#I'll have a bday in a couple of days

[poetic-emptiness-fanfic]

Rant in the tags, I don’t bother to write it in a post bc why would I

[quinns-art-box]

hand in unlovable hand or whatever

i think these two are super interesting and i’ve really been wanting to draw a piece w them for a long time!! like idk the loss of autonomy, danganronpa’s mastermind and protagonist archetypes, two sides of the same coin, etc

[yangjeongin]

Hi! Maybe you can finish Back door series till New year? 👉👈 Sorry and thank you ❣️

Annoying Back door anon

hello back door anon 🫶 i'm ngl i forgot about this series LJKSDLFJSJDG with how busy i got, i totally will not be able to finish it before the end of the year but i will continue it over time!! i intend to finish it eventually but it's just kinda a "when the inspiration strikes/i need something to gif" series for me. i'm sure i can make at least one set for you before the end of the year tho <3

[lesbianlotties]

literally not my fault that i dont have a journal or therapy so you all have to see me oversharing on tumblr dot com

[yotd2009]

i NEED the tcgf novels i need them so bad

[robinsnest2111]

not to be too depressing on main but I just realised that this year, my birthday will suck A Lot as well

not as much as the one 2 years ago, but probably worse than last year...

woof, I am not ready for that dreaded day. Will probably spend it dissociating once again

[autism-corner]

NOO

[bladeofthestars]

.

[luveline]

Jade you’re always doing the boys comforting reader and I love that but maybe we could comfort hotch? Like it’s Haley’s bday or smth and you just spend a quiet day together reminiscing and comforting him! Tysm I love you!!

ty for requesting, ily ♡ fem!reader

Sometimes you worry about coming second to Haley, but mostly you feel intensely gutted for Aaron's loss. It's natural to feel inferior. He loves her even now she's gone, holding the same torch for her as when she lived. She was selfless, and gave her life for her son. You haven't ever done anything so brave. 

"I get if you think this wasn't my place," you say softly, arms behind your back, hand wrapped around your elbow. "I can get rid of it all. Just wanted things to feel special for you both." 

Aaron barely looks at you, his eyes flitting over the things you'd prepared. Cards for her. Two bouquets. A cake. Everything set aside immaculately. Everything as perfect as he would've done himself. 

"And I didn't bring it up because I was unsure about what you'd say, but I don't have to be here today." You point at your handbag ready on the chair. "I can make myself busy. I want you and Jack to have everything you need, you know? So if that's space, you don't have to be afraid to tell me." 

Aaron smiles a small smile. "You know her favourite flower?" 

"You told me." He speaks of her funeral rarely. Happier memories more often —things she did as a dedicated and goofy wife, and a devoted and fun mother. 

"I don't want you to leave," he says, "not unless you don't want to be here." 

"Of course I want to be here. I know this is a hard day for you," you say gently. 

He looks like he'd accept a hug if you offer one. You step into the reach of his arms and hang your wrists over his shoulder. Haley must have done this before, you know. You're not her. You're different in so many ways. You aren't sure if reminding him of her is a good thing or a bad thing, but right now, you're just a girlfriend trying to make her partner feel better. 

"A hard life," you amend. "I get that this won't ever go away, Aaron. Tell me what you need and I'll give it to you." 

"I have everything I need," he says simply. 

You wrap your arms around him, hugging his face to the curve of your neck on tiptoes. 

"I'm sorry she can't be here," you whisper, petting the hair at the back of his head. "I'm really sorry, Aaron." 

"Me too." 

You don't know how much he can handle. With a quick, closed-eyed squeeze, you pull away from him and turn back to your preparations. He stands behind you, fingertips ghosting against the small of your back.  

"That ones bigger than the rest," he murmurs, gesturing to an especially beautiful flower. 

"I got the nicest ones they had." 

"She would've put them on the window sill in the kitchen. That way she'd see them a couple of times a day." 

You put them on the window sill, where they blossom for a week. When they wilt, you press the biggest bud in an old book.

[creedslove]

I'm thinking about you often and wish you peace and quiet ♥️ even if we don't talk much, I consider you as a friend and I care about you.

What about Joel and his wife not talking, they have some quiet days. Wife is not happy, because Joel is not helping around the house and being busy at work, Joel forgot about her birthday. After he got home from work, his wife was like... gone.

He was going crazy, because she was not answering the phone, and it was late already. When she finally returned home, he was asking where she was, and it turned out, she was spending time with her friends, because they celebrated her birthday that Joel forgot about.

"Joel, do you even love me? I'm not angry, I'm just little tipsy and sad. Do you want divorce? Because I see we are not doing so well nowadays. I love you, but you are not loving me back, don't you?"

Joel is shocked and little angry. How his wife, most important person on earth for him, can think stuff like that. He loves her, he loves her so deeply, but he is not willing to admit that.

"you say dumb things, you are drunk, go to bed." Results in weeping and sniffles.

No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

A/N: thank you thank you thank you honey, I love you so much you have no idea how much better your ask made me feel, your words are so sweet. I consider you my friend too, you're incredible honey 💕😘 love you 💋🫂

Also, this ask being so close to my bday (2 weeks from now) hit differently, so I'll change it just slightly to fit an idea I'd been working on, if it's okay? Love you 💕

INSPIRED BY THE SONG: I hate this part - Pussycat Dolls

• Joel grinded his teeth as he focused on the road; it was dark, raining and hard to see and he couldn't be angrier to be out so late at night having to pick you up from a night out with your friends; you knew he had work the next morning, so why did you do that to him? Not to mention the ugly stare you were giving him, which caused him to groan again

• you on the other hand, couldn't believe his nerve to give you shit like that, what was he even thinking about? You didn't know if Joel was acting up to punish you or if he had literally forgotten about it, it annoyed you to death, but annoyed wasn't really the right word, it angered you, because you never dreamed your husband could be that insensitive towards you

• Joel was driving faster than usual, he gripped the steering wheel and you could tell his knuckles were white, you sighed and looked out the window, disbelief growing as Joel wasn't going to say anything at. all. it was just so unfair of his reaction, considering he was the one acting up like a major asshole and not the other way around

• it hurt and angered you, he had no right to treat you like that, especially not after he was doing, he had no right to do so and when he ignored you a couple of times you called his name, you had enough

"stop the car, Joel!"

"what? No, I'm not gonna stop it"

"stop the car right now Joel, do it or I'll open this door!!!"

• you raised your voice at him, something you had never done it, but at that moment, it didn't matter, he'd pushed your buttons and you didn't want to be around him at all

"STOP THE FUCKING CAR!"

• you yelled again, and he finally pulled over, there were still a few blocks until you got home, but you didn't care, you got out of the car slamming the door behind you and didn't look back, it baffled you what a jerk Joel was really being, it didn't make any sense to you

• Joel on the other hand was so angry, he couldn't even word how pissed off you made him feel at that moment, he parked the car and went after you, groaning at how stubborn you were being

• it didn't take very long for him to reach you and grab your arm, pulling you closer

"what the fuck are you doing?!"

"it's my birthday you asshole! My fucking birthday and you forgot about it! Or you simply don't care about me to the point of not saying anything... Does it make any sense now that I was out celebrating? Because my fucking boyfriend couldn't remember"

• you said just as angrily, you were tired of Joel acting up as if he was the right one and not you; you broke free from his grip and walked away, you didn't want anything to do with that man at that moment

• Joel was shocked, his heart shattered at his own insensitivity and shook his head; he'd indeed forgotten about it, he'd just been so absorbed and stressed about work it simply slipped away from his mind

• but it didn't matter, he knew how bad it was and how deeply he'd hurt you and Joel wasn't going to forgive himself just as he knew you wouldn't forgive him either

• he asked you to wait, he needed to apologize and see what he could do to make things better: perhaps there was still time to take you out for dinner? Maybe the malls were still open and you could pick a present for yourself?

