if you can't say something nice don't say nothing at all!

“They’re actually not the worst. I think you should let us put some on you. Maybe before your next show? Do some edgy make up, ooo… glitters. I think it could be a hit, and you’ll have your favorite humans to help you. You’re welcome in advanced.” Trix added with a bright grin. Biting their lip they just gave a sharp nod. They had hoped Thumper knew if he needed to talk they were all ears. Nodding a little as they took the pen they scribbled out a line and made a small face. “mmm.. yeah, I guess that makes it easier when you pull your head out of how it should be. Kinda like a puzzle, huh?” 

“Yeah, maybe not before a show. We can do a trial run first. I don’t want to be bothered by them if I’m not used to them, ya know?” He laughed a bit. “My favorite humans? You’re funny.” He shook his head but smiled nonetheless. “It makes perfect sense! But, yes, exactly! Just like a puzzle! Sometimes you have to separate the pieces and work around it before starting the middle.”

Trix’s couldn’t help but roll their eyes at him. “Only when I feel the need to play doll for Ria.They’re kinda nice sometimes.” Teasing she stuck her toung out at him. Biting into their cheek she listened to the words and stored them. Nodding softly to everything. “Well… given some of your songs.. and knowledge over here on your life. I wish you had better inspiration.” Wiggling their nose a bit at the thought of it all. “It’s real though, and so relatable. I mean I think nearly everyone has felt some heartache here and there. Shaking their head they let out a sigh. “Not really.. I mean a few things could possibly be something, but only for a verse or two and then it’s blank.” 

“I could never. They seem like they would hurt. But then again, what do I know?” He laughed a bit. “We’re...not going to talk about that right now,” was all he said before dismissing the topic. It was a very sensitive subject to him. Talking about Mina was hard enough, but pouring out his heart and soul about the songs he wrote about her? No, thank you. “Well, you have to think of something!” He pulls his chair up to their table and hands them the pen back. “You don’t have to go in order. Write the bridge or chorus first, sometimes that helps me. Then revisit the verses.”

Of course Mina was going to Eco Club, despite the fact that she knew running into Thumper was more than likely. She wasn’t going to just be rude or unkind to him and she wasn’t trying to avoid him either. She was trying to live her life and let him live his and if they were meant to meet up, they would meet up. In fact, she was so good with it that she made the first move by tapping him on his shoulder after the meeting was over. It was always so cute how flustered he got around her, and she almost wanted to let out a little laugh, but she refrained. “Hi Elliot,” she said when he was finished speaking. “I’m doing pretty good. Busy and booked, like always.” She ran a hand through her hair. “How about you? You’re looking good.”

Every time he saw Mina there were butterflies fluttering in his stomach. He still loved her so damn much and apart of him always would, even if they never ended up back together. Thumper was trying though. He really wanted to grow up and do what he needed to do to win her back, but that meant working on himself and that wasn’t always so easy. He scrunched his nose up when she called him ‘Elliot.’ She was one of few people who called him that. It was a name usually only used by people who didn’t really know him and his parents. He much preferred Thumper. “Oh, yeah. I bet.” He nods a little bit. “Me? Oh, you know, the usual. Doing fine. Working on school and stuff.” He bit on the inside of his cheek. “You look good too. You always do.”

Trix knew that if they sat at the same table as their bother she wouldn’t ben able to focus on the beat and lyrics that were slapping them in the face. Tapping the pencil against the table as the road block made it all come to a stop. Sighing as she watched her brothers chair come back the pen that was once in their hand met Thumpers. “Take it. If I have to look at this page for five more seconds.. I’m ripping my eye lashes out.” Grumbling their cheeks met her palm. “How do you do it? Just pour out song after song?” 

“Aren’t your eyelashes fake anyways?” he asked with a smirk. “Oh, wait. That’s usually Ria. I think.” He shrugged and took the pen from her. “I don’t know. You have to have inspiration from something. You can write a song about anything though, really. Like, think of children’s songs. Those are usually about the silliest things. Like a farm or a dog.” He scrunched his nose up. Most of the time he hated that most of his inspiration was from heartbreak. Still, he had plenty of happiness in him to write pleasant songs too. “Why the writer’s block though? Nothing to write about? Make up a story in your head and write a song based on that.”

