#i'm gonna do a version with Alex dancing too

[depthofpixels]

Oh, where you from? (Where you from?) Must be heaven You'd be rich if looking good was your profession Think I'm in love, 'cause you so sexy Boy, I ain't talking about you, I'm talking to my own reflection

#ts4 #the sims 4 #the sims 4 edits #ts4edits #ts4edit #if i get the energy #or if someone asks me to lol #i'm gonna do a version with Alex dancing too #alex wasn't even supposed to be in this edit #gif warning #gif

[mylucayathoughts]

Little moments that I love in Red White and Royal Blue. PART 7 (cannot stop sorry 🙈)

When Nora says how "Prince Henry is so yummy" Alex doesn't really contest Noras comment on Henrys good looks (read yumminess 😏), he just says how he is not really a good person (which he believed at that time) but that's besides the point. The important thing is that Alex seemed to be in agreement with that view 😏

When Bea snatches Nora away from Alex, you cannot tell me this wasn't intentional because like a moment ago she was telling Henry how she thinks Alex is hot and asked whether Henry met him or not. And next thing she does before Henry is about to meet Alex is take the one person Alex came to the party with away from him and make sure that person sticks with her the whole time. I see what you did there Bea 😏 and she was the most amused when Alex and Henry was having their little fight and the cake fell on them 😆

When Alex sees Henry talking so cheerfully with the cancer patient and stops to stare at them. He couldn't match his idea of Henry with this version. I love how he looks confused yet curious here.

He was observing a very oblivious Henry intently, and subconsciously he was allowing Henry to change his mind about him.

During the new years party, while dancing, Alex sees Henry sitting alone and comes running towards him and almost hits Henry's face with his 😆 (baby boy was drunk 😏) I love the energy with which he tries to lift Henry's mood up - "it's aaalll in the hips, LOOSEN UP!!", laughs with his entire face, hears his song and screams "OH MY GOD, this is the song of my childhood!!!" and says "you're dancing" and then he grabs Henrys hand and pulls him towards the dance floor. He is adorable here, always trying to keep Henry close or around.

Henry making this face when he says that his brother is completely oblivious about him being gay -

I noticed it only like a few days ago on my millionth rewatch of the movie and laughed so hard I almost fell off my bed 🤣

When Henry says that he has to belong to himself and he can only belong to someone else momentarily and Alexs first instinct is to hold his hand 🤧🤧 lt was too pure, too kind ❤️ and Henry says "not here" (and you can tell he is devastated that he couldn't let Alex take his hand) and Alex understands the sentiment immediately.

It's not like Alex didn't know where they were, plus Henry and he were just talking about Henry not being out to anyone but Bea. Alex still wanted to comfort Henry and to him, taking Henry's hand wasn't a romantic gesture, he just wanted to be supportive and make him feel better. But he understood Henry's predicament and played along.

When Alex writes to Henry "I'm out here giving my all for my mother. I cant have smut filling my inbox, corrupting my mind and bulging my pants like this! look buddy, you know I'm incorrigible, so don't incorrige me" and Henry writes "I'll behave" you can tell that Henry is trying to stifle a laugh and that he is so proud that he can make Alex feel that way 🤣 I know that it's supposed to be a written part in the movie but they had Taylor and Nicholas say these out loud and you can hear the emotions in their voices and I absolutely love Nicholas's delivery here.

My dumbass noticed something else a few days ago as well. That Alex practices speaking in front of the mirror before delivering his speeches. My boy really worked so hard to get his Texan votes 🤧

All the little scenes where Alex is shown to work in his Texas campaign perfectly capture Alex's passion for politics, his dedication to the Texan campaign, his desire to help mom with her election and his wish to do something for people. I love how this part also portrays how mature he and Henrys relationship has become. It was not about just their physical needs anymore, which is still there (obviously 😏) but they act as each others support system. The way Alex tells Henry about his fear "I'll only admit this to you and no one else..." that he is gonna let his mother down, and the way Henry reassures him 🤧 and then Henry says how his ribbon cuttings are so meaningless and how he wished he could do meaningful things like Alex. And even though Henry is not proud of it, Alex still makes sure to watch Henry's appearances. I love how sweet and kind and supportive they are to one another. And the passion with which both Nicholas and Taylor read theirs emails 🤧😭 so good!

At the V&A when they were slow dancing, you can't take your eyes off Taylor and Nicholas's hands 😍 they just keep lovingly caressing each other. It's soo beautiful to watch. They are so gentle and caring in those scenes.. Their eyes are soft, full of love 🤧 This is yet another scene where you can't possibly ask more from Taylor and Nicholas. They really went all in 👏

Their soft little smiles in this scene 😍🥺 Henry looks so relaxed and happy! They make me cry ok 🤧

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

#I know I know some of these are bigger than moments #Red white and royal blue #Rwrb #Alex x Henry #Firstprince #Alex Claremont Diaz #Prince Henry #Henry Fox #Nicholas Galitzine #Taylor Zakhar Perez #Queue

[softtransbf]

Karaoke Night

From the beginning, I knew it had to be karaoke that got me and Winn together. But I've scrapped 4 attempts and probably about 8k words to get this thing right, and I think I've finally gotten a version I'm happy with.

Warnings: anxiety attack, brief alcohol mention, brief sexual innuendo

Word Count: 2019

Summary: It's a good thing when your crush runs out of the room after you're forced to sing a romantic song in front of him, right? Right??

-----------

I leaned back in my chair and took a slow sip of my drink. I hadn’t known what to expect when Kara invited me to karaoke night at an alien dive bar, but it turned out to be a really fun time. Fortunately, Alex, James, and J’onn weren’t inexplicable vocal powerhouses like Winn, and apparently Kara, so I felt a lot more comfortable. Not that I had any intention of singing.

But, of course, as soon as I had the thought, Kara slid into the seat across from me with a smile that terrified me.

“Hey, Simon! Glad you could make it! Why are you sitting way back here? Come join us at our table!” She gestured to a table in the middle of the bar where everyone else was. Winn caught my eye and waved, and my heart did something ridiculous.

“Thanks, but I’m good here- I’m much more comfortable with a wall behind me.” 

She nodded, understanding. I expected her to go back to the other table, but instead, she waved everyone else over. They all smiled, grabbed their drinks, and headed over without a moment’s hesitation. I told myself I was just imagining Winn subtly elbowing Alex out of the way to take the seat next to me.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. “Y’all, you really didn’t need to do this. I swear, I was having a perfectly good time as it was.”

“Yeah, well, too bad,” Winn said. “No one gets left out on karaoke night, even if they want to be.” He smiled, too, and took a drink of his beer. I tried my best not to think about the phallic nature of a beer bottle.

Kara stood up. “And absolutely no one gets to get away without singing. Come on, I already put in a song for you.”

My jaw dropped. “No, hang on, wait, no. I don’t sing.”

James, sitting on the other side of me, put one hand on my shoulder. “Everyone has to. Best to get it over with- she’s not gonna let this go.” 

I thought for a second, weighing my options, then sighed. “Fine. What method of my utter humiliation did you pick?”

“You’ll see, just come on.” I stood up and let her lead me to the stage. I took the mic, and she headed back to the table.

The screen changed, and my heart stopped when I saw what song it was. How ‘Bout A Dance from Bonnie & Clyde. “How did you know I even know this song? Kara, I can’t do this.” Instead of responding to my desperate plea across the room, she gave me a thumbs-up. The music started, and I realized I wouldn’t be able to look at that area of the bar again for the rest of the song I’d listened to dozens of times, thinking about Winn.

In for a penny, in for a pound. There’s no half-assing this one. Fuck.

Thankfully, the song started off quiet, so I could focus on breathing and trying to forget where I was. As difficult as a song it was to sing well, it is one I knew like the back of my hand, so it could have been worse. As long as I avoided looking at him, I could get through it. 

For most of the song, I did. But shortly before the end of it, I couldn’t stop myself, and nothing in the world could have prepared me for what I saw. Normally, his inability to sit still also applied to where he was looking, but he was perfectly still, focused on me with an intensity I’d never seen from him before. It froze me, too, and I found myself singing the rest of the song directly to him. 

The last notes faded out, and whatever spell had fallen was broken. I turned to put the mic down, and when I turned back, Winn was gone. My heart sank and cracked. Fighting the panic attack that was starting to bubble in my chest, I walked back to the table.

I hadn’t even noticed that all of them were cheering and clapping until Alex spoke. “Simon, that was awesome! ‘I can’t sing’ my ass.”

I forced a laugh. “Thanks, but technically I said I don’t sing, not that I can’t.” I turned to Kara. “Thanks for inviting me, and including me and all that, but I really have to go. Sorry.” I ducked my head down and rushed out the door, not letting her respond. 

