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themadlostgirl · 4 years ago

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When It’s Cold (2)

*Horny teens are horny. Mild smut mentions ahead.*

~~~

I laid in bed watching the lightning flash outside my windows as thunder shook the room and rain poured down. As a child a storm like this would have had me hiding under my covers. Tonight though I watched the storm, every inch of my body on alert with every crack of lightning and thunder. The doors to my room burst open with a roll of thunder. A shadowed figured stood in the hallway. My heart hammered fast as I tried to see through the darkness at my intruder. A flash of lightning illuminated the once dark room and I recognized the jagged line down my visitor’s face.

“Felix?” I sat up straighter. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to make sure you weren’t scared.” He prowled closer, a wicked grin on his face as he got to the foot of my bed. “You always were so scared of storms.”

“I was…” I murmured. He was dressed only in a pair of pants. That same chiseled torso I had gawked at earlier on full display.

He crawled onto the bed until he was hovering over me. “Do you want me to stay?” His voice purred in my ear, “I can keep you warm if it gets cold.”

“Yes please,” I let the robe around me fall from my shoulders leaving me exposed. “Keep me warm, Felix.”

“Gladly.” He swooped down upon me.

~~~

I woke with a start. My body was wound up tight and I was tangled in the blankets on my bed. I gazed around me confused before the previous day’s events caught up to me. It felt like a dream that Felix and I had found this mansion last night.

Felix…

The real dream came back to me with stark detail. What had that been all about? I’ve never had a dream like that before. I never have dreams in the first place. Even when I do they’re nothing like that and most certainly do not feature Felix. Yet he had been the epicenter.

Half naked with a devilish grin looking down at my own nude body. I had wanted him to--to--

I buried my face in my pillow. This wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t gone to his room last night and saw him coming out of the bathroom. Why did I have to see that? Now I was having borderline erotic dreams about him. Oh screw borderline! I knew exactly what I had been hoping to happen and the aching between my legs only solidified it.

It’s not like I never found Felix ugly or anything. He was pleasant to look at. I dare say at times he was handsome but I never dwelled on it. Maybe a stray intrusive thought or two but they never went so far as my dream had. I couldn’t stop picturing it. Felix and I in bed, his large hands on my body, his lips caressing my skin…

I pressed my legs together as the image took root in my head. Maybe I deserve to indulge a little. For right now there is nothing to worry about. Besides, it’s not like Felix will ever know. My hand dipped between my legs as I let myself fall back into the dream. My body was extra sensitive since I hadn’t been able to indulge in this particular past time since Neverland. Not that I got to do it a whole lot there either. I swear there is absolutely no privacy on that island.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

And none here either it seems.

With a small whine I swung out of bed and pulled my robe in tight. I opened the door and Felix was waiting on the other side already dressed. Could it be considered poetic irony that the boy I had just a moment ago been masturbating to interrupted said masturbation?

“Did you just wake up?” Felix looked me up and down.

“Kinda. I figured I was allowed to sleep in. What do you want?” I stepped back and started collecting my clothes from the floor.

“Get dressed. I discovered something you’re gonna wanna see.”

“Can’t you just tell me?”

“No. Now hurry up.” He closed the door and left.

With a sigh a pulled my clothes back on and followed Felix up a set of stairs to a hallway that led to a dead end. “This is what you wanted to show me? A wall with a picture on it?”

“Watch this,” He pulled the light fixture next to the painting and suddenly the wall came loose and rotated opening up a passageway into a whole new room.

“This place has secret rooms now. Very cool.” I stepped inside. “A library?” I looked at the books but there were no names on the spines. I pulled one off and flipped through it but all the pages were blank. “I will say I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Oh but it gets better.” Felix went over to the desk at the end of the room and pulled open the drawer. There was a button inside. He pressed it and a section of the floor popped up. I knelt down and opened the hatch and my eyes went wide. It was a safe!

I turned the latch and nearly cried at what I saw. Money. Just stacks and stacks of money! One less thing to worry about. We wouldn’t need to scrape by or get jobs. This safe could keep us comfortable for months! Years even!

“How did you find this?” I asked Felix.

“I like puzzles and I like to snoop.” He grinned pulling out a stack of hundreds. The band around it said ten thousand. Ten thousand dollars and there were easily a hundred or more just like it from what I could tell from the naked eye. We have someplace warm to sleep and we have money for food.

I started sniffling and I could sense Felix watching me befuddled. “Sorry, I just--” I took a deep breath and wiped the tears from my eyes, “We’re going to survive the winter. We don’t have to be hungry or cold again.”

“I know,” Felix pulled a few hundreds from the stack and dropped the rest back in the safe. “Now how about we go do that grocery shopping you were so insistent on?”

“Yes!” I hopped to my feet. We put everything back in place and left the room. I found a pad of paper and started making a list of everything we would need. Unlike Felix who had spent so much time on Neverland that he couldn’t remember who he had been before being a Lost Boy , I did remember who I was. I remembered the responsibilities I had before Neverland. What was needed when I was made to go to market. The grocery store wasn’t like the open air markets I was used to but it was still the same general concept.

Felix and I got weird looks as we entered the store and I took one of the trollies. My first stop was to grab some toiletries. Toilet paper, shampoo, body wash, loofah, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, and even a set of razors in case Felix wanted to shave. Next we grabbed laundry detergent, dish soap, paper towels, spray cleaner, trash bags, aluminum, and hangers. We would need to go to a different store for clothes. Lastly, food. Now, being the designated responsible person out of the two of us I know we couldn’t just indulge in the sweets and other delicious yet not necessarily healthy food for us.

I sped up and down the aisles with Felix trailing after me as I dumped stuff into the trolley. Chicken, beef, bacon, vegetables, fruits, a ten pound bag of potatoes, bread, milk, two dozen eggs, pasta, rice, butter, flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, yeast (it’s been forever since I baked anything but I figured I could give it a try), orange juice, apple juice, cheese, canola oil, olive oil, and spices. Then came on the things I knew less about, peanut butter, chocolate chips, gummy candies, dressings, chips, ice cream, instant brownie mix, pizza rolls (they sounded good), cans of soup, yogurt, pancake/waffle mix, whipped cream, cereal, granola bars, pretzels, and tea bags.

Our trolley was overflowing with items as we wheeled our way over to the register. The man bagging our items looked at us strangely as we started unloading our groceries onto the counter. Several minutes and a trolley full of groceries later we were given our grand total. I was scared that we wouldn’t have enough but thankfully we did. We left the store and looked at our haul.

“Hey, Felix,” I paused as we were halfway through the parking lot, “How are we gonna get all this back to the mansion?”

“We steal the cart.” He said it like it was obvious. “Who is gonna stop us?”

“True.” We started out trip back to the mansion and pushed the trolley into the house. We spent the next several minute cramming things into cabinets and the icebox. I pushed the trolley back outside and went to put my toiletries away while Felix took the laundry items down to the basement. I would also need to learn how to use the electronic washers they had here if I wanted clean clothes.

Speaking of clean clothes, “Felix!” I shouted down the steps, “We’re not done yet today. We need to go clothes shopping.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t bring any extra sets of clothes with me when we left Neverland and I’m sick of wearing these dirty rags. Now get a move on!”

Felix came upstairs with a scowl. “Don’t pout. Even if we kept these clothes clean they stand out too much. I think it’s part of the reason everyone glares at us. We’ll arise less suspicion if we blend in. Especially since our mission is to find a way out of here and back to Neverland.”

“Fine.” Felix grumbled. He counted the remaining money in his pocket. “Let me grab a few more bills from the library just to be safe.”

My stomach grumbled and I decided to grab a granola bar to settle my stomach while I waited for Felix. This house was so strange. They didn’t have any dish soap but they had pots and pans. No shampoo but they had combs. Not a lick of food but a cabinet dedicated to what looked like a very fragile table set.

Felix came back a few hundred dollars richer and we made our way back into town for the second time that day. The clothes store was emptier than the grocery store which put me more at ease. Felix and I went our separate ways as I perused around the racks and racks of clothing. I grabbed a few shirts, pajamas, sweatshirts, sweat pants, underwear, socks, gloves, a scarf, hat, a thick jacket, a new pair of boots, and a large messenger bag. When I went to try on some pants though I was thoroughly disappointed. They fit fine but the pockets on them were tiny! I could barely get my hand in them. Was this what pants were like here? Why?!

I went over to the men’s section and found Felix also trying on some new clothes. It was a simple black t-shirt and a pair of dark denim jeans but it looked really good on him. He almost looked less foreboding. Maybe that was just due to the fact that he didn’t have his cloak hood up like usual.

“You look mad,” Felix chuckled upon seeing me stomp up to him.

“I am! Look at this.” I squeezed a few of my fingers into my jeans pocket. “These pants have absolutely no room! Are yours like this as well?”

“Mine?” he stuck his entire hand in his pocket up to the middle of his forearm. “Nope.”

“What the hell?” I stuck my hand in his other pocket. These were so much roomier than mine! “Why are these better than the ones in my section?”

“I don’t know,” Felix pulled my hand out of his pocket, his face was red with anger again and he wouldn’t look me in the eye, “You can stop invading my personal space though.”

“Oops, sorry.” I snatched my hand back to my chest. What had I been thinking? I essentially stuck my hand down his pants and for what? Because I was jealous of the size of his pockets? I grabbed a few pants from his section that looked to be my size and raced back to the dressing rooms in my section. These fit just as well as the ones I was wearing now but the pockets were much roomier so I chucked the others away and got the men’s pants.

Felix met me at the registers when he was done browsing. He still wasn’t looking at me. I think I made things between us really uncomfortable. We paid for the clothes but had no trolley this time so had to carry everything in large bags back to the mansion. After we got back Felix disappeared into his room. I changed into a pair of the comfy new clothes I bought and went downstairs to make myself something to eat.

I heated a can of soup up and sat down to eat. I wasn’t in the mood to be so adventurous as to make a full blown meal. Now that we had all the essentials Felix and I could start our search for a way back to Neverland in earnest.

I didn’t see Felix for the rest of the night. Figures he wouldn’t want to be around me after we spent all day together. I drew myself another hot bath and this time was able to actually wash myself with the soap and shampoo we had bought. I felt truly clean for the first time in a long time as I slid on the pajamas I bought and crawled back into bed.

