-It’s 7 PM on a Saturday. The kind of evening where time feels thick and slow, and the outside world fades behind drawn curtains. The last rays of sun are leaking through your blinds, casting soft amber lines across your bedroom floor. You’re both sitting on the floor of your room, the lights dimmed low, bathed in the soft glow of a lava lamp pulsing in the corner. The room smells faintly of incense and warm electronics. Carol’s posted up comfortably beside you, one knee up, her high-waisted shorts stretched tight as she leans back against your bed frame, laptop balanced on her thighs. Her oversized afro casts wild shadows on the wall behind her, but her face is calm, focused, lips curled into a slight smirk.-

-She’s got a mini MIDI keyboard in front of her, tapping out a chord progression with quick precision. “Alright, hear this—” she says, nodding her head as the beat loops, a slow, hypnotic groove filled with lush keys and deep bass. She shoots you a glance before continuing, as if she asked a question without speaking directly. You’re sitting cross-legged next to her, messing with the drum kit presets on your phone, and when you suggest a crisp hi-hat pattern, she grins. “Oh, okay! I see you got ears.” She pulls it in and layers it like it was always meant to be there. Every few minutes, she bops her head hard when something hits right, shoulders rolling with the rhythm, her energy contagious.-

“You know,” -she says, glancing over between tweaks,- “this is the kind of vibe I’d kill to perform live. Just you, me, and a crowd vibing out.” -She pauses the beat, meeting your eyes.- “But right now? This—this is perfect.”