Maybe it’s a good thing he left. It’ll be easier to pretend that didn’t happen if I don’t see him for a while, at least until I can get a grip. I got to my car, and as I fumbled to unlock it, I heard someone walk up behind me. 

“Kara, I know you mean well, but I’m holding out against a panic attack by the slimmest of margins right now. I have to get home. I’ll call you later.”

“I’m, uh, I’m not Kara.” You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me. “Are you okay? Sorry, bad question. Can I help? Do you need a ride home?” The gentleness and care in Winn’s voice almost brought me to tears. Everything in me screamed to turn around, to look at him, but I couldn’t do it.

“I’ll be fine. I don’t live far from here, and I’ve got tools to help me get there safely. Thanks, though.” I got the car unlocked, but before I could open the door, his hand was on mine, stopping me. It was almost painful, how close behind me he was.

“If this is because I left, let me explain. I can’t let you leave like this if it’s my fault,” he whispered. I could feel his breath on the back of my neck; it took everything I had not to lean back into him.

I took a shaky breath. “I have an anxiety disorder. It’s not your fault. Please, Winn, I’ve embarrassed myself enough today. Pretend you never saw this, let me hold on to some shred of my dignity.” He moved his hand and took a few steps back.

“Embarrassed yourself? Is that why you think I left?” There was something different in his voice, but I couldn’t quite place it without the context of body language.

“If not that, why?”

“Can you look at me? You don’t have to, of course, but I’d rather say this to your face if possible.” I turned around, braced for the all too common look of pity that always came when people learned about my anxiety, but instead I was met with real understanding and compassion. He understands. I couldn’t help it; I started crying.

“Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay.” He closed the gap between us again, putting his hands on my shoulders. “I’m sorry, that can wait. Let’s get you home, okay?” 

Too overwhelmed to think, I collapsed into him, wrapping my arms around his waist and fully sobbing into his shoulder. Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled me in closer with one arm around my back at the shoulders and his other hand on the back of my head. It was the best hug I’d ever had. Then he started swaying gently from side to side and softly humming, and I’d never felt safer in my entire life. 

Before long, I stopped crying, and I noticed what he was humming- How ‘Bout A Dance. I chuckled, and he stopped moving and relaxed the hug just enough for me to be able to back up and look at him, neither of us letting go.

“Feeling better?” he asked, and I took a deep breath.

“Thanks to you, yeah. I’m sorry about breaking down like that.”

To my surprise, he smiled. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m just glad I could help.”

I felt myself smile back. “I meant it, you know. It really wasn’t your fault.”

“It kinda is, though,” he said, crinkling his nose adorably.

I shook my head. “Nope. Something I learned very early on in dealing with an anxiety disorder- it’s not anyone’s fault. Assigning fault or blame just adds more layers of shame and guilt, and it makes it so much worse. If you still want to tell me why, I’d love to hear it, but only if you want to for you, not because of me.”

He nodded, taking that in. “That makes sense. And yeah, I really do want to tell you.” He took a deep breath. “I left because if I hadn’t, I would have done something stupid like run up there and kiss you in front of everyone.”

I was quiet for a few seconds, pretending to think while I rebooted my brain. “Well, maybe that wouldn’t have been an ideal first kiss, but it certainly would have made for a good story.”

His eyebrows shot up and he started laughing. “You were having a full breakdown, like, a minute ago, and now you’re making jokes?”

“I contain multitudes, babe,” I said with a shrug. “Get used to it.” I leaned and kissed him, soft and quick. When I pulled back, I couldn’t help but giggle. “Oh my god, you’re blushing SO much. You’re so fucking cute.” That made him blush more, and he looked away and tried to get out of the hug. I didn’t let him.

“I- I am not blushing! And I’m not cute!”

“You are objectively both of those things.” 

Seeing a logical out, he all but shouted, “Ah, see, there’s your problem! Cuteness is inherently subjective! Objective cuteness doesn’t exist.”

I clicked my tongue. “In most cases, you’re right. However, in the years I’ve known and had feelings for you, I have discovered a quantitative scale of how cute you are. That scale may exist at different levels of appeal for different people, but right now, you are at the upper extreme of it.”

“Y- years?” He asked, his voice suddenly very soft.

Fuck. I looked away, embarrassed. “I- yeah. Pretty much since my first day at CatCo. I’m sorry, that probably came across as super creepy, didn’t it? I’m so sor-” my apology was cut off when he leaned forward and kissed me, deep and slow. 

I don’t know how long we stayed like that, making out in the middle of the parking lot, but eventually he pulled back. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

I pulled him into a tight hug. “Honestly, I tried. But you’re too incredible to let go of. Thank you for seeing me. And thank you for your help earlier, with the anxiety.” I took a step back, breaking the embrace. “And I guess we should thank Kara for the set-up, despite how close it came to disaster?”

“Yeah, I guess we should,” he laughed, running a hand through his hair. “She’s gonna be so smug.”

“Oh god, yeah. Should we go in and face her and everyone else now?” 

He thought for a second. “We could, or we could just take off? Go somewhere else, avoid all of their comments and opinions as long as we can?”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh thank god. I was hoping you’d say that.” I put one hand on his cheek and smiled. “Maybe we go back to my place? We could watch a movie, or talk,” I looked down at his lips and stepped towards him, “or not talk.”

Maybe I moved first, maybe he did, maybe we moved at the same time, but a heartbeat later we were kissing again, this time needy, almost desperate. Without even thinking, I put one hand into his hair and pulled lightly; the sound he made was the most beautiful thing I’d ever heard.

As quick as it started, we stopped. “Yeah, your place sounds great,” he said, completely breathless.

“Fantastic. Let’s go.” My voice wasn’t any steadier, but they were barely out before he literally ran to the other side of my car. “Like I said, so goddamn cute.”

I managed to not egregiously break any traffic laws on the way, but just barely.

#winnposting #my writing

[randomvarious]

Haddaway - "What Is Love" 1992 Eurodance / Eurohouse / Dance-Pop

It's another big one, folks. Today I'm gonna tell you the story about how this indispensable early 90s club classic that went on to largely define the Eurodance era as a whole originally came to be, and how it also ended up unexpectedly launching the career of a Trinidadian-born renaissance man by the name of Nestor Haddaway, who would go on to become an international pop superstar, largely away from American eyes.

So, the truth of the matter is that, before he'd end up moving tens of millions of units with his debut record, "What Is Love," Nestor Haddaway wasn't even really much of a singer in the first place. He had lived in America, joined the navy for a handful of years, earned a PhD in political science, and then decided to move out to Europe, where he thought he could have a chance at making it as a musician. Nestor was fond of German-made music, like Kraftwerk, and knew the country had served as a launching pad for a whole bunch of successful acts, including Donna Summer. And he also knew that, as a black man, the industry wouldn't be so quick to try to pigeonhole him into either R&B or hip hop, either, like the US had a tendency to do, because the German music industry just seemed to be more open-minded about things like that.

So, Nestor would end up in Frankfurt, in a crew with none other than Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti, a pair of guys who had previously made music with techno legend Sven Väth as the trio OFF, and then found much wider success as the producers behind Snap!, who would give the world songs like "The Power" and "Rhythm is a Dancer" in the late 80s and early 90s. You won't find Haddaway's name attached to any of their records, and if you do a Discogs search, it'll show that his first credits were as his own solo act, but he did do production and remix work with Münzing and Anzilotti, and he made good money from it too.

But while he wanted to be a successful producer on his own—and not a singing solo act—Nestor was also a lot of other things too: he was a dancer, a choreographer, an American football player in one of Europe's top leagues, and a business owner who organized fashion shows and photoshoots. And all of that seemed to keep him from being a desperate artist who'd be eager to sign a contract with anyone that'd be willing to take him on, only to be, most likely, taken advantage of later. And with that security of having his fingers in many other pies, he was able to turn down a bunch of offers he didn't like at first, before very unexpectedly starting to really find his way in Cologne, in 1992.

That was when Nestor decided to do a favor for his music partner, Alex Strasser, who, at the time, had a job at a label called Coconut Records, and was struggling to make ends meet. But a way that Nestor could help him out would be to come down to the studio and record some music. Nestor would do some stuff that he had been working on himself, and then to help out Alex, he would also record something for Coconut too. No big deal; just being a good friend, really.

But as you could probably guess, this little session turned out to be a huge deal. Coconut's co-owner, Tony Hendrik, decided to come down to the studio too, and brought with him a rough draft of a song that he and his wife, Karin van Haaren, had worked on. In fact, the two of them had already had the song in Coconut's publishing company and were just waiting for the right person to come along and sing over it. And that song was an early version of "What Is Love," and their latest candidate to front it was now none other than Nestor Haddaway.

