#joni makes amazing writing music.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Long before the last note Antoine had grown aware of Zelda’s presence; but as he finished, he looked up at her with a newfound vulnerability in his eyes. As she stared at him unmoving, he absentmindedly moved his hand along the strings to fill the quiet left by the watching stars, “Was it alright, you think? Writing lyrics, it’s new. Harder than assembling notes, if you ask me.”

She looked at him in amazed silence. His original piano pieces had been brilliant, and sometimes he had written ditties for her to sing, but never before had she heard him sing his own lyrics. She had always known how much he loved it - this place that he had left but that walked alongside him everywhere he went; but it was so much clearer this way, so full of both love and hate, loyalty and disdain, longing and relief, that it was difficult for anything other than music to encompass it. 

She brought her hands together in something that may have been a clap if she wasn’t so afraid to disrupt the stillness of the desert air. On silent footsteps, she left her reverie behind and moved to sit where he had made room for her on the worn wooden bench.

She looked at him earnestly, trying to ease his fear with even just the movement of her eyes, “It’s brilliant, Antoine, truly.” And she meant it, not just because she was under his spell and not her own now; the judgmental eyes of God and her sisters were shut out when she was in his orbit. Now there was only him and his memories for her to get lost in. 

He left his hands on the strings, still playing the familiar notes as though they helped make the admittance easier to utter, “You were right, you know? When I play it’s like I can see it all laid out in front of me. Or better yet, under me. Like I’m above it, observing it all like a story. Makes me realize I loved it more than I thought I did. That house. That place. Her. I wrote it because I know it’s gone now, probably nothing but rubble under a cheap government build. I just don’t want to forget. Or maybe I don’t want the world to forget.”

The stars looked down on them as his smile widened with every inch she drew closer to him. They reflected brightly in her eyes as she leveled them to his, “Would you sing it again? So I can hear it better?”

He let out a small laugh, just as much in relief as in humor. “Surely you would prefer to sing it? With a voice like yours I would hate to imagine what mine must sound like.”

She brought her knee up on the bench with them, curling as close as she could without dislodging the guitar from his arms. “Hush and sing. You don’t need me now.”

“I always will, Mrs. Duplanchier. No matter what. But as you wish….” 🎶

Part 3/3

(As Antoine is meant to have written House of the Rising Son in this universe, I’m going to leave a little disclaimer about this song and its origins under the cut, in case you are interested!)

The origins of the song House of the Rising Sun are much older and more complicated than I have presented here. Folklorist Alan Lomax has written more on it if you are interested, but it is commonly thought to have originated as an English folk song, morphing into the version we know today amongst various groups of American immigrants.

Perhaps best known for its 1964 version by The Animals, it has long formed a staple of American folk, blues, rock, and country recordings, with recorded versions by everyone from Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, Doc Watson, Nina Simone, Dolly Parton, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Alt-J (amongst so many others). However, I have taken inspiration from the earliest known recorded version, which was done in Appalachia in 1933.

Of course, in having Antoine write this song I have compressed much of this history into a single figure, as well as slightly twisted the meaning of the song to fit the story line. The latter is mostly based on personal interpretation of the lyrics and is purposefully meant to draw a line from this family’s musical heritage through the 1960s and beyond. It also gives a face to the very real figures behind many of the staples of American music that have come to us from the early part of the 20th century, many of which were written or played by black men and women whose songs have continued onward while many of their names and stories may have been forgotten.

[xhunnybeeex]

Hayden christensen character music/playlist headcanons 

playlists at the bottom of sections :3

❥ ~ Sam Monroe ~ 

Sam Monroe ~ mainly listens to mall goth/ metal, that's just cannon. However, he DEFINITELY got really into other goth subgenres while finding cds. 

Sam Monroe ~ would have to be forced to admit he loves riot girl movies. 

“Is this bikini kill in your mixtape?” you ask Sam as you dig through his cds. “I didn't know you were into riot girl music.” “I'm not,” he grumbles. 

Sam Monroe ~ loves angry midwest emo music. He loves the emo whine. 

Sam Monroe ~ doesn’t have a very diverse taste. He only really likes alt genres, but every once in a while you'll see him nod his head to pop songs on the radio. 

"this is clearly a differnt genre what are you talking about" sam protest. "Theyre all just screaming how is that different!" you yell back.

Sam Monroe ~ is the type to say “name three songs”, but only in front of other alt people to look cool. 

Sam Monroe ~ loves the goth culture but doesn't know how to become part of it, especially without getting bullied. 

Sam Monroe ~  loves making mixtapes with songs he likes to pair together, even if they sounds the same 

Sam monroe playlist done by me ⇦ ⇦ ⇦

❥ ~ Anakin Skywalker ~ 

Anakin Skywalker ~ obviously doesn’t have any cannon music taste so the following playlist is all what I PERSONALLY think Anakin would like to listen to or are him “coded”. This one was the hardest for me to do and is honestly probably the most inaccurate. 

Anakin Skywalker ~ is clearly pretty when he cries, and very lana del rey coded

Anakin Skywalker ~ would have a very open music taste, he listens to what people show him

Anakin Skywalker ~ likes classic rock and acoustic music from obi wan, sad girl music from ahsoka (oh you know she showed him mitski), and softer popy music from padme. 

Anakin Skywalker ~ never knows the names of artists, always has to hum songs for people to know what he's talking about. 

Anakin Skywalker ~ always asks Ahsoka to play her music when flying, but he'll always deny that he does. 

“Why don't you pick your own music for once!” Ahsoka groans in annoyance, rubbing her face in her hands. “Cause i'm flying! "Anakin yells back in protest. “Just admit you like my music.” Ahsoka smirks, plugging her comlink into the ship and getting her playlist on. Anakin stays silent. Pretending not to hear her and stares off at the stars in front of him as he flys. 

Anakin Skywalker playlist by me ⇦ ⇦ ⇦

❥ ~Stephen Glass ~

Stephen Glass ~ has a very diverse taste in all sorts of funky music

Stephen Glass ~ who lives for folk music but also is obsessed with pop music 

Stephen Glass ~ can’t not have Lady gaga on his playlists and knows all her songs. He yells at people who don't know summer boy because that's his favorite. 

Stephen Glass ~ who grew up on bob dylan and the beatles

Stephen Glass ~ was always a Brittany defender and refused to do journalism about her. He would never lie about the queen herself. 

“Did you guys see that britney spears-” his co workers gossip. “I need to be excused.” Stephen immediately stands up and walks anywhere from the conversation. He doesn’t want to hear what they say, and no one wants to know what he would respond with. 

Stephen Glass ~ loves to relax to calming 70s music. 

Stephen Glass ~ is a huge music nerd, but isn't even aware of it. 

“This is Joni Mitchel, she's super cool. She's canadian. I just found that out. I’ve been listening to her for years but I just found out. Crazy huh?” Stephen rambles. You chuckle in amazement on how much he knows and how fast his lips move. “Jeez you sure know a lot about music.” Stephen shakes his head and smiles. “Oh no, not really. I couldn't even play anything if I tried. But anyway did you know-” 

Stephen Glass playlist made by me ⇦ ⇦ ⇦

A/N///: OMGGG im very happy to fianlly have stuff posted again. i have been so out of it lately. this is my first time ever writing headcanons so go easy on me. i have had this sam monroe playlist made for a while now and it gave me the idea to make a lil post about it. i hope yall enjoy and maybe even have a listen. happy thanksgiving and stay hot. - beee!

[eopederson]

Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Gershwin Prize Concert, Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, 20 March 2024. Upper photo: Elton John with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. Lower photo John with Bernie Taupin leaning on the piano.

Yesterday was an eclectic one for music. In order to make reviewing a pile of income tax documents tolerable, I queued a playlist of recordings that had been lost in the depths of the CD cupboard and only recently copied to the iMac. The list began with some 12th and 13th century Spanish music by the group Alia Música.  That was followed by a recording of Beethoven’s Christus am ölberge, a Haydn symphony, some show tunes by the Tin Pan Alley tummler Leonard Bernstein, and the first of two CDS of Bach’s Johannes-Passion (listening to the second disc as I write this). After an early dinner it was off to Constitution Hall for the Gershwin Prize tribute concert for Elton John and Bernie Taupin. Staged by the Library of Congress annually to honor winners of the Gershwin Prize, the 2024 concert included performances by, among others, Metallica, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlisle, Garth Brooks, and, amazing as it sounds, Joni Mitchell. The musical day concluded with a performance by the overweight and crippled Elton John who despite health challenges is still a master of the rock piano.

[sweetdreamsjeff]

Jeff Buckley: They Don't Even Know Me Yet

Martin Aston, MOJO, January 2003

In 1992 Jeff Buckley gave his first ever press interview. A decade later, MOJO unearths this incredible, little-seen document.

AUTUMN IN NEW YORK, 1992. A tiny East Village cafe, the Sin-e. It's packed, but there's a seat near the very front, under the singer's nose. His, eyes are clenched shut. He's nervous, edgy, but it's a truly memorable show; jittery, comical, thrilling, mesmeric. When he's singing the voice is pure, stretching high-low, curling around a song. He closes on a song that could very well be a lullaby, and your eyes close with his.

Three days later, in another tiny cafe, via a mutual friend who knows Tim Buckley is your all-time favourite singer, and who told you, 'You gotta hear his son', you meet Jeff. He's dressed down — plaid shirt, jeans — which draws you to the face; short, thatched hair, looming eyes, rich lips, a wary expression. It's his first ever interview, and he's nervous, defensive. The first thing he says, almost before handshakes, is whether you're here purely because of Tim. No, but then again, yes. He accepts that there's little point writing about Jeff simply because you love Tim, any more than you can avoid Tim because of Jeff. In the end, only Dutch magazine OOR takes a chance on an interview with a total unknown: based, of course, on the familial connection to Tim. The interview is never published in the UK. By the time everyone catches up with Jeff the interview is out of date. But now, given his death and enshrined appeal, it's timeless.

When did music first make an impact on you?