• but it wasn't as simple as he thought, when he asked you what he could do to redeem himself, all you did was shake your head and sigh

"there's nothing to be done, Joel... About this or about us... I think we should break up"

• you said and began walking away from him, at that moment, you and Joel couldn't be together anymore, it broke your heart but it was what you had to do

____

[dayslynthesix]

Pirates | Charles Leclerc x Button!reader | bonus part

considering that today is charles leclerc international day here's a collection of all elise's birthday posts to charles for the last years

hope you enjoy it!

happy birthday to charlie boy

elisebutton

liked by scuderiaferrari, jensonbutton, beatricebutton, pierregasly, charles_leclerc and 233.154 others

elisebutton of all taylor swift ways to say i love you i will go with: and at every table i'll save you a seat, happy birthday, cuore mio, there's no words to describe how much i love you. i wish you the world. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME BUT YOURE FEELING 22.

charles_leclerc thank you, mon couer, i love you

jensonbutton happy birthday, charles. it is very pleasant to have you on the family.

pierregasly so cheesy

comments on this post have been restrained

october 16, 2019

elisebutton

liked by scuderiaferrari, charles_leclerc, f1, jensonbutton, carlossainz55 and 433.165 others

elisebutton what a privilege to spend another year by your side. happy birthday, cuore mio, it's amazing to go for night swims with you and pretend that us booth are sirens. i will always love you. happy 23.

charles_leclerc you weren't supposed to tell people about the sirens part 🤔

charles_leclerc leclerc thank you my love ❤

maxverstappen1 oh i see, your are here 2 years, im here 10, and charles is already playing sirens with you

jensonbutton another year, another post of my daughter kicking her feets smiling at the phone

elisebutton i see, i embarrassed charles and you embarrass me in payback, i knew that you liked him more

comments on this post have been restrained

october 16, 2020

elisebutton

liked by charles_leclerc, scuderiaferrari, carlossainz55, pierregasly, jensonbutton and 477.865 others

elisebutton happy 24 birthday to the one and only charles leclerc, love you my love, wishing you all the best. all's well that ends well to end up with you ❤

charles_leclerc for a couple of minutes i thought it was a all to well subtitle and i froze, thank you my love, missing you and website

maxverstappen1 thank god it was a lover lyrics, i was already calling 911 for daniel

scuderiaferrari elise and her taylor swift boy coded

user1 i just went to lis last posts about charles birthday and im so in love with them

user2 everyone was scared to death with the lyrics, but it was jus lis quoting lover

user3 i want what they have

october 16, 2021

elisebutton

liked by scuderiaferrari, charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, f1, jensonbutton and 677.233 others

elisebutton happy birthday to my sea boy and i think we can be pirates (partners), love you to the moon and to saturn, you light up my life. happy 25.

charles_leclerc i love discovering new places with you, thank you babe ❤

jensonbutton happy birthday, charles, now please could you give me back my daughter?

scuderiaferrari take good care of our driver!

maxverstappen1 ill steal that boat because that will be probably the only way ill be able to go for a boat trip

user4 max, jenson and lis fighting to see who likes charles more

user5 "boat was steal by formula one world champion max verstappen, when asked about why he said it was because no one invited him for the boat trip"

liked by elisebutton, maxverstappen1 and charles_leclerc

user6 KAIAJWJAIIWJWISIS the subtitle

user7 the way lis quote tswift to charles is why im still alive

october 16, 2022

elisebutton

liked by redbullracing, maxverstappen1, charles_leclerc, pierregasly, carlossainz55, scuderiaferrari, lewishamilton and 877.844 others

elisebutton one single threat of gold tied me to you. happy birthday my karma, my lover, my invisible string, i love you. see you in a couple of days. me, website, salem, my dad and my mom wish you a happy 26.

charles_leclerc i love how taytay references just grew bigger and bigger and i love you, looking forward to see you in a couple of days

laurencaspari he stole my wife, ill never forgive him for that (happy bday, charlie)

maxverstappen1 next year anniversary post will be just taylor lyrics and how there's no photo of the pets?

elisebutton im sorry max, website and salem are with my parents but ill ask them to send me pics of the pets so i can send it to you

maxverstappen1 that's why your my favorite teammate

danielricciardo what?

lewishamilton happy birthday and stuff but i just love the birthday tradition that lis created and every year im just scrolling through my insta account waiting for it

elisebutton i have a note on my phone with all the ways taylor says i love you and i choose one for each year 😩

pierregasly how can 2 people be so cheesy

elisebutton youre jealous because there's no cute post for you 😝

pierregasly i still think you don't like me

carlossainz55 cabronzito is 26 and there's no taylor song that say anything about that, it is probably a sad day to lis

danielricciardo happy birthday, mate, see you in vegas and we can celebrate

elisebutton WTF HAPPENED IN VEGAS?

cota we all know we're singing happy birthday to charles this weekend

laurencaspari and wishing to the happy birthday song to be followed by the monegasque anthem and the italian anthem

user8 hey maxverstappen1 what about you let your friend win this weekend?

maxverstappen1 if he gets the pole lis and i are going to defend

user9 max is like no one is overtaking my friend

user10 who could possibly imagine that charles and max would be actual friends in 2023? because it was not on my bingo card

user11 the last time max said something like that (monza, 2021) he crashed on the start so let's hope lis can do her things and not allow something like that again

elisebutton got ya!

october 16, 2023

[academicazura]

6 / 250 days of productivity • June 2nd

i know i literally posted this morning like "i won't buy a notebook", but during the day i managed to convince myself otherwise, and i ordered myself my dream notebook. it'll be my own bday present for me, since my bday is in a couple of weeks! and i'll definitely post pics once i get it, i'm sure most of you have a similar longing for notebooks so i won't gatekeep!

my sweet peas are growing i’m growing it’s june

i've been very bad at reading these past couple of days! it's kinda late already, but i think i'll shower, finish a couple of bujo spreads for the future and then just read until i fall asleep!

today i

made a plan(ish) for my june studies

made a june overview page for bujo, i couldn't find many that i'd find useful so i had to come up with something

did my weekly review

📖: The Dawn of Day (8%, sorry this will be here for a while)

🎧: California, Dessert

[toomuchracket]

bday girl (birthday partyverse!matty)

day 2 of The Birthday Party Project, first birthday as a couple - yours! this is my og friends-to-lovers couple, who've already had a very successful time of it at a birthday party, trying to manage your big day a mere few months after getting together. very fluffy, and very suggestive (because this pair especially cannot keep their hands off each other). enjoy! p.s. the pic of matty isn't thematic to the story, other than being an indicator of the era it's set in, i just think it's very pretty lol <3

you're abruptly awoken by the tinny synthesised beeps emanating from your phone, informing you that someone wants to facetime you - something that should be illegal at this time in the morning (7am), you think. after flicking on the bedside lamp, you fumble to put your glasses on and pick up your phone, your irritation lessening rapidly when you see it's matty calling you. you tap the screen, and your boyfriend's handsome face fills it. he beams when he sees you, although you're sure you look ridiculous, all sleep-addled and askew. "happy birthday, darlin'! how'd you sleep?"

"terribly. s'not the same when you're not next to me. i miss you," you pout. "that, and i forgot how uncomfy this bed was. no wonder my back's fucked after sleeping on this for the entirety of my teenage years."

matty laughs as he wanders through what you recognise as his kitchen. "maybe you're just getting old. nah, i'm joking, babe, it's probably the bed."

"being mean to me on my birthday? you're evil, sweetheart," you say, rolling onto your front. "especially considering you couldn't make it up here with me today. but it's your loss, considering you didn't get to wake up to this, in a single bed."

at that, you balance the phone against the pillows and sit back on your knees, allowing your boyfriend an excellent view of your outfit - his mazzy star t-shirt, tight across your tits, and a pair of dark red panties. matty laughs then groans lightly, raking a hand through his curls. "fuck me, you're gorgeous. my fomo about not being with you just got a whole lot worse," he grins cheekily. "can i request you put on that exact outfit for me as soon as you get home?"

"yeah. but what about the eroticism of being pressed up against me wearing it in a single bed?"

"hmm, i suppose the couch will have to do. although i can't really spread you out there as i intend to, can i?"

"matthew."

your boyfriend giggles, although you both know he's being serious. his face softens, a wistfulness setting into those beautiful big brown eyes of his. "i really am sorry i couldn't come up to see your family with you, darlin'. s'shite that we're swamped with album promo right now. hate not being with my girl."

matty's words warm your aching heart (and "my girl" sends a burst of heat straight between your legs. muscle memory, you think - your boyfriend likes to say it when he's between them). "s'alright. what time d'you think you'll be done with work tonight? we could do phone sex!"

