#I LISTENED TO LOVER DURING FIRST LOCKDOWN!!!

[djarinova]

oh reputation stadium tour my beloved

[arkhammaid]

— ˚₊‧⁺˖ DEFINITIONS OF MUSIC.

fandom. formula one

pairing. charles leclerc x professional pianist fem!reader (fc: none)

about. y/n y/l/n is one of the celebreties who has gone viral during lockdown. when she publishes her first album, she raises a few eyebrows with a featured artist

content warnings. social media au, not edited/proofread

notes. this is a very self-indulgent fic... so you all better love it or else 🫵

YOURUSERNAME AND 3 OTHERS

liked by zendaya, hanszimmer and 14'083'874 others

yourusername and 3 others we're proud to announce the album DEFINITIONS. each of the 26 original composed pieces embrace the title itself, the feeling of these words. they're defined by our language and passion, a gift from us to you.

yourusername so happy our baby is finally out, thank you adrian, charles and jamie, for this partnership. i couldn't have done this without you!

hanszimmer This is music.

charles_leclerc And it's finally here! I had so much fun working on this, thank you @/yourusername for allowing me to be part of your project🥰

jamieduffyy absolutely incredible!! stream definitions now!!!

zendaya I'm sobbing over the whole alphabeth, who would've thought... this is 🤯🤯

user holyyyyy shittttttt

user 26 SONGS??? AND MOST OF THEM ARE OVER 4 MINS LONG WE'RE GETTING SPOILED FR

haileybieber listening this on repeat and still getting shivers, this is incredible work 💗

user the butterfly effect is so real here...

⤷ user if you told me i'd follow this one tiktoker because she went viral with her piano only to become a fan of men who drive in fancy circles...

⤷ user SO I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO'S NOW AN F1 FAN??

user sobbing over nepenthe on repeat

user CHARLES WITH LEMAN?? HELLO??? AND THEN ALSO PHILOCALY??? MY MAN STAND UP AND STOP WRITING LOVE LETTERS

⤷ user what.

⤷ user for the love of god, please look up what the words mean... charles really thought he was slick with this one

⤷ user oh my god.

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Y/N Y/L/N SHOCKS MUSIC WORLD WITH CLASSICAL ALBUM AND FEATURED ARTISTS! FIVE PIECES OF THE 26-PIECE ALBUM ARE IN THE INTERNATIONAL CHARTS. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 'DEFINITIONS'.

From Viral TikToker to Record Holder, Y/n brings Classical Music back in Trend.

By Sara Ristan | Published February 24, 2024

If you know anything about music, you know the current trends. Pop and Rap is what the current generation likes, with a few outliners. From the very beginning, Y/n seemed to be one of them as well. Her first release, 'A Sailor's Wish', has been trending along with 'Solas', by her fellow artist Jamie Duffy for many weeks.

Her other composed pieces never hit the same numbers, that was until she released a full album. 'Definitions' has 26 original composed pieces, mixed with piano and full orchestra. It's an album full of masterpieces, fully deserving the high praise it has been receiving the past few days.

Every piece in the Album is named after a rare word, each one of them beginning with a letter of the Alphabet. Most of them were composed by Y/n herself, her signature moves regognizable, if you're familiar with her music. If you wish to read a full analysis of the whole album, click here.

Notable, besides the mindblowing compositions, are also the featured artists. We have Adrian Berenguer, Charles Leclerc and Jamie Duffy- each of them well known in their niche. What has raised eyebrows however, is that unlike Adrian and Jamie, Charles himself. He's an athlete, a Formula One driver in fact and very well known. While his fans knew about his releases, singles and even an album with Sofiane Pamart, no one was prepared for the partnership with Y/n.

Especially the titles of the pieces, two of them speaking about love, one is even titled as 'Leman', which means lover. Are these two trying to give us hints?

Beside that, five of the 26 pieces are currently in the charts, having already gathered millions of streams within days. Absolutely mindblowing!

click to read more

CHARLES_LECLERC

liked by yourusername, zendaya and 3'099'738 others

charles_leclerc P1 in Driver Championship Standings, P1 in International Charts, P1 in your heart... I love you, mon amour

yourusername ugh, ugly sobbing crying rn, no one talk to me

yourusername i love you too you sap

⤷ charles_leclerc Guilty hehe

⤷ charles_leclerc Doesn't stop me from loving you, cherié

⤷ yourusername i never told you to stop

jamieduffy fucking finally

zendaya @/tomholland2013 why don't you write you love songs for me??

⤷ tomholland2013 you're the one who sings?

user WE WON!!! Y/N NATION WE FUCKING WON

user if you squint you can see me fucking dead BECAUSE WTF IS THIS THEYRE ACTUALLY TOGETHER I CAN NOT IM DEAD OH MYGOOODDDDDD

⤷ user lmao felt

user now we know how charles even agreed to y/n asking for a collab... he has always been down bad for her

⤷ yourusername you're so right

⤷ user OH MY GOD???

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taglist. @keyz-writes , @obsidianjewel , @aimixx , @themercyverse , @lem-hhn , @lupicalbestwolf , @akiraquote , @lpap , @lilypadlover , @adorablezhui , @peqch-pie , @namgification

DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE TAGLIST? please send a non-anon ask to be added to the taglist. taglist can be general taglist (all fandoms and all works), fandom taglist (all works within the fandom), series (all works for specific series) or nsfw taglist (all nsfw works and all fandoms).

crossed off tags mean i can't tag you!

ARKHAM MAID 2024

[allwaswell16]

A fic rec of One Direction fics that are hidden gems - amazing fics that have been a bit overlooked and as of the time I made this rec have less than 200 kudos - as requested in an ask that Tumblr has whisked into the abyss. If you enjoy the fics, please leave kudos and comments for the writers! You can find my other recs here. Happy reading!

- Louis/Harry -

💎 Into the Weeds by kair0sclerosis / @night-is-a-feeling

(M, 87k, small town au) With the help of the captivating bartender, Louis, who he can’t seem to stop daydreaming about, and his enchanting group of friends; Harry remembers what it is to be alive. This is a story about small-town secrets, found family, queer identities, and the battle between fight and flight.

💎 don't be afraid to love (and love again) by localopa / @voulezloux

(E, 83k, angst) the one where louis is trans and afraid, harry is cis and brave, and being 100% yourself is easier said than done.

💎 When the Lights Go Out by thelarenttrap / @antidotetogo

(E, 79k, F1 au) In its near eighty years of existence, Formula 1 has never had an out gay driver. In 2017, Harry Styles signs a contract with Scuderia AlphaTauri alongside his childhood friend and competitor, Louis Tomlinson. The next decade of their careers is some of the most tumultuous press--on and off the track--Formula 1 has ever seen.

💎 Your A-Team, Your Endgame by @silverkiiwii

(E, 70k, reality show au) a Next In Fashion au where Louis and Harry are partnered in the competition but they do not get along when they have to if they want to win. Full of fashion, banter, misunderstanding and a whole lot of making each other blush.

💎  Suddenly Last Summer by @disgruntledkittenface

(E, 44k, mystery) Suddenly he has someone who listens to him and cares about what he thinks. Someone who really sees him. But their happily ever after is forever marred by an incident at a party during Labor Day weekend, and Louis is left with a choice to make.

💎 Train Tracks and Porcelain by @jaerie

(E, 41k, historical circus au) Shadows were forming into people and things and, there in the middle of it, Louis watched the humongous head of an elephant emerge from a box car right in front of his eyes. Or a Water For Elephants inspired AU

💎 Mind of Stone by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

(M, 41k, mythology au) He needs to find a way back home, and then figure out what the fuck happened at the bar tonight.

💎 time to buy and time to lose by 5sexualhomos / @hogwartzlou

(T, 25k, time travel) Over the years, Harry’s father has played many pranks on him, but this is a whole new level. Where did he even come up with this idea? An AU based on the movie About Time.

💎 From Christiania with love by @sweariwouldnt

(NR, 18k, friends to enemies to lovers) It's Louis' first field training day as a future police officer. It doesn't quite go to his plan. Or, maybe, it goes exactly to some bigger plan.

💎 Camboy on Lockdown (series) by @reminiscingintherain

(E, 12k, camboy Louis) While Louis was working on the final draft of his thesis for his Master's, the world went into lockdown around him without him realising. Now he's trapped in student accommodation, and needs a way to earn some money...

💎 it's time to find your wings again by we_are_the_same / @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

(T, 12k, prison guard Louis) His fascination for supernatural creatures had turned into something most closely resembling loathing over the years, due to the many stories of their evildoing, and although he still doesn’t believe in hanging them for their crimes, he does believe in keeping the town safe.

