#“no children” by the mountain goats. go give it a listen

[smeekssneaks]

[eternalgirlscout]

renowned goats aficionado and good opinion enthusiast sarah eternalgirlscout i come seeking your wisdom. what are some boppy or danceable tmg tunes

I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. your mileage may vary on danceability, but i do think all of these are certified bops. there are many more goats songs that could be classified as such, but i tried to make this quick + short so i limited this list to ones i had something to say about off the top of my head.

spotify link, if you're so inclined

Dance Music

this one was my first thought and it's not exactly a happy song to start with, but the upbeat tempo in contrast to the subject matter is intentional and one of my favorite things about the song

Southwood Plantation Road

allow me to share one of my favorite tmg banters from 2003:

"This, my friends, is a dance number. Somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty audiences so far this year have declined my kind offer that they get they freak on to this song. But you may freak away. I won’t tell nobody. [Audience member: Southwood Plantation Road!] That’s the fucking song, my friend!"

Alpha Rats Nest

another anti-love song in the vein of "No Children." a lot of songs off of Tallahassee could be categorized as bops, but this is the other one i think of when i think of tunes that make me want to get up and move

Corsican Mastiff Stride

when the album Getting Into Knives came out and i heard this song for the first time, i literally dropped what i was holding when the drums started

Parisian Enclave

the sheer rhythm of this one is irresistible. it really gives the sense of collective, swift movement, like the rats this song is about

Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into The Water, Triumph Of

another song about movement, about freedom

Choked Out

when I was in undergrad, there was more than one incident of me headbanging so hard to this song while driving that i didn't realize i was going like 15 over the speed limit

Foreign Object

an old friend and i used to joke about getting tax benefits married if we were both single in our mid-30s, and a vital part of the scenario we imagined was that this song would be our first dance at our wedding

January 31, 438

a song about dancing! like "Dance Music," the subject matter is enhanced by the irony of being paired with this tune

Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome

another song i should not be allowed to listen to while driving

First Blood

like a lot of high-tempo mountain goats songs, the boppiness and danceability is at odds with the topic in order to make a point. it's a fast-paced, entertaining jam tearing down the mythology of the action movie, an often fast-paced genre that puts entertainment above the implications of its philosophy. and you can shake your ASS to this song

This Year

what else is there to say about this song? the first time i saw the mountain goats live, in a tiny theater on a college campus in northern wisconsin, almost the entire crowd stood up from their seats and danced in the aisles. i spun under my now-husband's arm and i swear i got a smile from john darnielle. there WILL be feasting, and dancing. this year, next year, every year

any other Goats Enjoyers are welcome to add to this post! i admit this skews fairly recent. let's get some crunch on it

[eleanorpowers]

Andrew day 2:

Give me Andrew angst and give it to me NOW!!

I am convinced this is a prophetic manifestation of Andrew Minyard's self destructive nature in song 10 years before The Foxhole Court was published.

In 2003, a 16 year old Andrew was 100% listening to Tallahassee on his Nomad Zen Xtra and plotting Tilda's death. And you know he felt like a bad bitch doing it.

That mention brings up my own thoughts about the Tilda situation, I wondered for a long time how Andrew ensured his own safety while also ensuring Tilda's death. Then it hit me. He didn't ensure his own safety. He was ready to go down with her, as long as Aaron ended up okay. His own survival was a fluke, an unfortunate possibility that came to fruition.

And afterwards, that destructive streak continued, locking Aaron in the bathroom for a week to wait out withdrawals, consequences be damned. He stays apathetic and rude and aloof to anybody and everybody, even his own inner circle.

But somehow, despite it all, as I'm sure you all know, deep down his actions were a show of deep love for his brother. He did it all for him. Even if he tells himself a thousand times he never once cared, he gives one hell of a damn what happens to his family, even when he cannot bring himself to give a damn about himself.

[transformersbrainrot]

MegOp is making me crazy as usual, but now I have some new, specific inspiration!

So it started with @that-fanperson-meg saying this under a post I made about the Transformers account posting a TFO MegOp edit.

I recognized the name of the song but had never actually listened to it, and hooooo boy, it activated something in the part of my brain that thinks about MegOp... So, I'm listening to this song, and I have the clearest vision that it's about Megatron's mindset/thoughts during his mental health's lowest point in the worst depths of the war. (fair warning, my analysis/brainrot is based on my own personal continuity/au, so there are some minor references to that, but it's all fairly standard, and I explain it a bit, so just go with it, and you shouldn't be confused.) Ok, preamble over. Time for the lyrical analysis:

I hope that our few remaining friends Give up on trying to save us I hope we come up with a failsafe plot To piss off the dumb few that forgave us I hope the fences we mended Fall down beneath their own weight And I hope we hang on past the last exit I hope it's already too late

Megatron assumes that Optimus is in just as bad of a place as he is. He's wrong, of course, OP certainly isn't enjoying himself, but he has an actual support system that he feels comfortable leaning on. On the other hand, Soundwave is the only thing even approaching a friend for Megatron (and he is waaay too closed off at this point to admit it). Starscream is a backstabbing, power-hungry sycophant with his own heap of baggage (I really gotta make a post about my version of all that sometime); Shockwave is purely logic-driven as usual, only interested in advancing the Cybertronian race via the Decepticon cause. By this time, Megatron feels like both sides are too deep into the war to even consider peace. He honestly can't fathom it.

And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here Someday burns down And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away And I never come back to this town again in my life

Megatron has always wanted to escape the path that was decided for him. But now, after losing what he and Orion had and the resulting fallout, he won't go quietly into the night, not before causing some irreparable damage first. And the war will do just that. He hopes the destruction the great war causes keeps pushing him forward, even out beyond Cybertron. At least then, he won't ever need to face the past and who he used to be. He couldn't recognize himself now if he tried, so he doesn't even try.

I hope I lie And tell everyone you were a good wife And I hope you die I hope we both die

Even though it's clear to him that they hate each other and are not good for each other, Megatron still has some form of loyalty to what he and Orion had. If somehow, someday, someone were to ask him about them, he wouldn’t tell them about all their problems, but instead that they were good together. Maybe if this hypothetical future version of Megatron doesn't mention all the pain their split caused, then maybe it was a little less real. He knows that as long as Optimus is around, he won't be able to stop fighting; he's just too hurt and angry. He wishes Optimus would just die, that they both would.

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow I hope it bleeds all day long Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises We're pretty sure they're all wrong I hope it stays dark forever I hope the worst isn't over And I hope you blink before I do And I hope I never get sober

Soundwave, the only even semi-positive influence on him right now, is the one telling Megatron it's darkest before the sun rises. Soundwave is a true believer in the original cause of the Decepticons, probably the last one in High Command; everyone else is either using the cause as a means to take out their pain (Megatron and Starscream) or as a means to an end (Shockwave). Megatron is finding it harder and harder to believe Soundwave with each passing day, and yet again assumes Optimus is doing the same. He's starting to hope it never ends. He's comfortable with it now; the war fills the hole that his old life left in him. All he really knows is that he can't bring himself to yield to Optimus and doesn't think he ever will. If he did, he wouldn't know what to do with himself.

And I hope when you think of me years down the line You can't find one good thing to say And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out You'd stay the hell out of my way

Megatron is hoping that Optimus is suffering too, since he is, and doesn’t want him to feel anything positive through this since he cannot. But at the same time, he’s trying so hard to be a bastard so that it won’t hurt as much. He does still want to speak well of their past if he gets the chance, so some loyalty or fondness remains deep down. If there were good times to look back on, there would be sadness that those times are over. If Optimus has nothing good to say about him, all he would feel is relief that that part of their lives is over.

I am drowning There is no sign of land You are coming down with me Hand in unlovable hand And I hope you die I hope we both die

Megatron can't see any way out of where he's gotten them. To him, there's no path to peace anymore. The only solace Megatron can find is the hope that Optimus falls with him. Even now, the two of their fates must be interlocked, as if it were a universal constant to him - simple common sense. He just wants it to be over, even as he can't bring himself to stop.

[hannibalspubes]

Help y’all!!!!!!

Give me hannigram songs!! I’m going to make a poll to see what the ULTIMATE HANNIGRAM CODED SONG

So far on my list:

I’m your man by mitski

Oleander by mother mother

Vampire empire by big thief

No children by the mountain goats

Gimmie more pls I will listen to every song sent in!