Rain pattered outside and I was reminded of my dream from this morning. A part of me dreading and hoping that I would have another just like it.

~~~

Fucking hell! You were killing him! You had to be trying to kill him! That’s what Felix concluded as he locked himself in the master bedroom of the mansion.

Ever since Felix had let himself be talked into going to Storybrooke with you he had been forced by your side. You were the only Lost One in Storybrooke still loyal to Pan when all the others had run off to find families for themselves. He told himself he was tagging along instead of staying in Neverland to enact revenge on those that murdered Pan but that was only half of the story.

He should have never followed you though. Revenge aside. It hadn’t worked out anyway. Even after he learned that Pan was still alive, albeit in someone else’s body, it wasn’t enough. Pan died anyway before he got to enact the curse that would have turned this worthless town into a new Neverland. Now everyone was happy and safe and you and Felix were both very much stranded.

Finding this mansion had been a sweet turn of luck. He knew you were right when you mentioned needing a better place to stay over winter. Felix didn’t like the cold either but he could tolerate it better than you. Every night since you two got here you would shiver the night away at your camp. The night before it had been so cold that even Felix was cursing the wind. While he shivered though he glanced across the fire pit at you. You were huddled in so tight to yourself. Teeth chattering and body convulsing.

He was glad that you didn’t make any mention of him giving you his cloak as an extra form of warmth that night. He didn’t want to try explaining why he had done it. Terrible complicated feelings that he refused to acknowledge. He pushed them down hard, stomped them into dust so they could never rear their ugly head again.

Then he had gotten out of the bath. Truly clean for the first time in years he had left the bathroom and all those complicated feelings from before shot to the surface at the scene laid out before him. You knelt on the ground with only a towel barely covering you. Your wet hair leaving drops of water rolling down your shoulders and back.

His jaw clenched and he fumbled to maintain some composure as you explained what you were doing practically naked in his room. He had found the robe in the master bathroom and was planning on wearing it to bed himself but when he caught sight of you he was only too happy to chuck it into your arms. He needed you to cover up. He needed you clothed and out of his room that instant!

He was far from relaxed after you had left that night. The sight of you knelt over, the towel just barely covering your ass was burned into his brain. He ignored the stirring under his towel and dove into the large bed. He tossed and turned most of the night trying to rid the image and the thoughts he was having. His mind betrayed him though as it brought him much more vivid fantasies of you on his bed wearing nothing at all and beckoning him to take you.

He woke soon after breathing hard and his hand around his cock. Felix cursed the fact that he had a lewd dream about you of all people. He tried to ignore the images flashing in his head but when he closed his eyes there you were on all fours again with a teasing smile. He jumped into the bathroom and turned on the shower hoping a cold jolt would snap him back to sense but then he was thinking of you in this shower with him. Water rolling down your body, that same teasing smile and sultry voice begging him to take you against the wall.

For a few minutes he swallowed his embarrassment and let the fantasy play out fucking into his fist and pretending it was you squeezing around him instead. He thought of your moans and whimpers egging him on. Begging him to be harder, faster, rougher. He bit his lip to keep from shouting as he finally spent himself and started coming down from his high.

He felt more relaxed afterwards but the release of tension didn’t make him feel better knowing he had masturbated to you. You were his...friend? You two had never been friends before coming to Storybrooke and he doubted that you two were that now. Whatever you were to him he shouldn’t be thinking about you like that. You both wanted to get back to Neverland and having obscene fantasies of you was not the way to go about that.

It was still fairly early but he was too wound up to go back to bed. So he got dressed and went exploring throughout the mansion. That’s how he had found the secret library full of blank books and that secret vault under the floorboards. He put everything back in place before racing to wake you up and show you. He had almost forgotten about his dream until you opened the door and he was met with your sleepy face and bedhead. Had you always been this attractive or was it just the layers of dirt that had gotten washed away last night that made you much more appealing to him suddenly? He decided not to dwell on why he was having these thoughts and instead took you down to see the stash of money he had found.

You were so giddy at the knowledge that you could actually have a roof over your head and food in your belly that he found himself smiling too. Your smile was so infectious. He let you take the lead when you went shopping. He didn’t recognize half the stuff he saw in that store but trusted your judgement when you dropped something in the cart.

Then there was when you went to go clothes shopping. Felix wouldn’t admit that he was getting a little worn out of his Neverland attire. It was functional but that was all he could say about it. The smell of it after he had gotten out of the bath the night before almost made him gag. Perhaps this was the reason no one wanted you or him around. You both reeked of years of living in a jungle.

You two were on totally opposite ends of the clothing store so Felix thought he was safe until you came charging into his dressing room ranting about the tiny pockets on your pants. The tight fitted pants that hugged your legs and ass perfectly. Then when you unceremoniously stuffed your hand down his pocket to see how deep they were it took all his self control and thoughts of rotting animal carcasses to not pop an erection right there in the store.

You were trying to make him burst a blood vessel and you didn’t even seem to notice! Which is why he was back in his room sitting on his bed hungry and horny. He was waiting until after he was sure you had gone to bed to get some food. He really didn’t want to chance running into you again and risk those impure thoughts bubbling to the surface once more.

Hopefully today had just been a spoof and tomorrow all these strange new thoughts and feelings would be gone. You two had a mission after all. Get back to Neverland. Lust wasn’t going to help that mission.

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#felix imagine #felix x reader #ouat felix #ouat #neverland #peter pan ouat #roommate au #felix's pov is in 2nd person

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soultek · 4 years ago

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American Country Love Song - Jack Hoskins x Reader (The Outsider)

@thatgirlinthecemetery @lipstick-and-lycanthropes @deanyta-wrc @fancycinderella

I’m not gonna lie I was kinda blown away by your responses! I got inspired again - so, here’s a fic with a 24 hour turn around time! I hope you enjoy this one just as much 🥰💜 Thank you so much for all your kind words!

Author’s Note: Here we are again! You really all outdid yourself last fic, I have to say, I was blown away by the response I got. I’m so happy to find more people that love him!! (I certainly have more ideas in the works-!)

We changed the lyrics to this beauty by Jake Owen!

Disclaimer: The Outsider & The Outsider HBO (+ all associations) not mine / lyrics not mine / one again I capped the cap (I always like those kinda arty not looking at the camera shots when I cap and Jack is no different) Premise (Well. I guess it’s a snapshot fic, there’s not much ‘Premise’): It’s essentially one of those “the 5 times that...” Fics. So, may I present to you, Five different kisses - by Jack Hoskins.

Words: 2874

Warnings: Hmmm... slight sexual Pre-Amble

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Wonderin' who's gonna kiss who first, you know what I'm talkin' about Hey baby what you doin' tonight? It's butterflies and Bud Lights Under the stars and on the stripes of a beach towel in a spring break town It's playin' in the night air, through the speakers all night long Couple kids just livin' that American country love song It's one last kiss in the driveway Hey radio DJ, can you play that song that she loves So I can turn it up, and maybe turn her on An American country love song In every town and every place There's a boy who's tryin' to take a chance and dance And find a way to run away with her heart In the back of an old Ford truck In the bar just lookin' for love In a pair of oh my blue eyes Let them fireworks start That American Country love song Ain't never gonna quit playin' on and on and on, and on So let's raise a glass Cheerleaders and quarter-backs Cowboys and country girls All around this small town world To the same old pick up lines We've tried a million times All the bad and good as it gets To the ones that you ain't met yet In the bar just lookin' for love In a pair of oh my blue eyes Let them fireworks start That American Country love song Ain't never gonna quit playin' on and on and on

---

Your first kiss was never particularly how you might have envisioned it. Even though it also shouldn’t have surprised you. Jack Hoskins was a drinker, and your little bar happened to be one of his favourites. He didn’t always arrive sober, but you liked it best when he did. Then you could control his measures and at least try your best to look after him. You always worried that if he got too drunk he wouldn’t come back. He opened up to you pretty easily; and soon enough you knew his life story. Sometimes you thought he aught not to be telling you the things he was, but you wouldn’t stop him – only listen. That was all Jack needed, still, he kept coming back and you wanted to give him something back, so you told him a little about yourself – and started to have real conversations about things. It was always nice to see him. You weren’t sure if you should, but you always looked forward to him coming around. And with the way Jack was, it was always bound to happen. You had yet to need to point at your sign and say “I have the right to refuse to serve you.”, Jack always seemed to behave here – but you’d heard enough stories around town, from friends of yours that also owned and tended bars, that this wasn’t normal. You didn’t know if he’d been banned from any full stop, but you did know that the weird little strip club only let him in because he was a member of Cherokee City PD. Tonight though he was in one of his worse moments, and it was shot after shot after shot. The only reason you didn’t cut him off was because it was so close to closing time. He would have to leave soon anyway; what worried you is he’d find somewhere else open. Jack’s truck was in the parking lot and there was no way in hell you were about to let him go driving. “…I’ll be fine!” “Jack! You’re slurring your words! I’ve called you a taxi!” You’d also like to point out to him that you were having to support him as he staggered across the parking lot. “Well what about you-!?” “I can drive just fine – do you need anything from your truck? House keys? Anything?” “No.” “Okay…” You breathed, thankful, continuing towards the parked up taxi. “Now before you do anything stupid, give me your keys.” “What-!?” “It’s for your own good, hand ‘em over.” Jack grumbled, but didn’t put up any more fight than that as you pocketed them. You told the taxi driver his address, to make sure it was clear (and Jack wasn’t about to start bar hopping), and opened the door for him. “You gonna be okay?” “I’ll be fine.” Unfortunately you didn’t doubt this wasn’t new to him. “Good, I’ll bring the truck back tomorrow. I’m not sure you’re gonna be all that fit to drive with a hangover.” There was momentary silence, nobody moved, even though he should be getting in the cab and going home. Instead Jack tilted his head, blinking. “What?” He continued to stare, and you looked around you, “What? What’s wrong?” You weren’t uneasy; Jack never made you feel uneasy. He laughed, “Nothin’.” “Then what is it?” Jack’s laugh continued, “You’re just… you’re really beautiful.” You raised both your eyebrows and tilted your body, arms folded, “Okay- get in the cab! You’re clearly very-” You didn’t manage to finish the sentence before he pulled you in, lips on yours. You froze when you shouldn’t have. You should have pushed him back, told him to stop. He was drunk, and you could taste an amalgamation of liquor on his lips. You didn’t want him to stop. But you were aware of the cab meter running and pulled away, heart racing; fast – too fast. You were taking deep breaths and blinking furiously. “J-Jack, get in the cab and go home. Please?” before you do something else you might regret… “Y- Y/N!” “Please?” Yet you took his hands; “I’ll see you soon, okay?” “Y/N!” You turned from the cab and hurried across the parking lot as he called after you – but by the time you’d turned back, the car was pulling away – so at least you know he was heading home. You didn’t leave the bar until much later than you envisioned – the buzz of alcohol remained on your lips, and you couldn’t get the feel of his body against yours - arms around you, hands on your back – out of your head. Maybe he wouldn’t remember tomorrow; you weren’t sure if you’d be disappointed if he didn’t. You’d surely find out. When you pulled the black RAM Truck smoothly into the unoccupied parking space by his apartment, and the electronic voice told you you’d reached your destination, it was late morning. You peered around as you stepped out; this wasn’t an area of Cherokee City you knew too well; but it looked like a good neighbourhood. You were glad of that much at least. By the time you had ascended the stairs to his apartment Jack was at the door; half opened and peering shyly at you. “Hey!” You were cheerful, in no way did you want this to be an awkward interaction. “Hi…” Jack seemed hesitant, “How are you?” “I can’t complain, how’s the hangover?” You grinned “Believe me I’ve had worse.” “Mmm…” You nodded, thinking ‘well that’s good!’ probably wasn’t the best phrase to use. You held out his keys, “I think you’ll find she’s still in perfect condition!” “Right.” He chuckled, “Thanks!” “You’re welcome. Better this than any other scenario, right?” By the look on his face you thought you probably shouldn’t have let that slip out either. “Yeah… I guess…” He looked to the keys, “Well, wait, what about you – how you gonna get home?” “Oh,” You gave a shrug, “Call a cab – it shouldn’t be too bad!” He pointed behind him, “Do you – do you want to use my-?” “No!” You waved your mobile at him, “I’m covered, but, thank you!” Jack nodded, biting his lips together, and you waited for the sentence you could see him fighting to say; “I’m- I’m sorry.” “For what?” “Last night, I was drunk and I-” You cut him off with a shake of your head, and small knowing smile; “Don’t be.” Before Jack had a chance to respond you held your hand up in goodbye and started back towards the stairs, “See you around Jack! You’re welcome!” “Y- Y/N!!” He called after you and this time you did stop at the top of the stairs. Jack had let your response sink in, and there was a pink tint to his cheeks, “Would… would you like to stay, for a bit?” Your little smile slowly became a grin, and this time you expected the response your heart gave you; “I would love to.” *** If you thought him going on cases was bad for you, then him going away hunting was ever so slightly worse. Depending on timing; but usually he was gone for around a week. At least on cases it might be hours; but that always made you jumpy because cases could be just as dangerous. And sometimes Jack found himself in dangerous situations. You didn’t want to lose him now. Sometimes he’d invite you out with him but, you both knew that was little more than courtesy. You didn’t really want to go, and it was unlikely you ever would. Still, it was sweet of him to ask and you always made sure to decline politely. Sometimes you might even smile and add; “Next time!” Jack did let you help him pack for his trips, and that was at least enjoyable – the faster you packed, the faster he went, the faster he was back to you… - but then again, loading it all into his truck wasn’t. You sat on the tailgate of the truck swinging your legs with a small pout, this wasn’t a long trip – but it was a nice day, and your friends were having a nice summer BBQ. Jack had pretended to think it over very carefully, but you both knew where he’d be happiest. That didn’t make you any less downhearted that he’d be missing it. He loaded the last of his things and turned to you, still sitting there. “A’right, sweetheart, lets shut this back up.” “Aw…” You slipped off and watch him lock the hatch back in place, “Do you have to go?” You always whined at him like this with a jokey smile “Would that I could stay.” He gathered you in his arms, making you laugh, “Ah no – I know when you’d rather be out there than with me!” “Not at all!” Though Jack couldn’t help but laugh with you, “You know I’d much rather stay here!” “Yeah, yeah!” You cupped his face and pushed up on your toes to place your forehead gently to his; “Stay safe, okay?” “I will.” “Check in, even if it’s just when you get there.” “I will!” “And come back to me-!” “Baby…” He gave you an are you serious?! look, “I’ll be back – tonight!” He pressed a kiss to your forehead before you pulled him to your lips, winding your arms around his neck. “Still doesn’t seem soon enough to me!” Jack only smiled as he pulled you into a tight hug, pulling you from the ground, “I promise, it’s not gonna be as long as it feels.” “I’ll miss you.” “You will not-!” He scoffed, “You have your friends, go have a good time!” Jack placed you back on the floor and stole another quick kiss, before he rounded the truck and jumped into the driver’s seat. You backed away as he started it up and wound down the window, “You can say Hi from me, if you like?” “I’ll make sure to tell Ralph how much you were gutted you were gonna miss him-!” Jack couldn’t help but laugh hard at that; “Oh, okay, I see how it is!” You gave a wink, before blowing him a kiss, “Go on! Go enjoy yourself without me!” “Awww-!” He reversed onto the road, “That’s so hard!” Jack’s clear sarcasm had you laughing, “Shut up!” “I love you!” You shook your head; “I love you too-!” He gave a final wave, with a wink of his own; “Later