“Thanks, man. Honestly, your house out there in New Jersey is by far the best real estate I have seen in that state. Granted, my time out there has been limited. Aside from visiting you, I’ve only ever been there to play shows. Which fun fact on that end, I have fucked a few girls from Jersey. Their accents were eh, but I saw past that.” He remarked playing up Joshua’s native accent that he still carries proudly. Either by design or intentionally, Ryan lost his Boston accent, but his family did move a lot when he was a kid so it was tough for any culture to stick with him or any place to be considered home for too long. That was a reason why he was so intent to plant roots for his future family someday. “They are vultures, dude. They don’t give a shit about anyone’s well being or mental state as long as they can get their coin. I once had some paparazzi asshole climb a tree to get pictures of a pool party I was having here. In certain ways, we are not seen as humans to some people, once you are an entertainer they believe you are meant to do so day in and day out.” On Ryan’s part, anxiety was the big mental flaw that affected him most days. He had a reoccurring prescription for Xanax but he rarely ever took it unless the episodes were too extreme to bare or keep in check with those around him.

“Ha, modesty is not exactly my forte! Most people can tell you that. Wait until I give you the tour and you see my office. It is just an excuse to show off all my awards and platinum records.” He chuckled softly, running a hand through his uncombed pitch black hair. Admittedly he had a strange relationship with keeping his achievements out on display. Back when his mother was alive, he would send her most of those momentos so she could have these constant reminders of her son’s success. Ryan senses the mood shift slightly at the more serious mention of Layla. He did not know much about her aside from her bubbling career and the certain attention that Grimmie’s collaboration with her is getting but he was not in-touch when it came to the rumor mill. “Shit, I was just pulling your leg... this seems to be carrying a bit of weight to it.” He paused and took a sip of his beer before throwing his arm over Joshua’s shoulder, patting his chest assuringly. “What’s going on? Trust me, if Ellie knows about it and is still talking to you and respects you, I have no reason to think of you any less. My moral compass is likely a lot smaller than hers.” He said jokingly trying to calm his friend’s nerves a little.

Ryan nods his head as Joshua reveals that the one year anniversary of his sister’s passing is coming up. As much of a charming and quick witted personality he possessed, he still struggled to find the right words to deal with death. It wasn’t that he was shallow or lacked empathy, it was just a slippery slope for him to discuss. “That day will be fucking hard for you. I know. September 9th is that day for me. It’s been over three years and it hasn’t gotten any easier really but at least my mom passing away, that’s the way life is suppose to go. You’re suppose to outlive your parents Ashley... that’s heartbreaking. You’re a lot tougher than I am. I don’t care what time of day it is, if you need to talk to someone, give me a call.” He hoped that Joshua would reach out to him, have Dae and his friends and family around that day. Ryan knows the one-year anniversary after his mom died, he tried to commit suicide for the second time in a span of twelve months and he was concerned for the mindset that his friend could find himself in if he is left to his own devices like he was years ago. Even years later it was something that he had only shared in detail with his therapist. “Yeah, this next record is a special one. That’s all I can say for now. Keep your ears perked, might have something out there in the next month so. I’ll let you and your girl Layla savor that number one spot for a little bit until I roll around.” He remarked in a lighter tone, trying to bring the mood back to a more friendly fashion.

Ryan laughed and shook his head at the mention of that infamous performance by Grimmie last year, somehow that event serving as the start of their friendship. “Hey, I’m a smart man, I know if I need someone to vanish I’ll call up my Jersey boy to take care of it. I don’t get in fights. I’m too rich and famous for that. I let other people do my dirty work. That’s the LA way, baby.” He remarked with a grin, leaning back on the couch and taking a sip from the drink in his hand. Ryan sighed as Joshua’s comment, figuring that he was immediately going to become their biggest fan of them getting together given his existing friendship with both. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Do you know who you’re talking to? My longest legitimate relationship has been three years, which was pretty on-and-off to start, so maybe closer to a year in a half. I have some serious work to do before I’m wearing an accessory right here.” He says pointing at his empty left ring finger. “I respect that. I did say I’ve slept with some girls from your neck of the woods, though. Don’t hold it against me if I’ve fucked a Grimmie. I don’t really stick around long enough to learn surnames.” He holds his hands up in a comedic matter to defend his face from any punch coming his ways.

OOC: No need to apologize! Sorry in advance as I feel like my response is also lengthy! Haha.

"I might come off as some arrogant know-it-all, but to my defense it could be a lot worse!" He exclaimed, motioning his hands around once he continued. "I could have maids, chefs, a driver, a security team around the clock, a personal assistant running around doing day to day tasks for me. I don't have any of that because I don't feel like I need it. I want to have some sense of normality in my life, even if I don't work a typical 9 to 5 gig." He swung his head up towards the windows and shrugged his shoulders with a smirk. "I don't clean those, though. I hire a cleaning team that comes to take care of that. I'm such a fucking diva."

