Virgil touched him was too intense to not be real.

“I…” Virgil hesitated, looking around at everyone who was now staring at him. He sent a pleading glance to Roman, like he was begging to not have to explain, but Roman just gave him a small nod to continue. He tapped his fingers together, practically vibrating with anxious energy. “I never said you were wrong, Logan… You’re right, actually. But…”

“It’s okay,” Patton spoke up. “You can tell us anything.”

“It’s just--The ghosts are connected to... me,” he finally said, immediately closing his eyes tightly, waiting for some form of backlash.

“What do you mean?” Logan asked slowly, crossing his arms. Roman could almost see the gears turning in his head, trying to put together the pieces of this puzzle. They had never had a case of ghosts being tethered to a person before. To objects and places, yes, but never an actual living person. Was it even possible?

“I mean... if we stay here much longer, they’ll be here too.” Virgil opened his eyes again, subtly moving closer to Roman. Logan looked lost in thought, completely oblivious to anything outside of his own brain. Virgil’s hand hovered over Roman’s for a moment, silently asking to show him what he could see. Roman nodded and instantly his vision flashed into that familiar white heat before it faded, but he was surprised to see that it wasn’t the same grey that it had been before. Everything looked pretty much the same, in fact. He looked up at Virgil, who glanced toward the back corner of the room, behind Logan. A darkness was growing there, shadowy tendrils reaching out into the room. It was moving. It felt as if it was breathing.

“Well, that’s good enough reason for me,” Roman said as Virgil pulled his hand away and the shadows faded.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Logan muttered to himself. “A ghost has to be intensely bonded to something to be able to tether itself to it…”

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t understand what’s going on,” Patton sighed, removing his glasses to rub at his eyes. The lights flickered above him and everyone stilled.

“We have to go. Now.” Virgil commanded, more in control than Roman had ever seen him. Maybe he wasn’t such a kid afterall.

Logan snapped to action, helping Roman detach himself from the medical equipment. Patton stood, looking for some way to help but finding nothing. Roman looked around for his shirt but it was gone. The doctors probably had to take it off when they were treating him. It was a bummer, he liked that shirt.

“Now, Roman!” Virgil growled, grabbing onto his hand and pulling him out of the bed. The room had darkened to that familiar grey and the shadow in the corner reached out across the ceiling. It was pulsing now, as if something were pushing hard against it, trying to break through. Patton followed closely behind Logan and Virgil pulled Roman along behind him as they ran through the hallways of the hospital. A nurse shouted after them but they were already in the elevator and mashing the button to close the doors. Virgil leaned back against the wall of the elevator as they descended but winced and quickly straightened himself. “We should be fine as long as we keep moving.”

Patton was panting, leaning forward with a hand on the wall. He brushed the hair out of his face and asked, “will someone please explain what’s going on?”

Virgil hesitated for a moment, biting his lower lip hard. “I’ll explain when we’re driving.”

They rushed out of the elevator the moment the doors opened, heading straight for Roman’s beat up red sedan. He grabbed at the driverside door but Logan stopped him. “You are on far too many narcotics to drive.”

Roman huffed but climbed into the back seat next to Virgil. The leather seats were cold against his back, and he muttered to himself, “I really need a new shirt.”

Virgil rummaged through his bag and pulled out a black t-shirt. He handed it to Roman, who blinked back at him in confusion. He shrugged, “I go through a lot of shirts.”

Roman carefully pulled on the shirt, trying to move his hurt shoulder as little as possible. Patton twisted in his seat, staring expectantly at Virgil. He looked so helpless, and maybe even a bit broken. All three of them knew more about ghosts than they should, but Patton had just made a call. He didn’t deserve any of this. He had seen more blood and fear than he had probably seen in his life, and the whole time he had just been following behind Logan, trying to figure out what was going on. “Please, explain.”

Virgil gripped at the sleeves of his hoodie, nervously pulling them over his palms. “I don’t really know how to explain without starting from the beginning…”

Logan pulled the car out of the parking lot, “I’m not going back to that house until we know what’s going on. I’m going to drive until you finish explaining.”

Virgil hung his head in his hands. “Okay. Look, I’m just going to come right out and say it. I… I can see ghosts.”

“You what?” Patton squeaked.

“Just let me explain, okay?”

They drove aimlessly as he spoke. Roman couldn’t look away from him, watching his nervous habits and listening intently. When he had said he would start from the beginning, he wasn’t lying.

His father had wanted him dead from the moment he was born. As soon as they touched him, they knew that something was off about him, something unnatural. His mother was determined to keep him, and she protected him from everything as he grew up. He was a child, but he remembered his father screaming at him to stop messing with his head, grabbing him and shaking him. He remembered his mother always picking him up and taking the hits herself.

When he was five, there was a fire. He was old enough to know to run outside in the event of a fire, but too young to know that his father had set it, locking himself inside a room with his mother. He was too young to think to save her. He was put into foster care after that. He bounced around from home to home, each one sending him off to the next the moment that they discovered that touching him made them see things. He had been lucky that none of them were brave enough to tell anyone else for fear of insanity.

Roman realized how mechanic Virgil’s voice sounded, like he was somewhere else, distancing himself from his own story.

He learned to never let anyone touch him, no matter the circumstances, and he was smart enough not to tell anyone that his parents were still with him. It wasn’t until he turned eight that people started dying around him. It started with a boy his age, his first real friend. They had woken up one morning and he was lying dead in his bed. The coroner said he died of natural causes, but Virgil knew otherwise. The kid had told him what had happened himself days after.

The family suspected Virgil had done something but there was never any evidence. They sent him to a new family, one with a ten year old girl. It wasn’t long until she was dead too, another friend to add to his growing collection. But he had never wanted this. He pleaded for his father to stop, but he would grab him and tear through his skin with sharp claws as he shook him again and again.