sweetheart.” Yeah you’d miss him, and you’d worry about him. But Jack was right, he’d be back soon. By all accounts this was a short one. Besides, you had a party to get ready for! *** From time to time however, he’d use his precious few vacation days on you, and you would get to go on a real holiday together. Sure, Florida was only one state over but it afforded pretty beaches and still wasn’t Georgia. You would much rather be with him out here than close to Cherokee City, where they could just call him back and away from you. Jack was always so much more relaxed too, holding hands with you and walking down a beachside boardwalk. He looked happier too, and that was important. The sunset was just beginning and you’d had yet another amazing day out here, winding yourself around his arm and fingers laced with his, you talked softly as you made your way back to the hotel. You didn’t know how many days you had left; you didn’t want to dwell on it. Time wasn’t a construct if you managed to pull him away from work. Jack was probably thinking on it, in the back of his mind, but he wasn’t saying it out loud – or letting it affect him. A fact for which you were grateful. “You look beautiful.” He murmured, as if he hadn’t been musing this all evening since you’d put this sundress on. But it was the way he was saying it now, in the quiet of the evening, that really made you blush and giggle. “Stop it!” “What, no! You do – you should let me say it, you deserve to hear it…” You squeezed his arm a little tighter and rested your head against his shoulder shying away from his face; “Well, thank you…” then you did look to him, with a small smile, “You look particularly handsome tonight.” He scoffed, “Yeah alright, that’s enough from you.” “NO…!” You untwined from him and stepped so you were ahead of him; fingers still linked with his; “Why shouldn’t I be allowed to tell you that?” “It just ain’t true. At least what I said was true-!” You frowned, eyes narrowed, pulling him closer as you slowed to lean up against the railing; “Don’t you presume to tell me what I can say is fact, Jack Hoskins.” “She says.” “Don’t you start…” You ran your hands up his chest, before drawing him in by the collar of his shirt. Jack placed his hands either side of your body; you were perfectly framed by the setting sun – and if he’d thought you looked beautiful before… “You should just let me love you.” “Don’t I?” “You can be a little awkward about it.” “Oi-!” But you weren’t about to let him finish the thought as you tugged him into a kiss. Fierce enough to shut him up, gentle enough to entice him into kissing you further. His hands ran down to your hips and lifted you up to sit on the rail. You had to steady yourself against his shoulders with a small gasp, but he supported you delicately. Kisses becoming soft and romantic against the appropriate back drop. He tasted like sunshine and summer, the salt from the beach and sea air; perfect and everything you wanted. He kept his hands balancing you as he pulled away, blue eyes shining to match the sea as they were bathed in late sunlight. Slowly Jack wound his arms around you, placing his head gently to your chest to listen to your heart and closed his eyes. You smiled, comfortable in his embrace, running a hand through his hair before resting them around his shoulders, turning to look back out to sea. “It sure is beautiful tonight…” “You should see it from where I’m standing.” You chuckled, “I guess it can’t be too bad, huh?” His arms tightened around you; “As long as you’ll let me stay.” You grinned, turning back to him, and embracing him fully, “As long as you like.” ***

It wasn’t always sweet and romantic. No relationship was, after all. Sometimes you just needed him. Sometimes those kisses were hot and heavy and your breathing was short and sharp. Tonight was no exception, sitting on your kitchen counter with Jack between your legs. It might have started with a sweet kiss, but it wasn’t staying that way as you ran through the buttons on his shirt. His kisses were hot and heavy and everywhere on your skin he placed them burned like contact from fire. You just wanted more, and more, and more… His hands gripped your hips and pulled you forward; you gasped at the friction but you craved it. Winding your legs around his waist, your lips found his again as you pushed his shirt from his shoulders. His bite of your lip was not gentle and you gasped again, tilting your body away from him. Jack went for your neck, hands running under your own shirt. “Jack… Jack please…” you whispered, “Jack, I need you…” You felt him smirk against your skin as he continued his trail of kisses, shuddering as his teeth graved your skin. “Jack-!” His lips found yours again as your shirt found the floor and you whined against the travel of his hands, and then moaned louder as his hips ground against yours; “J-JACK!” He only chuckled, kissing you again; you didn’t exactly need to tell him how much you desired him; “Hush, baby.” If his tone of voice wasn’t making you shiver you’d almost call it soothing, “I know what you want…” His next kiss was teasing, an almost kiss that ghosted your lips and he held you back from the gratification of a real kiss, “and I’ll give you what you want…” Jack found your neck once more as he moved his hand between you. Your body immediately arched into his as you cried out; cheeks flushed and suddenly his kisses seemed even hotter than before. “Just be patient…”

***

You didn’t ever want this to end. It was comfortable, you felt safe. For the first time in years you felt home… as if you were finally with the person who was meant for you.

Like the quiet night in bed together, lying on your backs as if you were in a field looking at stars, his hand clasped around yours, the feeling of the warmth of his body. When Jack shared his dreams with you. When you started formulating dreams of your own, when they included him. When you saw your future... that kiss was sweet and innocent - but full of promises; these ones to be kept. Like the ring around your finger.

The beginning of the rest of your life together...

---

Thank you for enjoying these so much! It’s very sweet of you all! 😘😘😘😘

He’s fun to write when I get inspired for him..!

#jack hoskins #jack hoskins x reader #john jack hoskins #Marc Menchaca #The Outsider #The Outsider HBO #hbos the outsider #Still not the fic I wanna write - I think I'm gonna have to finish Ralph's version to really get a head up on this one...#i was today years old when I found out its boardwalk instead of broadwalk #Lyric switch like 3 weeks after you publish it? More likely than you'd think.

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who-is-olivia · 5 years ago

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Track 8. Ever Since New York

Harry Styles x OC

Harry and Olivia move in together but get caught in an argument. [3.4k]

Genre: angst, fluff

Warnings: none

March 2014

Olivia rubs her eyes, sleeping in a first class flight is truly a transcendental experience. Beneath her, Harry wrestles with the belt holder that painfully presses against his back. She pokes her head out in the corridor, the lights are all still out and there are no flight attendants in sight. On the entertainment system is a freeze frame of Finding Nemo, she doesn’t remember having paused it so she just assumes Harry did. The divide between their seats was lifted and they found a strange position to sleep together while keeping the seatbelts fastened. He hits the entertainment system clumsily to find they’re missing less than an hour until landing in New York.

“Already?” he groans with a husky voice, tugging on her elbow, “didn’t even get the time to fuck in the bathroom”

“No fucking way-“

“Just a quickie ‘ey?”

“You’re disgusting” she dismisses it, pulling her blanket up to her chin.

“I wanna get in the mile high club” he insists.

“Come again?”

“It’s like a club of people-“

“I figured, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating” she chuckles at him, “what do you get in that club?”

“I guess a membership card and a breakfast basket”

“Ugh, I’m dying for breakfast” she rubs her feet together as one of them is numb.

“You can always order something from the menu”

She raises her brows, “Oh yeah, I’ve got money now” he giggles, getting up as well and stealing a bit of her blanket. “Always forget that, I guess my soul will always be a twenty-year-old broke student”

“You’ll get used to it”

After about thirty minutes they arrive at the JFK airport, then head to the baggage reclaim. As they wait by the carrousel, they notice a couple of people whispering discreetly. It must be quite a sight: Olivia in her loose jumpsuit hugging Harry by the waist as he keeps a flight pillow around his neck.

“I think we’ve been caught” he pokes her sides, “told you we should’ve taken a private flight”

“Shut up” she runs a hand mockingly over his face. “Broke student, remember?”

“Yeah, right” he pecks her lips.

The baggage starts to arrive at the carrousel as they keep a watchful eye, until she notices one of Harry’s three red suitcases come over. “I got this”

“Oli, it’s really heavy”

“Don’t worry, I got this!”

She gets close to the tracks and tries to pull it put her legs give away under the weight and she almost trips but eventually gets the damn suitcase. She excuses herself from the people around and takes it to their little cart.

“You ok?” he barely holds a laughter.

“Yeah, just fucked up my shoulder but I’m alright”

“Want me to get the rest?”

“Yes” she cries jokingly.

Olivia sits on top of his baggage while he pushes her around the arrivals terminal. This, to him, is the least practical way of moving into another place. Since he and Oli decided to live together in New York, they’ve spent a lot of time figuring out the logistics of that. Most of his big stuff – furniture, electronics, memorabilia – has already been moved by a moving company. All that was left were his clothes, and since they were both available, he recruited her for that little adventure.

They arrive at 3:00 am to avoid the crowds and instead of hiring a transfer they call Frank. He picks them up at that ungodly hour and takes them down the road to Manhattan.

“How was the photoshoot?” Franks asks.

“It was great, after the second album’ shoot we asked for something a bit more grounded and they found this really sick house with a swimming pool” Harry picks up his phone to show the pictures.

“I’m feeling some wet shirt vibes” Oli taunts.

“The pool was empty, love”

“Bullshit” she mocks, “You were there doing what? Riding skateboards?”

“Lou actually tried but he ain’t good enough for that” he comments leaning over to show them the pictures, Frank tries to catch a glimpse but Harry pushes him away. “Don’t look, you’re driving”

“Didn’t you say wet shirt?”

“No! Didn’t you hear anything we just said?” she complains.

“I kinda zoned out after wet shirt” they laugh.

As they make their way to Manhattan, they drive through Brooklyn noticing how quiet the bustling city feels at this time in the morning. All they see is the newspaper delivery truck, few cabs arriving at the neighborhood, people walking their dogs. They take the Manhattan Bridge and watch as the city transform from the horizon to the engulfing walls around them. This late they ride through empty avenues, as if they’re sneaking into the city while everybody else’s asleep.

“Is that a church?” Frank notices when he parks the car.

“Yeah, St. Lazarus Chapel. They don’t ring bells or anything like that, at least not every hour” Oli explains. “But I think I’ll go crazy just like my mum”

“Why’s that?” Harry asks while Frank chuckles knowingly.

“When I was little she used to make me do the cross sign every time I passed before a church, and there’s a bazillion churches in Rio so we walked like to maniacs going-“ she performs the cross sign several times, “all the time”

“I never saw you do that”

“Guess I lost practice”

After dropping all their luggage on their new place, Frank heads back to his flat. They have to crawl up some stairs to the small building before taking the elevator, but once they arrive at the huge flat it feels worthwhile. It still smells like fresh ink and new rugs, there’s still a couple of unfinished furniture, lots of boxes to unpack but it’s welcoming. Harry notices the decorations he brought over from London is already in place at the kitchen and the dining room, along with some of her stuff. It feels appropriate, like a place made for both of them, a mix of what they both enjoy.

“Do you want to unpack now or can we just sleep a bit?”

“Let me just get my trousers”

He searches through the cases while she climbs the stairs to the master bedroom. As there seems to be no one around and, through their wall-sized window, he can't see any neighbors, he chooses to change right there in the middle of the living room. When he climbs the stairs to their suite he finds Oli with a grumpy face staring at her phone.

“What’s with the funny face?”

“Got an interview in Boston today” she grunts, “I completely forgot”

“Oh, come on” he climbs on the bed beside her, “can’t you reschedule it? Maybe Morgan can say you’re sick-“

“No! This is big, I have to go” she dismisses putting her phone down, “Just got time for a quick nap”

“Oli, come on... I just got ‘til Friday before the tour”

“I know, it’s a quick drive, I’ll be back tonight”

“Can’t you take the week off? Just this once, so we can get the place done” he works his way to her neck, laying small kisses over it but she won’t break.

“You can get it done on your own, I’ll help when I get back” she pecks his head quickly before hopping out of the bed and towards the bathroom. He follows her there with puppy eyes and she sighs, “Haz... really? I got to do it, it’s just one day, I’ll come back right after!”

“I know, I just don’t want to stay here on my own”

“If we keep working like this eventually one of us will stay here alone, we talked about this” she reminds him while putting her braids on a bun.

“I get it, I just... I don’t like here the way you like here, staying in New York without you feels a bit dumb”

“You’re making a fuss for nothing”

“I only moved here to stay with you, first day I get here and you’re off to somewhere else, it’s a bit telling” he insists, making her stop on her tracks.

“Harry, this is a one off thing! If it was anything else I’d rather stick around and finish this place with you, you know how much effort I put into it, but I have to work! You agreed to it before we even got the deed!”

He leans his forehead on the doorframe, hitting it slightly. “I know... Can we at least-“ he’s cut by her phone ringing.

“Hi Morgan...” she picks up to talk to her agent, “You better call him, I think he also forgot...”

Harry leaves her on the bathroom and sits on the top of the stairs. The window opposite to him takes a whole wall from the ceiling of the second floor to the base of the first, and through it he can see parts of St. Lazarus Chapel. He never considered how faith had seldom played a part in his life, it’s not something he misses particularly, but he always envied the faithful. They have such a peaceful conformity with the way life is, he assumes they interpret every setback as the will of God and therefore even the worst things in life must happen for a positive outcome. He wishes he could have that, he wishes he could think of their careers as a privilege but in times like these it’s hard to understand God’s designs. Why would they move together if they get further apart?

Out of sheer curiosity, Harry closes his eyes and makes a prayer, a very silent one without even putting his hands together, just repeating the words that come so naturally to him. Growing up in a small city, religion was a constant in his education just as much as art. After years of reciting the words he even frowns upon forgetting some of them and maybe changing the order of some verses.

His prayer is cut by Olivia leaving the bathroom, carrying her perfumed scent out with her. She picks a change of clothes and stores on a small rucksack, at least he knows for sure she won’t take long to come back.

He keeps hearing her actions behind his back until she gets silent: “Don’t do this to me”

He turns around, “What?”

“Don’t sit there like an abandoned dog, you’re killing me” he chuckles but she remains dead serious. “We’re already taking huge steps, Harry, I swear to you this isn’t the way it’ll be from now on”

“If you say so” he smiles shortly, she huffs and continues to pack her things.

“Do you want to come with me?”

“No, I’ll unpack the stuff, there’s still a lot to do”

“Fine, suit yourself” she sits down on the bed and furiously ties her shoes. She wants to say something, anything to make him quit the tantrum and realize how quickly she’ll be back but he’s a stubborn little baby. If she wants to get away with it without scathing her relationships, she’ll have to choose her words carefully. With him, there’s no antidote for her missteps, and she doesn’t want to face the consequences of upsetting him so deeply. “Tell me something: if I asked you not to go on tour next week to help me settle things here, would you do it?”

He huffs, “Oli, you know I can’t-“

“Why should it be different with me?”

“‘Cause if I don’t do my work we don’t get to afford any of this, but one bloody interview won’t change a fucking thing” he bursts.

Olivia stands in shock for a moment, “You’re an arrogant piece of shit”

“Yeah? Tell me something I don’t already know”

She ignores his self-pity and picks up her bag angrily, checking her phone for the driver who’s already by the door. She wants to say something, anything to make him feel as awful as she feels before she goes. With her bag in hand, she walks past him and down the stairs to the door without even a glance. Guess the stone cold silence say more than words could possibly say.

“Fuck” he sighs, curling in on himself. Her silence is truly deafening.

For hours Harry can’t shut his eyes, he keeps roaming around his own flat and talking to the walls in hopes of them talking back. He sits at his garden and watches the sun rise considering if he should call and apologize, maybe blame it on the sleep deprivation or the fear of his own loneliness but he knows it’s his own fault. He admits he has flaws, so does Oli, but she seems more at peace with them than himself. Harry considers checking if any of his friends are in town but eventually decides to face his own solitude and try to make peace with it as well.

He unboxes some of his books and vinyls, placing them on their library. When that box is done, he finds another with Oli’s certifications: after her breakdown, she and Frank released an album as a duo which got ridiculously acclaimed by critics and fans alike. It was such a wild experiment, dropping everything that was once safe for them musically and just write for the sheer pleasure of it. He wishes he had that freedom and also that same outcome. To keep his mind busy, he plays their CD on the sound system while he hangs her certificates on a corner of the living room.