💎 Heart of a Lion (With Metal in His Teeth) by graceling_in_a_suit

(M, 8k, sci fi) Harry is an Android. Louis is his target: a revolutionary leader trying to free his people.

💎 Grow as We Go by @larryatendoftheday

(T, 7k, breakup) a fic about growing up and choosing each other.

💎 But he talks like a gentleman by fondlelarry / @fondofstyles

(NR, 7k, humor) “I had a few too many drinks, ate a bad kebab, rang a bunch of doorbells till someone let me in, vomited in his toilet, stole his orange juice and crashed on his sofa. He woke me up with breakfast though, so I’d say it’s alright.”

💎  What we parted ways with by louisismycat / @liminalkittyfics

(M, 6k, exes) Alpha Harry is surprised to see omega Louis at his matchmaker’s cocktail party for millionaires. Years ago when they were together, Louis loathed schmoozefests with rich people.

💎 Pretty and Preposterous by @brightlyharry

(NR, 5k, neighbors) Harry donates a copy of Pride and Prejudice to his little free library. He never expects what comes next.

💎 old macdonald had a farm by vintagehistories / @adoredontour

(NR, 5k, animal direction) Louis is a hedgehog, Harry is a fish, Niall is a parrot, Liam is a golden retriever, and Zayn is Zayn. It’s a crazy twenty-four hours.

💎 Dirty Diana by yeah_alright / @uhoh-but-yeah-alright

(E, 3k, kink) In the month leading up to his 30th birthday, Harry writes to his confidante Diana every day, sharing his fantasies about Louis.

💎 Pussy Juice by @homosociallyyours

(M, 3k, girl direction) While she manages to dodge the bar's "special" drink, the Pussy Juice shot, she can't avoid the feelings that come up when her former teacher (and teen crush), Louis joins her and her friends for the night.

💎 the blue never-ending sky by @justanothershadeofblue

(T, 3k, epistolary) “Arizona?” Louis asked, and Harry made an affirmative noise from his position on top of his twin bed. “Wouldn’t know, would I?”

💎 Harry, That Kills People by LadyLondonderry / @londonfoginacup

(T, 2k, organized crime/crack) If there’s one thing that Harry hates, it’s getting his clothes dirty. If there’s one other thing that Harry hates, it’s murder.

💎 As Luck Would Have It by @justalittlelouislove

(T, 2k, humor) We've all experienced the trials and tribulations of technology. Louis is sabotaged by a bit of unhelpful autocorrect, but maybe luck is on his side after all.

💎 If I Can't Have You by Janie_17

(T, 2k, fwb) After Harry turns him down, going out for Karaoke is the last thing Louis wants to do, but his friends are persuasive. When Harry shows up with Nick Grimshaw in tow, his evening goes from bad to worse. But will his choice of song manage to turn things around?

💎 Needle by @nouies

(NR, 666 words, fantasy) “You didn’t deserve this,” he muttered between hiccups. “She didn’t have the right.”

💎 Insomnis by @kingsofeverything

(NR, 500 words, science fiction) Harry’s been having trouble sleeping. Louis makes everything better.

- Rare Pairs -

💎 Eight Days by LadyAJ_13 / @ladyaj-13

(T, 22k, Liam/Louis) Louis and Liam got hitched in Vegas, completely forgot about it for more than a decade, and it comes back to bite them. Sort of.

💎 You Are A Song by @lululawrence

(NR, 3k, Louis/Nick Grimshaw) To Louis, Nick felt like poetry in motion. He was a bit of chaos surrounding Louis’ otherwise monotonous days, and Louis was quickly becoming addicted.

💎 get my kicks like you by YesIsAWorld / @louandhazaf

(E, 3k, OT5) “Wait,” Liam had said. “You all jerked it at Niall’s?”

💎 Ink on Your Fingers, Ink on My Skin by Layne Faire / @laynefaire

(E, 1k, Zayn/Liam) Liam gets tattoos for the thrill of it.

[wowbright]

Anderson’s Guide to the Birds of North America, Chapter 1: Lover Boy

Summary: Fourteen scenes from the lives of Blaine Anderson, grad student and avid birder, and Kurt Hummel, clothing designer and Vogue writer, from before their first meeting in the spring of 2020 through falling in love.

Note: Back during the COVID lockdowns I wrote a couple hundred words of Klaine lockdown meet-cute. I thought I would write more, but I guess I didn't feel like writing about the COVID lockdown during the COVID lockdown, so I never did and I never posted the tiny bit I had written. Thanks to Klaine Valentine’s Challenge 2025, I’m finally doing the thing! I'm trying to keep each chapter to around 500 words. Thanks @spaceorphan!

