#my dad’s music tastes are. let’s call them eclectic
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thinking about how my dad graduated high school in 1984 and went to college in boston, and he used to stay up late to snag free tickets on the college radio station to basement shows with like. the cars and fuckin. john gorka and shit. and how he used to hang out at coffee shops and bars and listen to tracy chapman play right before she made it big.
thinking about steve and eddie visiting nancy at emerson and catching a coffee shop open mic. thinking about how fast car would probably hit them both like a truck, for similar and also different reasons.
just thinking.
#my dad’s music tastes are. let’s call them eclectic#lots of folk lots of dad rock but also throw some punk and early grunge in there#and some broadway soundtracks for good measure#i grew up on tracy chapman and the indigo girls and steely dan and the pixies and the talking heads#and something about him being the same age as steve and eddie makes all my steddie musings feel v personal#like whatever dumb 80s teen shit i imagine my blorbos doing is also stuff my actual father was literally doing#i should ask him questions for fic research lmao#anyway. steddie. fast car. it would be a thing#failed love abandoned dreams never getting out of your small town ending up like your parents#you can’t tell me that wouldn’t fuck them both up to high heaven#i’m right you know i’m right
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My iPod Shuffle Challenge Response
@partiallypearl and @myloveforhergoeson Saw you guys do this, so I thought I'd (finally) do my own.
To the surprise of no one, my list is Jaelyn (James/Kaelyn - yeah, I gave them a ship name). I am cheating a bit, though, and using Spotify. Specifically, my playlist that's created from my Top Songs from 2023 (I'm more likely to get songs that won't make me go WTF). (Considering I don't have an iPod anymore.)
But down below are the rules for anyone who wants to do it:
IPod Shuffle Challenge Rules: Pick a character, pairing, or fandom you like. Turn on your music player and put it on random/shuffle. Write a ficlet related to each song that plays. You only have the time frame of the song to finish the drabble; you start when the song starts, and stop when it's over. No lingering afterwards! No editing! Do ten of these, and then post them.
Song One: The Thing About You by Chloe Agnew
The thing about Kaelyn was how happy she made James.
It was something he had noticed when they were kids. Even when they were five years old, he was always so excited to see her. He was excited to see all of his friends, but there was something different about Kaelyn (aside from the obvious of her being his only female friend). And it was something that only grew as they did.
Eventually, they weren't children anymore. They were teenagers. And James was able to name that thing about Kaelyn.
That thing was love.
It still took him a long time to say that thing. For so many reasons. But when he did and he walked into her arms, he decided he had come home.
--
Song Two: I Won't Let You Go by Switchfoot and Lauren Daigle
Kaelyn was one of the few who saw first hand just how much James struggled with his parents' divorce. She was one of the few he would let his guard down around. Drop the façade he had worked so hard to perfect.
Both of his parents were strong-willed. Career-driven. Never willing to back down. Many would say it was amazing his parents lasted as long as they had. But at least he could say his mother loved him in her own way. James' father seemed eager to replace his family with his quick remarriage. (He's waiting for the day his father announces his wife's pregnancy to really solidify that feeling.)
The night the divorce papers came through, James was on the phone to Kaelyn in tears. Because that was also the day his dad decided to tell him he was remarrying to a woman fifteen years younger than his mother. He was barely waiting for the ink to dry.
The next time Kaelyn saw James after that phone call, she held him. Comforted him through those fears that only she knew about. They were only 13. Too young to deal with this.
But old enough for Kaelyn to understand the gravity of the promise she was making to herself:
I won't let you go.
--
Song Three: Livin on a Prayer by Bon Jovi
When all the members of Big Time Rush got their open license, they all started taking turns taking their Big Time Rush Mobile out for a spin. Really relishing in the freedom that came with having an open license rather than a leaner's permit.
Admittedly - especially since they all embarked on romantic relationships - most of those drives involved dates.
And that was where James and Kaelyn were. They were driving through Los Angeles with the top down. Taking in the ocean breeze it afforded them. Sunglasses covering their twinkling eyes. Smiles as bright as the sun that shone down on them. Hair blowing in the wind. Kaelyn had her hands reaching up to the sky in jubilation every once in a while.
It was a beautiful piece of freedom.
But the best part of what they were doing was singing along to the radio. Between the two of them, the teens had a rather eclectic music taste. So, one of their favourite pastimes while driving was finding a radio station, turning the volume up and singing along at the top of their lungs. (Okay. Maybe exchanging a quick kiss when it was safe somewhat topped that.)
But right now, they were singing along to a classic that had to be sung at the top of their lungs.
Oh, we're halfway there! Oh! Livin' on a prayer!
--
Song Four: Gotta Be Somebody by Bucky Covington
When Big Time Rush did eventually go on hiatus (they never wanted to say parted ways - because they always knew they would come back together), it felt like the natural decision. Nobody told them it would happen.
They both just came to the natural conclusion that they wanted to take some time to pursue solo opportunities away from Big Time Rush.
It did not surprise anyone that James immediately went to work on a solo album. Kaelyn and Gustavo were right him every step of the way. Like they were with the other three when they said they wanted to release solo music.
James' solo album was a massive success. His songs were all over the radio. He was being nominated for all of these awards (even winning a few of them). It did not surprise him when Griffin immediately had him go on an international tour to really capitalize on this success.
And it was on this last night of the tour that Kaelyn - her belly rounded as she entered her fifth month of pregnancy - approached James with a big smile and a scrap of paper he had written as a child.
I'm gonna be somebody.
--
Song Five: Time of Our Life by Big Time Rush
Kaelyn laughed as she twirled the dance floor in her white dress. Her groom, her husband - it felt so natural to say - dancing alongside her in his tuxedo.
Their wedding day was beautiful. Gustavo officiated. Jennifer walked her down the aisle. Kelly was the wedding planner. The boys collectively shared the role of best men (because there was no way James was choosing between them - although, Kendall was the witness who signed the marriage license with them) while Katie served as maid of honour.
It all led to the reception. After the food and the speeches, the couple shared their first dance. And once that was over, the dance floor was open for everyone else, with James and Kaelyn opting to not have spotlight parent/child dances.
Unsurprisingly, Big Time Rush somehow made its way onto the DJ's playlist. It was something that amused everyone to no end. But nobody complained. In fact, it made the night even more perfect.
Especially as the chorus of a certain song played that highlighted a promise:
We're gonna party all night Have the time of our lives, girl
--
Song Six: Stay the Night - Zedd and Hayley Williams
It really was a bad idea. Starting out like this. They had to know.
But James and Kaelyn couldn't stop themselves. They didn't want to catch each other as they fell onto the bed. They didn't want to end the kiss that seemed endless. They didn't want to stop their hands from wandering. They didn't want to stop their bodies from acting on feeling and instinct.
And they didn't want to stop everything they did next.
That included laying there. Skin to skin. Arms wrapped around their flushed bodies. Saying everything and saying nothing.
"I probably shouldn't stay," James stated.
And deep down, Kaelyn knew he was right. He really shouldn't stay. It increased the risk of them getting caught. It complicated things.
But they had broken so many rules that it made her wonder if breaking one more would really matter.
"I know," Kaelyn sighed. "But I want you to stay."
And at the end of it, James wanted to stay too.
So he did. He stayed the night.
--
Song Seven: Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge
Mr. X was a peculiar character, but he was arguably one of the best choreographers in Hollywood. And someone who could put up with Big Time Rush's antics.
In fact, he knew how to use them in his favour and deliver great results.
But today was an off day. For all of them.
No matter how hard they all tried, the choreography did not want to sink in. Their muscles refused to commit it to memory. In fact, some would say their bodies would outright refuse to cooperate.
So, Mr. X suggested they call it a day. They were getting nowhere fast.
James may have been aching by the time he returned home after the rehearsal, but those aches seemed to be forgotten when he saw Kaelyn. She was cooking dinner, having finished her work with Gustavo early. She had the radio on in the kitchen and was dancing to whatever song came on.
Despite the aches in his body - despite the source of his frustration being dance - James found himself joining her.
He let loose. Laughing and smiling as he twirled her around the kitchen. Kissing her smile as his hands rested on her abdomen (he really couldn't wait for the twelve-week mark) before moving on to do his skincare regimen before dinner.
Sometimes, he needed to be carried away by the rhythm of the night.
--
Song Eight: How I Go by Yellowcard
It was their impending parenthood that made James and Kaelyn really reflect on their parents.
Mama Knight was the type of parent they aspired to be. She wasn't perfect, but she was the best they had.
Mrs. Diamond... she definitely loved her son. She didn't go about things the best way, but James had to admit. The love was there. And she wanted the best for him (even if she was misguided in what that best was).
Their dads weren't worth talking about, both men seem to be more interested in shirking their responsibilities in parenthood than stepping up.
The words did not need to be spoken between the couple. They both knew they were making the same promise to their unborn child. (For a brief moment, they regretted deciding to wait until the birth to find out what they're having.)
That would not be how they go. They would be as good as the best parent, and better than the bad.
--
Song Nine: We Are by Big Time Rush
When the teenagers graduated from the Palm Woods school, there were celebrations all round. Kaelyn and Logan had put in the hard yards to make sure that everyone got to pass and graduate with their friends.
And the graduation party was much better organised than the school dance they had put together at the last minute during their first year in Los Angeles. Gustavo went all out for his dogs.
Kaelyn stood amongst the sea of graduates - cap and gown and a proud smile - watching Big Time Rush perform the song that had been chosen by the cohort. Apparently, there was only one song that was perfect for graduating teenagers.
It was We Are.
And it worked perfectly for them.
--
Song Ten (the author breathes a sigh in relief at finally having made it here): Crash and Burn by Savage Garden
Kaelyn sniffled as she buried her face into the pillow. She and Neil were never meant to be. They were too different. Some would say their relationship was doomed from the start.
But that didn't ease the pain of dealing with her first heartbreak any easier.
"Bunny?"
Kaelyn lifted her tear-stained face from the pillow when she heard the nickname she loved so much. The nickname only one person used on her.
She saw James standing there.
She chose to ignore the scraped knuckles and the bruises on his body. She chose to ignore what she knew James had done to Neil. She did not want to deal with that right now.
She just needed her best friend. She needed to crash and burn.
And James sensed that. He laid down on the bed next to her (above the covers, for the sake of everyone's sanity) and opened his arms to Kaelyn. She immediately nestled herself into his chest, her tears staining the fabric.
He promised her several things. She deserved better than Neil (anybody who tried to force a woman into doing anything she didn't want to made James' blood boil). She would find better (he didn't say that better was right there waiting for her).
Instead, he stayed true to a silent promise he had made to her.
If she crashed and burned, she would never be alone.
#big time rush#fanfiction#james diamond#carlos garcia#logan mitchell#kendall knight#kaelyn knight (oc)#jaelyn#yeah i gave my own pairing a nickname#take a shot in the dark#ipod challenge#ten songs#ficlets#i'm exhausted now
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If the world was ending
Tuesday, December 5, 2023 11:26 p.m.
San Antonio, Texas
“You’d find me, right?”
The question, as out of the blue as it was, takes a moment to register in Juliana’s brain. She has to shift focus suddenly, going from the complicated equation on the paper in front of her-why on earth she decided to minor in math, she’ll never know-to trying to figure out the somewhat ambiguous meaning of Valentina’s question.
“What?” Juliana looks over to where Valentina is laying across her bed. It’s really more of their bed these days but Juliana still technically lives in the dorms. Valentina has a book full of early American literature open in front of her but her eyes are focused on Juliana, who had taken up post at the desk rather than lay on the bed. Both of them knew that no studying would get done if they were both lying on the bed, and this close to finals, neither of them could afford a missing assignment.
“The song,” Valentina gestures vaguely in the direction of the speaker where soft music is playing. Juliana had tuned the music out so she wouldn’t be distracted by thoughts of Val’s eclectic and expansive music taste. “If the world was ending, you’d find me, right?”
“I’m here right now, aren’t I?” Juliana asks teasingly, throwing a half hearted glare down at her the work on the desk as Valentina rolled her eyes.
“Finals aren’t the end of the world, Juls.”
“Says the woman who doesn’t have to take any.”
“Would you rather write five 10 page research papers?” Valentina grinned victoriously when Juliana emphatically disagreed. “That’s what I thought. But, seriously, if the world was ending, what would you do?”
“I haven’t really thought about it,” Juliana tossed her pencil onto the desk and spun the chair all the way around so she was fully facing her girlfriend. “I mean, after living in this pandemic for so long, I guess I didn’t want to think about the end of the world anymore.”
Valentina hummed her agreement. The coronavirus pandemic was officially over, but the effects of the nearly two-year quarantine were still as present as ever. There were still some days that Valentina reached to put on a mask before she went anywhere out of pure habit. The return to normal society was slow going and hindered by constant spikes of cases with new, more deadly variants of the virus.
“I’d look for you first,” Valentina declared after a moment of silence in which she could feel Juliana looking at her curiously.
“What about your dad? Or Eva and Guille?” Juliana asked thoughtfully. She was fully aware that Valentina was somewhat on the outs with her family, both her older sister and her father struggling to accept Valentina’s sexuality and Juliana’s place in her life. “If the world was ending, that would be your last chance to talk to them.”
“Yeah, but I’d rather spend my last moments with someone who I know truly loves and accepts me,” Valentina offered Juliana a smile, soft and bright. “That’s you. And maybe I’d call Guille after I see you.”
“Works for me,” Juliana rose from the desk chair and approached the bed, moving Valentina’s textbook out of the way. “I’d call my mom while you talked to Guille.”
“So you’d find me first?” Valentina rolls so she’s lying on her side and Juliana slips onto the bed with her.
“Of course,” Juliana shakes her head like she can’t believe Val would think she’d do anything else. “Val, you’re the most important person in my life. If the world was ending, I wouldn’t rest until I found you.”
“Such a sweet talker,” Valentina let out a laugh that was silenced by Juliana’s lips on hers. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Juliana kissed her again. “But if I get an F on that assignment, it’s your fault. You distracted me.”
Valentina’s grin turned seductive and she lifted her hand to lightly stroke her fingertips along the back of Juliana’s neck, right below her ear.
“Baby, I was just making conversation,” Valentina leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss against Juliana’s pulse point. “Now, I’m distracting you.”
Juliana laughed but didn’t protest as Valentina moved to kiss her again, harder and deeper than before. She didn’t mind being distracted by Valentina, even if it meant she’d have to finish her homework in the morning. She could handle waking up early for that. There would always be other mornings for her to laze in bed with her love.
Right?
#juliantina#angst au#juliantina angst au#a little bit of fluff#before it all goes to shit#ambs writes#my fics#angst au part 1
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I remember meeting Liam Payne once before. I was writing the cover story on One Direction for this very magazine four years ago and, finally, after endless tail chasing and schedule clashes, I managed to pin all five members down backstage at the O2 shortly before they played to what seemed like a bazillion screaming teenagers. The air was heavy with the fug of Haribo Starmix and raging hormones; even at that point the band were already more popular than The Beatles in some circles. Or, as John Lennon would have put it, Jesus.
The band members were courteous and convivial. One certainly got the impression that their time wasn’t their own, although any cracks that would end up splintering the band some years later were kept well hidden. I remember Payne for being perhaps the most grounded out of all five of them. He seemed to have an ease with his status and fortune that kept his ego in check. He seemed genuinely bamboozled at the hysteria going on around them. He was a young, ambitious pop star caught in fame’s full beams.
Last week, in some respects, a very different man sat down for an exclusive chat with GQ Hype. He’s certainly more hench, as this exclusive shoot with fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott prove. Whoa. We talked about his sizzling new underwear campaign with Hugo Boss, his first nude shoot (which may well be his last if his dear mother has anything to do with it) and we reminisced about his One Direction days, a period which he came out of shaken, sure, but not completely upside down or inside out.
He’s been through a great deal since the end of being one fifth of the biggest boy bands in history – drink problems, therapy, (...), anxiety – but at his core he’s still that same multi-talented, hard-working boy from Wolverhampton, honest about his faults and still excited to see where all this is taking him. Undoubtedly, he’s a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. Well, when he’s wearing any sleeves at all...
GQ: So how’s the build-up to the debut album, LP1?
Liam Payne: Good, can’t complain. Just rewriting a lot of things in my world at the moment. That’s why I was in with my top, top manager for a while just reconfiguring things towards the end of the year.
What are you reconfiguring?