"i dunno, darlin', but i like the sound of that a lot. i'll text you," matty smiles. "and i expect texts from you today as well - wanna hear what you're up to celebrating, and you better send me outfit pics too. fuck knows i'll need to look at you being beautiful to get me through today."

you've known the man for the better part of a decade and been in a committed relationship with him for two full months; and yet, the constant casual compliments matty loves to shower you with never fail to both astound and arouse you. moving forward to lean on your stomach, you kick your legs back and forth behind you, giddy. "i can do that, yeah."

"god, you're so cute," matty sighs. his eyes flick upwards slightly, presumably to check the time on his screen, and fill with slight... dread, you'd describe it. "fuck. i'm so sorry, sweetheart, but i need to head to work now."

your turn to sigh. "don't worry, baby, we'll talk later. have a good day, yeah? i love you."

"love you too, angel. i'll speak to you soon. bye!"

you say a goodbye in response, and the call ends. for a few minutes, you do nothing but stare at the ceiling of your teenage bedroom and think about how much you wish matty was with you, then you roll yourself out of bed and get ready to spend a "nice day with your family", as your mum put it.

and it is a nice day, despite the longing for your boyfriend veiling it all. you open your presents over a fry up breakfast, dancing around the kitchen in excitement at the vintage barbie t-shirt your brother bought you. when you and your mum go into town, you spend ages in the bookshop you practically lived in as a uni student, glowing with pride when the staff ask you to sign a few copies of your books, and spend even longer in the shopping centre that opened after you left for london, trying and buying shoes and dresses and makeup products you probably don't even have room for in your flat. you head to meet the rest of your family for dinner in your favourite restaurant, your mum ordering a bottle of red wine for she and you to get stuck into while you wait for the others to show up. it makes you think of matty, and the longing for him worsens. you excuse yourself from the table after greeting your just-arrived cousin, sneaking out the front door of the restaurant.

when you're outside in the still-warm early evening air, you pull your phone from your handbag and check your texts. nothing from matty since four hours ago, when he responded to your summer-dress shopping mirror selfie with a compliment so risqué that it made your cheeks go intensely crimson and had your mum asking if you were ill. lovesick, maybe, unable to cope without seeing your boyfriend for two days maximum. you're briefly reminded of those couples at school who used to make out in the corridors before having one single class apart; the thought you might be anything like them makes you shudder, and swap your phone for the pack of cigarettes and lighter also in your handbag.

you've no sooner placed the unlit cig in your mouth when you hear a familiar voice from further down the street. "don't you fucking dare light that, sweetheart."

your heart skips, and your legs go to copy them when you turn to see matty, looking tired but heartbreakingly handsome as ever, walking towards you with your brother in tow. cig in one hand and lighter in the other, you run to your boyfriend, throwing your arms around his neck and legs around his waist as he picks you up in a tight embrace and spins you round. "what the fuck?! i thought you were at work," you say, hugging matty tightly as he puts you gently on the ground. you lean over his shoulder, pulling one arm free to point accusingly at your brother. "and you! did you know this was happening? you might've told me, you little shit."

the two of them laugh at you, matty kissing your forehead before he answers. "i was meant to be working, yeah, but we wrapped promo yesterday morning. texted your bro here to organise coming up to surprise you, and drove up today - as soon as we hung up this morning, i was in the car."

"you drove?! babe, that's like a seven-hour journey!" you gasp, pulling matty into you again. "you must be exhausted. christ."

"worth it," comes the reply, muffled by your hair. "there was no way i was missing your first birthday as my girlfriend, not a chance."

you place a delicate, chaste kiss to the underside of matty's jaw. "you're so fucking cute."

your brother makes a retching sound. "i'm gonna go inside before you pair traumatise me. don't spend too long kissing out here, please, you'll hold the food up."

you roll your eyes, but matty chuckles and extends a hand to your brother. "thanks for all your help, mate."

"no problem," your brother replies, as they fist bump. "it's for my own benefit, really - the last thing i want to hear is this one whining about you all day."

he smiles as matty laughs, and then leaves the two of you alone. matty waits until the front door of the restaurant closes before he turns to you. "i, on the other hand, definitely want to hear you whining about me all day. well, more 'whining because of me', but you get the gist."

"oh my god, stop it."

"sorry, baby," matty grins, kissing you languidly. "can you blame me, though, after that outfit from this morning and the dress you tried on? it's taking everything in me not to drag you into that single bed right now."

you twirl your fingers into the curls at the nape of his neck just the way you know matty likes it, looking at him up through your eyelashes. "i think you should do that."

matty's breath hitches, before he takes a deep one and composes himself. "can't - there's a whole family of yours in there that i need to play 'wholesome, charming boyfriend' to, first. but after that, darlin', i'll take you home and be as dirty as you want me to be, alright?"

"i... i love you."

"i love you too, sweetheart. happy birthday."

[hauntedwitch04]

Bday memories

Modern!Azriel x reader

Words: about 1.7k words

Warnings: sad sad sad, selfharm mentioned, death thoughts, fluffy couple, a little bit of innuendos of smut

Author's note: Hi! So this is the first for my series of oneshot for my birthday. I changed my plan and I'll plan the Steve Harrington one in honor of a lovely human that is born that day.

P.s this oneshot contains really personal thought and happenings. I don't know if you all are confortable with what I have written, but I kinda needed to get this out of my system. Please if you feel what I felt get someone to help you. I'm always here to listen if someone what someone to talk with :) You are not alone, remember it loves

Requests are open I Ask

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Bday plan

For your birthday, you never wanted anything more than to spend it with the people you love most, without going anywhere or doing anything special, yet you never really succeeded because eventually everyone you cared about would leave, leaving you alone.

You wake up in your boyfriend's bed, next to Azriel who, however, is still asleep, so you stop and look at him as you reflect.

Today is your birthday.

Usually your birthday is one of your favorite days of the year, not so much for the presents, but for the excuse precisely to be able to spend time with those you love, for no real actual reason, but rather to celebrate having gone another full circle around the sun.

Yet this birthday you feel it is different.

Last year, not on the very day of your birthday, but a few days later you had met up with what at the time was your best friend, or at least you thought she was, to celebrate your birthday, your 18th birthday, but the celebration had not gone as you expected.

Before leaving, after giving you the gift and a notebook with all the memories of your adventures together imprinted on it, she had given you a letter to read later, saying not to read it right away so as "not to spoil the mood." Immediately you had become suspicious, but had not given much weight to her words, wanting to enjoy that day with her.

In the evening, looking back at the sad and not very personal gift she had given you and wondering if really eight years of friendship was worth just that one gift on such an important day, remembering the personal and special gift you had prepared for her eighteenth birthday, you read that fatal letter.

At first you thought it would be tear-jerking, loving and sweet, as is usually the case among friendships that work, but this time you were surprised.

In this one she accused you of having changed into someone she did not recognize, into someone she did not have the pleasure of having near her because she no longer respected her tastes, and you felt as if pierced in the beginning by those words, and then turned that pain into anger, which, however, with the passage of time became sadness again.

At that moment, like a sword ready to cut the thread that kept you bound to reality, you felt like a horrible person, unable to love and unable to have friends.

Ever since you were a little girl you have been abandoned by every person you find, after a while, as if they get tired of you, and decide that you are the problem, when your only concern is that the other person is well and happy, but this time it seemed different, at least until a while before, where you had begun to sense that your friend was changing, into something different, something strange, and that between the two of you things were no longer going very well, but you didn't think it would ever come to that.

You had certainly changed a bit, but you thought you had done so for the better, as you saw yourself as more confident and happier, while she did nothing but talk about herself and think only of herself, overshadowing you and leaving you no room to grow.

His words hurt you so much that for months you were at your lowest, depressed so much that every night you cried on your pillow before falling asleep asking Mother not to leave you alone.

If it hadn't been for your friends, you don't even know if you would have moved on, or if you would have stopped doing the biggest shit of all that you had ever done.

After weeks of being in pain, and feeling cornered by life, alone in the grip of its fury, you had tried to make your pain go away by causing yourself some more pain, this time physical pain, cutting your wrists, not so much as to bleed profusely but enough to leave deep scratches that ached for days on end.