As a child. There was my mother's breasts and then there was music. It felt like another person in the house that floated with me everywhere. All my life, I've sung along to the radio, stuff like [Spiral Staircase's] 'I Love You More Today Than Yesterday'. My mum would drive me to school, playing mellow Californian radio, stuff like Chicago, Crosby Stills and Nash, Blood Sweat and Tears, Sly and the Family Stone, James Brown, The Temptations, every day! She married a car mechanic, who couldn't carry a tune, but he had amazing taste and he turned me on to Booker T, Led Zeppelin and Joni Mitchell, Hoyt Axton and Willie Nelson. My mum pretty much sung to me — she's a classically-trained pianist and cellist. So it was mainly me and my mum, because my parents split before I was born. I hung around my grandmother too — she'd play me stuff like The Chambers Brothers.

It's rare to hear someone smitten with both traditional blues and modern blues. I'm thinking of your cover of 'Fare Thee Well'.

That's Dink's Song. It was originally written by a washerwoman. That's where the best music came from, from old European-American criminals bringing Africans to America. My favourites are Robert Johnson and Bukka White, The Staple Singers, Billie Holiday. I cover 'Strange Fruit', too. I figured I wouldn't be able to meet these people, so I learn from them by hearing them sing. Some of the coolest music is Johnny Cash, which isn't a black or white thing. I love Mariachi music, Ray Charles, Edith Piaf, the Sex Pistols, Muddy Waters…I just saw gifts dangling from them and wanted to take it. I guess I want to be an archetypal entertainer, an archetypal bard, a minstrel. I guess I have a romantic vision. Even though punk happened to me, and Robert Johnson, I want to be a realty good storyteller, and those songs have great stories.

What do you love about 'Twelfth Of Never'?

I cover the Nina Simone version. It's just the way she does it. I can't get into Elvis's version, it doesn't capture my imagination, though he had a beautiful voice. Every time I hear 'Can't Help Falling In Love', I cry. I can't separate Charles Manson from The Beatles or the Clambake movie from Elvis, though. But I love all music. I'm the Cocteau Twins' biggest fan, too. They allow their deepest eccentricities to be the music itself, and not just something they want to project. Liz Fraser is one of the only originals. They're just regular people, too. I got to meet her once, she was very shy, which puts a weird curve on music as well. Imagine that sound coming out of her mouth when she's in the kitchen scrambling eggs.

Was music your first true love?

Besides sex? One surrounds the other. I can remember being obsessed with my stepfather's stereo, getting into trouble for using it. He was really possessive of control over it, like a car. It was expensive equipment, so I was really careful. Then one day, I wanted to listen to a live bootleg of Jimi Hendrix, and he went mad. I had a tape player in my room, I shared it with another kid in the family. You had to stick a hanger in it for it to work.

How do you feel when you open your mouth and sing?

Like it's real. I feel like crying. I feel like I am crying! It's the middle point between laughing and immense joy and crying. I feel the best when I'm singing.

When did you start?

In front of an audience at a family get-together. My stepfather got drunk and fell asleep in front of everyone, and my grandmother got really embarrassed, so to direct attention away from him, I sung every Elton John song I knew. I was a huge fan then. They gave me some silver dollars for doing it. I was 13 (laughs). My friend and I started play electric guitars, you know, 'Stairway To Heaven', for a talent show at junior high school. We lost…We were living in southern California then. I later had a band in northern California, in Willetts, called Axxis. It wasn't my idea. It's one of the 19 cities I've lived in, I attended four high schools. One I spent two weeks in. My mum was quite a gypsy.

What did you make of your own voice?

I hated it, but I got over it. I'm horribly self-critical. I think the first time I heard it, I thought no way could I ever keep anything from anyone, it was all there in the voice. Some ways that people sing, they put it across in language, and it's almost impossible, because they have a wall between them and the expression. I'm trying to get deeper in the hole, trying to learn things when I hear voices.

Did the concept of singing on a stage come easily to you?

It was totally natural, I just did it. It was like going to the beach, like, I'm going into the ocean! I never thought about it. I first sang at a dance in Northern California Methodist Church, to high school kids. When I was 13, I already knew what I wanted to do. My all-time favourite was Led Zeppelin, and I knew I wanted to belong to that. In the '70s, there was an overspill of rock life, which becomes coffee table material, with books on Kiss and rock stars on TV. I knew it was possible for some people to do it for a living. I spent hours listening to Magical Mystery Tour. I felt like an archaeologist, which is fine, because I liked dinosaurs! But that was the wrong direction.

I left home when I was 17, because I was tired of moving around. I played in lots of LA bands, just to make money. There was a reggae band for a while, The AKB Band, a rag-tag motley crew, with one rasta guy. I played guitar. We ended up backing up U-Roy, Shinehead and Judy Mowatt, and at the Bob Marley day at Long Beach. We did cheesy session work for demos, too.

What did the experience teach you?

The simplicity. I guess it didn't teach me much at the time. It's like your parents telling you what not to do. But Pablo, the rasta, everything he said about playing makes sense now. Forget the next band. I then decided not to spread myself that thin. I didn't like southern California, LA especially. Hollywood isn't a real town, but that's the reality of it. I'd wanted to see New York since I saw it on TV when I was 12, to experience the energy, so I took off in 1990. I got a couple of jobs, and went hungry for a long while, before I got an offer to record songs in LA, so I flew back, and recorded four songs. I went back-and-forth a bit, before I met Gary Lucas at a show in New York, at a tribute show to my father. I thought playing with Gary would be interesting but it turned out to be a disaster. We had two completely different paths…the cart was before the horse. But I learnt to go out and sing, in impossibly intimate settings, when guys are right up against you. You learn how to move a room. The biggest challenge is to put a song across live. The audience shouldn't see your face, or your body, they should just hear you.

Do you enjoy the New York scene?

I dig it. If I was in LA, I wouldn't be doing anything, but here, there's a real respect. There's a respect for anything original. Maybe I'm overpoweringly romanticising New York, but so many amazing things happen here on an ordinary level, like Lou Reed lives here, wow! I first heard him in '76 but he got into my soul, it just takes one time, like Helen Keller…it's just the sound of the song. I was in somebody else's car, feeling lonely. Heroin is so beautiful, like a big black kiss, the way it builds. He sounds like a punk who knows everything. He's got such erudition, but he's not too smart.

What stage are you at right now?

Always at the beginning. I'd love to make a record. Clive Davis at Arista wanted to sign me but he hadn't heard me, it was just on the basis of what his right hand man, the head of A&R, had said. I plan to start from what matters. In September, I'll perform all new material, a lot of covers, and I wanna find people to play with. Yeah, a band, just because of the certain feeling I need. An energy.

Can I raise the delicate matter of your dad, Tim?

Sometimes, with people who knew him, they've come for a nice night out, but they see me, they don't think about him. Those who do, I don't hang around them. We're different. The people who knew him, they have apparently a very magic memory, but it's been a claustrophobic thing all my life. I knew him for a total of nine days. He never wrote, never called.

Do people claim that you're just your father's son?

If anyone mentions that, I walk. If I go to a club, and some writer uses that area, then I rip the shit down and say, Fuck you, see you later, we can talk about this next time, because I'm on my own.

Do you listen to his records?

Yeah, mostly to learn about him as a person. He wrote a couple of songs about me and my mother, which is sometimes tough. His style has nothing to do with what I do. It's funny that we were born with the same parts, but when I sing, it's me. Technically, I can do what he did, but our expression is not the same, it's a completely different sphere. His was a different time, influenced by Dylan and the folkies. I don't even talk like him. But I can do a good impersonation of him, knitting up my eyebrows, which makes people laugh.

As far as music goes, so many people who I know and love, who give me so much, they don't even know me yet. I want to make something completely new. I was into Miles Davis in 1984, he said he could tell when people were paying tribute to him but it was just copying. The only way to pay tribute is to bring something new to the fold. I want to work so hard that everything of me bums away, like the chemical in the match. Which leaves what really is me, or what I think is me. It can be such a joy. Like the Beatles, they were geniuses, you know? Music's like a sign language between people, so when a guy from Iran or America hears The Beatles, they go 'Wow!' They don't think of killing each other. There's something about music that hits the cavemen in us, even more than a speech or painting. I just want to achieve my own vibe. I want to go someplace else. There's more ways of saying 'I love you', more ways of saying 'where the hell do I fit in?', more ways of saying 'why doesn't anyone love me?, 'when is somebody going to want to kiss me?' I'm sick of waiting, waiting to be understood. And it's nothing arty, nothing lofty, it's just fucking different, and I want to leave this world behind a little so that maybe I will see that it's bigger and I haven't left it at all.

[therecordchanger62279]

     There’s the Mount Rushmore that everyone knows about in South Dakota, but if you watch sports talk shows, a popular topic these days is to ask the talking heads for their Mount Rushmore of the four best in a particular area of sports. It might be teams, or players at a specific position, or it might be coaches.

     It’s an interesting discussion most of the time because choosing the four best in any field can be somewhat daunting. We don’t do sports here, but I thought it might be interesting to apply the Mount Rushmore discussion to music. So, what I’ve done below is choose those I think belong on a Mount Rushmore of Performers, Songwriters, Vocalists, Guitarists, Pianists, Drummers, and Bassists. I didn’t limit myself to any genre because I listen to all kinds of music. I simply chose those artists I think most highly of; artists I listen to because they make a personal connection with me when I hear them.

     In the case of songwriters, however, I broke the category down into three sections. The first is for composers – those who compose the music. The second is for lyricists – those who write the words. And the final songwriter category is for both music and lyrics. I find those who write songs for a living are often better at one thing than another. Maybe the music is wonderful, but they don’t write lyrics, or they aren’t as adept at lyrics as they are at music. Some lyricists are amazing, but many have difficulty when it comes to writing a great melody. Of course, there are some songwriters who’ve mastered both sides of the craft in mostly equal measure. So, to be fair, I made separate categories.

     I claim no particular expertise here. The only musical gift I possess is a great pair of ears. But for this, that’s all I need. Rather than question my choices, you might ask, instead, who you would choose, and why. If nothing else, it will define what you value most when you listen to music. (The names are listed in no particular order.)