It wasn’t until he was thirteen and yet another boy, older this time, died that the authorities began to get suspicious. They worked tirelessly to find some shred of evidence that Virgil was killing the kids but there was nothing. Virgil had even tried to get himself locked away, but a confession meant nothing when it was coming from a minor with no evidence to support the claim. He moved from family to family until he was fifteen and he landed in the nicest home he had ever seen. A rich family with a twenty year old son going through college, looking for something to give them purpose.

The parents ignored him, unless there was potential for him to get adopted and make them feel like they had done something good in the world, but Patton quickly became an older brother to him. Virgil knew what was going to happen if he didn’t do something, so he made his father an offer. He would keep his mouth shut. He would never reveal his secret and he would look the other way when a new soul appeared around him. He would protect his father while he grew more and more powerful, as long as he didn’t take anyone that he knew. To his surprise, the offer worked and his father took the deal.

Eventually he was told that he wasn’t wanted anymore, that he was a lost cause, and to get out of the house for good. They didn’t send him back into the system. They kicked him out onto the streets at sixteen.

“Wait. No,” Patton interrupted, and Roman realized that he was crying. “They told me you were adopted while I was on summer vacation.”

“Of all the things you just heard, including the fact that you were almost murdered by the ghost of my dead father, that is what you focus on?” Virgil looked up, looking as if he had broken out of a deep trance.

“Wait, so you never got adopted at all? Ever?”

“No,” Virgil replied, the end coming up in a hesitant question mark.

Patton slammed his fist onto his thigh. “That’s it, I’m adopting you now.”

“Pat, I’m twenty-three, you can’t do that.” A small smile curled upward on Virgil’s face as he shook his head.

“It’s already done. You have no say in the matter!”

Virgil didn’t respond, his eyes widening as he stared out the window past Roman’s head. Roman turned to look, seeing another vehicle passing them on the left. Virgil shot forward in his seat, “Logan look out!”

Suddenly the vehicle cut in front of theirs. Logan swerved, but he wasn’t fast enough. They clipped the corner of the other vehicle’s back bumper and everything started spinning. It was over in seconds, the sound of tires squealing rang in Roman’s ears as they skidded to a stop. Luckily they had spun off the shoulder of the road and not into oncoming traffic. He pressed a hand to his forehead and groaned. The past 48 hours had not gone well for him. His shoulder throbbed beneath the seat belt.

He looked around at the others, trying to slow his heart rate. Logan and Patton seemed shaken but alright, but Virgil was gone. The door hung open. Where was he? Roman unbuckled his seatbelt and clambered out of the car, rushing to find him. His knees shook. The other vehicle was upside down in the bushes, shattered glass lay around it. Virgil was kneeling in the glass, prying open the driver’s side door.

“Virgil!” Roman called, rushing to his side.

He didn’t respond, grabbing frantically at the driver’s bloody face. He was crying “No, no, no, please.”

“Verge it’s okay, he’ll be okay just hold on.” He glanced back at their own vehicle and saw Logan on the phone. “Logan’s already called 911, they’ll be here soon. They’ll help him.”

Virgil bent forward, coughing in between sobbing breaths, his fists scraping against the ground and shards of glass. His forehead pressed into his fists. Spit dripped from his mouth onto the dirt as he tried to breathe through clenched teeth.

“Hey, it’ll be okay, he’ll be fine,” Roman reached out to gently grab Virgil’s hand. He braced himself for the shock, but he wasn’t prepared for what he saw. The man was split in two at the waist, one half painfully still and the other staring wide eyed at his own hands. He ripped away from the rest of himself and turned around. He blinked at his own body, hanging upside down and lifeless. There was a heavy darkness inside the car. Remnants of smoke-like shadows pouring from the broken windows. This was the man’s doing, Virgil’s father. “Oh.”

Virgil’s fists ground further into the dirt as he sobbed, muttering “I’m sorry” over and over again.

Roman took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment, pushing the image of the man’s dead body out of his mind so he could focus completely on Virgil. He grabbed his hand tighter and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, gently trying to pull him away from the scene, but he wouldn’t budge. “This isn’t your fault, not at all. Okay?”

Virgil shook his head against his fists as another sob shook his body. He pressed his palms to the dirt and sat up, tears running down his face as he forced himself to make eye contact with the new spirit.

“Hey,” Roman whispered, moving his fingers from Virgil’s hand to press against his wet cheek. He gently pulled his face towards him, “don’t look at him, okay? Look at me.”

Virgil stared back at Roman, panic frozen in his eyes.

“This isn’t your fault, okay? You didn’t do this. You’ve done nothing wrong. Ever. Do you hear me?” Roman felt his heart breaking. Virgil had never looked so young, so helpless and terrified. He pulled him closer, forgetting about his shoulder and wincing as Virgil’s forehead pressed against his bandages. His shirt tugged where Virgil gripped the material tightly with shaking hands. Roman suddenly realized that this was probably the first time anyone had hugged Virgil since he was a child and he pulled him even closer into himself.

“It’s not your fault,” Roman said as he and the new spirit stared at each other. “It’s not your fault.”