[fearforthestorm]

How is 'no children' misrepresented and what is it actually about? <- genuinely curious and likes people ranting about things like this (and only really knows about the 'hand in unlovable hand' line though maybe that's part of the problem(?))

oh god okay so. how much tmg lore do you want because if we want to get into no children we're gonna get into the alpha couple and they've literally been present in the music since the very first tape ever released under the name the mountain goats over 30 years ago. actually yknow what it's 2am I don't want to mess things up I'll just give you this:

that's the backstory that's what no children is about. the song is so named because (paraphrasing a quote) "if there's one thing I know about this couple it's that the world will be better for it if they never have children". and here's the thing is that no children is a REALLY cathartic song I don't fault people for enjoying it and god knows that it's fun to belt at concerts but it is NOT a love song. it is not a song about a relationship that is in any way good or stable or healthy. it is about a couple that are bad for eachother and for everyone around them and should get divorced but are never going to because filing those papers is a few hundred bucks and you can buy a lot of alcohol with that money. please understand that: they aren't a tragic mutually doomed couple who despite that love each other. they are actively dragging the both of them to their graves because they're too far in to turn around now. they've been drinking for decades like it'll fix their problems and it never will and things only ever get angrier and louder and more destructive and worse so they just keep fucking digging the graves they've been digging since the beginning. first rule of holes is stop digging second rule is that once you do you're still in a hole but they're never even gonna get the first one and they sure as hell aren't ever going to acknowledge that they're in a deep deep hole much less would they try to get out. no children is about wanting the worst for yourself and your better half because it's the only way you can see any of it ending. no children is slinging insults across the living room several drinks deep into the evening at the person you married and realising that you fucking mean it when you say you hope it all goes to shit and takes the both of you down with it.

no children isn't the tragic otp. no children says "I hope I lie and tell everyone you were a good wife" and "I hope when you think of me years down the line you can't find one good thing to say / and I hope that if I found the strength to walk out you'd stay the hell out of my way" and it means every goddamn word when it says them. and I know people like "hand in unloveable hand / and I hope you die / I hope we both die" but they ALWAYS use that quote in a "it doesn't matter if we're unloveable because we're hand in hand" kind of way and that's just completely fucking wrong. if you're going to use no children for your blorbos fucking commit to it, they better be a couple that is genuinely entirely going to bury each other alive for the sheer goddamn fact that they would rather die than try to stop digging.

anyway. go listen to Tallahassee (album) because it is genuinely extremely fucking good and no children probably isn't even in my top three songs from that album.

[vampirevatican]

Hi! I read your Slashfic content, and I loved it! I also felt that the songs fit them so well. Do you have any more song hcs for them? I'm obsessed with them, and finding your content was bliss 😍

Okay so like, here's the thing... me and a mutual made playlists for them!! So ima share a song i choose and link the full playlists here.

LEATHER:

it's called: freefall - rainbow kitten surprise

the country vibes. the way he really wants this all to end. the way i just know for a fact that if we didn't come along then he'd just be ready to... freefall... let it all go.

MIKE:

people eater - sodikken

i just think it really suits him. in control of the relationship, "how dare you deprive me." and it gives way to his humanity, "why do you still believe in me?"

GHOST:

no children - the mountain goats

him and lysa... but also loving him in general. i feel that somewhere along the road of being actually happy and meeting lysa he became bitter. they say ignorance is bliss, maybe he realized some things... or maybe that dark bitterness was in him all along. either way... i picture him singing this and it's to friends, to crushes, to lovers... just an angst riddled jackass. but he's our jackass, and we're going down with him... hand in unloveable hand.

JAY:

mama's boy - dominic fike

listen to the lyrics. and tell me it isn't him. and if you think it isn't go argue with the wall bc u aint changing my mind. this is him. he looks out at others, how they're normal, how innately different he is from them... how could he ever fit in? not to mention his heavy mommy issues.

[everything-on-red]

THE BIG SONG RANKING

ladies and gentlemen, to make good on my promise to @daniel-profeta, a list of my 40 favorite songs.

TIER 1 - GOD TIER:

“No Children” - Mountain Goats

Made me cry, made me feel seen, made me feel like a grape in a microwave, cooking from the inside out, dying on the vine, stuck in a box, about to explode, glowing with light. Made me confront my family life, made me ascend to a higher plane of being, made me a sad bastard.

“Staring At the Sun” - U2

I wish I had written these lyrics. I spend 90% of my life in denial so I felt very targeted by this song. I fly up in preparation whenever I hear it starting, and remain floating for the entire song, drifting in the ribbon clouds.

“It’s Alright” - Jack Stauber

This song just grabbed the otherworldly concept of placid hopelessness and frantic optimism and blended it all up in a blender and released a thousand screaming beautiful animals like sun spots on your eyelids in an empty indoor water park where you go skinny dipping with your favorite person and everything feels warm and electric.

“Only Skin” - Joanna Newsom

I have listened to this song probably over 40 times (and it’s 16 minutes long! So that’s 10 hours) and the lyrical tapestry of it is still an explosive mystery to me. It makes me weep and be very happy to be a woman because my body and brain are twisting in a living fairytale fever dream.

“Oh Comely” - Neutral Milk Hotel

How the fuck is this song about so many things and yet one thing. It is some of the most beautiful poetry I have ever had the pleasure of washing over me. Especially the part where it turns into a story about Hansel and Gretel freezing to death after they run away from the circus. See what I mean? It’s about so many things, but it’s about one thing. One solid feeling that you can’t get anywhere else.

“Hey” - Pixies

This song is a screaming roller coaster like an apocalyptic car ride down into the red and blue twilight city, divorce, and the Devil tarot card. Does that not sound like a good time?

“Sweet Thing/Candidate/Sweet Thing Reprise” - David Bowie

This may be cheating, since it’s 3 songs, but the instrumentals in this suite are INSANE, the lyrics are SO FUCKING RESONANT I’M LITERALLY RESONATING, and Bowie is vocal goals here. Wailing makes everything better. “With you by my side it should be fine. / We’ll buy some drugs and watch a band, / then jump in the river holding hands.”

“Never Let Go” - Tom Waits

You know a song is magnificent when it can be both a loud tavern song and a quiet campfire song. This one reminds me of my father, so I can’t say too much else for fear of revealing my bias. But it’s beautiful, and like all Tom Waits, gives weepy 1930s vibes.

“All Eyes On Me” - Bo Burnham

Y'all ready to retreat into the dream and slowly disintegrate as we assimilate into the digital opiate hivemind in death as natural as a river at the end of the world? Because when I listen to this song, I feel fucking HYPED.

“Liquid Smooth” - Mitski

This is a song about Mary and you cannot change my mind. It is achingly powerful and desperate, ringing with the fear of death and ugliness and impotence, the intense and inescapable body horror of our mere existence as bags of throbbing flesh, the bottomless maw of sex.

TIER 2 - FUCK YEAH TIER:

“Rainbow Connection” - Kermie Da Frog :D (Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher)

This song always makes me smile, and I am proud to be a writer. I feel strong.

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” - David Bowie

The fumbling and melancholy mundanity that builds into such a beautiful plea for understanding and empathy. I get the sense that everyone who has ever reached out their hands is reaching out for a reason. They hold that reason tight to their chests and ride it into the ethereal plane. “Oh no love, you’re not alone!” The scream is so powerful. We are all David After Dentist. Even David.

“As The World Caves In” - Matt Maltese

Similar thematically to the last entry. Words cannot describe the feelings that the story in this song gives me. “It’s you. / That I lie with.”

“Freedom” - Teddy Hyde

This song is downright picturesque. The sentiment is beautiful, the instrumental is meltingly lovely. And oh my god the horn part. You are not prepared for this, it will pulverize you (tenderly).

“Down By the Side of the Road” - John Prine

This one is definitely about Mary, and it’s one of my favorite stories I’ve ever heard. I highly recommend listening to this, it is the missing link in a long line of ghost stories.

“Toes” - Glass Animals

You ever just wanna feel all the horror of The Island of Dr. Moreau PLUS The Most Dangerous Game in less than 5 minutes? Well with Toes by Glass Animals, now you can!!!

“The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn” - The Pogues

THIS SONG MAKES ME FERAL. GRRRRRRRRR.

“I Bleed” - Pixies

This is my favorite Pixies song, despite the fact that Hey is probably better. I love the desert. I love coterminosity and cyclical time. I love devolving into the fluid consciousness of the past! And I love the weird, dissonant harmony in the final chorus.

“505” - Arctic Monkeys

I’m in love again. The smoky hotel rooms and wet streets. I’m drifting away, catch me. Or don’t.

“Pizza Boy” - Jack Stauber

The perfect song to sing for any empty room, rainy day, life change, mental breakdown, or lovely person. And sway away.

TIER 3 - HELL YEAH TIER:

“Los Ageless” - St. Vincent

This is just a really really really good song about Los Angeles that has some of the sickest guitar I’ve ever heard. It also happens to be one of the horniest songs I’ve ever heard, and I would not trade it for anything.

“Body of Years” - Mother Mother

Every writer should hear this song.

“Rockets fall on Rocket Falls” - Godspeed You! Black Emperor

The first instrumental on this list, because I generally prefer lyrical songs, but this song tells a story in its own right. I feel like I’ve listed a lot of apocalyptic pieces so far, and this is perhaps the apotheosis of apocalyptic vibe.

“How Long” - Anais Mitchell

There is a deep kind of mystery to this song that is not in the other songs on Hadestown. A sense of inscrutability, despair, and wide separation that not even love can fully heal. A sense of bitter and cold resignation. And an amazing chorus, both lyrically and melodically, that builds with vocal layering and lyrical changes in a way that just makes me so fucking happy.

“Life During Wartime” - Talking Heads

The lyrical world of this song is so expansive and immersive and exciting and escapist and terrifying. It’s so fucking fun, it makes me want to jump around and get all sweaty.

“Love Love Love” - Mountain Goats

Raskolnikov reference, automatic W.

“One Summer’s Day” - Joe Hisaishi

I have extremely nostalgic attachments to this beautiful piano piece from my favorite animated movie, which is also the movie I happened to watch before leaving for college, appropriately.

