𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘

"  oh  ,  shut  up  ,  "  eyes  began  to  roll  even  before  he'd  opened  his  mouth  ,  arrogant  but  true  comment  that  falls  from  his  lips  making  her  question  why  she'd  even  went  and  gotten  herself  signed  to  his  label  in  the  first  place  (  she  knew  why  ,  but  that  was  really  none  of  her  business  )  .  "  chinese  food  .  .  .  "  eyebrows  furrow  ,  attitude  quickly  wiped  from  her  demeanor  and  replaced  with  shock  when  logan  actually  seems  inclined  to  help  .  she  waits  for  him  to  laugh  ,  to  playfully  shove  her  in  the  arm  and  leave  her  standing  there  looking  gullible  as  ever  but  instead  he  moves  aside  ,  hand  motioning  forwards  like  he  wants  her  to  lead  the  way  .  she  has  to  think  about  it  for  a  second  ,  standing  still  in  the  middle  of  the  hallway  until  she  convinces  herself  that  an  extra  pair  of  hands  and  some  company  might  not  be  bad  after  all  ⸻  even  if  it's  his  .  she  begins  to  walk  towards  the  exit  ,  only  offering  a  hushed  ,  "  ummm  ,  "  as  she  pushes  the  door  open  .  she  doesn't  resist  the  conversation  ,  actually  excited  about  the  things  she  and  her  band  have  been  working  on  over  the  last  few  weeks  ,  "  yea  lots  of  new  stuff  actually  ,  we  have  a  new  album  mapped  out  for  the  most  part  ,  well  ,  some  of  it  is  actually  new  and  some  stuff  we  finally  want  to  pull  from  the  vault  ⸻  i've  actually  been  meaning  to  swing  by  upstairs  to  talk  to  you  about  some  of  the  technical  stuff  but  i  want  to  have  more  of  the  album  done  before  we  get  into  mastering  any  of  the  songs  ,  "  she  rambles  on  ,  so  much  on  her  mind  she'd  almost  forgotten  who  she  was  talking  to  .  " and  you  ,  mr.  ceo  ?  having  fun  staring  down  at  everyone  from  your  ivory  tower  ?  "

logan trails behind her , and a part of him wonders if he'd just made a grave mistake in not circumventing a NON MUSIC conversation with her like he'd been doing since she signed her contract . it's not that he WANTS to avoid her ; he knows he needs to . it's just easier that way ... the entire shtick of im music was to protect artists : logan knows he's part of her problem . and that's that . he hadn't really dared to think otherwise . but then she's opening up , words tumbling from her lips excitedly , and logan is wondering how he EVER could've stayed away . an easy smile rests on his features , falling into step beside her and nodding along with her words . he's happy that she's happy . " sounds like you've got it all figured out , huh ? " logan had never doubted her , " what vault songs are you breaking out ? anything i'd know ? " he supposes he could be patient and wait until she HAS to share it with him , but he's never been particularly good at waiting . besides , this conversation feels so normal . he doesn't want it to END . " i could always pop in for a bit — i mean , i'm playing deliveryboy anyways . " shoulders lift in a shrug , trying to be nonchalant about it . " if you want . " he tacks on quietly , lips pulling into another grin . " ooohhhh , you know . just chief executive officer things . " he waves his hand , letting out a small laugh , " — that's such a dramatic title now that i really think about it . OFFICER ? what am i , a sheriff ? " he tosses his empty to - go cup into a trashcan nearby , shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket . " ... i've been pretty cooped up in the studio lately . surprised i didn't run into you sooner , actually . maybe i just got lucky today . "

mona swats his hand away from her direction almost immediately,     playful disdain playing across her features as she squinted…     and gasped!     “      excuse me?     thousand dollars when the one who’s asking is your adorable,    intelligent,     sexy,     amazing and dear friend?     ”     and slowly,     she starts shaking her head in disapproval,     tsk tsk tsk’s     falling from pouty lips,     “     give me my whiny pleeeeaaaaasssseeee and maybe i will give you an answer.     ”     which was funny,      yes,      she was sure he knew the answer to that already!     “     you're going to dior!     perfect,     we are doing the triple threat,     then     —    planepool,     carpool,     and the showpool.     shared update with a pic of each pool.     ”      then,     she pauses,     a single fingertip tapping at her chin,     “     hmm. wish i had the chance to go to those shows with you,     but my ambassadorship makes it rather impossible to go to any…     wait,     considering you’re going to three shows,     that means you’re staying more than three nights in paris or?      because we could,     y’know,     ”     mona moves closer to share her idea,      humming as she tries to give it some more thought,      “     stay another day or two to tour around.     or just to lounge and relax.      i don’t know about you but i need some   me  plus  logan!   time and we will be at paris anyway.     it could be a…     —--     parispool…     ”    