PERFORMERS

     Bruce Springsteen

     Tina Turner

     Mick Jagger

     David Bowie

VOCALISTS

     Frank Sinatra

     Barbra Streisand

     Linda Ronstadt

     Gladys Knight

PIANISTS

     Yuja Wang

     Chick Corea

     Thelonious Monk

     Keith Jarrett

GUITARISTS

     Jeff Beck

     Duane Allman

     Carlos Santana

     Frank Zappa

BASSISTS

     Ron Carter

     Paul McCartney

     Jaco Pastorius

     Chris Squire

DRUMMERS

     Charlie Watts

     Ringo Starr

     Bill Bruford

     John Densmore

SONGWRITERS (MUSIC)

     Brian Wilson

     Paul McCartney

     George Gershwin

     Randy Newman

SONGWRITERS (LYRICS)

     Bob Dylan

     Chuck Berry

     Paul Simon

     Jim Morrison

SONGWRITERS (MUSIC & LYRICS)

     Carole King

     John Lennon

     Joni Mitchell

     Smokey Robinson

[tradetobest]

That fan art of Jamie is stunning!! I love it!! You did such an amazing job. So talented, as is your writing :)

I do hope you write that little scene to go with the art. I know I would read it :)

yeah ill literally cry thank you so much im going to sob my eyes out!!! CRIES !!!!

for best effect PLEASE listen to this if you didnt listen to the song from my original post literally begs. hope you like this

jamie has always loved the city. growing up in toronto had instilled in him a love for the noise and movement that a city provides, the near constant background noise of cars and people and life that colour its character and being.

anaheim is no different, and his and trevor's roof provides a perfect glimpse into both the quiet of suburbia and an overview of the city, the echoes of cars just barely reaching his ears, a perfect backdrop for playlist-filled nights. or, nights like this one, where jamie has been grinding on the guitar for weeks and just—

"i just..." he trails off, looking up at trevor, "i've been—i've been working on this for... i like this song, so just no playlist for now."

"jamie, do you ever think i'm going to say no to free music, c'mon," trevor plops both himself and the speaker down on the roof, all criss cross apple sauce and patiently waiting for jamie to start. it makes him rub his fingers nervously over the frets of his guitar, and he takes a deep breath. he can hear a car going down the street near them.

"alright. alright." jamie breathes, and starts strumming.

besides the distant rumble of the city the roof is quiet, and the opening chords echo out into the night. jamie doesn't look up at trevor's face, because if he sees it he might stumble over a lyric or fumble his fingering and he really wants to get through this perfectly, just like he's been practising.

he opens his mouth and starts to sing.

now, as he had discovered through much trial and error, singing while playing is hard, because multitasking is hard. he'd never been one of those people who could use two parts of his brain like that, never been one to chirp while stick handling his way towards the goal. he's sure if trevor ever set his one track mind on performing some taylor swift song he could do it in a week, at the longest. but, jamie had powered through the way his brain had almost made his hands just stop working as he sang, and now here he is.

thinking about it now, taylor swift might have been a bit more straight forward than a song his mother used to play in the car, but trevor had been the one to introduce him to taylor swift, and all feelings he has about her and her music are entwined inextricably with trevor.

he needed to convey something more, so joni mitchell it was.

this song especially invokes a certain feeling in his heart, a special ache for the simplicity that comes along with childhood, the basic love of the world that comes from being young, the feeling of finding joy in the simple once again, the simplicity of trevor's smile and the way his eyes crinkle and the way he makes jamie's life feel simple again, makes him feel the way his golden-coated childhood memories do.

trevor is a boy wrapped in the warm yellow glow of nostalgia, classic and yet by jamie's side all the same, solid and real and touchable in the way memories are not. he's everything jamie's ever wanted and more.

jamie glances up and catches a glimpse of trevor, his golden-glow boy, staring at him in what looks like a euphoric combination of shock and awe.

his jaw is slack, his phone in his hands but lowered, camera pointed towards jamie like he was taking photos and was shocked stupid by jamie's singing, by his playing, by the song he's playing for trevor.

his eyes flit back down to his hands as the song wraps up, the last few chords echoing out into the night until it's once again city-silent. the sun is setting on trevor's face, taking him from golden through to red.

he's still got a shocked look on his face, but it's slowly morphing into a smile as he realizes jamie is looking up at him, and he places his phone to the side slowly, coming up onto his knees in a sort of aborted crawl move.

"jamie," he breathes, and jamie looks him in the eyes before flicking his gaze away, towards the city, because trevor looks intense. his gaze his dark, and the smile on his face is one jamie has only seen out of the corner of his eyes, directed to him in moments where he wasn't supposed to be looking, almost like it was a secret that trevor had to steal when jamie wasn't looking.

“jamie, that was incredible, i—” trevor reaches out and grabs the guitar out of jamie’s hands, placing it gingerly to the side and shuffling ever closer, kneeling in front of jamie and bringing up the same hand that had wrapped around the neck of the guitar to move it up to jamie’s face, cupping it just as softly as he’d grabbed the guitar.

the soft clang that the guitar strings made when the instrument was placed down echoes in jamie’s ears as he looks back at trevor.

“jamie,” he breathes again, and leans in to close the small distance between them, pressing their lips together. trevor’s lips are soft, and his chin is slightly scratchy against jamie’s. one of jamie’s hands comes up to the back of his neck to keep trevor pressed up on him and he can feel a smile spread on trevor’s lips into the kiss. 

he pulls away and smiles at jamie, and there’s the golden eye crinkle that jamie loves so much, and his heart almost explodes. 

“you learnt a song for me,” trevor murmurs, and jamie hums.

“yeah, i did,” he says, and trevor’s smile widens. 

“you’re such a sap.” 

he leans back in, connects their lips again, and jamie thinks that if being a sap could get trevor like this, than he’s glad to do it any time.

ANYWAY !!! HOPE THIS IS FINE :D!!! GLAD U LIKED MY ART THANK U

[dollarbin]

Sandy Saturdays #3:

It'll Take A Long Time

Sandy Denny never had a hit record. The only time her voice appeared on the singles chart she was singing in French, turning Dylan's Manfred-Mann-recorded creeper tale from 64 about where Bob's romantic partner is allowed to sleep, If You Gotta Go, Go Now, into an accordion driven novelty track.

I don't know about you but I'd rather have Sandy tell me where to sleep than Bob, especially given what Dylan's been accused of by a woman who was 12 year old at the time (google it if you must; it's the kinda story that makes the Dollar Bin shudder and quake, wondering if I should be writing about Care Bears or something equally benign instead).

Fairport Convention's awww shucks French language version, Si Tu Dois Partir, skyrocketed to #21 before the buying public moved on to everything else that happened in 1969. I don't imagine the single's Magical Mystery Gore cover art contributed much to sales.

Within six months Denny quit Fairport Convention. She'd never make the single chart again.

But she should have! If you want to get depressed, spend a little time researching the hit songs from 1972. Denny's not the only essential musician of the era who did not make it big; Van Morrison made his best (brace yourself, here comes a controversial opinion) record that year, Saint Dominic's Preview; its lead single Jackie Wilson Said topped out at #61 (but it was #1, thank goodness, in Ireland!). I think it's a cause for debate whether or not there are 60 better pop songs in history than that shakedown stomp a song. And Joni Mitchell's You Turn Me On, I'm a Radio barely fared any better that same year. But this piece of sorry shat sat at #1 for 6 weeks:

The song is a fitting soundtrack to every nightmare I've had about dental offices. (It's also kinda good, I guess, especially the part where he worries about his mother; someone outta comb Gilbert's chest hair for him and tell him everything will work out...).

Alone Again (Naturally) did lead to some good in the world, however: Biz Markie took the track and made real art out of it two decades later.

Maybe it's time for me to hunt for Biz in the Dollar Bin. He's on fire here. The poor guy needed a ride and didn't get one. Then it started snowing! Damn, I forgot about Biz Markie. He's awesome. And then there's this song. Biz Markie!!

Where were we? Oh yeah: Sandy Denny, 1972. Seriously, imagine if the graceful opening track from Sandy, her second solo record, entitled It'll Take a Long Time, with its orchestral swells and steady, shimmering glory, had not gone unnoticed that year. Imagine if it had dominated the charts instead of Alone Again.

Biz Markie would have then followed in Denny's footsteps, putting out his own version of her song entitled It'll Take A Long Time (For Biz To Sing This Song) 20 years later. And Sandy's estate would not have attempted to ruin hip hop in response (that's what Gilbert O'Chesthair did: he sued Markie and put the breaks on all the sweet sampling that was going on in early 90's hip hop, thereby shoving great bands like De La Soul into long term creative limbo). Rather, Sandy's estate would have reveled in the attention, spreading her amazing, largely forgotten music far and wide.

Just imagine a world in which everyone grew up knowing It'll Take a Long Time... Donald Trump never would have been our president. Who could like Denny's song and vote for anyone who preaches hate? Biz would have beat the Donald out in 2016, and served as our 2nd Black head of state, bringing peace, stability and voice cracking beats to the world over. Sure, Biz's untimely passing in 2021 would have been cause for global mourning, but his VP, Queen Latifah, would then be our current, first female and first queer, president and, as her first act of office, she would have put statues of Sandy and Biz up in place of some confederate nonsense.

It'll Take a Long, Long Time folks to clean up all the mess we're in. But we can get there.

[sofarsoundsne]

Interview with Athena Lim

Hi Could you introduce yourself and who influences your music? "I am an emerging singer-songwriter and artist. My influences range from pop, folk, blues, rock, jazz, reggae, funk, classical... which all culminate, in one way or another, in my indie-folk-pop sound. Bob Dylan is a major influence on my song writing regardless of the musical style my songs align with after production.

Who are currently your favourite artists? "A few favourite bands and artists: Parliament Funkadelic, Winterbourne, Coldplay, Florence and the Machine, Van Morrison, The Lumineers, Nina Simone, Sandy Denny, Charles Mingus, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, Adele, George Ezra, Clara Luciani, Katie Gregson-MacLeod."

What are you are most proud of? "Last year, I was accepted to do graduate studies in Print at the Royal College of Art & Design (London) but chose to pursue music aggressively instead. Recording for my debut EP wrapped at the beginning of the year and my first single 'Being Someone' was released on February 14th. 'White Dust', my follow-up single, drops March 10th. The EP is slated for release in May. I'm already working on my sophomore album and the majority of that is written." What’s happening or do you hope will happen in your music career? "I am an ardent fan of magical realism in literature and the visual and cinematic arts and I think I use this kind of filter in my creative process. An aim of sorts is to capture and process experiences by elevating them to the realm of the poetic somehow. This is really what music, and all art, allows us to do. I want to make the common inspiring and the mundane seem magical - because they are. The process of creating makes me feel the weight of fate. It makes me feel alive."