“Atlantic City” - Bruce Springsteen

WOAH BREKAING BAD REFERENCE? This song low key gives me the same narrative and visual vibes as Hey, only with very different lyrical sensibilities. A beautiful, mournful melody and lyrics packed with sharp, astute characterization and wistful, desolate imagery.

“Wriggle” - Cosmo Sheldrake

Gospel song. Baptism song. Edward Lear would be proud. I am screaming and cheering.

“The Mind Electric” - Miracle Musical / ミラクルミュージカル

SEE HOW THE SERFS WORK THE GROUND AND THEY GIVE IT ALL THEY’VE GOT AND THEY GIVE IT ALL THEY’VE GOT AND YOU GIVE IT ALL YOU’VE GOT TIL YOU’RE DOWN SEE HOW THE BRAIN PLAYS AROUND AND YOU FALL INSIDE A HOLE YOU COULDN’T SEE AND YOU FALL INSIDE A HOLE INSIDE A SOMEONE HELP ME UNDERSTAND WHAT’S GOING ON INSIDE MY MIND DOCTOR I CAN’T TELL IF I’M NOT ME

TIER 4 - LET’S GOOOO TIER:

“Pepper” - Butthole Surfers

Something tells me this fountain was not made by the hands of man… idk though… this song makes me want to die in a parking lot on a summer afternoon.

“Dead Flowers” - The Rolling Stones

No explanation needed.

“An Open Letter to a Ruby-Shoed Pixie” - Teddy Hyde

Incredibly well written, the poetic flow is astounding. You can tell it comes from a place of raw and tender unfiltered love and that’s impossible to ignore.

“Hymn 131,513” - Daniel Profeta

The force with which this song is vaulted into the world is unparalleled. You can feel the heart pumping behind it. The lyrics tumble into each other, each truer than the last. Weird tangent--the “look above you, I’m never far” obviously implies some satanic or corrupt element, but I am also kind of obsessed with the idea that this God is simply chthonic. We’ve had too many sky daddies, we need more earthly pantheons. We need to walk on the gods. “Bury me a thousand feet deep in a form-fitting coffin an inch shorter than me.”

“Sunny Afternoon” - The Kinks

I’m partially nostalgic for this song, but also, I think it’s one of the best the Kinks have to offer. It’s just an utter vibe from beginning to end. I feel like I’m sliding down a half-medicated poolside chair into the rotisserie pit of my own mistakes.

“Moonsickness” - Penelope Scott

From the first line this is extremely relatable. Penelope Scott managed to write a song about periods and womanhood that is about so much more than that, that is universally relatable and painful.

“Sundial” - Lemon Demon

There’s just something I can’t describe about this song--the lyrics, the unique rotating melodies, all feel so quirky and fun and engaging.

“Paris 1919” - John Cale

We are all ghosts dancing to this song, “down on darkened meetings on the Champs-Elysees.”

“I’m Always In Love” - Wilco

Describes me to a T. I have problems. And you know I had to put Wilco on here.

“You’re Mine” - DAGames

Don’t eat ass in the halls.

Phew. That's it.

I wanted to put a Clipping song on here but I feel like I haven’t explored their catalog sufficiently yet. I also wanted to put an Advance Base song, but that might be one of those situations where none of his songs stand out tremendously, but Nephew in the Wild is still one of my favorite albums.

Thank you to @my-ancient-marss and again to Daniel Profeta for the inspiration for this list. It was a lot of fun to sift through and organize, and I definitely have a new appreciation for some of the songs on this list. Anyway, I hope others will follow suit. See you all on the flipside!

[rise-my-angel]

So I have mpre headcanons about Jon and Readers children. Specofically Rickon because I didn't give him enough at first. But like...Rickon is feral. He inherited his mother habit of climbing as a kid and now you catch him crawling around the place on things kids shouldn't even be able to climb. People wonder if he's part mountain goat.

When he's old enough, he of course knows the sad story of how Uncle Bran wound up in a wheelchair, but fortunately he never sought to climb THAT high. Because his favourite things to climb are trees...and people.

From the moment Rickon's able to walk whenever they had guests, Jon and Reader had to give the warning "Rickon no climbing" because he would just climb a person unprompted. He does eventually get a grasp of who not to climb though. (I write this next part with the assumption everything turns out hunky dori and nobody else dies <<<is delusional) Rickon's favourite people to climb are Jon, Theon and Thormund.

Jon (and very similarly, Ghost) is just very much accepting of the fact he has a lil pup crawling up his back like monkey. Like "yeah this happens. I have a child hanging off my shoulder right now, what of it? Resume discussing our latest import of grain"

Rickon learned pretty soon that bullying Uncle Theon was free real estate, so yeah he was gonna be a menace to him specifically. In addition, Theon is often the victim of many of his pranks.

Meanwhile Thormund's like "so the baby crow wants to wrestle? no problem". Their form of wrestling being Rickon clinging to Thormund and seeing how long he can go without being knocked off or caught. When Thormund does catch him he declares victory by playing catch with Rickon as if he were a ball. In truth this is also a win in Rickon's book, because it's fun going in the air with the knowledge he would easily be caught. Yes this does distress many other guardians who witness it, but even if Rickon landed face first in the dirt he would just beg Thormund to do it again.

Basically little Rickon is a menace and all of Winterfell either fears him or fears for him, because who knows how many cuts and bruises Maester Wolken has to tend to on a daily basis.

Little Rickon is an absoute menace and I adore every bit of it.

He is one of those kids who from the moment he could crawl, he would zoom off. Crawling as fast as he could until he could walk, then would walk as fast as he could but would fall over cus he was going too fast on his tiny baby legs. Then he learned to run and it was not uncommon to see him sprinting for no reason. Just a constant case of the zoomies. Then he learned to climb and it was all over.

He first tries to climb on anyone, but realized not everyone likes it and had to have a talk with his father about respecting personal space, agreeing to have a set number of people who he could act like that with. Which Jon was perfectly fine with being number one on that list.

Most of the main Northern lords are used to it. But if someone from the south comes to visit, they just are speaking to the King in the North when suddenly he's being climbed by a tiny child and Jon is not phased in the slightest. Even sometimes moves to make it easier for little Rickon to climb higher up. Normally ending on sitting on his shoulders for a while.

The running bet around the castle is whose fault it is. Yours for being such an avid climber especially at his age, or Jons for being that feral in the first place. Many times Theon has find where you are, and there's just little Rickon hanging onto his arm before he gets dumped into your lap because hes busy he cant handle this right now. You having to pick him up when he wants to follow Theon again like. "Oh no, you're coming with me." He listens because all of your and Jons kids are secretly a bunch of soft mamas boys, and they love being carried by you.

Jon will ask how his day was, and little Rickon just shows off what new cut or bruise he got because it means he did something even more wild then yesterday.

[possum-quesadilla]

Chapter six of Time’s Arrow, “I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow, I hope it bleeds all day long // You are my sweetest downfall” is here, just in time for my wisdom tooth surgery! Hope y’all are hungry! Especially you, Beetlands fans.

Please read the warnings carefully and proceed with caution. This chapter is pretty rough.

As always, extras!

- The lyrics for this chapter’s title are from “No Children” by The Mountain Goats and “Samson” by Regina Spektor, for the very different vibes happening throughout it! The first bit reflects how Beetlejuice was relying on pain to distract him from his Feelings, the second is him admitting that the Maitlands are his “downfall”. Also both songs slap so hard.

- “Charles insisted on moving his chair to sit close by, “in case you fall”. (Why would he care if Beetlejuice fell?)” - Get absolutely fathered, idiot.

- “They’d pointed out their own star not too long after they’d all settled down, and found they couldn’t take their eyes off of it. Was it really tied to them? Would it go out if they did? Would they go out if it did? They didn’t really have answers. They weren’t educated on all the ins and outs of demon-.. hood. Their mother didn’t quite care to find the time to teach them, and they didn’t care to learn.” - Wow. Interesting stuff to think about!

- “Mhm. Blood ritual. Carve a bunch of markings in the ground, sacrifice an innocent. Sign your name in… the Big Book. Then spill your own blood.” - Yep! There’s one big, all important “Big Book” that has the name of every demon in it. Juno (that’s not her original name in this fic) killed one of her living children as a sacrifice, and then slit her own throat. Fun!

- “.. there is. You get an invite, and you give something up.” - Very interesting. Also brought back up later in the chapter!

- “… “flying dragon” orange sapling pots.” - “Flying dragon” oranges are the most cold-hardy orange trees, according to google!

- “ “I would also like to apologize for what happened to your mother,” Charles says firmly, glancing meaningfully at Lydia. (Beetlejuice follows his gaze to find her and the Maitlands all lightly shaking their heads at the man.)” - THEY TRIED TO WARN HIM

- “Charles is kneeling beside him, face scrunched up with that same look he’s given him so many times before. He knows it’s concern, from seeing it on the other humans, but why would Charles be making it at him?” - PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE BEING FATHERED.

- “Your favorite movie is “Pride and Prejudice”. The 2005 version only, you think the 1995 adaptation didn’t do it justice. You went to Cornell University to study business, and met Lydia’s mom there. Your favorite flowers are red carnations.” - Emily showed him that movie, since she was an English major, and he cried the first time he saw it. He hasn’t watched it since her death. Red carnations mean “my heart aches for you”!

