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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Jan 31, 2014 9:40:45 GMT -5
It had always amused her parents that Tori found love in dance. She was not musically inclined to start with. She couldn’t carry a tune to save her life and yet she had the grace and the timing of an incredible dancer. Even when she’d been small and the studio she danced for didn’t want to take her on because she was too young to keep her attention. She’d shown them though, that she wanted to dance and proved to them that they could hold her attention because she wanted it that much. Her timing was perfect. And after years and years of lessons, it was only more so. She almost never made mistakes and she picked up new choreography so easily. All she’d ever had to do was watch the teacher once and she could mimic the moves nearly perfect, it took another glance and a couple practice turns to nail it though. So when she’d heard about her father’s teenage antics and decided she wanted to try it as well, she dragged some friends who were keen and her brother who was always up for trouble out to the cliffs and jumped. It was no Greek cliff side but their little piece of Australia had worked just fine for them. Tori could feel she’d stayed on the topic too long so she just nodded her head and added a soft smile to the memory. It was an interesting habit of hers, over-sharing but at the same time not exactly giving anything up.
Her awkwardness with words was one of the reasons she preferred music and dance over actual conversation with people. She could show how she was feeling and what she was trying to convey in dance, while in words she fell short too many times to count. Tori chuckled, shaking her head. “Max likes to think he’s a guard dog, always barking at the delivery people. But he’s so small it just looks cute.” She admitted with laugh and a shake of her head. “About a week after I got him, I had to go out and buy those plastic shoe boxes just to save what shoes I had left.” It had spent hours in the stores, picking up boxes and other organising necessities so she could keep things out of reach of the tiny dog. Once he’d gotten past his teething phase, he spent less time trying to eat her feet and shoes and more time with his actual toys, which was a blessing since she was sick of acting like her apartment floor was molten lava and therefore unsafe to walk on. She had been fond of the game when she’d been a small child playing around the house on rainy days when her parents wouldn’t let any of the children out, but now, it was just bothersome.
“What kind are your boys?” Tori asked, easily keeping up the conversation while she kept up with the pace Tristan set for them. Years of dancing and training had her able to easily keep up with just about anyone and when that failed, at least when she’d been back home, she had a skateboard and a long board; though she did have both with her in the city for when the traffic outside her apartment seemed too congested for her to get to where she was going on time. It didn’t hurt either that she was tall. She was confused however when he brought her to a club closed for the day. “I’m keeping an open mind.” She said, chuckling softly. She may have looked slight but she could absolutely take care of herself if anything were to happen. She had to promise her father that she would take self defence classes and keep pepper spray on her at all times just for him to agree to look at an apartment and the NYU campus! She did want to see the show but she didn’t want anyone waiting around for her, even if it was just to let her into the building and show her a place to stash her bag. She thought about it for a minute, if she didn’t make it, it was no worries for her, but if she did manage to get out with even enough time to get across to the venue, she wouldn’t want to miss it. “I may not technically be asking but I still feel like I am having you wait around for me to toss my things in a room but okay, if you really don’t mind doing that.” She said, nodding her head as she hoisted the bag further onto her shoulder, making it more comfortable to carry around. This show had been one of the things her one friend especially had been looking forward to. A fellow dancer, she didn’t have dreams of being on Broadway, she wanted to choreograph on TV before settling down to open and run a dance studio with only the best for teachers. She’d even asked Tori when she was all done with the stage if she would be one of the instructors. But Tori’s second love would always be the sea so she’d declined with a promise that if she couldn’t fall on her back up plan, she would absolutely teach dance with her friend.
Tag || Tristan! Words || 925 Clothes || Beautiful Ballerina! Lyrics || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwoodd Notes || <3
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Feb 9, 2014 10:00:59 GMT -5
Tristan's childhood often alienated people when he spoke of it in detail. There were nannies for as long as he could remember, tutors throughout school to ensure that he maintained a high average grade throughout all of his classes, and family vacations where he spent more time with nannies than with his parents. As a kid he had felt lonely and a little neglected which is why he had taken up the piano as a hobby. His parents were both interested in music and at one point he felt it was the only way to grab their attention. Tristan knew much better now though. They had been busy with the launch of the company and making solid roots for themselves and the future. Now it was almost impossible to believe that Valley Records only had a couple of years on him, but it was the truth. He had come along just when everything was starting to take off and obviously they couldn't let go of all that to give into the whims of a toddler. As he grew older and was more capable of understanding and helping, things had changed. Now he was just as prominent a figure as his father was, frequently standing in for the man when he was unable to attend meetings or conferences. Even though he had that level of command at the company, had worked the A&R department like it was his baby for the last few years, Tristan still didn't quite have that same sophisticated air of his father and his business partner. Tristan was much more awkward, frequently stumbled through sentences and laughed nervously. Plus, he was well known in the New York office especially for being the guy who plummeted fourteen feet and almost paralysed himself in a freak construction accident. It was a hard thing to make people forget about and new staff were often caught staring at him when he spoke to them, as though they were intimidated or afraid he might suddenly fall through the floor again. He laughed at Tori's short tale about her dog and nodded in understanding. His boys had gone through dozens of shoes and they were giant dogs, so a shoe barely lasted a few minutes if they got their paws on it. Luckily now they were a lot more behaved and it only happened when one of them really felt like acting up. But it got them sent to their bed when Tristan got a hold of them. “Rufus is a Mastiff cross and Tanner is a German Shepherd Cross.” He had rescued both of them when they were puppies and now they were fully grown and liked to rough house in his apartment, usually taking down the same potted plant each and every time.