Thankfully, there’s enough in the boxes to keep him occupied all day while Olivia works in Boston. The city barely resembles New York in its urbanization but if feels incredibly foreign to her, specially when her mind zones out from time to time stopping her from actually recognizing any sights. She arrives at the studio where she’ll be interviewed and photographed, sits down on the makeup chair and once again lets her mind wonder to the Big Apple. Several times she considers picking up the phone and calling him just to make sure he’s not wallowing in self-pity, that’d be worse than simply being left alone.

“We’re all set up, follow me please” the producers calls her.

She follows to a white background where Frank also stands with a worried frown, “You’ve got that look on your face”

“I’ll tell you later, promise”

Their pictures are taken with several props and instruments then it’s time for the interview. As it’ll be recorded, Morgan comes up to make sure everything’s ok considering Olivia looks dead eyed and Frank looks like he’s having a caffeine withdrawal.

“Just try to look as if you’re not dead inside” she smiles down at them before giving the production a green light.

An interviewer sits in front of them and out of reach from cameras. “You just need to answer me, the questions will be inserted in the video”

“Alright” Frank nods and she starts.

“The new album is a huge departure from the work that got you on the radar, what caused this shift?”

Frank takes the first answer: “The first album was mostly written by Gina and Fiona, our bandmates, and they had a pop-rock approach that didn’t really represented us but it was enough to get us a start. After we became big enough artists, Oli and I tried to make our music a but more like us”

“Yeah, and by that time we had gone through so many formative steps that it was inevitable for us to sound more mature” she complements, minding how much information she wants to expose.

“How would you describe this mature sound?”

“It’s more influenced by black music and regional music. Frank and I spend a season in my home country with my mom, who’s a musician, and we got to understand each other through music, learning different rhythms and arrangements that made it to the album”

“This new sound also made it hard to keep touring with One Direction, is that something you miss?”

Frank looks at her but she shakes her head negatively. This is not a question he wants to answer, neither does she want to delve deep into her personal relationships which are obviously what the interviewer wants. “We miss our friends from the band...” he answers but her mind quickly evades her, going back to that flat on the east side of Manhattan.

By the time the sun sets, Harry’s done a lot of unpacking. For the last hour he unboxed several pictures of them to place on hangers, but now decided to rest a bit before actually hanging them. He cuddles up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of tea, alright feeling quite homely in his new home.

It’s around 7:00 pm when Olivia arrives. As the driver leaves, she finds herself once more in front of St. Lazarus Chapel. In the privacy of the empty street, she discreetly touches her forehead, chest, and both shoulders before walking inside her building. She walks into her new home and drops her keys on a coffee table, absorbing the new decoration until her eyes land on the small ball of covers on the couch. If that isn’t the sweetest fucking sight she’s ever seen...

She steps out of her shoes and crawls beneath the blanket, making Harry fuss a bit making room for her on the couch. “I told you I’d be back soon”

“You did” he mumbles.

“So you threw a temper tantrum for nothing”

He rubs his eyes and faces her, “I’m sorry love” he strokes her cheek, “I said some rude things and you didn’t deserve that, I’m really really sorry” he pecks her lips, pulling her into his embrace. She knows he’s not a bullshit excuser, he’s very much capable of admitting his mistakes and asking for genuine forgiveness, that’s why she won’t push it further.

“I forgive you, ok?” she pecks the tip of his nose, “but I can’t forget what you said”

“Oli... I didn’t mean it-“

“I know baby, but you said some things that got me worried”

“Don’t worry about that, I was just being a drama queen-“

“I’m not mad about it, I promise! But you’re right, you don’t know many people here and you don’t know the town like I do, and I want you to feel at home” she turns around and picks something from her backpack, “So, I got you this”

He frowns and picks an amass of paper wrapped in a bow. He unlaces it and finds a map of New York City, by the size of the folded paper it must be huge. “... thanks?”

“Come here” Oli tugs on his hand and pulls him to the big empty space in his living room where there’s still no furniture. She opens the whole thing on the floor and it’s about the size of her arms open wide in both dimensions with the city boundaries encapsulating Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Jersey. She then takes a red sharpie from her backpack and circles a spot in the east side of Central Park. “This is our house, right?” she writes ‘home’ over the spot, “If you follow Broadway all the way up you’ll get to Frank’s right...” she pinpoints it, “here”

“Ed’s got a place here, right?” he asks.

“Yes! Ed’s got a flat in one of these condos, let me check” she zaps through her texts with Ed Sheeran back to the day she visited his new place, “Yeah, it’s right here, mark it” Harry takes the sharpie, marks an X on the spot and writes Sheeran.

“Do you know if James’ got a place here too?”

“He hasn’t got a place, but he always rents a room in Midtown when there’s a new Broadway show”

“And where’s that?”

“Here” she points it and marks it, staining the tip of her finger with red ink. “We could watch a show sometimes, I need to see the new Phantom of the Opera”

“Oh no, you’ve watched it enough” he chuckles as he recalls her watching it almost weekly and greeting the actors on a first name basis.

“Come on, you never came with me”

“It’s ‘cause I don’t want to” he mocks.

“Fine, then stay here moping like a fucking hermit” she kicks him humorously but he takes hold of her leg and bites it lightly causing her to giggle. “Stop it!”

He pulls her by the leg, making the map slide on the wooden floor until he can crawl up on her. She spins them around trying to evade his grasp but on his back pocket he accidentally presses his phone and her album starts to play on the PA system.

“You’ve got to be kidding me” she shakes her head in disbelief. “Can't believe you're a fanboy"

“Shut up” she leans and kisses him intently somewhere over Wall Street and Ellis Island.

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fearofaherobrine · 6 years ago

Text

Roleplay Server Log #394

"Zly Checks In, Grocery Shopping, Cn Kidnapped, The Firebird and the Sphinx”

[Zly Wilk] - makes his way back to the path he was on before meeting up with Lazur. They make their way to the general direction of the bar, passing near Lie and CP's place.

[Aether] Is crying because CP briefly put her down-

[CP] - It's okay, I'm just getting you some fresh clothes

[Zly Wilk] - hears Aether as they get close - Oh, that's right, Lie had her and CP's baby.

[Lazur] -looks uneasily at the house - Uh... good for them?

[CP] - Come on kiddo, don't cry. Do you wanna go see the dogs? Let's go see the dogs- He starts carrying Aether towards the door as he also works on getting her dressed

[Zly Wilk] Oh, come on... we should stop in and offer our congratulations to the new family.

[Lazur] -unsure noises-

[CP] Steps outside and watches his daughter fuss at the sunlight- You're fine, it's just a little light

[Zly Wilk] - Walks up but keeps a respectful distance - Hey, CP.

[CP] - What?- He's heading for the dog pen

[Zly Wilk] Just passing by, wanted to congratulate you and Lie and meet the new addition.

[CP] Turns so they can see Aether better- Yeah, she's arrived alright, and is being fussy right now

[Zly Wilk] -smiles- Awww... she's adorable. Babies can be a handful, even when they don't have powers.

[Lazur] - is standing back slightly with a polite smile trying to hide her 'I'd-rather-be-anywhere-but-here' feelings.

[CP] - She can already set herself on fire

-The wolves are crowding the fence to sniff at Aether-

[Blake] Follows Cp out of the house and gives the newcomers a decisive - Urf.

[Zly Wilk] so I've heard. Well at least the flames aren't setting anything else ablaze... yet. - he moves his gauntleted hand around so that the light makes the gem on the back and the gold sparkle but doesn't shine on the baby

[Aether] Was reaching for Blake but gets distracted by the shiny-

[CP] - So where have you been hiding as of late?

[Zly Wilk] we built a little place in one of the wooded biomes. Been farming, growing those glowing apples doc and Yaunfen and I created. Been rather relaxing.... -sly look- took up making alcohol too... everyone needs a hobby.

[CP] - Alcohol, that's a good idea

[Aether] Stretches towards Zly-

[CP] - What are you doing you little silly?

[Zly Wilk] -chuckles and lets Aether grab onto his gauntlet hand's fingers - yeah, I've been working on a hard cider just for Brines... with a little more kick than a Steve could handle.

[CP] - Doubt it would do much for me, but for Lie? Would probably make her drunk

[Zly Wilk] - produces 3 differently shaped and clearly marked bottles from his inventory- feel free to try them yourself sometime. Let me know how it goes.

The skull shaped bottle with the white eyes is the Brine Cider, the one that looks like an apple is a little less potent, but still alcoholic, and the baby bottle shape is just regular apple juice from the native apples... in case you needed something for the baby.

[CP] - Well we are starting to introduce her to new foods, I'll have TLOT make copies when he comes back

[Aether] Tries to put Zly's fingers in her mouth-

[Zly Wilk] - keeps his fingers just out of reach - I don't think those fingers would taste very good, little lady. -at CP- Just be careful with the skull bottle. I have a slight immunity to its effects and I was still knocked out for a couple days testing that batch.

[Lazur] -crossly- I thought he was dead, the jerk,except he never despawned....

[CP] - I can handle most alcohols, so we'll see- He shifts Aether so she can't reach the gauntlet anymore

[Aether] Fusses-

[Zly Wilk] well, we're off to the bar. Going to unload some of the mild and non alcoholic stuff on Sam if they want it for the collection. Tell Lie we said congratulations as well if we don't see her.

[CP] - When she comes back from irl I will

[Zly Wilk] - waves at Aether - bye bye, little one.

[Lazur] - already fast walking away -

[Zly Wilk] - catches up - What was that about?

[Lazur] ....What was what?

[Zly Wilk] -gives a look-

[Lazur] Ok...ok.... I don't like kids, ok? Not. My. Thing.

[Zly Wilk] Ok! Ok! Forget I asked.

[CP] Calms Aether down and heads back inside with Blake following. He puts Aether in her crib and watches Blake lay down in front of the crib as she falls asleep- Sleep well my precious little girl

[Lie] Has a decent selection of fruits and veggies in her cart for the server as they head for the meat department-

[Doc] Is just eyeballing everything. - This is all so much....

[Lie] - I know, and I guess you're not used to seeing so many cuts of meat...

[Doc] Not really no... I kinda skipped this when I went out with Cp. He's always in such a hurry.

[Lie] - Well, out here you get different bits of meat from different parts of the animal- She points to a chart on the wall behind the counter showing where each part comes from

[Doc] Pokes a package. - It's the sheer amount of plastic that unsettles me.

[Lie] - Well the plastic does help keep the meat from contaminating stuff

[Doc] I understand... but I still hate it.

[Lie] - I know- She moves a little farther down to the bacon section- Hey, here's something you and Deer might like- She holds up a red box with a black label with bacon inside

[Doc] More bacon?

[Lie] - A specific type, maple bacon

[Doc] I don't know what maple is? I presume it's just flavored differently?

[Lie] - Maple is... It's similar to touchie syrup, but it comes from tree's

[Doc] Oh, okay? I'll try it. - They take the package and glance to one side. - That's odd. What's wrong with these eggs? Are they dirty?

[Lie] - You mean the brown ones? No, that's how some eggs are. Egg's can come in a variety of shapes and colors

[Doc] Puts them in the cart - Hmmm.... Can you think of anything else?

[Lie] - Well, we still need to get something sweet for Yaunfen, and maybe some cereal for Aether

[Doc] I was hoping for suggestions, you lead, I'll follow. What else is there out here that's sweet that we don't have?

[Lie] Leads the way to the cereal aisle and to where the brightly colored boxes are- Let's see here...

[Doc] Geeze... these characters look rather crazy. Everyone is super excited to eat whatever is pictured. Do these things have energy boost effects???

[Lie] - Er… In a sense? They're packed with sugar. The characters are mostly to attract children... Fair warning, there are plastic bags inside of the boxes just to keep the cereal fresh- She picks up a box of honey nut cheerios

[Doc] Frowns- I'm sure I'm going to have to take out the trash once I unwrap all this other stuff anyway. -hir fingers graze several brightly colored boxes.

[Lie] - Take your pick Doc, they're all equally sugary

[Doc] Settles on a box of Froot Loops. - I like the rainbow one. And if it's sweet, Yaunfen will most likely love it too.

[Lie] - Usually you eat these with milk for breakfast- She spots some baby puffs and grabs an apple flavored one of those

[Doc] Milk we have plenty of thankfully.

[Lie] - Exactly, shall we check out?

[Doc] Absolutely.

[Lie] Heads for the check out and spots an open self check out and goes there-

[Doc] Gives the plastic bags a dirty look. - Don't get any. We'll take the cart out and I'll carry the stuff myself.

[Lie] - Okay, we still have to put the stuff in the bagging area though- She moves pretty smoothly as she scans things until it's time to pay- Your turn

[Doc] Pulls out hir card and blazes through the small menu. - Getting better... These are really simple little computers.

[Lie] - Yup, it doesn't take very long to learn them, but some people who can't read signs still have difficulties

[Doc] I believe it. - They take the handle of the cart and push it towrds the door. - So how are you feeling Lie? Physically or otherwise?

[Lie] - Fine, other than exhausted and sexually frustrated

[Doc] Oh dear... I know you hate TLOT's coffee. Should I be working on something that won't set off your allergies? I also know you don't want my help with the other issue.

[Lie] - I think I'll be better once Aether is on an actual sleep schedule

[Doc] So... maybe something for her? How do you relax a baby so they'll sleep better? - Xe pushes the cart around the side of the building and bends over it to start putting things in their inventory.

[Lie] - I don't even know

[Doc] Maybe a noise she likes?

[Lie] - She does get sleepy when I sing to her...

[Doc] I could make you a record for a jukebox? - They're just putting the last few things away.

[Lie] - Maybe, but I think it's about time to head home

[Doc] Agreed. I need to finish this little update. Hopefully I won't get beat up when I'm done. It's a fix for some of the water physics errors and might break a few small things.

[Lie] - I'm sure you'll have plenty of help fixing it. It's a clean copy from the office, right?

[Doc] Yes, thankfully. - They use some nearby electronics to make a hole and hop through before reaching back for her.

[Lie] Takes Doc's hand and follows-

[Doc] Closes it behind them and they're back on Lie's lawn. -I hope we didn't miss anything important.

[Lie] - I wouldn't hope so- She heads for the front door of her house

[Doc] Just show me where you want your part of the stuff.

[Lie] - Right, we've got a spare chest set up just for Aether's food so we won't be scrambling to find it- She let's Doc in and finds CP in the main room- Hey, where's Aether?

[CP] - Sleeping, everything go okay?

[Lie] - Yeah, everything went smoothly

[Doc] We got lots of new stuff. - They sit down on a block and start ripping open packages and transfering food into normal Minecraft containers before making copies and trunking them.

[Lie] - I'm going to check on Aether real quick

[CP] - Alright, just don't trip on Blake, he was right in front of the crib when I left them

[Blake] Is in the crib with Aether and curled around her protectively.

[Lie] Heads for the room and opens the door quietly, upon seeing the predicament she quickly pulls out her phone and starts recording- Blake? What are you doing?

[Blake] Opens one eye to regard her and parts his jaws ever so slightly to let out a very quiet 'boof'.

[Lie] - Blake... You don't belong in the crib

[Blake] Rrrrrrrrr.......

[Lie] - Don't give me that, that space is too small for you

[Blake] Curls up around Aether a bit more and gives her a defiant look.

[Lie] - Oh my god... You are being ridiculous...

[Blake] Huffs-

[Lie] - Alright, alright, just make sure she stays safe and warm

[Blake] Eyebrow - Since he is extremely fuzzy. Being a wolf and all.

[Lie] Stops recording and heads back to the other two, laughing to herself-

[Doc] Has a little pile of plastic, cardboard and styrofoam nonsense at their feet. - I split the eggs and bacon with you too. That cereal is.... really fragrant.

[Lie] - Yeah, it can be. Hey Doc? Do you mind sending something to Dawn's computer for me?

[Doc] Sure, what is it?

[Lie] - A video I just took, feel free to watch it yourself

[CP] - Just wanting to update Dawn or?

[Lie] - Go look at our child CP

[Doc] Takes the phone curiously and watches the clip before laughing quite hard. - Well Dawn did say he was clingy....

[Lie] - I think Aether has her first friend

[Doc] Sends it to Dawn with a smile. - A kid needs a pet anyway. And he'll help keep her safe.

[Lie] - Oh absolutely

[CP] Teleports into the bedroom and back- Really? I'm not even sure how he got in there without knocking the crib over

[Doc] You should see some of the places Waffles gets into. Lh too, but I kinda wonder if he can no-clip sometimes because of his glitch.

[CP] Groans a little-

[Lie] - Let me know what Dawn's response is to the video, I don't think she has my number

[Doc] I will. - They gather up the garbage and start aggressively melting the pixels into a single block-shaped glob.

[Lie] - Need any help with that Doc?