But Hendrik had a vision for the song that he and Nestor didn't share. He wanted Nestor to sing the song in the style of Joe Cocker, who, I'd say, is pretty dang inimitable himself. So, while Nestor acknowledged that he was definitely a fan of Cocker's work, he also told Hendrik that there was no way that he was going to sing like him. Nestor had loved the work that he had done with the guys from Snap! and brought back something that was more in their vein. Hendrik wasn't too thrilled with it, telling Nestor and Strasser that what he really had wanted was a ballad, but his wife ended up convincing him to just roll with it. So, he relented.

And here's what appears to be an early iteration of what they had come up with, which was made available on YouTube only a few years ago, and seems to have one key ingredient missing from the finished product:

And this version probably would've sufficed as a solid, radio-friendly dance hit, but you'll notice that in this iteration, the organ stabs aren't nearly as full or fluid. And to get the final version, Hendrik took the song, locked himself in the studio for a full week or so, and then was able to turn that organ into something harder that the listener could happily glide on during the instrumental portions between Haddaway's verses. It was a terrific enhancement. Plus, Nestor had also supplied vocals that sounded less tender and more anguished too.

And when Nestor heard this updated version, he knew he had something unique on his hands that also had mass appeal as both a dance and pop record. Coconut offered to buy the track from him for 5,000 Deutsche marks, but he outright refused. And yet, unbelievably, when they first tried to shop it, no other label or radio station actually wanted anything to do with it at first! But a new station in Cologne was willing to implement it as a jingle, which was enough to get the ball rolling, and after getting a positive response from about a thousand DJs that they had sent it to, "What Is Love" then proceeded to catch complete fire on a global scale.

The song went to #1 in 13 countries, #2 in the UK, and almost broke the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, while hitting #9 on its corresponding dance chart too. And despite its slightly lesser showing Stateside, Saturday Night Live's Butabi brothers, who would then feature as the main characters in 1998's A Night at the Roxbury, would extend its relevance for a whole lot more years, by using it as their own theme song, which even encouraged yours truly and a friend of theirs to dress up as them for Halloween one year, which I assure you, there are no pictures of 🤫.

(I was the Will Ferrell one, btw)

Now, maybe one thing you're wondering is, "yes, the plonking organ definitely proved essential, but so did that mysterious and intermittent female vocal too! Who was that?" Well, I have absolutely no idea, but what I can tell you is where it came from, because Haddaway lifted it from a 1991 sample pack CD called Datafile One that was made for producers, DJs, programmers, and artists to use. Have a listen to track 64 and you'll hear the pair or samples that were used:

And that's pretty much it. Haddaway, who originally had no intention of being a pop star himself, had actually managed to become one on a bit of a lark, by giving the world a super catchy and versatile club banger with the first song that he'd ever apparently recorded professionally as a singer. And it was also on the heels of Germany's last massive Eurodance triumph, "Rhythm Is a Dancer," which happened to be by his friends in Snap! And while Haddaway would pretty much flame out as a one-hit wonder in the US after that, he'd still string together a bunch more singles that would resonate well in other markets, ultimately allowing him to have a long and fruitful career that he's been able to sustain to this very day. Plus, Just Blaze's sampling of "What Is Love" for Eminem and Lil Wayne's own "No Love," which ended up doing over 5 million in sales and streaming, couldn't have hurt, either, so, good thing he didn't end up selling it to Coconut for the relative pittance that they had originally offered him!

Welcome to Haddaway week.

#eurodance #euro dance #eurohouse #euro house #house #house music #dance pop #dance #dance music #electronic #electronic music #music #90s #90s music #90's #90's music #Youtube

[ofstarsandvibranium]

May I request a drabble where one of the kiddos is taking their first steps and Marc and Steven take turns encouraging them to do so? It’s an important milestone and they should both be involved somehow ☺️

The Spector-Grant Family Masterlist

You hold Alex by his hands and guide him towards Steven, "C'mon, Alex! That's my boy! Come to daddy, yeah? You can do it!" when you get close enough, you let go of his hands and Alex takes two steps before falling into Steven's arms, "Ah yeah! You did so well, Lex!" he kisses his son's head, "Can we try going back to mama, now?"

Steven stands up this time and you kneel, holding your arms open for your son, "There we go! See? Not too bad, innit? Just a few steps!" he lets go of Alex's hands and Alex takes three steps to you before landing in your arms.

"He's getting there!" you exclaim with excitement.

Steven goes back to a kneel, "Alright, one more time and we're good for the day." He opens his arms, "Come to daddy, Alex!"

Alex squeals, holding your hands as he waddles over to his daddy. You let go a little bit early and Alex goes from the halfway point to Steven.

"Look at you! Oh gosh. Okay. I know I said this was the last time, but I promise this is the last time." he turns Alex back to face you, "Head straight to mama, Lex."

Alex smiles and waddles over to you. Your eyes are tearing up at the huge milestone you're witnessing for your son. You catch Alex in your arms, hugging him tightly and kissing his head, "You did it, baby!"

"Wait, wait. I need to see this with my own eyes!" Marc exclaims as he suddenly comes to front.

You chuckle, "Marc, Steven said this was the last time."

"But I wanna see my son walk to me!" Marc exclaims with a bit of a whine.

You snort and turn Alex around, "Papa wants to see you, sweetheart."

Marc smiles at Alex, "Hey, buddy! Wanna walk over here to papa?"

Alex squeals again and waddles over to Marc. As he does so, Marc slips out a "holy shit!" and then apologizes, "Sorry! Sorry!" he then swoops Alex into his arms, "My boy can walk now! Holy cow! You're growing up way too fast, mister. You gotta slow down!" he tickles Alex's tummy and the boy bursts into a fit of laughter. Your chest warms at the sight.

___________

It's a little bit of deja vu. You and Steven are in the living room helping Luna walk back and for to one another. Alex occasionally stepping in because he wants to be a part of this milestone.

Every day, the three of you help the youngest of the family learn how to walk. It's always exciting, seeing how much she's learned and remembered.

Marc is fronting for a majority of it this time, "Alright, baby, come to papa! You've been doing so well!"

Your daughter grips Alex's hands as he helps guide her to their dad.

Luna sees it as a game. She walks back and forth to her mama and papa and it's filled with lots of smiles and laughter.

"She's a fast learner like you, buddy." Marc says as he catches Luna into his arms and looks up at his son.

"Did I learn how to walk fast too?"

"I wasn't there for a lot of it, but daddy said you were very quick to walk."

"Probably excited to join his dads in some mischief," you walk over, ruffling your son's hair, "I'm gonna grab some snacks. I think we need a break."

"Sure thing, babe!" Marc has Luna stand and he's making up some dance song that has her bouncing along.

"Lulu, dance party!" Alex shouts and begins doing his own version of dancing.

Marc chuckles, "Yeah! Show your sister those moves, bud!" He stands, hand still grasping onto Luna's and the three of them are dancing. Luna let's go of her papa's hand and stands on her own, she walks over to Alex with a yell and Alex catches her.

"Papa, you see that?!"

Marc laughed in disbelief, "I saw!" he called out for you, "Babes, Luna just walked over to Alex on her own!"

"What?! And I missed it?!" you come bolting from the kitchen, "Lemme see this!" you crouch down, "Lulu, baby, come to mama!"

Lulu smiles at you and turns away from her big brother, walking all the way over to you to then be swept into your arms.

"Oh my goodness! My babygirl can walk now!"

"Luna can walk! Luna can walk!" Alex shouted in excitement, jumping up and down, "Good job, Lulu!" He holds up his hand and Luna high fives it.

You shook your head, "You two are growing up so fast and I don't like it one bit! You need to stay my babies forever!"

#steven grant x reader #marc spector x reader

[invisibleraven]

Go in for a kiss, I hope your lips follow

One time at a party I kissed someone’s girlfriend and to make sure he wasn’t mad about it I just kissed him too...

AO3 Link!

So I saw this post on tumblr and got inspired to write it as a fic because drunk Luke so WOULD. Special thanks to @bananakarenina for... well, everything. Love you hun!

Luke had to wonder again why he was at this party, he wasn't a brother in this frat, hell, he didn't even go to university! And frat parties were notorious for cheap beer and worse music. Very much not his scene.

"Luke! Over here!"

The voice carries over the cacophony of the party, and oh yeah, there's the reason Luke is here. Julie Molina, aka the most perfect girl in the universe. Her friend Nick was a pledge here and had invited the whole group, and Luke only relented to coming when Julie confirmed she would be attending. Julie with her perfectly imperfect smile, her wicked beauty, her wrecking ball of a voice, Luke was just gone for her, and it was sincerely a problem. He shoved his way through the drunken throng until he could see the sparkle of her eyes, and he was sure his smile was this side of dopey.

“Hey Luke, you want a beer?” A cup was thrust towards him and he took it with a small nod. Reggie grinned, slinging his arm over Luke and bringing him in, Julie burrowing under his other arm.