Well, we just kind of ticked off album one. The writing process was interesting to say the least. I mean, it was almost like blind dating in LA with different writers, and when that happens it’s hard to get traction, or get to know anyone properly, or let your guard down in a way. You feel like you’re going into different rooms all the time, with different styles. There are so many things that can affect the writing unless you find that one person who can carry you all the way through a record. Post Malone has a producer called Louis Bell, whom he works with, and there's a common stitch throughout the whole thing that kind of puts it all together properly, whereas we never really found that.
How come that never materialised?
I was going through a bunch of stuff when we started writing the album – growing up and all sorts of different shit coming out of the band. So for me it wasn't the best entry into the writing side of it and making personal music rather than writing for a band. So it was difficult, but I mean the album is done and coming out and I absolutely love it and it's just interesting to see that my favourite is from when I was younger. The first albums I listened to actually helped create my first album, so super cool.
It sounds like it’s been a long process getting the debut album finished?
It’s been, since “Strip That Down” really, the best part of two maybe three years to get everything finished. And it was difficult. I mean, it's opening up at first and trying to figure out who you are and what people want to know from you. And what the sound is. Trying to find that medium point for all those things. It's just the most difficult thing, especially at a young age when you're constantly changing and you don't really know yourself yet. We spent the best part of five years in a band closed off from the world and I had to go through this really weird transition inside that band as the world, and then myself, came out of it. I mean, even in my therapy sessions, my therapist asked me, “What do you actually like to do?” And I'm like, “I don’t know what I like doing!”
Most people presumed you came out of One Direction fully formed. That wasn’t the case?
Everything changed. New teams, new managers, new labels. Building those working relationships can be tricky. You also become the boss of your own shit, and I was 21, 22 when I first started doing my own thing, so it’s all a bit scary and can be a bit lonely. That’s not a complaint; it's also a lot of fun as well. We have a great time. Now the band members have all worked our way through this first couple of years, you can kind of see everyone's finding their own feet. Take Harry [Styles] at the moment. You know, he's just found what I think is his sound and exactly where he wants to be, which took him a little minute to get into since he had his last album out. So, yeah, it just takes time.
Towards the end of One Direction, were you aware of everyone’s own tastes developing?
I think so. I mean, for me, someone like Louis [Tomlinson] always had a very specific taste – things like Green Day, that was the era he was from... also Oasis and old Robbie Williams. Harry always played an eclectic mix of stuff too. I can always remember the one time Harry put Rick Springfield’s “Jessie's Girl’ on and I had never really heard it before but it was an interesting choice. I liked it nevertheless. And then for me, I mean, when I wrote “Better Than Words” for the last 1D album, it had a different rhythm for us, something we hadn’t done before. So you could definitely see those unique tastes early on. I think funnily enough it was through fashion and style that our own perspectives could be seen most of all, all hints of what was to come for us. We would always wear black on stage, black skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, but maybe we’d add something else as individuals. I remember Harry having these cool rings, for example, and then he’d go crazy with his shirts as time went on. Saying that, I think Louis still dresses pretty much the same as he used to.
Was it competitive with the other band members?
I mean, for me personally, I don't think I ever really looked at it that way. I think the biggest question for all of us at the start was figuring out who the hell we were without each other around, which is a really weird thing because you’d found your dynamic and role within the band. But then when you started a solo thing it was almost like leaving like school or university and trying to find your place within the real world. So I think it was more the pressure of that than anything else, rather than us competing with each other on, like, dress sense or vibe or even the music.
You mentioned therapy. Was that while you were still in the band?
I went into therapy a couple years after leaving. I kind of went off the rails a little bit and just couldn't really figure out what was making me sad. So, you know, my team got somebody around to help me through a couple of different, difficult things that I was going through. I was just trying to figure myself out. It was just such a strange course through life, and then when the switch turns off you're left to your own devices...
Did it throw you off when the band’s scheduled just stopped? Going from having a two-year plan to not even having a two-day plan?
I mean, yeah, we went through a really weird retirement phase. It’s quite funny, when my dad retired, I was telling him what to expect: first off, you're not going to get out of bed for ages, and then all of a sudden you get an urge to get out of bed all the time and start trying to do stuff just to seem like you are doing things. But I think everyone in the band went through this really weird retirement phase and trying to switch off. For me, I remember standing in my garden at my house and just looking around thinking, “It's been a lot of fun, but what do I do now that’s done? What actually happens at this point? Who do I call? Who is the ‘point of’ person?” I just didn't really know what was going to happen; a very strange thing to be involved in. All of it is weird, but that was a real strange moment. But things pick up and slowly you start getting back into the groove again.
Were you worried about not being famous any more? Or making music? About it all just stopping?
Actually, no. I kind of always knew that something would happen. I just didn't know what the hell it was going to be. And that was the scariest part of it. You just didn't really want to make a fool of yourself at that point. I think after such a long legacy of your band being absolutely amazing, the most important thing was make sure you don’t step off that pedestal; don't embarrass yourself. The biggest worry was don't ruin the legacy.
Let's talk about the underwear campaign with Hugo Boss. These are some incredible photographs taken by Mert and Marcus…
It got very raunchy very quickly. I hadn’t been properly warned about the amount of nudity Mert and Marcus do in their work, let's say. Mert’s actually become a really good friend now. We were in his house to three in the morning the other day singing karaoke, which is so funny. Yeah, I mean, really great to work with. I think everyone was quite surprised early on that they wanted to work with me and it kind of gave us a little nod and an entry into working in fashion proper.
Had you always wanted to land an underwear campaign?
Before we landed the deal with Hugo Boss I’d gone into my gym and said, “I'm going to get an underwear commercial.” I just wanted to do it; I knew I could do it. And then it actually happened! And I worked my ass off and I'm still hitting the gym: I didn't realise once you get on that thing you can't really turn it off. You've got to keep it going. Like I said, it’s been a lot of training and being an athlete and working out – it became 90 per cent of my job for the best part of a year leading up to that shoot, which was crazy. Come 2019 everyone's a lot more open about body image and I wanted to get in shape. Not to show off my body to anyone else, I just knew that’s what would give the confidence on set. I didn’t want to arrive not ready and not looking like I’d worked hard to get there. But what a thing to do and then to go on to designing clothes for Hugo Boss too – an amazing experience. We actually had the first design meeting [for the clothing line] here and I remember in the car on the way to the meeting thinking, “What have you got yourself into?” That always seems to happen to me. I was lucky enough to spend some time with a friend of mine, Kim Jones [artistic director at Dior menswear], and he gave me some great advice: “It’s the same as music: once you’ve had a hit you know what people want from you.” And I took that with me into the design meeting and used that to help the whole process. Find the hit and make it work.
Have you done a nude shoot before?
No! Well, not a planned one, at least. There was a lot of tequila involved for this shoot. I mean, the first day we did most of the shots for the capsule collection and then the last shots were the box shots for the front of the underwear packaging – which was just like, “Wow, I get to be the guy on the box,” which was a real moment. I’d never take that for granted. And then like the next day, we set up again and the model, Stella Maxwell, she's in the shoot with me. And it just ended up being a lot more naked than I thought it was – and for her as well. She was also naked. And I was just, you know, “Don’t look!” She was naked behind me and I was thinking, “Liam, don’t look whatever you do.”
Talk to me about the curtain shot...
Wow. Yes, I mean it was just a room full of five or six people and a hell of a lot of tequila to get me to this level. I was standing there and all of a sudden it was, “Right, OK, take them off.” I'm like, “Really? Take them off? Off, off? Like on-the-floor off? Oh, my God.” And there was a real hollow moment afterwards where I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette thinking, “I have basically just shot soft-core porn.” For one, my mum is going to kill me. For another thing, I don’t know how far this is going to go... That was just the first shot! It was a lot of fun to shoot but my mum wasn’t best pleased. There’s this really raunchy shot of me and Stella, and I showed my mum. She took one look at it and gave me a clip round the ear. All I was thinking was, “I better not tell her about the London buses!”
Still, your parents must be very proud?
The One Direction thing was enough. Just to get to that level. I would have happily walked away at that point. But now with all the other things I have managed to achieve, not least this underwear campaign with Hugo Boss, it’s meant a lot to me personally. I think it’s got me closer to those men whom I respect so much, people like David Beckham and Brad Pitt, such icons in their own lifestyles. It’s a real pinch-me moment. I can’t believe it hasn’t all burnt down to the ground yet, to be honest.
You mentioned a bad patch, a depression of sorts?
There was a lot of stuff. I was drinking too much and getting into really bad, bad situations for quite some time actually. And I hit a peak moment where I knew the drinking was going to get me; I needed to do something about it. I spent a lot of time drinking to escape the crazy world that I had created for myself. I didn't know what I was doing. That first therapy session and being like, “I don't even know what I like or anything about myself” – it was pretty scary stuff. I was afraid of how far my career was going and that it might go even further. You can say, “Who is afraid of success?” But that’s what it entails sometimes. Success has got the better of me on more than one occasion. When I am losing I tend to concentrate more.
Did you stop drinking for a bit?
Yes, I got sober for about a year, cutting down so the only vice was cigarettes. I hadn't planned to go sober forever, it was more important for me to say I didn't actually didn't need to drink. I wanted to prove it. I did the whole year, no booze completely, and at that point I didn’t actually know being sober was making my life any better. Things went up, but things like my social life plummeted. I was the biggest recluse on the planet. I would get up at 5am and go running in the park, but at night I would be in bed by 7pm. Is that a way to live your life? And in a strange way I am trying to still figure all that out and get the balance right between being a party animal and being an animal in the gym – the latter not being fun at all. We are all at fault; we all need balance.
So, 12 December: Boris or Jeremy?
I think I will vote but I am always out of the country. We need a mobile app where we can vote with our thumbprint or something. I mean, in regards to Boris or Jeremy, I don't think we give people enough time. Same with West Brom football club. They always change their manager every week it seems and we never get time to gel with anybody. So it's like, if I was changing my manager every week, I'd probably be really shit too. We need to give someone a chance to at least have a proper go of it or it will never be fixed. Also, I don't think it's always the one person that's to blame. Take Winston Churchill, people hated him at first, thought he was a drunk, that he had no clue, [wondered] what’s he doing going to war. Maybe we should all just be more like Winston Churchill.
Zayn has been through his own difficulties with fame and anxiety...
I think for anybody entering into these talent shows we do them for specific reasons. And I've often asked myself this question a bunch of times because we all went through it. You know, for me, as I was younger, from my own experience, I entered the show because I wanted to make my dad proud. Fast forward ten years and here we are in his office, talking about an album and an underwear campaign – incredible. But here’s the thing: you just don't know until you get there whether you're built for this or not. For Zayn, he loves music and he's an amazing talent. He genuinely was the best singer in One Direction, hand on heart, out of all of us. But for him to get to a point where, you know, he can't step on a stage? It's a lot. I mean, he's doing great. His streaming numbers are ridiculous but I do think he misses out on the performance side a bit, you know. He can't seem to get past that part. We all have it. I mean, I have this, like, brain fart syndrome: I was on medication for a while, and it was something to do with epilepsy, but I was using it for something else. And it was to do with anxiety for me too, fully prescribed, but I didn't realise that [on the medication] certain lights made me forget, well, everything. I totally forgot who I was. And lyrics. It still happens. I have a fear of it now. It happens all the time. So we all have our little beasties in that sort of scenario. But this era of talent shows, it is dangerous and some people just don’t know what they are getting into.
Did you want to reach out to him?
I did, yeah. I didn’t want him to feel like he was going through this all alone in some ways, or that we were all out to get him. We're the only people who know what you're going through. The only five people who know what you are going through were all in a room together once, and you left – fair enough – but you don’t want anyone going through such evils for no reason. But it got to a point with me where I wouldn’t know where to begin with Zayn. I hope he has good people around him, but I don’t at this stage think it’s anything the rest of us can solve.
Are there still grudges between the five of you?
Definitely in some part, yeah. We had our differences throughout the whole experience with some things. I still think about some stuff that was said and done that now I would do differently, but then that's all part of growing up. Being in One Direction was such a schoolyard mentality somehow – the One Direction University, I call it. Everyone has stuff they’ve said at parties they wished they hadn’t but, for us, the difference was that it was all happening in front of the world. Now we are older, for me certainly there are things that I am just not as bothered about. I think with Zayn’s particular exit and the way he chose to go, we haven’t really heard from him since he left. He didn’t even say goodbye, if I am being honest. It was a really sordid scenario, from our side certainly. A bit strange. It’s difficult.
The Hugo x Liam Payne bodywear collection is available now. Payne’s debut album, LP1, is out 6 December and available to pre-order now.
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I’m in a mood tonight so have me rambling about my music tastes below the cut
Eclectic is a good word for my music tastes like
In theory I like musical theater, in practice I have a few shows I know and like, a few songs that came on a tv radio thing from a musical I have heard nothing else from, and little to no opinion on anything else. Chicago? Great. Sweeney Todd? Haven’t listened in a while, has a couple of no-no songs, pretty good. Little Shop of Horrors? Haven’t found a recording I like for Dentist but the music is great. CATS? 2019 fucked up the music, London cast recording is where it’s at, shame that Growltiger is so racist because the parts that aren’t being racist are great fun (London not Broadway). There are definitely others (Mean Girls is fun, Be More Chill is pretty fun too, I really like the junior version of Seussical’s music, Something Rotten has a lot of fun songs), and while I’m not a Disney stan or anything I do like the style of a lot of the music, especially villain songs, sometimes I want songs that are like Disney villain songs in style but aren’t those songs specifically and it is so hard to figure out how to look that up and it is frustrating. Most things not on that list...I probably haven’t listened to and therefore have no opinion. (Phantom of the Opera is not my vibe though I’m sorry it is important because it’s been running for so long but that is just not my type of music)
I like late 2000s to mid 2010s pop music, that was when my dad got some CDs for a birthday or something and then I ended up listening to them a lot for some reason, also when I liked Just Dance a lot and listened to the radio in the car going places. There are definitely older songs I like and probably a few more recent ones but really that’s the time frame where I liked the most mainstream music. Not that that’s a good or bad thing, it’s just a thing.
Specific artists, when it comes to music that isn’t fan music, Voltaire and Creature Feature are my favorites. Most songs of theirs I’ve listened to, I like.
There are also probably some other artists that I like a lot of their songs but don’t pay enough attention to recognize they’re the same group in those songs, mostly thanks to this one Creepypasta-themed playlist that obviously had a lot of edgy music. Lots of MCR, Set it Off is a group that I’ve heard a number of good songs from, Hollywood Undead (apparently maybe there was some member drama, idk I just like what I’ve heard both pre- and post-whatever happened), probably some other groups with multiple songs.
And then there’s fan content. Random Encounters is my long-term favorite, the tone of the music is generally pretty light, idk they do a slight musical theater style (they call their songs ‘musicals’ so yeah that’s a vibe), and while their members have changed, the music is still really fun. The Stupendium! I found him pretty recently and boy I’m glad I did, he does more rap-style content, like a number of his songs are raps, but don’t let that turn you off before giving it a listen. Even outside of being about the game itself, a few of his songs just slap really hard, a few being very very anti-capitalist or just social commentary because of the source game, and just very very good. The Fine Print is a really really really good one that is also ‘capitalism sucks’, It’s A Joy isn’t really capitalism-related but someone could probably write a thinkpiece about societal stuff with it, I haven’t listened to it as much but A Matter of Factories (not to be confused with the similarly named A Matter of Facts, a rap that is just a bunch of trivia, sparked by a challenge by another channel) is also pretty anti-capitalist and anti-imperialism, another that isn’t exactly anti-capitalist but more an examination of society and stuff is Vault Number 76. I don’t even know much about any of the source games (aside from 76 being a glitchy nightmare lmao) but the songs all still slap. I almost forgot about Nook Line and Sinker, another wonderful anti-capitalism song. (Adding in A Purpose for New London. More social examination. I like the other guy’s ending better on a vocal level, but both are very very good.) (somehow I forgot Doctor! Doctor! which has its humor from the game it’s about but also has bits about how private healthcare is fucked up. The Stupendium is British BTW) If you just want some fun shit, he’s got that too. The Most Fashionable Faction is just a fun TF2 rap, An Impostor Calls is one of the collab songs he did with another guy and it’s pretty fun, I only have heard one ending of the Lego vs Minecraft rap battle but it seems pretty fun, These Hallowed Wings is a lighthearted one, Why Did I Say Okie Doki? is DDLC vibes of course so creepy but also with some upbeat to it (does that even make sense), Losing My Patients is kinda fucked up because Surgeon Simulator but it’s also really fun, What A Fowl Day is a very very good one, Way Deeper Down is good if you like Undertale (it’s also just genuinely good and fun). Honestly the only two I would rather skip when listening to him on shuffle are the two that have him partnering with SquigglyDigg, neither of the songs have anything wrong with them particularly I just. remember Squiggly’s awful takes on Lilo and Stitch and how she is the kind of person that’s like ‘you can call yourself whatever you want but there are only two genders’ and is miffed when people don’t recognize she’s a girl from her (drawn) profile pic like she gets upset about people trying to be polite because she disagrees with them being respectful to nb people or some shit
Also I like lyrics a lot and sometimes I can just go off vibes (like I don’t really like the really really heavy metal stuff like it’s really annoying when I’m like ‘I want a song about a deal with another power’ and all that comes up is either really heavy metal that is just loud and I don’t know what they’re saying (I’M NOT DISSING IT IT JUST ISN’T MY TYPE OF MUSIC) or a type of blues or something that also isn’t usually what I’m after at that time) but I also have a lot of appreciation for good lyrics and lyrics about stuff I like (which led to my friend being weirded out because she doesn’t listen as closely to lyrics as I do so when I tried to share some Stupendium songs she was just listening to the vibes and was like ‘you listen to weird music’) so like what it’s about matters
Also Biggering slaps. That is very tangential but it just slaps, go listen to it. How Bad Can I Be is fine I guess, like it’s catchy and all, but Biggering is just so much better. (The fact that multiple people have written video essays about Biggering and that movie should speak to how good it is. At least go listen once you can look it up on YouTube it’s just really good)
Also mental animatics are a thing. They just are. So that also can affect how I feel about a song.