“Probably a wise approach.” He laughed, leading her back out onto the street and then through another building that had required a security code. This time Tristan passed a few people to say hello to, but he kept up a speedy pace to make sure he didn't make Tori late with idle pleasantries. Out of the door of this one and there was a coffee shop just on the corner. “Coffee?” He asked, gesturing to the spot after checking his watch to make sure they had the time. There was plenty and they were almost there now. It was remarkable what could be accomplished with a few privileged short cuts. Chuckling to himself, Tristan pushed his hair out from his face again and shook his head. “I'll be around until long after the show is over, so don't think of me putting plans or anything on hold. I'm going alone, too, so you calling me off to put your bags away won't be a problem. Oh, but you will need these.”He tugged his wallet from his pocket and pulled out a metallic wristband and a ticket pass to the show. They'd get Tori in even after the show began since they were issued to those on business matters rather than the usual crowds. Tristan would leave note with the door staff too to keep an eye out for her, and they were usually a good team for that. “Oh, and so you can find me.” He topped off the little gifts of sort with his business card that held his cell phone number. “Just send me a text or call me when you need me. I'll be able to hear it.” He'd be around probably backstage for intervals of the show or there would be someone he'd have to speak to outside or in one of the company booths. It was very rare that Tristan went to a concert purely to enjoy the music and himself. Usually there was always something he had to sort out or someone he had to talk to. The show was just a sort of perk to that business.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Mar 31, 2014 13:06:34 GMT -5
Since moving to the city, Tori didn’t really spend a whole lot of time in her apartment. She was always so busy with work, auditions and friends through the summer and classes added to that through the school year. Nothing had really changed from Australia; except now she actually had friends who didn’t care that she had more money in her bank account than any of them would see in a lifetime of working unless they were celebrities. Tori didn’t see that money as being hers, really. It was money her parents and grandparents had set up for when she was eighteen, twenty five and thirty; not to mention the money set aside for school. She used the money to keep herself fed and in new pointe shoes but other than that, she tried to use the money she got from work to keep herself in new clothes and shoes. It was nice being in New York where it didn’t matter where you came from; they were all struggling to make their dreams come true. Tori loved the city and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to go back to Australia after she was done school or if she wanted to go back for a bit. Ultimately it depended on what happened with dance. If she landed a role anywhere, she would be sticking around for a while longer. Dance would always be her life but eventually she knew she wouldn’t be able to do that anymore and that’s when her backup would come into play and that would be when she would have to say goodbye to New York.
Tori wouldn’t worry about it until she absolutely had to. “Wow. Those are some big dogs you got there.” She said with a low whistle. She couldn’t quite picture herself with a big dog. She had the space for once or even three but she was hardly home and she really didn’t want to add to the workload; especially when Max was difficult enough to deal with. Tori shrugged like it was no big deal to be walking through alleys and random buildings with a complete stranger. “Well you know if this turns out to be something nefarious I’ll take you down, run and give my father a reason to drag me back to Queensland.” She teased, chuckling. It was probably a terrible joke but from the look of her, she couldn’t take anyone on, let alone someone who had to have at least eight inches on her. “Yes, please. I’m going to need it.” She admitted, laughing.
“You are seriously incredible. Thank you for this.” Tori said sincerely as she threw caution to the wind and hugged Tristan. She’d met plenty of nice people while in New York which made her wonder how they’d gotten the stereotype that they had but none of them were as kind or as generous as Tristan. She accepted the wristband, ticket and his business card, slipping them into the inside pocket of her dance bag so she knew exactly where they were. “I’ll do just that.” She promised, excited for the prospect of going to the show. She only hoped the audition didn’t run that long and she could get there before the show actually started. But even seeing a little bit of it would be absolutely worth it. Tori was pleased there wasn’t much of a line in the coffee shop and that they were practically in and out in no time at all with her over sugared, over caffeinated drink. It would get her through the audition and fingers crossed the concert. “So any more short cuts to get there or is it a straight go from here?” She asked, taking a sip from her hot coffee.
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Apr 7, 2014 15:23:56 GMT -5
New York had come to Tristan with a job already in tow. The New York office was still being built when he started his first round of college education, but he knew that there were expectations placed upon him for the moment the construction was finished. Like most he had worked from the bottom up, but at a quicker pace and with a more lucrative job offer since he had grown up with the required experience and had the abilities from years of listening to and shadowing his father. However, Tristan was not a workaholic, as much fun as his job could be. He balanced the hours in the office with hours in class and when he wasn't at either of them he hung out with friends. Sometimes it was at his spacious apartment that probably was a little more extravagant than necessary. However he had picked, decorated and designed the pad with the thought of being stuck there on really bad days and he wanted to be able to keep busy rather than just slumped on the couch with movies and bad TV. Tristan had to plan for those days and it was just a bonus that they also doubled as great things to have around for after parties or casual weekend hangouts. He didn't see the problem in investing in his large home since he had every intention of sticking around New York. He loved the atmosphere, the life and here he was pretty much his own person and even the employees of Valley Records recognised him more than just the boss' son. While the other two office branches also had that now, most of the veteran employees remembered Tristan from before he towered over nearly all of them. It was just a little bit nicer to know that the folk of New York had no memories involving Tristan with toy trucks or bad piano skills.