Ryan sits quietly as he hears Joshua's story about Layla and Austin, instantly feeling in the change of demeanor that it was a whole can of worms that were being opened. He never felt like he was in a position to judge anywhere for lapses of judgement in their lives. There were likely not many individuals in this industry who have made as many mistakes as Ryan and still able to hold onto the level of success and relevancy as he had. Is there a hundred jokes he could make at that moment when his Joshua explained the climax of his story with Layla? Of course, but he restrained himself. All in all, while he understood the guilt that may come from that, he did not see it as something he should be villainized for. "Shit... that sounds messy, man." He only knew Layla and Austin mostly by name and their respective music careers, but neither one of them would he consider a friend. Joshua was his friend, so naturally he was going to side with him and defend his character if the story ever leaked out in details. "I mean, do you have a game plan for how you're going to approach this if the story makes it out there?" He questions aloud, his side as a public figure curious to hear if it was something he had thought of. Ryan knows well all the times he himself had to be in late night meetings with his manager and PR team as they scrambled to salvage his side of things. "I've been caught up in less than ideal situations before, so I don't judge you or your actions whatsoever. Let's get that out of the way, Josh. I don't think any less of you." He assured his friend, patting his upper back. Perhaps one day he would pull his leg about this incident, but that won't be today. "Aside from that one time, has anything happened between you and Layla since then? I assume she's no longer with Austin, right?" He asked, wondering where things stood for all those involved at this point.

"Don't you worry about Ellie.. I'll make sure she's doing well those days around it. You have my word." He assured him with a smile, sensing that it was best to move on and not return to Joshua's state of mind about the upcoming anniversary. He knew he had plenty of flaws but lacking self-awareness or reading a room was not a trait he lacked in. Ryan knew when it was the right time to crack a joke and when it was time to cut the crap and be sensitive to those around him. "It's strange because I haven't released an album in so long. "Traveling Tales" came out in November 2013 and since then I've dropped singles here and there, but tackling a full-length head on is stressful as fuck." He states, leaning forward in his seat, tapping the beer bottle aimlessly. "I had an album ready to go in 2016, which I decided to scrap a few months before release. Probably whenever I thought the correct name for it was "Sex with Former Lovers", I should have known it was a bad idea." He said followed by a small chuckle. If that album ever saw the light of day it would be a field day for the press and fans to break it down.

"I would get scrappy here and there as a kid. I was always the new kid at school. I felt like I had a chip on my shoulder most of the time, you know." He explained, perhaps that was the early indicator as to why he developed this intense desire to be popular and well liked. Surprisingly he has avoided most physical altercations as he's gotten older, albeit not without instances where things were close to boiling over. "Oh, fuck off." He states yanking his hand away from his grasp. "If I do sense that you tell Ellie-Grace anything I told you today, I will pick a fight with you." He says with a scoff and chuckle. "Yeah, you're correct. Hernandez is my surname," he paused and took back the remains of his beer. "Ross is my middle name. That's actually what I would go by when I was in grade school, until fucking Friends got popular when I was a teenager and David Schwimmer stole that name from me. Asshole." He says with a laugh, thinking he had not been asked about his name in a long time and admittedly got him to reminisce about his early days as an artist. "Keeping Ryan Ross Hernandez kind of just came in a blur of the moment. I worked some odd jobs in my teenage years and early twenties so I could afford some studio time to record a demo. The day I had enough cash to book this shitty little recording studio in New York City for a few days, I remember calling in to request it, and this lady just asked me "okay, what's your name to get this booked?" and from there on I've used my full name for everything." It was an odd feeling to realize that he had been going by his full name for the last twenty plus years. "When I signed my first record deal there was this discussion about trying to have me just go by Ryan Hernandez or throw in only the initial of my middle name. I was never about that."

He held no resentment towards Joshua for doing the opposite in the early stages of his career, it is very easy to see yourself in the limelight and believe you needed certain things or to act in a particular matter to be respected. "I usually have a PA when I'm touring or in the middle of a hectic promotional schedule, so don't feel too bad about it. We all run on different speeds," Ryan mentioned after he explained himself in more detail about the why and the carousal of assistants he had back in the day. "Hey, you were put in a tough position from the get go. I nearly lost my mind and I was in my 20s and 30s dealing with this crazy world. I can't even imagine how you managed as a teenager." A part of him felt bad that Joshua had to deal with such immediate backlash in your career solely for being outspoken. He felt that wrath of then US president and his cult-like following last year as a man in his 40s and it was difficult to weather through it. "You got through it all and look at you now, man. You're on top of the fucking world." He remarks laughing. Even though he did not know Joshua back then, he was proud of how things have panned out for him since those days.