[saintkimora]

ok……..here is the long awaited post of what happened on saturday night! (Last Saturday night btw not yesterday night) ive been too busy to post about it until now but it is juicy

so as i said on saturday, joel and i were texting on and off that day but it was weird as usual. so after i showered i wrote out a text to him saying that even though we havent been communicating much recently i still miss him and think about him all the time and that i appreciate the chances i do get to talk to him. so i sent this message but literally the second it sent i got a message from him. like we sent our texts at the same time. so i started reading his text and it started with “perry……im really sorry but what we have isnt working out” skafjhkajdhfkjads so i felt like a jolt in my legs and had to sit down. so he sent this long ass breakup text and here are the basic points that he used

he isnt ready for a relationship/exclusivity (even though HE was the one who literally deleted all his dating apps the day after we met bc he wanted to focus on pursuing me)

he hasnt been making the effort and i deserve someone who does

he hasnt been opening up and he is aware of that bc he knows he isnt ready

i deserve someone who is in a better place in their life than he is rn/someone who has their stuff together

i dont deserve what hes putting me through

he wants time to be single and make mistakes and regret them (stupid ass reasoning btw)

he knew using texts was the wrong way to end it but he wasnt strong enough to do it in person

he apologized if i feel like i wasted my time on him/if i regret anything ive done w him (since the last time i saw him before this was when i had sex with him)

hes sorry that he isnt treating me better

not my fault at all

so yeah that was the text! i didnt even read it fully until later on like i skimmed it and called him immediately and asked if we could talk in person (ofc i got all choked up trying to ask and almost started crying over the phone) so he said yes he owes me that much so i grabbed my tissue box, tried to put on my shoes (my mom had to help me bc i was shaking too much) and drove to his apartment and then sprinted to his apartment from where i parked a block away. i got there and his roommates werent home so it was just him. he opened the door and i said hi and he let me in and it was v solemn so we went into his room and sat on his bed and this is where the drama really started

so i was like “can i have a hug” and he was like “yes” so we hugged and i started crying. so we hugged for a while and then we separated and i was like “ok so explain why you want to end this” so he started explaining it to me. i was crying and he was crying too but i was crying more obv! i was like bawling. his eyes were red and tears were falling and he was sniffling but he wasnt like crying hard

so he just explained that he was in a bad place when he met me and he still is in that bad place (in reference to his depression) and how its not me its him and how i deserve someone who puts in the effort and doesnt distance themselves from me and actually has the time to see me and i was annoyed bc caleb did the same thing and i am sick of other guys telling me whats best for me like *vicki from rhoc voice* how do you know whats best for me? and like obv just bc you have depression doesnt mean you dont deserve love, like he said he still liked me and wanted to be with me and how it was breaking his heart to have to do this so i did not want him to end something just bc he felt he didnt deserve me or that he wasnt worthy of my love or anything like that 

so he also explained how he wasnt ready to settle down and i was like sis we arent even officially boyfriends yet, its not like im asking you to marry me and have kids lmfao and he said he wasnt ready for exclusivity so i was like “does that mean you wanna fuck other guys?” and he was like “i dont know” so ????? and he was like “im feeling conflicted” so i was like wtf is going on in here on this day

also i asked if his roommates were home and he said no he was home alone tonight and that was part of why he was feeling so bad and its like sis…..if being alone makes you feel worse then making yourself even more alone by breaking up w me doesnt seem like the best way to fix that! and i told him that i was free tonight and he couldve just invited me over if he was feeling lonely and he was like “i thought you would be busy” like sis literally the only times i am ever busy on saturday nights is when im with him!! lmao

he also said he wasnt opening up bc he couldnt/wasnt ready for it yet, but like i wasnt asking him to open up like all i wanted was for him to put a modicum of effort into our conversations just to show that he cared, like we can just keep doing fun things like im not asking him to get all deep and vulnerable with me (although i would love that too)

so we just had a very emotional time, i was crying my eyes out nonstop and he was lightly crying as well, there was lots of hugging and holding and stuff so like i was really really REALLY losing it like i was so MESSSSSSSSSSYYYY like i was just getting all in my feelings and saying all the things im gonna miss about him and like apologizing for anything i did wrong/apologizing for not being enough for him and like it was really really bad. but i was still also cracking jokes like a dumbass throughout the whole thing lmao bc i like to find the humor in things

i decided to mention that i was originally planning to ask him to be my bf officially on our next date (that plan had changed since he became cold and distant the past week or two but originally i was planning on doing it on the next date after i got back from the retreat) just bc i was being emotional

at one point he was laying on the bed and i was sitting on the edge of it crying (and covering my face bc im an ugly crier even though he’d already seen plenty of footage of me crying at this point) and he held out his arms and was like “come here” and i was like “no” and looked away and he was like “please” like that was very satisfying bc it showed that he needed comforting as well at that moment

at one point i was just laying on my side rolled up in a ball scream crying into my hands now THAT was messy. it was nice though bc joel moved in behind me and tried to hold me and calm me down. speaking of calming down! there were some points where i got like………REALLY bad like i was breathing so hard and fast it was troubling but whenever i had a wave of that joel held me and tried to soothe me and help me breathe

i even offered to have an open relationship if he wanted (bc this was during the exclusivity convo) bc i was just trying to grasp at any straws i could at the moment in the hopes of reaching an agreement or just stalling for time so i could move past his walls and get through to him. in reality i would never even consider it bc it is definitely not for me but at the moment i was desperate. he said no though bc he knows i wouldnt want that and he said he didnt want me to compromise myself for him

so then this is when we reached the turning point. so joel was laying down and i was like half sitting on the bed/half laying on him. and i said something along the lines of “you dont have to go through this alone, i wanna be there for you” and like when i said alone he lost IT! like we had a breakthrough he started bawling just like i was this whole time!! obviously it was hard for me to see him in that state but it was also kinda nice to see how much he cared 

but then he started breathing really fast and he was like “i think im having a panic attack” so i was like uh oh so i was like omg do you want me to get off of you or something but he was like no stay here so i kept holding him and tried to help him ride it out. but then he choked out the words “i think im making the wrong decision” like !!!! i have never felt such a strong feeling of hope in my life! but i was just like its fine dont worry about it just breathe and btw during this event he was laying on his side so he was looking to the side while i was kinda on top of him so i was like at him. so then he turned to look me directly in the face and………………………

he said “I love you!” like !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hearing that made me SO so happy so i was like “i love you too!” and we hugged and kissed and then he was like “ask me!!” and i was like “ask you what???” and he was like “ask me what you were gonna ask me before!” and i was like “OH! joel……will you be my boyfriend?” and he was like “YES!” and then we hugged again and laughed and made out and it was really really passionate even though we were both gross with tears and runny noses, like it might have even been the most passionate kissing ive ever had! it was a very emotionally intimate moment and i loved it