Laughing, Tristan shrugged. “Well, they match me. I might look a bit silly if I was out walking chihuahuas every day.” He pointed out. He had never exactly been keen on having a dog who could comfortably fit in one of his sneakers or that he would likely trip over at least once a day. Ever since he was a kid he had preferred big dogs over handbag sized ones and his two were probably the best he could ever imagine. “I'm too much of a nice guy for anything like that.” Tristan couldn't even recall being overly mean to someone in his life. He was more likely to just let someone drift away from his circle of friends or ignore them than he was to actually set out to hurt them. Letting out a small laugh, Tristan held the door open to the coffee shop and joined the short queue where he eventually handed over the green notes to pay for both of their drinks to go. “It's pretty much a straight go.” Still, Tristan escorted her the rest of the way, even though he suspected Tori knew the way herself from the point of the coffee shop. For any reason, it was the easiest route back to his apartment now he was out this way.
Tristan still needed to shower, pop into the office and get himself ready for the show that evening. Luckily he wasn't really needed there in a business capacity, but work always cropped up at events and concerts, whether he wanted them to or not. It was why he loved his job in A&R. He got to go out and scout open mic nights and good venues for the next big thing and quickly snap them up before another record company came along and stole them from him. After a slightly awkward goodbye on his part, Tristan headed home to get ready for the night. A hot shower, a change of clothes and a brief call with his dad and he was out of the door again. He was only at the office for fifteen minutes to pick up mail and deal with any changes or news that had come in for him that day. After that he was heading for the venue. Tristan avoided the front entrance where a few die hard fans were already queuing up and instead took the back door entrance after flashing his identification there. He greeted and chatted with the band while they got ready and casually hung about while the roadies and regular staff took about setting everything in place with final touches and safety checks. Once the clock began to tick towards show time, Tristan moved himself to the VIP booth that belonged to Valley Records where he met with a few of his dad's investment buddies and made polite conversation while the venue began to fill up. His phone was in his hand, just ready in case Tori called.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Apr 9, 2014 22:38:49 GMT -5
Tori’s whole thought to moving to New York was a fresh start; which she’d gotten. She’d landed in New York for the final time with only an apartment and the next part of her education ahead of her. She’d had no job lined up; she had no friends and had to find herself a companion to keep herself from going crazy in the too big for one person apartment her father demanded she get. It was in a plush, upscale guarded apartment with its own security, doorman and even a receptionist Monday through Friday. She had no idea what the hell a building like hers needed a receptionist for, there were no offices or shops but she would have agreed to hire a personal bodyguard if her father asked; just so she could stay in New York. She loved the city, wished every single day she was able to surf more but loved the city nonetheless.
The Australian dancer laughed out loud before covering her mouth. But she was unable to hold off the giggles. “Oh, that would be a sight.” Tori could picture it perfectly and it was such a ridiculous image that it brought on more giggles. “Not much worse than me being dragged by some mastiff of some sort or a St. Bernard.” She admitted, shaking her head. She couldn’t picture herself with a great big dog. It wasn’t because she couldn’t handle it, she was a hell of a lot tougher than she looked but she did look like a twig that would blow away in a stiff breeze. But she didn’t want overly confident men approaching her, asking if she needs help controlling the animal. She didn’t need help, nor did she want help from strangers. “I can see that.” She said, smiling. She wasn’t a mean person either. She could act like one when she needed to but she would never be a villain. She’d been teased and tormented her entire life, she couldn’t do that to other people; she knew how it felt first hand.
Tori thanked Tristan for her coffee before taking a sip of it and relishing in the overly sugary mixture and continuing on their walk up the street to her audition. She said goodbye outside the building, thanking him again for all that he’d done for a relative stranger before heading inside for who knew how long. She tossed her bag into the corner of the studio and chatted up with the couple others stretching for the next step in their life. She didn’t pay attention to the windows of the studio, only the choreographer and the other people in the room. She wanted to stand out, to show she was the one they were after. And when they finally called it a night did she look out the window. It was dark out already and she wondered if she’d missed the show. There was definitely no time to get back to her apartment. Thankfully, she kept a spare outfit in her bag so she wouldn’t have to walk out of a studio so late looking like a mess. She headed into the bathroom to make herself even a little bit presentable.
Twenty minutes later, after cleaning up as best she could, she walked out the building and hailed a taxi looking like a different person. She told the driver where she was going and used the time to get to the venue to reapply her lipstick. She wished she could have hopped in the shower but she’d done her best and spritzed herself with a light spray in the hopes that it helped. But it was already late and she was sure she’d missed the first couple of songs at least by the time she’d pushed open the building door. She called Tristan when she knew she was close to the venue to tell him as much and to apologise for being so late. She hung up a few minutes later and shortly after that, she was paying the driver and heading towards the main doors with her tags in hand. Getting through the security was easy with the tags and Tori thought again how she could never really say thank you enough. "Hey! I'm so sorry I'm so late. The director wanted everything gone through twice. I didn't interrupt anything important of yours, did I?" She asked, pushing her hair away from her eyes when she rounded the corner and spotted the man of the hour. She'd left it down to go better with the club look she'd managed to throw together with the extra clothes in her bag.
