#we've been talking a lot in rehearsal about why this play why now why this version which is always important and great to do

[wabblebees]

never never never in my life gonna be able to beat the weirdo theatre nerd allegations. its midnight and for the last few hours ive been (voluntarily of my own free will At No-One's Behest) doing some character research for the show we're working on (which at a certain level is Absolutely Necessary!! but at *this* level is Absolutely Not. lmfao)(and so... ik for a fact if i mention this in rehearsal tomorrow im gonna get a whole lotta blank stares ((or TERRIFIED looks from the freshmen wondering if they should be doing this much work lmao))

but anyway so about 10 minutes ago i found a fucking essay (just 9 pages out of this philological collection from the 60s) that just the idea behind the Very Simple title made me so excited i had to stand up at my desk to start reading it and fully forgot to sit back down until i realized i wanted to start TAKING NOTES..... WHICH I GENERALLY HATE DOING WHILE READING........ BUT IM TOO EXCITED AND DONT WANNA FORGET ANY OF IT.................. SO IM TAKING FUCKING NOTES

but anyway beyond tHAT the thing that actually made me pause to start typing this post though is the fact that just now, four pages in, this essay finally put something into place that ive been puzzling over in my head since i very first read the play which... made me happystim so hard i almost knocked myself out of my fucking chair. hdkdgsjfkfhdgskdgwrdjfk.

so yeah. never beating the nerd allegations. lmao

[e-adlirez]

Trolls Band Together musical reading

Hiiiiiiiii so guess who got ratgrabbed and yanked down into the abyss yesterday as of the time I'm very impulsively writing this--

I went in not expecting much but a couple minutes in they were able to win me over with the plot and the surprisingly strong moral core despite the very simple narrative

And I dunno why (prolly because uh spoilers that I'll get into in a bit) but I wound up reading the movie through a musical lens, which is what this post is about :D

So if you haven't seen Trolls Band Together and don't think you want to (either because you're not optimistic due to the past two films or because you're by some chance a Disney elitist who's somehow trying to trick us into thinking Wish is somehow better than this banger), MAJOR SPOILERS for Trolls Band Together, you have been warned :]

Aight so the main reason I wound up with the music-based reading on first watch is because of the mention of the Perfect Family Harmony, which is what the protagonist boyband BroZone is trying really hard to hit, and I just so happen to be into music (I play drums :]) and just so happened to have been practicing harmonizing in recent times so I guess it lined up just enough for me to look at the film in a musical light, which was a lot of fun :3

Now, the plot of TBT is a very simple one: it's a big "hey guys how about we work together" kind of narrative, which we've seen before in every group-related franchise ever. However, the one thing that I found extremely fascinating was the fact that this story wasn't just being told by narrative, but by music. Specifically BroZone's harmonies and how they develop throughout the film :]

(Fair warning I'm not gonna be able to go Howard Ho levels of detailed, I don't even know how to distinguish chords by ear :'D I'm just gonna be talking about what I hear)

During the intro sequence, we see that John Dory (who I might end up calling JD for simplicity in this essay) has this thing about the Perfect Family Harmony (the PFH) and is trying to get his band to hit it. Obviously, his tactic for this is perfection and pushing his brothers to be perfect for the sake of hitting the PFH on their tour debut, and insisting that he takes the lead, which none of his brothers agree to while knowing that JD is not gonna be hearing any of their protests. This part is very important, because I'm sure that all musicians would know from rehearsals, if the group can't agree on whose lead to follow and wind up not listening to each other, the result is absolute chaos. Not literally as chaotic as BroZone's stage malfunction, but it do sound like that when none of the parts are working together :D

However uh, there's one thing I also want to point out with both BroZone's tour debut and when BroZone has their first full rehearsal together. When they sing their songs, the harmonies are very subdued and very simple, which is particularly shown in Perfect. There are very little facets to the harmonies, to the point where at any given bar in the performance, the line between backing vocals and main vocalists is extremely clear. The backing vocals even sound distinctly softer than whoever's leading at any given point, minus when the boys are singing in unison. Speaking of which, I could be wrong, but I think the parts in the song are like two at most and on occasion it's just the boys singing in unison? More musically attuned readers are free to correct me on that front, but that's what it sounds like to me.

Anyway the main point is, the brothers are forced to maintain these very fixed and restricting harmonies that more or less sound the same, and of course they are-- JD (if he composed the songs) wrote them and he insists that his brothers follow them to the letter, meaning they can't improvise or go beyond what we hear in the film. Granted it's prolly because of their specific genre of music and the fact that the boys are supposed to be teens at eldest and literally a baby at youngest, but the harmonies don't ever diverge or serve to give the song more layers. They remain exactly the same, more or less perfectly in unison, and even during their first group rehearsal with the band back together in (almost) full (could be wrong can't really relisten to that part of the movie rn), their harmonies are perfectly in unison but lacking in dimension, just like how they were during their disastrous concert.

In these, it is very clear that JD hasn't changed a single bit since the last his brothers saw him. He's still obsessed with the idea that he's the leader (even though a BroZone superfan like Poppy remembers him better as "the old one" and it even took her a bit to remember his part in the band), even though in reality, he's kinda nothing without the other members of the band. Which kiiiinddddaaaaaa shows seeing in Perfect his voice sounds very similar to Clay (I bet if I listened to the soundtrack first I wouldn't have been able to pick out JD's voice), and even his part in the PFH is the same as Floyd's.

As I mentioned earlier, due to the circumstances behind this extremely impulsive rant, I can't really check BroZone's first rehearsal after reuniting rn, but I bet it would've been the same case, because what I DO remember about that scene is that JD was being the same old JD, and everyone was trying to tell him that they've changed since they last saw him (contrast to him not changing a bit because he's trying to maintain that illusion of perfection he's been chasing this whole time). From what I remember, anyway, their harmonies were basically in the same boat as Perfect: clear, subdued, restrained against the singers' will to follow a lead vocalist at all times.

Now, we're gonna shift our gaze from the brothers for a second and take a look at the twins Velvet and Veneer. Yes they are iconic and yes their songs are iconic, but one thing I wanna point out is that when I first listened to Mount Rageous on the soundtrack, I had a really hard time picking out Andrew Rannell's voice because it was backing vocals-ing so hard that it was near impossible to not hear Brianna Mazzola's extremely dominant vocals (no hate to either, Brianna Mazzola SLAYED as Velvet), and the comments section of the video I was listening to for the soundtrack seemed to share my sentiments about wanting to hear more of Andrew Rannell, but hear me out:

We know from the film that Veneer is the nicer sibling. He's a material gworl with a heart and he genuinely doesn't like hurting Floyd, especially when you listen to how they address each other and converse with each other in the film. Now, seeing just how much on speaking terms Floyd and Veneer are on, how conflicted Veneer feels about keeping Floyd hostage and torturing him, and how Veneer is always worried about Floyd's health... it would make sense for Veneer to use Floyd's music essence or talents very sparingly, wouldn't it? With that, compare him to his diva sister Velvet, who squanders Floyd's essence even for dress rehearsals, and always sings for the back row and flexes as many riffs and runs and belts any and all opportunities she gets (hence why she CARRIES Mount Rageous). Makes Andrew Rannell's more subdued and in-the-background performance as Veneer more deliberate, doesn't it? :3 (Still wanna hear his voice more tho, it'd be nice to hear what Veneer can do on his own)

Something something the Veneer siblings are direct foils of BroZone something something Velvet is a direct foil for JD and Veneer is a direct foil to Floyd something something Rageous Twins-Floyd angst anyway back to the thesis of this thing--

Now, you'd think that JD keeps up his perfection shtick all the time, but he very obviously doesn't and it is shown first in his jam session with SpBruce and Branch in Bruce's family restaurant-cafe-lazy Susan thing, through the harmonies. At first I thought it was just because their voices had clearly matured since their childhood (which it partially is), but the other reason is the fact that their harmonies are so much fuller than they were in Perfect. They even give Pentatonix vibes in their little vocalizing bit, that's how full and multifaceted their harmonies are in the song; and the main reason is because in that jam session, everyone's in it just for fun, therefore everyone is free to add their little bit of vocal flavor into the song.

If you listen to JD and Bruce's harmonies in the chorus, you'll find that they sound more full and multilayered than ever in such a way that they didn't need five entire band members to pull off. And most importantly, the line between the leading vocals and the backing vocals are a little blurrier in the sense that leading and backing vocals for the most part are on the same volume, and they opt to sing a multilayered unison for when Poppy joins in, who is also adding her own mezzosoprano piece to the song and is given the room to do so. Everyone is given the room to do so-- Bruce's bass and Branch's tenor in particular get to shine while JD provides support with his baritone-- and of course they're given room for every single one of them to shine, because this isn't a concert, it's just a fun little jam sesh that also serves as a bet to showcase BroZone to Bruce's kids. It's ironic how the one time JD doesn't feel the need to be perfect, is the time you can really see why BroZone is such a good boyband that everyone fell in love with during their time.

Now, I did mention BroZone's first rehearsal (and I don't have much else to say about the rehearsal besides the fact that JD's obstinance means that they're doing a repeat of the tour debut), so I'll talk instead about the next time they manage to work (or in this case, sing) in harmony: A Better Place and its iconic pre-chorus.

Now, first of all I will mention the moment prior where the group has that little heart-to-heart about the PFH and how they don't need to be perfect to hit it, they just need to be together. While this is a very cheesy line, it's actually very true if you think about it from a technical musical perspective: when you're singing, you technically don't need to be perfect to sound good, and the same goes for if you're singing in a group. The most important thing about singing in a group is that you're all together, you're all on the same page, and you're all in agreement on who's going to take the lead for everyone to base their singing off of; and they have all three of those things. All of BroZone is together and able to communicate with each other, and they're all on the same page because they're all agreeing to follow Branch's lead. Ignore for a second the poeticism of Bitty B now taking up The Leader position in the vocals, the fact that the group was able to agree on who'll lead and who the others will listen to is not only a good showcase of what having a good team and leader is like, but also what it takes for a group to be able to sing together and not sound like a house of people trying to sing Happy Birthday. (It's also an achievement with this bunch but I digress.)

In A Better Place, we get to hear everyone put their own bits of harmonies into the song: we get to hear Clay's beautiful vocalizations in the pre-chorus and the chorus, Anna Kendrick joining in with her soprano is always a treat for the eardrums, Camila Cabello's improvisations are very tasteful, the LAYERS that make the pre-chorus so addicting to listen to, we even get to hear Crimp adding a bit of ukulele and it's very cute and she looks so happy you guys <:], Floyd's little vocalization at the end sounds heavenly even though the poor man hardly had anything left in him Lord bless him-- and under all of this, Branch's voice still sounds prominent enough to act as a baseline that doesn't overpower but ties all the other voices together, like a concertmaster of an orchestra being the one to set the pitch and make sure that everyone is on the same page. Everyone is listening to each other, everyone is adding their own flavor to the song, and everyone is in harmony.

Thank you for coming to my TEDTalk :3 if you managed to stick it out to the end then uh holy crap I commend you soldier, your brainrot must be as severe as the Trolls tag on Tumblr made yourselves out to be :D /j

[sevenmoonstory]

[ENG TRANS] GNJB 10C Kazuto x Jun x Masaya Special Interview

Siblings-like relationship between the oldest and youngest members

― Please tell us about the first time you met.

Kazuto: I met this guy as soon as I entered the agency. Oh, sorry, I meant, Jun-kun (lol)

Jun: Hey! (lol)

Kazuto: He was the first celebrity I ever saw, so I was super nervous. When I greeted him with 'Please take care of me well!' all tensed up, he coolly replied 'Likewise,' and I thought, 'I want to be like this guy!'

Masaya: Kazuto and I became friends right away after meeting, and we've been close ever since.

Kazuto: Yeah, that's right. We've been like mischievous little kids since then, haven't we? We used to play during breaks in rehearsals and got scolded a lot (lol)

Masaya: Jun-kun seemed intimidating at first (lol). And also, he's a really good singer. When did we really start interacting?

Jun: Even after all seven of us were together, we didn't talk much. It wasn't until we formed Genjibu and started performing on stage that we gradually became closer.

― It's been a while since the formation of the group. How is the current relationship between the three of you?

Jun: Masaya is the youngest in the group, then comes Kazuto, and I'm the oldest.

Kazuto: That’s why, sometimes there are flows where we the youngests are picking on the oldest brother (lol)

Jun: But we've never really argued. It's just that Masaya and I are five years apart, so there are times when I feel the generation gap, especially when it comes to trendy games (lol)

A long-standing relationship that remains unchanged

― What do you like, or what do you envy about each other?

Masaya: I really respect Jun-kun.

Jun: For real!?

Masaya: I envy Jun-kun's whole-hearted dedication to everything. I’m truly respect him for that, but other than that, there's nothing really respectful about him (lol)

Kazuto: Because he's a forever five-year-old (lol). I think Jun-kun's depth of understanding and acceptance of everything is amazing.

Jun: I really like Kazuto’s appearance, of course, but I really envy that he has the skills necessary for variety shows. Even during our conversations in the dressing room, I think even the non-members will find it interesting if they heard us.

Kazuto: After all, I think the member’s smile is the most important thing, so I work hard to protect that!

Jun: I think the reason Genjibu is said to get along well is thanks to his thoughtfulness.

Kazuto: I’m relatively more of the tsukkomi person, so I'm conscious of observing everyone's peculiarity and tossing conversations accordingly. Just thinking if I were a quiet person, …it would be hell (lol)

Masaya: You said it yourself, huh? (lol)

Kazuto: The thing I respect about Masaya is his unwavering dedication to our activities.

Jun: I was going to say that! I think it's great how he watches other artists' concerts to learn, and how he has his own clear goals.

Kazuto: He's a strong-willed youngest member, so dependable. He's got such a calm face now, doesn't he? (Seeing the happy Sakuragi) But, look, he smiles when praised (lol)

Each person has their own desires, from stylish cooking to playing tag together

― What do you want to try doing together in 2024?

Masaya: Because Kazuto is stylish, I want him to coordinate outfits for Jun-kun and me!

Kazuto: Okay~

Jun: I'd like  the three of us to cook together. Maybe go to a local place outside of Tokyo, gather ingredients on our own, and then discuss, “What to do?” 'What do we cook with this?' like that.

Kazuto: There's already a show like that! It would be plagiarism (lol). I want the three of us to go to the adventure playground. When we play tag together, we tend to get serious. And even when other members say ‘I’m tired already!’, we are the type who will continue being able to play endlessly. Plus, we're all good at sports, so I'd like to challenge that.

Jun: Sounds good, let's go!