Oh and The Cog Is Dead has a lot of good songs, how did I forget them
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Making Lucy the exact clone of her father is the weirdest thing because... the Iron Fist isn't one of those superpowers you can inherit ? It would be a big coincidence if she also won the right to it, so she would probably not have superpowers, just be taught martial arts by her dad and detective skills by her mom. And that would yield completely different character dynamics. Closer to a black lesbian Batman than Iron Fist II: Electric Boogaloo.
Hi anon,
You gave @justanotherwannabeclassic and I a bit of a laugh. Full disclosure, we’re best friends so we literally share the majority of the shit that comes through our ask boxes with each other.
I agree with you on the Iron Fist II: Electric Boogaloo and I had a hearty chuckle at “black lesbian Batman,” which I would entirely be down for. I’m never a fan when artists look at children characters and go “let’s make them exactly like their parents.” I’m especially not a fan when they were the same outfit and go by the same hero name. (Oh you should hear the rants I had about Irene LeBeau and even Bekka LeBeau in GeneXt. Fucking lazy designing there.) Kids may have similar genetic material to their parents and similar traits, but they are not clones nor should they be treated as such. It’s my biggest pet peeve of all time and I literally want to smack artists and writers who do this.
As for Lucy, yeah. Making her a second Iron Fist is fucking lazy. I agree that she would be a martial artist and have great detective skills, not sure if I would immediately call her Batman though. I think if Lucy is raised with both parents, she’d be a bit more gregarious than Batman. Lucy’s social network is a lot more expansive than Bruce’s even from a young age. She has an entire network of superheroes to fall back on and I very much believe that Luke Cage and Jessica Jones would definitely have a hand in raising her. She and Danielle would be raised together from a young age, so automatically a much bigger social circle from a young age than Bruce Wayne. So maybe the same skill set, but definitely different social skills, personalities and dispositions.
I have more thoughts on Lucy Rand and what I would like to see from her than you can imagine. So many headcanons! I’ve always seen her as a skilled fighter and very intelligent. However, I also believe that she would go to university (I personally believe she would go for criminal justice and psychology) and she would be very involved in activities. I think she’s someone who very much believes in being a part of a community. While I think she gyms hardcore, I can see her running the Black-Latino Student Union in college and was very dedicated and likable. She’s that person who tried to be a superhero, student and sociable at the same time, and she did it but it wasn’t always a success and her sleep schedule was nonexistent. While I think she has an incredible high IQ, I think her grades often fell to the wayside because of her social activities and hero work and she was the queen of asking for extensions. She was probably a B-/C+ student and while it sorta bothered her, she was like “hey, Cs get degrees and my other projects make up for my less than stellar grades.” I also believe she’s shit at cooking (mainly because she never has time, she’s constantly on the go), eats more ramen and junk food bullshit than a human being should ever consume, has taken up knitting as a hobby to relieve stress and has the world’s most eclectic taste in music. I see her as very popular culture savvy and someone who has more cat memes on her phone than any other human on the planet. Also has an instagram for her cat but not herself.
This is how I see Lucy Rand. It might not be how you see her and that’s fine. But I definitely don’t see her as a Danny copy.
#asks#answered#lucy rand#marvel#I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS ANON#LUCY IS MY BABY#I SAW HER#AND THOUGHT TO MYSELF#THANK YOU FOR THIS PRIME REAL ESTATE MARVEL#IM GONNA TAKE HER AND DEVELOP HER LIKE SHE DESERVES
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I remember meeting Liam Payne once before. I was writing the cover story on One Direction for this very magazine four years ago and, finally, after endless tail chasing and schedule clashes, I managed to pin all five members down backstage at the O2 shortly before they played to what seemed like a bazillion screaming teenagers. The air was heavy with the fug of Haribo Starmix and raging hormones; even at that point the band were already more popular than The Beatles in some circles. Or, as John Lennon would have put it, Jesus.
The band members were courteous and convivial. One certainly got the impression that their time wasn’t their own, although any cracks that would end up splintering the band some years later were kept well hidden. I remember Payne for being perhaps the most grounded out of all five of them. He seemed to have an ease with his status and fortune that kept his ego in check. He seemed genuinely bamboozled at the hysteria going on around them. He was a young, ambitious pop star caught in fame’s full beams.
Last week, in some respects, a very different man sat down for an exclusive chat with GQ Hype. He’s certainly more hench, as this exclusive shoot with fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott prove. Whoa. We talked about his sizzling new underwear campaign with Hugo, his first nude shoot (which may well be his last if his dear mother has anything to do with it) and we reminisced about his One Direction days, a period which he came out of shaken, sure, but not completely upside down or inside out.
He’s been through a great deal since the end of being one fifth of the biggest boybands in history – drink problems, therapy, marriage, fatherhood, anxiety – but at his core he’s still that same multi-talented, hard-working boy from Wolverhampton, honest about his faults and still excited to see where all this is taking him. Undoubtedly, he’s a man who wears his heart on his sleeve. Well, when he’s wearing any sleeves at all...
GQ: So how’s the build-up to the debut album, LP1?
Liam Payne: Good, can’t complain. Just rewriting a lot of things in my world at the moment. That’s why I was in with my top, top manager for a while just reconfiguring things towards the end of the year.
What are you reconfiguring?
Well, we just kind of ticked off album one. The writing process was interesting to say the least. I mean, it was almost like blind dating in LA with different writers, and when that happens it’s hard to get traction, or get to know anyone properly, or let your guard down in a way. You feel like you’re going into different rooms all the time, with different styles. There are so many things that can affect the writing unless you find that one person who can carry you all the way through a record. Post Malone has a producer called Louis Bell, whom he works with, and there's a common stitch throughout the whole thing that kind of puts it all together properly, whereas we never really found that.
How come that never materialised?
I was going through a bunch of stuff when we started writing the album – growing up and all sorts of different shit coming out of the band. So for me it wasn't the best entry into the writing side of it and making personal music rather than writing for a band. So it was difficult, but I mean the album is done and coming out and I absolutely love it and it's just interesting to see that my favourite is from when I was younger. The first albums I listened to actually helped create my first album, so super cool.
It sounds like it’s been a long process getting the debut album finished?
It’s been, since “Strip That Down” really, the best part of two maybe three years to get everything finished. And it was difficult. I mean, it's opening up at first and trying to figure out who you are and what people want to know from you. And what the sound is. Trying to find that medium point for all those things. It's just the most difficult thing, especially at a young age when you're constantly changing and you don't really know yourself yet. We spent the best part of five years in a band closed off from the world and I had to go through this really weird transition inside that band as the world, and then myself, came out of it. I mean, even in my therapy sessions, my therapist asked me, “What do you actually like to do?” And I'm like, “I don’t know what I like doing!”
Most people presumed you came out of One Direction fully formed. That wasn’t the case?
Everything changed. New teams, new managers, new labels. Building those working relationships can be tricky. You also become the boss of your own shit, and I was 21, 22 when I first started doing my own thing, so it’s all a bit scary and can be a bit lonely. That’s not a complaint; it's also a lot of fun as well. We have a great time. Now the band members have all worked our way through this first couple of years, you can kind of see everyone's finding their own feet. Take Harry [Styles] at the moment. You know, he's just found what I think is his sound and exactly where he wants to be, which took him a little minute to get into since he had his last album out. So, yeah, it just takes time.
Towards the end of One Direction, were you aware of everyone’s own tastes developing?
I think so. I mean, for me, someone like Louis [Tomlinson] always had a very specific taste – things like Green Day, that was the era he was from... also Oasis and old Robbie Williams. Harry always played an eclectic mix of stuff too. I can always remember the one time Harry put Rick Springfield’s “Jessie's Girl’ on and I had never really heard it before but it was an interesting choice. I liked it nevertheless. And then for me, I mean, when I wrote “Better Than Words” for the last 1D album, it had a different rhythm for us, something we hadn’t done before. So you could definitely see those unique tastes early on. I think funnily enough it was through fashion and style that our own perspectives could be seen most of all, all hints of what was to come for us. We would always wear black on stage, black skinny jeans and a black T-shirt, but maybe we’d add something else as individuals. I remember Harry having these cool rings, for example, and then he’d go crazy with his shirts as time went on. Saying that, I think Louis still dresses pretty much the same as he used to.
Was it competitive with the other band members?
I mean, for me personally, I don't think I ever really looked at it that way. I think the biggest question for all of us at the start was figuring out who the hell we were without each other around, which is a really weird thing because you’d found your dynamic and role within the band. But then when you started a solo thing it was almost like leaving like school or university and trying to find your place within the real world. So I think it was more the pressure of that than anything else, rather than us competing with each other on, like, dress sense or vibe or even the music.
You mentioned therapy. Was that while you were still in the band?
I went into therapy a couple years after leaving. I kind of went off the rails a little bit and just couldn't really figure out what was making me sad. So, you know, my team got somebody around to help me through a couple of different, difficult things that I was going through. I was just trying to figure myself out. It was just such a strange course through life, and then when the switch turns off you're left to your own devices...
Did it throw you off when the band’s scheduled just stopped? Going from having a two-year plan to not even having a two-day plan?
I mean, yeah, we went through a really weird retirement phase. It’s quite funny, when my dad retired, I was telling him what to expect: first off, you're not going to get out of bed for ages, and then all of a sudden you get an urge to get out of bed all the time and start trying to do stuff just to seem like you are doing things. But I think everyone in the band went through this really weird retirement phase and trying to switch off. For me, I remember standing in my garden at my house and just looking around thinking, “It's been a lot of fun, but what do I do now that’s done? What actually happens at this point? Who do I call? Who is the ‘point of’ person?” I just didn't really know what was going to happen; a very strange thing to be involved in. All of it is weird, but that was a real strange moment. But things pick up and slowly you start getting back into the groove again.
Were you worried about not being famous any more? Or making music? About it all just stopping?
Actually, no. I kind of always knew that something would happen. I just didn't know what the hell it was going to be. And that was the scariest part of it. You just didn't really want to make a fool of yourself at that point. I think after such a long legacy of your band being absolutely amazing, the most important thing was make sure you don’t step off that pedestal; don't embarrass yourself. The biggest worry was don't ruin the legacy.
Let's talk about the underwear campaign with Hugo. These are some incredible photographs taken by Mert and Marcus…
It got very raunchy very quickly. I hadn’t been properly warned about the amount of nudity Mert and Marcus do in their work, let's say. Mert’s actually become a really good friend now. We were in his house to three in the morning the other day singing karaoke, which is so funny. Yeah, I mean, really great to work with. I think everyone was quite surprised early on that they wanted to work with me and it kind of gave us a little nod and an entry into working in fashion proper.
Had you always wanted to land an underwear campaign?
Before we landed the deal with Hugo I’d gone into my gym and said, “I'm going to get an underwear commercial.” I just wanted to do it; I knew I could do it. And then it actually happened! And I worked my ass off and I'm still hitting the gym: I didn't realise once you get on that thing you can't really turn it off. You've got to keep it going. Like I said, it’s been a lot of training and being an athlete and working out – it became 90 per cent of my job for the best part of a year leading up to that shoot, which was crazy. Come 2019 everyone's a lot more open about body image and I wanted to get in shape. Not to show off my body to anyone else, I just knew that’s what would give the confidence on set. I didn’t want to arrive not ready and not looking like I’d worked hard to get there. But what a thing to do and then to go on to designing clothes for Hugo too – an amazing experience. We actually had the first design meeting [for the clothing line] here and I remember in the car on the way to the meeting thinking, “What have you got yourself into?” That always seems to happen to me. I was lucky enough to spend some time with a friend of mine, Kim Jones [artistic director at Dior menswear], and he gave me some great advice: “It’s the same as music: once you’ve had a hit you know what people want from you.” And I took that with me into the design meeting and used that to help the whole process. Find the hit and make it work.
Have you done a nude shoot before?
No! Well, not a planned one, at least. There was a lot of tequila involved for this shoot. I mean, the first day we did most of the shots for the capsule collection and then the last shots were the box shots for the front of the underwear packaging – which was just like, “Wow, I get to be the guy on the box,” which was a real moment. I’d never take that for granted. And then like the next day, we set up again and the model, Stella Maxwell, she's in the shoot with me. And it just ended up being a lot more naked than I thought it was – and for her as well. She was also naked. And I was just, you know, “Don’t look!” She was naked behind me and I was thinking, “Liam, don’t look whatever you do.”
Talk to me about the curtain shot...
Wow. Yes, I mean it was just a room full of five or six people and a hell of a lot of tequila to get me to this level. I was standing there and all of a sudden it was, “Right, OK, take them off.” I'm like, “Really? Take them off? Off, off? Like on-the-floor off? Oh, my God.” And there was a real hollow moment afterwards where I was sitting outside smoking a cigarette thinking, “I have basically just shot soft-core porn.” For one, my mum is going to kill me. For another thing, I don’t know how far this is going to go... That was just the first shot! It was a lot of fun to shoot but my mum wasn’t best pleased. There’s this really raunchy shot of me and Stella, and I showed my mum. She took one look at it and gave me a clip round the ear. All I was thinking was, “I better not tell her about the London buses!”
Still, your parents must be very proud?
The One Direction thing was enough. Just to get to that level. I would have happily walked away at that point. But now with all the other things I have managed to achieve, not least this underwear campaign with Hugo, it’s meant a lot to me personally. I think it’s got me closer to those men whom I respect so much, people like David Beckham and Brad Pitt, such icons in their own lifestyles. It’s a real pinch-me moment. I can’t believe it hasn’t all burnt down to the ground yet, to be honest.
You mentioned a bad patch, a depression of sorts?
There was a lot of stuff. I was drinking too much and getting into really bad, bad situations for quite some time actually. And I hit a peak moment where I knew the drinking was going to get me; I needed to do something about it. I spent a lot of time drinking to escape the crazy world that I had created for myself. I didn't know what I was doing. That first therapy session and being like, “I don't even know what I like or anything about myself” – it was pretty scary stuff. I was afraid of how far my career was going and that it might go even further. You can say, “Who is afraid of success?” But that’s what it entails sometimes. Success has got the better of me on more than one occasion. When I am losing I tend to concentrate more.
Did you stop drinking for a bit?
Yes, I got sober for about a year, cutting down so the only vice was cigarettes. I hadn't planned to go sober forever, it was more important for me to say I didn't actually didn't need to drink. I wanted to prove it. I did the whole year, no booze completely, and at that point I didn’t actually know being sober was making my life any better. Things went up, but things like my social life plummeted. I was the biggest recluse on the planet. I would get up at 5am and go running in the park, but at night I would be in bed by 7pm. Is that a way to live your life? And in a strange way I am trying to still figure all that out and get the balance right between being a party animal and being an animal in the gym – the latter not being fun at all. We are all at fault; we all need balance.
So, 12 December: Boris or Jeremy?
I think I will vote but I am always out of the country. We need a mobile app where we can vote with our thumbprint or something. I mean, in regards to Boris or Jeremy, I don't think we give people enough time. Same with West Brom football club. They always change their manager every week it seems and we never get time to gel with anybody. So it's like, if I was changing my manager every week, I'd probably be really shit too. We need to give someone a chance to at least have a proper go of it or it will never be fixed. Also, I don't think it's always the one person that's to blame. Take Winston Churchill, people hated him at first, thought he was a drunk, that he had no clue, [wondered] what’s he doing going to war. Maybe we should all just be more like Winston Churchill.