Tag || Tristan! Words || 772 Clothes || Beautiful Ballerina! Lyrics || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood Notes || <3
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Apr 13, 2014 23:00:59 GMT -5
This was just life for Tristan. He didn't see anything special in having access to VIP areas or hanging about backstage with rockstars. It was what he had grown up with and while music was all glitz and glamour to the fans, it was paperwork, phone calls and business dealings to him. He didn't know if he had been raised to take over the company whenever his father chose to retire or whether it was something that seemed to happen after the accident. It was only during and after his recovery that Tristan spent more and more time asking questions and working with the company rather than playing his father's errand boy. Not that he was complaining. He knew he had made the right decision in his life, even if he was back at college now. That was more of a personal accomplishment that he wanted to cross off a long list. Plus, Tristan liked to finish the things he started and the accident had put his college education on an indefinite hold. It was just one he didn't want to avoid forever and one he wanted out of the way before he was much older and had more responsibilities to consider.
At least tonight was a little less about business than some. He knew that if he really wanted to he could have just joined the crowds and watched the show from the front of the stage like the regular fans. Really, he was here tonight because the guys had asked to see him, purely because Tristan had been the man to make all of their dreams come true. It had been on of Tristan's first signings when he took the position in A&R and it had been a dull open mic night when the city was ravished by a terrible storm. The crowd was scarce, some of the performers were less motivated by that, but he had seen something in these guys and had followed his gut. It was a decision that had paid off and one the band never ever forgot. They were always asking Tristan to sit in on meetings with the higher ups at the record company, even if it was just to listen and advise them a little later. He never said no to them.
He strived to be a good friend without being a pushover. This was just one of the many reasons why he didn't mind checking his phone for a call or message from Tori. Tristan didn't even think that she'd owe him something after this kind gesture. He just liked being a good guy who could make someone's day. There had been far too many of his own where he had wanted an escape or wished that there was someone who would come along and perk his mood up with even the smallest of friendly gestures. He always approached life with the thought that he knew nothing about the strangers he might meet, so he was nice to all of them unless they gave him a reason to think otherwise. Even holding a door open for someone could brighten their morning just a little bit. When he did get that call from Tori, Tristan excused himself and made his way down towards the entrance. He had already told security that he had a late guest arriving with one of his passes. Smiling, Tristan shook his head. “No need for apologies. You aren't that late and you didn't take me away from anything important.” He assured her, taking the bag from her hand and guiding her towards a door that had a very noticeable “No Unauthorised Access.” warning across it. Ignoring it, Tristan swiped another card through the scanner and then pulled the door on the click. “It's a nightmare, but all the way to the top.” He told her with a lopsided smirk, letting her go first so he could check the door after them. The top was the VIP suite for Valley Records and it came with secure facilities so that anyone who was there on behalf of the company could leave belongings in the room and then go and move about the venue at ease. Tristan, at times, had even spent whole days there, changing and showing backstage.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on May 24, 2014 22:30:22 GMT -5
Tori loved to dance. All her troubles seemed so small and insignificant when she was in the zone. She loved how fluidly she could move her limbs to the sweet sounds of the music that surrounded her. Dancing took her away to another world, one where she was totally in control of everything around her. She didn’t care if everything around her was in total chaos, her world could be crumbling down around her and as long as she could dance, she was fine. Those kids from school could find her in New York and continue their teasing and their taunting all they’d like, she just needed ten minutes to run through a routine and she would be okay; everything would turn out alright. Broadway was exactly where Tori was headed towards, she knew that. She was too stubborn to let those kids in school get her down; she’d be damned if a couple of no’s from producers and casting directions put her there. Eventually dancing wouldn’t be an option but until then she would dance her ass of. And when that did happen, she had the water to keep her happy.
Of course by then, she hoped she had crossed off more from her bucket list than just making it on Broadway. Eventually she wanted a family; a reason to turn down a role. The last boy that took her on a date had only wanted to get close to get to her father and his company. It had been humiliating and from then, Tori had taken a vow. She wouldn’t date anyone from her high school and later when she moved, anyone who knew who she was. Her father’s business might not have meant shit in America but she wasn’t about to take those chances. She wanted people to like her for her and not what she could do for them or how much money was in her bank account. If she’d wanted, she could live out the rest of her days on a surf board and dance for the fun of it and not for a paycheck like some. She danced because she loved it that much.
Tori was excited for the night ahead of her. She had been looking forward to the concert but her career came first and she hadn’t been able to turn down the callback. But she was free for the night and in a couple more days she would know if she were good enough for Broadway. She’d been hoping she wouldn’t be interrupting anything Tristan was doing with her phone call and was pleased when he said she hadn’t. She didn’t know what it was he did exactly but it had to do with the band and that was pretty cool in her eyes. She’d worked with her father but he owned a couple television stations and some magazines. She never met anyone but lawyers and the behind the scenes crews while she’d played receptionist. “Thanks but be careful, it’s heavier than it looks. I wouldn’t want you dislocating something.” She said, referring to her dance bag. It had nearly her entire life in there. Everything and anything she could possibly need for an audition was in that bag and even more than that. A friend she’d made when she first found herself in New York drew a picture of a kitchen sink because she seemed to have everything else in her bag. It was a long running joke and the drawing was still in her bag, folded up and tucked away in a small pocket to be pulled free when she was having a bit of a tough go of things. It always made her laugh and usually got her through whatever came next. She followed Tristan’s instructions and moved up the stairs quickly and easily enough with a dancer’s grace, wondering what was at the top of the stairs exactly. She’d never been backstage or behind the scenes of anything unless productions at her dance academy counted; and she didn’t think they did.