And therein lay the other problem. Julie had a boyfriend, and well, Luke wouldn’t lie-Reggie was also the most perfect guy. Seriously, he was just so damn pretty, full of sunshine and corny jokes, and a heart big enough to fit this whole damn frat a hundred times over. Sure his love of country music was questionable, and there were some days that Luke wondered about Reggie’s train of thought, but he simply loved the guy. Thus him trying not to blush bright red as he was practically forced into a three way snuggle between his two crushes. His two crushes who were dating, were perfect for each other, and the last thing on earth that Luke wanted was to screw that up by confessing how he felt for either one of them.

Not that they would be mean about it, neither one of them had a cruel bone in their body. They would simply let him down easy, and things would be awkward for a bit, and then eventually go back to normal. Because of course, there was no way that either of them, let alone the both of them would return his feelings and allow him to trespass into their relationship. He was a high school dropout with an acoustic guitar and a dream. He wasn’t bad looking, and he was talented and ambitious enough to make it, he was sure. But when you run away from your unsupportive mother at 17, sometimes it was harder to believe that his dreams of rock stardom were achievable. Four years later, he was in much the same place, but now with his friends playing with him, doing gigs, sending their demo out to as many labels as they could. They were so close Luke could taste it, so there was definitely no way he was introducing the tension of unrequited feelings to their dynamic.

They all sipped their tepid beer while Julie cursed her composition prof who seemed to hate her, even though Luke wasn’t sure that was a possible feat and Reggie lamented the math component required to maintain his scholarship. "I mean really, it's a photography scholarship, I know we need to know angles but it's not like I'm gonna break out a protractor on a shoot!" he ranted. Luke and Julie, had of course heard some version of this rant before, but Reggie was approaching tipsy so they humoured him. They all grabbed another round of drinks, swaying together to the too loud music, but none of them felt like dancing much.

"You guys wanna find somewhere quieter?" Julie suggested, and with a nod from both boys they wandered further into the house, observing Willie killing at a beer pong game, Alex cheering him on. Kayla and Flynn were debating the latest meeting of the GSA they had attended off to the side while Carrie tried to make a trick shot during her turn. Eventually the game was over, everyone was a little bit less sober than they started, but a good time had by all.

Luke knew he had been drinking steadily since he got here, and that he should stop, but if he kept his mouth occupied, he wouldn't be tempted to break down and confess how he felt about the couple surrounding him. A foolproof plan, certainly. Except Reggie gently took the solo cup from him, laying it aside. "Think you should slow down there buddy."

"Sure thing dad," Luke retorted, trying to make grabby hands at the cup.

Julie grabbed it from Reggie and threw back the rest of it, screwing up her face as the taste assaulted her palate. "Ugh, I think I saved you from finishing that, it was pure swill."

"Pretty standard for a frat party. Or middle school parties when we stole shitty beer from our dads," Luke commented.

"Ah, those were the days, remember playing truth or dare and having to do the stupidest shit?" Reggie piped up. "Or spin the bottle?"

“Ah, back before we knew consent was a thing,” Alex snarked, “Or wouldn’t get in trouble for cheating because it was ‘just a game’.”

“Your middle school was tame then, I witnessed some epic meltdown, drag out break ups over games of spin the bottle at mine,” Willie interjected. “One of them because some girl looked too into kissing me, and no matter how much I told her boyfriend I have no interest in girls, he still ended things and she got like, super pissed at me as a result. But then at the next party he ended up having to kiss me and then admitted to her that he got it and they got back together. I think they ended up eloping right after they graduated a few years later. I should have totally called best man or person of honour for it.”

"I never really played it when I was younger. I wasn't out and didn't really want to kiss any girls, so I stayed out of it," Alex said with a shrug. "Doesn't feel like I missed much honestly."

"Well now we have to play!" Luke exclaimed, snagging an empty beer bottle from the table nearby, and everyone sat in a circle, agreeing to have a bit of nostalgic fun, with the promise that no one would get hurt feelings over a few kisses. Alex looked a bit hesitant still, but the girls conceded that he and Willie could give them cheek kisses, which worked out well, since Alex’s first spin landed him on Kayla. He blushed furiously but scooted over and pecked her cheek, then hurried back to Willie’s side in the circle.

Kayla lands on Flynn and even though Carrie is glaring daggers, she swoops in and presses a firm kiss to her lips. Flynn fans herself in an exaggerated fashion when Kayla pulls away, rolling her eyes at Carrie. Flynn then turns and smacks a kiss to the corner of her mouth. “Babe, you know you’re the only one for me. You wanna keep playing?’

Carrie lets out a sigh, and nods, then crowing with laughter as Flynn lands on her, even though the rest of them claim Flynn must have cheated somehow. The girls exchange a passionate, tongue filled kiss, with Alex looking elsewhere and Willie just giggling madly. Reggie has stripped off his flannel and Luke’s throat goes dry, his gaze directed towards the arms that Reggie had apparently been hiding behind layers of flannel and leather.

Luke manages to snag another drink while everyone is distracted, though his vision is now a bit fuzzy at the edges. Thus he’s a bit confused when he sees Willie kneeling before him, puckering his lips. He surges forward, the kiss sloppy and off centre, but still admittedly nice in Luke’s beer addled mind. Willie gives him a bitten off grin as he takes his space next to Alex once more and everyone’s gaze lands on Luke. Luke fumbles for the bottle, shaking his head once to clear it, and gives the bottle a fierce spin. Only it seems that luck isn’t on Luke’s side tonight, as the bottle spins until it lands… facing right between Julie and Reggie.

“Guess you'll have to kiss them both there Patterson,” he hears Carrie snark, and completely misses how both Julie and Reggie react with violent blushes.

Luke almost crawls over, taking Julie’s face into his hands. “This okay?" he asks, looking at her and then glancing at Reggie. They both give minute nods, and so Luke gently presses his lips to Julie’s. He swears that colours burst behind his eyelids, not even realizing he had closed his eyes, as the soft feel of Julie’s mouth invades his senses. The subtle taste of her mango chapstick and the beer they had been drinking as he lets his tongue part the seam of her lips, the small gasp she gives out before caressing his tongue with her own. It’s almost shy, not that Luke was prone to sticking his tongue down anyone’s throat, but this was a flirtation, a tentative exploration more than anything. Luke pulls back slowly, pressing one more kiss to Julie’s mouth before he retreats, slowly opening his eyes to see Julie’s are still closed. His hands drift off of her cheeks, and he’s about to take his spot again when he remembers that he’s supposed to kiss Reggie too.

Reggie is almost violently red, his face radiating warmth from his blush as Luke thumbs over his freckles. “You ready for me Reg?” Luke asks, and Reggie rolls his eyes, fisting Luke’s hair and bringing their mouths together. If Julie is soft and sweet, then Reggie is heat and fierceness. His teeth nip at Luke’s lips, a faint taste of cinnamon on Luke’s palate as their tongues swipe against one another. Fingers wind into his shaggy hair, giving the tiniest tug, and Luke hopes the sound that escapes him isn’t insanely evident of being a moan. Reggie grins into the kiss, and Luke retaliates, pressing harder, giving a small scrape of his teeth over Reggie’s tongue, causing the bassist to gasp. Luke idly wonders what both Julie and Reggie think of his kiss, but then Reggie pulls back, breathing heavily, looking wide eyed and like he’s had a revelation of some sort. Julie leans on his shoulder, grinning up at him.

“I think you liked that a little too much there corazon, but I did too. Feel free to make out with Luke anytime, as long as I get to watch.”

Reggie looked at her for a moment, then leaned down to kiss her soundly, looking almost dazed as he pulled away from her. “So who’s turn is it now?”

Luke excused himself to go to the bathroom, splashing cool water on his face after he was done. God, what had he done? He knew it was just a game, but there was no way that Julie hadn’t noticed how into both of the kisses he was, hell Reggie could probably even tell that it was no way a kiss simply for the sake of where the bottle had landed. Had he just ruined everything with a stupid throwback game? He stumbled back to the room, but instead of rejoining the circle, thumped back onto the couch, closing his eyes, and soon enough, blackness rushed in.

~

The next morning, Luke's head felt like someone had taken a mallet to it, his mouth was drier than an August day in Bel Air, and his stomach was roiling almost as much as it had the last time he had street dogs. He didn't really want to open his eyes, but the urge to pee and then promptly throw up was too strong to ignore. He barely made it to the bathroom, heaving as soon as his knees hit the linoleum floor.

Once he was sure his guts and bladder were empty, Luke stumbled to the kitchen, and glugged down half the pitcher of water he usually kept in the fridge. He ran his hands down his face, rubbing at his bleary eyes and fumbled for the painkillers before slumping onto the couch with a groan.

"Ugh, how much beer did I drinklast night?" Luke moaned to himself, grateful for the thick curtains of his living room and grabbed at his phone. It was late in the morning, but he had the day off, thankfully, but he did notice a message notification and cautiously opened his phone.