Fortunately, your other friends seeing your state did not leave you alone and made sure you got back on track to face what would be the worst school year of your life: your senior year of high school.

They have led you to believe that after all maybe you are not such a horrible person and that if they have done all this for you, there must be some good in you, however somehow this whole experience has led you to reevaluate that day that since childhood you love so much, and almost to fear it.

Then when you started college a few months ago, you met the first guy who really made your heart flutter like it was the first time: Azriel, an older guy who is in one of your classes, though, and after sitting next to each other for a couple of classes, he had asked you out, and you without a second thought said yes.

Now you find yourself here in his bed, ready to celebrate your big day, after being together only a month and a bit. Every day you wonder how lucky you were to meet him, and how much fate loves you for making him fall in love with you.

He is the guy everyone dreams about: handsome, smart, sensitive, funny and last but not least an absolute god in bed, yet he chose you and this is not possible to understand somehow.

You didn't even realize he woke up, too lost in your thoughts, until you felt his lips on your hands, clutching his shirt while your face rested on the pillow.

"Good morning baby." He says in a hoarse voice, and you almost have to hold back not to groan at hearing it.

"Good morning." You answer, trying to recover.

"What were you thinking about, before I interrupted you?" He asks curiously, as he wraps his mighty arms around you. Outside his bedroom door you hear the first movements of the morning, with Cassian, one of his roommates, leaving to go for his jog along the river.

"Well I was thinking a little bit about last year and all the things that happened to me during the year." You confess, without shame, having already opened your heart fully on that subject to Azriel a while ago, explaining to him the reason for certain faded scars on your arm.

He immediately becomes serious as he pulls your face up with one hand, making sure that you are now looking into each other's eyes.

"Love, the past is in the past and can no longer hurt you because you abandoned it at the bottom of the sea, it can never surface again." He says softly, while with his thumb he caresses your cheek, and with his mouth he leaves a trail of kisses all along your jaw. "And even if those memories surface now and then you instead of taking them as bad and evil omens, you remember that they became the launching pad for being the amazing person you are today." He continues, before leaving a sweet kiss on your lips.

You cry a little bit, unable to contain your emotions, and so you let all the emotions you were reliving before come out of you with those tears. Once you have calmed down he looks at you, trying to figure out how you were and you smile at him, so he kisses you again and hugs you tighter than before if possible. You feel the warm palms of his hands on your back, while his chin rests on your head, as if trying to absorb you into his own body.

"Happy complenno my little one." He whispers at the end, after a few minutes of pure silence. You smile and thank him with your voice still hoarse from crying.

"I know I promised to give you only one present, but we both know I can never fail to spoil you." He finally confesses, chuckling.

"Azriel! You promised me! Now I feel guilty!" You say, looking up and laughing in turn.

"How can you feel guilty if someone decides to give you a birthday present!" He asks shocked. "Besides, I couldn't decide, they were all perfect, so I got them all."

"Couldn't you keep them for Christmas, too?" You say with an obvious manner.

"Even by Christmas I already have at least five. "He confesses again in a low voice.

"You're kidding I hope!"

"I've already told you that I have to spoil you, you're my little girl and if it were up to me I would cover you with gifts every day."

"Which is not very different from what you do." You respond by sticking your tongue out at him. He responds by kissing you passionately, and pushing your body under his.

"Maybe I should give you your first present already." He says in a low, gravelly voice to your ear, before leaving a series of wet, warm kisses down your neck. "Which I believe will be repeated again tonight."

"Oh really?" You say trying to reason again, even as you begin to feel pleasure slowly cloud your senses.

"A guy has to make sure his girlfriend is well satisfied, especially on her birthday." He says chuckling, before returning to leave purple marks on your snow-white neck.

Too engrossed in your sinful activity you do not realize that Cassian has returned from his jog, until he throws open the door to the room.

"Happy birthday little one, how is it to be 19 years old-oh fuck is it possible you two are worse than rabbits?" Cassian comments, covering his eyes and walking out, not before adding. "When will you learn to close the door?"

"When will you learn to knock instead?" Azriel comments in return, covering your body with his so his friend can't see you. "Or better yet, when will you learn to mind your own business?"

"When you learn to keep your hands to yourself Azzy." Cassian replies, now in the distance.

"Well then I'd say we'd better learn how to close the door first." You comment this time.

TAGLIST

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• @Duda

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@e_dollly

[jokeroutsubs]

[ENG SUB] 🎈🍰Bday Special🍰🎈Odkrito.si podcast with Kris Guštin and Bojan Cvjetićanin (Joker Out)

You can find the original podcast in Slovenian here.

We made a readable transcript of the podcast (which is audio only) and you can find it under the cut.

Transcript:

I've got two out of the four hottest guys in Slovenia in front of me, Kris Guštin and Bojan Cvjetićanin from Joker Out. Welcome to the Odkrito podcast.

Kris: Hi. Can I correct you right now?

Please.

Kris: Out of five.

Out of five. Well, right. I've obviously forgotten another one then, haven't I. How does a young person like you two feel when they become, sort of, instantaneously famous? And now, I don't know, girls are fainting, going to concerts… etc. How does that feel?

Bojan: It's actually quite okay because in Slovenia fame doesn't exist. So you can live an almost completely normal life. Except that girls do faint, but that's also always nice.

Kris: Well, yeah, it's an interesting feeling. I have to say that I don't really have a concretely articulated feeling about this. For now, I'm diving back into it every day. Now we'll see if it ever gets too much or not.

Back in the day, when the Beatles were around, or we had Bijelo Dugme in the former Yugoslavia, girls used to go (to concerts) in large numbers, screaming, etc. …and they were being pulled by the sleeves, chased through the streets. Is this happening to you too?

Kris: On the streets, not really, if anything, we get asked to take a picture. When you're in public, and when you're not presenting as your public persona, they usually leave you alone, but at concerts it's crazier, because you're with the whole band together, and you're this unit that everybody's screaming for. It can be exhausting at those times, but it's actually also fun.

Are there any panties, bras… being thrown on stage?

Kris: Pearl necklaces.

Bojan: Yeah.

Has that happened yet?

Bojan: It has already happened, yeah.

It has already happened. So you're saying that Slovenian women are not as reserved as one would think?

Kris: No.

Bojan: I mean, technically we don't know if it's the Slovenian women who are throwing. But, yeah, let's say they're not.

Aha. One of the famous singers in Slovenia said that fame helps her to maybe get a nicer cut of beef from the butcher. You said earlier, Bojan, that there is no fame in Slovenia. Is this maybe one part where (fame) can help you?

Kris: I haven't gotten a nicer cut of beef at the butcher's yet.

Bojan: Okay, I did have a couple of nice bonuses like that, perhaps because of that. Some little things, but they come in handy every now and then.

Kris: What's cool is that everybody invites you to movie premieres. That's a pretty nice thing.

Bojan: I found it sweet when I was late returning an item to the shop once and the saleswoman was insisting that I couldn't exchange it any more, but she kept looking down at the floor when she was saying that, and then when she looked up she said 'Oh, it's you! Okay, well, I'll let it slide.'

That is to say that there are small advantages nevertheless. As far as the fame is concerned, if that's what we're talking about, Bojan you are the most exposed as a frontman. You're also the most frequently featured. Kris, you have a famous - at least in Slovenian terms - father. So there's that, too. You two are all over the place now. Maybe it's getting a bit annoying, almost? Isn't it?

Bojan: Yeah. We're getting sick of ourselves.

You're getting sick of yourselves?

Kris: I mean, we often ask ourselves, gee, are we going to do that thing as well? Because we're really everywhere, but in the end you have to know that you're looking at it from your perspective, that you're exposed to yourself only, whereas an average person, even with how much Bojan is in the media, sees him maybe once a week, if that. Now that he's in all the commercials, maybe there will be more.

Bojan: There will be a little bit more.

Now we really see you in the commercials, you hosted EMA Fresh, you hosted EMA. That duet of yours with Maja Keuc, where you two performed Zitti e Buoni - for which many said was much better than the original! Do you consider that an honour?

Bojan: I mean, I count myself honoured, I would never say it was better than original. But I'm very pleased that there was such a good response. I just set out on a mission to infiltrate the Slovenian media space to the maximum.

And you're doing a pretty good job of it now!

Bojan: Yeah, yeah, but I have to do more still!