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on May 26, 2014 18:22:51 GMT -5
There once existed a time when Tristan was convinced he'd grow to hate the music industry, everyone in it and even the music itself. He had found it difficult as a little boy to understand why his parents were always so busy and why he had to be left in the care of nannies when all of his friends were off on family camping trips and vacations. Back then he had been too young understand that the record company was still proving itself and needed all the push it could get to thrive. Now it was much more substantial than his father had ever hoped for and Tristan was a part of it and loved every moment there. As much as he hated dwelling on the accident in his past that had almost stolen his mobility from him, Tristan was ever so slightly thankful too. Without that accident he never would have spent those years working in A&R like he had done and he might not have found this love for fresh talent and the new ways in which music could head.
He never spent much time wondering how different his life could be if he had done that. Tristan didn't really enjoy dwelling on the what ifs and the could have beens. There was no way to change the past and he had honestly spent nights wishing that he could. That was when he was younger and still feeling that raw bitterness from how the fall had left him debilitated for so long. It was hard to cope when something everyone took for granted was snatched away in mere seconds. Tristan was just lucky that it had only been a temporary problem for him and not something that would last the rest of his life. The niggles and off days he could handle, but he had a secret pride for those who managed to live full, active lives when they hadn't been as lucky as he had. Although he had really not appreciated the joke about “the bigger they are, the harder they fall” that some people liked to throw around in an attempt to cheer him up back then. If anything that caused more longer lasting annoyance than the injury itself. Even now Tristan developed an instant dislike for anyone who used that line even light-heartedly in an entirely unrelated situation. Fortunately it wasn't something he heard often, which was a relief since he didn't exactly want to have to sit around and explain to people why he hated hearing it and then go through the details and the questions that always followed.
Grinning, Tristan took the bag from her relatively easily. “What I lack in grace I make up for in strength.” He joked, referring back to how their paths had crossed in the first place. The bag wasn't as heavy as some of the cases he helped carry before sets or when he was travelling with people. Plus, since he could do very little by way of hitting the gym and going through a vigorous workout, Tristan did what he could to stay fit. His arms were rather unaffected in the fall, so they had been where a lot of his strength went with all the hauling his own bodyweight around. Plus, the regular trips down to the pool in his apartment complex helped keep up the muscle strength even after he regained most of his own. Upstairs didn't boast all that much. It resembled an executive's office at a glance. Nice carpet, fancy leather sofa and seats and a small bar set up for whoever Valley Records had stopping by. A somewhat claustrophobic bathroom existed to the left and opposite that was a door that led to a small room that could be locked securely and that also held a simple looking desk for when any actual business needed to take place. At the end of the little suite was a full length window that overlooked the crowd and the stage. Despite it's somewhat closed off feel from the rest of the concert, the music could still be heard loudly and the only option they had over the rest of the venue was that of normal lighting for the duration if they so wished, and the perk of having actual glasses over plastic cups. Tristan put Tori's bag in the office and then locked it up. He was the only one with the key which hung from a set of about ten that he always carried on him. “Do you want a drink before you head down?” He asked politely, his eyebrows raised. “Or if you want to meet up with your friends then just give me a text at the end and I can get your bag back for you.” Tori wasn't obliged to stay at his side and he wouldn't guilt her into it either. If she went off then he would go back to mingling and working. If she stayed then he would just enjoy the concert with the bonus of her company.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Jul 3, 2014 23:05:20 GMT -5
Tori’s life had revolved around dance and the ocean for as long as she could remember. Nothing else really mattered except those things. She would wake up early to get some time on her board in before she had to put that ridiculous school uniform on and go to school. Those hours were the worst in her life. If she could have found a way to talk her parents into agreeing she be homeschooled, Tori would have been so much happier growing up. But her dance and her surfing had to be set around her schoolwork. She made excellent grades so she could afford to miss some time for dance or for some surf but her parents had their rules. That was probably why she loved New York so much. She was there alone and there, her parent’s rules didn’t exist anymore. She could do as she pleased and there was no one there to yell at her for doing something that might cross a line somewhere.
The Australian girl loved New York. She had friends in the city, something that had been rare in Australia. She’d had her friends in dance, the girls and the handful of guys for who dance meant everything and she had her surfing friends which all varied in age drastically. But she’d hardly invited all of them to her place. There had only been two from surfing who knew where she lived and there were only four more than that from dance; one of which she went to school with so at least she had someone there who knew how she suffered. Tori had gotten away from her hometown with only minor scars so she thought that as a win and now she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to move back permanently. Not right away at least, she still had plenty of time in her dance days before she really had to think about using the other degree she was working towards. And even then, she didn’t have to go to Australia. She could take her degree anywhere with water really.