" that's a lot of adjectives , monie . your head's gonna get even bigger if you don't humble yourself . " he sticks his tongue out at her , quickly falling into a small bout of laughter . being around her is always so REFRESHING . she leans towards him to share her thoughts , and he's resting his chin in the palms of his hands — on the edge of his seat — EAGERLY awaiting her proposal . " i'll be there the whooooole week . " he nods , and then moves his hand to scratch at his chin in mock consideration . of course his answer is yes ! logan rarely passes up an opportunity to spend time with mona . especially in paris ! who else would eat their WEIGHT in pain au chocolat with him ? " ehh ... i can probably work you into my schedule . " he settles . it's hard to keep a straight face though . he's only teasing . " a parispool sounds perfect ... but we need to find a hotel that's got a real pool in it , i think . for a poolpool . it just feels right . the pool to end all pools .

(231215) Tinnitus (intro) ✙ KBS Music Bank Global Festival

          “   so  you're  saying  i've  got  no  standards  or  something  ?   touché  ,  logan  .   ”   of  course  camille  only  says  that  to  mess  with  him  ,  it's  apparent  from  the  playful  smile  toying  on  her  lips  .  another  laugh  comes  along  at  his  following  words   ——   how  could  she  forget  that  she's  in  her  bad  guy  era  right  now  ?  thank  god  for  logan  !   “   oh  ,  trust  me  ,  i'm  not  .  it's  just  that  i'm  not  a  natural  like  you  so  sometimes  i  get  distracted  .   ”   once  her  attention  drifts  back  to  logan  ,   “   well  ,  fuck  him  ,  i  guess  .  i  mean  ,  if  the  logan  im  is  offering  to  get  me  a  table  in  the  vip  section  ,  how  could  i  possibly  say  no  to  that  ?  my  friend  over  there  absolutely  got  nothing  on  you  .   ”

" don't twist my words ! " his exclamation is accompanied by a laugh — that's not at all what he'd MEANT , but she'd got him good . " oh , a natural , huh ? you flatter me ... thought you moved past that FANGIRL phase . good to know i've still got it . " hand rests over his heart , shooting a playful little smirk — and WINK — her way . hey , if she gets to tease him , then it's only fair that he gets to dish it right back ! it's all done lightheartedly , evidenced by the smile adorning his features . " you're ANNOYING . " he says it with love , " look , if this is your way of subversively telling me i'm being a dick , i've got the message loud and clear — but you can't say i'm not right . " he gives cami a look , " let's go get some '42 for ourselves . maybe your friend actually has a POINT . "

         “  yeah  .  and  it’s  going  great  .  ”  she’s  getting  paid  to  drift  in  a  controlled  environment  .  which  is  more  than  she  can  say  for  her  street  racing  but  that’s  an  entirely  different  thing  that  not  many  knew  about  .  “  what  about  you  ?  still  doing  …  ”  pauses  to  think  .  because  honestly  ?  juno  hasn’t  really  given  a  thought  about  logan  since  their  breakup  .  “  whatever  it  is  you  do  nowadays  ?  ”

he supposes he should've expected nothing but ICE from juno . he deserves it ; he knows that . it's a good thing he's grown used to animosity — the expression on his face hasn't shifted much from its perpetual state of unbothered . " happy to hear that . " and that's not a lie ( really ! ) , " still doing ... music . yup . " pops the 'p' for emphasis , " you don't have to act like you don't know what INDUSTRY i'm in , june . i'm not gonna take that acknowledgment and run with it , or whatever . "