Reggie: Hey baby, just wanted to make sure you were still in the land of the living. You drank an awful lot last night and we were worried. 😘

Julie: We wanted to stay with you last night after we got you home, but I had an early shift. We'll check on you after I'm off okay? 😘

Well that answered how Luke got home, as the last thing he remembered was the frat house bathroom. But then the memories of what happened before said bathroom break came rushing back to him. Of the game of spin the bottle, of the passionate kisses he had shared with both Julie and Reggie. "Fuck."

There was no way he could play it off as being part of the game, not after he didn't go nearly as hard with the kiss he had given Willie. He could try and blame the cheap beer, but the both of them knew he wasn't a slutty drunk, so he had no real excuse for his behaviour. Worse yet was that he felt too terrible to move, and even if he didn't, Julie had his spare key, they could just come by any time and stay here until he got back. Plus those kiss emojis showed they definitely hadn't forgotten. Maybe they would just tease him and then all would be forgotten? That was the best Luke could hope for, and once he had thrown back some pain killers, let himself drift off on the couch.

The next time Luke woke up, it was to gentle fingers in his hair, and the scent of coffee nearby. He blinked open his eyes and saw Julie smiling down at him, Reggie sitting on his coffee table, a steaming take out cup beside him. "Hey superstar, how are you feeling?"

Luke sat up slowly, smacking his lips together, taking the offered coffee with a grateful smile, downing half of it without even flinching. "Pretty rough, but not as bad as this morning. Thanks for the java."

"Of course, figured you would need it since we had to carry you home last night," Reggie said.

"You'd do the same for either of us," Julie added.

Luke shyly rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling his face heat up. "About last night…"

"How much do you remember?" Reggie asked. "You drank an awful lot."

"Which we will be talking about later," Julie said. "You scared me mi vida."

"I didn't mean to scare you. I just…" Luke trailed off.

"You just?" Reggie prompted, rubbing over his back.

Luke let his face rest in his hands, words a little muffled, but clear enough. "I just wanted to forget about how I felt about you. The both of you. But then the game came and I couldn't keep it to myself anymore. Those kisses…"

"We liked them too," Julie said. "And I wasn't joking about enjoying watching you kiss Reggie."

"And I definitely didn't mind the kiss you gave either me or Julie," Reggie said. "We… We talked about last night, and we'd like to do it again. Preferably on a regular basis."

Luke looked up at them in astonishment, the sweet pink flush on Julie's cheeks evenly matched by the colouring of Reggie as his blush intensified. "Wha-what?"

"We want you to be our boyfriend Luke. If that's something you want too," Julie said.

"I want! I definitely want!" Luke exclaimed. "For so long, you have no idea!"

"I mean… we had some idea. Your heart eyes are pretty obvious, but we figured it wasn't anything serious or you would have made a move by now. We were flirting enough," Reggie stated.

Luke was about to protest that they totally had not been flirting with him, but he paused. He recalled all the touches, the smirks, the way they spoke to him that they had never spoken to anyone else but each other. Yet he had been so far into denial that he refused to see it at the time. "Man, I was so oblivious to all that. But feel free to be way more blatant about the flirting from here on out."

"So is that a yes to being our boyfriend then?" Julie asked. "Consent's important, you know."

"Also extremely sexy," Reggie added with a wink.

"I already said I wanted to, you wanna seal the deal with a kiss?" Luke said with a smirk, waggling his eyebrows.

Julie rolled her eyes at him but slid herself into his lap, gently turning Luke's face to hers, cupping his cheek and pressing their lips together softly. Luke let his eyes flutter closed, letting their mouths come together and retreat, trading kiss after kiss, Luke's senses flooding with the flavour of Julie's lipgloss, of her coffee order, of pure Julie, a taste he would love to know intimately and savour forever. Julie nipped slightly at his bottom lip, causing Luke to gasp, and she grinned as his eyes flew open.

She slid off his lap, and Reggie almost immediately took her place. He gave Luke a large smile, toothy and wide. "My turn?"

Luke didn't answer, he simply surged up to capture Reggie's mouth with his own. The kiss was a bit more playful, neither of them able to totally stop smiling as they traded kisses. It wasn’t any better or worse than Julie’s kiss, simply the essence of Reggie, sweet, deep, and more than you expected. Luke hoped that Reggie never stopped surprising him, and not only with how he kissed. A swipe of tongue, a nip of teeth, and eventually they broke apart, smiling and breathing a little heavier.

Julie fanned herself playfully, it really was scorchingly hot to watch her boyfriends make out. She snuggles into Luke's side, grasping Reggie's chin to bring him down for a short but fiery kiss, beaming when they broke apart.

"So… where are you two taking me for our first date?" Luke asked smugly. Julie and Reggie exchanged glances, and then began to smother Luke's face in kisses, heedless of the giggles the guitarist let out, too happy to even protest the sloppy nature of the smooches he was receiving. Who knew a frat party could lead to his wildest dreams coming true? Luke sent a silent bit of thanks out into the universe, and started kissing his partners back. After all they had plenty of time to plan a million and one dates, for now, he was content to waste away the afternoon until all of their mouths were swollen and red. Honestly that sounded like an awesome first date to him.

#my stuff #fanfic #writing #rukebox #peterpatterlina #julie and the phantoms

[maybeacrowdedmind]

My Top Seven Favorite Musical Moments In Shows That Aren't Musically Driven* and why (in no particular order)**

*By not musically driven I mean shows that do not have plots driven by music (i.e. Glee, Smash, etc. etc.)

**I know I said top seven, but I just mean out of the many I have seen, these seven are the ones I like the most.

Note: None of the images used are mine; they belong to various internet gods.

#1

Legacies Season 1 Episode 11: We're Gonna Need a Spotlight

Kaleb and the Vampire faction singing "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone at the Salvatore School talent show.

While the entirety of the talent show was amazing (Kaylee Bryant's singing voice, Raf's slightly awkward yet still appropriately dramatic poetry), it was Kaleb and the vampires who stole the show. Chris Lee has an incredible voice and his rendition of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" was stunning, both visually and vocally. I'm also a great lover of epic dance moves, so it was no contest.

#2

Gilmore Girls Season 7 Episode 20: Lorelai? Lorelai?

Lorelai singing "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton originally (Whitney Houston covered) at Stars Hollow karaoke to Luke, despite beginning the song as a dedication to Rory.

Lorelai and Luke may be broken up, but Lorelai's beautiful (and slightly alcohol-fueled) version of Dolly Parton's kind of cheesy yet nonetheless tender "if you love someone, set them free" ballad that was later made into an iconic cover by Whitney Houston was proof that they'd never really be over. Sure, she says she's singing it to Rory, but the moment Luke walks in and they lock eyes, everyone knows. Lauren Graham also has a good voice, and the emotion that comes through is so real, a cheesy karaoke moment becomes a heartfelt cheesy karaoke moment.

#3

Everything's Gonna Be Okay Season 1 Episode 5: West African Giant Black Millipedes

Nicholas doing a drag queen routine to Thelma Houston's disco hit "Don't Leave Me This Way" for Alex and his friends.

Okay, so I love this scene so much, because not only is it done to an incredibly fun song, it also showcases Nicholas doing something so utterly entertaining for Alex and a bunch of people he was nervous about meeting. The fact that just a few days before watching this episode I had watched an episode of Ru Paul's Drag Race where two queens had to lip sync for their lives to the very same song made the scene that much more enjoyable to watch. Nicholas looks amazing, his dance moves are to die for, and his lip syncing game is strong. I also appreciated the fact that when he did this scene, Josh Thomas committed to it. The scene is done in full, not going for a bit and then fading out before we get to see the end. Also, I know that Nicholas isn't technically singing, but it still totally counts.

#4

The Magicians Season 1 Episode 4: The World in the Walls

Quentin starting up a group sing-along to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off" to get Penny's attention in the mental hospital while under Julia and Marina's spell.

I just started watching this show after having read the first two books, and this scene was HILARIOUS! I loved that the show used a random interaction between Quentin and Penny from a previous episode and turned it into something more because usually shows ignore one-off interactions between characters. Also, Quentin singing off-key at the top of his lungs with everyone else joining in and dancing while Penny suddenly hears it in the real world was so funny and a huge break in an otherwise extremely dramatic and rather dark episode.

#5

Skam Season 2 Episode 3: Er det noe du skjuler for oss? (Are You Hiding Someone From Us?)

Noora singing Extreme's "More Than Words" on William's guitar, initially doing so to make fun of him, but quickly turning into a super sweet and romantic moment between the two.