[Doc] No... just compacting it so none of the bits stray off. I can't think of any way to use it so I'll just take it out when I'm finished with my work.

[Lie] - Okay

[CP] - I think it's time for us to take a nap...

[Lie] - That does sound good...

[Doc] Yeah, I have coding to do anyway. You guys enjoy. - They start heading outside-

[Lie] - Thanks for going out with me Doc

[Doc] Anytime Lie. - They head down the steps into the rosy late afternoon and ride Gir back to the castle.

[Yaunfen] Has dozed off with their head on the kitchen table-

[Waffles] Is laying on the counter, covering most of it. Their giant paws and stump of a tail twitching a bit as they dream.

[Deer] Is cleaning up some dishes, humming softly to herself-

[Waffles] Rolls over to open a sleepy eye and give her wrist a little lick.

[Deer] - Good kitty Waffles- She gives them a little ear ruffle

[Waffles] Happy - Mow.

[Doc] Comes downstairs witha little click of metal on stone. They see Yaunfen tuckered out and speak to Deerheart quietly. - It's Fru isn't it? TLOT and Steve and even Stevie went out to get more iron.

[Deer] - Yeah, I'm not sure what we're going to do about them...

[Doc] Block them in until they can be tamed. Our friends are all over it.

[Deer] Gives Doc a quick kiss on the cheek- Come on, let's get our little one to bed

[Doc] In a minute, I brought food. I want to put it away. My inventory is super full. - They start unloading and the heavy sweet smell of the froot cereal fills the room as it's moved into the trunk.

[Yaunfen] Sniffs curiously in their sleep-

[Deer] - That's a lot of stuff

[Waffles] Sniffs one of the purple carrots and makes a face at it.

[Doc] No sense in wasting a trip right? - They show her one of the brown eggs and the dragon fruit. - Weird stuff.

[Deer] - Lie's world is certainly filled with curiousities

[Yaunfen] Rubs their eyes sleeply- Mom? Mada?

[Waffles] Hops down and streches.

[Deer] - Yes sweetheart?

[Yaunfen] I smell something weird.

[Doc] I brought you some cer-ea-l. You can have it for breakfast if you want.

[Deer] - It's from the real world

[Yaunfen] Oh, that sounds nice- Yawns-

[Doc] You should go strech out in your room. You're gonna get a cramp snoozing on the table.

[Yaunfen] Sudden start- Fru???

[Deer] - Sleeping

[Yaunfen] Oh.. good. -They get up and shuffle towards the stairs. - Goodnight mom, mada...

[Deer] - Good night

[Doc] Poor kiddo...

[Deer] - They're so worn out...

[Doc] I know the feeling. Randomly destructive responsibilities can really wear you down. - Thinking of Cp...

[Deer] - We should get some sleep too- She takes Doc's hand

[Doc] I want too, but I need to do the little update. I'll join you soon, just go to bed my love.

[Deer] - Alright- She kisses Doc's hand and leaves for the bedroom

[CN] He is sitting curled up in Firebirds lap, having listened to his elder explain calmly and patiently what had happened before. The small NOTCH fiddles his fingers a bit as he works up the nerve to ask a question-

[Firebird] -Can tell CN wants to ask something and waits patiently for him to get the courage to do so-

[CN] - Um... Firebird? Could you... Um... Could you maybe... Show me?

[Firebird] I... -He purses his lips- If.. you want me to, CN. I suppose so...

[CN] - Please? I just... I just can't wrap my head around the destruction you say you've caused...

[Firebird] -Sighs a bit- If you're certain.. -Stands up and tucks CN under one arm. It's actually kind of comical looking-

[CN] - Um, we should probably let Lie know we're leaving...

[Firebird] I know, I needed an available hand.

-In chat- [Firebird] I'm going out for a bit with CN, Lie.

[Lie] Sleepily- Just make sure he comes back safe, I trust you Firebird

[Firebird] Well that's handled... -There's a bit of a ripple as he opens a way, and in no time at all they're stepping into another seed. The point is grand ruins, overgrown with vines.-

[Firebird] Hm... Time's really taken it's toll here... -Sets CN down-

[CN] Looks around at the ruins- Is there anybody even around here anymore?

[Firebird] In this old place? I doubt it. You're free to look around, if you'd like. -He steps carefully to the doors at the end of the hall, regarding a painting on the wall with a frown. He shakes his head and pushes the door open to step out-

-The place seems to have been some kind of altar or similar, and if you judge the motifs around the building... probably to Firebird himself.-

[CN] Follows Firebird, distracted by the images around him- What was this place?

[Firebird] One of my last temples.

[CN] - Why'd you destroy your own temple?

[Firebird] I'd come to my senses around then and.. I didn't want to see this wretched place again. -He's looking out at the horizon and a single tower in the far distance that stretches toward the sky-

[CN] - But you were still blue?

[Firebird] Yes... It took a long time for the color to fade. Lets see.. If Teran is that way.... -Steps out onto the ruined steps to stalk around to the side of the building and look for another tower- It took me a long, long time to change. And an even longer time for my colors to change.

[CN] - But last time they started going blue, you just pulled them out!

[Firebird] Not the best way to deal with it, but it worked. There... Let's go. -He transforms into a bird and waits for CN to do so too before taking off into the air-

[CN] Shifts and flaps up into the air-

[Firebird] -Guides him along past a few ruined husks of villages-

[CN] Would remark on their saddened state if he could in this form, noting the absolute lack of life-

[Firebird] -Flaps hard into an updraft, and soars over a hill, and an expansive, ruined city comes into view in the distance. A broken tower is visible in the center of it-

[CN] Is not prepared for the updraft and tumbles through the air a little-

[Firebird] -Swings around to flick a wing under CN to make it easier on him-

[CN] Rebalances himself and soars alongside Firebird, looking down at the ruins, wondering if any life remains at all-

-There are ruined buildings, vines covering everything, and--- Is that a villager? Surely not. It was probably CN's imagination. The most damage is in the city's center, near the tower. Firebird alights to land near the thing-

[CN] Follows suit and shifts back- Whoa... It's still so big! Even though it's ruined!

[Firebird] -Stays as a bird for a few minutes before shifting back too- I believe this was the biggest city back then, beside any current ones...

[CN] - Cool!

-Once again, CN thinks he sees a villager in the distant ruins, but they're gone before he can blink.-

[Firebird] I.. suppose so. I never thought of it much.

[Firebird] -Rests hand on the ruined tower, and the stones flicker golden and then blue, he quickly retracts his hand with a frown- It was just a place, back then.

[CN] - And now?

[Firebird] Now It's not much of anything.

[CN] - Oh...- He wanders a little to look through broken windows inside of the abandoned homes

- There's a rustle behind Firebird-

[Firebird] -Starts after CN only to pause, head turning to look behind him.-

[CN] Turns to look at Firebird only to get pulled through the window behind him as Firebird is looking away-

[Firebird] -Doesn't see anything so he turns back only to find CN missing- CN? CN?!

[CN] Struggles as he's pulled father away from Firebird- Hey! Let me go!

[Firebird] -Hackles rise a bit as he rushes toward where he heard CN from-

[Villagers] -Frantically pulling CN further through the building-

[CN] - What are you doing? Stop!

[Villager] - I think the better question is what you are doing with Ra foolish child

-There's a bit of panicked yelling from Firebird outside as he's deterred by villagers brandishing spears. CN can just barely make out "Move! Don't make me hurt you!"-

-It makes the Villagers inside hurry CN out the back entrance and into another ruined street-

[CN] - Wait! Where are you taking me!?

[Villager 2] Away from here! Away from HIM!

[CN] - But he's my friend!

[Villager 3] Friend?! As if that monster could have such a thing. A toy, maybe, but friend?

[CN] - Yes! He... He's taught me to read and write! And... And a bunch of other stuff!

[Villager] - Quiet! You'll make it easier for him to follow us!

[CN] - No!

[Villager 2] -Digs around to try and find an available cloth to cram in CN's mouth to shut him up-

-Firebird's yelling is growing incoherent, but louder-

[Villager 3] Be glad he hasn't taught you to kill and maim, child.

[CN] Struggles as hard as he can- Firebird! FIREBIRD!

-He can't lose him like this. He can't lose him like this. He shouldn't hurt them.-

-He can't lose CN like this.-

[Firebird] Forgive me, -Flames burst from the bird, knocking the villagers around him back in a wave of hot agony before he surges into the air-

-The Villagers are rushing between half crumbled buildings and mostly destroyed streets, starting to get headway from Firebird-

[CN] Tries punching and kicking, but he doesn't have the leverage he needs to do anything other than irritate- Let me go!

[Villager] - Stop that, he is already angry enough. He will likely hurt us

[Villager 3] Likely? We'll be lucky to live! -Hushed whisper as the bird goes zooming by overhead. Slaps hand over CN's mouth to keep him quiet-

[CN] Tries to pull his head away-

[Villager] - Stop that child! Or are you suicidal?

[Villager 2] - Ties cloth over CN's mouth once the other villager removes their hand. They're reaching the cities edge now, and the desert beyond.-

[CN] Makes a face and in a bit of desperation flares his tail a little-

[Villager] Hisses in a breath seeing the blue feathers-

[villager 3] What has Ra done to you child? Believing him a friend, bearing the colors of his true form...

[CN] Muffled response-

-They've managed to get out of the city into the desert, but they don't head far. A sandstone temple past the city limits that blends in with the sand seems to be where they're going. -

[CN] Struggles, trying to get at least a hand free from their grasp to remove the gag-

[Villager] - Stop that child! We do not want HIS attention!

-Firebird doesn't seem to have realized that they escaped the city...-

[Villager 2] We're almost there...

[CN] Gets his arm free and starts pulling off the gag, ready to scream Firebirds name as loudly as he can-

[Villager] Turns around to grab his arm again- Stop that! You'll end up killing us!

-The villagers rush into the temple with CN and shove the doors shut behind them. The temple is plain and a few villagers in the entranceway look at the group bewildered-

[CN] Looks around, scared and unsure-

[Villager] - Ra has returned... He had this child with him

[Villager 4] Take the child to the Sphinx, let her judge him! If that child came with Ra... Who knows what's wrong with him... What that monster did to him.

[CN] Is confused over who the Sphinx is, Firebird never mentioned her to him-

[Villager] - You're right, she will be able to discern the truth

[Villager 4] She is in the tapestry room, last we saw of her.

[Villager] Starts dragging CN along- Then that is where we're going

-The other villagers that aren't necessary for this separate from the villager dragging CN along-

-They pass through a few other rooms before going down stairs into a room full of tapestries. At the end, staring up at the biggest one is... an actually familiar shape.-

[CN] His eyes widen in recognition as he notes the familiar shape-

[Villager] - Lady Sphinx? I have brought someone for your judgement

[Sphinx] -She turns and, Oh yep. Just like Firebird had offhandedly mentioned, she is shirtless. CN has seen this lady in a few pictures Firebird showed him.- Oh? And why is that? -She stalks over and bends down to regard CN with a calm expression.- Why is he gagged?

[Villager] - Ra has returned and this child was with him, he kept screaming for him and drawing his attention towards us. It was for the safety of the group

[Sphinx] Ah. Well, this far down he cannot hear us. -She removes the gag from CN- And what is your name, hm?

[CN] - Your the one Firebird said he always had to put a shirt on!

[Sphinx] -Taken aback- Wh. What?

[Sphinx] Who?

[CN] - Firebird! He's the one you guys keep calling Ra, but that's not his name...

[Sphinx] -Purses her lips before giving a wave of her hand to dismiss the villager.- You say he calls himself Firebird now, hmm? What a... plain name.

[Villager] Hesitates but does leave-

[CN] Shrinks down a little, getting nervous again at being alone with Sphinx-

[Sphinx] At ease child, I am no risk to you. Come, tell me of him now. We haven't seen Ra in hundreds of years after his defeat, and if he has changed, I wish to know of him now. Of what he stands for, if he stands at all. -Coaxes CN further into the room and to two cushions by the large tapestry. They almost vanish into the tiles color wise.-

[CN] - I... He's my friend, he's always nice! He, he's taught me how to read, and write...

[Sphinx] And that is all? That is not much to be proud of.

[CN] - He... He taught me how to fly! And build nests too!

[Sphinx] To fly? Are you like him? -Her tail curls into her lap-

[CN] - Yes?- His tail feathers fluff a little

[Sphinx] … Interesting. But you only speak of what he's done for you. Not of how he is, child. Are you sure you even know him?

[Sphinx] He never even told you his true name, after all.

[CN] - He, he didn't want to scare me... Flowey was the one who started telling me, all Firebird told me was that he had done a lot of bad things in the past... And... And my brine trusts him! And so do the others!

[Sphinx] Or maybe he just didn't want you to know. Thought you too weak, child. Ra was a tricky one, after he changed. His ire could be drawn with but a word, at times.

[CN] - He's only turned a little blue once! And that's when he was fighting DN, otherwise he hasn't gotten into any fights!

[Sphinx] Hm... -Her head turns to regard the big tapestry, of the bird himself, seemingly... falling down? The edges of his wings in the cloth are blue.- I see...

[CN] Fingers Firebirds feather amongst his bundle of feathers at his waist- He's not bad... He's not a meanie

[Sphinx] Maybe not now, he isn't. But I have my doubts. You never told me your name, child.

[CN] - Uh... C... CN

[Sphinx] CN, huh...

[CN] - Can... Can I go back now? Firebird is probably wondering where I am...

[Sphinx] Hm...

-There's a distant.. boom.-

[CN] Immediately turns towards the noise-

[Villager] Comes running back in- Lady Sphinx!

[Sphinx] -Already getting to her feet- How far from the temple is he?

[Villager] - Not far at all

[CN] - Firebird?

[Sphinx] Well, we best go greet him, hmm?

[CN] Nods quickly-

-They go up the stairs, and several villagers with spears are rushing out the entryway, probably to deter Firebird, but judging by the increasing booms and the sudden heat.. you could assume it's not going too well.-

[CN] Tries running ahead-

[Villager] Grabs his arm- Are you insane!? Stop!

[CN] - LET GO!

[Sphinx] Let him run to his "friend". See if he even recognizes him.

[Villager] Gives her an unsure look before letting CN go-

[CN] Bolts forwards, pushing his way through the weapon bearing villagers- Firebird!

-Firebird is blue, and also stamping a villager out of existence a mere 10 blocks from the temple. A ball of flame is cradled in his hand, and scattered about is the remains of others who had tried and failed to stop him.-

[CN] Runs right for him, grabbing his tunic- Firebird! Please... Stop... I'm right here, I'm okay

[Firebird] -Comes to a halt as CN latches onto the front of his tunic, and the wild expression he'd been wearing previously comes to a more... expressionless look.- ...CN? -The ball of flame remains in his other hand, while the other one drops and slowly pats CN's shoulder-

[CN] - Please, it's okay... I'm okay...

[Firebird] -Looks up at the Villagers that are still bearing spears and pointing them at him- …. I was worried.

[Sphinx] -The villagers part for her easily, and as soon as she gets an eye on Firebird she purses her lips.- Interesting.

[CN] - They didn't know... They didn't know you're okay now... You're not a meanie

[Sphinx] Judging by the senseless murder, I'm less inclined to agree. How's it been, Ra? I see you finally decided to put a shirt on.

[Firebird] Oh shut your mouth, Sphinx. -The ball of flames is flung at her, to which she easily sidesteps- I should have you all beheaded for that, you know.

[Sphinx] I'm quivering in my nonexistent boots. The child says you've changed.

[CN] Presses closer to Firebird-

[Firebird] And what of it?! Do you want to try your luck next? -Slowly calming down as he rests both hands on CN's shoulders-

[CN] Is still trembling a little after everything he's gone through-

[Villager] Is watching with a critical eye- Lady Sphinx, what are your orders?

[Sphinx] I personally would like to see the so called change in attitude our once god has had.

[Villager] - And how would you plan on doing that our lady?

[CN] Is sniffling a little, feeling safe enough with Firebird to cry-

[Sphinx] -Ignores the Villager's simple question- So, where have you been? I can see you've sunk your claws into some poor child, for him to care so deeply about you. Mind control?

[Firebird] -Scoffs a bit and gently picks CN up, holding him to his chest- There is no mind control at play. You already know I have no abilities toward that, unlike Fl..... Set. As for where I've been... Another seed.

[CN] - It's private... Caused my spawn to end up in the void...

[Villager] Watches Firebird carefully, certain that he'll hurt the child in his arms-

[CN] Quietly- Firebird, I wanna go home...

[Firebird] In a moment CN, in a moment.

[Sphinx] If not mind control, what power does the child hold that compels you to care, hmm?

[CN] Snuggles in closer, hugging Firebird-

[Firebird] -Purses lips a bit- … None. He has nothing that would have compelled me to care, unlike you. No truth finding, no devouring of men, no ability to turn day to night, nothing. But that doesn't matter. Now. We're leaving. You'll be free of me again. -Turns on his heel with a heavy sigh-

[Sphinx] I think I'll join you, see if you've truly changed. Brother Horus can take care of the villagers. He should be returning soon, after all.

[CN] - You can't, the server has a white list. You have to get Doc's approval

[Sphinx] Is that so? I don't believe that's quite true.

[Firebird] -Raises his other hand to open a way, a few villagers gasp-

[CN] Sticks his tongue out at Sphinx-

[Sphinx] I'll eat that tongue of yours, child. I'm not beyond devouring pesky children. They're so soft and chewy...

[Firebird] You touch him and I'll kill you myself.

[CN] - Lie would be mad too

[Sphinx] At least others care for you than this old mess.

-Firebird steps through back to the server and Sphinx follows-

[CN] Relaxes a little being safely home-