so then he was like “im sorry” and i was like dont worry about it lmao so then we just continued cuddling and kissing and stuff for a while. he told me that he knew i loved him back bc during my breakdown i said “i really really really really liked you” and he said he knew i wanted to say i loved you lol

he also said hes gonna try to open up more and put more of an effort in so!! that was nice

so it was hot in his room and we were all sweaty on top of being gross from crying so we showered together which is always fun. and during the shower he was very touchy and he would like press his body against mine and give little kisses on like my chest or my back which i really loved. we also did some sexual stuff too

then we got out and dried off and he finally said he would watch flavor of love with me!! so we watched a few eps and it was super fun. then we cuddled until we fell asleep holding each other which is always one of my fave parts of our dates. he was very affectionate and sweet and i really liked it. then we fell asleep and in the morning i had to go home bc i had work or something

so yeah thats it! it made me really happy that he said i love you (and that he said it to me first!!) and i made sure he knew that he could always ask me for anything he needed if he was feeling down again or something. so now fast forward to today he is back to texting me every day and being an active and engaging texter! and i went over to do homework with him on monday night which was fun! and then on friday night he invited me over at like midnight and we got checkers and then we hung out and cuddled and watched more flavor of love. and then we did some more sexual things which was really fun! he was really really into me again and he literally is the hottest guy ive ever met so i enjoyed getting to make him feel good and stuff

on friday the 13th i am taking the gsa eboard + jami w me to go see the addams family musical at his school since he is part of the pit orchestra so that will be fun! i am very happy to have joel back and i am even happier that we are officially boyfriends now! and its so so so nice to get i love you texts again!! overall i am very happy with how things turned out and i am glad i fought to make it work instead of just seeing the text and being like ok bye

[doomedandstoned]

THE GREAT BIG SLOMATICS INTERVIEW

~By Svempa Alveving~ Photos by Gerry Dollso (studio) and Paul Verhagen (live)

Would ya believe that in all these years, we've never had a chance to do a one-on-one with Slomatics? With the Belfast band making a key appearance in the States this year at Psycho Las Vegas, we figured it was high time to change that. Guitarist David Majury was kind enough to oblige our questions. (Billy)

To start, we'd love to hear your telling of the Slomatics origin story.

The band has been together for 13 years now, which is sort of hard to believe. We formed out of the ashes of a previous band called The Naut in 2004, which all three of us had played in. The bassist of that band became our original drummer, but Marty replaced him in 2012 so it feels like things went full circle. We’ve all done a lot of other bands. Marty and I played in a garage band called The Favourites and a stoner band called Cosmonaut, and Marty played in a whole range of stuff for years from old school hardcore to psych collectives. Chris and I have played in various bands together for around 17 years now.

As for Slomatics, we formed, released two albums, some splits, and seven inches, and toured Ireland and the UK, all being pretty low-key DIY. We then recorded our split with Conan and the previous drummer quit, both of which led us to move things on pretty quickly. With Marty in the band, all restrictions of the previous line-up were removed and in the last five years we’ve released three albums, a seven inch, a digital EP, a soundtrack song, and have studio time booked for our next release. We’ve started travelling a lot more, even though we don’t tour, and have played Desertfest and Roadburn in the last year or so.

What's at the core of your musical inspiration?

I think that inspiration is often confused with music people enjoy. For example, I listen to PJ Harvey a lot, but I’m never going to really try and write music to sound like her. For us, it’s been more a case of having a certain sound we gravitate towards, but without a specific reference point. I mean, we’re not claiming to be any sort of genre-defying thing, we play heavy, fuzzy rock music, so of course we take something from Sabbath and the Melvins, but I wouldn’t say those bands influence us specifically.

I get most of my inspiration from bands we play with, so seeing Bismuth recently made me think about layers in our sound, or Wild Rocket made me thing about their use of effects, and then I’ll try to interpret those experiences our own way. One band does really stand out though. In our early days, we played a few shows with a band called Like a Kind of Matador who were from Leeds, England. They had such an unusual approach to song structure and guitar playing/tones, which really stuck with me. They’d no bassist, either, which appealed to me, too, and helped me realize that it’s only convention which dictates a band’s line-up. We don’t sound anything like them, but just seeing a band do things their own way with no thought for how they’d be perceived certainly made us want to do the same.

If we were to take peek at your playlist these days, what would we be listening to?

I’ll give you the last five records I’ve bought:

Part Chimp – 'IV' (2017). Their last record was maybe eight years ago and they’d been on hiatus for years, so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this really is their best album yet. Monstrously heavy and sounding completely epic, they out-heavy just about anyone else making guitar music today. Incredible band.

Soundcarriers – 'Entropicalia' (2014). A friend turned me on to this record, and it’s definitely not a doom album. It combines '60s French pop like Serge Gainsbourg with a sort of Can-esque drumming and weirdness, like the soundtrack to some lost arthouse movie.

Hornets – 'Witch Hunt' (2017). Raging hardcore from Belfast! These guys embody what I think of as hardcore, rather than the sort of awful metalcore stuff that passes itself off as hardcore these days. They’ve a real doomy edge, too, which adds a really creepy feel to their sound, and are one of those bands who can make negativity and anger somehow sound uplifting. We’ve played a lot of shows with them and they’re so intense live. Great band.

Documenta – 'Drone Pop #1' (2015). I’m flying the flag for local music here. These guys have been around for a while, but I only really heard them last year and this record has barely left my turntable since. I’ve no idea how to categorize this record. It’s really cinematic, with just amazing textures and guitar sounds, beautifully produced and really moving.