"You know, sometimes that is warranted. You and I, we're highly self-aware. It might be slightly dangerous how self-aware we are. You understand that, especially messing around with people in this industry, you're going to get songs written about you that may not portray in the best light. I can probably comply a greatest hits album just covering songs that are about me being a jerk." He said with a soft chuckle, quickly moving on past himself. "I am glad you and Layla dealt through it all and were able to recognize that you're both better off that way before causing any damage to the existing friendship you both have, since it sounds pretty essential for both of you." He finished the remains of his bottle and placed it on the coaster beside Joshua's. "You're all young, you're all going to fuck up sometimes. I think everybody will come out of this just fine. You and Layla got each other's backs. Austin is pissed and that's understandable. Is the fact that you two are releasing a song together while the wounds are fresh, a smart move? I don't know. That's like if Izzy and I released a song back in the day." Ryan was just spitballing but he knew any sort of collaboration between those involved in any sort of controversy might result in a hit single and plenty of views online, but may not be the best route in terms of saving face.

"Those songs are buried somewhere. Good luck finding them." He commented with a laugh, hoping that the unreleased tracks would stay under wraps as he tried to move past those messy, controversial driven years of his life and career. "At that point of my life if I released an album titled "Sex with Former Lovers" it would have been damn near career suicide. Most people that aren't fans of mine would have just listened to it to try and decipher every little lyric. Hell, I saw it coming from a hundred miles away. At some point I realized that I had to halt it and move on." He snickers at the mention of Traveling Tales again, shaking his head. "My engagement with Nadia ended a few months before that album came out, so probably shouldn't have released that one either." Ryan said chuckling, hoping in his mind that the next album release would go more smoothly in every sense of the word.

"Eh, it was rough as a kid. I do feel like I needed that to put my hopes into motion. If I had your typical, suburban, white picket fenced, daydream of a childhood, I probably wouldn't have grown up with that passion to breakout one day." Ryan never spoke much of his life before he became a known artist, figuring that was one aspect of himself that he could keep private from the rest of the world that felt like they had him read perfectly. "Ah yes, you were your typical smart-ass kid." He teased him smacking him playfully on the arm. "You can absolutely steer her in the right direction, just don't be too obvious about it. Be cool. I really like this girl. I'm not trying to have her run off here." He said while raising an eyebrow and motioning with his fingers that he was going to keep an eye on him. "I probably mostly call you Grimmie when we hang out, don't I? I think it's a cool surname. Joshua, eh. Basic name, basic dude." Ryan said teasingly while grinning over at him. "I swear to god, Grimmie. If you tell me you have a ridiculous middle name like Clayton, I will kick you out of my house right this second."

“If you were just about anybody else I would say you’re just paranoid, no, in your case it is very much a possibility. You have political parties hating you, religious groups hating you, fandoms hating you, other artists hating you. If I was not just as toxic as you, I wouldn’t want to be associated with you.” Ryan said somewhat jokingly, although many would likely be very content at either one’s demise. While caught off guard by the hug, it wasn’t totally unexpected from his younger counterpart as he tended to be affectionate and caring, more so than Ryan typically was. It was a trait he admired from him.

Ryan nodded while hearing Joshua speak about whatever may came next and just dealing with the punches as they connect. Sometimes that was the only thing you could do for the sake of your mental health. These days, perhaps with age or experience, Ryan was more calculated and careful with his actions. Mistakes still occurred and likely will continue to happen, yet they were no longer as vast or earth shattering as they seemed ten or twenty years ago. “You know I have your back through anything, even this when that storm arrives. Albeit, I’m likely slightly worse company than your friend Layla.” He suggested while winking, patting his shoulder for a second. “Hey, I’m excited to hear the song. I think both of you are supremely talented. All this other crap will fade away. It’s all temporary. I have been written off so many times in my career due to my past fuck ups and I’m still here. At the end of the day, only thing that matters is the music, the art piece.” Ryan assured him, fully believing that the greater part of the public would only remember the music once it was all said and done.