There was a meeting for the Eco Club and Thumper felt obligated to go. It wasn’t that he didn’t like going, because he did, but he knew Mina would be there and he was just nervous. During the whole meeting he was bouncing in his seat and doing his best to avoid looking at her and after it was done he wanted to bolt out the door. But, there were snacks. How could he say no to snacks? He was munching on a vegan brownie when he felt someone tap his shoulder. He froze up, having a gut feeling it was going to be her, then turned around. Smiling with a mouth full of brownie he waved. After swallowing he spoke. “Oh, uh, hey Mina. Great meeting tonight.” He bit on the inside of his cheek. God, he hated this. Feeling so awkward around her and unsure of what to say or do. “Um, how are you doing?”

“Well, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say you should share it.” Cami nodded softly. “Well, inspiration kinda comes and goes, but maybe you just need to do something out of your normal and it’ll just come to you! Or I think.. I don’t do music to know.” She admitted with a small laugh. “You’re welcome Mister Elliot.” Laughing a bit she hummed softly. It was rather nice to just have a moment to laugh and enjoy company. “Does being friends with the star earn me the rights to the best seats in house? That’s the only way I’ll be there.” She teased with a soft scrunch of her nose. 

“Well, when I finally finish this song you’ll be the first I show it to. How’s that sound?” He had no issue with sharing his music with friends, but was hesitant when it came to certain people. He trusted Cami though and was happy to share his work with her. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ll figure out something.” He smiles at her. “Of course it does! All my best friends and family will get front row seats and back stage passes.” He grinned. If he ever made it that far, but he had high hopes.

Jane listened to him but kept their eyes on the inside of their bag while they sifted. The amount of pointless garbage in here was absurd. She needed to get better about just throwing things in her bag. “I understand that too. I try to have a few pens in every bag I have. There’s been just one too many times when I need one and don’t have one so I try to be prepared.” That’s when she found on laying between a few old receipts. “A pencil just doesn’t feel the same, or so I think. Pens are just the right feel.” They shrugged before holding out the item to him. “Mind me asking what you’re working on that you’re running through all your ink?”

~

“Yeah, I’m just a very disorganized person. My brain moves too fast most days so I’m very forgetful.” When they hand him the pen Thumper smiles and takes it. “Thanks a bunch!” He thought that was going to be the end of their conversation and he could get back to writing but he was mistaken. Not a bad thing though! “Oh, pens are definitely the right feel. They glide easier and I prefer scribbling things out when I make mistakes versus erasing things. It’s much more satisfactory.” Thumper glances over at his song lyrics then back to the other person. “Well, first I had class today so I was writing notes for that. Though I didn’t write many and ended up scribbling song lyrics around the page. Which brings us to this! My notebook full of songs. I am a musician first, human second and I write songs pretty much every day. Or work on parts or rewrite parts of old ones. They’re always a work in progress.”

Cami couldn’t help but grin a little as he spoke. Letting out a breath she was holding in she playfully did a little bow. “The one and only! I’m… alright.” Last thing she wanted was to hint to how awful she was, when Thumper would just be thrown in the middle of it all. So she put on a smile and made herself comfortable in the seat across from him. “I didn’t think you could. The music bug has to shared when it can.” A soft laugh left her as she sat her chin in her hands and listened to the humming. Small heart strings being tugged as she could really only imagine Noah’s soft hums. Opening her eyes she grinned and nodded her head. “I think it’s beautiful! And I will be remembering that for when I can hear it live with lyrics.” 

~

“You are definitely right! I’ve always got the music bug and I definitely need to share more often. There are days I lack inspiration though, I will admit. But those aren’t too common.” Thumper smiles bright at Cami. He knows there’s probably a love-hate relationship with her and music right now considering everything that went down with Noah. He was curious about what had happened but was hesitant to ask. “Thank you, Miss Cami.” He does a little bow in his seat. “I hope you are able to hear it live one day!”