[Doc] Is already heading to the spawn in a huff- Can't get any fucking work done without some jackass stupidity---

[Firebird, still very much blue] Troubles, Doctor?

[Sphinx] Very bright, very colorful. Already quite promising...

[Doc] YES. Did I tell you it was okay to let a half-naked cat person in? No I did not!

[CN] - Told you!

[Doc] And you dyed your feathers? Having a spa day??? Is this some lady of the late evening?

[Firebird] -Opens mouth before shutting it a few times-

[CN] - Firebird got angry...

[Doc] sarcastic- Brilliant.

[Firebird] -Clearly suppressing the initial response to bark out "I'd have you killed for that"- And what exactly crawled up your ass and died? Hmm?

[Doc] Indicates the shirtless person next to him-

[Sphinx] -Looking everywhere but Doc-

[Doc] Do I get an explanation? Or did you just adopt a cat?

[CN] - Her people kidnapped me!

[Firebird] Oh, so it's alright for others to bring people in willy nilly? She followed me in to make sure I wasn't murdering CN somewhere quiet.

[Sphinx] To be fair, if your murderous ex god returned with a child, you'd be concerned too.

[Doc] If that's been happening I'm not aware of it. No one has come in without permission in quite some time, and for good reason! Firebird is here because Mix vouched for him. This is still primarily a Herobrine sanctuary.

[Firebird] -Takes a deep breath before calmly setting CN down- Well, I'm sorry for not giving you a heads up. [Sphinx] Mix? -Vaguely familiar expression- About yeyy high? -Gestures at roughly Mix's height- Cute?

[Doc] huffs at Firebird - Yes. A cute little Herobrine that yeets dinosaurs?

[CN] Moves so Firebird is between him and Sphinx-

[Sphinx] I was wondering where she went. What a delightful little butt.

[Firebird] -Startled choking noise- Don't say any more, I think I might puke...

[Sphinx] -Bark of laughter-

[CN] Tugs at Firebirds clothes- Firebird... Let's go...- He does not want to be alone right now

[Doc] Will she vouch for you? Firebird didn't ask permission so I'm not taking his word.

[Sphinx] I'm not quite sure, but I suppose I should hope so?

[Doc] If not, I'm tossing you back out. I don't like uninvited guests. - In chat, - hey Mix?

[Mix] -In chat- Yes?

[Doc] I've got a lady at the spawn who says she knows you. Wild hair, cat tail, no shirt?

[Mix] Oh nooo, the shirtless lady? She's still shirtless?

[Doc] Mind if tp you? I know you're quite a walk away. I'm tossing her out if you say she's trouble.

[CN] Shifts to his bird form and flits up to Firebirds shoulder-

[Mix] If she's still shirtless I'd like to not. I know exactly what lady you're talking about. Beside not putting a shirt on ever, she's fine. The worst she'll do unless provoked is be shirtless near you and pester you with riddles if she gets bored.

[Firebird] -Pets CN a bit- What, no devouring people anymore?

[Sphinx] That fell out of style not too long after your fall from grace. Sure, it's entertaining, but out of style.

[CP] - WILL YOU FUCKERS PLEASE SHUT UP!

[Doc] Grumbles- Mix says you're acceptable but annoying. I trust them well enough to let the barging in slide. - their hands skirt over the command block they're holding under one arm- You're locked in for the moment though. Consider it a probationary period. And eating people will get you stomped by me personally.

[Sphinx] That's completely fine, I had no plans to leave so soon. And eating people is out of style anyway. -Hand wave-

[Firebird] Can I go now?

[Doc] Yes. Just don't do that again. I'm trying to do an update dammit. Everyone keeps intrupting me.

[CN] Ducks his head a little, knowing it's actually mostly his fault-

[Firebird] You could have just... Done the update. -Shrugs before skirting off with CN-

[Sphinx] -Stands there for a hot second before trailing after Firebird-

[Doc] Considering the last few times have ended up with things being majorly glitched, I'm not inclined to hurry! - eyeballs Sphinx- And where are you going?

[Sphinx] To observe, unless you are going to station me somewhere, of course.

[Doc] Has realized Cn is still really upset. -Let him comfort the kid alone dammit. Just... come with me. It looks like it might rain anyway.

[Sphinx] -Looks at Firebird and CN for a moment before turning to return to Doc's side-

-There's a little rumble from above and Doc starts heading back towards the castle. -

[Doc] Who are you anyway?

[Sphinx] I'm Sphinx, Speaker of Riddles and the only one to harass Ra more than Horus and not lose an eye. Wait… Uhh… Firebird is what he goes by now, yes? -Taps chin- I think that's what the child said. What an unoriginal name. Why not just name yourself phoenix?

[Doc] Because it's hard to spell? I'm Doc. By name and nature. - They open the door for her and head down the steps beside the horse pen just as the first drops begin to fall.

[Sphinx] -Shuts the door behind her and pads down too. Her claws make little clicky noises. Nice.-

[Doc] So... are you a glitch? - Xe shifts the block to hir other arm and passes down the second stairs near the shower and fireplace.

[Sphinx] Hm? Oh no, I don't think so. I am what I was meant to be. … probably. -Taking everything in as she follows Doc-

[Porygon] Makes a happy beeping noise as it trundles around the corner to see who's come in.

[Doc] Do you have a home game? - They reach down to pat the birdlike pokemon but don't attempt to pick them up. Obviously.

[Galvantua] Peeks at them from high on the wall as they pause in the vine room-

[Deer] Starts coming up from the bedroom, completely naked-

[Lh] Runs in front of Deerhearts hooves and sashays-

[Sphinx] The very same we stand in. Although I've seen a few others following in Firebird' footsteps... -Same hat Deer, same hat. Titties out.-

[Doc] Now I'm confused. You don't look like a NOTCH and you don't have a glitch.

[Deer] Yelps as she trips and face plants on the stairs-

[Sphinx] Yess?

[Lh] Squeaks in alarm and bolts upstairs-

[Doc] Hears the noise and puts down the command block to check on her- Deerheart! Are you okay???

[Deer] - I'm fine, why haven't you come to bed yet?

[Sphinx] -Pokes the block with a foot before traipsing down the steps after Doc-

[Lh] Comes back to sniff Sphinx-

[Doc] Unexpected guest- xe helps her up and thumbs at Sphinx-

[Deer] - Oh, hello!

[Sphinx] -Tail wiggles as LH does the sniffy- Hello!

[Deer] - Love are you still working on the update?

[Lh] Mew???

[Doc] Trying too. I was almost done... - they look her up and down- Were you amusing yourself waiting for me my darling?

[Deer] - Of course not!

[Doc] Okay... Deerheart, Sphinx, Sphinx, Deerheart. And I suddenly feel overdressed...

[Deer] Tugs on Doc's coat- Then maybe you should remove some things

[Doc] Ah-hems- They take her gently and lead her back up so they aren't crowded in the stairwell. - When I'm done I will because, barring other emergencies; I'm going to go to bed.

[Lh] wiggle butt and tries to bap at Sphinx's tail.

[Sphinx] -Calmly swooshes tail out of LH's reach-

[Deer] - So the only thing that needs to happen is the update getting installed?

[Lh] Little backflip-

[Doc] I just have to cross my fingers and toes and let the files in. - They're heading for the command block again-

[Deer] - Alright, so Sphinx, what brings you here?

[Sphinx] My murderous ex god, who seems to be living a surprisingly peaceful life here.

[Deer] - Murderous ex god?

[Sphinx] He goes by Firebird now, apparently.

[Deer] - Oh! Yes Firebird has been very helpful here, especially when it comes to CN, he's taught him a lot and has untaught some things a... Not so nice NOTCH taught him

[Doc] Winces at the mention and arranges a few things before hitting several keys simultantously. Theres a little ripple and hum and the change spreads out in a gentle wave across the server.

[Deer] Shivers-

[Sphinx] Hm... Interesting.

[Deer] - Yes, CN's grown a lot under his care, and you can see Firebirds attached to him as well. I don't think Flowey interacts with either of them very much though

[Doc] 18w10c is in play. Lets see how it works... - they take out a stair block and place it in a little pool of water against the wall. The water flows smoothly over the step- Well it looks better at least.

[Deer] - Oh good, now we can sit in the water without going so deep

[Sphinx[ That would explain why he murdered about 20 people in his search for the child, definitely.

[Deer] - I'm sorry, he what?

[Doc] HE DID WHAT????

[Sphinx] I do believe the child told you he "got angry".

[Deer] - Oh dear... Well, he wouldn't be the first here to have a relapse

[Doc] Grinds hir teeth - 'Getting angry' does not mean going on a murder spree.

[Sphinx] Well, from what you've stated, it's quite understandable.

[Deer] - He practically see's CN as his own child at this point Doc, what would you have done if it was Yaunfen instead?

[Doc] Steadying breath- He's a NOTCH. I get upset when NOTCHs murder people okay? I expect it from the creepypastas, and even a few of the brines. You tell TLOT he did that and you won't see him for days.

[Sphinx] -Calmly Swishes tail back and forth- If it soothes you, back in the day it would have been well over 20.

[Doc] Pacing a bit - No, that doesn't help at all actually. No wonder Flowey was trying to kill him.

[Sphinx] Hmmm.. Well, it's the truth. -Shrugs apathetically-

[Deer] - Doc, you've seen how often Firebird has helped us since coming here, fighting DN and Harvestman

[Doc] I know.. I know.. I'm not proposing anything. I'm just... irritated.

[Lh] Makes another grab for Sphinx's tail.

[Porygon] Rolls over to lean on Deerheart's left hoof.

[Sphinx] -Swishes tail again, bopping LH on the snoot-

[Deer] - It's alright Doc, you know Firebird will help us if we need it

[Lh] Mew! - chuffs!

[Doc] Rubs hir temples - And we can't even just avoid telling TLOT since he can read minds... I am not looking forward to this....

[Deer] - I'll talk to him, you know he trusts me explicitely

[Doc] That might be for the best...

[Deer] - But for now, bed. Do you need a room Sphinx?

[Doc] Thumbs at the hallway behind hir. - There's an empty room here, one at the top of the stairs at the other end of the room, and another where we came in. Take your pick.

[Sphinx] I'll find somewhere.

[Doc] The kitchen is down there, help yourself if you're an early riser. - yawns-

[Sphinx] -Gives a nod before vanishing off into the house-

[Deer] Takes Doc's hand- Come love, let's sleep

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bthenoise · 7 years ago

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17 Bands We Think Will Be Playing The Last Ever Vans Warped Tour

Being that this will personally be our fifteenth year attending the Vans Warped Tour (eleventh as a fan and fourth as a member of the media) we’d like to think we have a pretty good feel for which bands will be playing Kevin Lyman’s longest-running touring festival.

Of course, with this being the very last Warped Tour ever, there’s no doubt Lyman probably has some exciting surprises up his sleeve. Nevertheless, we still think we have a pretty good guess as to who we might be seeing out there this year.

Now by no means do we have any sort of insider information as to which bands will or won’t be performing this summer. These are purely our educated guesses. Let us repeat that: THE BANDS ON THIS LIST ARE STRICTLY OUR GUESSES AND MAY OR MAY NOT BE PERFORMING ON WARPED TOUR THIS SUMMER.

With that now out of the way, to check out a list of bands we think will be playing the last-ever cross-country Vans Warped Tour, be sure to see below. Afterwards, make sure to grab tickets to Warped Tour 2018 here.

The Wonder Years

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Okay, we’ll be honest here: This could be an absolutely wrong guess, but being that The Wonder Years have been kinda MIA since releasing 2015′s No Closer To Heaven -- aside from last year’s acoustic EP -- it would make total sense for Warped Tour 2018 to be the place that kickstarts things for the Philly pop-punk act. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re teasing this on their Facebook page, too.

[UPDATE: The Wonder Years announced their new album Sister Cities and we’re thinking that’s a good sign for the summer!]

The Story So Far

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Let’s make this simple: Generally with Warped Tour, if you’re a “Warped band“ and have a new album coming out (or one that was just released), you’re going to play the punk rock festival in some capacity. The Story So Far has been working on a new album for quite some time and it wouldn’t surprise us to see them promote it out on Warped this year.

Story Of The Year

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Seeing as how Story Of The Year not only played the Warped Reward cruise last year and just released their first new full-length album in over six years, we think it’s safe to say the St. Loius, MO outfit has every reason to make a comeback out on Warped Tour. “Until The Day I Die” 2018 coming at cha!

State Champs

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With hopefully a new album to promote, or at least a lead single, why wouldn’t one of pop-punk’s biggest main stage acts make one final trip out on Warped Tour? Plus, there’s usually a two-year turn-around with Warped’s roster (generally due to two-year album cycles) and seeing as how State Champs last played Warped Tour in 2016, signs are looking pretty good here.

3OH!3

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3OH!3, aka one of Warped Tour’s first true electronic/hip-hop acts to make a splash on tour, released their break out sophomore LP Want back in 2008. For all those non-math majors reading this, that was 10 years ago. What better way to celebrate a 10-year-anniversary than by taking it back to where it all started for the Colorado duo? Maybe they can get Katy Perry to come out for “Starstrukk” or at least another epic crowd surf.

Real Friends

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Similar to fellow pop-punk acts The Story So Far and State Champs, it’s been two years since Real Friends last played Warped Tour and they should have a new album coming out this year. So it’s simple, the math all adds up folks.

Every Time I Die

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This is a no-brainer. When the founder of Warped Tour drops your name as a band he wants to see out on the final year of tour, why wouldn’t it happen? Plus, Every Time I Die never turns down a touring opportunity so let’s just go ahead and pencil them in for the final lineup already.

Less Than Jake

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Less Than Jake has literally played more than a year’s worth of dates on the Vans Warped Tour (meaning, they’ve played over 365 dates spanning more than 10-plus years). Do you really think they’d miss the last ever Warped Tour?

Reel Big Fish

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Similar to Less Than Jake, as one of the few ska bands to survive the 90s, Reel Big Fish has been a staple out on Warped Tour for years. That said, with this being the last hurrah for Kevin Lyman and company, do you honestly think Reel Big Fish isn’t going to play “Sell Out” to a bunch of skanking showgoers one last time?

Good Charlotte

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As one of the bands to help put pop-punk on the map by receiving love from the likes of MTV, the Madden brothers should 100% be out on Warped this summer. Considering they did about a week’s worth of dates back in 2016 and played the Warped Rewind cruise last year, that’s a pretty good sign they should be ready for a few more weeks on the road this year.

Waterparks

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For those not keeping track, we’ll repeat the formula one last time: New album + two years since last Warped Tour performance = you got it, a Warped Tour appearance. While we aren’t gamblers by any means, we’d like to think there’s a pretty good chance you’ll hear some Entertainment tracks this summer on Warped Tour 2018.

Simple Plan

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According to their Wikipedia page, Simple Plan played on the Vans Warped Tour every year from 1999 to 2005 -- that’s seven years in a row! With that considered, who’s to say the Canadian pop-punkers won’t be feeling a little nostalgic after celebrating 15 years of their No Pads, No Helmets... Just Balls album and want to do Warped one last time? They did just play the Warped Rewind cruise last year, so there is hope.

The Used

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While this may be one of the bigger stretches on this list, why wouldn’t Bert McCracken and company want to make one last stop on Warped? Sure, it’s been nearly six years since The Used stepped foot on the Vans Warped Tour but with Kevin Lyman’s festival making such a huge impact on the band’s career, why not help push their new album The Canyon by making a special appearance or two?

Senses Fail

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This, like a few bands we’ve mentioned today, is a pretty obvious choice. Senses Fail, in their 16th year as a band, is still very active and has a new album dropping in February. Combine their deep Warped Tour roots with a new album to promote and voila, a 2018 Warped Tour slot should be on its way.

Motionless In White

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While Motionless In White may have left a very Warped-friendly label in Fearless Records for a not-so-Warped-friendly label in Roadrunner Records, something still tells us we could be seeing Chris Motionless performing a few new Graveyard Shift songs this summer. Even if it’s just a few dates, it’d be a shame to see Motionless In White miss the chance to play the festival that helped launch their career.

Knocked Loose

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Generally, it’s a pretty good rule of thumb that if a band did Warped Tour the year before, they won’t be out the very next summer (as we pointed out a few times already). However, in the case of Kentucky hardcore outfit Knocked Loose, when you played one of the smaller stages but still drew some of the largest, most-engaged crowds, there’s a very good chance you’ll be back on Warped sooner than later.

Beartooth

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As one of the younger yet most experienced members of the Warped family, we’d be shocked not to see Caleb Shomo out on the last ever Vans Warped Tour. The guy’s been doing Warped since he was about 15 or 16 in Attack! Attack!. And now, at the still very young age of 25, Beartooth should have a new album to promote here in 2018 so it only makes sense to see Shomo grace the Warped Tour stage one last time.