Holly Hunt – 'The Wait/Bowling Green' (2017). This is the most recent 12” from this two-piece. I was a fan of their first album and through nerdy guitar stuff online I hooked up with them, leading to us releasing a split 7" a couple of years back. They’re absolutely amazing, again, hard to categorize, but if you’ve any interest at all in heavy guitar sounds then this will appeal to you. Their sound, a bit like Part Chimp, is almost overwhelmingly huge.

Let's switch gears now and talk about your own discography. How do you feel about your output to date and do you see a progression, musically?

I suppose I feel proud of it all, just because I know how difficult it is for bands at our level to create any kind of longevity. There’s no monetary reward and for the first few years it’s generally playing to small crowds. I think a lot of great bands just fizzle out, which is always a shame. My friend has a theory that in every town of a certain size there will be at least one amazing band, but that they won’t ever really be heard outside of that town or their own basement. I’ve certainly seen those bands here in Belfast and it’s easy to see why some things don’t last. I feel good that Chris and I kept going, kept being excited about playing music together, and maintained a reasonable prolific output, which in a way is just a reflection of our friendship.

Each record represents where we were at that time, really, so although the early stuff -- and all the stuff with the previous line-up, to be honest -- feels like a different band, I’m still reminded of how much we enjoyed things at the time. That being said, once Marty joined the band it felt like we’d really opened the door to being able to do all the stuff we’d always wanted to, and the records we’ve done with this line-up are something I feel really proud of.

We practice in a lock-up in an industrial estate here in Belfast. It’s certainly not glamorous or "pro" in any way, and yet there are three great looking records that folk around the world have thought enough of to spend money on. Holding a copy of one of those records in my hands is a very satisfying thing, I’ll not deny it, and I’m sure anyone who releases a record feels the same way. That really blows my mind and it’s a great feeling.

As for progression, that’s the aim. I suppose it’s up to the listener to decide if we’ve achieved it or not. We’ve never deliberately tried to reinvent ourselves, but it felt like we took a leap forward once Marty joined and that each release since has been closer to the sounds in our heads. On the last record, I think we were fairly happy that it sounded like we’d hoped it would and that the songs has the light and shade we’d aimed for. It's maybe the record where we felt we’d included all the things we’d tried out on the previous two, but hopefully in a more fully realized way.

What's the Slomatics approach to writing and recording new material?

It’s different every time, really. I think we all have a sort of unspoken role in the band, and we try to work together to our strengths. I write most of the riffs, which are the initial ideas. Often, I sit at home with my iPhone recording wee 20 second segments and building up a load of ideas. Most come to nothing, of course, and probably 70% of them are just me messing about with delay pedals or weird noises. I’ll bring them to the practice room and if the others think there’s something worth working on, then we’ll jam it out and think about dynamics.

Marty often interprets my ideas completely differently to how I envisaged them, which is always a cool moment as the song takes on a more collaborative form. A lot of the last record was written that way. Chris is always a good sounding board for what makes the studio. He’ll always try moving riffs about before dismissing anything, so he’s a great barometer to have. And unlike me, he’s a really technically proficient player, so he’ll have ideas about where chords and things fit in. It really is different every time, though. The last record was basically written by me and Marty, but of the three new songs we’ll record in November, one is fully collaborative with all three of us writing riffs, one is all Marty, and the third is all me. It just depends who has ideas at a given time.

Recording has changed a little through time. We used a great studio called Start Together here in Belfast for 'A Hocht' (2012) and 'Estron' (2014), but then switched to Skyhammer for the Holly Hunt split (2014) and 'Future Echo Returns' (2016). This was mainly as we’re now on Black Bow Records, but also because the studio is so amazing. Chris Fielding from Conan is the engineer at Skyhammer and he has such an amazing ear for heavy sounds. We loved the production he’d done on the Throne and Conan records, so it was a very easy decision to go to his studio. It’s stress free, as Chris is really easy to be around, and we trust his mixing completely. There are very few tweaks ever done. We’ll record the next record in November there, too.

What's most important when writing a new song: the lyrical concept or those musical ideas you referred to?

It always starts with the music. If the riff isn’t there, then there’s no skeleton to hang the song on. We usually write all the music first and then Marty goes away and writes all the lyrics and melody, although recently he’s started writing sections as we go along. He really does spend a lot of time and effort with the lyrics and it’s not like they’re an afterthought. We’ll often change the structure to create space for where the lyrics will fit, even before they’re written.

Do you plan on booking some shows outside Ireland?

Actually, we play more shows outside of Ireland than we do at home these days. We don’t tour due to work and family commitments, so most of our shows will involve flying into somewhere, playing a show or two, and then flying home. It’s frustrating in some ways, as we end up turning down shows that we know would be amazing, but we all accept that it’s just how it is. It’s not that we don’t love playing Ireland, either, but for a band like ours playing a couple of shows a year is enough, as Belfast is pretty small and folk would get tired of us if we played every weekend. I think I might get tired of it, too! In the last year, we’ve played England a few times, Scotland, the Hostsabbat Fest in Norway, and of course Roadburn, and we’ll be in Las Vegas in August before returning to England in September. We’d love to play away more often, though. There are places like Germany and Sweden we’d love to play. Hopefully in 2018!

You are playing Psycho Las Vegas this August. I believe Billy Goate recommended you to the organizer, who asked for his top picks. How will you prepare for that event? What other bands are you hoping to get to see?

Yeah we are! It's a bit of a mind-blower, to be honest. We couldn't believe it when we were asked. I replied to the organizers that we live in Ireland and don't tour, but they were super cool and keen to have us over. Our mates in Conan and Tombstones have played it before, so we knew a bit about the fest. It's like a who's who of the heavy-alternative scene. It should be a real blast, seems like a really well organized set up with an insane lineup.

As for getting prepared, the main thing was sorting out equipment, which is all organized now. Beyond that, it's literally turn up and play! We'll probably do something special with Jon from Conan, too.