“Oh, I don’t know. That fall was pretty graceful.” She teased, grinning. There were too many of her new friends who didn’t dance who seemed shocked by the weight of her dance bag. She had her entire life in that bag so of course it was heavy. But what got them was how she carried it with ease. She’d been carrying a dance bag around her entire life. At one point, it was her father who took time out of work to bring her to dance, then it was her brother and then from the time she was eight, it was her. Tori had never been backstage to anything she wasn’t performing in so this whole experience was new for her. She was enjoying it but she wasn’t by any means planning on getting used to it. She had only known Tristan for a handful of hours and though she could see them being good friends, she didn’t want him to think this was all she wanted from him. “Trying to get rid of me already?” She asked, teasing. She was shamelessly flirting with the tall man and would easily admit it if she were confronted about it but until then she wasn’t going to worry about it. “I’d love a drink as long as I’m really not interrupting your work. I don’t want to be a pest.”
Tag || Tristan Derek Halbert! Words || 576 Clothes || Beautiful Ballerina! Lyrics || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood Notes || <3
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Jul 16, 2014 17:23:57 GMT -5
Tristan might have had his career set, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to enjoy the rest of his twenties. He had put in a few hard-working years at the company already, but now this was his break to just chase some of the other things he enjoyed; like writing and photography. He had missed out on that thanks to his accident and now he wanted that college experience that everyone else seemed to have. He still put the hours in with the music, but it was a hell of a lot less than he would one day go back to. Officially Tristan worked on the weekends and then two afternoons or evenings during the week. However Tristan was usually chasing something up or checking in on people even when he was just on the move between classes. He didn't slack, he enjoyed the work and he liked to keep moving and keep busy. At the same time he wasn't afraid to put the phone down for the odd night here and there so that he could go out and enjoy himself with his friends. He was doing well at striking up that balance between work and fun.
For Tristan, home would always be Austin, Texas. He had too many favourites about the city to count. New York and LA were in there as his favourite places in the world too, but his childhood was in Austin. He was a city boy, that much he was certain of by now. He loved the hustle and the bustle, the bright lights and the mash up of people that made a city their home. In his opinion it was one of the greatest things about any city on the planet. So many people from so many places and each of them came with a whole saga of stories to tell. Tristan wasn't the biggest fan of talking about himself, but he was a fan of listening to what other people had to say. He always thought his tales to be boring or full of topics that weren't really interesting to explain just to make a point. It was why some people mistakenly thought that Tristan was shy or quiet. In reality, he was just more of a listener over a talker.
“Well that would be a first!” Tristan laughed. He wasn't a clumsy guy normally, but when Tristan had clumsy moments they seemed to be more of a big deal. Maybe it was because his height made the trips and falls much more dramatic with tangles of limbs. He didn't know and he didn't put too much thought into it, but people certainly seemed to be able to his accidents more than most others. The whole perk of being backstage at a show was nothing to Tristan since he had been in the VIP lounges and playing behind the scenes since he was a little boy. He had known famous musicians for about as long as he could walk and talk. It was nothing special for him, but he knew and understood how other people loved it and thought it the best night of their lives when they got to meet their favourite band or singer. “I just don't want to steal you away from your friends.” He countered with an easy smile. Shaking his head, Tristan's smile widened and he moved to the bar set up. “I'm not actually working tonight. Just here for my boys, but bad habits die hard.” He explained, shrugging. It wasn't like he overworked himself. He just took care of business when he could and sometimes that was off the clock. “What's your poison?” He asked, putting two empty glasses on the bar and filling them with ice.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Aug 6, 2014 12:35:26 GMT -5
Tori was in New York for two things; dance and school. Her parents expected a lot from her but neither of them expected her to follow in their footsteps. She’d been dancing since she could walk and the both had understood even then, that of their kids, Tori was the only one that would make something of their lives that didn’t revolve around the family business. Her brother had been groomed to take over and he loved looking for their father. And their younger sister was so completely useless; Tori would actually be surprised if she did something with her life other than spend daddy’s money. That was fine with Tori, too. She didn’t need her parent’s money for anything more than her tuition. As independent as she was, she couldn’t afford her double major without her families help. Her mother still put money in her bank account but for the most part it went untouched. She had never needed the money and tried not to use it unless she really couldn’t help it.
It had never impressed her and she found it to be more of a curse than a blessing; which was why she hadn’t outright told her New York friends of the size of her bank account. A simple internet search would bring up the information easily enough but she wasn’t about to willingly give that information out. She wanted to get things fair and square, with hard work and determination, not because who her daddy was. The suburb of Surfer’s Paradise would forever be her home but it was a place that held bad memories for her and she didn’t want New York to turn out to be the same though so far, the friends that did know, didn’t treat her any differently. “It had to happen sooner or later.” Tori said, grinning. In her real line of work, she fell all too often. Her day job as a hostess at Planet Hollywood was a breeze, even dealing with all those moody patrons, compared to being worked to the bone by dance instructors, directors and everyone else in the room watching her learn the next routine; which reminded her that she would have to talk to her boss about cutting down her hours again, providing she got the gig. Lucky for her, she had a pretty epic boss who let her get away with cutting down hours and doing half shifts to get to rehearsals and fittings.