“Our Origin and Essence Overflow in 'Genin wa Jibun ni Aru’”

Jun: ‘Genin wa Jibun ni Aru’ is not only our origin but also a song filled with our essence. When you wonder, “What does ‘Genin wa Jibun ni Aru’ mean?” I want you to listen to this song. This song served as the starting point for our work to evolve, so I hope you start by listening to ‘Genin wa Jibun ni Aru’ and then explore various other songs by Genjibu. Personally, my favorite song is ‘CROSS ROAD’ by Mr.Children, which I always sing when I go to karaoke. Deep inside me, ‘music’ is Mr. Children.

“I love watching movies, and on my days off, I enjoy having movie marathon at the cinema!”

Jun: Since I enjoy watching movies, whenever I have some time off, I’m the type who go to the theater and watch about four movies in one go. One movie that particularly moved me was ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ Even now, I remember feeling like, ‘I've witnessed something incredible…’ after finishing it. I've always been a fan of Marvel and the MCU, and I've watched all the Avengers series in theaters, so this movie really touched my heart.

“I want to continue working and expressing myself in stage play”

Jun: One thing I like about myself... well, my blood type is AB. It's a bit rare, isn't it? So, I like being able to proudly say, “I'm type AB," when introducing myself (lol). When I step onto the stage play, my body remembers the lines and movements, so I focus on how well I can perform without thinking during the actual performance. I think the stage play is one of the entertainments that has expanded the way I express myself, so I want to continue expressing myself there in the future.

"Genjibu's current masterpiece! The meaning of our singing lies here”

Kazuto: Released in November last year, ‘Museum:0’ is a song that encapsulates all of Genjibu's current efforts and was created with the aim of being our masterpiece. The lyrics of this song carry a message that implies the meaning of our singing, and while my song recommendation may change from time to time, currently it's ‘Museum:0’. Personally, I like Japanese hip-hop, and I often listen to ‘Kohaku no Me’ by Rin-ne. The lyrics are cool, and although it's not a recent song, I still listen to it a lot. I'd like to try writing lyrics myself. If there's such an opportunity, I'll do my best.

“My first concert was SMAP! They've always been an important presence for me, then and now”

Kazuto: I've always been a fan of SMAP and Arashi, and since I was born, I've been to all of SMAP's concerts due to my parents' influence. Apparently, I made my concert debut while still in my mother's womb, and the first concert I saw was when I was in kindergarten. Even after entering this world, I still remember those times, so if I were asked about an entertainment that moved me, it would be SMAP. I like Kimura Takuya, and I still have a photobook of him as a treasure. I hope to meet him someday.

“The heroes in my life is my fellow members, after all”

Kazuto: The thing I like about myself… everything. Some people may not like their own faces, but for me there's simply no need to hate my own face. In my case, my eyes are distinctive, so I put on heavy eye makeup, and would like people to look at them a lot. Until recently, I played a hero (Kamen Rider Buffer), so there are times when I think ‘Maybe the heroes in my life is my fellow members?’. This year marks our 5th anniversary since debut, and I think we've been able to continue without anyone missing because each member is someone's hero.

“I heard it for the first time and thought, "Wow!" and gradually fell in love with it.”

Masaya: My Genjibu's recommended song is ‘Mr. Android (feat. izki)’. Although I have many favorites among our discography, this song was the one that made me think, "Wow!" the first time I heard it. It was a bit difficult for me to sing personally, so I listened to it a lot, and the more I listened, the more I liked it. I personally like ballads, and when it comes to ballads, I like "Hana Cherie" by Nissy-san. I found out about it about five years ago and liked it for its charm. I sing it at karaoke too.

“I was deeply moved by Nissy-san's live performance! I want to perform like that too”.

Masaya: The entertainment that moved me was Nissy-san's latest tour, where I went to see his Tokyo Dome performance. It was a live show where every second seemed to be filled with feelings, and it ended in no time... Nissy-san himself is involved in producing music and directing live performances, so I could feel his dedication. As a professional in the same field, I can't help but notice various aspects of the live performance, but even so, I'm both amazed and aspire to be like him.

“My current job is my calling! I'm looking forward to the remaining high school life I have”.

Masaya: My confidence is the part I like about myself. There's something like an axis within me, like I don’t waver at all. There are times when you want to quit various things, right? But when it comes to entertainment work, I absolutely don't want to quit, and my mother also told me, "Yo don't bend to what you want to do." I believe this is my calling. I've been fulfilling my high school life while being active as Genjibu, so I have no regrets! I'm looking forward to the graduation ceremony in March.

[pbandjesse]

Today was a lot better. But I cannot believe tomorrow is our rehearsal. Like it's really happening. It's wild.

I slept surprisingly well. We both got startled awake when a chair in our room fell over. And then again when we got to cold. But it wasn't bad sleep at all.

I woke up and just enjoyed laying in bed until James came home from their bike ride. The sun had been right in my face and that hurt a little. But I was okay.

I got up and got dressed and felt cute. I love this dress. It's so good for layering and I am so happy with the tailoring I did to it. A new favorite for sure.

I think when the wedding over over and we can have some real time off I am going to do another closet reset. I would like to pick out my most favorite pieces and just. Like catalog them. I just think that would be fun.

James did a few things around the house but we have accomplished so much. That there isn't really anything left to do. It's wild. It feels wild. And to reward ourselves we went on a drive.

I wanted to look at the sweaters at Marshalls. Not so much because I need a sweater. I absolutely do not. But I wanted to look. So we drove out to the county.

I had fun looking. We did get me fake eyelashes to try but I decided they are just to much for my face. Looks to unnatural. But it was fun to try.

We walked to Target next. To get nail polish for James. I looked at the sweaters there too. But we did not get one. I did get another molecar. I got potato this time! Which means we are only missing 2 from the set. Amazing.

We went to the pet store to look at the fish and get stuff for the beta's tanks. And while we were paying I got a message from a lovely person who follows me on here. They sent me and James a wedding gift. And I am just. Blown away. Like I don't even know how to express how grateful I am. So I will just say thank you Michalina. You are a beautiful soul.

I texted Jess and Mom to tell them how blown away I was by the kindness. And they were like. Woah. Amazing. It made me feel so good honestly. Very loved.

Me and James headed home. Listened to music. Felt good.

And when we got home we had to sort through emails and collect all the receipts for everything we've bought. And I was slightly disappointed to find out that the wedding is a lot more then I had mentally budgeted. Though now that I've sat with it and done a little research we are almost exactly in line with the average wedding cost for our state. I wanted to be cheaper but I can only be so embarrassed.

James had phone calls and organizing. They went out to get a check from their mom and then took that to the caterers to save the credit card fee. And while they were gone I just. Chilled. In the most guilt free way I have felt in a long time.

I ended up playing word games on my phone and watched a scary video. Eventually Charlie called me and we talked. He is like the only friend I have that I genuinely enjoy talking on the phone with. He was walking around his parents neighborhood. And told me he's going to wear the same outfit for the rehearsal and the wedding and I was like. Why. And he says it so I can approve it and I'm like. You're so silly. He's such a good friend and I'm excited that I even got to meet him.

Steve texted me at one point to check in and may have a baby sitting issue. And I hate that I have to be firm about this but I can't let Annalia come. Not after we have some of James's family not coming because their kids weren't permitted. It would cause to much drama. So the plan, if she must come to Baltimore, is to ask a camp friend or museum friend to watch her. I am not 100 how this would work. Or even who I would ask. I would make it work but I really hope their babysitter just works out and it's fine. No more stress.

Like even the tables are sorted. Banquet tables save the seating chart. Everything is going to be okay. I just can't believe it's happening.

After we had a little dinner I would go and do the glaze on my hair. James ironed their shirts. And eventually I took an everything shower and felt pretty excellent.

While my hair was air drying for a bit I did a face mask and checked my overnight bag.

And then spent forever drying my hair. This time didn't go as perfect but it still looked nice. And so I think it will look good in the morning. Though my plan is to take a quick shower and damp it and dry it again. I want to look real pretty for the rehearsal.

And now we are in bed. I am really tired and my head hurts a little. My friends are checking in with me and I'm just. So filled with love. Jess is afraid she's going to forget the cake but I'm not that worried. If she forgets the cake we get a new one. It will be okay.

Wish us luck tomorrow. I hope that the day is just. Absolutely filled with joy and love. And that I can just be so present and in the moment.

Goodnight my friends. I love you all.

[planetche]

L.O.V.E. Culture at Jax River Jams - Jacksonville, Florida 2024

Photo by Toni Smailagic

Living an Indie artist life is one of the craziest things you can do. Many walk this path, and find out quickly that it's not as easy as it implies via social media, etc. Shit is hard work - but it's easily (Behind my babies) the most fulfilling work I've done to date. I do it for my babies, I do it for everyone out there trying to survive this crazy world - and for this beautiful, beautiful view of the city that raised me. Let's take a quick walk from the beginning.

Photo by Tenny Rudolph

If you've been around for a while, you might have heard of us, maybe not- but I've been creating music with these guys for 7 years (2017) I am still a solo artist in my own right, but I found a beautiful space here in the collective, that allowed me to cypher through the pressures of being an indie artist. I wish I could say that like most, I knew I had something special, etc. but at the time, I kind of didn't- I was looking to be apart of something bigger than myself- call it spiritual, my soul was certainly on the move- and landed right in the world of multiple creators who simply wanted to do the same & here we are. We started making music, not knowing our hearts were in it - and it came to pass that we make pretty positive, thought provoking music. People were and still are wondering why we decide to move this way, rather than a faster route - but if you know, you know.

Not all roads are paved with gold.

Vol. 3 listening party, Jacksonville 2024 - Photo by Toni Smailagic

Now coming into Jax River Jams, I knew I wanted to show us in the light I just described to ya'll- what we're rooted in. LOVE. Integrity. energy. It was important to me to show the city that we are who we really say we are - a collective who loves Jacksonville down- for all of it's peaks and valleys - and to also remember the sacred practice of the vibration we carry. Too many people play about that shit, but not me. I'm aware of the way manipulation is the #1 tool to get people hooked, but tbh I really hate that shit, it's gross. The people deserve honesty. The people deserve real shit - especially in a world so performative and staged. I got a video recap of the process coming soon, because I think it's time the world knows just how much we really put into this shit. 7 years, for ya'll to see us in 59 running minutes. 3 months of rehearsals for 29 minutes of impact. I know people think we just get shit handed to us, but they don't see how much it takes to pave a road. To break a barrier- to establish a boundary. We're black artists in the south and we've got something to say, and to build behind that takes a lot of fucking work.

Recap video coming soon, My aunt just passed & my grandmother just returned from the hospital so I need time, but- I need ya'll to know this shit. I need to remind myself of this shit. We really all we got in this. US and those who rock with us, and you've read this far, I'd like to think you rock with me, too.

Welcome to the family. Talk to you soon.

Photo by Toni Smailagic

[daggerzine]

Gary Olson talks afternoon into evening! (interview by Eric Eggleson).

It’s been a while since I caught up with Gary Olson of The Ladybug Transistor; he’s quite the busy guy, but he’s never too busy to take time out of his schedule for Dagger. When he told me about a reunion tour and an amazing concert in Norway, I had to find out more. 

How did you end up in the Norwegian festival? (Egersund)  The Ladybug Norway connection goes back a couple of decades now. We had a lot of opportunity to play there in the early 2000s after Albemarle Sound was released. Audiences were great and we developed a lot of lasting friendships. It seemed like a natural place for a reunion. 

What was it like playing the old tunes again? How much preparation went into practice?  Oh, so much fun! It really brought home that we had four distinct writers (Gary, Jeff, Jennifer, and Sasha) in those days and our individual styles rounded into something special. We chose a set list months in advance and made notes… Everyone came prepared as we only had four days for rehearsals. We practiced in Norway as most of us live in different cities these days. Julia and I are in New York, Sasha is in Montana, Jeff is in Burlington, and Jennifer is in Pittsburgh.  

How did you choose your setlist?  We got together in 2019 to play the entire Albemarle Sound record for its 20th anniversary so we stuck with what worked best from that set and added some of the stronger material from Argyle Heir and Self-Titled.  

Many great bands at Egersund, which were you excited to see?  There was so much to see in those few days! High Water Marks, Minus 5, No Ones, Rishis and Teenage Fanclub. A new band called Colored Lights really stood out. They have an LP out soon that you should check out.  

Did you join any of them on stage?  Sasha and Jennifer sat in with the No Ones for a song.  

How long were you in Norway?  A few weeks. We arrived early to settle in, practice and do some sightseeing… hiking in the fjords. It’s a spectacular place to spend time in the summer. I did a duo tour with Ole Johannes (The Loch Ness Mouse) following the Ladybug show so that kept me there an extra couple of weeks. 

The Elephant 6 documentary also aired; was that your first time seeing it? Yes, glad to finally see it. I was waiting for the opportunity to watch it on the big screen in a proper theater. Jeff Baron took part in the Q & A, along with Hilarie from Apples (and The High Water Marks), and Adrian from Elf Power.  

Let’s move on to the reunion tour. Why only these five venues? We had a show at The Andy Warhol Museum booked in fall of 2020 and that got postponed during the pandemic. When they rescheduled for this year, we decided to build a little tour around it. Five shows seemed manageable. If it goes well, we will certainly be open to more.  

Why these venues? Have you played at them before?  We’ve played at Schubas in Chicago many times, but it’s been a while. We played Warhol ages ago. The rest are all new to us.  

Any chance for more dates later?  2024 will be the 25th anniversary of The Albemarle Sound so I hope we have the opportunity to do something special. Feel welcome to make any suggestions!  

Will you be bringing merchandise? (My t-shirts are getting small!)  Yes, working on that now. Sasha is an astrology enthusiast and says this is meant to be the year of Ladybug’s return so we may make some comet themed merch.  

Any news on opening acts? Kyle Forester and his band will open in Brooklyn. It seems especially appropriate as he’s been such a good steward to Ladybug through the years. Giant Day (Derek Almstead and Emily Growden) are opening in Pittsburgh. And we've just confirmed that Derek will be joining us on drums for the November dates.

Will you be playing any new songs? Just the oldies, but It would be fun write some new ones with them. 

And now some updates on your production work. What bands have you been working or will be working with? Finishing some of Phil Sutton’s projects, Love Burns and Pale Lights. He’s a constant in the studio. I just completed an album for Auguste Juillet Meets The Swedish Miles, which is Jay (Hough) from Sapphire Mansions latest project. That should be out later this year. I worked on the new Sloppy Heads album that was recently released. Give them all a spin! 

