|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 10, 2023 2:58:31 GMT
"Finally getting into something a little more mainstream," Bella replied. "Olivia Rodrigo. Most of her songs are about break ups, but they're catchy and her other stuff is super relatable." Bella must have listened to Jealousy, Jealousy on repeat when she'd first heard it. The lyrics describing someone envying the popular kids, feeling left behind because they weren't like them, their insecurities taking over. Bella could still feel that sometimes, although Utena would always tell her that she was more capable than she thought.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 10, 2023 3:21:49 GMT
“She is talented, I’ll give you that. I’d be lying if I said that good 4 U doesn’t get in my head every so often.” He had found the song simply out of curiosity. Zuko normally didn’t seek out that stile, but something about the song hit home. Maybe the fact that every time he heard his mother’s super name come up, the bitter sting - not just from the burn she literally left on him - of her impact on him was still there. He had walked away from her and she just acted like nothing had happened. Probably didn’t want her “perfect” hero look to be damaged.
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 13, 2023 1:11:07 GMT
"Really? You like that one?" Bella asked. Zuko didn't seem like the type of guy who'd listen to that kind of stuff. Then again, Bella herself had been known to stray into some harder sounding stuff every now and then. Heck, some of her favorite musicals strayed into pretty hard rock territory, electric guitars and all. She could never do screamo though. She sounded dumb every time she tried.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 13, 2023 1:23:18 GMT
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. Truth be told, he would have given music like that no more than a passing glance. But every so often, something good did come from the genre. “Yeah, well, it came on in here one day and it just sort of stuck. Haven’t really given any of her other songs a shot. She’s not my type. I’m more of an alt rock person.”
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 16, 2023 0:03:22 GMT
Zuko seemed a bit embarrassed to admit it, but Bella felt like everyone should be proud of their music tastes, even if it was stuff she didn't like. Heck, country and rap probably did for some people what pop and musicals did for her. She sipped her drink as Zuko mentioned liking alternative rock. "I like that genre. Harder than pop, but not too heavy." She could play music like that at a family gathering and not get weird looks, unlike the time she'd hooked her phone up to the Siri speaker and had blasted Phantom of the Opera for an hour.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 16, 2023 4:02:43 GMT
"Exactly. It's kind of a nice balance of the styles." Also it was easy to introduce people to certain bands in the field. Pop was start of leaning into borrowing elements be it a hard riff or very sentimental lyrics when being sung. While he couldn't say he was the best singer when it came to that style, he could admit it was also very easy to catch on to as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 19, 2023 0:52:43 GMT
Bella smiled, glad that Zuko agreed with her. It was always nice to find people who had some similar opinions like hers when it came to music. It was such an important part of her life. It was her release, her stress reliever, even if singing in front of other people still nerve wracked her sometimes. Although the subject of music brought her to ask something else. "So are they blaring Christmas music in here most of the time now?" she asked. For the moment, it sounded like some generic stuff was on, but she knew every other store in town was playing Christmas stuff on repeat.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 19, 2023 5:47:53 GMT
Zuko visibly cringed. Welp, she hit the nail on the head. The holiday stuff had started playing the minute the place reopened on Black Friday, and it wouldn’t stop until at least New Year’s Eve. All that was missing was the tip jar whenever Mariah’s infamous anthem played and everyone would beg for it to stop by throwing in money. “Yeah, pretty much. At least it’s not on a loop.”
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 20, 2023 1:17:46 GMT
"That's good. As much as I love them, I'm usually glad by the time the radio goes back to playing the regular stuff," Bella replied. She'd always had a soft spot for Christmas carols, especially the romantic ones. She'd always fantasized about her and her perfect guy ice skating together, kissing under mistletoe, getting cozy in front of a fire. Her thoughts screeched to a halt though, and she suddenly felt embarrassed about thinking about that kind of thing when Zuko was right next to her. Her face turning red, she hurriedly sipped more of her drink, thankful he couldn't read minds.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 20, 2023 5:48:10 GMT
“Yeah. Same.” If any of those songs became mainstream after the holidays, Zuko would deliberately burn every drop of hot chocolate in town. Of course, that meant no rich coziness to enjoy . He liked hot chocolate, especially with a dash of chile powder. Maybe he’d whip that up later. But right now, sitting and talking with Bella was the present. When he glanced back at her, he saw her avoiding his gaze, and her cheeks were red. She had been shy, but now she looked enchanted by whatever was going on in her head. He tilted his head. “What’s on your mind?”
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 24, 2023 2:53:44 GMT
Shit. Zuko had noticed her spacing out. Bella coughed for a second, trying to come up with something that wouldn't be as embarrassing as the truth. "Just that...uh..." Okay, maybe a little bit of the truth wouldn't be so bad. "I guess...Christmas has always felt like a romantic holiday to me. I mean, I know there's Valentine's Day and stuff, but couples seem to really go out during this time of year too." She stopped for a second, blushing again as she said "Sorry, that's kinda dumb, huh?"
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 25, 2023 14:40:25 GMT
Bella came back to him, coughing and looking a teensy bit cluster. Zuko had to admit, there was something kind of adorable about her looking a teensy bit ruffled. Utena probably teased her about it a lot. She said her thoughts were about the romantic part of the holiday, and he gave a thoughtful hum. “Yeah, I can see how some couples take advantage of the holidays.” He had seen it here. The argument of who pays for the holiday drinks. The blush as they held hands or brushed fingers over cups. The sharing of the drinks like they were in a 50’s ice cream parlor. Zuko never had a romantic partner. Frankly, he didn’t deserve one, messed up as he was.
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 26, 2023 23:13:38 GMT
Either Zuko didn't notice Bella's flustered response or he didn't bring it up. Either way, she was grateful. "I guess that makes your manager happy," she commented. Couples probably brought in a lot of business. Her mom went through with the same thing with her plant shop. Once Valentine's Day rolled around, everyone wanted bouquets for their sweethearts. Or corsages for their prom dates. It was hectic, but her mom liked all the profit it brought in.
|
|
|
|
Post by zuyuri on Jan 27, 2023 13:47:23 GMT
“I mean,” Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, “it depends on the couple. He won’t put up with rudeness or too much affection. Good tips don’t hurt either.” Just be a decent person, was that too much to ask? All Zuko could do was glare at a couple and ask as politely as possible for them to leave. He lowered his arm and began tracing little patterns with the condensation leftover from a glass. “What’s your take on PDA and all that?”
|
|
|
|
Post by angelofmusic1992 on Jan 29, 2023 22:20:49 GMT
"That's good," Bella said. She appreciated managers that would stick up for their employees. Too often, she'd seen them side with a rude customer to avoid conflict. While she hadn't worked in customer service, she'd been on the receiving end of some rude people, and she always felt thankful when someone stepped in to help, usually her sister. She mulled over Zuko's PDA question for a moment. "I mean...yeah, maybe they should keep some of that a little private. But it's cute sometimes seeing two people holding hands or giving gifts to each other." She sipped her drink. "Maybe it's just a girl thing. I don't know."
|
|