What song do you think our followers should be listening to right now? "Two artists to check out: Anya Radinovic is a crazy amazing pianist. Her music is this unique fusion of fiery world rhythms and classical melody and precision. Listen to "Afro-Baroque" under Anya Piano. Virtuosic harmonica player, Bryn Scott-Grimes, literally breathes life into that wee little instrument with modern grooves and beats. His latest release "Moves" makes me think of beach bumming with the Beach Boys... Completely unbiased recommendations regardless of them both being dear friends..."

[jrmenvs3000f23]

Week 7 - Hear the music

Blog Prompt: Where is music in nature? Where is nature in music?

One of the most powerful songs I have heard which connected me to nature, and specifically the imbalanced power dynamic of humans and the natural world, is Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi.  It broke my heart that a beautiful, natural space would be covered in concrete.  While there is more to the song, the image that sits in my mind is of a massive parking lot, in the middle of beautiful fields, desolate of people and cars.  It is an image of thoughtlessness and entitlement.

I think that the power of music is how it can give us new ideas while also engaging our with our own experiences and imaginations.

Another consideration for the importance of music in any type of interpretation is that we often listen to music simply for the type of sound.  We usually pick music to listen to based on a genre and the lyrics are secondary.

I used to (and still do) love listening to the song Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil because it sounded so ‘hard-core’ (I was young) and therefore cool.  But I mostly listened to it as background and only sang along with the main chorus; I didn’t fully understand all the lyrics.  I only became consciously aware of the true intention of the song when I saw an interview with the band discussing their early engagement with the climate crisis – the song was released in 1987.  I realised that while I did not fully understand the lyrics until then, I did have a sense of the intention: acknowledgement of our cost to the planet, our responsibility to nature and our apparent inability to escape a cycle of denial.

When I think of nature and music, I think of human-made music with lyrics about nature, such as the examples above.  I do not think of the sounds of nature as suggested by the reading “The Music of Nature and the Nature of Music”.  I appreciate this article because it reminded me of a film I watched in elementary school: Tadpole and the Whale (La grenouille et la baleine).  The main character, a young girl, could hear the whales when she floated in the water.  I thought this was amazing and I was in love with the idea.  I will admit that I have yet to build up the nerve to submerge myself in the Gulf of St Lawrence to try and hear them too.

But I am reminded by all of this that one of my favourite sounds – pieces of music? – to listen to is the wind in the leaves.  I rarely sit and do nothing except listen to music.  If it is on then I am doing something else as well; reading, writing, cooking, singing along and dancing, but never just listening.  The wind in the leaves on the other hand, I make time and space to do nothing but listen to.

I really like the idea of engaging people in nature interpretation with their sense of hearing.  Whether it is recommending music so that someone can have a ‘soft’ introduction to a nature concept or giving guests a different opportunity to connect with the natural world around them.  Music or sound is a unique way of engaging which does not rely on delivery of facts or visual observation, it can simply be an experience.

[audiofuzz]

Signed to Madonna's Label at 15yrs old - Louise Burns Showcases Her Incredible Talent

We had the pleasure of hearing Louise Burns today for the first time. We can tell you that her music is deep, soulful, and in the vane of Kate Bush meets Joni Mitchell. Burns’ vocals are smooth and captivating. She sweeps you off your feet with her luscious vocals and keeps you floating on a cloud. It FEELS like floating, TASTES like sweet pomegranate and SOUNDS amazing! Check out the video for “Bloom” below and learn more about Louise following that: Following the release of her newest single ‘Bloom’ released on 24th of March, British-Canadian songwriter and producer Louise Burns releases a music video out on the 4th of April 2023. Burns is British-Canadian, born on the Sunshine Coast and raised in Cranbrook BC in the East Kootenays, and is heavily influenced by the likes of British greats, such as Kate Bush, Brian Eno and Depeche Mode, which is reflected in the album. ‘Element’ encompasses the notion of “holding your head high as you tunnel out of the emotional wreckage of life as we know it”. According to Burns, there is nothing more radical than being joyful despite what you’re going through. Burns’ fifth full-length album ‘Element’ was primarily co-produced between Burns and Jason Corbett (ACTORS) at his Jacknife Studios in Vancouver, and also features collaborations with Colin Janz (Teset) and vocologist Carol-Lynne Quinn. The nine-strong track album was pieced together over a two-and-a-half-year span between Burns’ home and Mexico. ‘Bloom’ is a refreshing change of pace to the album with its bright and airy melodies. This song perfectly marries the 2000s groovy influence Burns is known for with her layered R&B vocals and synthesizing beats. Burns also shows us her love for the ocean with the sound of waves in the track, as well as the visuals throughout the video. The video for ‘Bloom’ completes the vision that transports us to the place that Burns was inspired by while writing this song. Burns explains her inspiration for the track, “I got heavily into nostalgia as a coping mechanism during the pandemic which influenced some of the sonic palettes I was choosing. I suppose I tried to make a chill out downtempo love song inspired by mid-90’s video game music… I brought it to Jason (Corbett, co-producer) and he really made it come alive. I think it’s my first attempt at a proper love song, in my own faux-misanthropic way…”  Director of the video, Brandon William Fletcher describes the vision for the video: “‘Bloom’ hit me very personally. Like most of my favourite Louise Burns songs it represents the voice of fear and doubt of intimacy inside my own head. From our earliest conversations we found we had a lot of universal experiences re: a love for old films, theatrical productions, and late 90's pop songs. The imagery she sent me was reflective of films I was watching at the time and the colour palette's I've been exploring lately so it felt like a great start. All the emotions of the song, the additional inspo we collected accompanying it, and the overall oceanic vibe to the album Louise completed seemed to organically lend itself to the idea of being underwater. The idea of drowning in your feels, being overwhelmed or not in control, subsumed by the opportunity for love. Plus who doesn't love a little pirate sea witch aesthetic?” The music video for ‘Bloom’ is out on the 4th of April 2023 and the full album ‘Element’ will be available 21st April 2023 via Light Organ Record Read the full article

[savebylou]

I wanted to write my thoughts about aotv otherwise I will forget my initial reaction. I really can't write short thoughts so it's a long post.

Things that I like or stand out in not particular order:

-The confidence of Louis: It's really show in the documentary, the fact that he didn't think to be a solo artist after 1d and then after the x factor performance and seeing with time how still had love and support from fans and he started to think about it and the support of his mom, team and loves ones help him wanted to be a solo artist.

Even I know being on 1D was really meaningful for him, the team behind the band suck, Syco and Modest where the worst combination for everyone but particularly for Louis they never let him feel worth it and that is something he had to build himself on the band against "all of those voices" who were telling him he is not important (that part of him wanted a solo on Gotta Be You and he didn't get it was horrible), thank god for Louis character that he didn't stop fighting and find his place during one direction and after, because I can't imagine a world without Louis music and songwriting.

The Louis you see on the first Dallas show is a different Louis than the one in Milán. The Louis from Milán had 80+ show under his belt, he saw the love of fans around the world, he saw the meaning of his songs, he saw that he was love and worth it and that even if people in the industry didn't believe in him, his family , friends, team and fans believe in him. His confidence in each show keep growing and it was something beautiful to see.

-Louis team/band: I think is so great that Louis has find people that he can trust and understand him, support him, love him and see the artist and person he is and how much things he can and will achieve because he is talented and is determined. Is so nice to see how close he and the band are and the difference between Louis vs. other artist in terms of them hanging out and being treated equally.

Since AFHF documentary I had so much appreciation for Helene. She is such a supportive and amazing vocal coach. Is so nice to see how she is always encouraging Louis to trust his ability and that he will be a different artist after every tour getting better and better.

Oli was so sweet and fun to see. I supposed he was a fun guy to be friends with Louis but it was nice to see on the documentary and I like that he was so supportive after Louis performed and said it was better than 1d. Joni in a voice over said that Louis took the best fans of one direction and I thought that was sweet.

-Louis family: Even I knew for spoilers they will talk about Jay and Fizzy it was hard to watch and I can imagine how hard was for Louis to let that part of his life show for all the people to see. He is really brave and same with their family, can't imagine how hard was for them to talk about such a difficult time. It's nice to see they all support each other.

-Behind the tour: I like to see the night behind Portland night 2 and how everything work, that was by far my favorite show. The times in Iceland or Brasil, it was great to see that they hang out and be normal.

- Doing FITF: Even if it was brief I love this part, it was so interesting to see him on the studio and how the other collaborators said to him that if he does the vocals the way that he wants they don't really have to retouch or do a lot of post production with his vocal (something like that) which I find it so refreshing to hear people said to him that his voice is enough, the way he sings it it's great. I also found it so interesting him hearing the album on the plane with his manager making notes of what he wanted to change. This man was on a plane making changes to create the masterpiece of FITF. I wish we had see more of that but I get that not everyone want cameras on the writing process.

-One direction: This was really heartbreaking, you can see the struggle on Louis face before the last performance, and he talking on camera about how he handle the news etc. It's different to hear it in interviews that see it the footage of him being sad and dealing with that change and even after how weird was for him that Liam or Nail sing 1d songs.

-The car interview. There is a fragment after the James Corden show when outside he is taking pictures with fans and leaves in a car, he explains how it takes time to adjust mentally when fans ask for pictures etc. Because when he doesn't do that he is a normal guy doing his life and it takes times to adjust to that change when he does press and see fans, I find it really interesting the thought process.

-The soundtrack: I think the way they place the songs from 1D and especially the ones with Louis album fit so well. I just love hearing Louis songs on the cinema it sounds so freaking good.

-The final line of finally feel that what he has achieve thinks he deserves it and saying out loud for the first time was beautiful to hear and really meaningful and showing the footage from kid to him in the solo tour, perfect editing.