Are you writing any new music? Your solo album came out in 2020 (Wow, where did the time go?). Loved that, I’m also a huge Loch Ness Mouse fan! How did that come about?  Ole Johannes from Loch Ness has been a close friend since my early visits to Norway. We started writing songs together along with his brother Jørn about six years ago and that evolved into an album. It’s a great partnership and we will do more.  

Looks like Let’s Whisper is your most recent release. (That also includes Jeff!)  Yes, it’s always great to work with the Vermont crew.  

I see Jennifer is releasing another The Garment District album in the fall.  Very excited for Jennifer’s new Garment District album. I got a preview of the vinyl, and it looks and sounds wonderful.  

Well, there you have it, Gary is as friendly today as he was back when I interviewed him many years ago. (Time to check the Dagger archives.) I’ve listed the venues and ticket websites if you’re interested in catching this reunion tour. I know I won’t miss this one. I’m hoping the tour goes well so more cities can be added.  

www.gary-olson.bandcamp.com

www.tapeterecords.de

[romanstheory]

Can we get a Roman/Leati cat and mouse story but y/n is the cat and she finally gives in and he keeps switching in and out of character? If that makes sense

I think I get what you're saying my brain has lag today 😂

Word count : 530

18 +

It's no secret at all that Roman has a thing for me, he makes it painfully obvious. I'm not really interested in dating right now, I'm more into focusing on my career and getting where I want to be without distractions. Roman chased relentlessly, even though I haven't given him the time of day. We're friends behind the scenes, but miraculously we've been put into a storyline together. My character is what a lot of people would call a hard ass, and my role in this storyline is to add fuel to Roman's fire...... Sort of like a motivator in a sense. I'm almost positive this storyline was Roman's idea, but I was willing to go along with it.

Roman and I spent hours rehearsing our first Promo to close Smackdown with. "Do you think you got it down?" I ask Roman. "Yeah, I mean as long as you're there it'll be fine" He responds with a smirk. "Sappy, I like it" I says giggling as I walk away to get ready. The night continues and Roman and I link back up to get ready for the promo. "You look damn good" He says looking me up and down "You should really let me take you out". I smirk and avoid eye contact with him "Maybe one of these days" I say looking down at the floor. I can feel Romans smirk growing into a grin as his music begins to play and he heads out.

Roman begins talking and then proceeds to call me out "Now I want all of you to acknowledge my right hand woman" Roman demands of the crowd. The crowd roars in acknowledgment of me as my music hit, prompting an even more spectacular reaction. "That's right! Acknowledge greatness when you see it" I begin as I enter the ring. Roman rushes over to the ropes, placing his weight on the bottom two to allow easy access for me..... Something his character would never do. "My job here is to make sure the Tribal Chief is handed nothing short of the best. The best gear, the best food, the best opponents" I continue. "This beautiful woman right here has my best interest in mind at all times" Roman says looking at me and then at the crowd who seems to be both excited and confused by what's happening.

I am equally as confused...... Why is he breaking character like this and why am I flattered? We continue our promo and Roman continues to float in and out of character the entire time. "And one more thing" Roman says "If you think my right hand woman should let me take her out to dinner........ Scream". My mouth drops at just how ballsy Roman really is. The crowd screams, the sounds bouncing off of all four walls rapidly. "The universe has spoken" Roman says ginning again, showing his beautiful smile. "I guess that settles it" I say still in shock. We head backstage, and I am at a loss for words "Very bold of you Roman" I say chuckling. "Oh no, that was all Leati baby" Roman says with a wink "So about that date? You free like right now?"

[editor-who]

Eddie Munson X Reader (Platonic with a Capital P!)

(CURSING!!!!, Fluff)

(Also all of my fics are Gender Neutral unless specifically stated :) )

You were a part of the Hellfire club and because of that you were labelled as 'one of the freaks'. You sat with them at lunch, played D&D after school and attended band practice.

This caused a lot of negative attention towards you. You used to be a part of the sports team but after you realised you didn't like the people you were with you left.

Since then Eddie has offered you to sit with him and his group and the rest was history.

You and the rest of the school were attending a school pep rally. All cramped in that giant but now small hall.

"We should've left by now, we're going to be late" Eddie stated checking his watch and bouncing his leg in impatience.

"It's mandatory" You say with a big sigh of annoyance but mostly boredom.

"It's a waist of our time! We could've rehearsed through 4 songs by now"

He really wasn't keeping his voice down.

"And now I present to you The Tigers!"

Spoke the principal with a twinkle in his eye.

Music started to blare from the band below as several cheerleaders came cartwheeling in.

After 15 minutes of acrobatics that almost sent you and Eddie to sleep the  basketball players came running in.

"Hello everybody, we are the Tigers, I just wanted to say it's been a tough year for all of us. With all that's been going on. "

Great, it's Jason, you thought as you clenched your jaw.

"We've had many devastating deaths, disappearances, and strange occurrences. People have changed in this town and turned on their fellow townsman."

Your jaw tightened even more.

It better not go where I think it's going, you thought.

"I find this extremely unnatural and they should just leave or change their ways."

Eddie looks at you as your eyes start to water with anger. Your grip tightens against your knee.

"But with all of this we will play and we will win this season! We will honour those that have fallen and hope that those have stumbled into the path of darkness will come back to us. "

That was it! He was going to pay for what he said, you thought.

Your memories came flooding back of all the horrible jokes and pranks on you. All of the vicious things that he and the team did, like the time they egged your house!

You stood up, grabbing your bag and descended the steps.

Silences ensues as everyone turns to you and watches you walk out.

You reach the bottom and turn to face Jason. You look him dead in the eye and shout.

"FUCK YOU"

You put up your middle finger and walk away.

Everyone is in silence and shock at your sudden outburst.

Some time passes as you sit in the forest nearby.

Your anger is slowly lowering. Your brain takes over and after a few minutes of other thinking you start to worry. Was that too much?

"Knock knock"

Eddie says as he knocks the trunk of a tree. He slowly walks over to you.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"I shouldn't have done that"

You lightly say in a regretful tone.

"No, you just expressed yourself"

"Plus he had it coming, that guys such a douche"

He continues after a small pause and a little smile.

You start to laugh.

"You know I look up to you?"

You say as you remember all the times he has done something amazing, bold or had your back. How he was your friend and let you in when nobody else would.

"Why would you say that?"

He says with a short laugh.

"Everything you've done, you've always been like a big brother to me"

He looks at you and gives you a quick brotherly pat on the back.

"I'll always look out for you"

He says as you both walk to band practice.

(Mini side note I accidentally did a similar thing to the last one and made Jason my scapegoat / plot generator 😂)

[karlajoyner]

Impossible (Reggie Peters x Reader)

A/n: This was again another request! I definitely enjoyed writing it! If you guys have any requests please comment them or dm me! Also currently working on an Owen Joyner smut that goes a little more into detail than the last so be prepared! Also let me know if you guys think I should make a tag list!

Requested by: @universefangirl (Tumblr)

Warnings: Smut (18+)

————

I sat in my best friends garage listening to her rehearse with her band until it was time.

"Flynn's gonna love this" I said looking up from my sketch book.

"Thanks y/n/n. I honestly don't know what I would've done if you hadn't believed me"

"Well at first I didn't. But you proved your point Jules" I said remembering how I just thought they were normal boys at first. Cute normal boys.

"I just hope she forgives me" The girl sighed looking down. I looked back at the rest of her bandmates who like all guys stood there awkwardly. They all sent me a look begging me to comfort her. I rolled my eyes standing up.

"Julie we've all been best friends since kindergarten. We've been through everything together. This is just another one of those things we have to get through" I said going to pull her in for a hug from behind.

"Thanks. Again. It really means a lot"

"What are best friends for?" I smiled as she hugged back the room going silent.

“You never know how long your supposed to wait in this type of situation before you can talk again you know?" (If you know where that's from I love you) Luke said making my head whip towards him.

"Maybe a little longer" The brunette spoke making me facepalm.

I looked back at the group nervously to see them giving me a thumbs up. My gaze quickly finding the cute bass player who sent me an air kiss. I jokingly pretended to catch it earning disgusted looks from the rest of the band.

"Gross" Julie joked.

"Shut it Molina" I warned turning around to go bring our other friend in. I was startled at the sudden sound of knocking outside the doors. Hearing a few chuckles from behind me as I opened the door.

"Hey Flynny" I smiled using the nickname I gave her when we were kids.

"Y/n? What are you doing here? Where's Julie?"

"I'm right here" Said girl called from behind me.

"Thanks for coming we just wanted to rehearse the song so it was perfect which it's not but whatever"

"No if I'm gonna hear a song from your imaginary ghost band I want it to be perfect so get back in there" Flynn said waving us back.

"All of you. You too" She said pointing to absolutely nothing.

"She's not lying Flynn. They're real"

"Oh my god now you've got y/n/n in on your imaginary ghost band? Do you play air drums?" Flynn's asked placing a hand on my shoulder.

"No that's Alex. I'm not in the band per se but I watch them rehearse all the time. Plus my boyfriends in it"

"Oh so she really sucked you in. So where are they?"

"They're not out here"

"Oh I know" Flynn said patting Julie's shoulder before walking in. I looked at the girl beside me playfully rolling my eyes.

Flynn had always been the logical one out of the three of us. So no doubt this was gonna have to be good. I shut one of the doors behind us while Julie shut the other before making my way towards the boys who stood there looking excited.

"Good luck" I whispered. Placing a quick kiss to Reggies cheek.

"Oh so my best friends just kissing the air now. That's great. What's your moms number again?" She asked pulling out her phone. I playfully rolled my eyes taking a seat on the couch pulling up my sketch book once more.

I was currently working on a drawing for the guys. Something that screams were alive. As Luke put it.

"All right guys you ready? Uh actually can you go over there. Reggie needs some space to rock out and he feels kinda weird walking through you" Julie said. Flynn letting out a chuckle.

"Boy when you create a world you really live in it"

"Just sit" Julie said sitting her down in an empty chair.

"If you'll notice there's no equipment that will produce a hologram. Feel free to look around. The guys took a poem that I wrote about you and put it to music"

"Y/n helped" Reggie interrupted making me smile.

"I'm sorry. The guys and y/n"

“Aww! I wish I didn't have to talk to your parents after this"

“Come on Flynny it's a great song"

"If you say so y/n/n. So when did you go crazy?" She asked placing a hand on her knees.

"It's called Flying Solo. Hope you like it" I smiled upon hearing the opening notes of the song.

J- If I leave you on a bad note

Leave you on a sad note

I know all your secrets

You know all my deep-dish

Guess that means some things they never, they never

Change...

We both know what I, what I, what I

Mean...

When I look at you it's like I'm looking at me

I looked up from my book when Flynn let out a scream signalling she could finally see them.

All- My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you

I grinned at Flynn who gave me a horrified look.

"Are you seeing this?" She whispered. I only nodded giggling at her reaction.

J- Yeah, you know who I'm likin'

Way before I liked them, duh...

Cause you liked them first

And if somebody hurts you

I'm gonna get hurt too

That's just how we work, yeah, that's just how we work

It will never

Change...

We both know what I, what I, what I

I bit my lip watching my boyfriend sing at a close proximity with Luke. Something that I'll never get used to. But definitely enjoyed. When they finallly separated Reggie sent me a wink as he sang the chorus. Luke gradually making his was over to me sitting down on the armrest beside me.

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you

I chuckled as Luke scared Flynn. Instinctively I smacked his arm. Earning a confused look coming from the girl as Julie pulled her away towards Alex and Reggie.

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

I watched closely as Flynn attempted to touch my boyfriend only to have her hand go right through him.

"Weird right?"

"They're ghost!" "Oh we prefer musician spirits"

"But y/n" Flynn said pointing at me.

"We don't understand it either. But she can see and touch them. It's not the same for both of us" Julie explained showing how her hand went through Reggie as well.

“Julie so does this mean you're joining the our band?"

"Umm actually I think you're joining her band"

"I'm gonna go with what she said" Julie said sticking a hand out for me. I grinned taking it.

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you

Julie sang the three of us dancing along.

"You're crazy" Flynn mouthed to me making me smile wider. She tilted her head to the side pointed at the bassist who had his focus on me.

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

Hey! yeah-e-yeah

I moved away from the two girls to let them have a moment. Reggies bass playing coming to a halt. Instinctively I moved to his side. His arm finding my waist and pulling me close. A chuckle leaving his lips.

My life, my life would be real low, zero, flying solo without you

Julie harmonized coming forehead to forehead with Flynn.

"Still wanna talk to our parents?"

"No I'm good" Flynn said the two girls hugging.

"Bring it in y/n/n!" Julie said opening her arms wider. I smiled kissing Reggies cheek before rushing to engulf my best friends in a group hug.

"I'm really glad Flynn enjoyed the song today" I spoke after a long day. I was finally able to sit in at my desk and continue drawing in my sketchbook.

With Reggie present in the room as well. Like most nights.

"I did too. She seems like a cool girl"

"Oh she is Reg. She was literally my first ever friend and with Julie the three of us have been inseparable since" I explained to my boyfriend who moved his arms behind his head.

"Well then I guess I'll have to get to know her better. For your sake of course" He said the room falling into a comfortable silence with exception of my soft music playing in the background.

Ed Sheeran to be exact. He had easily become one of the boy's favorites new artist. So when they hung out in my room I played him a lot. Along with other artists of course.

It had been about 15 minutes of my pencil hitting the paper when I finally looked up to see Reggie gazing at me.

"Have you been staring at me this whole time?"

"Maybe"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because your adorable"

"Really Reg. Look at you. Your a hot teenage ghost rocker from the 90's and you think I'm adorable" I giggled.

"I love your laugh" He stated my cheeks immediately heating up.

"Thanks" I smiled shyly.

"I love you" He spoke again. My heart stopping.

That was the first time either of us had said that. Since the night I met them in Julie's garage to now. Those were the last words I never expected anyone to say that wasn't family or Julie or Flynn.

Upon not hearing a response the look on his face dropped as he pulled himself to the edge of the bed in front of me.

"I-I mean you don't have to say it b-back I was just thinking out loud but like I could have been t-talking about anything like pizza. I love pizza. P-pizzas good well except pineapple pizza kinda of sort of. Actually you know what's really good cheese pizza that's nice I really like it-" I quickly cut him off by placing a tender kiss to his lip. Feeling his hands cup my cheeks the warmth of them making me feel safe. Loved.

I wanted more of him. I wanted to feel all of him.

Finally breaking apart I smiled at the boy in front of me.

"What?" He asked as I gazed into his beautiful brown eyes.

"I love you too Reg" His small smile only getting bigger.