Zayn has been through his own difficulties with fame and anxiety...
I think for anybody entering into these talent shows we do them for specific reasons. And I've often asked myself this question a bunch of times because we all went through it. You know, for me, as I was younger, from my own experience, I entered the show because I wanted to make my dad proud. Fast forward ten years and here we are in his office, talking about an album and an underwear campaign – incredible. But here’s the thing: you just don't know until you get there whether you're built for this or not. For Zayn, he loves music and he's an amazing talent. He genuinely was the best singer in One Direction, hand on heart, out of all of us. But for him to get to a point where, you know, he can't step on a stage? It's a lot. I mean, he's doing great. His streaming numbers are ridiculous but I do think he misses out on the performance side a bit, you know. He can't seem to get past that part. We all have it. I mean, I have this, like, brain fart syndrome: I was on medication for a while, and it was something to do with epilepsy, but I was using it for something else. And it was to do with anxiety for me too, fully prescribed, but I didn't realise that [on the medication] certain lights made me forget, well, everything. I totally forgot who I was. And lyrics. It still happens. I have a fear of it now. It happens all the time. So we all have our little beasties in that sort of scenario. But this era of talent shows, it is dangerous and some people just don’t know what they are getting into.
Did you want to reach out to him?
I did, yeah. I didn’t want him to feel like he was going through this all alone in some ways, or that we were all out to get him. We're the only people who know what you're going through. The only five people who know what you are going through were all in a room together once, and you left – fair enough – but you don’t want anyone going through such evils for no reason. But it got to a point with me where I wouldn’t know where to begin with Zayn. I hope he has good people around him, but I don’t at this stage think it’s anything the rest of us can solve.
Are there still grudges between the five of you?
Definitely in some part, yeah. We had our differences throughout the whole experience with some things. I still think about some stuff that was said and done that now I would do differently, but then that's all part of growing up. Being in One Direction was such a schoolyard mentality somehow – the One Direction University, I call it. Everyone has stuff they’ve said at parties they wished they hadn’t but, for us, the difference was that it was all happening in front of the world. Now we are older, for me certainly there are things that I am just not as bothered about. I think with Zayn’s particular exit and the way he chose to go, we haven’t really heard from him since he left. He didn’t even say goodbye, if I am being honest. It was a really sordid scenario, from our side certainly. A bit strange. It’s difficult.
#liam payne#liam's solo project#liam's promo#liam for gq#liam's album#liam on 1d#ziam#lirry#lilo#liam on mental health#liam & fashion#liam for hugo boss#liam on politics#Well isn't liam chatty........
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Christmas With Cass
Cass took a deep breath and raised her fist for the third time. The brown door in front of her was just like her own, without the decorative wreath anyway, so why was she having such difficulties actually knocking on it. Sure, it had some weird scratches dotted about, scuff marks at the bottom from being kicked open but she kicked open her own door often enough when she was laden with groceries. She was being silly and she knew it. Another deep breath. The resounding knock was pathetically quiet yet the lock clicked instantly.
“Can I help you?” A rough voice asked, belonging to the darkest green eyes she’d ever seen.
“Uh. Hi.”
The woman furrowed her brow, tucking a strand of blonde hair out of her face and eyes darting away.
“Hi.”
“Hi.” Cass smiled; she tried not to be deterred when the woman didn’t smile back, she was clearly shy or she just hated people and Cass was ruining her evening and her holiday and oh god. “Sorry- were you waiting at the door or something? I just- sorry, that’s stupid, of course you weren’t.”
“I heard you outside.”
Cass felt her face fall, her voice aghast as she swore under her breath. “Sorry, I must seem like some sort of stalker. Oh man that makes me sound like even more of a stalker. I’ll stop now. I live next door! On the right.”
The woman opened the door a little wider in order to poke her head out to look at the house Cass was pointing to. “Right.”
“I’m Cassiopeia Roston. I moved in last month.” Cass stuck her hand out, a little surprised when the woman actually took it, her skin slightly rough and her grip firm.
“Nova.”
“Lovely to meet you, Nova.”
Cass looked down at their joined hands, grinning widely before realising she’d been holding on for a beat too long and Nova had loosened grip to try and pull away. She let go quickly and Nova dropped her gaze to the floor but didn’t retreat into her house.
“Can I help with something?” Nova asked.
“Oh yeah, no. I mean no. Well, maybe? It’s christmas.” Cass wanted to kick herself, she settled for pinching her arm. “My dads are away this year so I’m sort of on my own?” She smiled sheepishly.
Nova nodded for her to continue.
“And, wow now I’m saying this it’s so rude, sorry. But I haven’t really seen anyone visit? So I thought maybe you were lonely too? I don’t even know if you celebrate christmas. Anyway! Did you want to maybe come over to celebrate with me? On Christmas Day?”
“Oh.”
Cass shook her head frantically, backing away a step and trying to wave it away. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Nevermind. This was a stupid idea. I’ll leave you be, sorry again.”
“Yes.” Nova blurted out; Cass stopped mid-wave. “Yes. I’ll be there.”
“Oh. I look forward to it. I’ll see you then.”
Nova nodded and then the door was closed. Cass looked at the door for another few seconds before turning back to her own house, huffing a laugh at herself. Christmas Day was going to be good.
_________
The lounge was lit up in soft, warm golds from the strung up fairy-lights. The star on the top of the small tree was gold as well and so was some of the tinsel. But that was where the organised decoration theme ended, it had barely begun if she was honest with herself and was definitely not recognisable to anyone outside of her and her dads. She loved the random array of handmade decorations, collected from her childhood by her dads, and the mismatch coloured tinsel round around stairway bannisters, the scented candles dotted about on safe surfaces, the thinly linked to christmas ocean themed decorations her Pa brought home from work every year. There was a running joke between her and Dad over whether they were made by Pa or he stole them from his co-workers. The mystery had yet to be solved. The house was a mess of christmas fueled cheer. She loved it. But she’d never had reason to think about it from an outside point of view. Until now, that was. Nova was due over any time and Cass couldn’t help worrying about how she’d explain the rubber octopus and duck taped together under a sprig of mistletoe, or the paper clip stars hanging in a row on the window sill in the kitchen. The food was cooking, hopefully cooked for early afternoon. There was wine and a couple of beers in case that was more to Nova’s tastes. Vegetarian alternatives to the meat based foods as well.
She startled as the doorbell rang throughout the house. She grabbed the less garish christmas jumper, pulling it on over her head as she ran down the stairs, and opened the door, smiling as best she could with the ball of anxiety in her stomach. Nova raised an eyebrow at her briefly before seeming to catch herself and switched to a hesitant smile. Her blonde hair was brushed back into an over the shoulder braid but a couple of stray strands framed her face. She was wearing a pair of light blue jeans and a jumper with a huddle of penguins under a candy cane. She looked adorable. Cass wanted to take a photo and sent it in to replace the current definition of adorable.
“Hi.” Nova let go of a covered plate with one hand to awkwardly wave.
“Hi.” Cass breathed out, mentally shaking herself to actually host properly. “Happy holidays! Come in, it’s chilly out here.”
She stepped back to let Nova through, the faint scent of vanilla followed the woman who stopped just in the hallway to slip out of her shoes. Cass looked down at her own feet as she closed the door to check she hadn’t put socks with holes on. It wasn’t obvious whether the fluffy purple socks were better or worse than socks with holes. She waved Nova into the kitchen where the plate was carefully placed on a free counter.
“I made biscuits.” Nova stuck her hands in her pockets and swayed onto her toes then back. “I used to ice them with my sister when we were young so I thought maybe…”
“That sounds fun, I’ve got plenty of baking and decorating things so we could do them before dinner?” Cass started filling the kettle. “Did you want a drink? I have like three kinds of tea and a jar of coffee or I have hot chocolate powder, I think anyway. Maybe. I can look?”
“Coffee is fine.”
“Right. Cool. Sugar? Milk? I have red and green milk too. I don’t really know why, something my dads did so I do, I guess? Sorry, I’ve not let you answer.”
“One sugar, a bit of milk. Thanks.”
Cass looked up, happily surprised to see Nova smiling shyly at her. “No worries.”
Nova turned away to look at the photos and post it notes stuck to the fridge. “Are these your dads? You mentioned they’re on holiday, right?”
“Yeah, they’ve gone to Greece to see an old friend.” She leaned over Nova’s shoulder to point at one of the photos in particular. “That’s Dad and that’s Pa, and that’s little me when I was like six, I think?”
“You’re cute.” Nova tensed and Cass stepped away, not wanting to make her anymore uncomfortable.
Nova didn’t say anything else so she took it as a cue to finish up the drinks and hand the mug over to her guest who raised a knowing eyebrow at the colourful doodle on the side of the mug but didn’t ask about it. Cass felt her cheeks flush a little and turned away, leading them to the lounge to sit down. She had some christmas music playing softly in the background.
“I like the decorations.” Nova said, taking a slow walk round the room to admire them all up close.
“Thanks. They’re a bit...eclectic.”
“Did you make some of these?”
Cass nodded then realised Nova wasn’t facing her and answered out loud.
“What do you do for work? Marine biology or something?”
“No, though I see why you’d think that. I just work at a cafe in town. My Pa’s family is pretty old and well off so...I work because I like to. My Pa does too.”
“Ah. Right.”
“What about you?”
“Odd jobs here and there.”
Nova sat down on the sofa next to her, it wasn’t the biggest of sofas so they ended up closer than Cass had expected. Legs gently pressed together.
“Happy Christmas, Nova.” Cass said quietly, cradling the mug in her lap, fingers protesting tapping the sides silently to avoid burning.
“Happy Christmas, Cassiopeia.”
“Call me Cass.”
“Okay, Cass. Thank you.”
She met Nova’s smile with her own, already blaming the warmth in her chest on the unsipped tea.
#Cass#Cassiopeia Roston#Nova#CassiNova#Christmas#writing#ocs#own characters#creative writing#writeblr#wordforest#wlw#fluff
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Weekend Top Ten #350
Top Ten Songs
It’s my three hundred and fiftieth birthday! Woohoo! Get a load of me! Older than America! Older than Bilbo Baggins! Not quite as old as Methuselah! Nowhere near as old as Kup, who, remember, was literally sent back to the beginning of the universe! I think! That was quite a complicated storyline and I’ve not re-read it in a few years!
Anyway, this the 350th Weekend Top Ten, which is a bit of a milestone even if it’s not quite as recognised as, say, 250 or 500 or whatever. Still, anything with a 50 in it feels like a big deal, so I thought I’d finally – FINALLY – get round to doing my favourite songs, something I’ve been putting off pretty much since I started this silly blog 350 weeks ago.
Why have I put it off? Well, frankly, it’s hard. I’m not as much of a muso as I am a film buff; whilst I have nerdily and earnestly catalogued and ranked movies for pretty much the last thirty years, I’ve never really bothered doing that with songs. I have eclectic tastes, which made music confusing for me as a teenager, as I felt I didn’t fit into any cliques. I had a friend who was into heavy metal, which at the time didn’t do too much for me (although I’ve since developed a deep love and appreciation for many metal acts); I’ve never been very into pop music, despite loving Abba and Madonna; and admitting that I liked some my mum’s softer music, such as The Carpenters or Carol King would have been, I knew, social suicide. I was very pleased when Britpop happened because all of a sudden this “indie” label could be applied to a wide variety of guitar bands, from Pulp to Radiohead, and I could say “oh, yeah, I think I like indie music.” But even then I have wildly differing opinions of, say, Snow Patrol versus Arctic Monkeys, even though I like both bands. And I was never really a student of musical history, either, so even though I liked the Beatles I didn’t know much about them, even less so the likes of the Rolling Stones, the Who, the Beach Boys, or what have you.
I like the songs I like, I like the acts I like. I love Black Sabbath and Johnny Cash, I like Robbie Williams and Leonard Cohen, I have albums from the Zutons, Tenacious D, Evanescence, and Elton John. I even have a Carla Bruni album that was sent to the office at CITV ten years ago, but which I used to enjoy putting on when we had guests over for dinner (courtesy of CITV I also have a Wurzels Christmas album, which, although good fun, gets less of a play).
What did I listen to the most as a teenager? Probably the soundtracks to Pulp Fiction and William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet. Oh, and Nick Cave.
I fell in love with Nick Cave when Red Right Hand featured in an episode of The X-Files. As with many bands or artists I like, I bought a “best of” and then proceeded to pick up other albums, to the point where I own far more Bad Seeds stuff than any other band (although my wife’s Bon Jovi library probably runs a close second). I love Cave as a songwriter and a signer but especially as a lyricist; “You jump into the abyss but find it only goes up to your knees” is one of the greatest lines I’ve ever heard, ever, in anything. This is a Cave trait that I also adore in the likes of Leonard Cohen and Paul Heaton. And as such I have developed, as I’ve aged, a tendency to like sad songs, or at least melancholy songs, as much of Cave, Cohen, and Heaton’s output is. But at the same time I like loud and fast songs: I love a lot of 80s stadium rock, hair metal, whatever you want to call it. And, yes, that includes not only the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi, but even 80s movie montage merchant Stan Bush. The Touch might be a nostalgic pick but it still speaks to me, and that’s what music has to do.
So, at long last, after a great deal of deliberation, and with the caveat that I’ll disagree with this probably even before I’ve posted it, let alone after, here are my top ten favourite songs. Loads of important omissions, from Bowie to Divine Comedy to Meat Loaf. I’m angry at myself. I’m disappointed in myself. What can I say, except, you’re welcome.
Into My Arms, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1997)
Let it Be, The Beatles (1970)
Hurt, Johnny Cash (2002)
Piano Man, Billy Joel (1973)
Don’t Stop Me Now, Queen (1978)
Summer of 69, Bryan Adams (1984)
Don’t Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult (1976)
The Winner Takes it All, Abba (1980)
The Rainbow Connection, Kermit the Frog (1979)
The Touch, Stan Bush (1986)
Yeah, all that talk about beautiful, haunting lyrics and we end up with dad rock, cartoon soundtracks, and a singing frog. Sue me.
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Roberto da Costa for all the numbers, if u want?
finally, somebody on the same page as me! thank you, anon! the answers are under a read more because there’s 19 of them
1. What do they sound like?
he’s unapologetically loud, has worked hard to keep his brazilian accent even after moving to new york at age 14, and he has a really warm tone to his speaking voice.
2. What do they smell like?
ironically, i think he would smell the way it does after it rains. i think given the nature of his powers, it would make a lot of sense for him to smell like ozone, and the more recently/strenuously he’s used his powers, the more striking the smell. when he was a teen he tried to cover it up with criminally expensive cologne, but now that he’s grown into himself i think he really vibes with it
3. What does their laugh sound like?
he has a super hearty laugh, and he loves laughing. when he laughs too hard he starts wheezing silently and can’t stop because he thinks it’s funny that he lost control of his own laughter
4. What does it take to make them laugh?
super easy! unless he’s angry, he’s quick to laugh and jokes around enough that it sometimes gets him into trouble on missions
5. Who was their first celebrity crush?
MAGNUM PI, HELL YEAH
6. What’s the number one thing on their bucket list?
i’m not sure he’s ever had a bucket list. anything he’s ever really wanted to do, he just does. rich kid mentality and all that
7. What’s they’re concept of family?
the new mutants are his family :)roberto loves his mom a lot, but his relationship with his dad was so rough by the time his father died that despite his love for his mom, i think he sees the new mutants as more of his family than his parents ever really were.
8. Weird hobbies?
sometimes in his free time he likes to brainstorm schemes he’s not actually going to ever put into action
9. What kind of drunk are they?
it depends on who he’s with! he parties fairly hard though, all things considered. of the 3 times in canon i can think of him drinking off the top of my head, once he helped julian keller start a riot and once he convinced aim agents to defect by letting them party with him and sam, so it’s safe to say that he is chaotic when he drinks, but if he’s with his friends he can channel that chaos better
10. Favorite sport?
football/soccer!!!