Skam is another show I started watching recently, and Noora quickly became one of my favorite characters. Now, I'll admit, I wasn't too fond of the idea of William and Noora at first, but this scene changed my mind immediately. I'm also very into the whole "enemies to lovers" thing these two have with one another. All of the songs Noora sings in this scene are good, but "More Than Words" is the one where you really begin to see that William's feelings for Noora are not as one-sided as she says they are. Josefine Frida Petterson, who plays Noora, has an absolutely beautiful voice, and the vocalization and soft musicality throughout are stunning. This is one of my favorite scenes in this show to date, and everything about it was perfect.

#6

New Girl Season 1 Episode 1: Pilot

Coach, Schmidt, and Nick singing "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes from Dirty Dancing to Jess, who eventually joins in, after her date stands her up.

Poor Jess had just broken up with her boyfriend, moved into an apartment with three guys who have little to know emotional know-how when it comes to women, and had her first date since her breakup stand her up at a fancy restaurant. The situation was made worse by the fact that she was told to give up her table. When the boys showed up and claimed to be her boyfriends, it was sweet, but the moment they began singing "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life", they showed that they really did care about her. What makes this scene so funny is the fact that Nick (who begins it) and Coach (who joins in after Nick elbows him) don't really know the words, they're both singing different parts in different tunes at different volumes, and then Schmidt (who initially says he's not singing), comes out of nowhere belting the song with the correct words and tune. Then Jess joins in and they have a great time until the restaurant makes them leave. They head back to the apartment, watch Dirty Dancing, and show that any problem can be solved with good friends and 80s movies.

#7

Angel Season 2 Episode 11: Redefinition

Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn sing "We Are The Champions" by Queen at Caritas after Angel fires them.

Cordelia, Wesley, and Gunn had just been fired by Angel so he could kill Darla and Drusilla without their interference and the trio was at a loss for what to do next. Angel Investigations was disbanded, and none of them had any clue what to do about it. Their solution? Terribly sing Queen's "We Are The Champions" at Lorne's bar Caritas and drown their sorrows. While an extremely short scene, Cordy, Wes, and Gunn's reaction to being fired was super relatable, and you can never go wrong with Queen. They also have three very different personalities; Cordelia is snarky, has a lot of wit, and tends to be rather superficial, but she has so much heart beneath the surface, Wesley is a stuffy English professor type, and being a former Watcher means he couldn't be hip and cool if he tried, and Gunn is a hardened vampire hunter with a strong resolution and loyal to the core, who was still relatively new to the group when Angel gave them the boot. As such, seeing them all be together with arms around shoulders singing their hearts out was immensely fun to see.

Honorable Mentions:

Legacies: Alaric singing "Take Me Out To The Ball Game" terribly off-key before Kaleb and Cleo swooped in and saved the day with their improvised song.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Giles Singing "Free Bird" while playing his guitar in his home.

How I Met Your Mother: Lily and Marshall singing "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" at karaoke, effectively making up after Marshall accepts a corporate job rather than one that fits his morals.

#musical moments #top number of #legacies #kaleb hawkins #gilmore girls #lorelai gilmore #everything's gonna be okay #nicholas moss #the magicians #quentin coldwater #skam #noora saetre #new girl #jess day #nick miller #schmidt #coach #angel the series #cordelia chase #wesley wyndam pryce #charles gunn

[nyuwings]

Took me WAY too long to find good songs to recommend outside of Kpop but here you go! I hope you're doing well these days!

>.< AW ty I will drink water rn AHAH I am doing well these days!! How’s your week going Alex?

Omg okay but your taste???💓 some of these are so surprising ahzhx like it’s a rollercoaster of a playlist in the best way omg I’m gonna review under the cut dhdh

Okay so I’ve never actually listened to a lot of Frank Sinatra but I found this song so calming, it gives me christmas vibes idk why but like sitting hot cocoa, slow dancing by the fireplace yes

Ugh I love Sour, brutal’s a good one, nice and angsty, I think my favs are happier and favorite crime!!

Okay that Ariana song is going on my playlist asap, I love a lot of songs on that album but I keep collecting them one at a time, I rlly should just listen to all of it shjdh

Kinda the same with Billie like I like all the songs I’ve heard but I haven’t rlly searched her up, I liked NDA tho, the chorus is so good

Love talk YASSSSSS literally listened to it yesterday, love my wayv boys

Okay THIS is where it starts to get surprising omg literally one way to my heart is through disney- unbirthday is a classic, and I rlly love instrumentals so Sorcerer’s Apprentice?? ❤️❤️❤️ and the other two are classics as WELL bruh high school musical is so good 😩 imma slide another rec your way, I rlly love ‘so this is love’ from Cinderella, it’s got that old timey but romantic feel I just melt every time //sigh//

I could go on another long rant abt POTO but I will spare you 😂😂 legit one of my favorite musicals!! I think I could perform a one man version of it hdjd think of me is so elegant

#thank you for sharing!! ❤️❤️❤️ i love listening to new music!! #sorry it took me a bit I wanted to be able to talk abt them with you dhjd #alex🐰 #lovelies 💕

[iplaydrake]

FULL CIRCLE - CHAPTER 6 - THE RIGHT AND WRONG (AND RIGHT AGAIN) WAY TO BE A STUNNER - PART 1

Catch Up Here :

CHAPTER 5 - DRUNK HIM CAN’T GET OVER HER

Author’s Note : This story is gonna get a little dark. Talk of Suicide, Assault (both physical and sexual), Gun Violence, Blood, Swearing. Please read with caution. Positive feedback, constructive criticism, and reblogging are always welcome. I own nothing except the storyline of my MC. Everything else belongs to Pixelberry.

***** AUTHOR'S NOTE (UPDATED 5/25/22) THIS CHAPTER HAS BEEN EDITED FROM ITS ORIGINAL VERSION. (But don't worry, it's better!!!) *****

Pairing : (Eventually) Drake x MC

HUGE SHOUT OUT to @ao719 for all your help and encouragement!!! I know I am a pain in the butt but you are the best!!!

Tag List : @likethetailofacomet @carabeth @rhymesmenagerie @speedyoperarascalparty @butindeed @wannabemc2 @client-327 @jovialyouthmusic @be-still-my-aching-heart @riseandshinelittleblossom @lodberg @drakesensworld @alj4890 @rainbowsinthestorm @ao719 @andy-loves-corgis @drakewalkerisreal @whenyourheartskipsabeat @furiousherringoperatortoad @silentcoyotesong @choicesmacmakes @ladyangel70 @lady-alex-keith @notoriouscs

*****

The ball was in full swing and Remi and Liam couldn't help it as they continued sharing glances across the room, Remi occasionally making faces at him to get him to smile a little bit. She knew how hard all of this was on him so she was doing her best to lighten the mood. Maxwell spoke up as he caught her mid-face. “You know, not to sound like a big brother, but you and Liam already seem awfully close… Something you’d like to tell me?” He said with a smirk.

“Nope!” She smiled and turned her attention back to the table as their discussion continued with Bertrand, Savannah, and Lady Hana, another one of Liam's suitors that Maxwell had introduced her to. They were barely paying attention to the Herald as he announced the nobility but he caught her attention as she heard him say a name that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

“Sir Drake Walker, Duke of Valtoria”

Remi watched, stunned as Drake walked into the ballroom, clearly uncomfortable with the attention. She immediately turned to Maxwell. “WHAT?!” She whispered, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear. Everyone save for Hana looked uncomfortable as Remi waited for some type of explanation. “He’s been knighted AND made a duke?! When did that happen? Or better yet, how did that happen?”

“Uh, yeah… Long story… Let’s dance!”

“Wait, Maxwell! You're really not going to tell me?!”

“Nope!” He smiled at her as he repeated her earlier line and he held his hand out for her to take.

“Excuse me, Maxwell. If I may, I’d like to dance with Remington.” She and Maxwell shared a stunned look as Bertrand stood, extending his hand to her. She slowly put her hand in his, before he helped her stand and led her to the dance floor.

“So, uh… H-How are you enjoying the night so far?” He was clearly uncomfortable as he danced with her and she couldn’t help but smile as she watched him.

“Bertrand, you know, you don't have to dance if you don't want to... It's okay, I promise.”

“Well, I... It would have likely been Father had he been here. I thought it best that I try to fill his shoes... I'm happy to do it, Remington, I just... I apologize that it's taken me this long to... Step up, so to speak.” It was the first time in her life that he'd somewhat acknowledged his shortfall as a brother and such a simple gesture nearly brought her to tears.

“Thank you, Bertrand... That... That really means a lot to me.”

They smiled to each other, continuing their small talk until he spotted Liam over Remi's shoulder walking towards them. “I think we're about to get interrupted!” He said, a little too excited. He stepped back from her and bowed as Liam approached. “Your Majesty!”

“Duke Bertrand, I apologize, but may I cut in?”