#Vans Warped Tour #The Wonder Years #The Story So Far #Story Of The Year #Real Friends #3oh!3 #Every Time I Die #Less Than Jake #Reel Big Fish #Good Charlotte #Falling In Reverse #Simple Plan #The Used #Senses Fail #Motionless In White #Knocked Loose #Beartooth #Guest List

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cadpadawan · 5 years ago

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31-Day Music Challenge

The social media is now flooded with all kinds of funny challenges, as people are stuck at home with nothing much to do. I guess online gaming, or getting shitfaced, becomes increasingly boring, when all kinds of tiresome responsibilites, like work, do not present any restrictions and limitations anymore. In a way, Facebook has started to resonate the air of those naive first few years, when your newsfeed was basically just one continuous stream of challenge that and challenge this.

Well, why the hell not?

What else is there to do, in order to pass the time with your mental health intact?

So, here I am...just another bored individual to join this endless crusade to make life worth living again, to make my personal life great again. Thus, I jumped on the wagon, and took on this fancy 31-day music challenge, that has been circulating in Facebook (for years, I think).

Although, I didn't find it challenging enough to just type the daily keyword in the Spotify search box and post the result in my Facebook wall. Because: more is more.

(Go ask Yngwie Malmsteen, if you don't believe me...)

The challenge for day #1 was to pick a song with a colour in the title.

I could immediately come up with a bunch of songs, only to realize that the vast majority of the song titles were themed around two basic colours: black and blue. I guess songwriters are a lazy bunch, when it comes to colours. It's pretty obvious, why lyricist everywhere find these two colours exceptionally appealing and resort to the abundant use of them, neglecting all the wonderful possibilites posed by the other colours of the spectrum. Of course black and blue, in terms of emotion and imagination, are much stronger than, say, yellow and orange. So, instead of just settling with the first few titles that came to mind, I wondered if I could come up with one song for each colour I can think of. I mean: a song that bears some personal meaning to me. In practice, this challenge basically meant that I would have to think hard while rummaging through the main three Spotify playlists that I have compiled with something like +16k or +17k songtitles, with the addition of my personal collection of some +2600 cd's – at least the rarities section for songs that are not available in Spotify.

Let's see if I have the stamina to go through my cd-racks, though. I had the forethought to organize my cd's in alphabetical order, by the name of the artist, years ago. For some weird reason, my beloved spouse has not yet agreed to the idea of re-furnishing our apartment with the central theme being those precious compact discs. That's why the cd-racks are placed in somewhat random and impractical fashion: most of them are located in the living room, with a few sections located in our bedroom. I guess, it's a good thing I had disposed of my vintage Rhodes-electric piano by the time when we started dating 20 years ago. I'm pretty sure she would have opposed strongly to the idea of having the instrument as a kitchen table, with the giant lid down. My Rhodes-piano was the so-called suitcase model, with a keyboard of 73 keys. When I moved out from my parents' house in the mid-90's, I decorated my one-room-apartment in the ethos of Japanese minimalism, due to the fact that I spent most of my income on records and alcohol. That Rhodes-piano served as a kitchen table, when I wasn't actually playing with it. Because: why the hell not?

Ok, then. The first colour...it shall be black.

Oh, boy! What a multitude of choices it presents! Should I pick an iconic 90's grunge anthem, like Soundgarden's Black Hole Sun? After all, I saw the band on stage in Helsinki cirka 1995. (I say ”cirka” because I'm not 100% sure about the year, and I'm too lazy to look it up in Google) The fond memories of those grungey early years in the 90's instantly remind me of a couple of equally important bands: Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. Although, I've never seen either of them live. Pearl Jam had a song titled Black on their breakthrough debut album Ten. Alice in Chains had a killer track titled Black Gives Way to Blue. That epochal Pearl Jam album played non-stop in my car stereos at the time of its' release. I had it copied on a C-cassette. Remember that vintage format, anyone? (Yes, I'm THAT old...) With this particular AIC song I fell in love much later, as it was the title track on the band's comeback album, released in 2009 with the new singer William DuWall. First, I kinda hesitated to give this new AIC line-up any chances, but it turned out to be pretty damn good. Obviously, nothing can top the impact, that the Laney Staley-fronted AIC made with their Dirt-album in 1992. At the time of its' release, that album was a full-blown mindfuck! In retrospect, the year 1992 seems to have been pretty kick-ass, in terms of album releases:

Alice in Chains: Dirt

Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine

R.E.M.: Automatic for the People

Pantera: Vulgar Display of Power

Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes

Faith No More: Angel Dust

Dream Theater: Images and Words

Aphex Twin: Selected Ambient Works 85-92

Prince & The New Power Generation: (Love Symbol Album)

Stereo MC's: Connected

Tom Waits: Bone Machine

Sade: Love Deluxe

The Prodigy: Experience

Megadeth: Countdown to Extinction

Eric B. & Rakim: Don't Sweat the Technique

The Orb: U.F.Orb

k.d.Lang: Ingenue

Suzanne Vega: 99.9 Fº

Stone Temple Pilots: Core

Curve: Doppelganger

Nick Cave: Henry's Dream

Neneh Cherry: Homebrew

Maybe I should choose something less obvious? At least, it would make this challenge less arduous for me, because it's evident that making a choice between two particularly dear songs from the past is nothing short of impossible. When in doubt, go for the dark horse! So, here goes: my choice for the song with the colour black in the title is:

Bonobo: Black Sands

Being something of a jazz aficionado, despite not really possessing any of the musical prowess to actually play jazz myself, it was love at first soundbite, when I chanced to hear the title track from Bonobo's 2010 album Black Sands on Bassoradio's morning special back in the day. Bonobo is the musical alias of British DJ-producer-musician Simon Green. His career spawns from the 90's trip hop aesthetics, with heavy influences of jazz and world music. Spicing up electronic beats with raw jazz samples, or even live musicians, was the thing to do, somewhere along the mid-90's. I guess it all started with a few insightful hip-hop artists layering their ghetto stompers with the occassional hardbop jazz sample back in the late 80's. For a short period, acid jazz was the coolest shit ever in the early 90's. In a somewhat natural chain of events, jazz eventually made its way to the brand new genres that evolved around the middle of the decade, trip hop and jungle, too.

That's how I got sucked into the all-consuming whirlpool of this abominable voodoo music – jazz. It's a wonder no-one has come up with a gateway theory yet, regarding the highly addictive nature of jazz music. It usually starts with small doses: an occassional jazz sample is slipped in the hip-hop track, or the breakdown section of a rock song is ornamented with a brief, improvised saxophone lead. Then you find yourself craving for more, and start delving into the depths of acid jazz, nu jazz, or whatever new genre that has incorporated jazz as an inherent element in its' aesthetic toolkit. After this honeymoon period, that might spawn over years and years, you eventually catch yourself red-handed, holding a genuine jazz album in your hands at the local record store, probably the usual entry-level drug-of-choice jazz classic: Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It has been awarded the title of the greatest jazz album of all time – and for a reason, too. Multiple times. Then you're hooked. Next thing you know, you'll be blasting John Coltrane at a family reunion, with your beloved relatives giving you the dead-eyed stare, doubting the state of your mental well-being. Long story short: you simply cannot go wrong with a mellow waltz rhythm that's punctuated with the organic groove of a flesh-and-blood jazz drummer, and topped with hauntingly beautiful brass harmony.

Next up: the colour blue...

Again, I could go for something utterly obvious, like the song titled Blue by A Perfect Circle. Those lucky few, who know me in person, should be well aware of the fact, that I'm quite a diehard fanboy of the band. I was lucky enough to see the band's live performance a few years back, when they paid Finland a visit. Nevertheless, I think I can come up with something more unexpected.

Just let me think for a sec...

Remember the band Europe? Of course you do! (Unless you were born yesterday, like some, eww, millennial!) I think it would've required some exceptional measures in the noble art of cutting contact with the external world to not have been exposed to the band's 1986 megahit Final Countdown, during the past 34 years. (Fuck! Do I feel old yet?!?) BUT...before you dismiss the band as yet another hair-metal has-been, check out this song:

Europe: Not Supposed To Sing The Blues

It's pretty damn hard to believe it's a song by the same band that's responsible for that Final Countdown atrocity. To be honest, that particular throwback 80's hard rock ear-worm wouldn't probably get under my skin in such a thoroughly repulsive fashion, had I not performed the song countless times myself. It was quite an essential part of the live repertoire of the party band, that I toured with cirka 2004-2008. The modus operandi of this covers-only band was to play the most annoying 80's megahits, with the lyrics translated in Finnish with a liberal amount of tongue-in-cheek references to gay erotica. (On a side note, the band was actually quite popular in certain small regions, despite this dubious approach and the substantially high level of bad taste incorporated in the lyrics and live performances. We even ended up playing in a genuine gay wedding once. The humour of the band was, after all, benevolent albeit a bit harsh, at least in the context of these politically correct times...)

The song Not Supposed to Sing the Blues was released in 2012. It's pretty evident, that during this 26-year-period, following the release of Final Countdown, Europe managed to grow some serious balls, hidden somewhere below my musical radar. The oriental sounding motif, played with some cool mellotron string patch in the refrain before the chorus, has a nice Led Zeppelin-esque feel to it. You can't really go wrong with a slowed-down hard rock blues that is sugar-coated with a grain of Kashmir-strings, now can you?

Next up: white...

What first comes to mind? Whiter Shade of Pale by Procol Harum, and Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues, obviously. You see, I had both of these tracks in vinyl format, way back in the early 90's, when I was going through my ”moustache prog from the 70's”-phase. (Although, this particular Procol Harum song was actually released in 1968, and the Moody Blues song in 1967 – but, in order to be consistent and thorough, I had to dig deeper, to the roots of the prog...to the very dinosaur fossils)

I could throw in White Room by Cream, too. I used to listen to these particular tracks A LOT! In the age of vinyl, conducting a music marathon themed around, say, 60's and 70's ”moustache music”, was actually quite a laborous ritual. Every 25 minutes, or so, I had to flip the side of the record. Shuffling songs totally at random was simply a no-go-zone. Nowadays, it's so easy to compile a lengthy set of personal favorites in Spotify, WinAmp, iTunes, or whatever the fuck application you'd prefer, and just hit the randomize-button...fucking millennials, they have it SO easy. They have no idea of the struggle.

That's why we had those vintage C-cassettes: to copy that very special selection of songs, compiled with tender love and care, onto a format, that didn't require you to be on a constant lookout for when the album side was closing to an end. Besides, before the onslaught of cd-players, those vintage C-cassettes were the only way to impress people with either your refined taste in music, or with the lack of it, while you were occupied with the gentle art of pussy racing, driving around downtown in your awkwardly tuned-up mirthmobile, every goddamn Friday night.

I could pick White Wedding by Billy Idol, too...

It was one of those 80's hits that I used to play with the ”covers only”-party band.

Nah...

I think I will have to choose between Aisles of White by the Aussie soft-prog band the Butterfly Effect, and The Heart of a Cold White Land by the Finnish doomsters Swallow the Sun.

My beloved wife introduced me to Aussie prog, some 10 years ago. The gateway drug, I think, was Karnivool with their music video for All I Know. One day, when I was coming home from work, I caught my wife watching this particular video in YouTube. A little bit later, she unearthed a shitload of Aussie bands in Spotify. I guess she must've been hitting that ”similar artists”-link quite relentlessly. The Butterfly Effect was one of those magnificent bands she discovered. I remember hearing the song In A Memory for the first time. It struck a chord with me, in such a profound way, that I felt compelled to order the album Imago ASAP from some Australian music webstore. At the time, the back catalogue of the Butterfly Effect wasn't available in Finland. I don't know, if it's available even now, because the band is no longer active, I think. Aisles of White is the track #2 on that album, released in 2006. The band released one more kick-ass album in 2008, titled Final Conversation of Kings, and then I don't know what the hell happened.

Swallow the Sun is a bit doomish Finnish metal band, and I'm not really sure, when I actually found the band's music. I think I had their debut album The Morning Never Came (2003) in my cd-rack for years, but it wasn't until 2012, with the release of the magnificent Emerald Forest and the Blackbird album, that I truly fell in love with the band. It took me some five years to actually haul my ass to their gig for the first time. Every single time, when I found out that they were touring nearby, I was too busy with some utterly meaningless work-related bullshit to make it. Finally, in 2017 it happened. I had managed to get rid of my soul-sucking job, although due to a pretty hardcore reason (a brain tumour), so when I found out that Swallow the Sun was performing in Helsinki, in the legendary rock venue Tavastia, I definitely made sure that I was there – and fuck me sideways! It was indeed one of the best live performances that I have ever experienced, hands down!

In 2015, Swallow the Sun released a monolithic triple album Songs From the North, and this particular track, The Heart of a Cold White Land, is on the disc II, that is focused on the beauty side of the band's doom palette.

Swallow the Sun: The Heart of a Cold White Land

Next up: Red

Sielun Veljet was one of the most iconic Finnish rock bands in the 80's. The band released only a couple of albums with lyrics in English, of which the 1989 release Softwood Music Under Slow Pillars was the only one with the songs originally written in English. There was some other attempts to gain international fame and fortune, but in those cases, the songs were merely English translations of their most beloved hit songs, initially written in Finnish. This particular album was planned for international release – but the label executives were pretty disappointed, to say the least, when the band came up with an album full of acoustic psychedelia. It was released only in Finland and Sweden. The artwork on the album cover is actually a painting by a Peruvian artist Pablo Amaringo, depicting the shamanic ayahuasca ritual. Listening through this album in one go is somewhat similar experience, I would guess: a rewarding journey into the depths of the human psyche, albeit potentially exhausting, especially if you're not exactly in the proper mindset to begin with.

Well, ever since I got exposed to the oriental psychedelia of, say, Jimi Hendrix, Kingston Wall, and the like, I seem to have acquired a taste for this kind of weird and druggy, over-the-top freeform musical expression.

Sielun Veljet: Hey-Ho, Red Banana

Ok, then...What next?

What other colours are there, anyway? The three primary colours are: red, yellow and blue. All the other colours can be derived from these three fuckers. To be precise, I think black does not actually qualify as a colour... So, I've got most of these covered already. Of course, in order to pick some hairs, printers actually use magenta, yellow and cyan as their primary colours – and black, obviously. I can't recall a single song with ”magenta” or ”cyan” in the title, though. I could come up with a band or two, with these colours in the band name, such as Magenta Skycode, or Cyan Velvet Project, but song titles?

Nada.

Maybe, if I combed through my post-rock and soundtrack archives, I could come up with some epic 15-minute instrumental with either cyan or magenta mentioned in the lengthy piece of contemporary literature, that is supposed to be the title of the song...but I guess those tracks would not exactly mean worlds to me, as I clearly cannot remember them now. If something comes to mind, while I'm writing down this epistle, I'll address that particular colour and song, accordingly. Now, I shall get on with this challenge journal, onto the next ”normal”, everyday colour...

Which is?

The colour green.

Having played keyboards in a dubious number of proggy bands, with the tonal preferences leaning heavily toward everything vintage, I might as well pick a mellow Hammond-organ classic, such as Green Onions by Booker T. & the MG's, or a vintage synth classic from THE motion picture soundtrack album of all time: Memories of Green by Vangelis, from the timeless Blade Runner soundtrack.

But I won't...

It wasn't actually easy to come up with that many titles with the colour green mentioned. Excluding these two aforementioned classics, I could barely come up with four! As much as I like the desert rock stonerism of Kuyss, the song Green Machine is not my personal favourite in their back catalogue. So that narrows my options to three. The problem is that two of these songs seem to defy the laws of quantum physics: they both take a firm stranglehold on my soul, and throw it casually down the dark and dangerous alleys of nostalgia.