can't  help  but  let  her  eyes  roll  to  the  back  of  her  head  ,  every  ounce  of  her  strength  used  to  resist  the  urge  to  chuck  the  nearest  pillow  directly  at  his  face  .  "  in  order  for  you  to  be  fighting  back  against  the  media  i'd  have  to  be  putting  up  a  fight  to  begin  with  ,  and  i'm  not  ,  "  arms  fold  against  her  chest  as  she  plops  down  on  the  couch  ,  knee briefly brushing against his .  "  has  there  ever  been  a  time  in  your  life  where  you  haven't  been  a  dick  or  were  you  just  born  like  that  ?  "  and  just  like  that  her  patience  wears  thin  ,  nearest  pillow  to  her  clutched  into  her  grasp  and  brought  across  her  body  to  whack  him  on  the  chest  .  "  joke  all  you  want  ,  i'm  still  not  signing  an  nda  .  .  .  i don't write about my sex life , you're  just  gonna  have  to  take  my  word  for  it  ,  "  the  value  she  holds  for  her  own  privacy  is  what  got  them  into  this  mess  in  the  first  place  .   "  now  do  you  have  any  more  ridiculous  questions  to  ask  me  or  do  you  want  some  breakfast  ?  that  bagel  place  you  used  to  like  soho  is  doing  free  delivery  .  .  .  i'm  in  desperate  need  of  carbs  to  be  fair  ,  pretty  sure  i'm  still  a  bit  drunk  from  last  night  .  "

" sorry , it's the trauma from my youth being held under unwavering scrutiny . my therapist says i'm ACTING OUT now purely 'cause i can . " he says it like a joke , but it's not . they both know this . he's not SAD about it though : he's laughing , really . " ... besides , you like this dick , so stop complaining . " logan deserves the pillow to the chest , and he's well aware of it , letting out a small OOF and a short laugh . " — okay , okay ! i take it back . please spare me ! " cushion is held tight to his torso so she can't grab it and hit him AGAIN . " i don't know if i like these violent tendencies of yours ... might have to write an exposé , or sell the story to someone that can ... " he tsks , " — way ahead of you . well ... sorta . we can order FOOD as we drink our coffees which should be arriving innnn ... " logan drags out the word as he checks his phone , " ... 2 minutes . you're welcome , by the way . " see ? he's not always a dick . he ambles up from where he's sitting , tossing the pillow held captive back onto the sofa . " y'know , i thought your TOLERANCE would be higher , considering pub crawl 'n all that . you really STILL feelin' it ? "

van looked at him with wide eyes, as if what he was saying was the craziest thing she'd ever heard. " you're real funny, i'll give ya' that, " she started, a light smile playing onto her lips. it wasn't that van didn't buy into free will. she liked believing she had choices — but there were pulls in everything she did, a sense that it was all apart of something greater, something written in the stars. she could either fulfill that destiny the way she was meant to, or design something different. it stressed her out either way. " but i'm a believer . . . and a lil' bit of an over-thinker, " she admitted. " and i dunno, maybe that's what makes it feel more real. she books this gig, then disappears 'til next year. mysterious as hell. how do we know she ain't a big deal outside this carnival ? "

logan had LEARNED a long time ago to stop believing in anything good . most people would regard him as a pessimist , and he wouldn't correct them . there's a part of him that wishes he could go back to the starry - eyed boy he'd once been , but that train was long gone — he's not going to shit on her for being that person ; if anything , he's jealous that she could find a sense of PURPOSE in that way . " oh , c'mon . everyone knows the real fortune tellers live in the woods in a little cottage . " logan teases , " — maybe you've got a point . but i don't think you should EVER trust a carnie ... they're in with the clowns , and clowns are freaky as fuck . would you trust someone that was friends with a clown ? "

“      so,     ”     benny grins once he has reached your muse,     hopelessly seeking to finally have a normal conversation with someone    —    literally anyone!     that wasn’t part of the never ending press,     “     were you expecting to see the three spideys together or was it a complete surprise?     ” @nepofmstarters

" ehhh , once andrew garfield popped up , i knew it was bound to happen — that first reveal was a little WILD though , not gonna lie . " logan nods his head , but it slowly morphs into a head shake . " it was cool for sure . don't really know where's spidey's gonna go from here though — also not sure that i like the idea of a multiverse . it just feels messy to me . i'm not sure how marvel is gonna go in terms of CONTINUITY . honestly , if you ask me , endgame should've been the end of it . i don't really LIKE superhero movies though , so take anything i say with a grain of salt . "