AO3

~~~

Chapter 1: Lover Boy

Blaine was going to go insane.

He knew he should be grateful. He had it better than a lot of other people. He didn't have to worry about where his next paycheck was coming from, because he didn't get a paycheck, because he was an idiot who had, for some reason, decided his fascination with birds was enough to carry him through another five years of school at minimum after completing college. More to the point, he received monthly distributions from a trust fund his grandparents had set up for him in their wills, and though it didn't make him filthy rich, it gave him enough to live on without having to worry about finances.

But he never would have moved in with Cooper if he’d known they'd be locked up together for weeks (or would it be months?) on end. He loved his brother, but his brother was a lot. At least they had separate bedrooms, plus Cooper had the recording studio and was staying fairly busy with audiobook work. Unfortunately, Cooper did not keep all of his acting and voice exercises to the studio. Nor did he keep his opinions to himself, no matter how many times Blaine said, “I'm not changing what I'm making for dinner,” and “This is what I choose to wear and your opinion has no bearing on the matter,” and “I'm sorry you can't go to the gym, but no, you do not have my permission to use me as a dumbbell for bench presses.”

Blaine was spending increasing amounts of time shut in his bedroom with ear plugs and noise canceling headphones on, working on compiling and coding his field research notes and, when that became too tiresome, checking recently submitted species sightings on ebird.org for potential errors.

Today, he was listening to his Upbeat Sexy With a Twist of Romance playlist—the one he used to listen to while getting dressed for a night out on the town. Oh, what a different time that had been. Now instead of gelling his hair while crooning along to Freddie Mercury singing Ooh, love, ooh, loverboy, whatcha doin’ tonight?  while hoping to get laid or better yet find love, he was bobbing along to the song while entering numbers into a spreadsheet.

But that could be good, too. The rhythm of the music combined with the spreadsheet sent him into a near hypnotic trance that made him forget time and boredom and COVID. It was as close as Blaine got to heaven these days.

A sudden weight on his shoulder jarred him out of his trance.

His brother period of course. Just when Blaine’s mind had found some semblance of peace, Cooper had to disturb it.

He removed his headphones and one ear plug. “What is it, Coop?”

“New lockdown project: I’m going to turbocharge my manscaping routine. I need waxing tips.”

“You interrupted my work for that?”

Cooper waved at the computer screen dismissively. “You should be thanking me. That must be incredibly boring. What do all those numbers even mean?”

Blaine looked at his brother. He looked at the numbers. He looked at his brother again. “I mean this with all due respect, but I seriously want to kill you right now.” He closed his eyes. He took a breath. “I'm going for a walk.”

Blaine had already been for a walk that morning. It was the migratory season, so of course he had. He’d gone out with his binoculars as soon as the sun started twinkling over the horizon. He’d ticked off twenty-seven species, including his first American redstart of the season along with plenty of palm and yellow-rumped warblers, but apparently two hours of birding in the morning wasn't enough to keep him sane.

He jumped from his chair, pulled on a jacket, and grabbed his binoculars. “I'm going to walk until I no longer feel murderous. Love you!” The door slammed behind him.

[laz-kay]

Having analysed both Brad Bakshi and David Brittlesbee's characters so heavily over the course of the last few years, I can safely say that my theory of them being endgame has solidified.

Now, "endgame" doesn't necessarily mean they need to become romantically involved. I'm saying this as a diehard BradDavid shipper (maybe the BradDavid shipper), but there's a strong probability we have - in fact - been queerbaited with these two mfs. Shocking, I know.

We know there's a female character making an appearance in a later episode, and she's - supposedly - an ex lover of Brad's. I, for one, am thrilled we're getting an insight into Brad's personal life, and I think people are losing sight of that. There is every possibility Brad and David are two straight guys, and I still believe - with this theory - they belong together somehow.

There have been far too many circumstances where David and Brad have found comfort in each other, have shown vulnerability with each other, and have shared interests. The parallels between their characters - despite them being completely juxtaposed versions of the other - are stifling.

Being together doesn't automatically constitute a romantic relationship. Maybe these two trauma-filled individuals deserve to have someone who listens to them, who helps them become a better version of themself, and makes their life that little bit easier.

Brad and David are opposite ends of the same spectrum. The spectrum here being "fear of rejection and getting hurt". They go about hiding this phobia is completely different ways. David - being the open book he is - forces us to think nothing else is going on underneath his surface. He lays it out for all of us to see so we needn't ask about his mental health or his greatest fears, because we believe we already know everything there is to know.

Brad, on the other hand, is ambiguous as fuck. He's an aloof guy who's masquerading as a sociopathic capitalist in order to keep people distant. Keeping people distant - and somewhat frightened of you - means there'll be no questions. No questions means no opportunity for vulnerability, hence no reason to get hurt by any of his colleagues.

Analysing from the first season, it's apparent how much the two have changed; how much they're moving along the spectrum towards each other. Evolving, if you will. David has become more closed off, and Brad - miraculously - has opened himself up to helping people without any ulterior motive/self-gain.

It’s almost as if their job roles have shifted too. David becoming more corporate based and Brad leaning towards creative because of Dana. All David seems to talk about right now is monetary value and how COVID was great because it gave the video game franchise so much revenue. And Brad, despite having money at the back of his mind at all times, does have the creative team at heart. Every financial decision Brad has forced down the team’s throats has somehow benefitted creative more than corporate. Battle Royale? The Casino? Playpennies?

It's as if they're closing in on each other somehow; becoming more like the other because it makes them a better person? Their initial plans of hiding their fears haven't worked, so why not try the mirrored response?

Look, they both come from abusive households, have a crippling fear of losing people close to them, and hate showing vulnerability. There's a lot that is different too, but it's become increasingly obvious that these two dorks need each other in their lives. As friends and companions.

When David asked Brad to help him move, I'm convinced he thought he and Brad were already best friends. Hell, they'd worked together for the better part of a decade, still shared an office at that time, consistently called each other during lockdown to play a dumb video game for a bet, and Brad even helped David find a girlfriend. I'd believe we were buddies if I were David.

Brad is never seen without a long sweater/shirt on. During "Quarantine" when he's on a solo call with David, we see him for the first time in a short sleeved shirt exposing his arms. Almost like a subliminal way of letting Brad express vulnerability without meaning to. He's very slowly becoming softer and more "David-ish", and that's probably a good thing.

Idk, man. I just think these nerds need to get a shift on and move in together or something. Sit and have wine nights and talk about their shared trauma because societal norms suck and men should talk more and have more friends. They need to look after each other, because it's quite clear no one else is/will for a while.

[salternateunreality2]

Time Travel AGSZC AU (AKA 2-for-1 whump hammer on Sefikura) - Opening

from the @strayheartless archives <3

Sephiroth and Cloud are fighting and jump into the past, but doing so knocks Jenova’s hold loose on both of them, and reduces Cloud's enhancements, so now they're in the middle of the desert outside of Midgar, Cloud is dying of injuries because his healing factor is gone, and Sephiroth is a mess of guilt and horror at what he's done.

Their sudden appearance is noticed by the Turks, who fly out with Genesis and Zack to see what's up. They see their lovers, Cloud a bloody heap, surrounded by Tsurugi's pieces, Sephiroth on his knees casting healing spell after healing spell, completely disheveled and unresponsive.

Zack: SEPH?! What- CLOUD?!?! GENESIS!!! 

Genesis dives in immediately, shoving Sephiroth aside when he realizes he's just casting wildly. Sephiroth slumps, his arms barely supporting his torso, hair a wild mess around him as he stares at the ground with unfocused eyes, heedless of his own (albeit minor) wounds. Zack runs up with Genesis and tries to get Sephiroth to make eye contact. Nothing's getting through to him though, so Zack just works on healing Sephiroth's wounds. 

Genesis is concentrating hard. Eventually, he gets Cloud close enough to stable and starts yelling at the Turks to help. Under his direction, Reno, Rude, and Zack finish what they can on Cloud, wrap him up, and strap him to a stretcher.

Genesis: Sephiroth. I don't know what's going on, but you are going to listen to me and you are going to get up and get in that helicopter. Now. 

Sephiroth drags himself up, Zack supporting him, and they get on while Reno and Rude secure Cloud. He can't look at any of them. He can't think. He can barely breathe. He feels their questions, but he can't make sense of the words. Following orders is the best he can do. 

—--

Hojo is at the landing pad when they touch down, hearing that Sephiroth might be injured and unresponsive. Cloud is removed first, Zack and Reno running alongside his stretcher, giving the medical team an update. 

Genesis: Sephir- 

Hojo: Sephiroth! Come ou- GURK! 

Sephiroth is securely strapped into a helicopter seat one second, and the next, his hand is crushing Hojo's throat, lifting him off the ground, Masamune through his gut. Then in the next second, before even Genesis can do anything, Hojo is on fire and hurtling over the edge of the building, his screams only croaks through his crushed windpipe. Everyone stands in silence, mouths agape, when suddenly, Sephiroth jumps after him. 

Genesis: SHIT. Call Hewley and a lockdown! 

