messenger for composer

"Better not be," Andy told her with a raise of a brow, his tone playfully stern. If it had been a business dinner he'd have expected a lot more out of it. "If I find you'd dragged me away from rehearsals and for a business dinner without telling me, there'd be hell to pay." He was teasing, of course, but seeing as it was the last week of rehearsals, it was important. "DJing? Okay, you have to tell me more about that," he chuckled. "What's put that idea in your head?"

"i promise you, it's not." claire wouldn't press andy any more than she had on the subject. the woman had expressed her interest and knew it was enough for her to put 'feelers' out to see how it would be received or if there would be a chance for people to collaborate with her; her collaborating on an a24 movie was the last thing she'd seen herself doing but she'd done it years ago. "well-" the woman started, taking a breath. "aren't djs just composers at the end of the day? arranging but bringing different elements in themselves through technology? most of them aren't composers but i can do it, so..." claire shrugged and reached for her glass. "i'm being ridiculous, right?"

cole had all day to stand there and stare at that guitar, and that’s what she intended on doing. granted she could just make the purchase and overthink it later, but where was the fun in that? currently she was stood with a goofy grin on her features, as if she was were flirting with levi or playing a joke on her siblings. but she wasn’t doing either of those things, and as she heard a voice sound beside her, cole took the opportunity to break her longing stare. “i play already, yeah. have for quite a while, actually, but i’m currently trying to justify another instrument that will barely get touched. i’m just…too busy to play.”

"oh, that's brilliant." claire admired musicians and even though she was successful in multiple fields, she'd feel like a phony because her herself didn't play an instrument - she understood them but couldn't play and that statement hit too close to her personal life. "how long have you been playing? as i said, i'm not familiar with the guitar but think it's a great instrument to learn. perhaps i should try and see what happens." it wouldn't be her first choice but it seemed relatively accessible and she knew music as it was. "too busy to play? not sure about that. it could be something you use to relax in an evening, even something to entertain guests with, i don't know. just always admired people who can play something. i know theory and could play the right keys on a piano but ask me to actually play and... it's a no-go. don't quote me on that." the woman chuckled.

"oh, that's brilliant." claire admired musicians and even though she was successful in multiple fields, she'd feel like a phony because her herself didn't play an instrument - she understood them but couldn't play and that statement hit too close to her personal life. "how long have you been playing? as i said, i'm not familiar with the guitar but think it's a great instrument to learn. perhaps i should try and see what happens." it wouldn't be her first choice but it seemed relatively accessible and she knew music as it was. "too busy to play? not sure about that. it could be something you use to relax in an evening, even something to entertain guests with, i don't know. just always admired people who can play something. i know theory and could play the right keys on a piano but ask me to actually play and... it's a no-go. don't quote me on that." the woman chuckled.

whenever marina was giving someone company, she ALWAYS made sure to sit next to them. she doesn’t know why but it was a way to say: you’re not alone. in the corner of her eye, she had a hint that something or someone was bothering claire, but she hadn’t seen the tears yet. at this point, marina mindlessly scrolled through her phone and only looked up when claire spat and forcefully placed the phone on the coffee table and took that as a signal to take a look... so she did. softly grabbing claire’s phone, having a look-see, and not a single word escaped from her mouth yet. that shithead, she thought. “honey,” marina whispered, “if i could do anything for you right now, what would it be?” this was quite possibly a failed attempt to make her think of something else.

he had got what he had 'wanted'. seeing that photograph of the three of them on her feed without warning made her see red but hurt quickly followed. "he could have just-" the man didn't even tell her the truth when they were married so she felt she was foolish to thing he'd give her the courtesy of telling her when he was going public with it. straightening her back with her hands making their way to her thighs, claire shook her head before standing up. "i blew it." begging him not to leave, to come up with solutions for them to get past it wasn't her weakest moment and she had thought she'd been over it until she'd seen that photograph. "and people are coming to my messages and texting me about it, that they had no idea, if i'm okay and i don't want to deal with it." leaning against the counter, claire shook her head once more. "it's a fucking shit show and it's got to me." that was the second time she'd admitted it to anyone, that the situation was causing her a lot more hurt than she was letting on. "you can't do anything. it's out there, now."