In the midst of 90's acid jazz boom, I had a peculiar habit of buying compilation cd's at random, if the heading on the cover somehow suggested that the contents of the cd had anything to do with this particular genre of music. By impulse-buying music I discovered a lot of gems, like the song Apple Green by Mother Earth. The band was an English acid jazz outfit, virtually unheard of in Finland, despite the tidal wave of acid jazz washing over also these rural perimeters. If Jamiroquai, the Brand New Heavies et al. rub you the right way, you definitely need to check this band out. I can still remember clearly, as if it happened yesterday, how I picked this acid jazz compilation from the vaults of the local record store that no longer exists.

Mr. Big was a band everybody just loved to hate at the turn of the decace, when the gigantic hair-do's of the 80's started to flatten out, and flannel shirts were showing faint signs of becoming the next level shit in the never-ending quest for cool. At the time, I was an under-aged college drop-out, devoting my attention to the finer things of guitar playing techniques, instead of studying for a decent profession. I had received my first electric guitar from my parents in 1988, and for the following 5-6 years, I spent most of my time and energy in an attempt to unravel the secrets of how to play guitar like Jimi Hendrix. I listened to quite a lot of speed and thrash metal on the side, too. Y'know, bands such as Anthrax, Metallica, Slayer and Stone, which was quite a legendary Finnish speed metal band in the late 80's. My budding personal artistic expression was anyhow more influenced by legendary old timers, like Hendrix. I simply loathed all sorts of pyrotechnical wankery (with the exception of certain tracks by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani). Mr. Big's lead guitarist Paul Gilbert was famous for that very special blend of technical stuff, that I wasn't interested in, not in the slightest. So, I never really gave the band a chance. I think my misconception of the band's music as some kind of a shit-show of technical masturbation was due to some instructional videos hosted by Gilbert. After all, his fame as a highly skilled guitarist must have derived from his contributions to several guitar magazines and instructional videos, instead of his career in Mr. Big. So, everytime I heard the intro of, say, To Be With You, on my car radio, I simply had to change the channel. In order to do so, I had to manually rotate the tuning knob. Yes, my first car stereos were THAT vintage! What a time it was to be alive! Years later, with the maturity of age like with a fine wine, I finally listened to the worn-out hits of this horrid band only to find out that – bummer! - in terms of songwriting, those goddamn Mr.Big hits were actually not that bad at all. The song Green-Tinted Sixties Mind was released on the album Lean Into It in 1991. Now, everytime I am exposed to this particular song, I am instantly reminded of what a stuck-up elitistic music snob I used to be during those emotionally tumultuous times.

So, I could resort to the luck of the draw, but luckily I've got one more candidate to go.

Lonely the Brave is one of my most recent findings. It's an English alt.rock band from Cambridge, formed in 2008. I really don't know much about the band, just this one song titled The Blue, The Green. I was exposed to it while playing the music trivia game Songpop 2 with my mobile phone during the past two years, I think. The game is about guessing songs within the timeframe of a 15 second clip. Pretty addictive at first, actually. This 15-second-soundbite was enough to gain my full attention, so I had to check out the song in full, instantly. I cannot pinpoint what exactly it is, but this particular song has that vague feeling of ”something”, that draws me to listen to it, time and time again.

Lonely The Brave: The Blue, The Green

Next up: yellow.

I was first introduced to Frank Zappa's unique music in the late 80's, by my classmate Jussi, who kindly exposed me to the timeless classic Bobby Brown Goes Down. At the delicate age of 15, it was a pretty anticipated reaction that the explicit song lyrics would strike a chord. A few years later, as I was browsing through the vinyl section at the local second hand record store, I came across a pure treasure: the gatefold vinyl edition of Roxy & Elsewhere by Frank Zappa & The Mothers. In mint condition, too! Dropping the needle on the first groove on the black vinyl back home was like taking the first hit of some mind-altering illegal substance. My perception of reality changed in an instant – and there was no going back. Such an exciting mixture of fusion jazz, rock and harsh satire was sure to make me an addict. So, in no time at all I built up enough tolerance and moved onto semi-lethal dosages, and purchased the albums Hot Rats, Grand Wazoo and Apostophe('). The last one was released in the year, when I was born (1974), and it included the hilarious 4-part rock suite about the unfortunate adventures of an eskimo named Nanook. One part of the suite is titled: Don't Eat the Yellow Snow. Sound advice at the time of a global pandemic, that originated from some peculiar pathogen spillover event in China, don't cha think?

Frank Zappa: Don't Eat The Yellow Snow

Not many colours left, I think...

Next up: purple.

I was exposed to the music of Jimi Hendrix via a documentary on TV, when I was a rosy-cheeked 7th grader in junior high. It happened around the same time, when I got my first electic guitar. So, I guess it must have been written in the stars, or something. The universe simply wanted me to focus on the noble art of guitarism, instead of getting a college degree on psychopathological marketing or accounting (fuck no!). My first guitar was a cheap stratocaster-copy with a Williams-logo on it. In a way, it resembled the vintage Mellotron keyboard: it simply would refuse to keep in tune. One of the first songs that I learned, despite the frustrating limitations imposed by the crap tuners on the guitar, was Purple Haze by Hendrix. I had to learn it by ear. You see, back in the gloomy days of the late 80's, there just wasn't that many guitar tabs around. Not in Finland, anyway. Later I did find an instructional guitar playing manual at the local library, with a few pages dedicated to the art of Jimi Hendrix. Mainly, the only viable option to learn any contemporary rock song, or even any classic from the days long gone, was either to learn it by ear, or to resort to the occassional tabs provided by the international guitar magazines – if you were fortunate enough to spot these much-sought publications at your local bookstore. (These fuckin' millennials have it SO easy!) On the other hand, learning to play primarily by ear must have developed my improvisational skills a great deal, as an added bonus. Improvisation is not so much about throwing up some pre-programmed fancy gimmicks at any given chance, but actually LISTENING to what your fellow musicians are playing and responding accordingly.

Next up: grey.

I think it was my dear wife, once again, who first introduced me to the band Thrice, by playing the song Digital Sea from the band's double album Alchemy Index, a long, long time ago. The band's vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue is one of those few singers, who are blessed with a distinctive voice that speaks, or to be more precise, sings volumes. He might not have the same gravitas like Mark Lanegan or Tom Waits, but nevertheless, he has the voice of a protagonist who's been to hell and back. Mark Lanegan sounds like he's got a season ticket, and Tom Waits sounds like he's the devil running the show – or, to put it in Waits' own words:

”Don't you know, there ain't no devil,

that's just God when he's drunk...”

 Tom Waits: Heartattack and Vine

Anyways, the lyrics in a Thrice song could be compiled of a list of phone numbers, or the decimals of Pi (like Kate Bush actually did), and it would still sound like a profound wisdom concerning the transformative journey of being fully human.

Thrice: The Grey

Last but not least, the colour: turquoise.

For years, I actually thought that Boards of Canada was indeed a Canadian outfit. Y'know, indie bands in particular come up with these band names that have some funny and ironic twist. Somewhere along the way, it finally dawned on me that this magnificent electronic duo is actually from Scotland. Well, of course it is! If my memory isn't playing any tricks on me now, I'm pretty sure that Soulsavers and Hidden Orchestra are Scottish, too. And they all have something in common. Each of these electronic outfits has an extraordinary and unique, boss-level prominance in the way they manage to capture emotion in their instrumentals.

Boards of Canada released a 5-minute electronic epic titled Turquoise Hexagon Sun on the album Music Has the Right to Children in 1998. The name of the song is actually a reference to the duo's recording studio Hexagon Sun. It makes it even more marvellous, that an instrumental track with a title deriving from something so mundane can touch your heartstrings so deeply. It's not that often, when an electronic instrumental with a hip-hop beat, glassy vintage synth motifs and deliberately lo-fi production paired with grainy samples, manage to do that. These Scottish bastards must've been onto something...

Well, that's pretty much all there was to the first day in this music challenge! I was supposed to pick one song, and I ended up writing a fucking novel about it...Tomorrow the plot shall thicken even more, when I introduce you to the theme of the day #2.

In the meanwhile, you can do yourself a favour and listen to:

Boards of Canada: Turquoise Hexagon Sun

Stay tuned! Cheers!

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girl4music · 7 years ago

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I have been so busy I haven’t been able to get round to writing this review but now I can. Kelly Clarkson’s new, and debut album signed to Atlantic Records, ‘Meaning Of Life’ has been an album I have been enjoying and playing on replay as much as I have Demi Lovato’s ‘Tell Me You Love Me’. Self-proclaimed as “soulful”, “jazzy” and “funky”, she really delivers from all areas of her wide vocal range and profiency in using it. But more than that, the material itself is really good too. It’s not just Kelly belting out and trying to make the song sound appealing. The songs are appealing stand-a-lone. They are well-written songs that tell us where Kelly is so far in her music career and life as a mother and wife. She’s talked about how this album is more her as a vocalist. She does things with her voice you haven’t heard from her previously, that really stand out. And you can hear it so well in the songs because they’re just so fantastically produced both musically and vocally. It’s pure clarity. Sometimes even sounds live recorded. She also talked about how this record is 100% her and that she did not have to compromise at all on it. Creatively she could do what she wanted and ask for what she wanted and it would be within the budget without having to say “well, if I get this, I’ll do what you want” which is something she has had to do a lot in the past with her music. Compromising and sacrificing on who she is as an artist just to even get a good enough budget to put the album out. Not naming names... but yeah, he made her life as an artist a living Hell.

Anway, let’s get on to the track by track review. I’m just gonna keep the explanations short because I want to stay focused on the main point. Which is just how different this album is compared to her previous ones. Short and sweet.

1. ‘A Minute (Intro)’

We have an introduction to the album. Ala... X-tina ‘Stripped’ style. Just telling us what this album is all about for her. She just needs some time to unwind and enjoy her life. No rating for this as it’s not really a song. But it’s cool that she’s brought the intro/interlude/outro thing back. I’ve missed that.

2. ‘Love So Soft’

Now we have the debut single to the album. When I first heard this I was surprised how different the style of music was that she was going for. But that’s what signing to a new label gives you. The oppotunity to do something totally different from previous material. Very soulful track. Not really a stand out for me though, apart from the Eb6 head note in the last chorus. That was so amazing to hear from her as she rarely ever uses falsetto, let alone full on head voice, much like someone else I could mention. Both wanting to try something different with their voices than just powerhouse belting. This track was a great choice for a debut single for that reason. So people can hear that Kelly can be more than boombox. Delivering her inner-Aretha soul diva.

8/10

3. ‘Heat’

This track offers more of a pop vibe than the previous track. It’s pretty much a power pop song but with soulful instances, very typical for Clarkson. But I suppose she’s gotta keep bits of her old self musically for the veteran fans. Not really one of my favourites simply because I’ve heard too much of it from her and it’s not necessarily anything different in general from what’s playing on radio either. If originality is something you want from ‘Meaning Of ;Life’, skip this track.

2/10

4. ‘Meaning Of Life’

The title track gets to the real deal ‘soul’ sound Clarkson was promising of the album. ‘Meaning Of Life’ has a church-organ and a choir and it’s stunning to listen to when it gets going. One of my favourites from the album for sure, and worthy enough of being the track that also is the title of the album.

9/10

5. ‘Move You’

When you get to this track, you’ll be floored. ‘Move You’ is the big ballad of the album. The epitome of the album. And for me, it’s the best song on the album and my most favourite. From everything to the musical and vocal production to the vocals to the lyrics to the background voices... it just floors me. I absolutely love how it goes from a simple slow intimate track with Kelly using her lower register to an all out Gospel anthem with a string ochestra and that church-organ again and of course... the choir. Absolutely incredible track.

10/10!

6. ‘Whole Lotta Woman’

This track stands out immediately. It’s a jazz/soul song. Sassy and bold. Kelly has done jazz before with her Christmas album ‘Wrapped In Red’ but it’s amazing to hear it from her 8th studio album. Really showing what she can do with the genre. Again, much like something from X-tina. This time ‘Back To Basics’ style. A real Aretha anthem. I really love it.

10/10

7. ‘Medicine’

What makes this track really intresting is the almost hip-hop style line after the main chorus and the bass vocals following after that repeating the title. Again, very soulful, sassy and strong. As Clarkson always does so well.

7/10

8. ‘Cruel’

Another old-timey Soul track. Actually more of a Motown vibe going on in this one. Sounds like something Meghan Trainor would of written for her debut ‘Title’ album. With the quick-lipped lyrics tightly wound into a legato vocal structure. Kelly really goes for it here with the head voice. So beautiful to hear the purity of her light-lyric soprano tone when she hits those falsetto and mixed notes. Like I said, it’s just such a rarity to hear that side of her range. Really makes this song stand out.

10/10

9. ‘Didn’t I’

Back to the jazz and the musical fullness of ‘Whole Lotta Woman’. Trumpets and trombones sounding off everywhere. Extremely well musically and vocally produced. Less pop, more soul always works best with Clarkson as she has such a huge vocal range and incredible control with it. But not a stand out considering ‘Whole Lotta Woman’ just does this so much better.

5/10

10. ‘Would You Call That Love’

Another power pop song but it has interesting tempo changes, making it sound more progressive in chord progression and compositional structure. But the musical sound itself is very digitally enhanced and processed that Kelly’s vocals don’t stand out half as much as they would given it had better vocal production. Probably the worst song on the album.

1/10

11. ‘I Don’t Think About You’

Back to the balladry. This song is gorgeous. The piano, the vocals, THE HEAD VOICE, backing vocals, chorus, strings. Everything. I love absolutely everything about this track. It’s another high peak for the album in terms of it’s ‘soul’ sound. Worthy of being a single. R&B/Soul radio station would eat this up!

10/10

12. ‘Slow Dance’

Again, Trainor immediately pops into my head listening to this. Maybe Clarkson should collaborate with her. They’d sound great together. And the musical production on this track really appeals to me. Especially that blues guitar solo. That lifts this track into the stratosphere. Totally and completely.

7/10

13. ‘Don’t You Pretend’

This would be a ballad if it wasn’t for the tempo of the chorus which picks up in BPM past the limit boundary of ballad territory. Something I’d like to point out in this track that might not have been thought of yet. This song has a backing vocal rhythm line in it that reminds me of a Christmas song. I don’t know which one. I’m still trying to pinpoint it. Maybe you guys could tell me what it is. A D6 head note protrudes from the musical production that takes you by surprise. I’m still reeling from how much head voice Clarkson has given us in this album. She really restricted that part of her voice in previous albums. Again, I just have to express how happy I am that she’s changed labels.

6/10

14. ‘Go High’

This is like the only track on the entire album that has prominent electronic elements. Vocal effects and modulations, drum-machine beats and weird computerized sounds you’d hear in a trap or trip-hop song. Kinda reminds me of something Sia would do because while it’s electronic... it’s also quite sophisticated and doesn’t sound out of place for Clarkson as she brings in the soul a little later in the duration of the song. I don’t hate it, but I wish she hadn’t made it the ender of ‘Meaning Of Life’. Something else would have been better to end off the album in my opinion.

3/10

That’s it for my review as there is no Deluxe Edition. This is the order of most favourite to least favourite:

1. Move You

2. I Don’t Think About You

3. Cruel

4. Meaning Of Life

5. Whole Lotta Woman

6. Love So Soft

7. Slow Dance

8. Medicine

9. Don’t You Pretend

10. Didn’t I

11. Go High

12. Heat

13. Would You Call That Love

Your opinion may differ and that’s completely fine. This is just mine. I like all tracks in the album of course but least favourites have to go somewhere.

Thanks for reading.

#kelly clarkson #meaning of life #fan review

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