11. Favorite team?
brazilian national football team, of course! followed by the intramural soccer team i think he probably would have started on utopia
12. Feelings towards having pets?
he makes a lot of jokes about being a dog person in front of rahne to provoke a reaction, but at this point in his life i don’t think he’s super interested in having any pets. he’s just on the move too much to commit
13. What would they name their pets?
exclusively variations on tom selleck or thomas magnus’s names. he’d honestly probably let one of his friends help name it if he ever did end up getting a pet, because if he did get a pet it would probably be because somebody else convinced him too
14. Feelings towards having kids?
he’s very happy to help sam out with joshie any time he asks, but that is as close to having kids as roberto wants to get before 35
15. What would they name their kids?
i don’t think he has any idea just yet, and actively resists thinking about it. he’s just here to have a good time and save the world single-handedly right now
16. What’s their taste in music like?
eclectic. and he really likes bossa nova music. he always knows the top 40 and has extensive opinions, but he’s picked up a lot of his friends’ taste in music over the years. his deepest shame is the amount of country music sam has forced onto his iphone. and as a true fan of the vacation lifestyle, he IS into jimmy buffet, thank you for asking.
17. What’s their favorite band?
he got into os mutantes ironically because a band called “the mutants” had a certain appeal to him as a teen, but now they’re an old favorite for him
18. Phobias?
he’s afraid of being trapped underground, away from the sun. he’s mostly gotten over it, but when he was younger he was really afraid of limbo and its demons
19. Random headcanon?
he has 4 phones (one for da costa international, one for the x-men, one for the avengers, and one for his friends and thriving social media accounts) on his person at all times & is verified on instagram as a 22 year old superhero, ceo, millionaire, thirst trap with over 2 million followers. gossip sites regularly speculate he’s dating sam because roberto won’t stop posting story updates of the two of them at the gym together
character asks
#god i love him so much this was so fun#ask games for ts#ch: roberto da costa#anon#.answered#longpost
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strike a chord. pairing. terudai chapters. 1/? rating. m summary. terushima yuuji is the lead singer of rock band FERAL that debuted a year ago. he's known as a playboy, a wild child, unpredictable and electric. no one can tie him down and his only love is the music he makes with his bandmates. he doesn't see himself ever tying himself down to anything or anyone else. then comes in sawamura daichi, a normal college student who doesn't care about the entertainment industry or any flair or fanfare terushima has to offer. at first, terushima's interested because daichi's so uninterested. but soon, terushima finds that daichi and all his normalcy are more than just a game for him to play with until he gets bored.but is he in love? no absolutely not. never. think again!
Someone was in his bed.
A female someone, if the smell of perfume and the taste of curly hair jammed in his mouth was any indication to go by. His eyes cracked open slowly, sleep and eye gunk weighing them down. Beside him was someone he didn’t recognize. A normal reaction would be to freak out. For Terushima Yuuji, waking up in a bed with a stranger was a normal Wednesday morning routine.
“Go home,” he croaked.
The girl beside him stirred, yawned, and opened her eyes. “Go home ,” he pressed.
She scowled. The smeared lipstick made her less intimidating. “What do you mean go home? You’re the one who brought me here! Begged me, no less.”
“Sounds fake,” he yawned, turning onto his side so his back was now facing towards her. She sputtered, called him some not so pretty names , then stormed out his room. Hopefully with all her things in tow. If not he’d have his manager mail them to her.
Well, probably not since he didn’t know her name or where she lived or what her favorite color was. But it was the thought that counted.
He sighed, now able to properly sprawl out on his bed. Maybe he’d crawl out of bed to bring his guitar in for a snuggle. Mornings were definitely meant for solo missions where he could just exist and sink into the mattress and bury under pillows. He was drifting back to sleep when his door opened and someone sat on his bed.
“Morning, princess.”
“Die, Bobata.”
“Rude!” Bobata chirped, crossing his legs and leaning his weight against Tersuhima’s side. Terushima frowned and reached blindly for his friend to push him off but to no avail. “I come in here, minimizing your damage by the way, and wake up you yet I’m treated with such hostility? Being your best friend has no perks!”
“What damage did you minimize?”
“Youko-chan. The model you rudely kicked out of bed after nicely asking her to get into it last night.”
“That was her name,” he vaguely remembered meeting her last night. In the band’s usual night hangout. He remembered her voice in his ears and his hand on her thigh and then her tongue in his mouth and after that it was all darkness.
Again, literally a typical wednesday night for him.
Realizing that sleep was no longer an option, Terushima pushed himself up into a sitting position. He blinked sleep from his eyes, yawning. His hair was all over the place, bleach blond kicked up towards the ceiling in all sorts of directions like lightning bolts. He glanced at Bobata who was texting on his phone. “You going for her next?”
“Nah,” Bobata clucked his tongue, “Not my type. I like a challenge.”
“Are you saying I can only get them easy?” he shot back, but there’s no real malice in his tone. Not like his next yawn did anything to help make him sound more aggressive.
“I would never allude to such a thing,” his tone was airy but the shit-eating grin on his face said otherwise. Terushima flipped him off and rolled out of bed. He scanned his room and sighed. His pants were at the door and his shirt was on a chair. At least Kyou--Youko-chan had gotten her stuff before storming out. He scratched at his stomach as he headed for the shower. He smelt like sex and felt like booze replaced the blood in his veins.
“We have our meeting in 10 minutes, by the way!”
“Cool so I’m showing up late, thanks for letting them know!” Terushima hollered before heading into the shower. He was pretty sure he heard Bobata yell fuck you, a perfect harmony to the chaotic laughter that bubbled from his throat in response.
*
As promised, Terushima arrived to their meeting 30 minutes later. But it’s fine because he no longer felt like ass and he was stepping out . Hair styled, earrings polished, leather jacket looked just beat up enough to be vintage but with the price tag to show it was definitely modern and expensive as anything. He strolled into their meeting room with his hands in his pockets and a grin on his lips.
“Hello friends! What’s popping?”
“You’re late ,” his manager, Kagami, cut no corners with him. Kagami was the band’s manager, and then some. Sometimes team dad, sometimes team mom , and Terushima’s well... guardian? Savior? He didn’t know what title appropriately fit Kagami and no words could really describe it. Kagami was gruff, tall and well built--could fill out suits with ease. He always had his hair styled and cut short, curling around his ears. And his lips were generally slotted in a frown. Mostly from stress, but for the most part because Kagami and happiness were never synonymous in any context.
Which was why Terushima enjoyed fucking with him the most. “Ah, am I? Technically time doesn’t really exist so if we’re following that logic I’m really on time. Because, you know, it’s a social construct.”
“He’s not wrong,” Bobata chimed from his chair, now playing with a DS that oddly looked like--
“Oi! Is that mine?” Terushima lunged across the table and reached for his DS. Bobata moved just in time, pushing his rolling chair back with a cackle and a spin. “Bastard how could you take my shit like that!”
“You left me unsupervised. I’m not responsible for your missing property because of your lack of caring. Also I beat the gym leader for you. You’re welcome.”
“I wanted to beat the gym leader!”
“You’re the only one in our group who hasn’t beaten her yet,” Takeharu hummed, drumming his fingers on top of the table. “She’s the easiest one in the game, dude!”
“Isn’t it because, and I quote, she’s too cute to fight~ I want to make her my wife not another step on my way to victory ahhh~ ” Arata also commented, chin in hands and pencil perched on top his pursed lips.
Rintaro yawned, “Isn’t it just because he sucks at Pokemon?”
“You shut your damn--!” Terushima got cut off by Kagami’s sharp whistle that brought the entire group back to focus. Kagami lowered his hands and clasped them together in front of him. “You could have just said shut up. That works like, every time.”
“Act like animals, be treated like animals.” was Kagami’s simple response.
“That was deep--” came Bobata from the side.
“Anyways,” Kagami continued, “You’re late. You know the rules and no excuses. Sit down so we can finish this meeting and get into the studio.”
“Kaaaaay!” Terushima sat down in his chair but immediately rolled over so he was sitting next to Kagami. He rested his chin on the man’s shoulders and hummed. “Lay it on us, Kags!”
Kagami exhaled slowly and started running off their itinerary for the day. FERAL had a studio recording session today in the afternoon. After that a reporter from Rokkyou was scheduled to get an inside scoop on a typical session in the studio with the band, plus some hints about their next album. Following that would be a photoshoot for the cover and then solo activities.
“And Yuuji,” Kagami flipped to the next page, “You’ll be coming with me to meet the dean of the university we’ll be performing at next week.”
“Why me!”
“Because you’re the leader of FERAL. The face of the group. And the only one free at that time to come meet with me.” Kagami replied evenly. “If I could take someone else, I would.”
“Ouch, that’s rough. You could have said because I was your favorite.”
“And lie?” Terushima gasped, snickers and whistles erupted around the room. He pouted and Kagami grinned. “Favoritism isn’t a tenant I practice.”
“Sounds fake ,” Terushima heard Arata say. He opened his mouth to make a very witty and well thought out remark when Kagami cut in.
“Don’t start,” he warned Terushima. Then he turned to the rest of the group. “Today’s studio session is all out. We hit the ground running the minute we’re in there. Our album release is scheduled next week and I want everyone sounding like they’re pros. ” he made eye contact with every band member before locking eyes with Terushima, who had sat back now that conversation had turned serious. “You guys were an experiment, and you’ve passed your first trial. We can’t afford any mistakes on our second run. Go it?”
Everyone nodded. Terushima double nodded. His legs bounced up and down with unbridled excitement. Going to the studio, just the idea of it alone, could always boil his blood like no other. “Alright bet,” he jumped out of his chair. “What are we sitting around for? Let’s get started.”
*
Slipping the strap of his guitar over his shoulder would never stop feeling so natural. A kiss could never compare to the pure electricity that ran down Terushima’s spine from his lips touching the metal of the mic. He strummed his guitar, adjusting the nobs at the end as he tuned. The rest of his band mates got into position. Bobata on the second guitar, his right hand man. Arata on piano. Takeharu on drums. And Rintaro on bass. Together they made the band FERAL the powerhouse, rock group of 2018 that they were.
They were, in every essence of the word, just as wild as their band name described. The music they produced always jostled social norms, boundaries. Their first album, JUNGLE WARS was an eclectic mashup of different genres. The men trying out find out what genre they liked best only to decide they wanted everything. It was, as Kagami had described it, an experiment. The band’s existence was a whim by the president who wanted to try something totally . . . unpredictable.
And unpredictable they were. FERAL quickly gained notoriety for their outbursts. No TV host or interviewer could guess what they would say or do or think next. The president said that sort of electric movement, haphazard and dangerous, was just what the music world was missing. Terushima didn’t really get it. He assumed the entertainment industry was used to people who followed social conventions to the letter. Yet, when he gazed around the studio at the guys who had quickly become family in the past months since their debut, all he could see were people who loved making music more than anything else in the world. Fuck everything else.
They were fun, a true and unadulterated riot to be around. Being with them, his band, was like waking up to a different adventure everyday. Sure, they definitely gave their manager a chronic headache but they were living their best lives while doing so.
“Alright boys,” Kagami’s voice crackled over the speakers. “We’re going to do the first half of the album today due to our schedule. So, go ahead.” he leaned back, arms crossed, and suddenly the ball was in their court.
Terushima grinned. “Okay. Let’s do the first song. I wanna try a new opening I thought of last night.”
“Before or after you hooked up with Touko-chan,” Takeharu asked.
“Youko-chan,” Bobata corrected.
Rintaro scrunched up his face, “Seriously dude we just changed the opening two days ago!”
“Before!” Terushima responded. “Also, I know. But I woke up yesterday and hated it so I decided to change it before we went out. I was gonna tell you guys then I...forgot.”
“Cool, cool, love being kept in the roller coaster loop that’s your mind,” Bobata strummed a few chords on his guitar. “So you gonna play it or what?”
“Yup,” Terushima took his stance by the microphone and gave Kagami the thumbs up that they were going to start. Kagami pressed a button and the light above the glass window separating them from outside the booth switched from offline to recording.
The thing about FERAL was that they never played the same track twice. So rather than having a track play and them sing over or play over it, they would hit the recording button and capture whatever magic bloomed from the chaos.
For another band, such a tactic was risky as hell with the potential to end in disaster. Never for FERAL and not if Terushima Yuuij had anything to say about it.
He was excited, itching to show everyone what he’d come up with. The idea had struck him last night after taking a shot of tequila right out of the gates. The same burning, explosive, throat-scarring sting of the shot reverberated with the kind of sound he wanted for their first song. Their opening song, the very first thing their fans would hear once they started the album. He wanted that same feeling--a burning that hit you right to your bones and sat with you for the rest of the night.
He steadied himself. His grin was pure electricity.
The first chord he played was powerful. Loud and sharp , the note rattled everyone to their bones. Then, Terushima swiftly went into several chords, his fingers flying up and down the neck of his guitar. Explosive and reverberating, the sound only lasted a minute but when he was done his fingers were tingling and his lips--they were pulled in the most satisfying , crazed grin. He turned his head and looked back at his bandmates who were all mirroring his grin.
“Whatever the hell that was I’m here for it,” Kagami’s voice crackled once more. “Guys? Think you can piggyback off that?”
“Say no more,” Bobata replied. He turned to Terushima, “You’re a genius sometimes, dude.”
“Thanks, I know.”
After that, the session went on pretty much the same way. The band worked together in chaotic harmony. Someone would change a line, a verse, would hate a phrase of lyrics one minute and completely rewrite a bridge or chorus. By the time the reporter from Rokkyou came through the boys had utterly changed their first sound for their upcoming album.
“Now, FERAL’s known for their pretty unorthodox method of songwriting,” the interviewer, Shou, talked with his hands a lot. His smile was wide, stretched across his face, so much so that Terushima felt his mouth hurting in sympathy. The band had left the studio to sit outside on the benches, taking a much needed water break as they tackled the second portion of their schedule. “Can you tell us a little more about that? I’m sure your fans are dying to get inside that head of yours.”
“Pretty sure that’s not all they’re dying to get inside of,” Terushima muttered low enough that Rintaro snorted. Bobata, who by default was the most mature out of the five took to answering the question.
“Ah, it’s pretty--I don’t even know how to describe it… all over the place? We pretty much creative freedom to do whatever we want and we normally don’t leave the studio until we’re all happy with the sound we’ve made.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Terushima leaned in, arm slung over Bobata’s shoulder. “You see, our albums all have bits and pieces of our own style and ideas. But that’s ‘cause we work so hard to get the right mesh. We could spend hours on a song one day then the next we hate it so we start all over again. But we never end with what we started which I think is pretty cool.”
“How does that even work? If you don’t mind me asking. Surely you guys must worry that you could spend all that time in the studio and end up with nothing?”
The band members exchanged glances. “Nah not really,” Takeharu answered, his tone light. “Our producer wouldn’t let us do what we do if we didn’t get results. We’re a mess, but we’re an orchestrated mess. His words, not mine.”
“We’re also at the mercy of Terushima Yuuji,” Rintaro added with a smirk. “Just the other day the dude walks in saying: GUYS WE’RE CHANGING SONGS 1-5 ON THE ALBUM! Which is like, over half the album and we stayed in there for two days trying to match this dude’s pace.”
“Hey sometimes a tune just doesn’t vibe anymore!” Terushima huffed. The snickers that erupted lightly ruffled him. He frowned and pointed a finger towards Rintaro. “Sides you’re so stuck up with perfection if you don’t get the beat right we have to start all over.”
“It’s called setting the bar .”
“No it’s called being anally retentive.”
“Oh my God he really just said that out loud,” Arata put his face in his hands, slowly shaking his head.
Terushima didn’t care, because now he was engaged in banter with Rintaro with Bobata as the chaotic neutral that neither egged nor stopped them from going at each other’s necks. The reporter could get all this done and publish how much of a highly functioning discord they were. As long as he was able to get the last word in, regardless, he didn't really care. Arata sat in the corner, tired as all hell while Takeharu sneakily captured it all on his phone.
Shou, sadly, was left to navigate himself through the wild that was FERAL .
“AND ANOTHER THING--!”
“Enough, Yuuji.” Kagami’s stern voice cut through their antics. The boys settled down, Terushima even more so sinking into his chair with a pout. Kagami sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I apologize for them. They’re hooligans.”
“Rude,” Bobata said under his breath. Terushima butted him with his elbow. He jumped with a yelp only to be met with Terushima’s childish but oh so satisfied grinned. “ Whipped .”
“Eat my ass,” he whispered in return. He turned to Shou who seemed to have survived their trip in the wild. He was still all smiles and laughter, apparently amused by their display. Good, another positive review for them. Terushima grinned only to feel it falter as Shou asked his next question.
“Alright. So as I’m sure you guys know, you’ve repped quite the name for yourself as being Japan’s resident new bad boys.”
“Oh word?” Terushima’s smirk was lazy. “We wear leather pants one time and suddenly we’re hooligans!”