"facebook is great for gathering time wasters, sure. i thought i'd go the traditional route before posting. besides, nobody really uses facebook anymore anyway. instagram, maybe. twitter." such a comment shone a blaring light upon their difference in age. jaden tore a strip of tape with his teeth, tacking down the flyer with the help of the other—that slight twinge of an accent, hidden beneath her masquerade, caused his nose to scrunch in recognition. "you from up north too?" he questioned, once the paper was securely stuck down. "i should've known. there's something about northerners that londoners just don't have. it took me longer to adjust to the harsh stares on the tube than anything else." perhaps, one day, when his daughter was older and they had enough money for the big move, they would venture further up the country. for the time being, though, notting hill would do fine.

"people move on that fast?" social media was never something she personally wanted to get involved with on a business scale, therefore she employed someone else to do it for her. however, she'd recently been spending a lot of time looking through her new ex-husband's feed, at his brand new family that he seemed to have had in a flash and just leave her without any repercussions - he'd given her the penthouse on south bank, willingly, without question to keep it amicable and she only got more when it was done. her mind wandered for a moment but then eyes widened at the north comment. "well, you know, my accent's evolved over time." that was a lie - she'd adopted it to 'fit in' because of the prejudice that came with it. "but, yes. yorkshire." her voice was low, as if someone passing by actually cared about where the woman was from. "i can't really take the tube anymore but i know what you're talking about." from what she remembered, it wasn't a londoner who'd helped her when she desperately needed it one morning.

Christian had been busy making drinks at the very end of the counter when he heard the voice and glanced up at the order, his smile bright. "Yeah?" he queried, his hands moving deftly across the coffee machine as he worked on the next order. "I can make you up another," he added. "What was it you ordered?" A pause, and then, "Did you want that, too?"

looking at the barista with wide eyes, they narrowed once his infectious smile caught on. "it was, um, an iced americano. boring but trustworthy." it felt too warm for her to enjoy a warm beverage but she'd get that the wrong way round anyways. "thank you so much." it was a relief that it could be fixed so easily, making sure claire didn't go into a tailspin over coffee. "oh, that?" she pointed towards it. "no, thank you. i don't drink any drinks with cream on the top else it feels like dessert." the woman chuckled.

"We did say that," was Andy's response as he reached for the glass of wine in front of him. " But I had a feeling it wouldn't last." There were too many evenings that passed by where work didn't come up for some reason or another. Some would either be asking him how it was going or finding a way to get their name out there somewhere, he was beyond used to it now of course. "Obsessive you say?" he questioned, a grin crossing his features, eyes creasing at the corners. "I'm sure I can look into it, though, see what's going on."

the more she talked about work, the less likely she was to trip up and mention her relationship coming to an end. it was only a matter of time until it was known by more people but claire hadn't even stopped to accept that possibility. her personal life was kept quiet for privacy reasons and she wasn't one to broadcast major happenings, just when she'd won an award she was quite proud of - her social media executive would do the rest. "i'm not asking you to find me work, by the way. sorry, that was quite insensitive. this isn't a business meal or anything." she needed to reassure andy that was the case. "i'm also considering trying out a bit of djing but that sounds more like mid-life crisis as opposed to a new career venture." the woman chuckled at herself.

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 their name to an A24 film a few years back, they certainly hadn't expected to be introduced to Claire Baudelaire Mcclain. The woman had followed her work, but she didn't believe she had seen a single horror film on her list of credits. However, the two struck up a fast friendship and a very healthy, successful, long-standing collaboration. The friendship that had been born from it had been an added bonus. "It seems that the price of living will always come with a hefty tag, no matter where you go." She says as she takes a sip of her own glass with a thin-lipped smile. The reality wasn't lost on her, even if her statement had been intended to be sarcastic. "It's a new chapter of life - maybe a small get together? It doesn't even need to be about the house."