He quickly removed the sketchbook away from me. Placing me onto his lap.

"Are you sure?"

"I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything my whole life" I smiled as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Kiss me" I whispered. Reggie immediately taking action.

I giggled as he began to kiss down my neck my hands flying to remove his red flannel. He was quick to remove it himself among my request. His other hand gripping my waist. I took this as my opportunity to fix myself on his lap straddling him. Like I'd done so many times before.

Our lips met in the middle as we both kissed each other with such force. Such passion. I smirked into the kiss as I placed my hand under Reggies tank top. His reaction something I hadn't expected.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked pulling away to look me in the eyes. I bit my lip giving him a look.

"Oh" He said letting out a breath.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah"

"Have you ever....." He trailed off. I nodded watching his face drop.

"If it helps I didn't really like the guy. And it was a long time ago"

"Oh" He kind of perked up.

"So? Are we good here?" I asked placing a soft kiss on his neck. And another and another. Until finally settling on a spot. Earning a throaty groan from the ghost.

"Yup" He squeaked out making me smirk. I placed my hand where it had been previously hiking it up his shirt. He quickly removed it before pulling me back in for a rough kiss.

"Reggie" I moaned as I began to grind on him only earning a soft whimper from the boy. Thankful my parents were out of town. Not for Reggies sake but mine.

"Come on y/n/n don't tease me now"

"You asked for it Reg" I smirked standing up. I smiled noticing how intently he was watching my next moves. I quickly removed my shirt and bra watching him gulp down nervously.

"Like what you see?" I asked biting my lip nervously.

I watched as he nodded eagerly before continuing. I removed my jeans as well leaving me in my panties before slowly bending down in front of him.

"N-no" He spoke stopping me from reaching toward his jeans.

"W-why not?" I asked confused.

"It's just- I wanna be with you tonight. We have plenty of time for everything else but this. This is different. It's our first time. I mean like not our first times but like our first time together and I-" I quickly cut off his cute rambling again with a kiss.

"I get it Reg. It's about us tonight" I smiled pushing him back onto my bed. Straddling him once more.

“Your so beautiful" He whispered his hands flying to my waist.

"Why thank you Reginald" I spoke bending down to meet his lips. Our bare chest coming into contact for the very first time. I moaned as he toyed with the waistband of my panties.

"Reggie please do something" I mumbled against his lips. He immediately took action flipping us over.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked waiting for my consent.

I simply nodded watching as he removed his jeans and boxers letting his hard on spring free from the contained fabric.

"Reggie" I panted digging my teeth into my bottom lip to widthold from the unholy sounds threatening to escape my lips.

"What baby? What do you want?" He teased pushing his finger against the fabric of my panties.

"You" He quickly ripped apart the thin fabric around my waist letting it fall off my body. Throwing it off to the side.

"Are you ready?"

"Wait!" I shouted pulling open a nearby drawer. I pulled out a condom from a box that had been sitting there for a while.

"Protection? Why do you have that there?"

"Well I knew this day would come Reg. I was hoping it would be with you" I said a smile forming on his face.

"Do you think we'll need it? I mean I'm a ghost"

"Safety first baby"

"Well okay then" He said slipping it on.

"Okay now are you ready?" I nodded as he slowly entered me.

Our moans filled the room as he let me adjust to his size.

"Baby your so tight" "Yeah well it's been a while" I muttered pulling at the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Okay you can move" I said giving him the go.

"If you want me to stop just say so okay?"

"Okay" I confirmed as he lent down to place a kiss upon my lips. He slowly began to move until he found a good pace. His thrust moving faster as a spur of moans left our lips.

"God I love you so much" I mumbled against my lips.

"Mmm. Faster Reg!" I encouraged him really feeling the pleasure course through me now. Getting exactly what I wanted I began to moan louder feeling him hitting my G spot at the perfect angle.

"Right there" I spoke feeling a knot forming in my lower stomach.

"I'm so close baby"

"Me too" He panted. We both released our orgasms at the same time relief washing over me as he pulled out. I laid back on the bed watching him throw the condom in the trash can under my desk.

"That was amazing" He said coming back to hover over me.

"It was" I smiled up at him. Pulling him down from behind his neck for another kiss. "I love you baby. I love you so much"

"I love you more" I said as he laid down beside me pulling the covers over us.

"Impossible"

[gra-sonas]

Roswell, New Mexico certainly knows how to raise the stakes. In the Season 3 premiere, Maria experienced a foreboding premonition that unfolded at a funeral, one that possibly placed Dr. Kyle Valenti in the casket. The Reaper came close to claiming Kyle after he was impaled and bleeding out -- until Max saved him. But then Kyle went missing.

Soon, Alex discovered Eduardo Ramos had been keeping a comatose Kyle tucked away safely, after someone had injected him with an unidentified drug. Now that Kyle is awake and back on his feet, he wants answers… but he might not like what he unearths.

Roswell, New Mexico star Michael Trevino recently spoke with CBR about Kyle's evolution, that funeral vision, the Valenti legacy and possibly directing an episode in Season 4.

CBR: After portraying a hybrid werewolf on Vampire Diaries, what was interesting about playing a normal human in Roswell, New Mexico?

Michael Trevino: It was just that. To be able to play a human, with these supernatural elements happening around you, that you are not necessarily part of, but you are there to reflect the human reaction of that. Being a part of Vampire Diaries, I was in that supernatural element. With this, I couldn't get too far away from it in my career, but it's about reacting to those things.

With Kyle Valenti, it's a role that is definitely more grounded for me, but hopefully, it is grounded for the audience. That's their character they can identify with. How would you react to being in Roswell, New Mexico, hearing about aliens, figuring out that they are around and live amongst you, and that perhaps there are more aliens out there?

Kyle could have been a local cop, a lawyer, a business owner. How happy are you that the writers have incorporated his medical/surgeon profession into the narrative?

Michael Trevino: For one, you figure with these aliens being around and anything going wrong with them, there would have to be some type of medical element. The whole lore of alien and alien autopsies, we need to have a character like that in Roswell. For me, to be a surgeon and then worked into everything that's happening with these three aliens in Roswell, it's big for Kyle.

This season, Maria experienced a funeral vision, and it seems to be Kyle's body in the casket. What were your thoughts on that development and what it meant for Kyle?

Michael Trevino: For me, Kyle seems to be the common thread throughout all the storylines. I'm really happy about that, being on this show and that the writers have done that. Although Kyle seems to be the one helping put out all the fires and he's there for everyone, being a good friend and doing whatever is asked of him, it would make sense that Maria is having these visions. Kyle might, or might not, have something to do with that. We are going to see that play out. Kyle is on everybody's minds. We are wondering what's going on with him. Where is he? That makes the most sense because he's there for everybody else.

The writers have "maliciously" teased and taunted viewers by continually putting Kyle in harm's way. Has that been part of the fun of this mystery, that "will they or won't they kill him" at any given moment?

Michael Trevino: It's safe to say that nobody is safe in Roswell. I do like that they've kept choosing Kyle to tease a bit. There's a warm spot for Kyle. He's a good guy. I watch the show and I'm like, "Damn. This guy is doing his best and trying to be there for everybody. It's a nice feeling."

Considering Kyle was painted as a dick in high school, there's been a lot of growth and evolution from him into a better person.

Michael Trevino: Yes, I believe this Episode 3.09 is a big turning point for Kyle. We find out a little bit more of his backstory. He's finding that out in real time. That can be frustrating. We see that emotion in Kyle. But this is finally where he takes a stand. He makes a hard decision. He's either going to go left or he's going to go right. He's carved out his path. "This is what I'm going to do. This is how I want things to be."

Moving forward, how focused is Kyle on uncovering the unknown assailant, who injected him with that paralytic drug, which left him bedridden?

Michael Trevino: Where we find him, he's reached his limit. He's been there for everybody, and he tries to put out fires. But, in this episode, he's really frustrated and it's kind of taken a toll on him. The last time we saw him, he was in a hospital bed in a barn. It's, "What is going on? What is happening?" He wants more answers. We are going to see him get those answers. But, then also, frustrated because, "Why me? Why is this happening?"

Kyle also learns some startling information about his father, the code that he lived by and more about that creepy little radio. How is Kyle unpacking all of this because it's a lot to take in?

Michael Trevino: He's trying his best to process everything he's discovering. But like anybody else, he has this idea of what the Valenti code is, of who Jim Valenti is, of who is his father. We are in season three. We've come to find out Kyle's father isn't who he really thought he was. That hurts. That's got to be shocking to his world. Very jarring. I feel that we see that in [Episode] 3.09. There's a bit of information that is given out that is very important and catapults Kyle for the remainder of this season.

What do you feel keeps Kyle in Roswell? He's had the opportunity to leave and work in other cities…

Michael Trevino: For Kyle, there might be some abandonment issues because of his father not being around. With that, he doesn't want to do the same thing to others. We've seen how vital he is, how important he is to what is going on in Roswell. He doesn't want to run away from that. And let's talk about the lifelong connection he has with Liz. He doesn't want to leave her not only in harm's way, but stuck with this mess. So, Kyle is choosing to stay and figure out what is really going on.

What else can you preview about what's in store for Kyle in the last block of episodes?

Michael Trevino: Kyle is going to have a lot more to do with what's going on in Deep Sky. He and Eduardo will become allies and work together, to do what they have to do, with Jones.

What was it like having original Roswell star Sherri Appleby direct some episodes, as well as Vampire Diaries creator Julie Plec and your former co-star, Paul Wesley?

Michael Trevino: Speaking to Sherri Appleby, it was nostalgic. She's one of the OGs for the original. To have her come on board and direct an episode -- even for her -- I think it's a full circle in her career. It was a blast to have her on set and be taking notes from her, just because of the connection she has to this story and these characters. Roswell is on the CW. It's on Warner Bros. television. It's a family I have been part of for over a decade. To work with Julie Plec and Paul Wesley, personally, is a great thing. As the years have gone on, our careers are expanding. It's a beautiful thing to watch. This business can be challenging. It can be tough. To see us all, striving to do the best that we can, is great.

You've aspired to step behind the camera. What's the appeal and are you going to get the chance in Season 4?

Michael Trevino: Being in this television world for so long, this is a machine. It takes so many people to produce one-hour of network-episodic television. Being on these sets as an actor has been great and a privilege, and I'm grateful for it, but I want to expand and do a bit more.

In telling these stories, I get very involved in the blocking of scenes or what's going to best service this story when we are in these scenes, doing rehearsals. I find myself figuring things out. I am interested in the camera moves. I am interested in where we are setting up lights. I am interested in everything. I want a shot at that.

After Season 3, I shot a short film in Albuquerque. That was my first time directing and it was such a great experience. I am in post-production on that. I've put it out there. I've spoken to producers. I can neither confirm nor deny if I am getting an episode this [upcoming] season. I'm hoping I will be.

You are on a superhero-heavy network. What are your thoughts on playing in that sandbox?

Michael Trevino: Marvel has obviously been top dog for some time, but DC has been doing some really great things. I feel in this world of streaming, that these television series are just as great as these big-budget feature films. What they have is they can expand on their storylines with these comic book characters. I would love to do one because of the physicality that some of those roles require. I love doing stunts and I'm very athletic. Any type of role that has that physicality to it, I really lean into that. Any type of comic book role that came my way would be a dream.

[20moonchild21]

Gif by @minhope

ꨄ∙๛Gentleman [Maknae line]

Pairing: BTS x female!oc

Warnings: very mild swearing

Words: 1000+

ッ

๛匕нє σиє ωнєяє єνєи тнє уσυиg σиєѕ нανє gσσ∂ мαииєяѕ ∙ꨄ

♕

j̸imim

All the boys were gathered around there living room looking at the pieces of paper that were spread all over the table.

They had a performance coming up in a few weeks and had now to decide what outfits they feel the most comfortable to dance in.

So after discussion for about 3 hours everybody, their stylist and them, agreed to a basic black shirt which was highlighted with small diamonds that would be sparkling in the light of the big stage flashlights.

"Wow, they will look great." Taehyung said as he looked at the sketches their stylist had made. "Good job, Grace."

"Thank you, but only with your help." She smiled politely as she took the last sip of he coffee. "I think in about 2 week we will have the outfits and then you can have a rehearsal in those clothes."

The small girl gathered her things together and stood up from the sofa to say goodbye to all of the boys. She loved how warmly they treated her and showing her respect for her work. She had worked with people who were a lot worse. People who thought of themselves better than anybody else.

"I will bring you to the door." She heard a voice piping up from behind her and she immediately smiled.

Together, she and Jimin made their way to the small hallway of their apartment.

The girl bent down t slip into her shoes and when she stood back up she already saw Jimin waiting for her with her coat in his hands. He stretched his arms out gesturing for her to slip inside the piece of fabric.

A small shade of red spread over the girls cheeks as she slide her arms inside.

"Thank you." She almost whispered and smiled over at the boy.

t̸aehyung

Taehyung cursed as he pulled his face masks higher under his eyes and the hat he wore further down his face. He really hoped that no one would recognize him this time, because if, he has no one to protect him with him.

It had been a typical morning in the dorm until Jungkook decided to want fresh bread rolls from the bakery across the street. 6 rounds of rock, paper, scissor later, he found himself walking down the street.

Lucky for him, it was still early in the morning so there weren't much people walking around.

After 10 minutes of walking he finally reached the small bakery that all of the boys loved so much.

"Ahhh, good morning my dear Taehyung." The old lady that owned the shop greeted him friendly. "How are you? What can I get you this morning? Do you still sing for the small children?"

He chuckled in the inside. There was one day he tried to explain his job to her, but because of her age she couldn't really understand that he was not only singing in front of children, but in front of people all around the world.

He quickly held a small talk with the nice lady before he ordered his bread rolls. He paid for his food and was about to left the bakery when at the same time a girl his age was about to enter the bakery, too.

When she saw him she quickly stepped back and gestured for him to step out first. Raised like a good boy, he obviously wouldn't step out first. Instead, he opened the door, stepped back and gestured for her to step in first.

"Ladys first." He smiled at her and she entered. Mumbling a quick 'thank you' towards him, but he saw how her cheeks turned slightly red.

"What a good boy." He heard the old lady saying towards the girl as he was almost out of the door. With a wide smile on his face he made his way back to the dorm.

(Not a pile of clothes but a pile of cuteness)

j̸ungkook

Jungkook tapped his feet on the ground nervously.

Today would be the groups first live performance after the long lockdown. Of course, the boys had plenty of time for practicing their performance at home but somehow his nervousness just wouldn't go away.