What else have you got planned then?

Bojan: Fifty commercials.

Fifty commercials, do you have any special… we can talk to somebody here.

Bojan: No, no, I'm kidding.

Kris: By the summer he won't be famous anymore because everyone will get sick of him.

Bojan: Exactly. You've got five minutes.

Five minutes. Okay, now your five minutes is going on right now. I hope they'll stretch out a little bit. Two years ago, you were nominated for Zlata Piščal (Golden Flute), as Joker Out, for Best Newcomer. Then performers of the year. You're nominated for four again this year.

Bojan: For three…

So for band of the year, and two… album of the year?

Kris: Artist, song - with two songs - I guess that makes four - and also for album of the year.

Also for album of the year!

Kris: Yeah yeah, quite an honour, I have to say. But I think I speak for both of us if I say that if we get the album, we'll be more than happy. Because we've been saying for a year or two now, 'Okay, now we've got artist of the year, newcomer, and now, because we've been doing this album for three years, it would be really sick to get that as well.'

It would be good to get the album as well. Then all you're missing is the Golden Flute Award for lifetime achievement. And that's when, in…?

Both: In one year!

Already?

Bojan: Our five minutes are running out, we're at 4.5 now, so next year.

So is this the end of Joker Out or what? Do you have that plan?

Bojan: Yeah, Kris and I are going solo. Duo solo!

Kris: Disco duo solo!

Oh, change of style and everything.

Bojan: Yeah.

Okay, that'll be interesting to see how that thing develops. But - because this is probably just a joke - what's your view on the future, let's say? Do you see yourselves in 10 years still in a band - in the same band - or maybe even in 20, 30…?

Kris: I don't know, I don't think that far ahead. I mean, whenever I did, I was like, 'Come on stop thinking, you can't know anything yet.' I think the less expectations we have for the future, the better it will be, but so far it's going very well and I think we're trying to make it last as long as possible. I wouldn't dare to claim what will happen, though.

What about you, Bojan?

Bojan: Well, I'll be more optimistic. I kind of always wanted, or rather, when we started this story, I always imagined that it would be something that would last. It will last until it feels good for us in reality, right. When it stops feeling good for us, when it stops being a pleasure… in reality, the only thing we don't want is to end up doing it just so we can live off it.

Kris: Yeah yeah, and that's why I'm maybe a little bit more pessimistic about it. Because I don't want to determine my own destiny like that, and then we end up doing something that we don't like to do. Which - it seems to me - happens a lot with some performers.

That they continue to force it-

Kris: They work just because they became 'somebody' and they just continue like that. I think that's why, for example, Duft Punk, who went their separate ways a year ago, I think that was… I mean, I was sorry to see them go their separate ways, but if it was the right decision I understand and I respect that.

Bojan: Exactly.

Well, then you two see yourselves as, say, Mick Jagger, at 70 on stage, but only if it's all still shagadelic?

Bojan: Yeah, but, I mean, ultimately, even if it doesn't happen, we're friends first and foremost, and I'm sure that even if at some point this story came to an end, we'd still be working in various forms, sort of together, or at least be some sort of supporting pillar for each other at some point.

Kris: For example, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers have accepted and thrown out one guitar player three times already, so.

Bojan: He's just come back.

Kris: Yeah, he's just come back.

So there's all these other scenarios, but basically, the main focus for, let's say, the two of you in the future is still music?

Both: Yeah.

Kris, seeeing as you are a chemical engineer, ah, no, an Engineer of Chemical Technology, you (Bojan) are a sociologist or I don't know if you have graduated already?

Bojan: No, this year.

Okay, so fingers crossed. I think you once said Bojan that if you were a professor, you would be a professor at the Poljane Grammar School, is that still true?

Bojan: I said that the only profession that I would be happy to do, apart from being a musician, would be a professor of sociology and I would prefer that to be at the Poljane Grammar School.

Why there?

Bojan: This is my high school, which I have really fond memories of, and I feel like I could take over the theater club, and those kinds of things, like being that cool professor.

Okay, so a cool professor, a professor that we like. What about you Kris, alternative to music?

Kris: Well, I'll put it this way: chemical engineering for me is more or less just on paper. Even if the music thing doesn't work out, I don't know if I'll ever really be doing that. Now I'm going to say I don't really have an alternative. The music comes first and I think it's going to stay that way. I don't know if anything will change, but the side activities are always there.

For example?

Bojan: Football on Sundays

Kris: No, one interesting thing that I talk with Martin, our bassist, about, is that maybe one day - because that's part of the music business as well - we could have our own record label. That's maybe something that we, or I, would be interested in, to get involved in this kind of support industry in music. Otherwise, I really have no idea what I'm going to do if the music thing doesn't go through.

In a way, you're still learning as you go along, given that you've now been 3, 4 years… What, 6? But out of that, you're a bit more at the front in the last 2, 3 years. You're still getting a bit of an introduction to the music industry. What's your opinion of the music industry in Slovenia?

Bojan: Yeah there's a lot of room for progress. What's absolutely happening is that music has again become kind of important for young people in Slovenia.Young people are very aware that Slovenian content creation in all areas is extremely, extremely important and that music is gaining in value, which was definitely not always the case. For the last 10, 15 years, I would dare to say that music has been treated very much as a hobby activity.

People simply just perceived it that way as well, so I think it's all going in the right direction now, but it would definitely be nice to do a lot more in the sense of professionalisation of music.

Is this still lacking in our country?

Bojan: Yes.

Kris: Yeah, it's quite interesting, this music business in Slovenia, because on the one hand it seems to me that all the musicians want to be taken very seriously, want to be serious professional musicians, and make a living out of it, but on the other hand, they have a full time job during the day and they can't really dedicate as much time as they could. That's why our producer, Žarko Pak, is always complaining why there aren't many good instrumentalists in Slovenia. It's because no one wants to spend as much time as it would take to become a really good instrumentalist of their era, by just practicing their instrument, because then it's like this: He goes to work and then he comes home and he has to get the kids from kindergarten, and then maybe he has half an hour in the evening, before he watches the daily news, to fiddle around with his instrument a little bit.

But there's one little vicious circle in all this, because you've got to live off of something somehow. How do you two manage to do it? I guess you two are investing most into music now? Music is way ahead of all the projects, let's say. Well, Kris, at least you've finished your education, you (Bojan) have yet to graduate. How do you manage to juggle the two together, how is that going?

Bojan: I think, in principle, we're really a very diligent band, as far as that goes, given that when I finish, we'll all have university degrees. And it was actually very much as Kris said. I mean, school was sort of a priority, but it was a very divided priority, in this case with music. Because really, besides that minimal effort that we had to put in to get the school part done, all the other effort, and indeed all the resources that we were raising as we went, in one way or another - like with student work and such - all of that was invested into the band. And we have a different starting point anyway, we can't speak for someone who is, let's say, in their 30s, because we are students after all, or rather, when we started, we were high school students. We live at home or we used to live at home, so that financial part was a little bit different for us as we were very lucky. But anyway, we ourselves, until practically very recently, even though we've been kind of in the media and presenting as successful - there were still more times where we had to go to ATM to withdraw the money we've earned to cover something, than to withdraw the money we've earned to spend it. So, yes.

But the future for you then is probably in music, to live off that then, isn't it? If not exactly from Joker Out, then from whatever else - from anything in the music industry. Is that possible in Slovenia at all?

Bojan: Yes, it is. But it's very, very difficult to get there.

Kris: It's just that, I mean, if you want to make a living exclusively from authorship, there are only 10, 20 people who do that. You have to be a really top-notch author, writer, arranger, whatever. The other big source of income are also concerts. The more gigs you do the better. Basically, nowadays when performers are looking at how they're going to survive financially over the year, the first thing they have to look at is 'let's do as many gigs as possible'. I think for us that will probably be the best thing as well.

Bojan: I have to correct myself in retrospect, actually. This exactly is the problem: It's possible, but there's quite a lot of other side activities that have to be included that don't directly involve music. I mean, they come with the music, but they are not part of the music. That is to say, you can make a living out of concerts and authorship and things like that, but it's more of a 'barely getting by' than anything else. So, on our own, there is a lot to be done here to raise the bar.

But can you imagine what it's like to live like that then. You have to keep going to the studios, you have to keep working on it. Where is the free time then?

