Lacuna Rambles/Thoughts/Gif Reacts #1: Oops!… I Did It Again! 😌

And by 'it' I mean reference R's specific taste in pop music! It has been mentioned in a couple of our writings on Patreon, namely:

'A Frightful Encounter'

"Watch your tone," R warns him.

Kyle's glower would be more effective if you didn't see his jaw trembling faintly either from what he heard or from his friends scaring him this cruelly. His legs are drawn up onto the seat in a way that would earn a rebuke from R if they were aware of it. Kyle may be too shaken for you to continue pressing the topic. "It's fine."

You play one of R's CDs, switching from the dated pop song track to classical music to calm things down.

"Britney would have certainly defused things, but very well, go with Bach."

R catches your eye to share a slight smile with you before you settle in for the drive.

'Gimme More'

For a moment, C admires R's side profile—what they like about it and what they'd freely change. "What're you listening to?"

"'Gimme More'," R replies. "And you?"

"Nothing that ancient," they tease them. "Your taste in pop music tends to be trashy, [R_Nickname]."

"Better it be my music than my attire."

However, it's now officially in the TFS series, which is why this Lacuna Ramble is more so funny than hard-hitting (unless you piece something together.) September's writings are rather emotional. This will give us balance before they publish! 🥲 R-mancers who aren't in denial about their feelings for the Verner heir will eventually unlock this exchange in Book Two:

Reese

You're standing in the middle of the hallway with your thumb on the 'enter' button of this expensive phone. Reese purchased one that reminds you of an ebony tusk; it's curved for easy listening and able to broadcast each lilting note of his unforgettable voice. It can't compare to talking to him in person.

You press the button, prepared to wait for—

"[Surname]?"

Reese's delighted exhale of your last name overtakes the dialing tone that hardly had a chance to sync up with your heart beat. There wasn't any wait. You part your lips to directly address him when a new voice comes through, except she's singing…? Dated pop music filters through the phone's speaker:

"~Let me break the ice~"

"~Allow me to get you right~"

"~Let you warm up to—"

A clatter of something followed by a rapid beeping that implies decelerating helps to clarify things. "You're jogging?" you theorize.

Ruby

You're standing in the middle of the hallway with your thumb on the 'enter' button of this expensive phone. Ruby purchased one that reminds you of an ebony tusk; it's curved for easy listening and able to broadcast each lilting note of her unforgettable voice. It can't compare to talking to her in person.

You press the button, prepared to wait for—

"[Surname]?"

Ruby's delighted exhale of your last name overtakes the dialing tone that hardly had a chance to sync up with your heart beat. There wasn't any wait. You part your lips to directly address her when a new voice comes through, except she's singing…? Dated pop music filters through the phone's speaker:

"~Let me break the ice~"

"~Allow me to get you right~"

"~Let you warm up to—"

A clatter of something followed by a rapid beeping that implies decelerating helps to clarify things. "You're jogging?" you theorize.

Aside from the sweetness of R making an effort to call your Returning Visitor, I also think it's fun how this links content on here to the series. This is similar to S's hair dye in the second book and A's raccoon's name, which many of you voted on, along with the nestled hints that reflect back on each other. 🥰Whether you enjoy Britney Spears or not, just know that R. Verner pauses the music to have a touching conversation with the MC. 🖤