- “Your bisexual awakening was Ms. Honey from “Matilda”. You love ‘true crime’, but you can’t stomach most bloody movies. Except for “Alien” and “Aliens”, ‘cause you like watching Sigourney Weaver kick ass. Adam’s lived with you since you were both 16, but you two didn’t start dating until you were 19.” - Surprise, Barb is bisexual! Who wouldn’t fall for Ms. Honey, honestly? I like to think she admired her extreme kindness and somewhat tried to follow her example. Also Sigorney Weaver is literally my wife, if you care.

- “You’ve seen “The Terminator” 137 times. Your favorite of those weird little monsters is the big blue one called ‘Lapras’. You had a dog when you were real little named ‘Sawyer’, and it’s in your top 5 for baby names because you loved that dog. You couldn’t get another after he passed away because your mom’s boyfriend was allergic to dogs.” - Beej may not know what is being said, but he loves to listen! Also I wonder if readers should store the name ‘Sawyer’ in their memory for later.

- Adam’s talk with Beej - AUGH. Where do I even start? Someone finally explains to our little demon what love is actually about. And the first hint at… gasp! Self love?! Slow progress, but progress nonetheless.

- “They feel.. the same way I feel about them. Why? How? … They’ll be here for me until I get better. If… if I ever get better. … I.. need to get better? … Something’s wrong with me. They all know it. (They’ve always known. Everyone can see it.) But what? Will it ever get better? Will they still be waiting for me if I do?” - ARRRRGH… the realization that something is Wrong with you, but you don’t know how to fix it or if it can be fixed, and that those who love you can see it my beloathed… not entirely true, but true in Beej’s mind!

- “The demon clacks his teeth repeatedly, stomping a hoof on the ground firmly once. “This is bullshit.” ” - He stomps his hooves when he’s mad sometimes, like a rabbit. Or a ram preparing to charge.

- “Beetlejuice used one napkin to soak up some of the egg yolk from his plate, quickly shoving it in his mouth before either of the humans have time to notice and protest.” - just wanted to highlight this particularly feral moment.

- “ “Yeah. Sorry, Babs. My bad. My memory is… worse than a goldfish.” “Goldfish’s memory isn’t even that bad. You’re just uniquely forgetful.” ” - goldfish don’t have bad memories!! Stop spreading the falsehood pretty please

- “The demon bared his teeth at her, a gesture which she immediately returned. He was still huffing…” - he also huffs when he’s mad, like a cat does!

- “ “Just… try to be mindful of when important things happen with the business and you, alright? Keep us in the know.” The demon slowly nodded, shifting in his seat. “.. I promise I’ll try.” ” - I think most neurodivergent people have experienced this. The best we can do is try!

- Barbara talking about seeing the doctor - a continuation of the Neurodivergent Experience, and also a reference to a similar scene in Stephen King’s “Laurie”. Because that story fuckin’ rocks.

- “Ash’s hair has been properly bleached and cut into a choppy bob.” - Chloe Price-esque cut, since she’s one of the characters who inspired Ash!

- “Beetlejuice’s has been trimmed back to the length it was after the loop, no longer shaggy and falling into his eyes. The grey is missing completely, the brown pronounced and obviously artificial, if one stares at it too long.” - Yep, his hair has been growing out at an exponential rate since they escaped the loop! So has his fur. I wonder if that will be an issue later.

- “ “Thank you. What have you done to my brother?” “Just gussied him up a little for tonight. And showed him the first three and a half “Saw” movies.” The demon was purring loudly, repeatedly shifting his feet. “Someone’s currently getting scalped.” ” - “SAW” MY BELOVED!!! I got Sawtism. So does Ash. She is doing her best to pass it on to Beetlejuice. He doesn’t really get the storyline, but he likes the blood.

- “ “And… wow. You cut, like… a whole foot off. That’s.. crazy.” Lydia went to fidget with their own hair, ignoring Beetlejuice’s interjection of “so did Larry!”. ” - This likely won’t be relevant, but Beej was present when Polaris cut their hair to the length it is now. A little hint to their past together!

- “ Beetlejuice let out a little groan then. “Oh. Okay. I get it now.” “.. get what?” He patted his sister’s arm sympathetically. “You’ll figure it out soon.” ” - he gets it. He sees it from the other side.

- “ “Oh, Ash, c’mon, you didn’t have to get me anything!” Lydia called after the other teen as she bolted to the back room. “Yeah, but I wanted to!” ” - My own response whenever people say “you didn’t have to”. Yeah, I didn’t, but I wanted to!

- “Beetlejuice waits patiently as Ash presents Lydia with some sort of strange, old camera. Something with the word “Polaroid”.” - Ash used the absurd amount of money Beej has been paying them to get Lydia a nice camera! Beej doesn’t know what it is, and I don’t have the energy to research the proper name for it.

- “ “Hello!” Barbara chirped, repeatedly patting her husband’s arm out of excitement. Beetlejuice let out a weary sort of sigh in the silence that followed. Guess we’ll do it the hard way. … The demon was very careful as they gripped the teen’s arm and bit down on their wrist. Ash yelped as their teeth broke skin, yanking their arm away and holding it close to their chest.” - The bite gave them the ability to see the paranormal! They weren’t gifted like Lydia, so they had to be given that gift. Also, WAS THAT THE BITE O-

- “Ash gripped at her wrist, letting out a little growl of frustration. “What the fuck, man?! Why does it sting so bad?” ” - because they’re venomous!

- “ “… Hope ya got your rabies vaccine, Ash!” Ash blanched, hesitantly allowing Barbara to inspect her wrist. “What?” “Kidding! I don’t have rabies anymore.” ” - Not anymore!

- “… he sees his shaky hands playing rounds of “Mario Party” with all of the humans.” - Beetlejuice sucks at “Mario Party”. They main Bowser, like they do in “Mario Kart”. Lydia mains Shy Guy.

- Isopropyl alcohol - partially based on a scene from “Moral Orel”. Do not watch that show. ALSO, DON’T DRINK ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL!!

- “His voice comes out slow and difficult when he thanks Delia for wiping the frosting off his face.” - GET PROPERLY MOTHERED

- “Lydia opens her presents. Beetlejuice struggles to keep track of them. Some sort of framed… butterfly? No, moth. A framed moth from Delia. … A “forest exploration kit” from Barbara. An old book Beetlejuice had kept in his hammer space, which he recently was told was an original print of “Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque”. ” - The moth is a framed, taxidermied Death Head moth! The “exploration kit” is basically just survival/camping stuff. Yeah Beetlejuice had a $100K book in his hammer space.

- “Why is Adam so far from him? He feels some sort of strange, dour sorrow when the ghost sits on the ground rather than next to him, like he and Barbara usually do. His wife sits next to him.” - I wonder if this has anything to do with alcohol related trauma?

- “They watch Lydia’s favorite movie, “Coraline”. Beetlejuice’s head is spinning. “You know that I love you.” He feels sick. “You.. have a really funny way of showing it.” His ears are ringing. It’s deafening.” - He’s watching it for Lydia, but this movie is unfortunately still very triggering for Beetlejuice.

- “ “Yeah. Last month.” He allows the minuscule illusion to slip. “What did you-” Lydia lets out a little gasp, leaning forward closer to the demon. “What happened to your ear?!” Beetlejuice tilts his head so she can better see his right ear. “Had to give up a piece of myself to make up this one. Hurt like a bitch, but it was worth it.” His hands shook horribly as he slowly sliced through the rest of his ear from the notch. Sobs wracked through his body, and he swore he could smell tobacco and brandy. He swore he could hear his mother screaming. But it was worth it for Lydia.” - YEAH CUTTING OFF PART OF THEIR EAR CAUSED A BAD PTSD EPISODE.

- “Beetlejuice carefully thumbed through the Book, past all of the names already written in it. To the page reserved for his coven. For Lydia.” - Hmmm! I wonder what that’s about?

- “He holds it close to his chest, careful not to let it drip onto his… when did he put on pajamas? When the fuck did he get Hello Kitty pajamas? He squinted at Lydia. They were matching? He vaguely recognized the gothic little creature on her pajama pants.” - Ash bought them matching Hello Kitty and Kuromi pajamas, because it’s funny.

- “The room is dim, except for the faint glow of Lydia’s TV. She and Ash had fallen asleep mid-way through some sort of ghost hunting show marathon, bundled up in blankets. They were sat up close together, only held up by each other.” - they fell asleep watching “Buzzfeed Unsolved”.

- “ “I.. I’ll wait for you in the hall. Give you some privacy.” Beetlejuice opened his mouth to ask what she meant, briefly, but shut it again after a few moments in favor of softly thanking her.” - Beetlejuice has no idea why someone would bother to give them privacy.

- “ “Hey, Larry! Long time no see!” They chirped cheerfully. “… Betelgeuse.” They growled, voice low and flat. “You continue to exist.” ” - Based on a scene in “Ready or Not”, one of the funniest horror movies ever.

- “They had not changed in the centuries since they’d seen each other, it seemed. White, fuzzy bear-like ears poked out of their pale, neatly slicked-back hair. A pair of short, plain black horns adorned with a multitude of variously colored rings. Clinical red eyes glaring down at him through a pair of rounded silver glasses, pale brows furrowed and their lip curled in a constant look of neutral displeasure. Their white fur coat, draped over their hulking stature.” - Say hello to Polaris! They are 6’5”. They have albinism, and the features of a polar bear, because their star is from Ursa Minor! Also they have mountain goat horns.