Rude nods and calls it in, and Genesis starts making his way down the side of the building only a little more safely than Sephiroth did.

What he finds at the bottom is horrifying; a smoldering mess of deformed humanoid sludge with a sword through it, and Sephiroth with broken legs from his landing, leaning on the sword, glaring at the mutated sludge. No civilians are hurt, and fortunately, everyone is standing back. 

Genesis: Sephiroth? 

No response. 

Genesis: Sephiroth, you're hurt. 

Nothing. 

Genesis: Sephiroth, I'm walking to you now. I'm going to put my arm around you, and you will come with me calmly. Mission complete. Do you understand? 

Nothing. Then, a slight nod and grunt. 

Genesis carefully grabs him around the waist, forcing Sephiroth to lean on him while lifting his entire body with one arm. Genesis barks at the onlooking SOLDIERs, Turks, and infantrymen to "clean that up" and "get that door open" as he takes Sephiroth in through a side entrance, then to a service elevator. Angeal runs up as they're waiting for the elevator. 

Genesis: Angeal, take his other side, we're going to the SOLDIER clinic. 

Angeal: *nods and obeys, trusting Genesis implicitly*

They reset Sephiroth's bones so they heal correctly, and he doesn't make a sound. That's normal for him, sure, but not even a huff or a hitch of breath comes out during the whole process, which would have a normal man screaming.

He can't look at them. It hurts too much. The betrayal is too much. How he hurt them is too much. What he did to Cloud and Zack... Sephiroth stays in his shell.

Meanwhile, Zack is pacing as the medics work on Cloud. He's ready to jump in at any second if they ask; his magic power is strong as a SOLDIER, though he's not as talented of a mage as Cloud, Genesis, or Sephiroth. Then Cloud starts seizing.

There's not much they can do, just keep him on the gurney, protect his IVs, and tilt him on his side to prevent choking. But it calms down eventually, and they get back to work.

Finally, Cloud is wrapped like a mummy, blood in one IV, medicine in another. They try a mako drip since his file says he is enhanced, but it makes the seizures start up again, so they turn it off. Zack is left alone with Cloud, watching his breath fog up his oxygen mask, holding his hand, shaking and crying quietly.

Then Zack gets a call. From Cloud.

[macontheweb]

Hey Mac! Spotify recently threw a song by the National my way, which made me listen to a few more and man, this is good.

I know you like them too so I thought I'd come by and ask what your personal faves by them are 👀🙏

Hey Alex! Ooh I love that you're enjoying them so far. Thank you for giving me the space to talk your ear off about one of my favourite bands!! I feel like every time I go down the rabbit hole with The National I discover a few more faves, but I'll try to keep this manageable for a tumblr post lol.

I Need My Girl

The National's lead singer Matt Berninger called it "the most direct, earnest love songs we’ve ever written." It's so simple - a song about a man yearning for his wife - but it gets me every time. I know you love a moment of slow, sweet melancholy, so I think you'll like it too.

Mistaken For Strangers

This one reminds me of the friend who introduced me to The National. When he got drunk he would always point to his own jacket during the "showered and blue-blazered" line. In a song about losing friends, what a thing to remember one of the great friendships of my life while listening to it. </3

Day I Die

Speaking of that friend, I went to my first National gig with him. At the time, I didn't really know any other tracks apart from this one, Guilty Party and I Need My Girl, but I'd latched onto this song because it made me Feel Things about a situationship I'd been in a couple of years earlier. When they launched into this live, it was so electric. "Don't do this / I don't do this to you" still makes me want to scream.

Bloodbuzz Ohio

I'm a great lover of The National's lyrics. There might come a point where you're listening to them and you have to stop what you're doing because a line hits you in a place you never thought you'd be hit at like...three pm on a Wednesday. For me, one of those lyrics is from Bloodbuzz Ohio: ""I still owe money to the money to the money I owe / I never thought about love when I thought about home." Maybe my second favourite song they've ever written.

Slow Show

A song for the socially anxious - it's about being out somewhere and just wishing you were home with a person you loved and could feel truly comfortable with. Also, I have been known to make this song about my blorbos at every available opportunity.

Apartment Story

As much of a sweet little love song as The National has ever turned in, and a love letter to happy domesticity. Has a very 'us against the world' vibe.

Graceless

Hands down my favourite song. Its exploration of depression and meds is still unrivalled by anyone imho. I spent the worst parts of the COVID lockdowns blasting this in my living room, and when they performed it at my local gig, I cried buckets.

(Very) honourable mentions:

Guilty Party

England

This Is The Last Time

Afraid of Everyone

Brainy

Don't Swallow the Cap

About Today

Terrible Love

Phew, okay! I'm sure that's way more than you were asking for. Enjoy anyway, my friend ❤️

[ask-emile-sdv]

we should go on a date! i know a great spot: the epic the musical livestream tomorrow night (i wrote this as of 8/28) (im not indoctrinating you into my obsession i swear) (please dont call me a theater gay my partner already does TvT) you can hear calypso go ALL WE COULD WANT HERE ALL WE COULD NEED HERE or telemachus going I KNOW LIFE AND FAITH ARE SCARY BUT I WANNA BE LEGENDARY or even zeus singing. zeus's main song is very zeus btw but god games isnt just zeus's song its a song where he gets his kids and wife to be pit against athena its p cool (APHRODITE YOUR LITTLE HIGH AND MIGHTY ODYSSEUS CLAIMS TO LOVE HIS MOTHER BUT LET HER DIE OF A BROKEN HEART HE WAS BUSY FIGHTING MORE LIKE BUSY SPITING THE CYCLOPS LET HIM FEEL THE PAIN THAT HIS MOTHER FELT AND ROT) augh uh. one sec. lemme actually do smth coherent

EPIC: The Musical is an Odyssey retelling and adaptation made by a young man Jorge "Jay" Rivera-Herrans. It started out during lockdown because he had another musical he was working on but due to COVID restrictions it made him and his then-crew unable to continue working. During COVID, however, he wanted to make another musical. And so, for over four years now, he has been writing, casting, and recording EPIC: The Musical. It is a musical sectioned into sagas, five of which being in the first act and the other four being delegated to the second. There have been six sagas released thus far, with the Wisdom Saga, the seventh saga, being released on Friday, August 30th.

Jay has explicitly stated in his videos about the creative process that he takes heavy inspiration for how he conveys plot points and the like from anime and video games, more heavily the latter as he is attempting with EPIC to create a musical that feels like a video game. The way he does this is by giving each saga a boss battle, each with such powerful music to match. In Poseidon's "Ruthlessness" he preaches to Odysseus the true meaning of this world: ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves, a message that sums up the entire theme of the musical and that is repeated throughout. In Zeus's song titled "Thunderbringer" it repeats his brother's preaching but he didn't explicitly tell him, more showed him by forcing him to choose between making it home to his son and wife--something he said he'd trade the world for in the second song--or saving his crew that had just mutinied moments before. And by the end of the musical, Odysseus has internalized every boss battle and we get to watch him become the final boss from the perspective of those who tried to wrong him and that are getting punished for their actions. By the end of the musical, Odysseus is a heavily changed man and the final song is titled "Would You Fall In Love With Me Again" which is a song to his wife, Penelope. She shows up often in the musical, not often physically, but often pops up because Odysseus proclaims that all he wishes to do is to see his wife and son. Jay assigned each character an instrument, and while I cannot recall each off of the top of my head, Penelope's instrument is a viola. In act two, when we hear the song "Suffering" we can hear something is off because yes this is her voice, but her viola is missing. That minor detail is enough to set off alarm bells in many a fan's head, and it did!

Back to the end of the musical, we get to see a reunion between two lovers, but only after what is a reunion for one and a first meeting for the other--the song between Odysseus and Telemachus, his son. It is one of the most heart-wrenching songs in the musical, just the snippets are enough to move to tears. Odysseus's assigned instrument is a guitar, and for the first time in a while, it is a quiet tune that plays on the guitar used in that song. Just that guitar alone hurts to listen to, at least for me. Anyway, I've waffled on more than enough! Sorry for the ramble, wanted to do something a bit fancier than what i tend to do.

I’m sorry- a date?!

Well- uh- I don’t think we’re THAT close!!!

But… Greek Mythology sounds cool I guess. Even if I’m not really a musical guy. Besides, someone has to look after you, hm?

I GUESS if I have time I might listen…. Only because I don’t have anything to do!

[independentartistbuzz]

Kellie Loder shares a sweet love story about an old flame on “When It Comes to You”

There is something truly captivating about the multi-genre Canadiana artist Kellie Loder (they/them). Loder is a passionate storyteller and accomplished songwriter (Songwriter of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards, first runner up on Canada’s Got Talent 2022, and 2012 JUNO nominee) with a voice that conveys warmth and power. Their unrivaled lyrical brilliance is honest and vulnerable in ways that make the music feel deeply personal.

Loder’s highly anticipated fourth studio record is set to drop in 2024. Elevating themselves to new heights, the upcoming album is a stunningly crafted masterpiece with stories of love, heartbreak, life and transitions. “When It Comes to You,” the album’s lead single gives listeners a glimpse of the pure authenticity of one of Canada’s most promising and celebrated songwriters. 

“When It Comes to You” was written during the height of lockdown, when Loder reconnected with an old lover. After all those years, it took a global pandemic to discover that they felt the same things for her that they felt years ago.

“This is not an album I wrote all at once with intention,” Loder explains. “It’s simply a collection of songs I chose from a pool of many others I’ve written over the years… After choosing them, they seemed to tell a story on their own. It’s about the experience in the transitions of life, love, and connection with the self and others.”