Things I didn't like:

-I guess I wanted more content? I think because I saw AFHF documentary they use part of the footage so it was kind of boring for me that segment, I get why they put that fragment because it explains the timeline with COVID but I wish they use other footage or only a brief narration with Louis talking about it. I just wanted more content. The Fallon and Corden interview they weren't necessary, maybe just the backstage part and after him with fans and the interview on the car, but at some points was a little repetitive of content I really had saw and was hoping for more new content I mean Charlie has footage for years.

-The fans interviews: I really felt that they show only one type of fan, the fan that spends so much money on so many shows and is willing to camp for days just to be more close to him and travel around the world to see him. This type of fan is a privilege fan, which I mean good for them that is how they want to spend their money and time, but there are different fans of Louis (also there are negative aspects of camping for days in terms of health of the fans). I wish it was show more of how fans see Louis, his music, him as an artist, how much the music mean to them, something, it doesn't have to be that specific but jus this only type of fan just shows fans who put the life on hold to follow Louis around, it just shows a devouted-crazy fan but not a meaningful why they are a fan. The stalker purple girl was a choice, I just really don't get why this people get so much validation when some behavior is scary.

-About the LATAM crowd/shows. I really hate this US/UK whatever nationality they have fans speak about the LATAM audience, I didn't think I need it outside fans to tell how Latinos(as) are as fans, it was already explain in the documentary by Louis and his team and now you interviews this privilege fans to explain it? Why? There are plenty of fans who speak English and can explain it and you can also film it speaking in Spanish or Portuguese and then find a translator. I just think it was a waste opportunity to not interview more LATAM fans and if he did at least show more that footage. I think Charlie wasn't in a lot of the LATAM tour but at least ask Joshua to do it. You know why the energy different Charlie? Because international artist visit each countries like once every 3-5 years, so when they visit there is a lot of excitement and you want the artist to feel love and with the feeling of wanting to come back soon. I think they only show some interviews from fans who camp for months? Again this narrative of fans putting the life on hold just to be as close as possible to Louis. Gracias pero no gracias.

-I really don't want to talk to much about the obvious but I will said it it's really clear that Louis want to show certain narrative and it's working for some fans so..I will just said that body languages speaks volumes and it felt awkward and really long for me. But he knows what he is doing even if I don't understand it the reason behind it.

-I wish they show the Asia leg tour and the Australia shows at least some. I guess they didn't show it because post production?

Overall it was a good documentary, I think it shows Louis as a person and the different things he had to deal with in his life & career to get to a certain point of success and confidence of him as an artist. I'm just so proud he did this worldwide, the amount of excitement and fans around the world who got the opportunity to see him on the big screen was something really special and seems from articles that did great in sells in different countries. Hopefully soon it can stream for fans who couldn't watch it and I think the gp could watch it when it's on streaming platforms and learn about Louis.

I always love Louis content, either small interview or a documentary is great to learn a little bit more about his thought process and experiences as an artist. I hope this is not the last documentary he does and I know the sky is the limit for Louis, can't wait to see what he has plan for the future.

[chegadesaudade]

✨ post 9 albums that remind you of your muse, then tag 9 people to do the same.

for iris:

yunomoq by Yunomi / hello, world by Kizuna AI / ZZZ by Sayaka Sasaki

for tuesday:

Ladies of the Canyon by Joni Mitchell / Songs From The Big Chair by Tears for Fears / Come Away With Me by Norah Jones

for K.K.:

Sea is a Lady by Toshiki Kadomatsu / João Voz e Violao by João Gilberto / Parcels by Parcels

✨ TAGGED BY: the impeccable, inimitable @90smagicalboy​ ✨ TAGGING: @anticnaut @bowbowsette​ @psychcdelica @psyncin-in-the-restrain @spurnedadulthood @starveinedvenues​ @twinbluebirds @writtenbybrie and anyone else who’d like to do this! 

[gucciwins]

Next City

orlando brings nothing but peace and smiles

Word count: 3608

A/N: hello friends, this story is a joy to write. allows me to take a break from the stress of uni. this is a short part, more as a filler. i'm making this story as i go, so i am trying to outline a bit that allows the story to flow.

warnings: nothing but fluff

please reblog!!! and let me know what you thought :)

love on tour series // previous part

Orlando, Florida

"You know that's probably the first time I'm on a plane, and I didn't read a book." You tell Harry as you put your lilac cardigan on, taking your black Saint Laurent backpack that he was holding out for you.

"Are you saying I'm good at keeping you entertained?"

"Yup, you're a good storyteller. Should forget the singing career."

Harry throws his head back, laughing. "I'll be sure to mention it to Jeff."

You watch him go down the steps, your eyes trained on his ass that looks amazing in the Harago embroidered shorts. You thank the air hostess one last time before ascending down.

You feel the Florida air hit you and hold back a grimace. You love sunny weather but also like a bit of wind with it, not the humidity. Harry offers his hand to you as you're on the last few steps and accept it, not wanting to fall on your face. You thank the crew once more just as Harry does; he's making a few jokes as you begin to walk ahead. It's always a bit weird walking directly on the tarmac then into a car.

Harry rushes forward, taking your hand in his as he walks you over to your car that will be taking you to the venue. New York was a dream, but you were excited for Florida, a bit of sunshine, maybe a bit of sightseeing. It would be a bit of traveling as there were three shows scattered around.

As soon as you get in the car, you relax and lean against Harry. All this traveling gets tiring, but you can't say you aren't enjoying it.

You get to travel with your boyfriend—it gives you butterflies every time you think about it and see him perform in a new outfit each night. You are almost at the halfway mark of shows, and you're trying to plan a pleasant surprise for Harry, and you're currently running blank. You've told Jeff you want to do something for North Carolina in a few days, and you have his full support. The only good thing is you have time to plan.

The drive to the venue felt quick, Harry having played his playlist titled "Sunshine" and telling you about which one was his favorite and which one he didn't like so much anymore but matched the playlist well. Harry was shocked when he found out you weren't that well versed in music—well, English music at least. Growing up with Hispanic grandparents, you were exposed to artists like Selena Quintanilla, Menudo, and Los Bukis.

You showed him new stuff as well, something he did not actively search, but at random times throughout the day, you would receive texts of songs you might like or songs he found by a Spanish artist you enjoyed. There indeed was no dull moment with Harry when there was still so much to learn.

You both shared a mutual love for Joni Mitchell, something Harry did not stop talking about. You didn't want him to, either.

Arriving at the venue, Jeff left you both to get settled in the dressing room until Harry was called for soundcheck. You saw him place small things in the room to make it feel like home; he threw his pink beanie on the couch, took your backpack, and hung it on a hook next to his. Then walked over to his outfit for the night and opened it up as if to let it breathe.

"You're going to look very nice tonight."

"Yeah, missed the suspenders, did you?"

You tilt your head taking in the powder blue suspenders. "Maybe, I will miss the fitted trousers."

Harry rolls his eyes playfully, "Be back soon enough."

"They better."

Your phone rings just as Jeff walks into the room with Tommy right behind him. Harry frowns because your time together has been cut short for the time being. You pick up your phone "Naomi," a bit odd. "Go on, H. I'll be out soon enough."

"Right, don't belong, querida."

"Bossy," Tommy mouths jokingly at you both, causing you to laugh as you answer the call, and Harry chuckled, amused by you.

Harry walks over, giving you a quick kiss before ushering both men out.

"Naomi, babes. Hi." You speak. Hopefully, she was still there.

"Ugh, who were you with?"

"Harry, he just left. Why?"

"Hmmm…your boyfriend, huh."

You roll your eyes; she uses the word every chance she gets. "Yes, we established that a few days ago."

"Making sure it was real."

"You're a menace." You tell her, causing Naomi to chuckle loudly into the phone. "What do you need?"

"Need you to come home," She answered gravely.

Your heart drops, "What happened? Who's hurt? Fuck—not your parents right." You're freaking out, and she's not saying a word. "Say something, please."

All you hear is breathing before a loud laugh can be heard on the phone. "All is well. I just wanted to see how you'd react."

"I hate you."

"Sure, and I'm married."

You pause, "you know I wouldn't put it past you, but I would also murder you if you did that without me."

"I would never. Also, Sarai would not do it without you there."

"Was there a reason for this call besides raising my blood pressure?"

"There is."

"On with it, you demon." You're smiling so wide you know she can't see but hope she knows. You miss Naomi like crazy.

"We want to go see you."

"You do?" You shout, not expecting that.

"You sound surprised."

"Well yeah, I always go to you."

You know she's rolling her eyes at you, "Cause you're the one always traveling buried in work."

"When were you thinking?"

"Atlanta." You nod; that's toward the end of the month. "If that works for you because we have a random week off, and what better way to use it than getting to see a free concert—I mean seeing my best friend."

"You know, I'm starting to think you want to see my boyfriend and not me."

"What? Never."

You chuckle, picking up on the sarcasm dripping from her voice. "I'll discuss with Jeff to get you picked up and then send you the details."

"Yay, I can't wait to hug you."

"Ditto, babes. Need me to get you flights?" You offer.

"All covered."

"If you're sure."

"Course I am. I got to go; I just wanted to run that by you."

"Glad you did, made my fucking day."

"Good, good."

"I love you, and send Sarai my love."

"Of course, I love you too."

That is some news, you know it's a bit away still, but you can't wait to spend time together. Harry will get to meet Sarai and Naomi officially as your boyfriend. You glance down at your phone to see the time and see that soundcheck is halfway done, and you promised Harry you'd head over. You rush over, going to see the Love band kill the rehearsals just as they do every time.

"You've both made the front cover again," Jeff says, interrupting Harry painting your nails sage green.

Jeff hands you his phone showing you photos of Harry helping you down the plane. Then a few of Harry waving with you, smiling at a crew member in the back. There is none of you holding hands, and you're thankful.

"We look nice." Harry comments. Not at all bothered.

You shrug. "I hate the paparazzi. Never get my full body, anyone. How are people going to see my outfit? They're only going to be talking about Harry's amazing shorts."

Harry bursts out laughing, putting down the nail polish to not smudge your nails. "Darling, you look great in everything. Always named best dressed."

"Says you, Mr. Vogue."

He shrugs, faking a hair flip. "It's so hard; you must try to keep up."

Jeff looks at you, both amused and a bit concerned at how neither of you is taking this seriously. "You're in the press again. More rumors."