Bojan: Well, where's the free time if you're in an office for 8 hours and you have to be with bitter people and bitter clients or whoever it is you're working with. At least here you're in the studio, you're creating something, you're with the people you love.

Kris: I might disagree with you on that. I'm just going to say, there's a certain rumour that musicians have a job like this where we can choose our own schedule. This is good, however, there's a catch: if you can choose your own schedule you also have to be available all the time, basically. So you have a very blurred line between work, leisure, workplace, home, studio, etc. It all becomes the same thing. I have a second hand experience in that, because I just see my father, how he lives solely from the music. He may be at home all day in the morning, but then he may have to be in the studio until 3 in the morning, because they are recording something, and because our producer, who is the same as our own, is a night owl or whatever you want to call him.

Bojan: Yeah, but then it just depends on whether you're comfortable with that or not.

Kris: Yeah, yeah.

Bojan: But what Kris said is just absolutely true. You don't really have a private life. It almost doesn't exist because of the fact that there is constantly something.

Kris: But you don't realize it until it's too late.

And as young people, are you two ready for something like that?

Bojan: For now, yes.

Kris: For now everything still works fine.

Does it all look a bit romantic, or not?

Bojan: It's honestly lost a lot of the romanticism for me, but it's still much more romantic than having to wake up in the morning and be on a fixed schedule. We are different, I know that Kris would for sure prefer to have everything neatly planned.

Kris: I really like to be on time, I don't like to be late, but I also don't like to get up early, so I'm somewhere in the...

From 11 onwards.

Kris: From 11 to… a 4 hour workday!

Bojan: Like this, yes!

That would be ideal wouldn't it? Probably for a lot of people. A musician's job is a creative job. What is the most beautiful part of it for you two?

Kris: The most beautiful? Yeah, it depends. I'll put it this way. For me, if we can divide the process of the song creation phase, the first thing is that somebody writes a song, it's usually Bojan or sometimes me as well. It's written at home on the acoustic (guitar), with some melody. Then, the second phase is that you bring it to the rehearsal space, you show it to the other band members and we do it together. Then it's the studio. For me, the arrangment part, when you coordinate with everybody on what you want, how you want the whole song to sound, that can be a very fun part, if you manage to do it quickly, if you're quick to understand what you want from one another. But if not, it can be the most torturous part. Although the studio part can be quite torturous as well, so let's just say that my favourite part on average is when I'm writing a song at home.

Bojan: I would say that the arranging part is my favourite. I mean, it's very nice when you write a song, but it's also always cool when you do it together with the band, because it always goes into some twist that you didn't expect. Almost always.

Kris: That's true.

Bojan: But what Kris said is the double-edged sword of arranging. When it's going well, there is just such… Some kind of dopamine is released and we're all so happy, we all love each other. But if it's not going well, it goes into some such bizarre depression, in fact, that when we say, 'Okay, break,' you feel like we're at odds with each other.

Kris: Yeah, yeah.

Bojan: Literally like that. We're not at odds with each other, of course we're not, but...

You're a bit sullen, aren't you? It's not a good feeling, is it?

Bojan: No, it's really miserable actually. So that really crushes you and sucks out your energy for the whole day. But it's then so much nicer, when it works out. So I'd still choose that part.

Okay. When are the lyrics made? In the morning, before noon, in the evening?

Bojan: For me, in the evening.

Kris: For me, also more in the evening.

The night has its own power.

Bojan & Kris: Yes.

Kris: Why, because it seems to me that in the morning you're still fresh, and you're still in the mood to deal with life, and then towards the evening, when you've had, I don't know, a hard day, then you start going, 'Gee, I wanna write something now, because I'm getting sick of it all'.

Bojan: My brain doesn't work at all in the morning. I'm pretty useless until the afternoon.

Most creators are, I'll say, night owls. There are very few who create during the day, or start early in the morning, sit down at, I don't know, somewhere, and start.

Bojan: Because the night is really… Things happen at night that, I'll say, sweeten the life. I mean, you go out at night, you go dancing at night. In the evening you probably had your first kiss or something...

Kris: The concerts are also in the evenings. Even if you didn't want to be a night owl, you can't do that as a musician. Unless you're going to be performing in community centres at 8 p.m.. But that's… We also have schedules where we go on stage at 1 in the morning and then that affects you for at least the next 2-3 days.

Is that exhausting?

Kris: Again, it depends when.

Bojan: It's nice.

It's nice? Okay, you're still enjoying it. I was talking to a Croatian singer recently, Goran Karan, and he said that he doesn't perform in clubs anymore because he goes to bed at 10 o'clock at night and everybody else is partying.

Bojan: But Goran Karan has done his part. I mean, the evening part of it, don't get me wrong. He's really really done a lot.

Well, you're still on that path, aren't you?

Bojan: Yeah. He can afford not to play clubs anymore. Now, that was terrible, I didn't mean it like that! (laughter)

Kris: It's interesting, because for example now. when we play with older, more established acts, they always tend to put us more towards the end, and I imagine that's also because we're young, and we don't really have any demands on when we want to go on stage, whereas these older bands, I know they've got some requirements that they don't want to go on stage after 10, and you can't really blame them.

Going back to the songwriting: your songs are kind of unique in our musical space, they're a little bit different, I'll say, mostly very lyrical. Do they come from personal experiences?

Kris: Yes, exclusively.

Bojan: From personal and from the experiences of people who are - I'm speaking for myself - who are close to me, and then I try to internalize these certain feelings or events from their lives.

Kris: It's the same for me. Though I haven't really - like Bojan said - written a song about somebody else that I sympathize with. I've more often than not just written songs because I wanted to clarify something inside myself.

But then is the song that is made, let's say the first version, the same as the one we hear afterwards?

Bojan & Kris: No.

Bojan: In the vast majority, no. It happens, but it's not-

Kris: Which one was done in one sitting?

Bojan: Gola practically hasn't changed since the moment it was written. For the whole version, ours.

Kris: But there were also like 3 choruses in between.

Bojan: Yeah, but not for Joker Out. That was before, right.

Kris: Oh, that was before.

Bojan: 'Omamljeno telo' was written whole.

Kris: Okay, okay. It's just that 'Omamljeno telo' was also, let's say, if I remember correctly, written in English at first, right?

Bojan: But all of them are now.

Kris: Well, yeah, okay. But here again the line is a bit blurred, because it happens a lot of times that a text is written in English and then-

Right in the beginning?

Kris: Yes, in the beginning.

Bojan: The second album is practically -I wrote all of it in English at the beginning. Because I am able to say gibberish, just enough to make it sound good and to make it singable. And then I add-

And then what do you do, a translation into Slovene or what?

Bojan: No.

Kris: You have to - you have to separate yourself from the original meaning - because it's just some nonsense anyway.

But then isn't something lost in the song itself, in the lyrics? The message, or something like that?

Bojan: Well, not really, because the basics of the song will remain- It's going to touch on the same themes. But the words will be completely different. Because in English - firstly I don't have a complete mastery of English, neither do I feel it enough to be able to- Let's say, to feel impacted /myself/ by what I have written. Actually, these are just some phrases that connect the melody as much as possible, whereas in Slovene, I go deeper into what I feel, what I want to pour out of myself and onto the paper.

So the melody comes first and then the lyrics, or how?

Bojan: For the first album, when I was writing, I was really writing simultaneously. It was always lyrics along with the melody. Then things could change in the studio, or something, but in principle I did those at once. When I brought it to the guys, I already had a rough outline of what it was going to be, whereas now we're doing a lot of songs that are already aranged, for the second album, but they don't have Slovenian lyrics yet, at all.

Kris: And that's not a bad thing either. Even if you do the lyrics at the start which you're not required to stick to throughout, and then you update the song first with how it's going to sound with the arrangement, and then you influence it once again. When you see how it sounds when the band plays it, you can adjust the lyrics.

Bojan: Exactly.

Kris: You adapt the lyrics to that and you get some new inspiration.

Bojan: Yeah, and in fact also with the lyrics: as he said: Rhythmically, you can play with it. You see that some of the things that we play with the band, in English, rhythmically don't fit together that well, and that you can shorten something somewhere. It's nice, basically. Well, I'll say that when I finish writing it.