“I have no idea where my friends are, actually.” She admitted with a laugh. With the music so loud, she wasn’t even sure if any of them would hear their phones if she called or texted them. Kevin was ridiculously tall though, so she figured finding him in a sea of people would probably be the easiest route but looking for them could wait until she was ready to go searching. “It’s nice of you to be here for them. The moral support is appreciated, I’m sure.” The moral support she got was definitely appreciated by her though visits from her family were few and far between, and most of her friends she met through the theatre so they were usually there for themselves as much as they were there for each other. "Do you have a specialty?" Tori asked, leaning against the side of the bar with an all too innocent smile on her face.
Tag || Tristan Derek Halbert! Words || 567 Clothes || Beautiful Ballerina! Lyrics || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood Notes || <3
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Aug 18, 2014 15:32:00 GMT -5
Why Tristan had landed in New York he couldn't tell you, but he felt like he was here for a reason. He wasn't the kind of guy to sit there and ramble on about theology or the idea of destiny, but he was a firm believer that everything happened for a reason, even if the reason wasn't all too clear. He didn't know why he had fallen and almost ended up paralysed, but he was sure that there was a reason for all of that. It might just have been to open his eyes and make him see that there was a world around him that was so much more than what he had previously perceived. Or maybe it had a much bigger role to play in his future and he had yet to figure it out. For the same reason, he believed he was in New York City. The chips would fall into place sooner or later and maybe he would see out his days in New York or maybe it would just be one chapter in the story of his life. Tristan wasn't the kind of guy to worry about things like that, especially not after his fall had opened his eyes to how precious life could really be.
“My money was always on later.” He said with a grin. He had never been the most elegant of people, not even when he was a child. Mastering the piano was about as far as Tristan got when it came to elegance and that was a talent he mostly kept to himself. Obviously guests to his apartment saw the piano just as they saw the pool table, but more often than not their interest was in the pool table rather than the ivories. Even when they did ask about the musical instrument, Tristan would modestly shrug it off and mention sentimentality or mumble something about his childhood. He wasn't known for being a musician, and he kept it around purely to help him relax and think when his mind was far too polluted for him to think straight. Besides, there wasn't really much of a call for pianists these days and Tristan didn't have a desire to be in the limelight. He much preferred his role behind the curtains.
Glancing out at the dark arena, Tristan pulled a face. “Yeah, finding them might not be the easiest task tonight. The turn out is pretty fantastic.” Obviously he was pleased about this. The band deserved the attention; they were a great bunch of guys. It was only a small venue, but it was a promising start and Tristan would be surprised if he found more than a handful of tickets not sold for tonight's event. “I'm sure it will be...in the morning when they've calmed down enough to remember tonight.” They were great guys, but he knew they'd be riding on the buzz of a great show through most of the night. They were still in the early days, overwhelmed by most of the support and success, and it took a while for everything to sink in for them. “Yeah, anything with too much alcohol.” Tristan said with a laugh, knowing that he was usually a little too generous when it came to pouring out measures. He could mix a good drink, it was just usually a strong good drink.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Aug 26, 2014 11:11:56 GMT -5
Tori knew her friends were somewhere in the crowd below them. But she also didn’t care all that much if she ever found them. They were all there, they just weren’t there together like they had planned. The whole point was to force Tori out since it looked to them that all she did was dance and work and study. She had a social life, a pretty damn good one if she did say so herself. She just wasn’t one to brag about anything in her life. She wasn’t the type to go taking every boy home with her and in fact hadn’t been all concerned about pulling when she was out at the clubs. For her it was just another place to get more practice; if that made her an addict, then someone had better stage an intervention because she wasn’t about to stop now. This night was supposed to prove to her friends she did more than just eat, sleep and breath dance. And despite rants, rambles and arguments to point out she was a double major, splitting dance with marine biology, she still hadn’t convinced them of that little fact. That or they just didn’t give a damn because it meant she was pushing herself that much harder than they were pushing themselves.
It was all fine with Tori. She wasn’t at the school to make friends, even though she had developed a few. She was there because she wanted to dance and she wanted to save the oceans. She could have done one anywhere but marine biology wasn’t an optional course at Juilliard; her second choice school. “Ah, well now it’s happened so you’ll just have to deal with it.” Tori teased. Falling was all part of her passion. To fall was to learn and Tori was all about learning for her passion. Dance was all Tori had ever wanted and she had fallen too many times to count in the last couple decades to know she was good at dance. She got right back up again no matter how hard that fall might have been; and there were a few severe ones.
In the very short time Tori had known Tristan, she liked him. He was funny and didn’t take her jokes to heart and he didn’t treat her like some fragile thing because she might be a little on the wrong side of slim; even though she ate like crazy. “It’s okay. I’ve got an excellent view.” She said with a grin and a light shrug. She wasn’t too worried about finding her friends. They were know they were all there in the morning when they all met up for breakfast. “I know the feeling.” She admitted with a chuckle. She always got nervous whenever she was onstage or through the entire night. She was on edge more those nights because she wanted to perform perfectly, nailing every move. “That’s great, my favourite kind of drink!” Tori said with a laugh of her own.