As for who I'm excited about seeing, all the usual suspects like Sleep, Neurosis, The Melvins, and Corrosion of Conformity. I'm sure they'll be amazing, as always, but I'm really stoked about seeing stuff I've not seen before, like the Brian Jonestown Massacre and a band from Sweden called Domkraft, who I really love. There's so much: obviously Conan, but the likes of Chelsea Wolfe, Psychic TV, Wizard Rifle, and Murder City Devils will be on my list, too. Hopefully I'll see as much as possible.

Tell me more about the local scene in Ireland.

Honestly, that’s a whole separate interview in itself. Ireland has always had an amazing history of local music, but I’d say that right now things are better than ever. There’s a pile of doomy stuff going on, with some really great bands like Nomadic Rituals and 7.5 Tonnes of Beard putting out cool music, but the most interesting stuff tends to be at the edges of different scenes. Bands like Maw, Hornets, Documenta, The Bonnevilles, Los Reyes, Junk Drawer, Bosco Ramos, New Pagans, Gnarkats, Hiva Oa, Beauty Sleep, Venus Sleeps, Wild Rocket, Horse, No Spill Blood, Robocobra Quartet -- honestly the list is so long.

There are a couple of really great venues like Voodoo and the Black Box, too, run by cool supportive people and with excellent PAs and crew. The scene is generally well supported; we’ve not played to an empty room for years now. There’re some great promoters bringing bigger names through town and putting local bands on bills, which is great, and we’ve a world class studio here, as I mentioned, called Start Together.

For a few years, I noticed that all the best local bands were older folk who’d been around for years, but in the last couple of years there’s been a real run of young bands playing really exciting new music, which is amazing to see, even if it does make me feel old! I suppose my only criticism would be that there could be more crossover between scenes and in the arts, in general, but then that’s true of most towns.

Any cool bands overall that I should check out?

My top three:

Maw. A two-piece who blend ultra-heavy riffs with amazing melodies that somehow remind me of Pavement and the Melvins simultaneously. They use a weird set-up of hand built amps and pedals, too, so my inner geek finds them very satisfying.

RoboCobra Quartet. Again, nearly impossible to put in any specific genre. They sound a bit like if Henry Rollins or maybe Steve Albini did a jazz record. Heavy as anything, but with saxophone and no fuzz boxes.

Documenta. I know I’ve already mentioned this record, but it’s really worth a listen, if you’re a fan of cinematic, hazy textured guitar stuff. In particular, their album Drone Pop #1. Not heavy at all, but with some really creepy interludes. It has that ability to transport me away when I listen to it. It’s just a masterpiece.

If you were headlining a festival and you have the opportunity to choose the bands, who would you choose?

In reality, I’d stick loads of local bands on there, but I think I’ve banged on about that enough, so I’ll go international with this one:

Pink Floyd. The 'Live at Pompeii' (1972) era. When we started the band, both Chris and I were really obsessed with that DVD, so in the dream world we’d transport them through time and put the festival in an Italian amphitheater.

Part Chimp. To this day they’re still the loudest band I’ve ever seen and I think they’d set the standard for colossal riffs at any festival.

Mudhoney. Being of a certain age, I was a big fan of early '90s fuzz rock. I saw Mudhoney last year and they were even better than when I saw them in '92, so they’d get a spot in my festival line-up, for sure.

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. Because it’s Tad Doyle, no other reason required!

Monoliths. They’re a three-piece with folk from Ommadon and Bismuth, both insanely heavy bands, and the marriage of the two is just as good as I’d hoped, with huge, looping, meditative riffs. I’d like something to trance out to at the fest, so these guys would do that nicely. Plus, they use about 100 amps live, so the stage would look really cool between all that and Floyd’s gong.

Conan: Yes, they’re old mates of ours so hanging out would enhance my festival experience, but also because they’re just so good. Their wall of Green amps never ceases to impress, either.

I’m old, so I’ll keep this festival line-up to a one-day affair, as I’d be too wrecked for a second day. Between Monoliths, Part Chimp, Conan, and Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, my eardrums would need a rest, so I’ll go for John Carpenter. I think his stuff is really amazing, and if he played the ‘Lost Themes’ (2015) material I’d be able to relax nicely, maybe in one of those collapsible camping chairs with the drink holder. I can’t imagine much better.

Last of all, I've always been curious about the meaning of songs like "Estronomicon," "In The Grip of Fausto," and "Into The Eternal" off of the latest album, 'Future Echo Returns' (2016).

We get asked about the meanings of specific songs quite a bit and I always feel like I’m ducking the question a little when I answer. The reason is that we don’t like to spell the songs out for the listener. We’d prefer people take their own meaning or interpretation of the song. I know that sounds pretentious, but when I listen to music I like to be transported somewhere by it and that experience may be the same for everyone else or perhaps it’s totally different. I like to believe that the latter is the case and that what might be transcendental for one person could be really superficial for another -- both are fine.

The aim of our music is to be whatever people want to take from it. All that being said, yes, there is a narrative to the album, which follows on from and concludes the story of the previous two records. We’d always intended these to be a trilogy with a beginning and an end. This album hopefully feels like a conclusion. We tried to sequence the songs to create a sense of being on a journey with a certain pace and feel. We do have a clear story to the record, but as I said, it’s up to you to decide what that might be. We try to leave song titles and lyrics open to interpretation. Hopefully some folk pick up on that, but at the same time if anyone just wants to stick on a record and crack open a beer hopefully it works on that level, too. Maybe the next record will be more straightforward and we’ll have a song called "Viking Skulls," which is actually about the skulls of Vikings -- you never know.

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Green Light: The Best of The Week

Lorde. Photo: Paradigm Agency

  Well, it’s that time of year again, when downtown becomes the backdrop for FPSF. While the likes of Lorde, Solange, and more will all be in town for the festival, that doesn’t mean that it’s the only game in town. Performances from JMSN, Dressy Bessy, and Deicide will all be here as well while locals like Cool Moon, The Cops and more fill in the gaps. Houston, here’s what you should be doing this week.