“Oh, of course!” He smiled at Remi and hesitantly leaned in to kiss her cheek. She looked up at him, smiling back, silently thanking him again for the dance. Liam took her hand in his and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“So I need to apologize to you..” She looked up at him, not expecting him to say that. “I'm sorry about that kiss. I mean, I'm not sorry I kissed you because it was an amazing kiss, but I wasn't thinking about yours or Drake's feelings. I should have waited for the right time, I just... I wanted you to know where I stood and how I felt before you made your decision. And I know-”

“Liam?” He'd been rambling and Remi smiled at him. “It's fine. It was a great kiss, but... You were right. I need to talk to Drake. I need to sort out whatever feelings I have... or had for him and I need to find out if there's any truth to... I just... need to talk to him first. I'm so sorry if that hurts you, but I meant what I said earlier. You are so much more important to me than you could ever know and I don't want something like this to be the reason I lose you."

“I told you, Rem. You'll never lose, me... Ever! And you never need to feel like you have to apologize for making decisions regarding your life... Only you know what is right for you.” He leaned down, kissing her cheek. She smiled and laid her head against his chest, allowing herself to enjoy the moment with him.

After the song ended, he led her back to where Maxwell and Hana were standing by the table. As they all continued talking and getting to know each other, they were interrupted by another voice, this one commanding and firm.

“Well, well, well, if it isn't Remington Rose...” She immediately knew who it was and turned, shaking her head with a smirk.

“Livie Nevrakis.”

“Damn, it’s good to see you!” Olivia immediately pulled her into a hug. “I think the last time I saw you, you were 7 and following Drake around like some love-sick puppy!”

“Olivia, it's so good to see you... still have no filter.” Olivia laughed warmly and as everyone continued talking around her, Remi couldn't help it as she searched the ballroom, finally spotting him staring at her. She watched as he pushed himself away from the bar and made his way over to her, ignoring everyone else as he put his hand out for her to take.

“Lady Remington, may I?” Everyone stared; Maxwell and Liam waiting for Remi's reaction and Hana and Olivia shocked at the fact that Drake willingly wanted to dance.

She hesitated a moment before slowly placing her hand in his, instantly feeling the spark that she'd remembered from so long ago as he led her to the middle of the dance floor. Holding her close, he leaned in to whisper in her ear. “You look beautiful, Remington... and this bracelet,” He kept his eyes locked on her as he slowly lifted her hand to his mouth, kissing the inside of her wrist right above where her bracelet rested, “looks beautiful on you.” It was an incredibly intimate gesture, more so than anything they'd shared before, let alone in front of anyone and she felt her heart flutter and a blush spread across her cheeks. He smiled gently as he brought their joined hands to his chest and pressed his cheek to her temple, swaying them back and forth.

Liam was right. Any feelings she’d had from before came rushing back and she was definitely feeling different than she had just 24 hours ago. “I think we have some things to talk about, ‘Your Grace’.” She could feel him smirk against her face as she baited him, but his response surprised her. “Just wait, Remington? I know we need to talk and I promise we will but… I’m finally holding you the way I’ve wanted to for the last 6 years and it’s better than I could’ve ever imagined. So please? Don’t say anything. Not yet. Let’s just have this moment for a little bit longer and pretend everything’s the way it should have been all this time.” She nodded, unable to help but feel, herself, as she moved her hand up to the back of his neck, gently running her fingers through his hair. He held her into the next song, letting out a deep sigh as if he could finally breathe, before whispering in her ear, “Go ahead.”

She pulled back to meet his eyes, feeling like she’d been in a daze for a few moments as she slowly understood his words. “I’m sure that you have some questions about what I said to you yesterday, but if you don’t mind, can I ask you one first?”

“Of course. You used to know that you could always ask me anything.”

“H-How did you know? About the bracelet, I mean?”

“You told me-”

“No... I just told you that I saw a bracelet in Paris. I told you nothing about it...” He stared at her debating on whether or not to share that story. As he looked in her eyes, he knew he could never deny her anything so he started from the beginning.

*** FLASHBACK ***

He couldn't help but feel nervous as he walked towards Duke Barthelemy's study. He knew he wasn't prepared to answer any questions about his relationship with Remi, but he also knew how excited she was about that bracelet and he would have done anything to make sure that smile stayed on her face. So he put his feelings aside as he knocked on the door.

“Your Grace? May I have a word?”

“Mr. Walker... What can I do for you?"

“It's about Lady Remington's birthday present. She'd mentioned something about a bracelet she saw in Paris. If you had already gotten it for her, I just was wondering if there were earrings or something-”

“I've already told Remington I wouldn't be getting it for her. It's far too much money for something so simple.” 

“I understand, Sir, but this is her birthday, and I know how excited she was-” 

“My answer is final.”

Drake took a deep breath and stood up straight before he spoke again. “Very well, your Grace... Could you possibly tell me what the bracelet looked like? I'd like to get it for her.”

He looked up at Drake, eyeing him carefully. “I don't think you could afford it, son.”

Drake was mad, but he did his best to keep his feelings in check. “All due respect Sir, but that's not something you need to worry about.”

*** END OF FLASHBACK ***

“You... You asked my dad? But why?”

“You know why, Rem. I would have done anything to make you happy.” He saw Kiara coming up behind Remi and spoke quickly, hoping to get out before she could interrupt them. “I... Can we go somewhere... To talk, just us?” She turned, seeing Kiara too, and nodded, letting him lead her out of the ballroom and onto the balcony. He turned quickly, keeping her hand in his, as he stared down at her. “Why? I don't get it. I don't get why you would ever think that of me.”

“Drake, I... That night-” She could feel her tears welling up again as she stared at him. “I called out to you... For help. You didn't come. You didn't come, Drake."

"Remi, I swear if I'd known-"

"They told me you were guarding the door...”

“Who? Who told you that?”

She pulled her hand out of his and walked past him to the stone ledge, leaning on her arms as she stared out over the grounds. “It doesn't matter anymore-”

“The hell it doesn't! You have to tell me! Tell me so I can prove to you it's not true! That it was never true.”

“Drake, no... I don't- I just- I didn't know what to think at the time.”

“Yes, you did! You did, Remington! You knew me! Probably better than anyone else! You can't honestly believe that what we were to each other- That I would ever do anything to hurt you.”

She could feel the panic rising in her chest, the feelings from that night choking her. “I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore.” She turned and as she walked past him, he reached out to grab her wrist, hoping to stop her from leaving. “No Remi, please talk to me! I need-” She yanked it out of his grasp once again. "What, Drake?! What do you need? Do you need me to tell you about the absolutely vile things they did to me that night, or how much it actually destroyed me? About the text messages so disgusting that I had to change my number... Twice? What about when I told my parents I would kill myself if they didn't send me away? That was a fun one! Or how about the night I actually tried? Come on, Drake, tell me... What will make YOU feel better?”

Drake felt like someone had punched him with her revelations. “Remington, I-”

“You didn't come for me!” He stopped as she yelled at him. “I screamed your name, over and over and you never came! And then I was leaving and you still didn't come! Was Kiara that much more important?... You never even tried-” 

“I did try!” He instantly felt bad as he yelled back at her, but he needed to do this. For the last 6 years, he needed nothing except for her to know. “I was desperate! I begged Maxwell to tell me where you were! I searched for you for 3 months before I went so far as to have Bastien try to find you and when he told me you were in New York, I started packing without a second thought. But he told me to leave you alone, that he had people watching you, making sure you were okay. I fought with him, physically, but he just kept telling me that you had already been through enough and you just needed time to yourself.” Her eyes went wide with fear as she briefly wondered if Bastien told him what had happened. He saw the look in her eyes and calmed down. “And you're right... I was with Kiara. For 3 days, I did nothing but yell at her, trying to get her to tell me what they'd done to you. And then, I ended things with her... For good!" He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I- That was the biggest mistake I've ever made, Remington. That I didn't come to you the minute Maxwell called me. And I've regretted it every day since and probably will for the rest of my damn life! No one in my life has ever meant more to me than you do and I-” 

He stopped himself before he could go any further and they stood there, staring at each other, the silence between them deafening.

Want to continue? Click below for the next chapter :

CHAPTER 6 - THE RIGHT AND WRONG (AND RIGHT AGAIN) WAY TO BE A STUNNER - PART 2

#choices #choices the royal romance #the royal romance fanfic #drake walker #drake x mc #fanfic #choices fanfic #fandom #Liam Rys #liam rhys #maxwell beaumont #trr #au

[i-am-a-blue-dragon]

If I'm doing all the music asks, so are you. I CHALLENGE THEE.

It has been a calendar year since you sent me this.  SORRY.  You know I’ve been busy.  @groovyaviator also asked me Daft Punk, Fall Out Boy, and Led Zeppelin.  Let’s do this.

- Alabama Shakes: Favorite female lead? Aurora.

- Arctic Monkeys: Favorite male lead? Chris Martin.