claire would only confide in people she trusted and when she did, it was rarely the full story. the woman liked to keep her cards close to her chest, both in a professional and personal sense, and had no intention of letting that slide. if anything, she felt like she'd been too open with the other already. raising her eyebrows gently as she nodded, the brunette sighed. "i suppose your right. it's been a while since i've rented. most of my shit is actually in storage because it feels like just that, shit. expensive shit, but shit nonetheless." she'd always loved nice things but having such a big space only meant she had a lot of things she no longer needed. shaking her head, claire frowned. "i think i'm good. don't even know if i'll be stopping here. perhaps it's sort of a staycation and i'll be wanting to live back there in no time." it wasn't likely but she did love that view. "besides, you're here now, aren't you? don't need any more people." any more people knowing what had happened.

“If I’m made to hear the words ‘New York’ again, I’m going to kill myself.” Richard talks with a slightly overfilled glass in hand; a reward after a long day of work. “What’s a different city we could chat about? Not Paris— Certainly not Paris.” He pauses, and sips for a moment. “How about Sicily? Oh, the wine is splendid. I could drown in those barrels.” 

"i'm going to say right now that you've lost me already because i don't have context." claire traced her fingers over the wine glass base before picking it up and dragging it to her lips. "maybe don't use the unalive word so willingly, just a thought." with wide eyes, the brunette raised her eyebrows for a moment before putting to glass down. "i love kyoto but i've not been in years. i just hate flying so for someone that attends premieres in los angeles, it's a lot. i'm really not a good flyer, the silent type but it makes it worse when the person next to me comments something like 'oh, you don't like flying, do you'. it's not helpful. so i don't think sicily's too far."

With two glasses of red wine on the bar in front of her, despite ordering and paying for just one, Alice wasn't one to turn down a free drink. Though, this early into the evening, she decided she was going to start slow. "Are you a fan of red wine by any chance? They gave me an extra glass." The brunette enquired with a smile as she turned to the person by her side. "You're welcome to have it. It's probably best if I begin with just one... my liver isn't what it used to be."

claire was attempting to pick her spirits up by being out in public by actually putting spirits in her body. standing with her hands gripped on the side of the bar, her attention diverted towards the older female. she was quick to mirror the smile. "i'm partial to a glass of red, yes." she gave a stern nod. "thank you. my liver isn't either. i should probably cut back on my intake actually but one problem at a time, right?" she was acutely aware it could currently be an issue but with everything going on, she'd give herself a pass.

he had placed what seemed like hundreds of flyers, but he was likely only on his sixth or seventh. jaden had always been a little dramatic. his band, fish brains—a pop-punk quartet—were one member down, and so he had printed several A4 sheets (utilising the community centre's printer) with tear-off phone numbers at the bottom. they were now taped to the last few lamp posts; the wind nearly whipped the page he was holding straight from his hand. "hey, buddy—" he called to the nearest passerby, "—you mind holding this corner down so i can rip some more tape off?"

in a normal situation, the woman would have done what most would have and pretended not to hear the call out and to continue walking. claire had walked a few steps as she did just that before deciding to turn back - she had nowhere else to be and her actual yorkshire roots would be appalled at her. she did put on a southern accent when she moved down here to avoid criticism and then it was like she didn't need to try anymore. "sure." she did what was asked of her before frowning. "didn't realise people still did these. thought it was all on the facebook or something." she was great with composing tech and various music programs but when it came to social media, she was lost.

“god she’s beautiful.” cole’s voice left the back of her throat in a half-grumble as she approached the guitar, stars practically shining in her eyes. “isn’t she beautiful? i swear i’ve been eyeing her up for weeks, but now that i’m closer?” the blonde shook her head, beaming over at her companion as her fingers reached out to gently pluck at the strings. “my wallet is crying already.”

it was a simple task - go to sawyer studios to get a new personal music stand and leave. however, the woman had been staring between the few options for over half an hour, weighing up each one because none really looked like a fit. claire was overthinking it, she only needed one to get back into the swing of conducting but she was acting like the purchase was a big commitment. turning to the other, she pulled a smile. "oh, you play the guitar already? or wanting to learn? people say there's no point trying when you're older but i think that's a bunch of tosh." the woman shrugged and crossed her arms.