[smoooothoperator]

What A Shame

07: Sad Beautiful Tragic

Driver! Charles Leclerc x Singer! OC (Juliette Morelli)

Exes to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Childhood Sweathearts

Summary: they realize their feelings, but the hard part is admitting them

Words: 2.1k

warnings: fluff, angst?? lot of tears, Mattia (he needs a warning, yeah), flashbacks are on italics

Official Playlist

Masterlist

previous part | next part

a/n: well well well!!!! here you have!! remember that there's only a chapter left. tell me your theories!!!

Every interaction is very welcomed!!!!

🏎️

How, in less than an hour, I found the words I wanted to say? I only needed to hear her sing, I only needed to hear her sing the song she wanted to be played at our hypothetical wedding.

"I just heard the most beautiful wedding song ever" she said while she threw herself on my bed, looking up at the ceiling with a big smile on her lips.

"Oh? Surprise me" I chuckled looking how she grabbed her phone.

The song started to play and I just had to look at her waiting for her voice. I know that she loves a song she heard recently when she already memorized it in less than a few hours. 

"It's beautiful" I nodded while hearing it.

"Imagine it at our wedding" she gasped sitting on the bed.

We always knew both of us were going to get married. Our families knew it the first time we met at school, how we played to be a couple, how we made weddings in our backyards. We were soulmates, and soulmates shouldn't be separated.

"I'm already picturing it" I smiled looking at her. "And that's a yes. Is definitely added  to the bucket list"

I know I love her. I always had. All those years without her were so hard. I only needed three months to know that I made a big mistake, listening and doing what Ferrari said. 

"If you want to become a champion you should focus on the team and only the team" Mattia frowned looking at me. "What you did during the lockdown, playing on the internet, was a bad distraction"

"And what did you want me to do! I couldn't get out of my house, for god's sake!" I exclaimed. 

"Well, train more! Focus more! Because it's obvious that playing games won't make you a world champion" he said mad, placing both of his hands on the table in front of me. "Focus on Ferrari"

"I have a life, Mattia" I frowned. "I have a family, I have a girlfriend. I have friends!"

"Well, then maybe you shouldn't have a girlfriend" he said.

"What?! Are you crazy?" I exclaimed, getting up off the chair. This is getting out of hand.

"Break up with her. She's distracting you" he said. "If you want the seat next season, break up with her. Or else you won't be here anymore"

Threats. Everything was a threat. If I did something they didn't approve of, they gave me an ultimatum. I was their golden boy, they put a lot of money for me. 

They were my childhood dream.

And I did what they told me to do. I did everything. I was their puppet, someone they could use to have more attention, more sponsors, more fans. They used me to be back on top of everyone. 

"Charles" Carlos called me, making me focus back on the wedding. 

It's already finished. Everyone was standing up and clapping, watching how the newlyweds kissed.

I missed all the wedding just because I was locked in my mind. Shit.

"You have to sign the papers" he whispered to me and I just smiled weakly at him, walking towards Pierre and sighing. 

"You were distant during the ceremony" he whispered, handing me the pen. "Are you okay, mate?"

Just as I was going to answer, Juliette started playing the piano again. She started to sing again. 

"I'll talk to her" I whisper, signing the paper and looking at him. "I'll tell her the truth, even if that makes her hate me more"

Pierre just smiled and hugged me, patting my back and holding me tight. He knows I need all the support I can get. He knows how much this means to me.

"I'm sorry I spaced out all the ceremony" I sighed. 

"I'm not mad" he smiled. "She was looking at you"

🎤

The moment I waited the most all year. Summer trip. I always went somewhere with my family, they promised me this year we will go to Italy.

"Mommy, how long until we arrive?" I asked, hugging the plush cat. "I want to show Cha the new plushie I bought for his little brother!"

"Soon, honey" she smiled looking back at me. 

Summer trips with the Leclerc family were always funny. Since we were neighbors we planned the summer trips together, just because Charles and I never wanted to be away from the other.

Italy was beautiful, we both had so much fun. The backyard of the villa our families rented was so big that we could run free around.

"Cha!" I exclaimed, jumping out of the car, watching my best friend running towards me.

"Juls!" he smiled, hugging me. "I missed you, wifey!"

"I missed you too" I smiled, kissing his cheek.

"Wait, wait, since when are you two married?" his older brother and his friend Jules us, making him hug me tighter.

"We did it on the last day of school" Charles said proudly. "So none of you two would take her away from me! She's mine!"

"Okay, okay" Lorenzo laughed. "you better keep it that way, you don't want to make Juliette sad, right?"

"No! She'll never be sad! I promise" he nodded looking at me, holding my hand and linking out pinkies.

He made so many promises and broke them. He promised he would never make me sad, that he would never break my heart, that he would marry me.

I sighed, playing the last note of the last song and looked down at the keys. I wanted to get up, to walk out of the church and avoid that conversation with him. 

I want to be mad at him. I really want to, but I'm so tired of that. I'm so tired of fighting, of lying to myself. 

So I just gave up. I let the tears fall down my eyes during the wedding. I let my eyes look at him while they said their vows. I let myself think about us again, about our promises. I let my mind read him, looking into his eyes and talking with him only with our eyes.

He regrets things, he's scared, nervous. 

When I saw him walking towards me after everyone left the church, I just smiled weakly, defeated.

"I don't want to argue" he said, making me nod. "I don't want to fight with you anymore. I... Juliette, you are the love of my life... And right now is like if we were the worst enemies out there"

It made me chuckle softly. Yeah, maybe we made a show with our two arguments, one last night and another this morning.

"I'm tired" I sighed looking at him, hugging myself. "I... I don't recognize us"

"Can we please talk as two grown adults, please?" he asked me, taking another step closer to me. 

I nodded and sighed, watching how he smiled weakly and nodded too. He took a deep breath, trying to find the words.

"But" I interrupted him before he could open his mouth. "Can we please do that after everything is done? I just... I don't want to ruin their day, Charles. I don't want to be more emotional that I'm already am"

"Promise me you'll dance with me" he asked. "Promise me you'll save a dance with me and we'll talk as long as we need it"

I took a deep breath and nodded. I felt his hand on mine and I just felt shivers running up my back. I missed his touch, how warm his hands were.

"Just don't stare at me while I sing on their first dance" I whisper looking at our hands. 

"I can't promise you anything" he whispered. I sighed and nodded, him letting go of my hand. 

"I... I guess I'll have to get out. There are photographers so..." I sighed looking up at him. "I don't think it's a good idea if we walked out together"

"Yeah, you are right" he nodded, nervous.

I sighed and grabbed all my things, walking out of the church and immediately facing the media. I just smiled, posing for some pictures and immediately walked away back to the villa.

I tried to not think about Charles, not wanting to have high hopes. I just want this day to end and go back home, where everything seemed normal. 

"Juliette!". Lando. "Hey, wait!"

I sighed and look back at him. No, I can't repeat it. Charles is here, I don't want to fight anymore.

"Lando, hey" I sighed. 

"You sang amazing" he smiled walking next to me. "You really made me cry"

"Oh... Thank you" I sighed. "Look... About last night"

"I know. One night stand" he nodded. "But hey, we could be friends, you know?"

I looked at him and sighed. I felt Charles' eyes on me again and I felt the shivers again. 

"Look... You are nice and all, but you are not my type" I sighed. 

I smiled weakly and kept walking, making myself get lost on the streets of the village just to have time to think.

"Juliette!" he called me. 

I turned around and sighed. Charles followed me, he walked behind me.

"Charles..." I sighed.

"They threatened me" he said, walking closer to me. "They didn't like that I did nothing during the lockdown. That I didn't train. That my first season in Ferrari was nothing. They wanted me to fight, to focus. To leave everyone to the side"

"What?" I frowned. 

"Mattia wanted me to live only for Ferrari" he mumbled. "He obliged me to break up with you. To leave my friends. To not date anyone nor be involved in rumors. They used me as a puppet to have more followers, making promises that I would take the team back to the top"

I looked at him and swallowed thickly. Now I understand why he was nervous that night. Why his eyes were red. 

"Juliette..." he whispered, closing the big distance between us, just standing a few feet apart. "I went to your shows. To your first show, I was there, on top of the stadium and watching you how you sang and danced"

"Why did you never call me?" I mumbled, feeling tears in my eyes. "Why did you never text me?"

"Because my publicist had a copy of my sim card" he whispered, holding my hands. "He controlled my media, what I should post and when. Who I followed and who followed me"

I looked at him. He was crying. He was crying and letting all his feelings get out. I missed him, how fragile he let himself be when he was with me.

"I missed you, Juliette" he whispered. "Every second, every hour, every day of my life. I missed you so much and it killed me that I could never be near you because they had eyes everywhere"

I swallowed thickly and did what my body needed to do. I just hugged him, I just held him close to me.

"I tried to find you" he whispered in my neck. "I tried to contact you but I was so afraid of you pushing me away again..."

"Oh, Charles..." I mumble rubbing his back. "I..."

Can't. I can't.

"It hurt so bad" I whispered. "It... The day you left me was the most painful day of my life. I could handle the pain of all those nights hearing you cry, holding you until you fell asleep in my arms. I could handle watching you fall apart and hearing your heart break when Jules and your father died. But... That night was like if you died to me"

"Juliette" he whispered, holding me tighter. He's here.