You're still sticking to Slovenian lyrics for now, that's what you said earlier, Bojan, that the Slovenian-

Bojan: Yes, yes, the lyrics will be in Slovenian, or actually, there are Serbo-Croatian adaptations that are already happening.

Oh, into Serbo-Croatian. What about English versions for a wider…?

Kris: Not yet.

Bojan: Not at the moment.

You're not thinking about it?

Bojan: No. Unless we're just going to record these ones that are already-

But maybe they would be hits.

Bojan: Maybe.

Kris: For all the songs we've done so far, we could put out some early English version.

But are there any 'dirty thoughts' of maybe, at some point, going outside of Slovenia? Well now you've kind of covered the Serbo-Croatian speaking area a little bit, But further, Europe, the world, America, Wembley, Madison Garden… I don't know, something like that.

Bojan: Honestly, for me, because I am aware of how many artists there are in the world who are present in these markets that we're talking about and who have the ability to have gigs at clubs and be everywhere, like we are doing it here, it seems more often than not impossible to me. Secondly, it seems to me that it's precisely this lyricism of ours, and the fact that we feel what we are saying - I think that we would lose that, wouldn't we? If we went to create just in English now, at least I personally couldn't do that. Whereas in Serbian, I found that it actually flows very well, because it's also my mother tongue, so I can really put the same emotion on the paper. Actually, if we managed to go to the Balkans, I would be extremely happy.

You're working on that, aren't you?

Bojan: Yes.

Okay. Have you ever done any performances in, I don't know, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia?

Kris: We've done a concert in Croatia, but it was for a Slovenian audience.

Oh, for a Slovenian audience?

Kris: That doesn't count for now.

Bojan: Yes. But this year it's in the plan. We have a couple of shows booked in Serbia, so.

Kris: Yeah, and also it could be that at least one song on the new album will be in Serbian from the begining

Bojan: And that is?

Kris: 'Ona'?

Bojan: Oh. Yes, indeed!

And if it kicks off for you there, what happens then? Some Slovenian authors then suddenly start to write only in Serbo-Croatian or Croatian or Serbian. Can that happen to you?

Bojan: Well, you know what I'll tell you. I think it would be very nice to introduce a little bit of Slovene to the Balkans, because, again, it's not that different. Whatever they say, that it is, it's not like they don't understand us at all there. Because if we understand them, I suppose they could understand us, too. So it seems to me that now maybe the world is a little more open to foreign languages - because no one understands Spanish either, but they all sing, and so on - so maybe they could try to sing a little bit in Slovene, too.

Kris: That would be quite interesting.

Bojan: That would be very interesting.

Well, when we were still in the former Yugoslavia, it kind of worked. Now that there's separate countries, it's a bit more difficult, isn't it?

Bojan: As far as I know, Predin's lyrics were-

Predin's* lyrics were sung, Videosex's* lyrics were sung, and so on. There were a bunch of them that were also sung in Slovene, but nowadays there's this time distance, secondly the linguistic distance has become greater, in a way. Will you be ambassadors of the Slovene language in the former Yugoslavia then?

*Zoran Predin, Slovenian singer-songwriter from Maribor. In the 1980s, he was the front man of the new wave rock band Lačni Franz.

*Videosex was a Yugoslav synth-pop band formed in Ljubljana in 1982.

Bojan: Maybe we will break this barrier, right?

Kris: I mean, I've always had the feeling, apart from the language barriers - maybe I'm wrong - but that, I don't know, Croats, Serbs… don't like Slovenians for some historical reasons. We were the first ones to leave Yugoslavia, and whatnot, so now they won't listen to anything in Slovene because-

But I guess that's getting a little bit lost in this younger generation, isn't it?

Kris: Yeah, it is a little bit. It's faded a little bit.

That negative connotation, maybe.

Kris: I hope so.

The songs that you have are often love songs. Or, I can say, almost all.

Bojan: Quite a lot, yes. Although 'Barve Oceana' isn't.

'Barve Oceana' isn't, but others are, especially 'Umazane Misli', to me is one of the most beautiful love songs at the moment, I have to admit that. What do your girlfriends, if you have them, say to that?

Kris: What, on the fact that they're love songs?

(What do they say) about these songs?

Bojan: I don't have a girlfriend, so Kris, if you have a girlfriend?

Kris: Yeah, I mean, I, when I had a girlfriend, when I wrote a song for her, she was infinitely happy, and when we also put one of those songs on the album, it means a lot to her.

Bojan: 'Omamljeno telo'. (laughs).

Kris: No… I don't know what else to say about it, I doubt anyone would be disappointed…

But do you ever say a line or something to your girlfriend? In a poem you pour yourself out, whereas in a speech, when you're talking… Are you being poetic?

Kris: Maybe it's really easier if you have something difficult to say, maybe it's really easier if you're like 'I wrote this song'. It flows better than it would in a normal conversation, so I… When I wrote something new, I've always shown it to my girlfriend, like 'Come on, listen to this, listen to that, is it good or not?' and then she always gave her opinion.

Kris: And then I told her what I really wanted to say through it.

You, Bojan, don't have a girlfriend, but you write love songs. Is that then a longing or what?

Bojan: Yeah, longing I would say is a good word. Actually, I think love is a kind of strange thing that we can feel quite often, not necessarily in its full form, but, I don't know, you can be walking down the street and see something that you fall in love with for a moment. And you can feel things that you can then put into a song later on. That's why there are also songs that are emotionally charged. They're charged with many different forms of emotion, for the very reason that they don't come from one experience in particular, but they encompass, in a way, all the love experiences that you're constantly picking up on. So yeah, I don't know. I would say that maybe, when I'm walking around, I'm always longing to fall in love with something or someone.

Okay. Then that's a future thing for the time being. We're hoping it happens.

Bojan: Me too.

So, are the songs going to change then?

Bojan: I mean, they'll definitely change. Every major thing in life changes the way you express yourself and the way you live and the way you exist in general, so yeah, for sure.

How would you describe yourselves, are you primarily musicians or lyricists?

Bojan: I'm not musically trained, and I'm also quite hasty, so I'd say I'm a lyricists rather than a musician.

Kris: I'd say I'm a musician before I'd say I'm a lyricists.

So you're kind of a combination then, at least the two of you together, aren't you? That goes together then. But what about the other members, do they also contribute something to the lyrics? The two of you are kind of the main ones in that.

Kris: So far it's just us writing the lyrics. The others, I don't know if they even have the desire to do that kind of thing. But they are very, very good musicians, the others. Let's say that our other guitarist, Jan, if I'm somewhere in between a musician and a lyricists, Jan is… Much more of a musician than me, I would say. Martin and Jure, the drummer and the bassist, are also musicians in that full sense. The two of us are somewhere in between.

Bojan: Right. Lost in Translation.

But together, the sum is greater than its individual members. Which is great. You, as a band, if we go back in history a little bit, you came into existence with… You've had a bit of a turbulent history. Is that a good thing?

Bojan: Kind of.

Kris: We were putting ourselves together a little bit.

You've been building the band for a while? Well, turbulent… there weren't any arguments, were there?

Bojan: The bass player and I were in… We made the first band back in 2012. And then Matic, the drummer, joined us and he was with us until last year. And then I went to a gig at Prulček bar in the evening, where Jan and Kris were in the band, and I wished I could have guitarists like that in the band. And I called Martin. Martin already knew Kris, because Kris went to the same school as him.

Bojan: And then we sort of very quickly got them to join our band. And that's when Joker Out was formed. That was in 2016.

And then you got the name from the internet. I read that somewhere, that you agreed on it very quickly.

Kris: We just wrote all kinds of stuff.

Bojan: It was during the May 1st school break. I remember I was in Banja Luka. Nobody except Kris knew Jan at all when we started the band, so the band was basically just a Messenger chat on Facebook.

You were virtually-

Bojan: Then we were getting to know each other in there, and we were writing down what name we wanted to have, and something like 1,000 options came up. And then there was something about Joker, and then Kris said Out. I don't know why 'Joker Out'. So, yeah.

Was that a little bit alcohol-induced?

Bojan: No, we were 17!

Oh, yeah, 17, you weren't allowed yet. Of course.

Bojan: But we don't drink now either (laughs).

So the name itself as such, Joker Out, doesn't have any deeper meaning?