- “Polaris crossed their arms just below sight from the mirror. “I see. Give me a moment.” Beetlejuice shifted his hooves nervously as their aloof crimson gaze scanned his form. “Hmm. Still a clumsy oaf, I see.” They reached up to adjust their glasses.” - Polaris is extremely skilled in healing and such. Yes, they were able to assess what was wrong with Beetlejuice just by looking at them.

- “ “… Pieces of bone lodged in both lungs-” “That happened while I was stuck in a time loop, shouldn’t that have healed?” Polaris let out a growl, much deeper and intimidating than Beetlejuice’s own. “Don’t interrupt me. And no, it doesn’t work like that. Any damage your body sustains in a time loop carries over. Obviously.” “… damn. Like “Happy Death Day”. That explains why my throat still burns sometimes.” ” - YEAH SURPRISE. The damage from the holy water all those times carries over! So did everything else!

- “ “Many little bruises and cuts from… Sirius, it seems. Really now, Betelgeuse, did you not learn your lesson before?” They spoke again before he could hiss at them not to say his name.” - Cyrus’ real name reveal! Not that it was too much of a secret, hehe.

- “ “… That would take me all day, little prince.” Beetlejuice let out an involuntary snarl, stomping a hoof down on the tile floor once. They caught a hint of bright red in their dim reflection. “Don’t fuckin’ call me that.” ” - I wonder what this is about?

- “Polaris flashed him that flat, irritating false smile. They had never properly learned to smile, like Beetlejuice himself, but theirs always seemed more like a grimace. (They were a pair, once. Just briefly. The little demons with big teeth, odd smiles, and poor grasps on any and all social cues, breather or demon. But that was so long ago.)” - They are both extremely autistic, and neither knows how to “smile properly”. They were friends when they were very small, but they had a falling out.

- “I didn’t call you to lecture me, you fuckin’.. Judge Holden lookin’-ass bitch!” - Judge Holden is the main antagonist of “Blood Meridian”, a book I have read quite a few times! He has albinism, like Polaris. DO NOT LOOK HIM UP. PLEASE.

- “ “There. Quite the weight off your chest, no?” Polaris frowned, tapping a finger on their chin. “No, that won’t do at all. I already made that joke after your top surgery, didn’t I?” ” - Polaris did Beetlejuice’s top surgery!

- “ “Th-… thank you, Polaris. That.. I feel much better.” They blinked at him, slightly tilting their head. “Yes, I imagine that’s why you called upon me. To feel better.” They then narrowed their eyes. “Don’t think I’ll do anything else for free just because you thanked me, Betelgeuse. I’m not as soft as you. I just cleared your lungs for free because you amused me.” ” - they do not understand the concept of genuine gratitude.

- “Beetlejuice was.. already feeling better than they had in so long. “.. what will it cost me for you to fix the rest?” But they already knew the answer. “Oh, you know that already, little prince. It’s the same as it has always been.” Polaris grins at him again, curling back their black lips in an offputting manic sort of half-smile, half-grimace. “The cost to remove the Seal that binds you and cure all your ailments is, of course, your most valuable skill: your ability to lie.” Beetlejuice crossed his arms over his chest, gripping at his left forearm. “.. you know I won’t agree to that.” “Of course not. What is the serpent without his silver tongue?” Shame and anger bubbles up in Beetlejuice’s gut. He grits his teeth and sighs. They’re right. You’re nothing but a lying snake. ” - HMMM. I wonder if readers should save this information away for later!!

- “ “If we have no further business, then I will take my leave.” They lifted one gloved hand, presumably to sever the connection, but paused. “.. perhaps consider getting a mobility aid for that leg, Beetlejuice.” Their voice took on an odd sort of wistful twinge. “A cane would suffice, for when it starts to give out on you.” Beetlejuice nodded, giving a half-hearted little smile. “.. thanks, Larry.” ” - Just a little hint at the friendship they used to have many, MANY years ago. A part of Polaris is still strangely fond of Beej.

- “ “About as hard to watch as “Exorcist II: The Heretic”, man.” “… fuck. That bad?” “Maybe even worse.” ” - That movie is one of the worst movies ever. I am not kidding. Watch it if you want to be aware of time passing and death marching closer.

- “ “Aren’t you already dating that… ‘Cyrus’ guy?” “Yeah. ‘M polyamorous, though.” “Oh. Slay.” The demon lifted his head to squint at the teen. ‘Slay’? Before he could ask what the fuck that meant, they spoke again. ” - Beetlejuice has never heard most ridiculous teenage lingo.

- “… god. For a complete doofus, you can be super.. sappy and poetic sometimes. It’s offputting.” - based on something said to me!

- “Lydia caught sight of enormous grey paws under their long skirts, hearing the clicking of their claws on the wooden floor with each step. A wolf in sheep’s clothing, their mind whispered. But that was silly, wasn’t it? Beetlejuice trusted this demon.” - Lydia sees right through Cyrus’ thematic bullshit.

- “His cheeks were still a bright red, the place where Cyrus had placed his lips even having a light tinge of blue to it.” - He got a little bit of frostbite from that kiss.

- “Ash was there as well, sitting on the counter, showing the demon something on her phone that caused them to laugh.” - it was this video.

- “Her green eyes caught the afternoon sun in a beautiful way, reflecting back a golden- fuck, now is not the time for that.” - Lydia’s got her priorities straight! (Well, not straight.) Brothers first, beautiful women second.

- “ “You can’t stand turtlenecks. They’re a sensory hell for you. Why’re you wearing one now?” He’d shook like a chihuahua when Barbara had insisted he try one on in the past. There was no way in hell he’d wear one of his own free will out of the blue. ” - based on my own personal experience with turtlenecks. Why are they literally the worst thing ever?

- “Nearly all of the skin of their neck was bruised a dark purple and blue, from their collarbone nearly to their chin. Just below their Adam’s apple was a line of crudely done stitches holding together what seemed to be a complete decapitation wound.” “Lightly decapitated! My head didn’t come all the way off!” - Yeouch. Just wanted to put all these details together for posterity.

- “ Lydia growled, going to dig through her backpack for her notebook. “No one lays their fuckin’ hands on my brother and gets away with it.” Ash hopped down from the counter and followed her, nodding in agreement. “I’ll get my bat.” ” - Lydia is ready to exorcize a bitch. Ash is ready to bash his fuckin’ kneecaps in.

- “ “I don’t need attack dogs right now, alright? I just…” he hesitated, suddenly looking ashamed. He slumped down into the stool set up behind him. “I want.. someone to be.. here for me.” ” - Sometimes, you don’t need people piling hate on someone who hurt you. You just need them to comfort you.

- “Lydia gently patted his back, speaking to him in as soft a voice as she could muster. “It’ll be alright”, “I’m here”, “You’ll be okay”. She felt the collar of her dress become damp with tears, but she didn’t mind.” - IS THIS FAMILIAR? DOES THIS PARALLEL A SCENE IN TIME IS A FLAT CIRCLE?

- “Lydia feels a soft little smile tugging at her lips as Ash goes on, making plans for what snacks to bring and what creeks to look for rocks in. Beetlejuice chimes in, voice still a little hoarse, suggesting his favorite fallen oak tree for bug hunting. She’s struck with how kind she is, in her own way. How she treats her strange monster of a brother with prickly compassion. She feels a strange little fluttering in her chest.” - 👀

- “.. he and Ash had a stick duel that devolved into an impromptu friendly knife fight,” - Based on a scene in “Night in the Woods”!

- “As Beetlejuice gloated and stuck his tongue out at Ash from a branch a good ten feet above hers, his tail securely holding him up, he felt on top of the world.” - PREHENSILE TAIL USAGE!!

- “He didn’t hit his head that bad, he just needed a moment for the color to return to his vision. Had Ash always had four pairs of eyes?” - Sometimes if you hit your head in just the right place, you temporarily (or permanently, if you’re unlucky) lose the ability to see color. Yes I know this from experience.

- “ He shrugged his shoulders when his daughter asked if the other teen could stay the night. “… I suppose, if her parents are alright with that.” Ash waved their hand and scoffed. “They don’t care. They’re in Massachusetts.” The man frowned, exchanging a brief glance with Lydia. “.. I see. Stay as long as you like, Ms. Swallows.” ” - Charles decided right here that Ash was also his child now too. Father of three!

- “While Lydia and Ash went up to play some sort of… dragon killing game, Beetlejuice decided to retire early to his room.” - Poor guy has no idea what “Skyrim” is.

- “Inside were two little drop earrings with a singular gemstone in each, one a soft, sunshine yellow, the other a gentle, opaque jade.” … “Demons exchange jewelry when they’re courting each other, right?” … “We borrowed some books from Lydia. Read up on demon culture. You weren’t getting the signals the human way, so we decided to try the demon way.” - I JUST. I KNOW I WROTE THIS BUT IT GETS ME, OKAY? THEY PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT FOR HIM

- “ “… oh!” Finally, a connection. “Oh, yeah, totally, I’m down. You can use me for whatever, don’t even gotta ask permission.” They smirked, feeling a few teeth poking out between their lips. “Bondage, choking, couple bonding over my degradation, knife play, I am down for whatever to spice up your-” Barbara and Adam’s faces both became dark shades of red. Ah. I didn’t connect shit. ” - Both a reference to a “Buzzfeed Unsolved” meme and also highlighting the sad way that Beej sees himself as something to be used by others.