"I waited for you" I whisper. "A day, a week, months... But you never called"

"I wanted to call you" he whispered. "I... Valerie. Valerie was the only way I had of knowing how you were. She got me all the tickets, she made sure that you were alright"

"What?" I frown. "Valerie?"

"She wanted us together, Juliette" he whispered, pulling away and looking at me, cupping my cheek. "He wanted us back together, she threatened me so many times about telling you everything I did for you. And... God, I know I disappeared for ten years, but if you give me another chance I promise you that I'll never leave"

"Charles..."

"I'll never leave you, Juliette Morelli" he whispered, wiping away my tears. "I promise. I know that I broke so many promises. But... Please, give me another chance"

"Give me time" I whisper. "I need time"

taglist

@lestappenloverr @racinggirl @roni-midnights @livster @kakorrhaphiphobia @starkeyellow @ru-kru

[dimpledpran]

8 Shows to Get to Know Me

I was tagged by the lovely @talays-portkey and @i-got-the-feels​ !

1. Ghost Whisperer (2005-2010) I think this was the first show that i actually tried to watch as it was airing. I still remember waiting for 10pm every Friday, whether everyone else was awake or not. I think I watched all the way from Season 1-4, until it stopped airing on our local channel. 

2. Glee (2009-2015)  Honestly this was my introduction to the English music scene. I did not grow up listening to English songs, so my initial playlist was basically Disney Channel artists and Glee covers. As a music lover, I just enjoyed listening to their takes of the songs. I think I stopped watching somewhere during Season 3, and only did the Cory tribute episode after that.

3. Teen Wolf (2011-2017)  This was the first show that I started reading fanfics for. Well I started reading before I watched it, but Sterek stole my heart. I was very into the series, to the point that I watched Season 3B in one night because I had to find out what happened. Dumb me thought it was a good idea to start a new season at 8pm at night. I stayed up through the night, and texted my friend at 6am to yell about the whole thing. And they replied that it is too early to be awake to scream about it. “What do you mean wake up and watch it. I haven’t slept yet” So yeah. Stiles is my baby, and I will protect him with my life.

4. The Untamed (2019)  My friend recommended this to a few of us during covid lockdown, and I am very glad she did. It really opened me up to a whole new world. This show had such a grip on me. To the point that I started a new side blog for it, and learnt how to make edits for it. I got to know so many incredible people through the network cos of this show. It was such a brilliant show! The plot is so intricate! It has angst and heartache and amazing costumes and stunning sets and a cast who honestly killed it. Definitely a show that I would recommend to everyone. 

5. Bad Buddy (2021-2022)  Obviously I can’t go without talking about BB here. Have you seen my blog URL? Till BB, I never watched a show as it was airing. I usually wait for it to end and then binge, or start watching it just in time for the finale. But I kept seeing gifs on tumblr and it made me want to check it out. And boy am I glad I did it. It was such a fun experience to watch it live and scream on a weekly basis. For some reason the hold that this show has on me seems to be lifelong? I have no complaints though. I am still enjoying all the BB brainrot. Pran is my baby. I have never related to a character as much as I relate to him. He is so precious to me. And this show just blends angst with humour and a touch of reality so well. I am making it my personal mission to read through every Patpran fic on AO3. This show made me want to try writing. I cannot explain how much this show means to me. A definite must-watch as well!

6. Arivaan (2019-2020)  So my sister told me that this is my kind of show and made me watch it. I started it while she was halfway through, and finished it way before her. It was right up my alley. The whole premise is about trying to identify a serial killer who has been murdering women, and leaves an origami paper crane behind. There is a police officer who manages to find these clues and tries to identify him, but the killer disappears and due to personal issues he end up leaving the force. Years later the killer is back and he somehow gets roped into it again, but his partner is now leading the case, and is finding out things that he doesn’t really want to. And I really enjoyed the way it was taken, and the I am really hoping that there will be a Season 2 for this. 

7. Paava Kadhaigal (2020)  Honestly no show has made me as mad as this has, and that is totally the point. (Although I am totally gonna be ignoring the second episode. That does not exist to me) It is an anthrological series, with 4 3 episodes touching on different hard topics/issues prevalent in society. The way it was taken , the music, THE CAST, EVERYTHING WAS BRILLIANT!! I had to pause it and just scream on twitter to release all the frustration that this brought up. Which means it really did its job well. I have not watched this series  since the first time, but trust me when I say I remember every detail because it has such a lasting impact. Especially the first and the last. I was bawling.  NOTE: This can be very highly triggering, so please do check out the synopsis before you watch it. Or feel free to hit me up with any questions, or just scream about it if you do check it out. 

8. 3 Will Be Free (2019)  Insane plot with amazing characters with so much depth. Loved that each character was so complex. There is no character that is purely good or bad, like it was so real, and you feel for them all equally. This really set a standard that no other show has reached so far. I need another series like this. And of course anyone who put Tay Tawan in funky suits gets a plus from me. Also more female characters need to have guns!!

Honorary Mentions: Mindhunter: This would have been number 8, if it wasnt cancelled!! The casting directors for this deserve all the bonuses for how creepily identical the actors look to the actual serial killers! It was so interesting to try and get into the head of the serial killers and understand why they did what they did. LOVED IT!!! Until We Meet Again: This used to be my favourite BL series until Bad Buddy took over. I loved Fluke’s effortless acting. He is brilliant. And I love the whole concept of reincarnation and finding you soulmate. And this did it so well with the angst and touch of humour and romance. And of course TeamWin stole my heart. 

Theory Of Love: Honestly, wasn’t that much of a fan the first time I watched it. But the redemption arc is so goood, that I felt so much for Khai the second time I watched it. That train station scene just lives in my head. So for rewatch factor, this deserves a honorary mention.

The Good Place, Word Of Honor, We Best Love, Stranger Things, RE:Mind

Tagging: @highwarlockkareena , @eohachu , @markpakin , @fangrui , @fuujiikaze , @gege @seawherethesunsets @gaiamochi (no pressure)

[anguilliforme]

#please tell me your answers as well!!!!!! of course lmao, it won't fit into replies buuut:

Happiness and Surrounding Suburbs: Happy Healthy Citizen of the Developed World Blues- Forever in my heart as the song that got me into BPM. i think i genuinely said out loud "oh shit, a reprise?" because as a musical theatre lover u KNOW i love a good reprise.

Museum: you're right in saying this album is hit after hit, and it's cruel to make me choose between Fence Sitter and the two Bad Taste Blues. Like asking me to choose between my three weed smoking girlfriends.

Puddinghead: there's a reason why they're always playing She Only Loves Me When I'm There at their shows, it's an absolute banger and an amazing start to (imho) one of their best albums. I am very fond of Polly Screw My Head Back On though, it's in my work commute playlist bc i love singing it in the car.

Every Night The Same Dream: i am genuinely ASTOUNDED to find a fellow Don't Look at Me Like That appreciator. I don't even think BPM appreciates this song. it's a smooth journey in a really short time, and i love it!!!!

Good Mood: ARE YOU WAITING?? ARE YOU WAITING FOR SOME KIND OF MEANING??????

Ball Park Music: I Feel Nothing dropping during the pandemic was INSANE timing. i got an admin job in healthcare during lockdown which means i was one of the few allowed to actually travel into the city, and i remember I Feel Nothing absolutely consuming my brain. Deeply relatable song.

Weirder & Weirder: Right Now and Sunscreen are so fun to listen to, but I also cried listening to Stars in My Eyes when I heard it live for the first time so who fucking knows?

Like Love: the little drum bits in As Far As I Can Tell are so fun i love tapping along with my hands, but as someone from Melbourne with queenslander friends in the arts who have mentioned wanting to move to melbourne Please Don't Move to Melbourne is incredibly funny. Yes i bought the shirts.

What's your fave bpm song from each album?

ohhh this is the best question…. alright

happiness and surrounding suburbs: sad rude future dude (for the vibes - yelling EVERYBODY WAAAAKE UP is extremely fun, i like the lyrics in general, it’s a banger), OR birds down basements / glass jar (placing these two together because i find them both really pretty; i love the harmonies and chorus in BDB and GJ hits a good medium between upbeat and pretty)

museum: surrender (probably my favourite song from BPM ever - i love the lyrics, i love the sound, i LOVE the music video. absolute banger, i want to hear it live again one day). note: museum as an album has grown on me and it holds a lot of my favourite tracks if i were to do an “every song” ranking

puddinghead: she only loves me when i’m there (classic for a reason, incredibly fun to sing and dance to, fantastic beginning AND use of the word architraves) OR a good life is the best revenge (pretty much the same reasons, i like to mime a little bow at ‘your royal highness’, i like the song’s sentiment)

every night the same dream: don’t look at me like that (i like the vibes)

GOOD MOOD: the end times (i’m a sucker for songs that are about / mention the end of the world)

ball park music: spark up! (SUCH a banger. i played this on repeat for days after the first time i saw them) OR turning zero (i like the lyrics and i think it sounds pretty) HONOURABLE MENTION TO BAD TASTE BLUES PT III !!!! ITS GOTTA BE THEREEEEE

weirder & weirder: weirder & weirder (second favourite song from the band overall and such a me core song. love the lyrics love the overlapping parts love the notion of becoming weirder and more complicated with every year! love the metaphor for aging and becoming a person!!) honourable mention to sunscreen and three little words