here’s  a  poem  for  you,  top  artist  of  the  tenties:  roses  are  red,  violets  are  blue,  the  only  palpitations  you’re  giving  phoebe  are  the  kind  cultured  by  customers  who  tip  negative  ninety-nine  per  cent,  fuck  you  too.  she  is,  on  a  clandestine  level  accessible  only  through  the  supply  she’ll  never  get  high  on,  beholden  to  logan  for  saving  her  from  the  humdrum  happenings  of  doing  her  job,  but  her  bemusement  is  buried  beneath  a  furrowed  brow  and  a  hand  that  mimics  a  sock  puppet’s  demented  blaberings  as  he  speaks.  ‘  don’t  reduce  me  to  a  hater.  i  am  an  abominator.  i’m  gonna  ask  my  fiend  patron  for  some  unofficial  merch  of  yours  and  draw  sideburns  cut  into  nuh  uhs  all  over  them  and  tell  everyone  you  serenaded  the  bouncer  after  getting  kicked  out,  ‘  she  replies,  shining  her  phone  flashlight  into  the  drink  as  a  last-ditch  effort  to  identify  the  liquids  within.  she  finds  only  her  glaring  reflection.  ‘  i  am  a  woman  of  many  talents  and  none  of  them  include  pretending  to  like  nincompoops  with  clown  cars  or  labelling  shit.  like,  i  know  that  dude’s  holding  up  one  finger  –  ‘  that  dude  is,  in  fact,  holding  up  five  whole  digits  in  preparation  for  a  high  five  that  never  comes.  nevertheless,  phoebe  shoots  the  bitten  bullet  into  reality’s  face  with  a  finger  gun  to  logan’s  forehead  and  a  smirk  that  simultaneously  spells  irony  and  a  complete  disconnect  from  reality.  two  of  the  most  coveted  qualities  in  the  service  industry,  as  the  two  of  them  know.  ‘  –  i  do  not  need  to  label  my  stuff.  you  should  know  by  now  that  rich  people  will  drink  anything  as  long  as  it’s  got  some  fancy  cursive.  ‘  she  brings  out  a  sharpie  and  writes  nuh  uh  in  the  most  illegible  cursive  possible.  she’s  currently  considering  a  career  change,  for  if  bartends  bear  witness  to  leisurely  expirations  set  to  booming  bass,  doctors  get  their  hands  on  the  goods  and  turn  misplaced  sanitiser  into  grounds  for  billion-dollar  lawsuits.  her  dad  has  to  get  real  about  not  using  her  college  fund  for  fun  stuff  sometime  soon,  right?  ‘  boom.  bro, i did not get this job because i wanna know bartender stuff. i got this job 'cause of genetics and the fact my mom always caught me wasting her donkey testicle creams making potions that should've caused your downfall way sooner. you might not get what it's like to be a pro disappointment, but it's not a company you can leave without giving up all the dental care. and  if  it’s  not  ginger,  hammered-head,  then  why  do  people  say  it’s  spicy?  you  think  we’re  juicing  jalapenos  back  there?  ‘  this  should  go  without  saying,  but  phoebe  pronounces  jalapeno  with  a  confident  hard  j  and  does  not  intend  to  correct  herself  until  faced  with  pitchforks  and  scorpion  pepper  torches.

" oh , my mistake , ms. edgelord abominator . won't happen again . " hand raises in mock SALUTE . " why are you so against nuh uh ? i didn't realize a figure of speech would stir up such strong feelings — enough to want to DEFACE my merch and libel me ? yup , you'll be hearing from my lawyers ! " it's hard to keep a straight face when he says it : serenading the bouncer after getting kicked out honestly doesn't sound too far off base for him . " — see , you're saying you don't need to label your stuff , but would you be in such a predicament now if you'd labelled your hand sanitizer in the first place ? " eyebrows raise in anticipation of her answer . he's sure it's going to be something RIDICULOUS : something along the lines of i wouldn't read the labels either way , or something like that . " look , there's no shame in the label game , pheebs . i've got a label myself , you know . " record label , that is , but who is logan to miss out on the opportunity to make a JOKE and brag a little in one fell swoop ? " hold on , hold on — " logan raises a hand . " you were making potions and praying on my downfall as a KID ? god , phoebe , you didn't strike me as an anti - imer , but i guess i should've known ... you fell victim to the ' not like other girls ' complex , didn't you ? sorrows , sorrows ... " he shakes his head , " maybe you should google it and find out — and google how to pronounce jalapeño while you're at it . hell , you should probably also google some JOB LISTINGS too since you're gonna dump that drink out . but don't worry , you can put me down as a reference . when they ask if they should hire someone else , i'll hit them with the nuh uh . "