- “They finally forced themself to look down at her, a few rouge tears slipping down their cheeks. Her cobalt eyes were filled to the brim with… love. Care. That same Feeling. Beetlejuice quickly turned their head to find that Adam was the same, his beautiful brown eyes staring up at them the same as Barbara’s.” - WE GOT IT!! IT FINALLY CLICKED EVERYONE!!!!

- “ “… may we kiss you?” Barbara asked in a low, soft voice. Yes. Yes. Yes. Holy fuck, YES. “… Beetlejuice?” “Huh? D-did I say yes?” “You didn’t say anything, sweetheart.” “Oh. I meant yes, b-but my mouth didn’t… speak.” ” - YOU ARE NEVER SAFE FROM AN “Asteroid City” REFERENCE.

- “They didn’t get to finish their sentence. Barbara was cupping their face and pressing her lips against theirs before they knew it. It was electrifying. It was divine. She was warm and soft and perfect and- It was over before they knew it, before they could reciprocate. And before they could stammer out any more foolish false starts to a sentence, Adam was holding their face and kissing them gently.” - WE DID IT BOYS. 88,494 WORDS AND THEY FINALLY KISSED.

[pastabeer]

Not worm Anon, but out of all the songs I listen to, it's easiest to imagine worm Anon and worm PastaBeer as Eat You by Caravan of Thieves. Just imagining two gayass worms with a song having lyrics that go along the lines of "I'm gonna eat you, you're my desire" gives me a great laugh.

Another is The Dismemberment Song by Blue Kid, two works with one being strapped down is funny, especially with lyrics like "but cutting you up will be so refreshing for me" which makes it fun to imagine, just a worm being cut open as another is just sorta dancing to some music.

Although it's between that or No Children by The Mountain Goats. Want angst and toxicity? That song works great for those two random worms. Both of them would be struggling with some issues, but one dragging them down into their problems saying "I hope you die, I hope we both die." would add to the mix. Extra points for adding I Love You Like An Alcoholic by The Taxpayers. Worm Anon got me hooked on worms, hah, might just get bored enough and make a story about them.

I didn't think I'd get shipped as a worm with an other worm, but here we are... I find it hilarious lmao

[bubblegumbarbie33]

Shit post shit post shit post time

So. So. So.

I was just listening to a recording of No Children by the Mountain Goats (love them. Love their sound. Stream them. >:( )

So here's the end of the Shameless Finale if I had written it, following the lyrics of this beautiful song. Everything else can happen roughly the same in the episode, I guess, but these last three minutes and thirty seconds are MINE DAMMIT. >:D

(Is it bad that I forgot how Frank ended up in the hospital in the Finale? Anyway, somehow Frank ends up at a payphone while he wanders the streets in a drunken, amnesiac state. He calls the Gallagher house. Everyone's at the Alibi. No one answers.)

I hope that our few remaining friends

Give up on trying to save us

(Frank, frustrated, wanders off into the city. He walks by the Alibi, stares at it for a few seconds, confused. He doesn't remember this place.)

I hope we come up with a fail-safe plot

To piss off the dumb few that forgave us

(He wanders by Sheila's old house. There's a new family in there now, very similar looking to the Jacksons. A little blond girl looks out the window at Franks, who stands in the street. She waves, he waves back, smiling (drunken, confused, delighted). Her mother, seeing Frank, quickly pulls the girl away from the window and shuts the curtains. Franks frowns and continues on.)

I hope the fences we mended

Fall down beneath their own weight

And I hope we hang on past the last exit

I hope it's already too late

(At the Gallagher house, we see that shitty wiring, mentioned by so many people throughout the series, begin to act up. Maybe someone left something on when they weren't supposed to. Maybe the house is just ready to go. It starts a flame, small, but powerful.)

And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here

Someday burns down

And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away

And I never come back to this town again

(Frank stumbles into an unfamiliar place. A cemetery. He weaves through the headstones. Even he doesn't know what he's looking for. Then, he sees it. HERE LIES MONICA GALLAGHER. LOVING WIFE AND MOTHER. BELOVED DAUGHTER. Frank laughs, it's bubbly and childish. He sits next to the grave. Leans against the headstone. His eyes close.)

In my life, I hope I lie

And tell everyone you were a good wife

And I hope you die

I hope we both die

(Quick cuts of all of the Gallaghers in the Alibi, celebrating, interspersed with their rooms going up in smoke.

Ian's sitting by the bar, nursing a beer. Discreetly, Mickey hands him his nightly dosage. Ian sighs, but takes them. Then laughing, he kisses his husband. It's adorable.

Ian's old room, now just belonging to Liam and Carl, goes up. We see the 8-Ball T-shirt, passed down through three Gallagher boys, go up.)

I hope I cut myself shaving tomorrow

I hope it bleeds all day long

Our friends say it's darkest before the sun rises

We're pretty sure they're all wrong

(Debbie sits at the bar while Franny colors. Kev hands her a beer and ruffles her hair. She smiles. Blinks once. Twice. Turns to the door. There stands Sandy. They stare at one another ((the other girl from the finale doesn't exist. I hope you all know me well enough to know she's not in MY finale 😭))

Debbie's room. Her bed goes up, along with the Graves poster from her childhood bedroom)

I hope it stays dark forever

I hope the worst isn't over

And I hope you blink before I do

(Lip sits in a corner booth, staring out the window. He should be having fun, but all the paperwork sitting in front of him says otherwise. Tami slides in next to him, holding Fred. She leans against him. Lip looks down at the kid he's always wanted, and its enough, for now.

Back at the house, his old bunk goes up, along with a pack of cigarettes on the kitchen table.)

I hope I never get sober

And I hope when you think of me years down the line

You can't find one good thing to say

(Carl's sitting at the bar with his cop friend. He's looking around the bar. He seems more serious than usual. He sees Debbie talking to Sandy. She makes eyes contact with him. Smiles. They love each other, but they don't need each other anymore.

At home, an old, fucked up Barbie doll under his old bed melts in the flames.)

And I'd hope that if I found the strength to walk out

You'd stay the hell out of my way

(Liam stands out on the sidewalk. He's looking for Frank. A streetlight flickers above him. He shivers. He sighs. He gives up. He walks back into the Alibi. A slow pan out. The lights of the Alibi are warm. We see people moving inside. Some drunken laughter.

I am drowning

There is no sign of land

You are coming down with me

Hand in unlovable hand

(Cut to: the Gallagher house is fully engulfed in the flames. A figure stands on the sidewalk out front. We see a firetruck pulling up behind her. It's Fiona. She looks at the burning house. She knows where her family is right now, she was on her way. She smiles. She laughs. It sounds like Frank's

And I hope you die

I hope we both die

(Fade to black with the sound of sirens. One last line from Frank: You can say a lot about the Southside. It's hall on earth, danger at every turn, the American cousin to Sodom and Gamora. But they're one thing you'd have to agree with. We know how to fucking party.

Cue: The Lucky You Got- Roll Credits)

[cre0n]

WASP -Tennessee Yella

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqm3eo4nDUE

"12, 12, 12, 12, one, two. This is a representation of the mountain drives, endless gravel driveways, luxury cabins and wasp hideaways. Nobody else but the liquidity streams themselves. That state of minding the minds' well. Yeah gorgeous, Eye even loved you in Hell"

Breathing through the gills of amnionic Writing 3-Peat classics and a Masterpiece It was written on her walls if she got any Forged in platonic engines of unreal peace Who gotcha own beats. Yeah? Who got beef? Nothing but the macking and love for the lovers Jealous ass #### ##### punks can't touch us Keep the cornmeal in her pantry if she raised right We having turkey necks on slave night (12) Back in contention never lost my straddle Side halts up and plummets new rattles Creates babies like Jack in the platform battles As lovely as you and new fabric, paddles (12) Pedals, metal Stainless treble

"Man listen, y’all cats in here should have already beat me to the punch on this "vibe". The greatest , don't matter if we all ONE. Nobility says different while remaining indifferent. The center column and avalanche the whole game off slaloms...... Salamu alaykum"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb_GXGiN7tU

P-H the runoff not one harvest use Pure Masonry burp the jar leveraged Magic, let her cure Influenza running it's course, Rene got me rocked Big C Big D energy Triple 7's Bloodclot Who the fuck is this? What you want from Me? It's Souf Kak all day every day my destiny ATL my hoe Bitch used to be my manager, my wife though But Cre ain't fucking round Yo'................ (Yo) Get sacrificed blown on Halloween and shit My children is who these folks be dealing with Kids get corrected baby Goats, Baphomet bitch Weeks 5-8 of flower nutrients are rejected Over feeding pigs, where your chain? Not respected

"Make my music sound like Gaawwd talking young nigga. You see your uncle over there? Go tell em' his momma ain't shit. The Elephant has entered it. Cold as a rink puck when my point center it. Rack and pinion featuring the control arms. Kelp in these tomatoes, performing like Juilliard."