"Friends, Jeff. Just friends." Harry grins at you with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Right, okay." Jeff turns to address you. "Viola says you have an interview soon."

"I do."

"What will you say if they ask about Harry?"

You wait for a second, thinking about your answer, before looking up at him. "That we're friends."

"But you aren't."

You sigh, "they don't know that, Jeffery."

"So you're going to say, friends. You're going to stick with that."

You look at Harry to see him already staring at you. His eyes tell you he doesn't mind. He likes keeping you to himself; you nod in understanding.

"Yes, just friends."

Jeff shakes his head. "You're both a little crazy but also really perfect together."

"Kindest thing you've said to me all day, Jeff, thanks." Harry grins up at him proudly.

"Bye then, dinner in thirty."

You giggle as he walks out, blowing on your drying nails as Harry finishes the last fingers on your left hand. "What are you craving to eat, amor?"

"Soup sounds good."

"Oh, think they'll have that rosemary herb bread? It was to die for in New York."

"I'm sure if you ask nicely."

You look up at him in disbelief, "I'm nice." He chuckles, "right?"

He nods, leaning in to kiss your lips softly, "The nicest and the sweetest, also the smartest."

You grin at him, "you treat me so well. Showering me with compliments."

"You deserve to be reminded, always."

You're sure your face is radiating happiness. Harry makes you feel nothing but joy, and you know it's the same for him; the dimples never seem to disappear when you're around.

You're sitting on the couch as Harry tucks in his sequin-laced blue shirt into his trousers, the suspenders hanging on his side.

"Could always unbutton one more." You're looking at his chest that shows not one inch of his butterfly.

Harry doesn't look at you. Instead, he looks at his mirror, unbuttoning just one more before sliding the suspenders on. You can't help the smirk that takes over your face; he did it to tease you, but also because he likes hearing your opinion.

"See, better."

"Have a feeling you like me for my tits."

"You've finally caught on." You tease.

Harry turns to face you, moving close until his face is right above you from where you're sitting, "quite a fan of your tits as well."

You quirk an eyebrow, do you, Mr. Styles? Care to demonstrate how much."

Harry, never one to back down from seeing you topless goes to unbutton your shirt when the doorknob starts rattling. Then the knocking begins. Harry groans, moving away from you to the door.

"Harold, open up. We've got to get you to the stage."

Before he opens, Harry turns to look at you, "cockblocks."

You giggle, because yes, they ruined your moment, but it's a good thing, or Harry would have made it to the stage very late tonight.

"Welcome, Jeff, oh and Luis." Harry greets overly happy.

"Why was it locked? You can't do that so close to show time." Jeff lectures Harry as you stifle a laugh on the couch.

"Sorry, dad. Won't do it again."

"Good."

Luis picks up his lanyard that is sitting on a table when he spots you. "Oh, didn't see you there; you're very quiet."

"Like a mouse, I've been told." You nod, not surprised he missed you.

"Well, you look incredible."

You look down, staring at your flared blue jeans and your pink button-up with tiny red hearts scattered all around. "Thanks, Luis. First-person who's told me today. Thought the top fit a little tight." Gesturing to your cleavage area where you've unbuttoned the first two showcasing your red bralette.

"I say it politely and with love, but fuck off. I told you, you look nice." Harry comes interrupting your conversation.

"You said it, nice. He told me I looked incredible." You shrug, "there's a difference."

Harry turns to glare at Luis, who's holding his hands up, "cool it, H. Sorry you're a sucky boyfriend. Make up for it later; you need to be delivered, sweet goods." Jeff interrupts once again.

You laugh at Harry's backstage name. It's precious and fitting for him.

"Fine, fine."

You get up, about to follow them, never one to miss a chance at seeing Harry make his way into his box.

"Wait," Harry points at you.

You freeze right next to the door.

"Darling, baby, querida, you are amazing, the prettiest person here, always outshining me." He exclaims, wanting you to know how much he means it.

Your smile softens, "thank you, Harry. It's not necessary, I promise. I know how much you like my outfits. Compliments aren't necessary."

"So what was that with Luis?"

You shrug, "riled you up, didn't it."

"Woman, you are brilliant. You're so smart, and that is so attractive. Know me so well already."

"Shut up and kiss me already."

Harry leans in, not needing to be told twice; you press yourself right against him needing to feel every part of him you could on yourself. You're lost in the taste of Harry, the sweetness he always fills you with until there's a loud shout of his name that makes you jump apart.

"Think you've got to go."

"Yeah, got a performance or something."

"Go on, rockstar."

You've decided you'd never get tired of watching Harry perform. There is this energy he brings every night that takes your breath away. The interactions with the fans are memorable and always make you laugh. You love how many film cameras there are each night, and you know you need to have Naomi bring yours with her for when she comes.

Each night there are hundreds of pictures shared of Harry on stage, of fans in their gorgeous outfits, and of the crowd up from the nosebleeds who capture the most beautiful photos as the whole arena shines a light on him.

You'd be lying if you said you didn't have a favorite part of the show; it most definitely is when Harry interacts with the crowd right before 'canyon moon.'

"The first time I ever came to America was when I was 4 years old… to Orlando." Harry shares walking around the stage dragging his wired microphone around. "Disney is pretty scary for a 4-year-old. There's roller coasters, alligators, and stuff. It was a lot. However, over the years, I'm no longer scared of Orlando."

The crowd cheers him on, knowing very well how famous their city is. Especially, learning something more about Harry that he decided to share; you love that you get to learn new things with the audience makes you feel even closer to him.

Tommy could not stop laughing when he saw Harry catch the mickey ears someone threw and slip them on. It was a sight to behold; you couldn't lie, he pulled it off quite well. You all cheered for him as he kept singing.

The dancing only got crazier each night as you all pulled out crazy moves you knew. There were times you'd all see Harry staring at you and freeze, causing him to laugh and shake his head at you all. You knew he enjoyed seeing his favorite people enjoying the show; there was no better feeling than knowing he was doing a good job.

Tonight was over before you knew it. Harry was waving goodbye and rushing down the steps, with Luis leaving quickly to meet him. You stayed out with Jeff, and you observed the band in their final moments, one last cheer radiating through the audience as the lights came back on.

Walking through the halls, there was a lot of chatter and congratulations on a great show. You bounded over to the band when you saw them heading your way and began singing their praise. You lingered on Sarah, wanting her to know that she never failed to impress you. It always earned you a tight hug and a promise she'd be even better the next show.

You happily made your way over to the dressing room to see Harry on the phone and knew better than to disrupt him. You went over and began bagging up your items, such as your change of clothes, your sweater, and your phone charger.

As soon as you were finished, Harry made his way over to you, giving you a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "You were fabulous, H. A true rockstar." You turned in his hold to hug him tight; that's when you felt how sweaty he was but didn't dare pull away.

"Saw your moves tonight, quite some skill you all got."

"We try, truly. Might have to make us background dancers."

Harry laughs; your silly comments never fail to amuse him.

"I'll be back, then we'll head out for the night. We're in Sunrise tomorrow." Harry lets you know.

"Exciting. Now go, please, mi estrella."

"Of course, Bel."

He gives you a small kiss before grabbing his bag and heading out.

You couldn't wait to see him do it again tomorrow.

"Home sweet home," Jeff mumbles as he walks into the tour bus throwing himself on the couch.

"It should be a smooth ride. Get some rest." Tommy addresses you all, heading to the bunker for some needed rest.

Harry is quiet, had his shower in the venue before being ushered out quickly. You had to be in Sunrise tomorrow for the show and knew it would be a tiring day.

"You alright, H?"

He offers a small smile, "tired, is all."

"Going to bed, then." He nods, offering you a kiss on the cheek and heading down the hall that leads past the bunks and into his small bedroom.

"Is he alright?" You question Jeff, who's looking at the television swiping through shows on Netflix.

"Should be. It was a good show, Bel. Relax."

You nod; it was. There was nothing out of the ordinary except the call he got as soon as he was in the dressing room. It was odd.

"Do you know who called him?"

Jeff looks at you now, a bit concerned at your constant questioning, knowing you might be onto something, "Anne, his mom."

You nod, taking it in. "Homesick."

"It happens, especially when they aren't able to come out for a show."

You frown, "think he wants to be left alone?"

Jeff is about to respond when Harry steps out, a t-shirt in hand, "you coming to bed, baby?"

Jeff smiles at you, nodding as if saying there's your answer. "Going, amor. Goodnight, Jeff."

Harry waits for you at the entrance, taking your hand leading you down. After he slides the door shut, he turns to you, seeing you slipping out of your heels. "I got a shift for you to wear."

"Kind of you, sweetheart." He shrugs, hanging it over and slipping under the covers. You change into shorts and the plain white shirt he handed you, aware of the eyes following your every move. "Going to brush my teeth. I'll be back." He nods, sinking further under the covers.

You hurry back and turn the lights of crawling under the covers. You know he's not sleeping, but his eyes are closed, and you don't want to disturb him. His hands reach out for you, shifting you to look at him, then he turns around. Without question, you press yourself against his back, your hand resting on his stomach. You don't move until you feel him let out a deep breath. You move your hand up and down his chest soothingly.

"You don't have to talk about it, alright to keep things to yourself. I want you to remember, I'm here for you, just as you had been for me."

There's no response, you feel him squeeze your hand, and it's enough for you. You let yourself drift off to sleep with the promise of a better day.

"Miss my mum," he speaks out unexpectedly. "And my sister and my family. There's a new baby in the family I haven't gotten the chance to meet. Sometimes it feels like all I do is miss out on things."

"That's understandable, H. Your life has come to be on the road, and everyone must understand. I bet your free time is spent with everyone, never giving yourself a moment to relax." You dare him to correct you.

He chuckles quietly, "you're not wrong. I like catching up with everyone."

"Nothing wrong with that. You're allowed to miss them, but don't feel guilty for missing out because you're doing something you love to do." He stays silent, "you do love it, right?"

"Yes, baby. I do." If he were looking at you, you'd be able to see his smile but settle on holding him tighter.

"Then, know they're proud of you. Nothing more you can ask for."

"Thank you, angel."

"Guess that was your life story, huh." You comment, knowing it took him a bit to open up and were grateful he did.