     Mocha probably spent more time in her parents’ coffee house than anywhere else; she practically lived her. If she wasn’t performing her poetry, she was still hanging around to enjoy her favorite coffee in town and write more. Bean Scene was a perfect place for artistic inspiration, the soothing jazzy music setting just the right mood. As somebody at the next table over called her attention and asked for a pen, she produced a spare and reached out to hand it to him, eyes lighting up as she glimpsed the format of the words in his notebook, even if she didn’t make out what the said. All she needed to notice was that he clearly wasn’t taking notes; this was clearly the creative process. “I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to spy on your unfinished works, but you wouldn’t happen to be a poet, by any chance?”

~

Thumper really liked Bean Scene. There were plenty of other cafes and coffee shops in Walt Grove but none compared to the relaxed mood at his particular one. The music was soothing and the clientele were creators just like himself. As the girl handed him a pen he smiled and said, “thank you.” Her question caught him a little off guard but he didn’t hide his notebook from her and shook his head. “Not a poet, no. A musician though. I was working on a song I’ve been trying to write. My brain is all over the place though and I’m just trying to focus. I respect the creative process of a poet though. To write something so beautiful without a melody is talent. Are you a poet yourself?”

Jane had her coffee and a new book she’d found that morning which made her perfectly content. It was a great way to start her day off. She was enjoying it so far, scribbling notes in her reading journal as she did. They enjoyed reading but had a tendency to always get more distracted by their own inspiration and journaling about it more. They were deep into a rant when their attention was brought elsewhere at the sound of someones voice. “Hm…” They lifted their head, their pen slowing to a stop. “Oh, yes.” She started to rummage through her bag. “Sorry, I kind of just throw them in here and they always sink to the bottom.”

~

Thumper wasn’t a very patient person, but he wasn’t rude when he was impatient. Most of the time at least. He wasn’t frustrated or anything at the moment though. “Thank you so much!” he said with a friendly smile. “Oh, that’s me all the time. Except...whenever I rummage through and take a pen out I usually end up misplacing it or leave it behind. So, my inventory ran low today.” His smile turns into a sheepish one. “My bag doesn’t even have a dull pencil in it otherwise I would have resorted to using that.”

Coffee was calling. The girl had spent way too many hours trying to find cute new editing options for a few videos she had wanted to post to her streams. After the break up with Noah, she noticed the fall in followers that had been just as taken away with the love as she had. Though, she knew if she hid away with no one content they would all just vanish. Upon entering the Bean Scene she tensed up a little. Not in the worst way possible, but she knew Thumper had an admiration for her musician, Noah. Maybe if she kept her eyes down he wouldn’t say anything to her? Truly she couldn’t imagine him yelling at her given the conversations she’d had with him in the past. At his voice though she scrunched up her nose and turned towards him. “I might…. only if you hum the melody to your little master piece there.” She offered as a trade with a smile. Sure she wanted to hear the lyrics, but those tended to be a little more personal. 

Upon realizing it was Cami that Thumper had asked for a pen a bright grin came across his face. “Well, well, well, look who it is. Miss Cami! How do you do?” he asked. A soft laugh emitted from his lips. “I can’t say no to that.” He used the empty pen to tap against the table to start a small beat and began to hum a small tune to the song he was writing. It was a softer tune but a beautiful one nonetheless. He only hummed a small part of the song as he was still working out the details of the notes and tune of the song. “How was that?” he asked after he stopped humming. “It’s a work in progress still, but I think it’s coming along nicely. What do you think?”

After class he found himself at Bean Scene. The club was relaxed and played soft music. Not the type Thumper usually listened to, but it was still calming and he really needed calm that day. He had decided to say fuck homework and took out his notebook with all his song lyrics in it. There were many pages with scratched out lyrics and others with emotional words written in a perfect melody. He was working on a new song but was struggling to focus. He should really start carrying an extra dose of medicine around for days that he forgot, he thought to himself. He had a cup of coffee but had decided it was best if he went the decaf route. He also had a chocolate croissant as a little treat for himself. As he scribbled down messy lyrics in his notebook his pen began to run dry. He dug through his bag, hoping to find another but to no avail he had no others. Groaning he leaned back in his chair when he noticed the person at the next table was also writing. “Excuse me,” he said, “you wouldn’t happen to have another pen, would you? Mine just ran out.”