"Chill, Kookie." Jimin who had plopped down next to him on the sofa said while playing on his phone. "We've done this a thousand times before, remember?"

"You're right, hyung." The young boy sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I will just go and get something to drink."

Jungkook stood up from the sofa he was sitting on and left the room. The truth was he didn't even know where he would get something to drink, he just wanted to take a quick walk and hopefully calm down a little bit.

As he walked through the endless hallways if the area a sudden noise rang through his ear.

"Ah fuck!" A soft voice cursed, followed by "Oh girl, why do they have to be so damn heavy?"

Curiosity swelled inside Jungkook. It was obvious that the voice belonged to a woman and a look around the corner confirmed his suspicion.

Walking, or rather stumbling through the hallway she carried what looked like an enormous pile of clothes. A closer look even showed him that she carried the clothes they would be wearing in a few hours.

He even recognized the girl. She was one of the new stylists the company had hired a few months ago.

"Hey, you." He said as he walked up to her, and before she could say something let alone that she could see him over that mount of clothes, he just took them from her slim arms. "Let me carry them. They look heavy."

For a moment she looked confused, before a shade of red spread over her freckled cheeks.

"Sorry." She mumbled and pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear. "This is nice of y-you, but you really d-don't have to do this. I-I am sure you have a lot of other - "

He knew what she was about to say, but Jungkook would never think of him better than of somebody else.

"No it's okay." He quickly said before he started walking. "I know how heavy they area, and I won't let you carry them all by yourself."

———————————/////—————————

Hello,

here are the young ones.

I really hope you like it!

What do you think? Is there anything hotter than a boy who knows how to treat a girl?

Same as always: recommendations, comments, wishes, requests? Just write me!

Stay safe and healthy

Mꨄ

[goldenmazzello]

Lay all your love on me | Part 3

(I don't own this gif. Credits to the owner)

Warning: Language, angst, cheating, stress, innuendo?, mention of songs. 

W/C: 5.6k.

MASTERLIST

~

Friday. It was finally friday, the day for the audition. You spent the last four days rehearsing for the audition, maybe the biggest and most important one you've ever had. You were so nervous that you could barely close your eyes and sleep. Now, you couldn't remember how many times you watched Grease on Netflix or how many times you watched videos on YouTube in such little time.

Now, you were with Joe in his living room. You asked him for help since you felt a bit mousy to ask Aaron to practice with you because you've just met him. However, he sent you some messages giving you some tips to remember during your audition. You were so glad he told you that because he had experience in Broadway, it wasn't his first time there. And for the same reason, you wondered if you were really going to get the role or if you were going to make a dog's dinner of it again as the last one.

You put Grease on his tv and rapidly pause it at the very beginning where Danny and Sandy were at the beach, the place they met vacationing, holding each other's waist and looking at each other with love and angst at the same time as they were going separate ways due to the end of the summer and Sandy had to come back to Australia.

"Okay so, now, come here please." You grabbed Joe's arm and made him get up from the sofa. Joe chuckled. You indicated him how to pose his hands on you and posed yours on him. "You remember this line, don't you?" You asked raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, we've watched this the whole morning!" He laughed and you shrugged.

"Yeah, but remember they changed the original story and some dialogues a bit to make it more interesting. She's from Utah now. Let's start." You closed your eyes and sighed. "Danny I don't want the summer to be over, I may never seen you again." You said Sandy's first lines in the musical, while staring at Joe.

"Sandy, don't talk that way." Joe replied as Danny and you interrupted him.

"But it's true, I've just had the best summer of my life and now I have to go back to Salt Lake, it isn't fair." You said complaining as you moved your eyes to the floor. Joe put his hand on your chin and lifted your head gently, so his eyes could meet yours again.

And Joe got lost in your eyes. He felt waves of running feelings on his body. For him, time stopped, the whole wolrd stopped and it was only you and him.

He thought about what was next in the script, the kiss. What if he kissed you now? Of course it would be part of acting, it wouldn't mean anything at all, but for him, oh, he didn't know how he would feel if he kissed you right now. He didn't want your frienship to be at stake, but he had to do it anyway.

Joe moved his hand on your cheek, you kept staring at him and when he was a few inches away from you, your phone started ringing and you both jumped.

"Fuck, it scared the shit out of me." You said taking a breath with a hand on your chest and moved to take your phone. Aaron is calling.

As you answered the call, Joe went to the kitchen. He rested his back against the wall and closed his eyes. He was so close to finally kiss you and he couldn't believe it. He was so close to your face, to your lips.

When you finished talking with Aaron, you went to the kitchen and found Joe there, in silence.

"Joey, are you okay?" You asked as you walked towards him. He opened his eyes and nodded. "Are you sure?" You weren't very convinced at all.

"Yes, I was just thinking about a few things I have to do with my agent." Hi moved his hand on the nape of his neck.

"Okay. Aaron just called and offered to take me to the theater with him but I turned it down." You said and Joe furrowed his eyebrows. "I want to go with you, I need you by my side." You beamed. So did he. "We should leave now,  or we won't have enought time."

The car ride was full of laughter, Joe knew absolutely well how to make you laugh and forget about everything. He was trying to make you feel relaxed and it seemed that his attempts were working out. You really appreciated it.

As you realized you were near the theater’s street, your face was pale.  Al Hirschfeld Theatre. You were there.

Joe noticed your expression had changed and squeezed your hand. You closed your eyes. He parked a few feet away from the theater and you both got out of the car.

“Listen (y/n).” He looked into your eyes while holding your shoulders. “No matter what happens today, don’t ever hesitate how talented you are, please never forget that.” He gave you a tender smile and you hugged him.

“Thank you Joey, you don’t have an idea of how much I appreciate and love you.” You closed your eyes and rubbed his back.

“I know you do, and I love you too. Good luck.”

Joe stayed inside his car, waiting for the audition to end. He knew he would be there for a long time so he brought with him his notebook where he kept writing ideas for his future directing projects.

When you entered the theater, you saw Aaron reading the script. He was really focused on it.

“Hey, how you doing?” You asked and sat beside him.

He lifted his head and kissed your cheek. “I’m great, and you? Nervous?”

“You’re absolutely right.” You sighed.

“Remember what I told you, just be yourself and imagine you are dancing alone in your room in front of your mirror.” He chuckled.

“I’ll try.” You looked at his script. “Which role are you auditioning for?”

"I'm going for Danny Zuko, your lover, Miss Sandy." He blinked.

You? Starring opposite him? At first it seemed absolutely crazy, because he had a lot of experience. That's when you remembered what Joe had said Don't ever hesitate how talented you are, and you couldn't help but beamed happily. You were so lucky to have him in your life, such a tender and loyal friend.

You were still confused about your feelings. Perhaps, you were feeling like this because you've been single for almost a year and the need of being loved was taking over you. You didn't truly believe you were falling for him.

As soon as the casting crew called you, Aaron wished you good luck and you went to the scenario. You introduced yourself to the casting crew who was waiting for the music to start. The instrumental music of You're the one that I want was playing loudly at the background while you gracely moved your body to the rhythm of the music and started to sing. Your hips were loose and your feet seemed to never touch the ground. Your movements were fluent, they were done without any effort and the lightly way you were dancing could have been seen from every little part of the theater. 

When you finished your audition, they asked you to wait outside. A few minutes later, a tall woman in her 20s holding some papers showed up.

"Are you (y/n) (y/s/n)?" You nodded. "I'm the director's assistant, he wants to see you."

You walked towards the scenario again and found Aaron in there. He smiled as you stood beside him.

"We want you to perform the opening scene, where Danny and Sandy are saying goodbye at the beach. We'll give you thirty minutes to prepare it and then you'll be called to do it." The director expossed as he and the casting crew left you alone.

"Do you know what that means? It's 80% probable that we got the role." He said excitedly.

"Oh my..." You moved your hand to your mouth. "I really hope so."

"So, let's prepeare the scene." He started reading the script. "What about the kiss? Do you want to practice it or just let it happen?"

"Hmm...I prefer practicing it at least once, just to be sure that everything will be perfect."

"That's a good point." He left the script on the floor, so did you.

"Danny I don't want the summer to be over, I may never seen you again." You said Sandy's first lines while staring at Aaron. He was holding your waist. You placed your hands on his toned arms.

"Sandy, don't talk that way." He nodded.

"But it's true, I've just had the best summer of my life and now I have to go back to Salt Lake, it isn't fair." You moved your eyes to the floor. Aaron put his hand on your chin and lifted your head, you looked at him again.

It felt completely different from when you did it in the morning with Joe. You felt you were really acting now, doing your job, but with Joe, it was difficult to focuse on the lines and everything, but why? You were so close to each other that you almost kissed if it wasn't for Aaron's call.

And that's when you felt Aaron's lips on yours. You closed your eyes, trying to examine the situation. His lips were rough because of the windy winter and his hands moved softly on your skin. You followed the kiss and he held you closer, embracing you, but you quickly moved him away.

"Danny don't spoil it." You fixed your eyes on his.

"It's not spoiling. It's only making better."

"Is this the end?" You asked sadly. He held your hands again.

"Don't think about that, just be here on the moment. All that matters is what's happening right now." As he spoke, you posed your hands on his cheeks and kissed him deeply. He did the same and followed your kiss.

"That was fantastic, I have no doubt that we got the role!" Aaron said, cutting off the kiss. You were still close to him.

"I really hope so."

"You are a great actress and a great kisser as well." You moved your eyes to the floor and Aaron giggled. "I'm telling you the truth."

You looked at him again and his lips mashed against yours again, you hungrily pushed back. It wasn't like one of those close-mouthed kisses you had when you were at elementary school, it was full on, open-mouthed, with pure lust. He nearly knocked all wind from your lungs. His hands drifted to your hips, pulling you closer. You inhaled, sharply. It's been so long since you last kissed someone like that and you couldn't deny it felt so good. When you heard the director and the casting crew coming back, you pulled apart and acted as if nothing happened.

They sat in the front row and asked you to start. You repeated what you did before, but this time, everything went on more naturally. It seemed like Aaron and you had known each other for years. You really had chemistry.

When you finished the audition, the director and the casting crew discussed about it and finally decided that both of you got the role. You were thrilled to bits when they said they couldn't praise you enough and you did an brilliant job.

You ran out of the theater happily and when you saw Joe waiting for you inside his car, you called his name and he got out, leaving his notebook there.

"I got the role!" You yelled and jumped into his arms. There was nothing in the world that's gonna kill this mood.

~

The next day, you and Joe were walking in the city. Joe was holding his phone, checking his To do list to see your plans for the day. He was very excited, you could see it on his face.

“Are you going to tell me where are we going to or not?” You asked while crossing the street.

“Hmm...I see you are very impatient.” He chuckled and you rolled your eyes.

A few minutes later, he stopped walking. You moved your sunglasses and gave a glance at the familiar tram station. “Are we going to Roosevelt Island?”

“Yes, I haven’t gone there in ages and I thought It was a good idea.” He said happily.  

The Roosevelt Island Tramway is an aerial tramway that brings you from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island in less than five minutes. There are some amanzing views of the city. It’s a very attractive option for people who want to get away from the crowds in Manhattan and enjoy the peace and quiet of the beautiful island. And you can enjoy it at night too, that was one of your favorite activities to do when you moved there a few years ago, admiring the wonderful skycrapers through the window.

After waiting for like fifteen minutes, you finally took the tram. Joe suggested going to a café and you agreed. It was a friendly place with a few tables outside. The peculiar smell of coffee made you feel hungry, especially because it was 10:00 am, so you ordered and sat outside the shop. It was a perfect sunny day to be outside.

As soon as you started having breakfast, Joe’s phone buzzed and when he saw his notifications, his expression changed, now, he looked haunted.

“Joey, what happened?”  You leaned forward.

“Nothing.” He said tautly. He blocked his phone and had a sip of his coffee. You knew he wasn’t telling you the truth.

“That’s a lie. You know you can trust me.”

Joe sighed. “I’ve never told you about my ex...she sent me a message saying she wants to see me to talk about something, but I blocked her.”

“What happened with her?”

“We’ve been together for so long, seven years to be exactly. Everything seemed to be fine. We lived in Los Angeles, that’s where I met her. One day, I was on my way to the airport, I was going to visit my family because it was Christmas season and I realized I had forgotten my passport, so I quickly came back home and when I opened the door...” He stopped and moved his gaze. “A friend of ours was...he was fucking her in our couch, our house...” He sighed again. “The excuse she had for not going to visit my family was that she had to work and obviously, it wasn’t true. Whatsmore, she had been cheating on me with him for over a year.”

Your jaw dropped. How could someone be so cruel? Nobody deserved that, especially Joe, he had a heart of gold. He was a person that believed real happiness lay on doing good for others, for him there wasn't anything that made him feel better than it.

He always seemed so happy but you could feel that behind that beautiful smile he had, he was in pain.

You moved and hugged him. “I’m so sorry Joey, you don’t deserve this.” He held you tight, in silent. “Someday, you’ll find somebody who will care about you.”

Joe wanted that person to be you. It was as if he had built his walls up high and didn’t let anyone enter his heart, but now, they were falling and you were the reason why. His heart has been locked away since that day he found out his girlfriend betrayed him. He was afraid of being in the same situation again. He supossed you were waiting too, to fall in love with someone who was worth the wait, after some failed relationships. He wanted to tell you that you were the person he was waiting for, that he had been searching so long for a feeling like this, but he was afraid, not only about being hurt again but also because he was convinced that feeling wasn’t mutual.

“I hope so.” You heard him say. “After that, I moved back to New York and all my dates failed, so I think I’m staying alone for a long time.”

“Don’t say that, I bet you have a lot of girls behind.” You moved you eyebrows and he giggled.

"And what about you? Have you had a date recently?"

"No, I haven't gone out with someone in six months." You replied as you finished your coffee. Joe almost choke. "What?"

"You have to be kidding me."

"Why?" You laughed.

"You are telling me that you haven't been with someone in six months, for real? Not even a kiss?" He was amazed.

"Well, I kissed yesterday but..." He interrupted.

"But that doesn't count, you were acting!"

"Actually, we kissed more than once." You blushed and Joe raised an eyebrow. He had to pretend he wasn't jealous of his friend for doing what he wanted the most, to kiss you.

"So, you like him."

"No."

"Yes, you do." He insisted.

"No, well, I'm not sure, okay?"

Joe nodded and took another sip of coffee. Inside, his heart was breaking. But outside, he seemed he didn't really care, he was a good actor.

If you change your mind

I'm the first in line

Honey, I'm still free

Take a chance on me.

~

Six weeks passed since the audition. The last days of winter were almost gone and spring's arrival meant that the musical was about to be released.