"Yes, I guess it was."

"Go to sleep now," you tell him, knowing he'd tried to keep the conversation going.

"One last thing."

"Okay, amor. What is it?"

"I really really like you."

You sigh, feeling your heart flutter at his tender words. You press your lips against the back of his neck, holding him close as if he'd disappear if you ever thought about letting go.

"I really like you too, Harry. I promise I do."

With that, you both fall asleep, wrapped in each other's arms, ready for the next city.

thank you for reading <333 i adore you

feedback is important so i hope you leave some :)

taglist: @alienorknight @harry-is-my-sunflower @myfavfanficsever @4hazza @springholland @michelleficrecs @harryismyfwend

sunrise part six

[iwanthermidnightz]

Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim—better known collectively as the Grammy-nominated rock band Haim—brought their signature charm and wit to Glamour's 2022 Women of the Year ceremony in New York City, where they were honored for their contribution to music, pop culture, and sisterhood.

On Tuesday, November 1, actor and known Haim superfan Sophie Turner introduced the trio to a crowd that included other Women of the Year honorees like Jennifer Hudson and Angela Bassett.

“They will always make you feel welcome, loved, important, and in the presence of something truly special,” said Turner of Haim. “Their sisterhood extends beyond each other, outside of the Haim circle. And everyone who’s ever heard their music or had the privilege of meeting them, you do feel like an 'honorary Haim sister.’”

Haim thanked their honorary sister onstage as they accepted their 2022 Woman of the Year Award. Read Haim's speech in full below:

Este Haim: We are honestly thrilled to go from opener to honoree in just eight years! It's pretty crazy. We were honored to be here then and even more honored to be recognized this year among these other amazing incredible women. Jennifer Hudson, I love you.

We are fortunate to have our parents, Donna and Moti, here with us tonight. Our parents fostered an environment of respect and learning and taught us how to play music from a very, very early age.

They taught us to embrace the way music made us feel and encouraged us to express that through our performance. To quote the great Stevie Nicks: “Play the way you feel it.” I took that very seriously—so seriously that our fans that come to see us live know me for my “bass face.”

If you haven’t been to a Haim show, first of all, shame on you. But if you haven’t encountered my bass face, I can’t do it on the spot. But thankfully, I have a BAFTA and Golden Globe Award–nominated sister actress that will give an example of what it looks like when I perform. [Alana performs the “bass face.”] She's method. Thank you, Alana.

And that’s what I do—that’s how I express myself and I love it. Okay? But there are some people out there that don’t embrace it as much as I do, especially when we were first coming up as an all-female band.

During one of our first big interviews, I was asked by a male journalist if I make the same faces onstage that I make in bed. Yeah, let it sink in. As you can imagine, I was shocked and scared and couldn’t believe that something that I loved and did naturally was being distorted into something it wasn’t. I remember going back onstage the next night and all I could think about was that question that he asked me and how this man from a magazine was picking apart my face. But luckily, the joy of being a musician and a songwriter is that we can take our experiences and turn them into something beautiful. And for that we are so grateful.

And we did just that. We wrote our song “Man From the Magazine” on our last album. And in turn, every time we play it, it makes us feel stronger onstage.

So if we do anything in our careers, we hope to inspire anyone to pick up an instrument and write about their own experiences and to not let anyone deter them from expressing themselves in the way they want to express themselves.

Thank you again for this incredible honor. We will never forget this evening. And congratulations to our fellow honorees, incredible examples of female excellence. And lastly, please vote!

[kunoichimin]

“ At Last, I Have You ”

A fic in which Taehyung finally gains the courage to take his good friend Jimin on a date, an enchanting picnic with fruits and sweets to keep them full. But, as time goes on, he realizes not everything is as it seems.

Vmin

3.4k+ words

College/University, First Dates, Crushes

[ READ ONLY ON AO3 ]

[ FEATURED MUSIC ]

Comments From Readers ✨

…the way you portray jimin, and the way you portray taehyung, and the way you portray their surroundings; it's perfect. it's absolutely perfect. i could feel what they feel, i blushed when they did, i was nervous when they were, and i laughed when they laughed. my heart's actually still stammering against my chest. i think it's trying to take ahold of this fic and hug it close. i'm just -- in love with this. as in love with this as taehyung is with jimin, i dare say. and you wrote it for /me/, which makes this all the more special. more meaningful. and everything even more poetic than it already is, and -- how? how do you bleed pure poetry and unfiltered romance between these words and sentences? how, how, how? i'm at a loss for words, i truly am… - zvko

Oh where do I start to describe how beautiful this is for my heart has scattered all over your work like scintillating stardust in the night sky. I absolutely adore the songs that inspired you to write, those songs hold special place in my heart too. The introductory paragraph of Taehyung’s dreams, it was so beautiful, it was something so similar to something I’d written sometime ago and yet so much more beautiful, and the way your words odyssey further, I’m in love. I love words, and I loved your descriptive, dreamy words a lot. Perhaps a little too much for my heart is still chirping and playing Joni Mitchell in my head as I write this comment. The way you described them talking in Tae’s dream, oof, it was wonderful and I don’t know how to say it properly, it made me feel floaty, not on clouds but a dream played on a film reel on the one screen in my town, in my head. I don’t know if you added Taehyung feeling like flying away into the sun was a deliberate way to connect his feelings to the myth of Icarus, nonetheless since the story is very close to my heart (and I blame the amazing album Icarus Falls for that) it made me feel a lot of things. Particularly, of merry freedom on a day I was feeling particularly worthless. The description of Jimin’s pout, shy laughter and blush, bulging and bright eyes, oh my God, I’m weak. This was just…too beautiful. - FallenAngel

This is a pure journey between words, sensations, emotions, feelings, and nature. It was like I was in a painting. When the artist, with every touch of their brush, embellished their œuvre. Everything is at the perfect place. It's easy to imagine the scenery during the reading, easy to feel all the emotions, the nervousness of the characters, the Love between them. It was so beautiful, so tender and just right. What I liked was the fact that it was a dream. A perfect dream and all the emotions which came with the wake up moment. A dream which gave strength to Taehyung to ask Jimin out. And I totally love that they'll go on a picnic together. The dream may come true and I cannot stop smiling just by imagining it. - Alhenaa09

[let-them-read-fics]

Youth With You

Pairing: Lisa x Fem!Reader

Word Count: ~ 3,113

HC Count: 31

This is a mix between headcanons and a one shot

Warnings / Misc. -- Fluff, Little Hot & Heavy, (Public) Teasing, Happy Ending

Disclaimer: This writing is a work of fiction, and no disrespect is meant for those mentioned herein.

A/N: Hey everyone! Here’s my first writing for Lisa; I’m pretty proud of it! Feel free to let me know what you think. Happy reading, I hope you enjoy!

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Becoming a new trainee was terrifying in every sense of the word. The media, the practices, the tests -- everything. 3 months into your coaching, however, things hit an all time high: you gained the opportunity to enter the competition Youth With You, as an independent trainee. Your freedom and right to expression was important to you, so it wasn’t an accident that you were going in independently. A company would only put pressure and bans on you, restricting your creativity and keeping you from being your most authentic self.

Finding out that Lisa was a mentor only made your nerves worse; at the same time, though, you’d never been more excited for something in your whole life.

Having friends in the industry proved to be an important factor as you prepped for the show. Producers and managers gave you advice, knowing exactly what each of the teachers looked for and demanded from their groups. You worked tirelessly to ready yourself for the whirlwind that was sure to come.

When you arrive at the production building, you’re in awe; the interior is ginormous, with insanely high ceilings and huge doors. Everything is coated in various colors, all of them pristine and beautiful. The labyrinth of halls that winds throughout the building before you is quite intimidating, but you take a deep breath and remind yourself of your reasons for being here. It’s far too important to chicken out now.

The staff had tipped you off to the fact that the mentors would be there today, but they neglected to tell you when. You had surely expected them to come in after everyone got settled. Alas, you were sorely mistaken; thus, you can imagine the surprise that etched into your features upon entering the main room.

Ella and Kun were invested in their papers, flipping through the stacks and whispering to each other; Jony J was turned to his right, chatting with Lisa. Your presence was announced by the rather loud thud that echoed through the room at the closing of the door.

The bright lights nearly blinded you as you turned to face them again, dread creeping into your mind.

“Hello everyone, I’m Y/N. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The words came out cooler that you had expected, and you patted yourself on the back for remaining so calm. You’re known for managing to hide your nerves well and remain professional, but that’s no easy task with this group of talent. Especially her.

You purposefully tried to avoid looking at her, knowing you’d blush and get majorly sidetracked. You feared you wouldn’t be able to recover from that.

“I see that you’re an independent trainee,” Kun said, a smile spreading across his lips. You swallowed at the sight, knowing the questions were about to come rolling in. “Yes, that’s correct. I prefer working alone; I only have to rely on myself.” He studies you, head tilted to the side as he considers your answer, and you nearly melt under his astute gaze. “I was the same way. It’s never easy, but the mentors and I will be right beside you during your time here.” Knowing that these 4 amazing people were here to share their experiences and guide you through your troubles made the task at hand much less daunting, and you couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Despite the intensity of the competition, you felt at ease, knowing they genuinely want the best for you.

“Ah, look at that face! So cute,” Ella coos, grinning back. You hide your face behind your hands, embarrassed beyond belief. Everyone chuckles at the sight, and you join in. With the atmosphere officially comfortable, you allow your eyes to trail over to Lisa. To your surprise, she’s already looking at you, lip between her teeth. 

“I see that you have 2 special talents listed.” Lisa starts, leaving room for you to elaborate. “Yes ma’am. While studying abroad in my youth, I learned 3 languages in addition to my native English.” The mentors look pleasantly surprised, and you continue with your other skill. “My mother is a professional chef, and we’ve always been close. She’s trained me over the years, and that’s something I’m very thankful for. During my time away from home I was fortunate enough to learn new techniques and styles from across the world.”

As you finish talking about yourself, you look to each and every one of the judges separately. You know it’s important to have a good connection with all of them, and you use this chance to do just that.