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Post by Tristan Derek Halbert on Sept 6, 2014 11:46:04 GMT -5
Tristan's job kind of was his social life in many ways, but he also had college life to drag him away from the unglamorous side of the music world when it was starting to make his head spin. He doubted he'd ever make anything out of journalism and photography once he finally got around to finishing his years at NYU this time, but they would come in useful when he was more of a permanent fixture at Valley Records again. Right now everyone knew him, but he was also frequently being reminded that he was supposed to be doing a million other things than working. That had been the whole point when Tristan had taken leave to return to school and yet he had still found himself drawn to the New York office and his own personal space there several times a week on errands for his father or to chase up things that had come to him in the middle of the night or that he had found in his e-mail inbox first thing in the morning when he had been eating his breakfast. He could have had them all forwarded to someone else in the A&R department while he focused on school, but truthfully Tristan didn't want to step out of the door with both feet. It was the place he was returning to once graduation came and went so he wanted to stay there in some capacity now.
“Now that I can probably do.” He said, after pausing for a moment as though he needed to think about it. In reality, dealing with it was something Tristan had come to terms with only when he had no other choice. The last great fall in his life had rendered him incapable of almost everything for quite some time and the giant man had found himself in a low, very dark place for that time. He had been at a point in his life where he had felt ready for anything, close to invincible and then it was all taken from him in a few short seconds and a very long fall. He was lucky the damage hadn't been permanent, but Tristan was still bitter about it at the time, and he felt like he had a good reason to be. Everything had been snatched from him for a while and he was back to the basic of basics which was a tough place for anyone who was a young, independent adult to be. He didn't like thinking back on it, but unfortunately there was a grotesque reminder of the accident in every throbbing pain he felt in his lumbar and every time he took his shirt off there was a long scar from surgery that would be there for as long as he remained on the earth.
Taking a moment, Tristan peered at the view himself. He used this box almost every time he was at the venue and not backstage working, but he was so used to it that he barely noticed just how great a position it truly was from the stage. “It is pretty good.” He admitted with a smirk, knowing that his father would accept nothing but the best. He was a perfectionist and always had been, but these days he pushed the artists under his label to be the best they could be and make the most of their talents. No one wanted to see them burn out or become caught up in the stardom only to throw it all away with the booze and the groupies that the music industry seemed to be part and parcel with. It was one of the many reasons why Tristan remained so involved with his bands and didn't just find them and then pawn them off to someone else once the records started selling and his job was sort of done. “Excellent news! Let's see what I can mix up. Anything you don't like?” There was a supply of every popular spirit and liquor known to man in the little bar, along with a few more of the rarely requested kind. Since this was where the company entertained their VIP guests and business associates they wanted them to be happy and comfortable, so they made sure that anything they might ask for was there and in steady supply. Tristan grabbed two glasses and tossed the ice in, then waited for Tori's response. He didn't want to make her a drink and then find out that she hated whatever alcohol he had used as a base for his cocktail.
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Post by Viktoria Tamsin Cross on Oct 12, 2014 23:13:21 GMT -5
Tori knew what she wanted when she was finished with school. By then she was hoping her credentials would have a couple roles added to it but she wouldn’t be upset if there weren’t any. Becoming a dancer or an actor wasn’t the easiest thing to become in the world. There were too many variables for it to be something that people could just decide to be and then sign up. She’d been at it for years, since she was a toddler and she was good. But she hadn’t made a name for herself yet in New York, nor was her name huge back in Australia; though that wasn’t for a lack of trying on a casting crew’s and producer’s end of the things. She’d been scouted once or twice to be on this television show or that one but she’d been young and her parents had said no, no matter how many good and well thought out arguments Tori had to counter everything they said. They weren’t interested in putting their middle child through that, so she hadn’t. Surprisingly, Tori had been okay with that because she hadn’t been interested in those particular shows anyway but from a performer’s point of view, either one of them could have launched her career should she have taken either role.
But she had New York now; a city where no one knew her name or her story. She could have that fresh start and relax a little knowing there was no one in the city from her old life and therefore no one to bring up the terrible names or remind her of the terrible times she had to live through. So far New York lived up to the low expectations Tori had set for it and went exceedingly beyond what she had hoped. Of course, if she had made only a single friend, it would have been better than what she had hoped for. And since she had more than one friend, her time in the big apple was far better than she could have hoped for.
When Tori had met Tristan, she had absolutely no idea what he did for a living or had any intention of taking advantage of his unknown position. She had just been interested in the man himself and his ability to joke around so easily with her. A task like that had just been too much for people in the past, though to this day Tori didn’t know why. The friends she had made in New York had no trouble at all joking around with her and having a laugh and apologising if they crossed some line she had but hadn’t been aware of. Even now though, she had no intention of trying to use Tristan for tickets or passes to a show. Mooching off people wasn’t her thing and she wasn’t particularly fond of people who did that to their friends. She had no use for people like that and refused to be categorised as one; which was why it seemed so rare for her to ask anything of her friends. She would hope that they could do coffee or something some time but she wouldn’t expect anything from Tristan. “Not so far.” Tori said with a laugh. She was of the mindset that she would try anything once, if she didn’t like it, she didn’t do it again. It really was as simple as that for the Aussie girl. “So, I know you have this amazing space here but do you go down and watch some of the shows from behind the curtains?” She asked, her intrigue getting the better of herself once again. She’d seen shows, or at least part of theatrical shows from behind the curtains because she wasn’t in those scenes and it was incredible but she’d never seen a concert like that so she was curious.
Tag || Tristan Derek Halbert! Words || 647 Clothes || Beautiful Ballerina! Lyrics || One Way Ticket -- Carrie Underwood Notes || <3
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