- Ben Howard: An album that reminds you of your favorite season? Aurora’s All My Demons Greeting Me as a Friend, because it reminds me of when of that moment in late October when you realize winter is on its way.  But I’m also a fan of our weather right now, so for that I would assign Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto.  And I’ve also come to favor the weather around my birthday midsummer, and for that I’d assign The Golden Age by Woodkid.

- Bon Iver: An album you could listen to on repeat for years? Coldplay’s X&Y. Regina Spektor’s Far, as well as What We Saw from the Cheap Seats.  alt-J’s entire discography. The How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack by John Powell.  The soundtrack to Jane Eyre by Dario Marianelli.  The Golden Age by Woodkid.

- Bastille: A song that brings back bad memories? Already Over by Red.  Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood.  The Ballad of John Hurt by alt-J, but the memory is more bittersweet than bad.  Yes by Coldplay, tied closely with Two Birds by Regina Spektor.

- The Beatles: An artist you think is overrated? Ed Sheeran.

- Coldplay: A band you used to love but never listen to anymore? Coldplay, right now!  I still love them very much but I’ve been listening to a lot of other stuff.  Also, Linkin Park, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, Evanescence… I went through a phase.

- Daft Punk: Favorite instrumental (no vocals) song? The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman.  It also is my favorite song, but specifically the composer’s cut version.

- Dawes: A genre of music you absolutely cannot stand? I really have a hard time with country.  I’m sorry, Becca.

- Electric Light Orchestra: Favorite song to help you cheer up? I have a 75 song playlist of these, my dude.  Rasputin by Boney M. reminds me of a ridiculous time in high school and never fails to make me smile, but most of the time my go-to is Everything’s Not Lost by Coldplay.

- Elliot Smith: Favorite song to listen to when you’re sad? I tend not to listen to a lot of music when I’m sad… but maybe the cover of Where Is My Mind by Bandit.

- Evanesence: Ever done drugs and listened to music? Lol no.

- Fun.: Put your music on shuffle and list the first three. Whatever happens, I blame Spotify: 1) Dust by Hans Zimmer (Interstellar soundtrack), 2) The Kill Ring by John Powell (How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack), 3) Daddy Issues by The Neighbourhood.  I only can recall listening to the middle one because I have a habit of saving albums to listen to later.

- Fall Out Boy: First album you fell in love with? Vocal: Linkin Park’s Meteora. Instrumental: John Williams’s soundtrack for Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

- Green Day: A song that makes you feel rebellious? Boss Ass Bitch by PTAF!

- George Ezra: A song that reminds you of a past lover? I don’t really have any of those, but you can refer to the bad memory response because it’s basically the same list.

- Genesis: A band that your parents always played when you were little? The Rolling Stones, because if it’s parents plural my dad is the automatic DJ and he plays classic rock exclusively.

- Hozier: Favorite brand new artist? How new is new?  Brand new to me right now are Tom Odell and Glass Animals but both have been at it since 2012.

- Iron & Wine?: What song would you want to be played at your wedding?“ Sleeping At Last did a cover of The Proclaimer’s I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) that I absolutely fucking love.  But I would rather do an upbeat surprise choreographed dance number for my first dance because I don’t know how I feel about sharing an intimate moment with my new spouse in front of all those people.

- Imagine Dragons: What song would you want played at your funeral? At the beginning?  Talk by Coldplay.  At the end, The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman.

- Jack Johnson: A song you heard in a movie and fell in love with? Hans Zimmer’s song Time off of the Inception soundtrack.

- Joy Division: Your least favorite album by your favorite band? Ghost Stories by Coldplay because it’s sad and boring.  Probably also their newest album but I’ve refused to sit through all of it so I don’t know.

- The Killers: Name your top three songs of all time. So many repeating answers tonight! The Heart Asks Pleasure First by Michael Nyman; Talk by Coldplay; Aurora’s cover of Nature Boy.

- Linkin Park: Suggest a band you think I might like. @beccathevampyreslayer I think you’d really enjoy How to be a Human Being by Glass Animals because it’s equal parts dark and upbeat. @groovyaviator, listen to The Golden Age by Woodkid.  Becca can tell you that I’ve loved that album for years because the artist is also a director and intentionally writes his music to make listeners feel like the hero of a film.

- Led Zeppelin: Favorite album art? HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHOOSE.  The Golden Age by Woodkid.  Literally any art featured on an album or EP for Sleeping At Last.  The Resistance by Muse.  Any artwork featured in EPs or albums by Fleet Foxes.  Light & Gold by Eric Whitacre (if one is looking to buy a print for me I’d go with this one).  Parachutes by Coldplay.  The Lateness Of The Hour by Alex Clare.  Anything used by Foster The People.

- Muse: Craziest music video you’ve ever seen? Nothing will ever beat the Turn Down For What music video.

- Mumford & Sons: Favorite cover version of a song you love? Any iteration of Nature Boy by Nat King Cole but especially Aurora’s version.  The same can probably also be said for The Sound of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel, but nothing beats the original.

- The National: A song you sing in the shower? (I Won’t Say) I’m in Love from Hercules!

- Nathaniel Rateliff: A song that never fails to make you emotional? Laughing With by Regina Spektor has like a 50% chance of making me cry, as does Coming Back Around off the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack.

- One Direction: Backstreet Boys or NSYNC? I liked both!  I think when I was younger I favored NSYNC, but boy bands aren’t really my mode of choice for experiencing ‘90s nostalgia.

- Pink Floyd: You can go back in time to see any band you want. Who would it be? Coldplay when they were touring for X&Y.  Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite as its debut.

- Queen: You can meet any band member, living or dead, and hang out with them for 24 hours. Who would it be? Eric Whitacre, who I have met before but definitely didn’t hang out with.  He’s a hero of mine because he kind of walked into his hometown university, picked up music super late, and went on to redefine classical music.  He was driven by passion, and his lack of early training really shows in the innovation in his work - the man draws PICTURES of his music before even trying to write down notes.  And he collaborates with all manner of interesting people, pulling source material from really unconventional places.  I’ve been contemplating a major change in life paths for the last year or so and it’s always very heartening to see someone do the same, and especially by sheer force of will.

- Radiohead: Favorite concert you’ve ever been to (or a band you want to see live). I saw Aurora live in November and she changed my life.  Marina and the Diamonds was incredible and so was her opening act, Christine and the Queens, who I also love.  Regina Spektor was so good live too.  And seeing Ke$ha last fall was just a lot of fun.  I regret not going to see Coldplay a lot sooner because I’d love to see them in general but I don’t like most of their newest music and I’d really rather hear stuff from Mylo Xyloto and earlier.

- Rihanna: A musician you respect, even if you might not like their music? I don’t really listen to Demi Lovato but I have mad respect for everything she advocates for.

- Roo Panes: Favorite acoustic version of a song? Aurora’s acoustic version of Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1).  It’s haunting.

- Simon & Garfunkel: Favorite album movie? (Ex. Yellow Submarine, The Wall, Help!, The Graduate) Kill me later but I don’t think I have ever seen one in its entirety.  I think I watched Help! with Becca, though.

- Skrillex: What’s the strangest song you have on your iPod right now? Rasputin by Boney M. and Chaccaron Maccaron by El Mundo.

- Tame Impala: A band none of your friends listen to? Aurora, Christine and the Queens, Tom Odell.  Becca introduced me to the last one but she doesn’t listen to his discography actively.

- Taylor Swift: Name that one artist that literally makes you so angry you’re willing to throw the damn radio right out the window to make it stop. I’ll never be over the travesty of Robin Thicke.  One of my favorite members of being a community advisor was our end of the year celebratory dinner, when the DJ started this song and the whole room stopped dancing and stared and him and I called over, “Please just change the song.”  Rape culture is bad, kids.

- U2: A song or album that somehow got onto your iPod but you have no idea where it came from??? Weird. Probably some random movie soundtrack.

- The Vaccines: What are your favorite lyrics? Quote them for me. Do they mean something special to you? “Are you lost or incomplete? Do you feel like a puzzle, you can’t your missing piece?” “Are you what you want to be?” “Is this the life you’ve been waiting for?” “Good is better than perfect, scrub ‘til your fingers are bleeding.  And I’m crying for things that I tell others to do without crying.” “I want to love you but I don’t know how.” “Are you getting stronger or is time shifting weight?” “Potentially lovely, perpetually human, suspended and open…” “You can’t pin me down!”  You might sense a theme here.  I think I do.

- Vampire Weekend: A band or artist you follow on Twitter? No Twitter for me, but if I did it’d be Eric Whitacre because his fans send him good music memes and he shares the best of them.

- Vance Joy: An artist where you can never tell what the hell they’re singing? Chevelle and George Ezra.

- Weezer: Favorite old school band? Simon & Garfunkel.

- The xx: A genre/band you’ve been getting into that you never thought you would enjoy? Synthpop.

#long post #hannah replies #about me #music #this was a fun way to procrastinate #my posts