“I wouldn’t say it was just the pants,” Shou continued, eyebrow raised. “If there’s a party in the city there’s no doubt one or all of you won’t make an appearance. Or cause a scene somewhere . Japan’s hooked on you guys! Saying whatever you want, doing whatever you want. Especially you, Terushima-san.”
Shou’s eyes cut to him and Terushima, relaxed against the couch, raised an eyebrow. “Tabloids love writing about your many exploits, romantically or otherwise. You’ve capitalized yourself on being this wild, playboy who takes no names and all the prisoners.”
“I dunno if I liked how you said that,” Terushima joked, but he didn’t deny it. He was all for strings when they weren’t attached. Tersuhima and commitment were like night and day. Never to touch, never to coexist in the same realm, always to miss each other by running parallel lines. This wasn’t the first time a reporter commented on his exploits, it probably wouldn’t be the last either. So he laughed it off, as he usually did.
He let the world paint him as a playboy. Getting upset every time someone brought it up would be stupid.
Shou didn’t look too perturbed. Asshole. “Sorry, sorry. I can rephrase if you like. What I want to know, if we’re going to be honest, is if you ever see yourself falling in love? Surely you must have met someone in this industry that’s caught your interest for the long run.”
All five of them looked at one another before breaking out into laughter. Terushima laughed the hardest. He clutched his stomach and hollered, tears forming at his eyes. Then they felt ice on their backs and a cough that no doubt came from Kagami. The men gathered their wits, Terushima being the last to come down from his high before answering the question.
“Love? Yeah no, not in this century dude. Unless it’s to the music I’m never getting married. But that’s just me, Arata over there is a huge hopeless romantic. Lemme tell you about this female singer he’s hilariously in love with but she doesn’t even know his name,” it’s so easy to deflect, to move the attention from him and his behavior to someone else. Arata sputtered and Bobata beside him snorted. Though Terushima catches the quick side glance he sends his way. Terushima, of course, ignored it. There was nothing to talk about, and he wasn’t bothered by the question. His life was on display, of course people were going to poke holes.
That’s why he always smiled and waved and gave them what they expected. No need in putting in extra effort to do otherwise.
*
Terushima kicked his feet up into the dashboard, arms resting behind his head as Kagami drove them to the university FERAL would be performing at next week. He shot a glance at his manager who kept concentrated on the road. Even as Terushima haphazardly changed songs on the radio through his phone every thirty seconds.
“Seriously can’t you drop me off at home? I don’t wanna go!”
“You’re being a child,” Kagami chided, not having any of Terushima’s bullshit today or tomorrow or the day after that.
Terushima frowned (read, pouted). “I’m not! I’m tired! I worked and slaved long hard hours in the studio! Got grilled by a reporter! And now you won’t even treat me to food!”
“We’re getting fed once we get there. You also ate five minutes ago.”
“I’m a growing boy, Kags!”
“You’re twenty.”
“A growing twenty-year old boy!”
Kagami shook his head, chuckling despite himself. Terushima beamed, proud of himself for getting the stoic Kagami to crack even if it was only a little bit. Honestly he was happy to accompany his manager on the trip. He owed Kagami a lot. He dealt with a lot of his bullshit over the years even before his debut. If it weren’t for Kagami he had no idea where he’d be right now. Surely not living in a nice place surrounded by people, fed, warm…
Terushima skipped to the next song.
“Remember my rule?” Kagami asked as they made a right turn. Terushima caught the sign for the university, Sendai University 3km away as they did.
“Uhhhh, no sex before marriage?”
“I’m fairly sure you already broke that but no.”
“Say my prayers before bedtime?”
“Do you get off on being difficult?”
“Yes, incredibly. It’s my kink.” Terushima stuck his tongue out, tongue ring flashes while Kagami’s grip on the wheel tightened. Riling him up would never not be fun. “Sorry about the songs! You know I get bored easily. I can only focus for like, fifteen seconds before the part I like plays and I wanna move on.”
“It’s amazing how your mind works,” there was a pause and then Kagami quickly glanced at Terushima. “How are you feeling?”
There was an undercurrent to his words. Terushima’s mind flashed to the interview and he shrugged. “It’s no big deal. I know what I’m doing and how people like to talk. If it gets us more attention that’s a good thing, yeah?”
“Not at the expense of reducing yourself to…”
“Kagami, seriously. It’s all good. I claim my man whoreness,” he smiled lazily and scrubbed through the song to get to his favorite part. The piano grew louder, the drums softly following suit, and the singer’s voice rising with the crescendo. “Honestly it could be worse. I don’t even wanna know how they’d treat me if I were a girl.”
“All hail the patriarchy,” Kagami’s tone oozed sarcasm. Terushima laughed and changed the song again which caused Kagami to growl and Terushima to laugh even harder.
By the time they pulled into the parking lot Kagami had angrily jammed the off button on his radio and almost confiscated Terushima’s phone. But he was took quick. He unbuckled himself and leapt out of the car, stretching his arms out wide as the spring sun hit him square in the face.
“Wow, nice campus,” Terushima whistled, watching as college students mingled and chatted amongst one another. Terushima was concealed with the stereotypical civilian starter pack: a hoodie, hat, and shades.
Sendai University was large, with white buildings separated by lush green grass with sidewalks running in between. College, a world in the past that Terushima was assaulted with constantly. Now, that time period and the entire prospect seemed like a far off, blurry dream. He never thought he’d end up on a campus. Granted, he’s here for his job but still…
“Our guide is meeting us in the gymnasium.” Kagami adjusted his tie, loosening it around the neck.
“Why the gym?” last time he checked they were performing in an outside venue provided by the college.
“You’ll see,” Terushima was not a fan of such a cryptic message but his curiosity was winning him over. He followed with a grumble as Kagami led him towards the gym. He seemed to know his way around, and Terushima was scratching back in his memory if a conversation ever popped up about Kagami’s university days. He knew being a manager wasn’t his first choice. But the blanks weren’t being filled…
They arrived at the gym and the first thing Terushima heard was the sound of sneakers squeaking against the floor. He immediately flashed back to highschool. To days where his jersey was soaked and his muscles were sore and he stood on a court surrounded by teammates that felt more like family than his own.
He’s grabbed out of his thoughts by the sharp sound of a whistle cutting through the air. Terushima watched as the volleyball players huddled together around someone, probably their captain. He said something that got the men energized before they all broke apart to clean up. Only the captain remained, who was approached by some old guy. The coach maybe? They exchanged words when Kagami called after them.
“Yo, Ukai!” Kagami hollered. Terushima watched as Ukai, some blond dude, turned his head. The minute their eyes met Ukai’s face broke out into a brilliant smile and he hustled over to Kagami for a hug.
“Kagami! It’s been ages, buddy!”
Kagami patted his back. “I know. Work’s been time consuming, but I’m glad we can cross paths like this. Thank you for meeting with us.”
“No man, I should be thanking you.” Ukai pulled back and patted him on the shoulder. “The fact that your band could perform at our school’s music festival is… honestly amazing. The principal hasn’t stopped kissing my ass since! Honestly this year’s Christmas bonus is looking pretty hefty and I have you to thank for that.”
“You two know each other?” Terushima asked, still shaken up from seeing Kagami actually hug someone.
“Ah, right. Introductions are in order. Yuuji this is Ukai Keishin A friend from my university days. He’s the volleyball coach here.”
“That’s me, Kagami and I go way back. When he told me you guys would be performing here I couldn’t resist hitting him up again. Ah,” Ukai turned around, back to the captain who was still in the gym doing a workout. “Daichi! Come over here for a minute.”
Daichi, Terushima figured, was built like a house. Broad shoulders and impressive muscles, especially in his arms. His shirt sleeves were rolled up to the shoulders so as he ran, and his arms moved, Terushima could catch the glimpse of subtle flexing. He was taller than him, that’s for sure, and the way he carried himself as he strode over to them exuded casual confidence.
This man was sure of himself, grounded in whatever concept or idea of his being he held true.
Terushima lowered his shades and whistled, “Oh you’re cute.”
“Yuuji!” Kagami hissed. Daichi blinked and Ukai choked on his laugh. “I’m sorry. He has no filter.”
“Wrong. I have a filter i just don’t use it.”
“Which is a problem .”
Terushima’s grin was lazy as he, without shame, gave Daichi a once over. Daichi remained unphased, matching Terushima’s gaze. Terushima’s grin only increased. Would he break? Would he show discomfort? Or would he go on seemingly unphased by his behavior? The possibilities were endless and Terushima hoped he wouldn’t disappoint.
Daichi, after a beat, simply grinned with his eyes closed. “Oh this is your friend, Ukai-san? A pleasure,” he bowed slightly to Kagami who bowed back in return. When he opened his eyes the gaze he gave Terushima was brutal. Burnt, empty embers that held no amusement in their gaze. It rocked him to his core and he was frozen up until Daichi bowed towards him.
“And you’re Terushima Yuuji?” the way he said his name made ice prickle on Terushima’s skin. As if saying his name bored him, tasted like acid, or was a waste of breath to even utter.
Oh. Well then.
Terushima didn’t bother bowing back, hands in his pocket. “Yup. Lead singer of FERAL and Japan’s resident bad boy hottie at your service.”
“With all due respect I think I’ll stick to calling you Terushima-san.” Dachi’s voice was clipped. Terushima’s lips twitched.
“You can call me whatever you like, babe~” Flirting came as easily as breathing to Terushima and really, he wanted to see Daichi crack, twitch, do something but Daichi was impenetrable. It was like Terushima’s words were going in one ear and out the other.
“Okaay uh, well!” Ukai cut in, clearing his throat. “Daichi like we talked about you’re gonna take Terushima on a quick tour around campus. I’ll catch up with Kagami and we’ll meet back here in an hour to meet with the principal about the concert.”
Terushima wanted to claw out his eyeballs. He’d much rather explore the campus on his own, or with Kagami, rather than Daichi. Sure, teasing him would be fun just to see how many cracks (if at all) he could put into that armor but at the same time the dude seemed like a stick in the mud. No fun and definitely a pain in the ass if and when Terushima got into trouble. However, he knew Kagami wouldn’t let him roam free without some form of leash. And, when he looked back at his manager, Kagami looked pretty pumped to hang out with an old friend.
The things I do for the people I love, he sighed, jamming his hands in his pockets and pushing his shades back up his nose. “Yeah okay. Whatever. Let’s get this show on the road.” Terushima drawled.
Kagami nodded, “Right. Enjoy your tour and don’t give Daichi too much trouble, Yuuji. I’ll see you in an hour.” he turned and Ukai threw an arm over his shoulder as the two fell into comfortable chattering over the past, the present, the future, the whatever it was two old men talked about when they reunited after years apart.
They left Daichi and Terushima in awkward, uncomfortable silence. Terushima looked down at his adidas then back to Daichi. “So, the tour?”
Daichi nodded, it was a tight jerky movement. Man this dude really didn’t like him. Who knew a little flirting was enough to set him on edge? “Right. Can I shower really fast, and then we can go?”
It’s on the tip of Terushima’s pierced tongue to offer assistance. And the voice in his mind that sounded oddly like Kagami told him to hold back but alas, Terushima was a man of no restraint so his flirtation fell easily from his lips. “Sure. Mind if I tag along?”
“Very much so,” Daichi had this way of saying things so politely yet so sharply. Like he’d stab you and smile through it all as you bled out onto the floor. Terushima laughed, watching Daichi turn on his heel and head for the showers.
This tour would either end up being the death of him, the death of Daichi, or the death of them both and honestly? He was kinda looking forward to it.
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sorry I’m advance it’s just word vomit & i unintentionally repetitive
i will definitely share mine with you I never shut up about music lol—
but you are so wrong! your collection sounds really cool & I need you to name drop some of them so I can check them out 👀 ( especially the one timers, i wanna know if they deserved it or not lol ) I really like the 60’s-80’s music doesn’t always matter what the band/who the musician is there’s always something really special about it, y’know? To be fair tho I got my music taste from my grandparents so like their prime music is exact that— tho my grandma is very 70’s music is the best music, can’t disagree to much with her tho :•P
ok ok you got me interested with the cast show albums— which ones are we talking here, i am aware of a few but not a whole lot an id love to hear what you got lol— MY BOYS!!! Dude I love three dog nights I have quite a few of their albums lol— there is so much drama in the bands your so right!!! a lot of it’s either really funny or it’s kinda like oh 😳 ( just recently started talking about the whole beach boys-Charles Manson thing cause I was like “oh fuck that’s a thing huh???” ) Sorry I’m a broken record with this but 👀👀 what’s the 50’s one there’s some really good bands/songs from that era
Omg same hat!! i recently inherited my moms old cd’s & a lot of is either mix tapes i haveno connection to or the 90’s/early 00’s music which honestly love it sheS where I got into that kinda stuff lol— I have to know, where you ever/are you also into the rap/rb/etc music from that era?? my mom has quite a few with like snoop dogg/tupac/tlc/so on so forth
The only cd’s that are actually mine that I bought myself are ozzy osbourne/black sabbath, slipknot, and a bunch of cd’s I got from the bands at the Renaissance festivals I haunt every year lol— one of my favorites is a band called the criac funny guys lol
my very first vinyl i got is actually Pearl Jam’s album 10 ( y’know the one with even flow on it ) it was for my birthday I had gotten one of my step dad’s buddies or other old record player & didn’t have any albums yet so they bought me that one :3c
i don’t have to many yet but I have alot of three dog night/doobie brothers/ccr albums lol ( can’t forget the lads like Chicago/seals n Croft also ) some of the other ones that don’t quite fit in with those guys are also like Ella Fitzgerald & Meatloaf to moody blues & the Heath brothers/the Ozark mountain daredevils.
I have a few miscellaneous albums in there also like JCSS musical & Grease musical— my grandpa actually used to be in a band back in the day, he obviously never made it big lol most don’t back then but I do have is one & only album which is my prized one. I also have a few 40’s French quintet albums, i don’t have a real rhyme or reason for those I was just like huh that sounds neat let’s go :•P I have more but most of them fall somewhere in the 70’s-80’s music
the “newest” music albums I own are from lord Huron my aunts a huge fan of them so she’s bought me some vinyls & cd’s which they’re not to bad if you’re into that kinda eclectic rockabilly vibe ( I don’t know how to describe their music I’m sorry lol ) but besides them I already mentioned the Renaissance festival bands tho some of their music is like “original” but most of its like the old kinda like the shanty/Irish pub music
oh ho friender you also collect vinyl! pretty please share your collection, I’ll share mine if you’d like :•P
ahaha i’d love to see your collection some time! my collection probably isn’t as cool as some of you might be hoping, as i mainly collect old 60s albums, particularly those of widely-disregarded bubblegum rock groups! what can i say, it’s an important piece of music history that’s unfortunately often overlooked. i also like to collect more specific albums, like stuff from actors who had random music careers, one-time bands no one liked even when they came out, or cast albums from 60s variety shows. i even have a random shel silverstein album. i think the most normal vinyl i have is three dog night’s “it ain’t easy” but that’s just because i like three dog night LMAO i just like collecting stuff that has a story behind it (also because i don’t think people realize just how much DRAMA there was behind things like monkees or partridge family albums like Oh My God it’s insane. the things i could tell y’all about).
also all my albums are old, i think the “newest” one i have in terms of age is from around 1978-79, and the “oldest” is from the late 50s.
all my CDs though are for much more modern music! well, “modern” is being generous. the CDs are for my 90s-00s music LMAO😭
#i nearly forgot my beloved jim croce life and times album— he was so cute friender im sad he died an didnt get to make more music :((#anyways i like alot of music from all over the eras & such but these are the ones i physical#own sorry i hope you can understand my word vomit nsnsns its just fun to talk about/hear what others are into so i tend to get real rambly#thank you sm for anwsering me 💘💘��💘 i hope youre having a lovely day/evening
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Favorite Jaina Solo headcanons?
Oh, this will be fun, thank you!
Let me preface this by saying that the Jaina Solo I write, at least so far, is not the same Jaina Solo of the EU. I’ve definitely based a lot of my Jaina on the EU character, but since I’ve put her into a fix-it of the sequel trilogy, she’s not a twin, she’s younger than her turned-to-the-Dark-Side brother (almost twelve years younger) and I made her Jaina Organa-Solo (because I like to believe that Leia would appreciate the opportunity to let the Organa name continue on, but would still want her children to have Solo in their names also). So these headcanons will reflect my Jaina and may vary from EU canon.
Here we go:
Jaina is very close with Chewbacca, and because she was exposed to so much Shryiiwook at a young age, can actually speak as well as understand it. (Although she can only speak it for short amounts of time because it strains humans’ vocal cords.) When she’s living on the Falcon with Han and Chewie, she and Chewie are so close that they sometimes finish each other’s sentences. Chewie calls her “Girlcub.”