A year later screen saver, dragon armor now and later Ego's look like Creon and niggas know Eye'm the Man though Eye can shoulder lean and gives a fuck 'bout a sample "Da Man" though invested in this bearish channel Head and shoulders trample, Taurus 4-21 Emmanuel Volleyball thighs, new bae is a doctor and she so fine Never mind Eye lost her P-T weeks ago from J-C True Story Nobody got the hint or the rent They reading for Egyptian shit Reap quantum hips, kissed with platinum lips Fingertips dipped with lithium strips Patched Xeon as a border Cre been a Hova, carried my next gen twice over This highway Bae stretches to primordial waters The charters Eye've drawn up and granted Enlil's folks can't stand it Got-damnit Making pace at my Isle's Corners, for Tanner and Connor Correspondence always starts "In your grace, we come with honor."

"Well damn forever...... let's just get back to the love making bruh......"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwgOquaaZG0

Foaming at the mouth in the Moonlight Powered by a H-D sunrise........... "Daisy's, Chariots, Wild Dragon Fruit" Eye employed vagina that paid other coochie Then they all talked shit six digits mad sue me With you babe, it's endless samples Flawed trajectory send it to the playlist, new channels Channeling a Goddess of the gawk The game ball goes to her hermit with his chalk

"Shit buddy if Eye'm gonna be me then why not. All eyes when this does down in our Grand Canyon. Nitrogen for Cobb County. Gwinnett is always a bet. You kept it what? Hardly. Creon came from Hilman, for real. Creon came from the trap, for real. Now it's the center column, Kundalini problems that become serpents burning with the urchins."

Nigga like pulling up carpet with an art-kit

Trichomes opaque hit of Auburn, market

Spiritual reserve with the moxie of a Fed

What you lie with making your bed, oversaid

Overstood from our underworld, mass tribunals

Ego funerals, Underwriters of living trust

Over the rainbow, his Tin man’s rust

What your bitch ass ‘cordial’ sheep movement, kudos

My daddy once told me Eye couldn’t listen to Biggie

Eye got bigger said he was broke, my shadow self is shitty

Upstate made you see a different View

Rebel Co. 4 Life... (finish the rest)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGLbZZjygqA

Bobby in Tuscaloosa

Headed to Mississippi

Pancake 30 Deep

Tennessee nest drippy

Publishing Creon is Jordan Know thyself so important Hodl the new hoarding Trust me my source is foreign Hair done make-up all that Eye just wanna suck on your neck Lined up 3-Point ball racks #-#-#-# Fall back Fuck your producer and his tracks Better show Love, where your heart at? Dashing out ain't wise jack Bring the Wombman back to her infancy In the glory days we made peace And made babies with big sticks Naw chick Eye got a 90's vibe Fuck you mean? Eye am the Prize Ain't falling for no spoiled acts Self-vacay photos void of macks Them girl's trips wasn't all that Stop faking shit you lonely brats If Eye had a little girl she'd get attention (spoiled) Gotta do your history on this lineage pimpin' Bases covered, nothing missing Except you and you bullshittin' (HA) Bobby on I-20, headed to Caledonia Another contractor folder The office on Peachtree Dot Gov is beneath me Showing up in the flesh where he from cuz? HELL, now bail and grab a ref Ain’t no rules when schooling is abused They want 'passport ready' You buying land over there fool??? Six digits without the label hitting Seven off moods Eye save bread from not buying cable, how rude (Roku)

.....*Vibes, *Universe, *Energy, *Toxic, *Lashes, *Independent, *Passports, *STOP IT.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBDMO5zrU5I

CREON: Play me something from Tennessee my Ego would get on... why not CRE: Gotcha... Humans...

HOOK:

1.

Let me play with your hair While Eye kick off a War Fucked around with Billy Carson Cause' I got tired of being poor My corporation built off partnerships, with AJ Simmons Breonca fearless seeing hives, producing nectar spirits On that '94 suicide route, rectangle pizza Stab you with a lunchroom fork, you dare tell a teacher Eye am the shit, Eye am a Boss Eye am Loved, Now what it Cost? Put my life on the moneyline, didn't get no receipts Rebel Co. Deep, Creon Solo, and still no beef Chairman of the Galactic Federation, be the Lord She say she reads my Classics for fun, sometimes she get's bored (Bitch) You in Atlanta? Take your shoes off, when y’all come through that door

HOOK:

2.

  12 years ON and guess what Eye'm still ON Found endless talent kept the balance, off a mothafuckin phone And that's before phones were ON Retina scan unknown Don't smoke no bullshit in my Home Chandon Rozay a Bel-Air too, while turning Netflix on Let me play with your Melanin While kicking off Armageddon Humble power still checking You checking up on this macking? Young hot babe celebrities This publishing is immaculate Flowing like some ejaculate The black fist be backing it Well over six the first season, yo my business is happening It feels like Memphis back in 2000 Every stream cracking Of course when it drops the kitchen Motion steps grease listens The prize, the main and best believe all the fixings (Who?) ............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrar7FoJjKw

"When Eye don't even have to do it. Eye can just write this and let the rest ride. You already know the gravity. Enjoy."

CAROLINA. REAL. ESTATE. OVER. NIGGAS.

-CREON

[hannahhook7744]

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

For any of the stuff we wrote together lol

Okay here we go:

Songs listened to:

"Dollhouse" by Melanie Martinez.

"Parents" by Yungblud.

"Piss off your parents" by Anarbor.

"Waiting on a Miracle" by Encanto.

"Gives you Hell" by The All-American Rejects.

"Dead Hearts" by Stars.

Songs listened to:

"Speak Now" by Taylor Swift.

"I write Sins not Tragedies" by Panic! At the Disco.

"Love Story" by Taylor Swift.

"She's in love with the boy" by  Trisha Yearwood.

Songs listened to:

"Older" by Alec Benjamin.

"My Shot" by Alexander Hamilton.

"No Children" by The Mountain Goats.

"The Kids Aren't Alright" by The Offspring.

[whore-man]

OH BOY DO I HAVE A LIST (apologies for it being so. but tim is my fav ever and i have So Many Thoughts about him)

Putting them under the cut bc 1 there's. a lot. and 2 there are major spoilers for s3 and s4

not putting everything bc i have 200 songs on my tim playlist and that would be insane but I'll link the playlist under the cut as well if anyone wants that (I'll leave it at the top)

dear god this got away from me but do enjoy

bear with me i am bad at working tumblr

playlist! the preview looks to only show the first 100 songs but trust me There Are More

list! (some are very sad, others are very not sad, and others are a fucked up in between)

(ALSO preemptive CW for suicidal ideation for a lot of these songs {this is a Tim playlist, after all}, marked with Tim's shitty mental health)

1. Army Dreamers - Kate Bush (this is both Tim about Danny, and later {post mag120}, others about Tim)

2. The Stand - Mother Mother (Tim in his slut era, what more is there to say)

3. Against the Kitchen Floor - Will Wood (slut era but angsty this time- Tim and his canon shit mental health while never having a stable relationship and just meaningless hookups with leads)

4. Lent - Autoheart (honeslty I originally put this on my playlist for the lyric 'I don't want to be your personally assistant' and the general Jon + Tim dynamic in s2-3)

5. Cryptid (Mothman) - Ratwyfe (part of my gender non conforming Tim agenda, also just a song I think he would enjoy)

6. Montreal - Penelope Scott (canon typical Tim's shitty mental health BIG TIME what more can I say (also the lyric 'It's nobody's fault but I think we all know That I won't make it to Montreal' and 'Go get laid in Montreal The world's so big and I'm too small You guys are different you could have it all I hope you make it to Montreal'))

7. A Sadness Runs Through Him - The Hoosiers (title is pretty self explanatory, canon typical Tim's shitty mental health)

8. The Main Character - Will Wood (back to fun! my fav god complex song and also very much the person that Tim pretends to be in s1, happy song, sad context)

9. It Gets Worse Every Minute - The Taxpayers (Very applicable to TMA as a whole, but also just very much the vibes I get from Tim in his descent into full on Shitty Mental Health in s3)

10. Crack a Bottle, Run a Bath - Shayfer James (sort of serious one but not really? It's a song I feel is very Tim vibes, although the lyrics aren't 100% him)

11. Juliet - Cavetown (added specifically for the first line 'can't get your name past my lips like a slur' and Tim's reluctance to even talk about Sasha even though he loves and misses her in s3)

12. Danny Boy - Celtic Woman (oh boy. Oh Boy. this song genuinely makes me sob when I listen to it and think about Danny)

13. Rule #4 Fish in a Birdcage - Fish in a Birdcage (It's a song about brothers with a faint hint of tragedy, what more can I say)

14. No Children - The Mountain Goats (canon typical s3 Tim's shitty mental health, him just giving up and wanting to leave but also still caring about Jon and Martin even when he'd rather just be able to die without regrets)

15. Girls & Boys - Blur (Tim Stoker being canonically bisexual, what more can I say)

16. Brave as a Noun - AJJ (Canon typical Tim's shitty mental health, 'it's sad to know that we are not alone and it's sad to know there's no honest way out', very unable to leave the institute vibes and also the whole song is just. god I've sobbed to it)

17. Shutup You're Stupid - That Handsome Devil (back to silly slut era Tim again, this song just makes me giggle 'shutup you're stupid just hold my friggin hand' COME ON giggling so hard and kicking my feet)

18. Long Time Friends - The Living Tombstone (anger as a long time friend, pushing people away and giving in to the need for revenge, very Tim's shitty mental health)

19. That's Not How The Story Goes - A Series of Unfortunate Events (no one gets a happy ending in this podcast, this song really goes for all of TMA)

20. Chaotic Gender Neutral (once again pushing my GNC Tim agenda, what more can I say)

21. Murders - Miracle Musical ('All for nothing at all' Tim's sacrifice being for nothing, the Unknowing would have stopped anyways without him dying. sobbing.)