But things started to get pretty hectic, especially with Joe.

Rehearsals had taken over your life that you could barely have time to relax. The To do list that Joe had planned on set while filming Bohemian Rhapsody in january was practically forgotten, the only activities you did was going to the Central Park and going to a Yankees' game. You knew Joe wasn't mad at you for not having enought time, he knew that theater involved a lot ot rehearsals for a perfect performance but the fact that you hanged out with Aaron and not with him made him feel replaced.

The worst happened two weeks ago. It was friday and Joe was waiting impatiently for you at the Sky Room Rooftop in Manhattan. He was excited to catch up with you after seeing you like three times the last month, but you were late, you both agreed to meet there at 10:00 p.m and thirty minutes later, you haven't showep up yet. Two, four, six calls and you didn't anwer.

You weren't in New York. You were staying in California for the weekend since you and Aaron had been invited to a promoting event for Grease in Los Angeles and you forgot that you had made plans with your friend. When you saw his missed calls, you almost pass out. There was a message saying he was going home and asking where the hell were you, you explained him everything. You had a horrible sinking feeling when you saw he left you on read. You deserved that although you didn't do it on purpose, you had totally forgotten about it.

He felt so dejected by your behaviour. And it upset him even more because he loved you, he really did.

Saturday. You were at another event but this time there was a surprise for you, John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John showed up at the place and sang You are the one that I want with you and Aaron, you were over the moon.

Meanwhile in New York, Lucy was staying the weekend in Manhattan to attend to an event she had been invited to. Rami couldn't make it there, although he was in the same city, he was filming Mr. Robot's last season and not only he played the main role, he was also one of the producers, so Lucy asked Joe to go with him and have fun, especially after the bad night he had waiting for you.

What Joe didn't know was that Lucy invited a friend of her too. Her name was Julia, she was a blonde blue-eyed girl that was around Lucy's age and she lived in New York too. She was a new friend, they met on set filming The Politician, a new Netflix series that will be launched by next year's end.

Joe and Julia got on really well.They exchanged intense glares the whole night and laughed at each other's jokes. They even followed each other on Instagram and posted some stories together. When the event finished, they went to a bar and had some drinks. This time, Joe was sober.

He and Julia went to dance. He kept his hands on her hips to guide her. At one point, everything started to get hot. Joe kept her tight to him with his hands on her waist while dancing and she began to feel hot and tingly when she felt his breath near her ear. He asked her if she wanted to do something after the bar and she said yes.

So when Lucy decided to call it a night, Julia invited Joe to her appartment.

When they entered the building, she didn’t even say a word, she just led him to the elevator and kissed him. His hands continued to explore her body, almost slipping under her dress a few times.

And they spent the night together. But Joe didn't sleep, insomnia took over him. He kept thinking about you and how you were slowly falling for Aaron and forgetting about your friendship with him.

I wasn't jealous before we met

Now every man I see is a potential threat

And I'm possessive, it isn't nice

You've heard me saying that acting was my only vice

You and Aaron have been on a few dates but nothing too serious. You were convinced that the chemestry you had on stage was making you confused and you didn't want to be direspecful so agreed going out with him. You felt you were behaving like a fifteen-year-old girl.

On monday, when everybody was at their respective places, Gwilym organized a group video call to catch up with the six of you. You placed your phone on your kitchen counter while you prepare your kettle for a cup of tea after a tough day.

You couldn't stop looking at Joe and he tried to avoid you. The tension between you both could be felt. You were sure your friends noticed it.

"How was the event, Luc?" Ben asked while lighting a cigarette in his garden.

"It was great, I had so much fun with Joe and Julia! And I'm glad they got on very well." Lucy was lying on her couch, resting after an exhausting weekend.

"Yeah, we all know that." Gwilym giggled while cleaning his glasses.

Wait, what did they know? Did you miss anything?

You kept your gaze on Joe, waiting for his next words while your hands grabbed the kettle that just boiled. He was lying on his bed.

"Have you heard about it, Lu?" Ben asked mischievously.

"Shut up, Benjamin Jones." Joe warned him, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, c'mon! We all know, Joe." Rami's eyebrows were bobbing up and down while walking to his hotel room. Lucy didn't have an idea of what was going on. So did you.

"What did I miss, hmm?" Lucy wondered. Joe's face blused.

"Mss. Lucy Boynton, your friends slept together." Ben confessed, entuthiastically. Joe rolled his eyes again. He was annoyed.

"Oh my god!" Lucy yelled in surprise, moving a hand to her mouth.

As soon as you heard Ben, you felt your heart dropped to your stomach. The kettle that was on your hands was now on the floor and an amount of countless swearing were heard from your mouth. Your skin was burning like hell.

"(y/n), what happened? Are you okay?" Gwilym asked worried and all eyes were on you.

"I've just dropped my kettle, call you later guys." You left the video call and run to your bathroom. You could hardly walk. You let the cool running water to cool your burning foot for like 20 minutes and covered the burn with a moist bandage. It wasn't that bad so you didn't need to go to hospital and in a matter of days it will be gone.

You were cleaning the kitchen when phone rang and you knew it was one of your friends, wondering what happened to you on the kitchen.

Lucy is calling.

You spent the next two hours talking with her. She kept telling you that you were in love with Joe, she knew it, it was obvious. You told her that you weren't sure about it and explained everything that had been happening the last weeks was making you feel out of your head. She said that it would be better if you talked about last friday with Joe and tried to apologize again.

You couldn't stop thinking about him, he's been stuck on your mind for the last weeks.

~

8:00 a.m, rehearsals again. You were sat on the floor, yawning. You haven't been sleeping properly, waking up every two hours or getting only 3 hours of sleep. Your head was aching so hard that you could scarcely open your eyes.

Aaron showed up, holding two cups of coffee. "Hey, good morning, here you have." He extended his arm so you could grab a coffee but you didn't.

"Sorry, I don't feel like having breakfast today." You sighed.

"Today, yesterday and the day before yesterday, what's going on?" He sat by your side.

You knew that your situation with Joe didn't leave you in peace and the stress you had for the countless hours of rehearsals a week was making it worse. Fault was the only thing that you could feel.

"I don't know, I haven't been sleeping well and I'm not hungry. I'm worn out." Your eyes were closed by now. He was listening carefully. "But, let's dance anyway." You put your hand on the wall and got up.

"Are you sure? I don't think you.. " you interrupted him.

"Aaron, I wanna do this. Let me try, at least." You insisted.

As the music started playing, the choreographer indicated your dance moves. Your body moved lazily, muscles aching as if you've been hit by a truck. Your sight was numb, so you stopped, moving your gaze to the floor. Your knees started shaking. There was no way you could finish even a song.

"I've told you it wasn't a good idea." Aaron grabbed you by your waist and placed your arm around his neck. He guided you to a chair and left you there. "Do you have your phone here?"

"I don't even know if it has battery. It's in my jacket." You massaged your forehead trying to calm the ache but it was helpless.

Aaron talked with the director and then grabbed your phone, he called your emergency number. "Hi, is anybody there?" He could hear someone breathing but it was silent.

"Aaron?" Joe spoke, his voice was husky, he must have been sleeping because it was pretty early.

You'd chosen Joe, he was the only person who could help you if you found yourself in times of trouble since your family lived in another state and it would take them ages to get there. But if you had to call him now, you weren't going to do it.

"Joe? It's me, listen. (y/n) isn't doing good so I've just called her emergency number and here we are. I didn't know it was your number. Can you pick her up? I asked the director to give her a break and he agreed. She looks terrible."

Joe was still mad at you, but he wasn't going to let those feelings interfere with the situation. He was a kind person and he loved you, so the only thing he was going to do was to leave you home and continue with his day.

"I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Aaron came back with you. "You're leaving in a few minutes, here you have." He gave you your phone.

"What? Are you going to leave with me?" You frowned.

"Actually, no. I asked the director and he wants me to stay but he said you could go home. Joe is coming."

Your eyes bugged out, you hadn't seen Joe in weeks and you felt it wasn't the right moment to do it.

Aaron was holding his phone. "Joe sent me a message, he's out."

He helped you to get to the front door of the theater. Joe didn't say anything, he opened the door of his car and helped you get in. You couldn't see his eyes because he was wearing sunglasses. And he was glad, because when he saw you like that, his heart broke. He wanted to hold you in his arms and take care of you, kissing every little part of your face and telling you everything was gonna be alright.

Once you were in your appartment, he helped you to get in bed and prepeared a cup of tea. When he came back, he sat on the edge of your bed. He didn't say a word, you knew he was hurt.

"Thank you." You took a sip of tea.

He looked at you and pursed his lips, as if he was going to say something but he didn't.

"Please, say something. Don't be like that, I know I was wrong, I'm sorry." You pouted.

"Okay, I forgive you, are you happy?" He said expressionless.

"Joe." You left your cup on your nightstand and moved closer to him. "Don't say it because that's what I want to hear, say it because you feel it."

"I'm feeling this, but you're too busy with your new friend that you don't seem to know me anymore." He gave you a glowering look and you sighed.

"Joey, please, look at me." You took his hand and rubbed it softly. He looked at your hands and then moved his eyes to meet yours. "Forgive me, please. You don't have an idea of how much I miss you." You were already in tears. He sighed.

"I miss you too." He opened his arms wide and pulled you in for a warm hug. You let out a small sigh while sobbing and hid your face in his neck, you could smell his scent, it's been so long.

You both stood there for a few minutes while Joe caressed your back. "We have to talk about it."

"I know." You wipped your tears with your thumb. "But please, can we do it later? I feel my head is going to explode at any moment."

"Okay but just tell me something, what's going on with you?"

"I'm tired, that's all." You assured him.

Joe hesitated a few seconds until he decided to ask something he was afraid to.

"Are you pregnant?" Joe murmured.

You burst out laughing. "Are you kidding me?"

"What? I don't know about your dating life." He shrugged.

"No Joe, I'm not pregnant."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I need to sleep, that's all."

He stole a glance at his watch. "I better go, I have a meeting." He moved from your bed.

"Will I see you soon?" You asked hoping he would say yes.