She’s always been very close with her father, and shares many characteristics with him (love of flying, skill at flying, same crooked grin, similar tendency toward brashness, extreme loyalty to the people she loves, strong sense of humor), but she’s actually a lot like her mother as well (intuitive sense about people and situations, committed to making the galaxy/her world a better place, strong Force-sensitivity, same deep brown doe eyes and dark brown hair, smart as hell). She has the stubbornness of both her parents.
Unlike in the EU, where she’s not terribly close with her mom and a little bitter toward Leia, she’s actually pretty close with Leia, too; she just happens to be closer to her dad. When she and Leia have misunderstandings, it’s usually because they are too much alike. In fact, when Jaina hits her teenage years and starts arguing with and talking back to Han, Han’s like, “Oh, shit, there’s two of them now” and Chewie just laughs his ass off.
She has a very special relationship with her Uncle Luke as well. In my Epic Love ‘verse Luke hides her on Ahch-To for her own protection and they live there by themselves for four years while he trains her in the Force. She enjoys teasing Luke and giving him a hard time about things (like his scraggly beard and worn-out robes), but they also get along really well. Luke gives her a lot of pieces of advice, sayings, etc. that he got from Aunt Beru, much of which Jaina rolls her eyes at (she is a teenager while they’re on the island, after all) but secretly takes to heart.
She also adores her Uncle Wedge (who in my ‘verse is Luke’s husband), and he adores her back. If she were forced to choose her favorite uncle, she’d probably pick him. They often gang up on poor Luke to tease him, but they just enjoy hanging out with each other. And flying–Uncle Wedge has indulged her love of flying since she was a tiny girl. When she’s five years old, Wedge and Luke take her to their Rogue Squadron reunion and Jaina is basically in heaven, because she gets to sit in an honest-to-goodness X-Wing (on the ground, but still…) and gets her own callsign (Rogue Five, naturally. Janson doesn’t mind sharing).
Jaina is extremely strong in the Force and skilled in a variety of areas, including Force healing (which comes in rather handy later on), combat, and shielding/stealth. When she spars, she has a really focused energy about her (something she has in common with her mother).
She is an excellent pilot and has been flying from a very young age, first learning to pilot the Falcon with help when she was eleven and flying on her own (out of necessity; it was an emergency situation) when she was thirteen. She’s also trained on a variety of other ships and simulators and basically cannot wait to become an X-Wing fighter pilot. She also knows at least basic maintenance for most parts of the Falcon, because Han’s rule for his children is that if you want to fly the Falcon you have to know how to fix the Falcon.
She’s bisexual, although she’s not had a chance to date anybody yet, because she’s been on the run or in hiding with her dad and Chewie or with her uncle Luke since she was ten, and just got out of hiding at age seventeen going on eighteen.
Her personal style is pretty eclectic, as are her musical tastes. She likes to listen to the GFFA equivalent of Riot Grrl as well as really bubblegum poppy-type stuff. She dresses pretty casually out of necessity most of the time, but she also really enjoys getting dressed up and playing around with different hairstyles and such.
She’s as good as Han at sabacc; not quite as good as Leia, but damned close. She’s also really good at Dejarik because she used to live on the Falcon.
She speaks several languages fluently, and can curse like a sailor in Huttese, Corellian, Alderaani, and Shryiiwook. (The Huttese curses are Uncle Luke’s fault.)
Thank you for the ask!
#ask lajulie#headcanons#jaina solo#han solo#leia organa#chewbacca#luke skywalker#wedge antilles#epic love 'verse#this was really fun#anonymous#thank you for the ask!
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Sin, guilt, neurosis; they are one and the same, the fruit of the tree of knowledge.
Henry Miller
That Got Away: A Criminal Minds Fan-fiction: Part 5
Inspiration: Katy Perry’s Song “The One That Got Away”
Rating: Mature Setting: Season 4 Featuring: Dr. Spencer Reid x Reader
A/N: Thank you all for sticking around as the story progresses! Buckle your seat belts, it isn’t over yet… xoxo Stu (I don’t own any of the images/ characters/ lyrics) Warnings: A spot of sexy times, angst, it is rather long.
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Derek was ready to get on with the case, the world moved so much more efficiently during a work week. He was out the door heading toward the elevators with thoughts of free breakfast when he spotted a manila envelope outside of Reid’s door. The large man bent down, noticing it was completely blank, not wanting to mess with potential evidence, he knocked on his teammate’s door.
There was a complete minute of silence before he knocked again, louder and longer. He didn’t think Reid was up and had missed the delivery, so he decided to try calling him. He could hear the ring on Spencer’s phone through the quiet hall. JJ appeared, heading down the corridor of BAU rooms from the elevators, coffee in hand. Her blue eyes watched Morgan as he waited for the doctor to pick up his phone already.
You were pleased to find out that Spencer had acquired more than one romp’s worth of protection. You woke up with his morning wood nestled against your backside and you couldn’t think of a good reason for that to go to waste, “When in Rome” and all that. So you began with gentle kisses, rolling Spencer on to his back, he wasn’t quite awake yet, his eyes pleasantly closed. His bedhead endearing as you reached passed his face for one of the remaining foil packages. The tearing sound was what got his attention from dreamland.
He mumbled something incoherently. “What’s that Sir-sir?” You whispered through a giggle. His brown eyes glanced at you sideways, which was hard to do because you were looking straight into them.
“Be nice,” Spencer teased, rubbing his eyes. “I’m already pretty sore, mon cher.” His croaking morning voice and sweet names made you want to be very nice, indeed. You slowly maneuvered atop the FBI agent’s long body. After securing the barrier, you licked your finger tips, preparing your waking body for the next round. Spencer moaned as he saw your fingers in your mouth, you blushed at his blatant lust.
As you slid down on to Spencer, your body shivered. You bent over to kiss his gasping mouth, slowing rocking into him. The first knock was easily ignored, it could have been for any of the surrounding rooms. Spencer’s large palms on your breasts, turned your attention back to the moment. His eyes flew open at the second assault on the door. You tilted your head, hoping your soulful look would distract him again. Spencer rose to a seated position, you adjusted, holding his head in your arms, he nuzzled your cleavage. His arms felt so secure around you, it was back to just the two of you…
*B-rrrrring*
Derek heard the line open, but Reid was quiet, though his breathing was labored. “Reid? Everything okay in there?” Derek’s voice was concerned, the kid was not that heavy of a sleeper.
”Um, yeah, Morgan,” Spencer creaked out. “What’s up, I’m not late am I?”
”No, kid, you’re not late,” Derek reassured, “But you’ve got a package out here and I don’t want to touch it in case it is evidence. Open up, I know you have some evidence bags in your stuff.” JJ stood, leaning against the door frame, sipping the end of her coffee.
”Morgan, I can’t exactly do that at the moment. Can’t you grab some from Hotch?”
”What the hell kid?!” Morgan was getting frustrated now. “Just open the damn door, clearly this is involving you and probably Dr. Y/L/N.” Suddenly, Derek heard another voice in the background, a clearly softer voice.
JJ alarmed at the quick escalation, “Morgan, what is going on?” Derek shook his head, trying to clear the images out of his mind. His enlightened eyes, caught JJ’s attention. “I think Y/N is in there,” Derek began to whisper, “In bed. With Reid.” JJ choked on her coffee.
”Hey, kid, I can hear that you are occupied, but be professional here.” Derek spoke back into the phone. “JJ and I will wait until you get some pants on.” He couldn’t keep the laughter out of his voice as he ended the call.
You decided to hide in embarrassment. But what you actually did was give the agents some time to investigate the weird envelope by taking a shower. Spencer had scooped all of your clothes up and tossed them into the bathroom, frantically he threw on clean clothes, and kissed you quickly as you scurried towards the shower. You could hear Agent Morgan’s deep chuckle as Spencer opened the door. A pleasant woman’s voice also entered and you wondered if it was Agent Prentiss, the multi-lingual agent or JJ Spencer’s best friend who had just had a baby.
You showered in a blur, and attempted to redress, though the obviousness of yesterday’s clothes would be nearly a scarlet letter on your chest. You sighed, you were adults, this was nothing to be ashamed about. The fact that you didn’t have underwear to put on was only pertinent to yourself. You kept your hair in the towel twist, because you didn’t have anything to fix it with. You assumed Spencer had a decent amount of hair care products with the length he kept his, but none were left out for you to utilize. Huffing up your chest, you swallowed for courage and opened the door to the BAU.
Three sets of concentrating eyes spun on you as the door opened. You sheepishly waved at Agent Morgan, a smirk crawling up his face. Spencer’s eyes went to the ceiling as Derek purred, “Good Morning, Dr. Y/L/N.” You turned to the new agent, “JJ, right?” You gathered by the tiny blonde woman before you.
“Yes! Hi, “ JJ leaned forward to take your handshake. “It is nice to meet you, finally.” JJ turned to glance at Spencer, her face showing signs of approval. You weren’t sure if it was for Spencer’s talking her up or for you being in his bed. Shyly, you sit down on the bed that was still made.
“So, what did you find?” You ask Spencer, casually. His face a twist of concern. “Is that alright? Can I ask or is that breaking some rule?” You continue, not quite rambling yet.
“Well, we haven’t completed the analysis of the document or the delivery system,” Spencer began before Agent Morgan interrupted him.
“It’s addressed to the both of you.” The African American agent’s blank face scared you more than the fact that someone else knew where you were last night. Why was he trying to be appear so calm?
“Just what does it say?” Your eyes darting at everyone, landing on Spencer’s furrowed brow. “Sir… Spencer? Will you just read it to me?” You exhale, annoyed at the building tension.
Spencer cleared his throat, holding up the sheet of paper housed in a glorified Ziploc bag.
“Oh how young lovers find
Distractions and delusions
Your fates have been rebound
From stone pillar to this inn
We seek your minds not sins
Until victory, un-found”
Spencer’s careful cadence did the awful poem more justice than it deserved. Your eyes had unfocused in concentration until the fourth line. Stone pillar? Where were they coming from with this? Spencer’s eyes met yours as he finished the last line: a veiled threat. His dark eyes were burning for you to catch up, but you didn’t see the connection.
“What, Spencer?” You challenged, “What are you getting at with that face?”
“Y/N and I attended an event at her family’s home,” Spencer began, clearing his throat as he explained that night. “Back when I was still a graduate student. She was 18, I was 17…”
“You two were more than casual acquaintances,” JJ nodded, trying to get to the point.
“Wait a second!” Morgan followed, “Was it a re-dedication ceremony? Yeah, Garcia found a picture of you, your dad and Reid from, uh, ‘99?”
You nodded blankly, watching Spencer try not to meet your eye. “I took off your glasses!” You remembered hazily.
Spencer agreed with a dejected nod, “And I was trying to hide you from sight, so you couldn’t see past me.”
You look at Agent Morgan, “I think I know who sent this, but I have no idea who they are.”
I was June and you were my Johnny Cash Never one without the other, we made a pact Sometimes when I miss you I put those records on
Spencer’s mother’s breakdown kept him home for nearly a week. He had called and apologized to Dr. Y/L/N and Dr. Bing from the Physics department, both men were surprisingly understanding. After a year of hiding his mother’s illness from Y/N; she had found about it, in the worst possible way. The drive home that fateful night was etched into his memory, sitting in the back seat with his mother. Spencer kept silent, letting Y/N make small talk with Diana. Y/N was surprisingly calm during their public ordeal.
She had called nearly everyday since the gala debacle. Spencer couldn’t bring himself to answer the phone. The messages often went over the time allowed, the tapes scrambling as he re-listened to each of them. He knew summer was coming to a close; Y/N would pack up the Volkswagen and drive off for another year away. He didn’t know what to do, but that night Y/N made up his mind for him.
She knocked on the small apartment door just after dinner. Her outfit a perfect blend of her eclectic musical taste and her naivete, he thought, entranced by her bare arms and legs. “Can we talk?” She huffed, her arms crossed over her breasts. Spencer nodded, he was back to wearing his contacts. Y/N stood fidgeting at the doorway.
“I guess that I won’t be receiving an invitation inside?” Y/N mumbled.
“I would, Y/N/N, but I don’t want to upset my mom.” Spencer whispered, “Please understand that I want to see you.” His eyes orbs of honesty.
She nodded, a half smile on her soft mouth. Spencer was humbled that she had come to see him, despite all of the unanswered messages. “I’m still with you, you know that right?” She blurted out, her eyes twitching at her own impetuousness.
Spencer murmured in agreement, “I do, thank you.” He paused, scratching his arm. “Thank you for checking up on me, on us, even.”
She had sauntered over, taking one of his sweaty hands in her smaller ones. Her skin was cool, she placed his hand on her face, like she had during their first kiss. He instinctively closed his eyes, kissing her goodnight. And as she turned to leave she squeezed his hand, reassuringly.
“All right, first off I want Security tapes all open to our team,” Hotch was barking at the head of security of the hotel. “When one of our agents is threatened, we don’t need a warrant.” Hotch was pushing it, Agent Rossi and Agent Prentiss both knew it, sharing a glance.
The entire team had assembled in a small conference room beside the breakfast nook. You were there, uncomfortably watching the confrontation before you. Spencer had made sure you were allowed to stay, he felt that your safety depended on it. You thought he was being paranoid, but you didn’t argue since your father had just been murdered in his own home.
Spencer and Agent Morgan were on the phone with a chirping tech assistant in the corner. You wondered if she was the sultry agent’s significant other, the way they flirted shamelessly. You smiled at the thought of being able to work with someone you cared about. Academia was challenging, entangling a love life with it seemed impossible.
“Morgan,” Hotch had returned to the table where you and JJ sat quietly. The team filed into seats around the enclosed space. Spencer sat beside you, his shoe nudging your ankle reassuringly. “I want you to do cognitive interviews with both Reid and Dr. Y/L/N, but separately. This event was ten years ago, so we don’t need any interference as it is.”
“Rossi, can you and Prentiss handle the meetings with the TAs and the colleagues? We don’t want to lose out on any other breaks in the profile.”
The dark haired Emily Prentiss nodded along with the friendly Agent Rossi. He was very concerned with how you had been holding up since he had questioned you the first day you were in town. As Agent Morgan and Spencer were going to start their special interrogation, you approached the unit chief.
“Sir?” You held your head high, calm.”May I return to my room to change and make some phone calls? I need to cancel some meetings and a lunch I had set up.” The serious man eyed you wearily.
“Of course,” Hotch agreed, “JJ will escort you back upstairs.” He nudged his communications liaison towards babysitting. The blonde woman followed you to the elevator in silence.
”I want you to tell me what you see,” Derek’s soothing voice beckoned Spencer into the past.
”I see Dr. Y/L/N. He’s in a tux, he’s laughing with Dr. James and a drunk Byron Osbourne.”
”Wait, Osbourne was there?” Derek confirmed.
”Yes, he is standing besides Olivia Madison.”
”Alright, Reid, what happens next?” Derek continued the interview.
”Y/N is there, her dress bares her back. I want to touch her, but I can’t, not here.” Derek chuckles. ”She grabs my hand, my wine spilled on the stones of the patio. She is angry with me, she drags me into the kitchen. Everyone was laughing at us.” Spencer’s voice hitched at the embarrassing memory.
Derek is keenly listening to what a teenage Reid recalls from a distinguished academic event. Teenage guys were all the same apparently. ”Alright, good, now I want you to move later on. What happens when you and Y/N were hiding by the stone pillar?”
”She tastes like pine needles.” Spencer began, “Her skin is so smooth, I just got lost. My hands were sliding down her back when the voice called.”
”Alright, Reid, whose voice was it?”
”I’m not sure, but they called me Dr. Reid.” Spencer answered.”I can’t see much without my glasses, it’s blurry and I feel a bit drunk.”
”Was it a man’s voice?” Derek probed.
”No, it was a woman, maybe a younger guy?” Spencer pondered. “I remember the color red in the blur as I spun Y/N around, trying to hide her. I didn’t want her to get in trouble.”
”Red?” Derek thought aloud. “Were they wearing red? Did they have red hair?”
”I don’t know!” Spencer was frustrated. “The next clear thing is Y/N fixing my tie. Her face is flushed, I did that. I gave her the alcohol and then felt her up in the corner. I did that?” Spencer remembered incredulously.
”Hey, now it’s okay.” Derek soothed. “I need you to go through the rest of the night now. Does red come back into sight now that your glasses are back on?”