like love: gabrielle (i think it’s beautiful and i couldn’t believe they played it for us!! such a gorgeous song and sam’s voice is sooooooo….) it would honestly be easier to list the songs i didn’t like from this album, i think it’s really solid and well put together

[interact-if]

Day 4 of our Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Featured Author Interviews, continuing with Jinx!

Jinx author of Elsinore: After Hamlet

Once upon a time, a prince avenged his father’s death. If only he could have foreseen his own.

The year is 2021—or maybe 1602? Hamlet the Younger has just tragically died and Fortinbras the Younger, King of Norway and newly-conquered Denmark, has a lot of cleaning up to do. Elsinore: After Hamlet is a text-based interactive fiction exploration of William Shakespeare's Hamlet as a plague text and a reckoning of Asian American identity during these trying times. Also contains bad puns and glowing text.

Read more about Elsinore: After Hamlet here.

Play the Game Here.

Tags: Fantasy.

Jinx is also the author of The Harrowed and the Hushed and Rougi.

[INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!]

Q1. Hello! Could you tell us a little bit about to yourself and your project?

Hi! I’m Jinx (she/her), longtime listener and first time caller, writer, and lover of the cute and the gothic.

I’ve always loved writing and first got into interactive fiction during the first lockdowns in 2020. I fell in love with the medium and it’s been such a wonderful adventure since. My first project, Elsinore: After Hamlet,deals with a lot of the frustration and uncertainty I felt during that time as an Asian American with the rug pulled from under all of us. I’m currently working on The Harrowed and the Hushed, a low fantasy murder mystery set in Victorian London, and Rougi, a social intrigue mystery about a cursed ballet in Belle Époque Paris. I really enjoy working with illusions, intrigue, and how we can find ourselves in the strange and monstrous.

Q2. What inspired your current project?

My current projects, The Harrowed and the Hushed and Rougi, are rooted in my undying love of the late 19th century and gothic literature – I love me a good dramatic mystery too, which I’m sure comes as a surprise to absolutely no one. H&H draws a lot from the genre of sensation fiction, which aims to elicit physical reactions in its readers with sensationalized, page-turner plots. The genre traditionally deals very heavily with metaphors of social and identity anxieties, which also made it a very natural source of inspiration for me since those are themes that I really love exploring with my writing. H&H is essentially a love letter to a lot of things I adore, garnished with references to Gothic, Romantic, and Decadent literature, plus my own cultural spin on things. (If you were wondering if some of my characters were named in homage…the answer is probably yes.)

Rougi, which was my entry to interact-if’s January game jam, really came from me looking at color theory and running with it. Based on the “red herring” theme, I knew I wanted to do something with a very strong aesthetic component, so I went back to my bunhead roots and turned it up to the max. I love ballet and as a former dancer, I felt like drama backstage and onstage was the perfect backdrop for a mix of possibly supernatural, definitely interpersonal intrigue. Also, Art Nouveau is so gorgeous and I wanted to write about pretty things (possibly with ugly insides wink-wonk).

Elsinore: After Hamlet is my very first IF project and a real testament to the tangled state of mind I experienced for the bulk of 2021. That spring was so chaotic – lots of sleepless nights and worries gnawing at me from the inside out. E:AH originally started as a final project for a class on medicine and literature, and very quickly became a surprisingly intimate way for me to create some kind of catharsis while the world seemed to fall apart. (Shoutout to the professor who was very chill with me submitting literal plague doctor memes for class discussion, she made Zoom U much better.) I am a self-professed Shakespeare nerd, and looking at one of my favorite plays through a very personal, emotional lens was such an intense experience. I didn’t expect that the development process would break me out of the apathy I’d fallen into at all, let alone so fiercely, but it was a welcome change from feeling scared and dissociated almost constantly.

Q3. Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

My identity definitely influences how I approach narratives. E:AH was a direct product of the stress I felt juggling my responsibilities as a student, pressure from the pandemic, and my fears as an Asian American woman in a space that became incredibly hostile and unstable. It’s really a slice of how I was experiencing life at the time, and I hope that resonates with players and gets them thinking. For Asian players, I hope that E:AH is a cathartic experience; for non-Asian players, I hope that it shares a different, impactful perspective.

As a kid, I really fixated on the few instances of Asian representation I found in media, so as a creator now, it’s incredibly empowering to be able to include characters who reflect my own experiences and hopefully connect with my audience too. Decentralizing whiteness, particularly in traditionally eurocentric narratives, is very hard-baked into what I create. On a lighter note, food as a love language is also a big cultural influence on my writing and that definitely shows, haha. I’m a huge foodie IRL as well, so coupled with my synesthesia, my writing definitely falls heavily on the sensory side.

Q4. What are you most excited about your project?

E:AH is deeply personal and combines two of my greatest passions (Shakespeare and ~ being melodramatic ~), so while it’s a little scary to have something so near and dear to me out on the internet, I’m absolutely blown away by the response it’s received so far. I’m super excited to see how the playing experience changes (for me personally and in general) over time – I can already foresee it becoming a little like a diary entry preserved online.

As for the two projects I’m currently working on, I am so excited to see how players react to the twists and turns I’m writing into Rougi. I was a little overambitious when planning it out for the January game jam I crafted it for, so I can’t wait to flesh it out fully. Rougi is also my first project written in Sugarcube, so the transition has definitely been a learning journey and I’m excited to show off what I’ve learned.

With The Harrowed and the Hushed, I think I’m most excited about sharing all the lore I’ve built up. Fantasy is the first genre I fell in love with, so getting to create and share my own magical vision is really, really cool.

Q5. What has your experience writing an IF and with the IF community been like?

My introduction to IF came during a lot of turmoil, and the community has been so friendly and supportive. It’s been a blast diving into all these amazing projects and meeting lots of wonderful people! Learning to code has been fun frustrating a very unique and rewarding journey, and it’s seriously such a fantastic feeling to see all the pieces – drafting, Twine-wrangling, writing, UI building – fit together to make a final product. I’m so thankful that my experience with the community so far has led me to make very dear friends and interact with kind and thoughtful readers.

Q7. What piece of advice would you give to fellow creators?

*Shia Laboeuf voice* JUST DO IT. No, but seriously: your story is uniquely yours and there is no one better to tell it. Storytelling is such an intrinsic part of human history and I think it’s one of the most beautiful records of our presence and our world. Despite the obstacles and frustration that comes with being a creator, there’s nothing like the satisfaction of fulfilling that scene you’ve been dying to write, or finally nailing the code you’ve been struggling with. Take care of yourself, and always remember the excitement and passion that led you to where you are now. I’m rooting for you!

That, and don’t code or debug when you’re sleepy. The bug will still be there (unfortunately) after you sleep, and you run far less risk of falling asleep at your computer and waking up to several pages of random characters in the middle of your stylesheet or having to hunt down every time you misspelled a variable…I may or may not be speaking from personal experience.

[theinvisiblecapricorn]

Surprise, surprise.

Author's note: This is my first ever written one shot. The inspiration popped into my head during my shower. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy

Fluffy one shot.

Part 1.

// Introduction //

A little info about Y/N and Vinnie.

So, you guys met during the first Covid lockdown.

You weren’t really seeing anyone of your friends during this time because you didn’t feel like taking any risks. So the only way for you to interact with anyone, was via social media. Before lockdown you also kind of give up on the idea of finding a lover because the last time you gave it a shot it didn’t work out.

You remember one of your best friends told you ‘’ Once you start focusing on yourself, it’ll come to you. ‘’ Well, what better way to focus on yourself other than during quarantine?

That’s when Vinnie came into the picture.

After many failed attempts of having a normal conversation with serval people, the last thing Vinnie expected was to meet someone like you. A lot of the time people tried to take advantage of the fact that he was famous. They would post his personal info on social media and share their conversations for clout. Just like you, Vinnie was kind of over the idea of meeting someone who would like him for his personality instead of his name.

You guys instantly clicked. It felt like talking to someone you’ve known your entire life. There wasn’t a thing you couldn’t share with another. But because the two of you lived in different time zones you couldn’t talk as much as you’d like, but you made it manageable. There was only one problem; traveling was not an option due to Covid, so the two of you had never seen each other in real life.

Until now…

// End of introduction //

Alex (Warren) set up his camera to make a video.

He clicked on record and looked into the camera.

‘’ So as you guys know, Vinnie and Y/N met online in the beginning of Covid, but they’ve never officially seen each other in real life. Now that traveling is allowed again and Vinnie hasn’t been feeling himself lately, I thought it was a good idea to surprise him. I bought y/n a plan ticket so she can come over and hopefully cheer Vinnie up. And I will document the entire journey. ‘’

// Vinnie’s POV //

It’s noon. I lay on my bed, scrolling on my phone through TikTok. I haven’t heard from Y/N all day. Normally she would call me before going to bed herself, but she never did. I tried texting her but no reply.

Y/NNNN????

Yo bro, you there???

I miss your voiceeee