22. Foolishly Wrong - Autoheart (this is in between because the song itself sounds upbeat but the lyrics are so heartbreaking, very JonTim {either platonic or romantic} starting to fall apart from s1-3, makes me sob)

23. Born2Run - Penelope Scott (it's kinda silly but also Tim losing trust in everyone in s2-3 and his world collapsing around him while struggling to keep his anger in check)

24. Just Take My Wallet - Jack Stauber (Not!Sasha, 'you took away my friend, my buddy')

25. Have a Seat, Misery - Shayfer James ('have a seat, Misery, of all of my friends, you are the one I like best', canon typical Tim's shitty mental health)

26. Come Over (Again) - Crawlers (added for the specific lyric 'take her name out of your mouth you don't deserve to mourn,' Tim at anyone who brings up Sasha, especially Jon)

27. Wrecking Ball - Mother Mother (Tim always being self destructive, not really caring about his own health or safety, Tim's shitty mental health but he's being silly about it)

28. November - Sparkbird (a lot of this song, but especially the lyrics 'can't pick them out can't press them in, I'll never hide my scars' and 'familiarity breeds indifference' and the last line 'can I explode now', very s3 Tim's shitty mental health {kinda})

29. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King (back to Tim's slut era, him canonically romancing pencil clerks for information is so special to me)

30. Mostly Major Chords - Shayfer James (Tim and Sasha, a hypothetical relationship over the years, not necessarily romantic TimSasha, also works platonic, feels hopeless, like a big 'what could have been')

31. Lone Star - The Front Bottoms (specifically the line 'if you still believe in the lord above then get on your hands and knees and pray for us', and that one Wolfy animatic with Tim and Jon and that song that made me cry, Tim's shitty mental health)

32. Cocaine Jesus - Rainbow Kitten Surprise (the whole song is a bnager, but specifically on here for the line 'When you find an old picture of us, and you clear away the dust, I hope you miss me sometimes,' very Sasha and Tim once again, they make me sob)

33. Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (THE TimSasha song, both platonic and romantic, makes me feel so happy and sad and nostalgic at the same time that I explode on the spot every time I hear that whistle intro)

34. Dani - Madilyn Mei (while the song is technically about a girl, it is very easy to listen to it as Tim talking about Danny and it makes me feel so sad I'm physically ill)

35. We're Alive - Cavetown (this whole song makes me sob {are we sensing a pattern} but it's also just so hopeless and at the same time so hopeful? and for some reason my brain just connected it to Tim and Would Not Let Go)

36. Rule #16 Movies - Fish in a Birdcage (Both happy and sad, a sort of 'what could have been' for Tim, what he wishes his life might have turned out to be if his brother didn't die and he didn't get sucked into the institute)

37. Screwing in a Lightbulb - Everybody's Worried About Owen (VERY Tim's shitty mental health, also a sort of letter to Sasha after she's gone, wishing she was back, specifcally the lyric 'ever since you left, you wouldn't be aware of all the things that change', does go more into breakup sounding, but shhh we don't have to see it as a breakup)

38. Kiss Goodnight - IDKHBTFM (indulgent TimSasha song, technically can be read as platonic? idk man I'm aroace I just see a song and vibe with it, but also it's sweet and reminds me of them circa research era)

39. Welcome Home, Son - Radical Face (I have never sobbed more times to a single song, so many connections to Tim and his relationships all falling apart as people die or move on and god I'm listening to it currently and there's tears in my eyes I can't see my computer)

40. Your Voice, As I Remember It - AJJ (very self explanatory title, very Sasha and not Sasha, the lyrics speak for themselves: 'I long to hear your voice as I remember it, but now I have no choice but to remember it, no recordings were made, no mp3s, no AACs, no WAVs')

41. So Alright, Cool, Whatever - The Happy Fits (Tim being a hopeless romantic lowkey, this song is just half silly half giggling half Tim banging his head against a wall {don't check my math} and I just love this song)

42. Until it Doesn't Hurt - Mother Mother (this song has had me in a VICE GRIP ever since I first listened to it, it's very Tim being self destructive and Desolation/Slaughter Tim coded)

43. No Longer You - Jorge Rivera-Herrans (Tim's shitty mental health, he's not making it home and he's coming to terms with that, 'a brother's final stand', also shout out to @/formerly_darth on tiktok for this amazing edit to this song and TMA, seriously please go check it out and check out their account the edits they make make me want to scream /pos)

44. Tongues & Teeth - The Crane Wives (Tim growing more and more angry over time, pushing people away, thinking he's just going to ruin every relationship and knowing he's not going to make it out the other end)

45. drip drip drip fall - Ewy (Tim's shitty mental health circa late s3, anger at both Jon and Elias, references to bitterness around the Eye, in lyric 'I'm starting to ponder what you head would like like on my wall? Would the blood just drip drip drip drip fall, I'm getting in your head, I'm ten moves ahead, you can't kill me, I'm already dead')

46. leave me for dead - GAYLE (Tim's shitty mental health, very JonTim in late s3 and a hypothetical s4 in which Tim is haunting Jon and wanting Jon to just put him out of his misery, also found this song because of a Wolfy art that made me genuinely lose my mind and almost throw up because I thought about Tim too hard /vpos)

47. Innocently Annoying - Elysewood (s2-3 canon typical lack of trust and Tim's shitty mental health, VERY much Tim's hatred of Jon and Elias and just wanting to be a nuisance to them and sarcastic and a prick but in the way only Tim can be)

48. Where the Devil Don't Go - Elle King (in my head I have the perfect fix it fic where Tim finds out a new way to get out of the Institute and he gets to go 80mph down a flat midwest interstate while listening to this song. I just think it would be cathartic for him.)

49. My Ugly - Cloudfodder (very much s2-3 bitterness towards Jon and Elias but mostly Elias, just Tim being an annoying bitch /pos and sarcastically flipping him off with words alone)

50. I'm Going to Forget you Exist - Lillian VanDaam (NotSasha and Tim losing Sasha, oh my god this song is so perfect for them I'm half convinced it's a a fan song because jesus christ, lyrics 'What a killer costume, you look just like her, but some twisted horror novel tone deaf blur, what a killer performance, but not on the stage, you have a smile covered in poorly painted rage')

okay uh. that. was more than I intended to add. apologies (for the deception) for the lengthy post, but I hop you at least enjoy the reqs?

PS! I also have a Tim's Kayaking Playlist if that's more your jam- more songs I think Tim would listen to—some more believable than others—while kayaking or just in general, some are very jokey but like in the way that Tim would be jokey (ex. that one song from Titanic) also the first track. uh. real comedian i am. honestly forgot i did that til this playlist just loaded up on here. whoops?

Okay Tim Stoker nation I need your help. I’ve made character playlists for both Jon and Martin and now I wanna make one for Tim. Give me any Tim coded song recs you have 😈

[frogndtoad]

do. do you perhaps. have some mountain goats song recommendations 👉👈

hi!!! i've got. several options here: 1 - I just finished making a Fully Comprehensive Fifty-Four Track playlist of 1-5 tracks from every single goats album (and one ep) on spotify. Some albums are skewed towards what I know is popular, some have extra representation because I love them. I'm not a neutral party. Listen in order for chronological representation or toss it on shuffle for a broad scope of several decades of truly so much music 2 - If you want to try an album, the three I tend to recommend as starter albums are:

Tallahassee - A concept album about a couple who moves to North FL to fix their relationship and it absolutely doesn't work. This is what hit song No Children is on, and in my opinion it's maybe the Best mountain goats album for a number of reasons I'd be happy to expound upon. Well known for good reason.

The Sunset Tree - An autobiographical album about Lead Goat John Darnielle's childhood. This is what hit song This Year is on, and is a lot of people's first goats album! Sonically similar to Tallahassee as far as eras of goat sounds go (higher-fi + guitars + etc) but somewhat brighter with a really nice series of piano lines (and a little less songs that are shouting)

Transcendental Youth - An album about people on the margins of society in the Pacific Northwest. Genuinely probably my favorite mountain goats album, and one of my all time fav albums as well. This is the first album of theirs to have really prominent horns and man do they use them well! I could probably talk abt this album for hours so I'll cut myself off here.

3 - Check out a concert setlist or recorded concert! The band has done quite a few livestreams with albums available on ur platform of choice (here's spotify and bandcamp), and I made a playlist of the concert i recently attended which is quite a bit shorter than the starter pack linked above.

If all of this is too overwhelming just lmk and I can figure out a few more specific targeted recs (or at least give you some of the bigger the hits), but I hope this helps! I really love this band and I love sharing their music with people!