  On Wednesday you could get started over at Discovery Green for the Party on The Plaza series, this time featuring the music of Nick Gaitan. Gaitan has been the leader of bands like Umbrella Man, as well as bassist for Billy Joe Shaver and most recently Nikki Hill, and he’s a not to be missed act. The jazz infused Latin rock of Nico Diaz will be on hand as opener for the free and all ages show getting started around 5 pm.

  The Cops. Photo: Trie Blair Fulco

  If that’s not your thing then you could head to Walter’s for VHS Night: Cop Night with The Cops. That’s right, a live set from Houston punks The Cops will take place after two cop movies are shown on a big screen. There’s also a VHS swap meet of sorts, free donuts, and more for the all ages event getting going with doors at 7 pm and more information, here.

  Over at Continental Club, the high energy rockabilly of The Delta Bombers will swing by to perform. These guys are known for their crazed live sets, and their latest release The Delta Bombers sounds like a time warped infusion of rock, swing, and rockabilly. The four piece will be playing without a support act for the 21 & up show with doors at 9 pm and a $10 cover.

  Nathan Quick. Photo: Sherita Perez

  Thursday you could begin at Presidio when Houston singer songwriter Nathan Quick will stop by to play on the big patio. Quick has been changing up his sound as of late, returning to a more intimate and bluesy sound with last year’s The Sound. The show gets going around 6 pm, it’s all ages, and it’s 100% FREE.

  There’s something crazy happening at Improv where Val Kilmer will be on hand to introduce his one man play, “Cinema Twain.” I know, that sounds bizarre, but it’s true. Often referred to by many myths, Kilmer has been acting a long time, and this film covering his one man play about Mark Twain should be nothing if not interesting. The one night only event is 18 & up with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $30 and $70.

  You might rather head to Nightingale Room when Houston’s Hescher swings by to drop his dark electronica. Hescher is definitely different, but not a stranger to the Houston scene, and while I’ve only heard good things about his live shows, his single “Scarlet Shell” is definitely worth checking out. The electro pop jams of Rex Hudson will open the 100% free show for 21 & up patrons with doors at 7 pm.

    Deicide. Photo: Continental Concerts

  Down at Scout Bar, the heavy and brutal death metal of Deicide will be here to play their scary sounds. The controversial band has been blowing ear drums since the early nineties, they’re pretty intense to see live, and their latest release In The Minds of Evil from four years ago still holds up. There’s no word of openers or direct support, but that should change on the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and tickets between $12 and $17.

  Walter’s will have the anti-racist Oi Skinhead punks, Booze & Glory by to drop a set. These guys have been making London shake for a good while, and they’ve become well known for their crazed energy when they play live. Their mix of rock, punk, and Oi music is pretty impressive, and their latest Chapter IV is London through and through. Houston’s The Velostacks will bring their leather punk on as direct support while the Skinhead hardcore of Houston’s Thug Boots will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $10 and $12.

  On Friday you can get started with the Summer Breeze festival when it gets kicked off over at Splashtown (the DIY Venue, not the water park). The kickoff party will have some epic performances from the likes of Austin’s Nosferatu, Enemy One, Houston’s Narrow Head, LACE, and more for the all ages show with doors at 7 pm and a $10 cover.  More information is available here.

  Trout Fishing In America. Photo: Don House

  Mucky Duck has the funny antics and fun sounds of Trout Fishing In America over to the intimate venue. The acoustic folk rock duo from Houston has been delighting audiences since the late seventies, and their shows are a mix of funny songs and serious licks. Their newest album, The Strangest Times returns the band to their original duo sound. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $25 and $28.

  Rudyard’s will have Houston’s The Dead Rabbits over to perform their blend of Irish folk meets punk. While the band plays in the vein of bands like Flogging Molly, their Celtic punk sounds are pretty fun and full of energy. The bluesy stoner sounds of Stonework will be on as direct support while the punk of The Unconvicted will go on prior. The insane one man band intensity of D. Kosmo will open the 21 & up show with doors at 7 pm and a TBA cover.

  Kimi Kent. Photo: Rachel Lynn Photo

  Over in the Foundation Room at House of Blues, you can catch the folky sounds of Houston’s Kimi Kent and Tyler Lucas. With both backed by a full band, each has a sound that’s worth making it out for. Kent has a more blues pop sound full of lush vocals all over her debut, Wayward Child EP, that really showcases her larger than life sound. Lucas has a more singer songwriter sound that’s impressive as well. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

  The Armadillo Palace will host the birthday party for Houston guitar slinger The Mighty Orq when he headlines a set with his backing band The Unusuals. Orq is definitely an act that every person in this town should check out. While his skills on a six string are fairly unmatched, the good time jams from his latest release To The Bone are hard to deny. Deep voiced singer songwriter John Egan will be on hand as direct support and opener, and he’s a guy you shouldn’t sleep on. His latest album, last year’s Magnolia City sounds like it was recorded on the Delta, complete with some guitar that’d make Muddy Waters proud. The 21 & up show has doors at 8 pm and tickets for $10.

  Lil Uzi Vert. Photo: Paradigm Agency

  Things on Saturday could begin with an early morning trip to Eleanor Tinsley Park for this year’s FPSF. Opening with sets from Houston’s Camera Cult and Kay Weathers on different stages, the two day festival has a pretty stacked day one. Performances from Deep Cuts, -Us, Rose Ette, and Khruangbin will fill up the early hours of the festival before sets from Hurray for the Riff Raff, Cashmere Cat and Lil Uzi Vert happen later. The first day of the festival is capped off with performances from Grouplove, Post Malone, Cage The Elephant and more for the all ages event that has gates at 11 am and tickets between $148 and $999.