Upon locking eyes with Lisa again, your breath hitches. The light blush that rests on her cheeks, combined with the look she’s giving you, is enough to make you swoon. It’s innocent enough, the way she’s watching you; after all, she can just blame it on her role as a teacher -- she has to get a good understanding of her students. However, though, behind the innocent facade lies a much more sensual reason for her behavior. You don’t miss the way her eyes rake up your body, nor her smirk as she notices your hands mindlessly toying with the band of your shorts. You do your best to keep your attention on the others as they ask you questions about your resume, but that’s easier said than done.

Once they’ve finished with their questions, they invite you to take a seat anywhere you’d like. Despite your desire to book it next to Lisa, you don’t want to be impolite; that’s also not to say that you didn’t enjoy the company of the others -- you truly did. Clearly, though, no one can compare to Lisa.

You give them all another smile, the dimples of your cheeks on full display, and approach them one-by-one to shake their hands. They appreciate the gesture, and you’re confident that you’ve won them over that much more.

As you make your way to the seat beside Lisa, your heart beats wildly. It’s difficult, but you manage to suppress your anxiety for the time being. Letting your control slip now is definitely not an option.

In contrast to the heated look she had been giving you just moments before, Lisa now dons an adorable smile that nearly makes your heart burst. In the moment, you almost reach forward to touch her puffed out cheeks. 

You sit down beside her, and she takes a minute to look you over again. It’s baffling how she can go from so wholesome and adorable to flirty in such a short period of time. 

As the time ticks on and the mentors work through the list of contestants, the two of you continue to steal conversations and teasing glances.

Things are ramped up, however, when Lisa’s hand finds its way to your thigh, settling there for a bit. You attempt to push the intrusive thoughts from your mind, but they come flooding back the second she leans in to whisper something into your ear.

“You look gorgeous,” she tells you, warm breath fanning over your neck. Her slight accent only adds to the effect that her words have on you. All you can offer is a breathless thank you, thoughts completely jumbled at having the stunning woman do such things to you.

Before anyone can get suspicious, she backs off. The disappointment must’ve been evident, because she chuckles lightly and pats your knee in response. Thankfully no one had been paying you two any mind.

~~~ Practices ~~~

It wasn’t often that you came into the studio upset or exhausted, considering you knew you’d soon be cheered up once you saw Lisa, but she made sure to take care of you when those times came around. She could read you like a book, easily knowing when you’d had enough and needed a break. That’s not to say that she lowered her standards, though -- she was firm and demanding, but she checked on you often. She respected all of her students, but she couldn’t deny that she had a soft spot for you. You lived for her soft gaze and gentle touches on the days you needed them most.

Other days, though, you got a kick out of teasing her; playing dumb, purposefully missing steps, ignoring her instructions -- anything to pull a reaction from her. 

          ↪“Eyes forward,” she would call out, voice strong, upon catching you talking to a fellow trainee when you were meant to be practicing. Her jaw would be set, eyes menacing.

          ↪“You keep messing up. Here,” she’d declare, demonstrating the moves directly in front of you. She knew exactly what to do to get you going, and sometimes your plans backfired a bit.

          ↪Those times that you’d play dumb were by far the best, both of you secretly loving the back and forth of it all. “I’m sorry, miss. I just can’t seem to get the moves right.” You’d say, appearing innocent and sweet all the while. It was hard to contain yourself when she’d approach you from behind, pressing her body against your own. “One here,” she’d inform, placing your hand on your hip; “...and one here,” she’d finish, correcting your position once again. When the music restarted, she counted next to your ear, keeping time as her warm hands held yours, guiding you through the positions.  

And of course, the majority of the time, you were a great student for her. Her praise had a mighty effect on you, and there existed a mutual love for it. Being a strong dancer often worked in your favor.

~~~ Performances ~~~

Anytime you were set to perform, Lisa made sure to settle in and get ready to enjoy herself. The two of you had spent many weeks getting to know each other better, growing closer in the process. She found you captivating, and always loved to watch you on stage. The same can be said for you; seeing her dance was always the highlight of your day.

The two of you made sure to play things up, having a knack for getting the other riled up and squirming in their seat.

Watching her cool demeanor falter and ultimately crumble before you was one of your favorite things in the whole world. One of its only rivals was how she had to attempt to conceal it, knowing the cameras would be on her often. 

“I-I loved it. I’m very proud of you, Y/N.”

You smirked at her stutter; no one else was capable of making her blush as much as you did

~~~ Bonus: Backstage ~~~

“You all did so well. I loved that dance break in the middle of the song.” You gushed to a group of your fellow contestants, smiling at how happy they were. Over the course of the competition you had become something of a “celebrity” yourself, noticing that the other girls would always approach you for help and get giddy when you agreed. Not to mention that the mentors were always proud of your progress and dedication to the craft. The conversation continued, and you settled into a comfortable rhythm; everyone taking a turn to share their favorite part of their performance. Seeing these girls -- your friends -- so proud of themselves was a wonderful thing. Everyone worked so hard, day in and day out, to put forth their best effort in everything that they did. Celebrating each other’s wins just felt right, despite the fact that this is a competition. It always hurt to see anyone go home, considering you spent so much time getting to know each other. These were the people who were there for you when you needed it most; all of you know how hopeless it can feel, and you wanted to protect the others from that in every way possible. 

“Y/N!” The sound of someone calling your name pulls you from the conversation, and you send a quick bow and goodbye to the girls before departing. 

Your eyes travel across the crowded stage, searching for the source of the noise. You spot Lisa looking at you, hand beckoning you towards her. A familiar warmth spreads across your body at the action, and you don’t even attempt to stop the smile that takes over your features.

“Yes?” You ask sweetly, approaching her. Her hands slip into yours, fingers lacing in a sweet embrace. “I want you to come to my dressing room once everyone goes back to the dorm. You impressed me tonight, but you still have some things to learn.” As that last sentence falls from her lips, your blood runs cold. Her voice had dropped lower, and you feared what she meant by that. Had you mixed up the choreography without realizing it? Surely not. The only thing you were sure of in that moment was the way she was studying you, almost intimidatingly. Her jaw was set, eyes narrowed, and you swallowed thickly upon noticing this. “Of course. I appreciate the feedback.” She smiled, seemingly pleased with your answer.

With a swipe of her thumb across your knuckles, she was gone.

A sigh left your lips, your mind racing at all of the possible things to come.

~~~ Bonus: A Private Meeting ~~~

“You wanted to see me, Lisa?” You announce upon entering the room and shutting the door behind yourself. The two of you had long ago left the formalities behind, opting instead to be on a first name basis. It was much more intimate, and you preferred things to be that way with her. Of course, occasionally you would use her official title just to get a certain reaction out of her. Slipping it into conversation when around the other instructors always worked to get her attention and catch her off guard. It was easy to see that she enjoyed it, the innocent way it rolled off your tongue. 

You sit down in the chair opposite her, feeling the coolness of the leather press against your calves as you get situated.

“Good job tonight; you get better and better with every performance.” You thank her, both well aware of how much you enjoy her praise. Her expression turns more serious, and you take a deep breath. Here goes. “I don’t think it’s wise for you to be so close with some of the other contestants, though. Not all of them are interested in gaining your friendship for the right reasons.” With furrowed eyebrows and slightly pursed lips, you look at her. “What exactly do you mean?” Her expression turns unreadable, and you sink into your seat a little more. “Some of them may want to get into your head to throw you off your game. Despite what you want to believe, Y/N, this is still a contest.” You sigh, now a bit upset that she’s treating you like a child. “I’m aware of that, Lisa, but I can take care care of myself.” At the change in tone, the air around you shifts into something more tense. “Are you sure? Because you seem to be pretty oblivious to their actions.” She bites back, shifting her seat to get a better look at you, and crosses her arms.

When you don’t respond, she takes this as her cue to continue. “Don’t play dumb, Y/N. I see the way they look at you, so entranced. They know that acting helpless will get your attention. It’s just to distract you!” She says, exasperated, jaw set and eyes cut, just like earlier.

“Are you jealous?” You ask, a contrasting tone of accusal and uncertainty in your voice. No turning back now.

She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Jealous? Of what?” Her eyes setting on you again, a cocky expression on her face.

“Oh, I don’t know,” you start, toying with her; you know exactly what to say. “Maybe at the fact that they get to be so close to me all the time, like you want to be. Or maybe that we sleep together, especially when it gets cold in the dorms.”

It’s her turn to be speechless. “I’m more observant that you act, miss.” She gulps, and you bite back a smirk. “I see how you look at me; your desire is obvious. We’ve both known it for a long time now… Why don’t you just admit it?” The teasing tone in your voice is thick, and it’s clearly getting to her. Who knew you could make her feel like this with just your words?

“Y/N…” Lisa says your name almost as a warning, knowing that you’re on the edge of crossing the line. She failed to deny your claims; after all, it would do no good. She can’t disguise her feelings for you.

A surge of confidence washes over you, and you take that as a sign to scoot closer to her. Soon, you’re mere inches away from her, your body pressed against the side of the seat as you rest your chin in the palm of your hand. Her tongue darts out of her mouth, soothing her lips.

You take her in for a moment, enjoying the sight. Her long dark hair tumbles past her shoulders in loose waves, and a blush takes residence upon her cheeks. Having her like this was something you only dreamed of in the past; seeing her so aroused because of you truly made you think back on how far the two of you have come.

To put an end to the silence, you loop two fingers underneath her chin, successfully coaxing her into meeting your gaze. Your eyes fall to her lips as you ask, “Am I wrong?” Before you can continue, her resolve fades. She leans forward, capturing your lips in a searing kiss. Any ounce of doubt that you had before melts away as she pulls you closer.

With inhibition and processing skills long gone, you slip from your chair and into hers, settling in her lap. One of her arms wraps around your waist to hold you steady, while her other hand tangles itself into your hair. A swift bite to your lip, paired with a flex of her warm thigh beneath you, sends a jolt through your body and earns her a low groan. She shudders against you, and that simple act works wonders in boosting your confidence.

All too quickly, a sudden noise from just outside the door startles you; reluctantly, Lisa pulls away. You nearly gasp at how dark her eyes have gotten in the heat of the moment. “I’m going to go see what that was,” she informs, gently setting you down in her seat as she stands up. Before turning to walk away, however, she plants another kiss on your lips. “Don’t even think about moving. I’m not done with you yet.”