”Nothing stands out.” Spencer pauses in thought. “There was a red headed presenter and Simon had on a red bow tie with his tux, he was very proud of it. I was asking about it as my mother called to me. Oh god, why is she here?” Spencer’s voice hitched in a panic.
”Whoa, whoa, Reid,” Derek tried to calm the other agent. “Who is Simon?”
”He was a TA like me, but in the Physics department only. He was short, round, Korean.”
”Alright, I have some things to figure out,” Derek ended the interview. “Are you good?”
Spencer squinted his eyes before opening them. He sighed, “Yeah, Morgan, I’m good.”
It was oddly comforting to see your hotel room just as you had left it. The chair tossed aside, broken from Spencer’s fall. Your stack of corrected essays littered on the desk. JJ moved slowly about the room, subtly checking for dangers. You gathered your carry-on as a brief case, your cell phone and your wallet. You went to the bathroom to tend to the mess that was your post-sex/ post- sleep/ post- shower, uncombed hair. When you came back into the main room you saw JJ fingering the unopened letter from Spencer.
“That’s nothing,” You try to explain. “It was from before. Well, it was from Saturday, but it’s not.” You sigh at your self, pinching the bridge to your nose. “It’s not from the bad guy, okay?”
JJ nodded, “I know Spencer’s handwriting, Y/N. I am certain it is not from the bad guy.” She added softly.
Just then the door to your hotel room burst from the hinges.
Part 6
“How blunt are all the arrows of thy quiver in comparison with those of guilt.” -Robert Blair
@dontshootmespence @reiding-and-writing @reidsexualwriting @criminal-minds-fanfiction @speedreiding @sparkle-dinosaur @holagubler
#criminal minds#criminal minds fanfiction#criminal minds fanfictions#spencer reid#spencer x reader#spencer imagine#dr. reid#vw#katy perry#stu#flashbacks#bau#the morning after#smart is the new sexy#mgg#matthew gray gubler#light smut
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I’m bored.
1. What have you eaten today?
Brown sugar cinnamon pop tarts, a fruit roll up, Fritos, shrimp fettuccine Alfredo, a lavender latte , stuffed bell peppers, chocolate milk, water.
2. Who was your last kiss with? Was it pleasant?
Andrew. I guess. I honestly don’t prefer kisses.
3. What color shoes did you last wear?
Maroon and white!
4. Who has made you laugh the hardest in the last week? Twin. We were crying in the car after Peter Pan because we were laughing so hard.
5. What is your favorite scent? It’s between the flannel candle or the original scent candle from White Barn. I also really like Irish springs soap. It smells like my dad ☺️
6. What is your favorite season? Why?
Maybe winter will be more my season...
7. Can you do a handstand or cartwheel?
I can do both!
8. What color are your nails?
I’m not allowed to paint them anymore because I live that Barista life.
9. If you had to get a tattoo on your face to save your life, what would it be? A freckle.
10. What is something you find romantic?
Oh, there’s so many things. I can’t even begin to describe… little things. Small moments. Surprising me with things you know I’ll fall in love with or have wanted for a very long time but don’t often speak of.
11. Are you happy? Happiness is fleeting.
12. Is there anything in particular making you happy or sad? I’m incredibly happy and very loved and a very busy woman. But, I’m also super tired and worn out and something has to give soon...
13. Dogs or Cats? I adore both, but I want a puppy.
15. Which do you prefer: a museum, a night club, the forest or a library? Depends on my mood. I have no desire to go to a club.
15. What is your style?
Slightly disheveled, can’t remember the last time I washed my jeans. Hair is in a pony tail 98% of the time. Makeup is a rare treat as I don’t have much time for it, always covered in mocha or frappuccino roast andI always smell faintly of espresso. But! Should I be blessed with a day off, my makeup is gorgeous and I’m usually always in a pair of skinny jeans with the ankles rolled up, wearing some form of sweater or jean jacket, or button down shirt, and I’m either wearing boots, converse, or adidas tennis shoes. My hair is shoulder length and mostly straight. Sometimes wavy. Just depends. I like dressing in layers. Lots of layers.
16. If you could be doing anything you like right now, what would it be? I’m doing exactly what I wanna be. I’m in bed and I’m warm.
17. Are you in a relationship or single? Engaged 🤷🏻♀️
18. What makes you attracted to the person you like right now? So very many things.
19. If you could replace your partner/best friend with a celebrity of your choice, would you? Who with? He looks SO MUCH LIKE HOOK FROM ONCE UPON A TIME.
20. Are you holding on to something you need to let go of? If so then what? Hahahaha hahah haha ha
21. How did you celebrate last Halloween? I came Home from work around 7:00 pm and layers in my bed and cried because I would only sleep in my room for another 5 nights before I said goodbye to that house forever.
22. Have you recently made any big decisions?
I’m buying a new car soon.
23. Were you ever in a school play?
Quite a few!
24. What movie would you use to describe your life? The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the closet thing I can think of
25. Is there something you have dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it? Yeah meeting a friend. We’ve tried and something always goes wrong.
26. Complete this sentence, “I wish I had someone with whom I could share…” I have everyone I wish I could share anything with.
27. What are two things that irritate you about the same sex? Women are paranoid and overdramatic.
28. What are two things that irritate you about the opposite sex? I’ve found with most that they don’t know when to stop or take no for an answer.
29. What is the best thing that has happened to you this week? I got to do my homework outside in the pretty weather.
30. What is something that makes you sad when you think about it? There’s a whole list of things. Right now I’m coping with a lot that I can’t actually talk about here.
31. How long was your longest relationship?
It’s still going. 2 (unbroken/straight) years
32. Have you ever been in love? I still am.
33. Are you currently in love? Yes.
34. Why did your last relationship end? Incompatibility. Trust issues. Anger issues. Emotional abuse. Physical abuse. Lack of respect. Habits I couldn’t live with. Etc.
35. What jewelry are you wearing right now, and where did you get it? Uh well. An engagement ring. A Lokai bracelet. A bracelet that says “Tetelestai” (it is finished), flower crystal earrings, a cartilage earring, and a gold necklace that says “dance in the rain” from my mom.
36. When was the last time you cried and why? I cried yesterday out of hurt, and guilt.
37. Name someone pretty. Twin.
38. What did you receive last Valentines Day? Chicken nuggets and chocolate.
39. Do you get jealous easily? Usually, no.
40. Have you ever been cheated on? I don’t think I have. I hope to God I’m not wrong.
41. Do you trust your partner/best friend? With my life.
42. Ever had detention? Once or twice.
43. Would you rather live in the countryside or the city? City.
44. What do people call you? Sierrah, Dr. Watson, Twin, Scooter, Dear, Watson, Sarah, Savannah, Sissy, Daughter, Girl Child, Fresca, Sierra Mist, Sierra Nevada… you name it. I will respond to just about anything.
45. What was the last book you read? Everybody Always
46. How big of a nerd/dork are you? As far as books and Harry Potter goes….I’m a pretty big nerd.
47. What kind of music do you listen to? I have a very eclectic taste. So long as it’s not the rap crap that’s on the radio today and screamo/death metal.
48. How tall are you? 5′ 4″
49. Do you like kids? Absolutely adore them
50. Favorite fruits? Watermelon, cantaloupe, Kiwi, grapes
51. Do you wear jeans or sweats more? Jeans
52. What’s your earliest memory? I don’t know if it’s technically my earliest, but I remember laying in one of those pack and play cribs in the foyer/hall of my granny Watson’s house when I was very small. I distinctly remember the hollow hum of the air conditioning coming through the vents of the house….
53. Ever had a poem or song written about you or to you? quite a few… “Begin Again”
54. Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it? Both
55. Do you have a collection of anything? Books! I also have started collecting the Harry Potter Funko Pop characters (they’re adorable) and I have quite a few miniature figurines of grand pianos.
56. Do you save money or spend it? I save money and blow it all on traveling.
57. What would your dream house be like? I know for a fact I want dark hardwood floors and windows everywhere. I love light. Aside from that, there’s so many possibilities and so many different ways I want to decorate. It just depends on the space.
58. What top 5 things make you the angriest? People who lie, people who question my intentions and integrity, people who treat those of us in retail like we’re the scum of the earth, people who don’t know when to stop, and people with narcissistic attitudes or superiority complexes. Oh and people who don’t stand up for themselves.
59. What top 5 things always brings a smile to your face? Puppies, traveling, music, a good cup of coffee, my best friends,
60. You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do? Save the dog, I have so much experience I can just go work at another coffee shop.
61. 72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid? It all depends on where I’m at in life. I imagine at 72 I’d have done mostly everything, if not all of the things I currently want to do before I die. I also like to think that I’d tell someone, but I may not for a little while. I’m not afraid of dying, I’m just afraid of what comes after.
62. Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart. The organ that’s keeping me alive.
63. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go? There’s a place in Sweden I REALLY want to visit.
64. Do you like the beach? Yes
65. Ever sleep on the couch or a bed with someone special? Many times.
66. Do you have a middle name? If so what is it! Marie.
67. Do you talk to yourself? All the time. Alllllll the time.
68. Describe your hair. Medium length, super soft, a deep copper red color with light copper/blonde highlights (It’s a faded version of the dark red with bright red highlights I had a few months ago) it’s also really straight, a few layers to frame my face, bangs that fall just below my eyebrows…
69. What is the meaning of life. If we all knew the meaning of life it would take the wonder out of living. As much as I’d like to know what it’s all for, I think that half the fun is in not knowing. Ask me this again when I’m 80 or something.
70. What is your ideal partner like? My best friend.
71. Do you want to get married? Yes
72. Do you want to have kids? I want two. Boy and a girl. Anastasia and Alexander 💙
73. Like or dislike your family? Depends on which part of the family. I like some, hate some, tolerate others…
74. Are you Chunky or Slim? I’m pretty tiny.
75. Would you consider yourself smart? Yes.
76. What would you change about your life? Not a damn thing.
77. Religious or Not? I hate religion, but I am a follower of Jesus
78. You’re drunk and yelling at hot guys/girls out of your car window, you’re with? Most likely Twin.
79. You’re locked in a room with the last person you kissed, is that a problem? Nope
80. Does anyone regularly (other than family) tell you they love you? quite a few people. I am very loved.
81. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now? Honestly we’d probably both be asleep.
82. So, the last person you kissed just happens to arrive at your door at 3AM; do you let them in? I mean. It’s his house.
83. Do you like when people play with your hair? Yesssss. It’s one of the best things.
84. Do you like bubble baths? I take one nearly every day.
85. Have you ever been pulled over by a cop? just once.
86. Have you ever danced in the rain? multiple times
87. Do you trust anyone with your life? Just a couple of people
88. What was your first thought when you woke up this morning? READ THAT BOOK.
89. If money wasn’t an issue, what top 10 places would you travel to? (You get to stay at each place for a week) 1. Australia 2. Ireland 3. Sweden. 4. Germany 5. Seattle, Washington 6. California 7. Japan 8. Alaska to see the northern lights 9. Somewhere that I could see the entire milky way galaxy at night 10. the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
90. How was your day today? It was good!
91. Play an instrument? I can play a little piano.
92. Describe the what you think of the ocean. I think it’s beautiful. It brings peace. Helps me reset.
93. Do you believe in aliens or ghosts? I definitely believe in ghosts. I’m undecided about aliens
94. Honestly, are things how you wanted them to be? No, but that’s how life goes.
95. Do you have a mean bitchy scary side? Who doesn’t?
96. When are you vulnerable? In many different situations. I think I allow myself to be most vulnerable and unguarded around twin and my mom than anyone.
97. How much free time do you have? Right now, more than I could ask for. Next week….none.
98. Do you like to go hiking? I do it quite a lot in the warmer months of the year.
99. Odd or Even Numbers? they’re all numbers to me.
100. Would you ever go sky diving, bungee jumping , cliff diving, wing suit gliding, parasailing, snorkeling, or other extreme activities? I would do every single one of those and more.
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Mama Let Me....
Get hurt
My mama would let me try anything my mind dreamed up. From making my own go cart from scrap wood and lawn mower wheels to setting up my room as a radio studio and interviewing my friends when they came over and roller blading on homemade ramps. I lived with bruises and scrapes. Without an engine and hardly any hills, I didn’t go far on my homemade go cart. I learned something about that too, axles and ball bearings are important. Wheels don’t turn like they should when you just hammer them into wood. Also, brakes. :)
Observe selflessness
Mama selflessly cared for my brother for 7 years as he suffered from Acute Lymphatic Leukemia in childhood, all the while taking care of my Type 1 Diabetic disabled father. I never heard her say the words “why me?” I am sure there were times she thought it. My brother pulled through and beat cancer. So grateful. My dad succumbed to his illness when I was 11. Then I saw another side of my mother. A strong, independent woman.
Believe
Mama would let me believe that the brightest star in the sky was my dad looking down on me from heaven. It’s true. I would look up at the bright star and feel instant comfort. If my mom agreed that this star in the sky was in fact my dad, then it really had to be him catching a glimpse of me.
Eat cake for dinner
After dad died, mom wanted a career in something she was passionate about. She decided to go back to school full time and pursue her dream of becoming a teacher. I often would go to her second job at Books a million and sit in the cafe with her on her dinner break and eat red velvet cake with her. She worked 2 jobs to pay her way through school and still managed to raise me, spend time with me and graduate college.
See her persevere
I could not be more proud of my dear Mama. She worked so hard to go back to college after my dad died, in her forties and finish with a degree in education. She wanted it and by all accounts she pulled up her boot straps and took the bull by the horns. This is an example of the strength she exudes. I am in school now, I have a husband by my side who helps me tremendously. I seriously don’t know how she did it, but she DID IT!
Know that I am not alone
It was my freshmen year of high school. We all know that at that age, friendships are tested. My friendship was tested with my friends, and I was outcast from my normal group. Anyone can tell you that is the single worst thing to happen to a teenager. To lose your group of friends. You know what my Mama did? She let me cry and complain and be dramatic and when I was done with that. We would go rent a movie and watch it together and I would forget about my bleeding wounds for a little while. When my wounds would re-open, Mama was there to tell me that I was wonderful and that this would not be a big deal in 5 years. Her recipe to keeping me happy was the best one I can think of, laughing and lots of it. Even if that meant prank calling people. She of course would just observe and laugh and say “if anyone asks, I will deny that I did this with you.” (So, if she denies this, she is just sticking to her promise) ;) Often times we would go out front and throw the softball. She would watch wrestling with me, even though it wasn’t her thing. Mostly she would just BE THERE.
See that being humiliated for the sake of a joke is totally worth it
On one of my bad days, Mom decided to take me to a movie. I still don’t remember what we watched, but it was one of the times I have laughed the hardest. The movie is over and there is a huge crowd shuffling out and heading to the restrooms. Mom of course had to go and me and my teenage bladder eye rolled. I was mostly annoyed that after the movie, I remembered reality as I saw a father and daughter walking in front of us heading to the restroom as well. As she waited on him outside the bathroom, I felt this overwhelming jealousy. How dare she have a father to do things with? How dare she stand there with a smile on her face when she sees her dad emerge from the bathroom? How dare she be so happy? I wanted to scoot down the wall and melt into a self pitying blob on the floor. Right on time, as if she knew what was going on in my mind, here comes Mama out of the restroom. She has the biggest grin on her face and is dragging a 10 foot ( I kid you not) trail of toilet paper from the back of her britches. By the look on her face, I knew she did this just to make me laugh. I was dying laughing on the inside, holding strong for the joke that everyone is watching this woman drag this toilet paper. We hit the parking lot doors and laughed so hard. I almost wet my pants. She would’ve peed her pants if she hadn’t already just relieved herself. To this day, I will never forget that. That silliness saved my evening and I thought on the way home not how unlucky I was to be a fatherless girl, but how lucky I was to have a Mom who would choose humility for the sake of a well played joke.
Listen
Mama let me listen to her music. All the greats that she loved Franki Valli and the Four Seasons, Steppenwolfe, Blood Sweat and Tears, The Judds, Elvis, Johnny Cash to Abba... just to name a few. I have a pretty eclectic taste in music thanks to her. I have a great love for comedy. Largely in part to road trips with Mama.. Gosh, I loved taking a road trip with mom and listening to a comedy album with her. Laughing together and eating our favorite road trip snacks, that was the best.
See empathy and her kindness to others
The greatest lesson I think Mama taught me was to have empathy and to be kind always. She would tell me that you never know what someone else is going through. That is so true and I try to be kind and empathetic.
My Mom is a beautiful soul. I am grateful to have her as my mother. I wrote this so she could see just a small piece of her imprint she has on my heart.
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Mama, I love you. Thank you for letting me…
Jennifer Michelle, “your Southern Belle”
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