"Of course, when you'll get better."

~~~

It was 08:00 p.m when Joe came back home. He lay on his couch and watched tv. Two hours later, he was sleeping when he heard the doorbell riging. He was so sleepy that he didn't remember falling sleep.

When he opened the door, he frowned. Aaron and you were standing there, beaming cheerfully. You looked better than you did in the morning.

"Surprise! Are you going to make us wait any longer? This pizza is waiting for us!" Aaron had a pizza box in his hands.

"We wanted to visit our dear friend." You confessed. Joe let you in and told you to sit on the couch. But before, you hugged him. "I know we've seen each other in the morning but I missed you."

He smiled. "How do you feel? You definetely look better."

"I do!" You kissed his cheek and took a seat beside Aaron.

"I'm glad. I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back."

He disappeared for a minute and when he was walking down the hall, he heard some noises. He leaned against the wall, hiding himself and peeped. He couldn't believe his eyes. A pang of jealousy ran through his veins. He gulped, his heart was racing so fast that he swore it would jump out of his chest now. His stomach was sick. "It's all in my head" he thought, trying to convince himself but it was helpless.

You were sat on Aaron's thights, your hands playing with his hair as he held you. His strong arms were around your waist and his hands placed on your ass.

Warm lips pressed against yours. You were kissing as if you were the only people in the world, as if you weren't in your friend's house. You didn't care about anything except that kiss.

He pressed your body against his and a soft moan scaped your lips. He giggled and told you to be quiet so as not to be caught. Then, he continued devouring your mouth.

Joe was perplex, he didn't know what to do. He wanted to stop looking at you, but he couldn't.

When Aaron put his hands on your breasts, Joe knew it was enough. He couldn't look, it was killing him.

He came back to the bathroom, waiting for things to cool down a bit. "It started out with a kiss, they were acting. How did it end up like this?" He thought. This has gone too far.

[noviceaoiryusei]

Dance Square vol. 32 Chain of Dance ~Johnny's Jr. Shuffle Talk~ - Kansai Juniors

I want to convey what I have learned to Kansai Juniors

Koja: the contact to appear as Yamada (Ryosuke)-kun's back dancer came before the recording of "Utacon"

Imae: (an) exclusive audition

Koja: originally, there's a rumor that Kansai Juniors will be Yamada-kun's back up but I don't know if it's really true. A mail came in indicating that "there will be a rehearsal tomorrow", I thought "what should we do?". Then, we've gathered at NHK Osaka and that's how they came up with these members

Sawata: I'm surprised

Kawashita: I'm also surprised. For me, all the members are good at dancing. I'm worried that I'll be able to keep up

Imae: and remember the day before

Koja: (we) went together with Yamada-kun twice? Once Yamada-kun arrived in Osaka and once on the NHK stage

Imae: I think it's three times during the dress rehearsal? We practiced for about 5 hours on that day

Koja: speaking of which, we had introduced ourselves when Yamada-kun had arrived. Sawata who admires Yamada-kun, "Sawata who likes Yamada-kun a lot" was shaking; he said, "my mother loves Yamada-kun!"

Sawata: my mother is an avid fan of Yamada-kun, that's why she cried when she watched "UtaCon". My son and "risou no musuko" (the ideal son) we're performing together. But when I got home, (they) put out that it isn't good and said "you can dance a little better here. (laughs)

The words said by Yamada Ryosuke increased the morale of the four men

Imae: there's (also a) Yamada-kun episode. Did the three of you went on stand by? Only me and Yamada-kun we're on stand by. Then just before the performance, he tapped my shoulder and said "yoroshiku ne". (He) Became "very cool!"

Koja: when we had a one day rehearsal, Yamada-kun said "Kansai Juniors are good dancers" -- I'm so happy! Everyone's morale had increased, did it reduce the nervousness?

Imae: no, I'm still nervous. (laughs) However, I thought it was good that everyone danced happily during the production (number)

Sawata: Gaku's facial expression is good. I'm aware that I'm so nervous, it was amazing that it was a natural smile

Kawashita: thank you very much! I was worried that it might not be attracting

Imae: the camera was pulled back during the moment that Yamada-kun was taking a break, Sawata's expression is really good; it's refreshing

Kawashita: Also when Sawata-kun is about to bounce (his body) during the interlude is so good! He danced beautifully

Sawata: no, that such... thank you very much (embarrassly grinning)

Kawashita: I... admire Sawata-kun. His face is cool!

Sawata: stop, that kind of...

Kawashita: but it's just the beginning

Sawata: yes but, can't you tell anyone?

Kawashita: basically, I thought that all of the seniors we're cool. I'd say (even) Imae-kun and Koja-kun gets nervous but they can manage to do anything with composure

Sawata: Imae-kun (and) Koja-kun's experiences are different, it absolutely is. During (Nakayama) Yuma-kun's concert (Chapter 1: Utaoze! Odoroze! YOLOze! Tour / 2015), I thought they're so amazing.

Imae: Yara (Tomoyuki)-kun, the one in charge with the choreography is so amazing, he carefully looks at everyone. To be honest, once you get used to it, you can completely do it at some extent

Sawata and Kawashita: eeh!!

Imae: moreover, he teached me until I can do it, he gave each one of us an exact advise

Koja: if we don't have an experience, we will not start to borrow a studio to practice on our own. I did a lot of hard work on each movement, it takes a lot of time in one song. But when I'm told (to have a) "break" during the lesson, Yara-kun once told me that "you should stop dancing once, go take a break". Because I had that experience, now I have a lot to think about while we're rehearsing at Kansai Juniors. That feeling is not something we only have, it is conveyed to Kansai Juniors and I thought we will be stronger

Sawata: I agree. In fact, me and Gaku's generation are about dancing, there's a place we're we could improve as we are guided by Imae-kun, Koja-kun and others. I wish we could also become like that to the next generation

Kawashita: I agree, let's do our best!

I had learned a lot from various experiences

Kawashita: for me, I thought that my experiences we're increased because I'm included in Johnny's WEST-san's back up

Koja: up until now it's us but now it's Gaku and the others who takes the lead. I'm glad when the staff said "do you best!", everyone from (Johnny's) WEST also gave me a compliment

Kawashita: really? WEST-san didn't bother to rent a studio so, we had practiced a lot

Koja: actually, I have been told that I'll be on WEST's tour but, I have decided to be in Takizawa Kabuki ZERO / 2019. Sawata is joining WEST half way

Sawata: yes

Imae: I like the tour. It's really fun to go to regions. I want to go again but I've decided to be in Takizawa Kabuki, I'm relieved.

Koja: it's the first time I had a lesson and a long stay in Tokyo

Imae: I've heard lots of things from Jo and Kazuya, who had appeared before, that's why I'm prepared. I'm really motivated.

Sawata: I'm always nervous

Imae: even after the rehearsals, everyone needs to work hard. It has been strengthen lots of time, it has been changed and put together many times. Of course, I've always tried to do it properly for the audiences who pays just to watch it, I didn't show anything aside from that. There really lots of things to learn

Sawata: it's a complete show and a great stage

Imae: yup. From here on, I want to treasure each and everyone more. After all, if you do it everytime, you'll get used to it. It's good to have an allowance but, I also want to cherish my hard work

Kawashita: I've heard that kind of story from my seniors, I also wanted to grow more. There are so many great people whom I absorb good things, I wish I could do it myself

Sawata: I think there are lots of plays and songs but first, I'll focus on the dance because I feel conceited. I'll be happy if someday they'll think say "speaking of dance, it's Sawata". I'll do my best!

Koja: I have lots of things that I want to do. (You can) Call it a dance selection, I want to do this dance with this kid, I want to dance with this member and I want to make it happen. I want to improve the dance skills in Kansai Juniors as a whole, and of course, my personality. I'll do my best so that I can beat a good dancer in Tokyo Juniors.

[motleyfuckingcruee]

The Outsider (Nikki Sixx x Reader)

Chapter 5

Summary:

It's your first night on the streets of LA. You have just arrived and you have nowhere to sleep. You meet Nikki at a bar and he offers to let you stay with him. You are the outsider.

Warnings:

Language, fluff, abuse, considering smut

THE SONG THIS IS BASED OFF OF:

The Outsider

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!!!

YOU CAN READ CHAPTER FOUR HERE

COMMENT IF YOU WANT TO BE ON A TAGLIST! OR GO TO MY BIO TO ADD YOURSELF TO ONE!

//

It's been two months since the band fully formed. Vince has been great! His voice fits what Nikki is going for perfectly. You've grown close with all of them. Even Mick.

It took a bit longer to break Mick's walls down, but you managed to do it. Underneath that scary demeanor, Mick is actually an insanely sweet guy. You think of him as your brother.

Usually when Tommy and Vince would go out drinking or go to strip clubs, You, Mick, and Nikki would stay at the apartment. You would drink and just talk. You love those nights. They're the most calming.

About a month ago they decided on the name Mötley Crüe for the band. It fits them well. Four people from different backgrounds coming together to make something fucking awesome. You couldn't be more proud.

Nikki wants to have elaborate shows in the clubs, almost as if they were playing at a stadium. You're not sure how that's going to work out, but as long as they're happy.

Tonight is their first show. Nikki has been freaking out all day. He's been pacing throughout the apartment all day.

You're sitting on the couch. Your eyes follow Nikki as he paces in the living room.

"Nik." No answer. His eyes are narrowed in thought. "Nikki." Still nothing. He doesn't even glance in your direction. "NIKKI SIXX!" You yell.

His eyes finally snap up to meet yours. He raises his eyebrows, seeming annoyed that you interrupted him.

"Why are you acting like this?" You laugh. "It's not like you've never been on stage before."

He walks over and flops down on the couch. He rests his head in your lap. He stretches out his legs, causing them to hang over the side of the couch. You start running your fingers through his soft black hair.

He sighs. "I just know that this band is going to do great. We've rehearsed a lot and it sounds good, but a band has to sound good together up on stage in front of people that aren't you and Vince's chick. Otherwise, it just won't work out."

You smile reassuringly. "You guys will do great. Quit your worrying and watch a movie with me. There's still like five hours before we have to go."

He smiles. "Or we could do something else."

"Don't make me push you off this couch."

"But we haven't had sex since last night!" Nikki whines.

You laugh. "Then you can wait until after the show."

He frowns, groaning. "Alright. What movie are we watching?"

-------

Multiple hours later, you sit backstage helping all the boys with their hair and makeup. You stand in front of Tommy, teasing his hair the best you can. He said he wanted it to be big. You're trying the best you can, but Tommy's hair isn't the most cooperative. And neither is Tommy.

"Tommy, sit still or I will duct tape you to the chair," You growl, gettimg more and more frustrated at him.

You move down to do his makeup.

He smirks at you. "Sounds kinky."

"Don't hit on my girlfriend, T-Bone," Nikki nearly yells from next to you.

You don't jump. You're used to his sudden outbursts. If he hadn't have yelled at Tommy you'd think he's sick.

"Nikki calm down. Go put on your fabulous outfit," You giggle, applying Tommy's lipstick.

"How long are you going to tease me about that?" Nikki groans, walking over to his bag. He pulls out a stripped singlet, his leather pants, and these red leather thigh high boots that are absolutely gorgeous.

"You made me go buy those boots for you because you didn't want too. I'm going to tease you about it for a long time," You pause, taking step back to observe your handiwork. You grab the stuff that Nikki gave you to apply the signature marks that Nikki came up with. "And the bad part is you won't let me wear the goddamn boots." You put two lines on Tommy's left cheek. "All done," You say, leaving Tommy and walking over to your overprotective boyfriend. You wrap your arms around his neck. In return he rests his hands on your hips. You kiss him on the cheek, not wanting to smudge his lipstick. "I love you."

This causes his frown to break into a smile. "I love you too."

He leans forward to press his lips against yours. You stop him with a grin on your face. He looks at you with a sad, confused expression.

"You're going to smudge your lipstick," You say. "And I'm not going to fix it."

"Damn it!" Nikki exclaims, turning around so that he can change his clothes.

You giggle at him. Vince walks over to you, grinning deviously.

"Does that mean I can get a kiss? I don't have any makeup on yet," He says.

You only roll your eyes. "In your dreams, Neil. I'll stick to kissing my boyfriend."

"One day," Vince says. "You'll kiss me."

"I highly doubt that, Vinny."

Just then some guy sticks his head through the door. "You guys need to get on the stage now."

They all nod, rushing out the door. Tommy gives you a kiss on the cheek. Nikki glares at him for a few moments, then walks over to kiss you.

"Have fun," You say.

You can still see the nervousness in his eyes. You don't understand why. He's been on stage before. It's nothing new. You know he explained it, but it still didn't make sense.

"I will," He responds, resting his forehead against yours. "Will you be front row?"

You nod, pecking his lips. "Aren't I always? I'm your biggest fan, Sixx. I always will be."

"Is that a promise?"

You nod. You pull away from him, even though you don't want to. You start pushing him out the door.

"Get your ass out on stage."

As he looks at you, you realize that he smudged his lipstick by kissing you. Goddamn it. You totally forgot in the heat of the moment.

You walk out from backstage. You make your way to the front row, smiling when you see that you're directly in front of Nikki. Vince introduces them, looking full of energy. Tommy starts the beat, Mick and Nikki quickly following not a second later. Vince's voice reverberates off of the bar's walls.

They sound fucking epic.

About an hour later they finish up their set. Nikki came off the stage, lifting you up in his arms and spinning you around.

"How'd we do?" He asks, breathless.

"Fucking amazing!" You exclaim, kissing him.

He smiled into the kiss, putting you back down on your feet.

"Man, the girl I remember never cussed," A familiar male voice says from behind you.

You turn, meet with the same blue eyes you've been avoiding. Fucking Jared.

"What do you want?" You nearly growl.

Jared holds his hands up innocently. "I just want to talk."

You bite your lip, looking at Nikki who is on edge. He looks like if Jared even takes another step towards you, he'll rip him to pieces.

"Alright," You sigh. "Nik, you can go ahead and go to our usual table. I'll meet you and the boys in a bit."

"Bu-," He tries, but you cut him off.

"I'll be fine," You say. "Go on."

He leans down and kisses you again. You know his lipstick got on your lips again, but you didn't really care.

You smile as he says, "Yell if you need me."

You nod, watching him give one last glare to Jared, then walking off.

You let Jared lead you outside. He leans against the brick wall of the bar. You pull your cigarettes out of pocket. Jared's eyes widen as you put the stick between your lips and light it. You take a drag, waiting for him to tell you the reason he dragged you out here.

"What do you want?" You repeat.

"I wanted to know why you left," He responds, watching you smoke with an odd expression on his face. It makes you feel uncomfortable.

"I was suffocating in that town. I needed to get out, and I did," You say simply.

Jared sighs. "When did he become apart of your life?"

"The day I got here," You answer, not really wanting to give him the full story. He doesn't deserve it.

You both stand quietly as you finish your cigarette. He watched you the entire time. That suffocating feeling you felt where you were raised comes washing over you once again. Fuck.

You stomp the cigarette out. You turn to back in the bar. "Well if that's it-."

You're cut off by Jared gripping your upper arm hard. So hard you're sure it'll leave bruises.

"What the fu-."

"You're not going anywhere," Jared growls, a familiar menacing glow in his eyes.

It's something you're used to. Something you endured for years. You thought you escaped it. With Jared back, you're prepared to take the beatings once again.

Tags:

All fics: @the--blackdahlia @sugar-content @sharon6713 @siliwanoel @charlyallise

Nikki: @moon-beame @slutfor-sixx @2dead2function @horrorpxnk

This fic: @celestica-1988 @miriampraez @scarecrowmax @fandomshit6000 @freddiessmallnipples

[zealynstan]

Northshore 104.9 Interview Transcript

Unfortunately, I do not know the names of the interviewers so I figured I labeled it as Interviewer1 and so forth.

Interviewer1: ...A local artist spotlight coming up but really, we've got quite a local artist spotlight going on right now! Because we have Beverly's own Angie Miller in the studio, also known as Zealyn but we all know her as Angie.

Zealyn: Hello.

Interviewer2: Hi Angie!

Interviewer1: Hello! And also we have this on Facebook Live right now so if you happened to be in the office and you would like to also, you know, uhh... see Angie here in the studio and see what goes on behind the scenes.

Zealyn: See all your beautiful faces.

Interviewer2: Aww.

Interviewer1: You are so sweet. Yeah.

Interviewer2: So welcome! Welcome back to the Northshore.

Zealyn: Thank you.

Interviewer2: You're out in California now, right?

Zealyn: Yup, yup, lived in California for the past few years now and just umm... get out here as often as I can.

Interviewer2: Oh, that's a good answer. I would never come back.

Zealyn: I mean- Well-

Interviewer1: I mean, her mom, you see her mom, you know, your family's here, Tana's here. So yeah, and your brother.

Zealyn: Yup, yes, definitely to see family is would...

[video got cut off for some reason]

Zealyn:... And other things. Mainly family. Yeah.

Interviewer1: Of course! So, you are out on tour because you just released a new EP called A Weekend in Maine.

Zealyn: Mhm.