  If you’d rather keep things on a more grassroots scale, then the Summer Breeze fest over at Walter’s is probably more your thing. With performances from a slew of punk bands, the technically second day of the fest should be a doozy with a headlining performance from Olympia punks Gag. These guys have been called everything from magnetic to hardcore heroes, and tracks like “Locker Room” should give you an idea of their intensity. Sets from Sexpill, The Secret Prostitutes, The Pose and many more will also be on hand. The whole lineup is available here for the all ages show with a $20 cover or two day pass for $30 and doors at 4:30 pm.

  Over at Mucky Duck, the jazz infused Americana of Austin’s Phoebe Hunt will be in town to bring her energy heavy tunes to life. Here to support her newest album which doesn’t get released until the day prior to this show, you can get a feel of her twangy goodness from her last release Walk With Me. The 21 & up show has doors at 7 pm and tickets between $20 and $22.

  JMSN. Photo: Orienteer PR

  Later on at White Oak Music Hall upstairs, the sexy jams of Detroit’s JMSN will swing by to melt hearts with his sultry tunes. Possibly one of the tightest performers I’ve seen in a good while, this guy dropped It Is last year only to follow it up with Whatever Makes You Happy this year, both of which are full of killer tunes. The soulful jams of Quin will be on as direct support, and she is rumored to be amazing to see in person. The R&B of Canada’s alcordo will open the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets for $15.

  Satellite Bar will have the folky electro pop of DC’s Pueblo by to perform. These two make songs that sound like if Dusty Springfield and Air made tracks together. They’ll be here in support of their latest Boring The Camera from this year. Houston’s Alex Riddle will be on as direct support while the folk rock of Grisbee will open the 18 & up show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $8 and $10.

  On William Street, Terraform will return with another unofficial after FPSF party. This edition will feature sets from BRKCHK, gonner, Kunai, and many more. With sound and lights from Lynchpin Audio and an open bar all night, the event should be a banger from start to finish. The doors are at 9 pm, there’s a $10 cover, with address info and lineup here.

  Charli XCX. Photo: Paradigm Agency

  On Sunday day two of FPSF will get underway with a closing set from New Zealand’s Lorde. The singer songwriter has been turning heads since her dissociative single “Royals” blew up and rocketed her to stardom. Lorde brings a lot to the table, as David Bowie was and the remains of Nirvana are all fans of her work, and with a new album on the horizon, this performance should be full of new songs. That shouldn’t overshadow the fact that Solange will also bring her lovely tunes to the festival, as will The Shins, Portugal The Man, Cheat Codes, and Charli XCX alongside others. The day gets kicked off with early sets from MIEARS, Bang Bangz, The Wheel Workers, Hiram, and Night Drive as well. The all ages event has gates at 11 am and tickets between $148 and $999.

  Discovery Green and Wonky Power will team up to bring you a new concert series called Sundays in The Park. This opening edition will feature the indie rock sounds of Houston’s Vodi. Full of lush tones and energy, Vodi is a great way to chill and get excited at the same time in the Summer sun. The all ages show gets going around 4 pm and it’s 100% FREE.

  You might want to swing by Walter’s for day two of the Summer Breeze fest, as the second day is just as stacked as the first. With a headlining set from Austin d-beat punks Impalers, Houston’s Skourge, Dress Code and more, things should be insane from start to finish. The whole lineup is here for the all ages event with doors at 4:30 pm and a $20 cover, or a $30 two day pass.

  In the studio at Warehouse Live, the hip hop meets pop sounds of San Antonio’s Austin Mahone will be here to drop a set. Mahone makes the kind of songs that stick in your head, while having a personae that he takes to the stage. His latest, For Me+You from last year has gained plenty of steam, and his live show is worth checking out. The R&B of Atlanta’s The YRS will be on as direct support and openers for the all ages show with doors at 6:30 pm and tickets between $25 and $27.50.

  Monday you could head over to The Secret Group to catch a set from Houston rapper Kay Jay. since running through a rough patch that included a little time behind bars, this guy has turned his life around and kind of makes moves that’ll make your head spin. With his latest release Seize The Day, Kay Jay has features with Devin the Dude while his last single with Paul Wall “Live For Today,” hits hard. New Trill will open the all ages show with doors at 7:30 pm and a measly $5 cover.

  Walter’s will be bringing the no frills and straight ahead rock of The Split Squad to town. Featuring members like Clem Burke of Blondie, this five piece makes music that’s reminiscent of the past without sounding dated, and their debut Now Her This… is pretty epic. The highly energetic and fun sounds of Denver’s Dressy Bessy will be on as direct support and their latest Kingsized sounds better live. There’s no word of openers for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and tickets between $12 and $15.

  Gouge Away. Photo: Zack Rogers

  Tuesday you can head to The White Swan to catch Florida’s Gouge Away. Possibly one the most impressive sets I’ve seen from a direct support band before, their last time in Houston opening for Ceremony was amazing. Their newest release, Swallow is hardcore greatness, and their intense show is worth making it out for. Houston’s History Repeats will be on as direct support with Shallow going on beforehand. Things get opened up by DAZE for the all ages show with doors at 8 pm and and $8 cover.

  Over at Walter’s the sunny bedroom pop of New York’s Adult Mom will swing by to perform. With critical acclaim and a rumored energetic show, this four piece should be worth making it out for. It doesn’t hurt that their latest release, this year’s Soft Spots is catchy and fun. The indie pop of Philadelphia’s Free Cake For Every Creature will be on as direct support while the energetic indie rock of Houston’s Cool Moon will go on beforehand. Things will get opened by the indie folk of Greg Cote & the Real Life Friends for the all ages show with a $10 cover and doors at 8 pm.

  That’s about all that’s happening this week. No matter what you decide to do, please be mindful of others and remember that a safe ride home is just an app away.

Green Light: The Best of The Week this is a repost