"  do  you  make  it  your  personal  mission  to  linger  outside  of  the  studio  when  you  know  i'm  recording  in  there  or  is  my  luck  really  just  that  bad  ?  "  she's  just  about  to  leave  for  lunch  ,  exhausted  from  spending  her  entire  morning  (  willingly  )  locked  in  a  booth  ,  a  raw  recording  of  the  first  song  off  of  her  new  album  muffling  against  the  insulated  doors  as  the  rest  of  her  band  continues  to  re-record  some  of  their  parts  .  "  unless  you  plan  on  helping  me  bring  back  everyone's  lunch  would you mind moving out of my way .  " ( @heartbraeker )

he brings his freshly made cappuccino to his lips , taking a loooong , annoying sip as he turns his head to see who she's talking to . he knows she's not QUESTIONING why he's here right now . " you know i own this building , right ? " his office is on the top floor , actually ; he's always here . logan clicks his tongue , knows she's not expecting him to WILLINGLY offer his help ... but he likes to surprise people : " sure . what's for lunch ? " he'll even offer to pay too — perks of being signed to im music . logan still obliges though , stepping out of her way , gesturing for her to go ahead so he can follow . " ... you working on new stuff ? anything good ? "

“  i’m  not  fucking  signing  that  ,  “  she  emerges  from  his  room  ,  black  button  down  of  his  shrugged  over  her  mostly  bare  frame  ,  a  mix  between  a  scoff  and  a  laugh  pushing  past  her  lips  .  “  i  promise you have  no  interest  in  broadcasting  my  sex  life  in  my  ‘  lil’  ‘  magazine  .  .  .  and  even  if  i  did  ,  what  makes  you  think  last  night  was  notable  enough  to  warrant  anything  more  than  a  lingering  thought  in  the  back  of  my  mind  ⸻  sounds  like  someone’s  jealous  they  haven’t  been  asked  to  star  on  the  cover  .  .  .  “ 

" ... i dunno , it's probably the way that this is the third time you've walked into this kitchen this week wearing my shirt and nothing else . seems like you're a fan . don't you write about the things that interest you ? " gives her a once over , cocky little grin etched onto his features . " in any event , i'm just doing this as a precaution . thought you'd be proud of me ... fighting back against the media 'n shit . " he places a hand over his heart , " — jealous isn't the word i'd use , but if it makes you feel better , sure ... don't you know i'm just DYING to be interviewed by my ex girlfriend ? i'm begging , aria , honestly . please save my dying career . you'll be the knight in shining armor , and i'll be the damsel in distress . that's so progressive of us . "

                    “   how’s   this   an   accident   ?       seriously   ,   can   you   not   read   ?       i’m   half   tempted   to   start   a   rumor   on   twitter   about   your   secret   illiteracy   .       you   know   ,   like   the   lea   michelle   one   .       think   about   the   memes   ,   logie   !   ”       teases   ,   casually   pulling   her   phone   from   the   back   pocket   of   her   jeans   just   to   give   him   a   little   scare   .       “   well   ,   since   you’re   already   halfway   through   it   ,   it’s   a   vanilla   bean   frappuccino   with   extra   whipped   cream   ,   caramel   drizzle   ,   and   almond   milk   .       never   took   you   for   a   sweet   and   fancy   kind   of   guy   .       this   says   so   much   about   your   personality   .       —   what’s   your   zodiac   sign   ?   ”

" please spare me from such a fate — do you know how many people just believe anything they read on the internet ? think my mugshot's enough of a meme already . " at least he's self aware , wincing as he says it , " — i swore i heard them call out logan ! " logan and josie can sound the same ... maybe . if you weren't totally paying attention , which he wasn't . " that's a mouthful ... y'know what ? i'll practice ordering it right now to replace the one i STOLE , how's that sound ? " a beat , " gemini sun , sag rising , cancer moon . " and that's how you can tell he's been ran through — gone through his fair share of astrology girlies that tried to figure him out . " — and don't start with the gemini hate train . everyone just hates us 'cause we're sexy . "

“      aw.      can you pleeeeeaseeee me again?     ”     mona bats her lashes,      beaming from ear to ear before she’s laughing,      “     i am going to paris fashion week,     literally just got done packaging and everything,    and i wouldn’t mind planepoolin’ nor carpoolin’ if you’re going to the same show as me or not.      are you going dior or to a different brand?     wouldn’t it be funny if we went to the same show?      —      it would be a showpool.     ”

logan scrunches up his nose , sticking his tongue out at her like he's twelve . " yea , i'll do it for a cool thousand dollars . we got a deal ? " he sticks his hand out to her , acting like they're about to shake on it . " ... dior , alexander mcqueen , and acne studios . nice to know i'm not OLD NEWS yet . you'll still love me once my days in the spotlight are over , right ? " a ridiculous question to be posed to her of all people . " ... showpool ... i like that . i'm sensing that that's gonna be our matchy caption when we post on instagram about it . let's do one of those posts where it's from both of our accounts — that's the DUMBEST feature . "