Interviewer1: And you're going to be doing music from that and your other hits as well tomorrow night at The Cabot, Beverly.

Zealyn: I am, yeah.

Interviewer1: I mean- Angie from Beverly at The Cabot in Beverly-

Interviewer3: How cool is that? So cool.

Interviewer1: I know. And local people opening for you as well, right?

Zealyn: Yeah, yeah. Danny Godwin and Miette Hope. She went to Berkley and now she's living in New York. But they both have lived here, still lived here and... incredible musicians. But umm... yeah, A Weekend in Maine released in just like three weeks ago and this is the tour for the EP and it's been so fun singing all the songs live.

Interviewer3: Excellent. And you wrote all these?

Zealyn: Yeah, yeah.

Interviewer3: Wow!

Zealyn: I wrote them all umm... some with co-writes like other people I loved constantly in LA, I'm just writing with new people and working with producers and just trying to stay creative as possible and find a new sound, you know, something that people haven't heard before.

Interviewer2: Now, if you don't mind, can we flashback for just a minute?

Zealyn: Ah, yeah. Of course.

Interviewer2: So you're a local girl, there's- we have tons of local people who loved to sing, who loved to perform-

Zealyn: Sure, yeah.

Interviewer2: Hopefully I think, want to make it big someday so, can you like just quickly like, what made you want to get into this? And what made you want to go, "American Idol, maybe I have a shot at that"?

Zealyn: Well, I always grew up singing, it was always like the first love of mine uhh... and I think about the age... 10 or 11- I forget the age but I remember watching an episode of American Idol when I was a little girl. And I was like, "Oh my gosh, I wanna be on the show one day." like, "I wanna be on American Idol."

Interviewer2: Wow!

Interviewer3: That's so cool. I got chills.

Zealyn: Oh yeah. It was just like one of those things that I said as a girl and my mom and I would watch it every single year, we'd vote for our fave- the whole thing.

Interviewer2: You really got into it. Watch parties, the whole night.

Zealyn: We got into it. Fully.

Interviewer3: Her mom and I did the same thing. It was such a good thing for like a mother and daughter to do and get excited about.

Zealyn: Yeah. Watch parties as in, just me and my mom with some popcorn and- yeah. *laughs*

Interviewer1: And candies.

Interviewer2: But, I just think that it's incredible because it's not impossible. You know what I mean like-

Zealyn: Yeah.

Interviewer2: You're a local girl; you're from Beverly, Massachusetts, like anyone in this area who thinks they wanna do something in the singing or performing industry. It's durable, you did it and it's like, "Don't give up on it." You know what I mean?

Zealyn: Well thanks. I mean, definitely, even after the show, I realized I knew absolutely nothing about the music industry. The industry is like crazy, it's hardcore. So much different than I thought it was.

Interviewer2: I've been in the radio industry (for) 6 years and I know nothing either. It's amazing I can push a button.

Zealyn: We just pull it off. We're making up as we go.

Interviewer1: So you make it through, I mean, I can't even imagine- I mean, we can only imagine from watching the show, what the process is like and you make it through the finals in season 12.

Zealyn: Yes.

Interviewer1: When you look back on it, is it almost seem surreal in a way?

Zealyn: Totally. In one hand, it feels like it was yesterday and like, "oh cool" and the other hand, it feels like it was another life. Like, it doesn't feel like that was me. I looked different, acted different. I was 18, you know? So it definitely feels like another lifetime ago but yeah, everything that you've seen on tv if it looks dramatic or if it looks intense, it's 10 times more than that.

Interviewer3: Really?

Zealyn: Yeah. It's like- it's a grueling process, not just for me, for the whole family. It took a toll- it takes a toll on your physical health and mental- I mean, yeah, it's quite the-

Interviewer1: So you came in third right?

Zealyn: Third, yes.

Interviwer1: Okay. So, you're on that final show?

Zealyn: Yeah, yeah. We were there til' the end. The whole process altogether from audition to the end of the tour was almost 2 years.

Interviewer1: Wow!

Zealyn: Yeah.

Interviewer1: Wow. I had no idea it was that length of time.

Zealyn: Yeah. It takes a- the audition process is six months itself and-

Interviewer3: And you go on tour with them. With the top ten?

Zealyn: Yeah. We went on tour with the top ten for 2 months but there was a whole month of rehearsals, it's a long process. That's why I- I was choosing between college or American Idol and I knew that if I did American Idol and it worked out, I was like, "Man, that would take up a lot of time." Maybe I should just be safe and go to college or... Yeah. Umm... But then it worked out.

Interviewer3: And there you are! And when did you come from- go from Angie Miller to then Zealyn? How long ago was that change?

Zealyn: Yeah, so I released an EP under Angie Miller and that's when I actually played at the Cabot last time I played all those songs. And it's still- I mean- When you're 18 and thrown on national tv and they're saying, "who are you? who are you? what's your sound?" you don't know anything. Like, I didn't know anything. So American Idol in a way created me. It chose my sound for me and my look and it chose the way I was gonna act and be perceived by America. So they did it all for me, they created Angie Miller and I just, I couldn't stand it. And I just kinda wanted to be me and it's funny that changing my name made me feel more like me. No, I didn't change it legally or anything.

Interviewer2: Yeah!

Interviewer1: Right. By using your performance name-stage name and performing.

Zealyn: Yes. It feels more genuine, it feels more- that's why- there are a few fans who are like, "Why would you not go by Angie?" but I wish people would just know and if people are listening and didn't know I went by Zealyn like, it's me. I'm Angie. It's just a stage name.

Interviewer2: Right!

Interviewer3: Mhm.

Interviewer1: But I do get what you're saying that you know-

Interviewer2: Fully.

Interviewer1: Becuase you had to obviously, use your real name on American Idol and you know, when you're talking about the fact that they- because they knew everything about you. And how do you go back to you?

Zealyn: Right.

Interviewer1: Yeah. I think it is hard.

Zealyn: Yeah, and it took- I think it was 2016 or 2015 was the year that I decided to just start creating music and thinking of changing my stage name and it was really really hard to find a name to replace your name like it's the weirdest process.

Interviewer3: Oh yeah.

Zealyn: Umm... Zealyn was the first name that I felt peace about and it felt like I could say, "Hey, my name is Zealyn." and it felt right. But yeah, Zealyn was my way of getting back to my genuine self. *laughs* Yeah.

Interviewer3: That's amazing.

Interviewer2: I love it.

Interviewer1: I love that story. So, we have a little clip of one of your new songs.

Zealyn: Yay.

Interviewer1: So, what was the title of this song?

Zealyn: This song is called Airline Wine. I umm...

Interviewer2: Very catchy. Did you help her write this?

*Interviewer3 shakes her head*

Zealyn: I went to Europe for the first time last year and umm... I had a writing session and one of the first days I was there, I was so jetlagged and I did not know what to write about. And my- yeah.

Interviewer3: I love them. I absolutely loved them.

Zealyn: And my friend who I was with had one of those little airline wine bottles.

Interivewer2: Wine cooler.

Interviewer1: Yeah, and they- I mean they come in these little mini bottles.

Zealyn: Little plastic- yeah. And she was like, "Why don't you write a song called Airline Wine?" and it totally is a joke.

Interviewer1: And you're like, "Whoa."

Zealyn: And I'm like, "Wait a second, that's kinda catchy."

Interviewer1: Alright, let's listen to a little bit of it.

*Airline Wine starts playing*

Interviewer2: Ooh, I like that.

Interviewer3: That was beautiful.

Interviewer2: Get her on the house party.

Interviewer1: Oh yeah.

Interviewer3: Absolutely.

Interviewer2: I don't know about you but I want a glass of wine now.

Interviewer1: And so this is on your new EP that is called A Weekend in Maine and it was released a few weeks ago. And you'll be performing all kinds of great music tomorrow night at the Cabot in Beverly.

Zealyn: Oh yeah. Yeah, I released two EPs under Zealyn so I'll be releasing from both those- I'll be playing a lot of music from both those EPs as well as some of the classic covers and songs that people would recognize from American Idol umm... Yeah. Just kind of doing it all.

Interviewer1: So sounds fun tomorrow night.

Interviewer2: That's right. So-

Interviewer3: A Weekend in Maine, I love that name.

Interviewer2: I love that name too! That's where all my weekends are spent with the kids. It's really just cool.

Zealyn: Same same yeah. A lot of memories.

Interviewer2: Where in Maine?

Zealyn: *to her mom* Do you remember exactly where?

Tana: Madison, Embden.

Zealyn: Madison, Embden?

Interviewer2: Okay. I was thinking of the Naples bridge, Denario.

Zealyn: Okay. I was just a little kid. I didn't pay attention to where it was.

Interviewer2: No, you're just happy to be here. Right? Running around.

Interviewer1: You're having a good time.

Zealyn: Just Maine, I loved it.

Interviewer2: So we're speaking to Zealyn a.k.a. Angie Miller as we all know her from here on the Northshore and we gotta wrap it up. We're really running late but just any final words to anyone who wants to pursue music?

Zealyn: Oh man, just love it. Enjoy the process. If you're not enjoying it, it's not worth it. But yeah just umm... don't listen to what everyone else is doing, create your own sound. Be you. Could be creative, surround yourself with creative people, I mean, yeah. You gotta enjoy it in order to last in the industry for sure.

Interviewer2: That's awesome.

Interviewer3: I love it.

Interviewer1: So let's give away a pair of tickets right now to see tomorrow night. The show starts at 8, you've got a couple of opening acts and then, Angie Miller a.k.a. Zealyn at the Cabot theater. If you are free to go, this is tomorrow night, starts at 8, call our line right now.

Interviewer3: Okay, give us a call at 1-800-370-1049. Again 1-800-370-1049, the tickets can be yours. Go see Zealyn. Angie Miller at the Cabot in Beverly tomorrow night. 1-800-370-1049.

Interviewer1: Okay. Call now to win. And this is what's in store for tomorrow night at the Cabot.

Interviewer2: Thank you so much, Angie.

Interviewer3: Thank you, Angie.

Zealyn: Thank you.

[muggle-writes]

Rules: Answer 21 questions and then tag 21 people who you want to get to know better.

tagged by @elizabethsyson

Nickname: Muggle is my nickname, but when I went by Muggle in person for more than a month at a time, it naturally got abbreviated, usually to Mugz

Zodiac: Aquarius

Last movie I saw: into the spiderverse (same answer as last time. I don't watch that many movies tbh except around Christmas. unless YouTube counts in which case... music of some sort? idk links for the next answer)

Favorite musician: changes by the day. I've kinda been in an acapella and/or folk music mood recently so the Maccabeats and Peter Hollens are in my YouTube and Spotify history a lot recently. also I'm eternally in awe of Forte Handbell Quartet (eta a longer video; i recommend skipping to the techno piece or the Jurassic Park theme)

Last thing I googled: "vine why are you buying clothes at the soup store" (my wife hasn't seen it; also i can't find the vine because apparently it's a much bigger meme than I realized). before that it was "chgrp not root" because work and group permissions are useful when they work

Song stuck in my head: well for most of the day when I haven't been actively listening to something, it's been the Pokemon RSE route-walking music. (but that somehow happens frequently when I'm in the no-music-no-internet room at work, as I was for most of the day, and I don't know how I accidentally trained my brain to make that connection). right now, surprisingly, I don't have any background music playing in my head. I think it's because the humidifier provides just enough white noise that my brain doesn't feel the need to provide its own

Other blogs: my main is @muggle-the-hat and I'm a mod on @why-do-neurotypicals but we've gotten one ask ever so that blog has been dormant for a while. I have a bunch of other sideblogs, but they're all small and I use different screen names on each of them (enby life: no idea which name suits me best so I may as well try them out) so i feel like it would just confuse things to link them.

Following: blogs matching all the themes of my sideblogs, (including this one, which is writeblr), korean langblr, jumblr, assorted fandom blogs, authors of my more favorite fanfictions (some overlap with other categories), and irl friends and acquaintances (including one fandom blog turned irl friend)

Do I get asks: on my main if at all, which isn't really surprising because i have hundreds of followers there and maybe 60 followers combined among the rest. but I get asks far less often than I reblog ask memes so... I'm always happy to get more. I do get tagged in ask games more on this one, but writeblr is actually vaguely organized about tag lists so that makes sense. also I used to get tagged a bunch on my main and I rarely could find the posts again to follow up when I had time to answer.

What I’m Wearing: pajamas. staying warm and cozy

Lucky number: I don't remember what I said last time, but I like a lot of numbers. 64 is a good number. recently I've been debugging software in which 0x3E is my lucky status number and 0x0E taunts me. (um, decimal 62 and 14). Also my other favorite number i can't share until it's no longer the combination to the lock to the Secret Room. (or realistically never because opsec and i shouldn't make public the types of parents we use for that combination lock), honestly I aim to be like.... ah, I'm sure the anecdote involves G.H. Hardy but i don't remember on which side. anyway one mathematician remarked to another about how the id number of the taxi he rode in was sadly uninteresting, and the one I aspire to be like, argued "what are you talking about, this number is interesting because ______" and I'd like to be able to do that for any arbitrary number thrown at me. (hi yes math is good, history is hard, math history is interesting yet i still forget the people even if i remember the math. except when things are named after people, but that tends to be, like, Euler and LaGrange and other people who did lots of cool science things so i remember the methods and the names of the methods separately which never helps)

Amount of sleep: ....depression both screws with my sleep schedule and means I always feel like I need more sleep except when I wake up at 5pm and feel like I've wasted the day. so yeah. I can never get enough sleep

Favorite food: yes (why do I have to pick a favorite?) uh, chocolate in most forms, many other sweet things, red meats (especially if served with potatoes), curry (especially if it has "too much" ginger), fresh-baked bread, chai the way my favorite local Indian restaurant makes it (spicier with just a little bit of sweet, which is the opposite of what i can get from the mocha machine at work which is wayyy sweet with a hint of spice but that inferior chai is still superior to coffee so i drink too much of it). also vegetables which I really don't eat enough of: sauteed zucchini and onions, roasted broccoli

Dream trip: dreaming requires creativity and tbh I funnel that mostly into my writing instead. I wouldn't mind going back to Korea for another visit though

Dream job: my current job is pretty good when I feel productive and when my debugging tools actually produce data maybe??? (they were not being helpful today. but i still mostly like my job.) dream job is probably this but with seniority and confidence and double the salary (while living in a similar area of the country; I wouldn't want to double my salary by moving to work for Google in California and having less available after rent than I do now)

Describe yourself as aesthetic things:

the smell of old books

the first glow of sunrise (the sunrise painting the mountains pink and gold)

a rainbow in the spray from a waterfall

the flicker of distant lightning (watching a thunderstorm fade into the distance)

this picture

Random fact: about me or about the world?

how about a combination answer: when we got our new handbell music this season, we only looked at half the pieces our first rehearsal and afterwards I tried to look up one of the pieces we hadn't gotten to on YouTube because it's got a weird time signature and I wanted to get a feel for how fast it would go and how strict the counting is...... except it turns out we're the first group to ever play the piece. it was commissioned recently but seeing my conductor's name on the page didn't tell me how new it was because he's super prolific. (the fact that it was on printer paper without the publisher's graphics should have been a giveaway but it's only the second time I've been among the first to play one of his pieces so I think I can be excused for not realizing)

Languages: mostly just English, but I took Spanish for years, so I can hold simple conversations in it. I can almost read sound out Hebrew fast enough to keep up in services, and I know some random Hebrew vocab but comparatively no grammar. and I took Korean in college, enough that I can recognize sentence structure but I can really only speak tourist-Korean, though I can sound anything out (if it's typed. handwriting is hit or miss.) in both Hebrew and Korean (and Spanish tbh but i don't often listen to Spanish music) I'm very proud when I can separate the words enough, listening to a song, to translate them without looking up the lyrics. also I tried to learn Japanese from Duolingo when it was new, but I still hadn't gotten the kana straight when it started progressing to kanji so that was a rough time and I went back to Hebrew.

tbh I "dabble" in "language learning" which really means I start a million courses on Duo and stick with none of them. with the notable exception of French, which I acknowledge is super common and probably a good idea to learn but the spelling and pronunciation seem so arbitrary I'm scared to look close enough to learn it properly, and I've never particularly considered starting the Duolingo course for French

I think I lost a few questions, because that's only 18 answers. whoops.

um... who to tag

@abluescarfonwaston if school hasn't drowned you in work yet and @copperscales I'm interested in both of your choices for lucky numbers especially.

... wow I'm blanking on other mutuals I haven't tagged recently. as usual lmk if you'd like to be edited in, or just answer the questions and tag me back, that's great too.