Bojan: No, it simply sounds good.

Kris: For a while in the beginning we were still fooling ourselves, so to speak, wanting to find some meaning retroactively. Like, I don't know, you pull a card out from somewhere, nonsense like that. But now we're just like 'well it just sound good, it doesn't have to mean anything.' Because even when you look at what 'Big Foot Mama' means? Nothing, and in fact if you heard it out of context you'd think it was the most stupid name in the world, but because they've given context to the name with their music, it sounds good to you, and you just don't ask what it is at all.

Bojan: I was reassured when I heard that Alex Turner, the lead singer of Arctic Monkeys, finds the name Arctic Monkeys terrible, while we all love it.

Kris: I mean, I had a lot of people saying, 'Joker Out, wow, that's a sick name'. But I didn't think it was either.

Well, because some people are always explaining the history of their name… If it has some prior context, right?

Kris: I mean, it can have…

Well, after all, it's just a story, the one that's the context.

Bojan&Kris: Exactly. Yes."

Shagadelic rock n roll- Before I read what that 'shagadelic' was supposed to mean- I knew it from Austin Powers. But I kind of interpreted it as 'getting layed' rock 'n' roll, right?

Kris: Getting laid…

Bojan: Getting laid rock 'n' roll.

But it has a slightly different connotation, doesn't it…?

Kris: I think- You actually got it right!

Bojan: That, the getting laid part, is just one part of it all. But yeah, we're, we're big Austin Powers fans, and we felt that his mojo was the coolest thing in the world, and that, if for no other reason, at least we wanted to feel like we had that mojo. And then, in 2017, when we won Špil Liga*, we jokingly said that we were 'shagadelic rock'n'roll'.

*A student band competition organized by Kino Šiška.

Kris: We said this back then?

Bojan: Yeah yeah, in the first interviews that we had we said 'Yeah, shagadelic rock 'n' roll'. And then it really caught on, so that's great.

Kris: We didn't really think it would catch on at all.

Okay, but now it exists- Maybe it'll become a new genre of music! Kris: I don't know.

In the history of rock and roll - shagadelic rock and roll.

Kris: Yeah, that would be cool.

Bojan: And that it's only us.

Wikipedia, and it's just Joker Out.

Kris. Yeah we'll see if in 10, 15 years time when somebody's like 'Yeah, we're also shagadelic rock and roll' That would be sick.

What would be the characteristics of shagadelic rock'n'roll then?

Kris: I don't even know if it's that much in the music… It's in the music, it's a certain energy that I wouldn't be able to describe with words right now, but also with everything that comes with it. I think, for example, clothing is a big part of what you would call 'shagadelic rock'n'roll', the energy on stage would be a big part of shagadelic rock'n'roll for me.

Bojan: It seems to me that a very big part of this shagadelic rock'n'roll is being unbothered. They kind of throw this criticism our way constantly, that 'this isn't rock, this isn't I don't know what' so really, if somebody's watching this and they think that, we really don't care. Like, we don't give a flying f*ck. So, that's one part of shagadelic rock 'n' roll, that we just do what we like, if it's rock 'n' roll it is, if it's pop it's pop, if it's disco it's disco. That's what shagadelic is.

I wrote that down somewhere. 'Shagadelic' actually exists, it's in the English language dictionary, in Webster's.

Kris: Really?

There's 'shagadelic', which means…

Bojan: (in English) 'A member of the band Joker Out'.

Not exactly. It means 'sexy, especially in a psychedelic or retro way'.

Bojan: Okay. I mean, that's the retro part that he said, these clothes and so on. We rock that style, so yes.

So. We're almost out of time, so Kris and Bojan thank you so much for being guests on the podcast. See you at the concert sometime?

Bojan: See you whenever you want at the concerts.

Okay, the next one is now operation Križanke*?

*The Križanke Outdoor Theatre is a theatre in Ljubljana, mostly used for summer festivals. Joker Out held a concert there on 9th of September 2022, where they introduced songs from their second album, Demoni.

Bojan: Oh no, the next one is already in-

Kris: In Brežice.

Bojan: This Saturday in Brežice.

This Saturday, that is-

Bojan&Kris: But it's already sold out.

Is it already sold out? So we missed that one then. But we still have a chance in Križanke.

Bojan: Right. 9th of September (2022). I think you now have a few more days or so to get your tickets. So yeah, see you, have a good one, have a good time. What else?

Kris: Thanks for the invitation.

Bojan: Yes. Thank you for the invitation.

And the album will be good, won't it?

Bojan: Oh, no, the album will be extraordinary.

Excellent. Thank you very much.

Kris: Thank you.

- - - - -

Translation by @kurooscoffee , proof read by TWT @klámstrákur and TWT @janpetehoe

[running-with-the-feels]

Johnny Cage starts giving people birthday presents (possibly making up birthdays when they don't know or won't tell him.) What does he get everyone, and what does everyone bring to the surprise party they have when it's his birthday? (Of course they let him think they forgot/ don't know/ don't care)

ooooooo, I like how you think

Kuai Liang: A snow cone machine (Johnny is prepared to run for his life only to be terrified when Kuai Liang starts laughing and genuinely thanks him for it) Kuai Liang also doesn't remember his birthday (yet) so Johnny makes one up for him.

Hanzo: Johnny managed to track down a sword that had famously belonged to the Shirai Ryu and bought it off a collector, returning it to Hanzo privately rather than putting on a show like he normally does. Had to get Hanzo's bday from Takeda

Sonya: when they're married, all the kisses she wants along with her favorite type of coffee grounds, in a year's supply. After the divorce, just the coffee.

Jax: Fancy metal polish for his arms, Johnny thinks he's funny (Jax actually really likes it tho bc it does actually work and helps keep the scratches on his prosthetics from showing, and the fact that Johnny doesn't get all squeamish about the prosthetics like most people do is an added bonus)

Liu Kang: A new headband embroidered with flames at the ends. Liu Kang actually really likes it as his old one was getting worn out and it's easier to accept a practical gift than a frivolous one.

Kung Lao: Also metal polish for his hat, as well as a copy of the screenplay he wrote about Kung Lao's family legacy. Kung Lao expects it to be terrible, so he ends up shocked to find that it is a heart wrenching and emotional tale about the weight of such a family legacy and how hard every last one of his ancestors fought to defend their realm, ending with him (bc he didn't die NRS fu, or at least, he and all the other revenants get brought back with Jax Scorpion and Sub-Zero also bc fu nrs) and the acknowledgement of his skill and the pressure he's always been under nearly brings him to tears. When he gives Johnny the greenlight to make the movie, Kung Lao gets the leading role.

Kitana: A collection of Earthrealm snacks and beverages from around the world so that she can get a chance to experience it.

Jade: A jaguar carved from jade that she treasures, as it reminds her of Kotal

Kotal: Another jaguar carved from jade so that he and his girlfriend can match

Bi-Han: a nightlight, bc again, he thinks he's funny, along with all the kisses Bi-Han wants (which is a lot of them the man is Tactile)

Sareena: A bunch of Earthrealm movies bc she wants to explore the world and all the kisses she wants

Raiden: A trip to the spa in the hopes it will get the god to relax

Fujin: Also a trip to the spa, as thanks for dealing with his brother

Nightwolf: Tracks down a couple of stolen Matoka artifacts and "convinces" the collectors to return them to their rightful owners (he does this year round tho, so he also gives Nightwolf a new whetstone for his axes, just to make it a proper b-day gift)

Smoke: Smoke also doesn't remember his birthday, only that his name is Czech and he was found in Prague. Johnny gives him a book on the Czech language and offers to fly him to prague whenever he wants.

Kung Jin: A collection of Outworld delicacies bc he knows the archer misses them

Cassie: Anything she wants, she's his little princess and she Will be pampered.

Takeda: A copy of Carrie signed by steven king as it's Takeda's fav book (sudden telepathy and telekinesis + parental issues, sign him up)

Jacqui: A display case for all the medals she's earned in kombat, so that she can show them off and be proud of her accomplishments, even if Jax can't face them.

Frost: a set of throwing knives that she can terrorize people with, all in bright colours that have Kuai Liang groaning bc they're not stealthy but she is going to refuse to use anything else. Frost is Delighted by this

Lemme know if I missed anyone and I'll add them in.