“In theory the idea behind that album was cool. There’s some elements within it that made it this memorable soundscape. Drop by the studio sometime and I’ll play you a track or two from that project.” He remarked casually, knowing that even though he wanted the project to never see the light of the day, the songs that he recorded for it could still be released someday down the line for a compilation or posthumously as a money grab. “I have no headspace for those idiots. After my FCA performance, that camp literally thought like I had burned down some sort of unspoken American ideal by calling out blatant racism in this country. It may never be that straightforward again, but I think from that point on, I have this awareness where it will seep into my writing anyways.” He explained trying to put into words as best he could the certain duty he felt to no longer stay away from difficult subjects to remain moderate on the political spectrum. “I think “Break in the Clouds” is my best album overall, from top to bottom.” Ryan is referring to his May 2012 release, his fifth overall record, which he felt became his personal standard to surpass in his discography and many of his fans and music journalists agreed. He was known to be his own worst critic, usually hating to hear back on his own music once it was released for everyone to hear.

“Urgh. I was already open to you tonight about my feelings. Let’s take it a step at a time. When I see you next we can discuss everything about my childhood and pre-fame years.” It was nothing particularly traumatic or scarring that Ryan experienced growing up, but there was some baggage to unpack from that time in his life that he didn’t want to get into right now. He did agree that to be a songwriter, there was no weight within that without some tragedy attached to your life. He sure as hell knows that most artists he respects and idolizes have been through some growing pains to reach their peak talents. “Oh, I’m sure she knows I’m a fucking freak. I don’t hide that fact very well. Now if her and I can just reach that point soon, that would be great.” He said with a wink and laugh, knowing that he was a bit scatterbrained at this point from the lack of sexual relief in his life. “Your middle name is Orlando?!” Ryan exclaim before starting to laugh loudly, placing his hands on his chest while he does. “Like the city that houses Disney World? I will only let this slide if you were either conceived there or it’s like your great grandfather’s name and he was a world war vet.”

Ryan will never understand how some people can harvest so much unadulterated hate in their heart to threat people they don’t even remotely know. “That’s terrifying. If I was in your shoes, I would feel that constant fear too. I’d be weary of pretty much everybody around me.” Despite the fact that his next tour was likely a year or so away, in the back of his mind, Ryan knew it would likely require some additional security measures given the political spectrum in the US and the possible nutcases that might try to ruin a concert due to where he stands on some subject matters. “If you die from consuming a peanut, that’s like the weakest pop star death I have ever heard. At least go out with a bang!” He exclaimed jokingly. In recent years he has thought more about death and whatever legacy he would be leaving behind, although it was something that felt a bit hallow until he had a family that could enjoy the fruit of his work. “That’s likely good information for me to know of. Would you like to try this new peanut butter liquor I bought the other day?” He asked him with a straight face, although clearly just making light of the conversation.

It was strange for Ryan to think about building these genuine, lasting friendships with some of his industry peers. While he had many acquaintances, many of his deeper connections within this world came from sexual relationships. It was difficult for him to maintain friendships because he always going along to his own rhythm, which for better or worse, meant some artists would always see him in a particular light. “I appreciate that. I’m trying to keep my nose clean these days, yet you never know. I might be just going to the studio and back home everyday but somebody somewhere will start some wild rumors how I’m hosting drug fueled, sex orgies or some ridiculous shit like that.” He chuckled lightly, knowing well that his name would always be a fixture for others to latch on for the most absurd claims.

Ryan was known for being bashful, yet admittedly, it was different when the admiration and respect was coming from an artist he likely considered to be at the top of the game right now. It was a reminder to him that if he could inspire a younger generation to do music and achieve a great amount of success themselves, it was worth going through all the bullshit to become an elder statesmen in this industry. “You were 13 when that album came out? Fucking hell! I was like 34 back then.” He mentions with a scoff. A few years back he had a tough time wrapping his head around the inevitable passing of time but it was different now that he felt comfortable deeper into his 40s. “It’s endearing that you have that memory attached to that record. When “GOLDENHEART” came out, I remember I was anxiously waiting for my cassette tape to arrive. Looking out my window for the UPS delivery. I actually haven’t even heard the album yet. I’m still waiting for my boombox to get here.” He remarked sarcastically before laughing, patting Joshua on the knee.

“I’ll be perfectly honest with you, when I first met EG a decade ago, I was convinced she was some crazy conservative. It only made sense. This 18 year old, cute, innocent, blonde girl from the south. I had some serious doubts.” Ryan says while chuckling, finding it baffling how much has changed over the past decade. “At this point, she can be into any crazy shit and I’ll probably go through with it. Fuck any moral high ground. I just wanna get laid.” He mentions, following up on Joshua’s joke as a small giggle escapes his mouth. “Joshua Orlando Grimmie. I’m sorry, buddy. That is a terrible middle name. Don’t you ever use that name, not even on a legal document.” He said as his laughing fit started to subside, his attention drawn away from their conversation to his phone on the coffee table as he hears a text message notification ding. He reaches over as the light shines his face, quickly reading the message before setting the phone down on his knee. “Speak of the devil,” he says quietly, flashing a sly smirk.