Please don’t be asleep already 

Pick up!!!!!! Or else I’m coming for you.

God, I wish I could just fly to wherever she was at and kiss her entire face. Because, yes, I am indeed in love with her, and she feels the same way about me. I just never thought I could recognize so much of myself in someone else. She’s the most kind, beautiful and loving person I know, and I can’t wait to hold her in my arms one day and never let go.

I’m starting to daydream about a life with y/n without the long distance, because it truly sucks. Then I hear a knock on the door and before I know it Alex comes rushing in with his camera in his hand.

( Vinnie & Alex )

‘’ Vinnie, say hello to everyone! ‘’

‘’ Hello everyone. Alex what do you want? ‘’

‘’ Why are you assuming I want something from you? ‘’

‘’ Because you only enter my room if you either have one of your crazy ideas to share or if you want me to get involved in something I probably shouldn’t get involved into. ‘’

‘’ Pfft, not true. My ideas aren’t crazy, they’re brilliant in their own way. ‘’

Alex grins at me. Suspiciously.

‘’ Anyways that’s not the point Vincent, I actually came in to see if you would join me to get some groceries because the only thing left are rise waffles and I’m starving. ‘’

Alex is blinking his eyes with the same grin he has had on from the moment he came into my room.

He’s not going to leave until I agree on coming. So before I know it, we’re on our way to the grocery store.

// Y/N’s POV //

I received a text from Alex a few weeks ago. He told me about his idea to surprise Vinnie. I couldn’t be more excited. Ever since Vinnie and I started talking I have pushed many of my personal boundaries. In a positive way. Vinnie has helped me regain trust in others and has showed me that love is real. I have lost my faith in love due to my previous experiences. That’s why the connection that I have with Vinnie is so important to me.

I have arrived at the airport as I turn on my phone. My phone starts to receive all the missed text messages and calls from Vinnie. I smile as I read through them.

‘’ Oh Vin, if only you knew ‘’ I think to myself.

I hear someone yelling my name behind me. As I turn around, I see Nailea running towards me.

Nailea is a close friend of Vinnie so of course she was the first to know about Vinnie’s contact with me. She’s been super kind to me, and I consider her as the sister I never had.

Nailea hugs me once she has approached me.

( Y/N & Nailea )

‘’ OH MY GOD. Girl, I am so happy that you’re finally hereeeee!!! ’’

I laugh as I see people around looking at us.

‘’ I am also very happy to be here. To finally meet everyone. For real. ‘’

‘’ Yea, now tell me, does my nose look bigger on the screen than in real life? ‘’

‘’ Hahaha, no Nai. You look fantastic on the screen and even better in real life. ‘’

Nailea and I take my stuff and walk out of the airport.

Once settled in the car, I receive a text from Alex:

We’re almost at the store. He hasn’t got a clue. See you there.

This is all a part of Alex his big plan. First, I will act like a regular costumer shopping at the same store as Vinnie and Alex. Then once they get back, Alex will distract Vinnie just a little longer, so he won’t notice me walking past the car right away. Brilliant.

// Vinnie’s POV //

Alex and I walk into the store.

‘’ Alright, what do we need? ‘’

‘’ Anything but rise waffles. ‘’

I shake my head, laughing, as I walk to the lemonade aisle.

Alex is taking out his camera and starts filming me from a far.

I start singing Paparazzi by Lady Gaga as I act like I'm hiding from him.

‘’ Oh, you should also take a few cans of coke. ‘’ Alex suggests.

As I walk towards the aisle with cans of lemonade, I notice a girl standing in front of it. Her hair instantly reminds me of Y/N. The exact same length, color and texture. Call me a simp, but I just pay a lot of attention to the girl I love. I slowly approach the girl before Alex attacks be by throwing a teddy bear on my head.

‘’ Hey, watch it! ‘’ I fix my hair.

‘’ Sorry man, I just know how much you like teddy bears. ‘’ Alex’s laughing out loud as he zooms in to my face.

I laugh, as I start to think back to the day Alex thought it would be funny to buy a giant teddy bear and have Patrick in it to scare me.

Just then, I notice the girl was gone. I didn’t see her anywhere else again.

After collecting all the stuff, we needed, we went home.

Once we arrived home, Alex stopped me before I opened my car door.

‘’ Let’s just sit here for a bit and talk about some stuff. ‘’ I stare at Alex with a confused look on my face.

‘’ Yea, because the viewers want to know, how are things going between you and Y/N? ‘’

I scratch the back of my neck and start feeling the heat take over my cheeks.

‘’ I mean, it’s hard sometimes. She’s one of the most important people in my life, yet I haven’t even met her in person. But I just know that once I do, that everything will naturally fall into it’s place. ‘’

Alex pouts as he listens to all the sweet things I have to say.

‘’ You really like her, don’t you? ‘’

‘’ I mean, yea I do. I really do. ‘’

‘’ Alright, so imagine her standing in front of you right now, what would you do? ‘’

I look at my hands as I start to imagine a situation like that.

‘’ Uh… If she was standing in front of me right now.. I would.. ‘’ My eyes scan a figure walking past the car and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

// Y/N’s POV //

Shit, I almost got caught. The plan was to go into the store, just to admire Vinnie from a far. I didn’t plan to stand in the exact aisle, where he needed to get something from. Luckily, Alex had a plan to distract Vinnie while I fled to the exit. Phew, that was close.

Alex texted me, saying they were on their way home. That’s when it hit me, I am going to be able to see, touch and kiss Vinnie for the first time ever. Nailea noticed my anxiety kicking in and she told me everything would be just fine.

It didn’t take long before Alex’s car pulled up on the driveway. Alex and Vinnie stayed in the car for a bit. My phone started buzzing as I read the notification: ‘’ Now!’’ That was my cue.

As nervous as one can be, I walked past the car with the person who’s the other half of my heart in it. I didn’t dare to look in his direction.

// Vinnie’s POV //

I couldn’t believe my eyes. This isn’t real right? Was I dreaming? I mean, I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night because I was worried sick due to Y/N not responding to me anymore.

I rub my eyes as I watch in the direction of the person again and there’s no way it couldn’t be her.

Then she turns her face into my direction and my heart starts pounding. There she is, the love of my life, the only person who can make my day just by popping up in my notifications, Y/N.

As I try to open my door, I hear Alex locking it.

‘’ Let me out! ‘’ I look at Alex as I try to unlock the door, but unable because he keeps his hand infront of the lock.

‘’ You haven’t answered my question yet. ‘’ Alex smirks at me, but I do not find it funny at all.

‘’ Please, let me out and I’ll show you what I would do if she were to stand in front of me ‘’

And with, I heard the door unlock. I jumped out of the car and ran as fast as I could to the person who I longed for the most.

Click here for part two;

[mbcorvo-author]

Some weeks ago I had the inspiration of trying to write a short story in a similar style (and in particular, the same vibe!) to WTNV, so I started writing down some ideas I had and then expanded one of them.

I'm not entirely happy with this (also because I had no clue on how to convey the tone used by the speaker), but I'm at least glad to have been able to write anything at all after a long time of not writing any short stories or drabbles!

TW: mentions of gore & body horror

Platform 4

You're tuned to channel 13.13, hello!

Today our scheduled program starts with a message from the Town Council, and the message is as follows: "The Council alerts all residents and people currently staying in the village that the local railway station does not have a "platform four". Anyone who meets someone claiming to have gotten off the train at the fourth platform has to contact the railway authorities as soon as possible: they will direct you to the decontamination facilities for check-ups. If you have found yourself at the fourth platform, or know someone that found themselves at the fourth platform, you must surrender them and/or yourself to the railway authorities that will arrange isolation and containment. DeadRiver's train station has only three platforms. There is no platform four." And this was the message from the Town Council.

On another note, talking about the council, DeadRiver is pleased to wish you a happy hundredth-something birthday Arthur! And many happy returns! Even if Arthur already knows how to return. Arthur always returns.

Now another reminder for our kind listeners: please, refrain from trekking in the Beechgrove locality as we are close to the annual Fae festival! The Folk doesn't like tourists during their annual festival. But don't worry: they'll hold another one - open to all creatures - in the upcoming months, so stay tuned to receive updates on the local events!

We received some updates on the Platform Four situation... It seems that the railway police have already brought three people safely into containment, while a fourth one quote-unquote "just melted into a puddle of a red bubbling substance as soon as it got dragged into the facility". Well, that's quite an unusual thing uh? But I don't think it's worse than that case - some time ago - when people started rotting spontaneously and turning into a corpse in a state of advanced decomposition in a matter of seconds. That was a nasty year! Tourism season was at its lowest that year... Not that I think that's a bad thing since it's tiring having to explain how the village works to outsiders... But DeadRiver is a renowned esoteric outdoor touristic location and the Town Council doesn't want to risk losing the money brought to the village by hikers, bikers, cultists, cottage-core lovers, worshipers of the demonic and city people wanting to breathe fresh country air to decompress after a stressful work week sitting at their office's desk! Hm. Reminiscing about the Year of the Rotting made me crave beef jerky. I leave you now with the commercial break, meanwhile, I'll go get something to eat~ Preferably jerky.

-- Welcome back to Radio DeadRiver! There's another update from the train station. Currently, the railway police have put on lockdown a dozen of people-adjacent beings who affirmed to have been at Platform Four and other people-adjacent beings that got close to them. The first three mentioned earlier have already melted into undefined puddles during their stay in the containment facility. We will update you as soon as we get other news from the train station!

Some listeners messaged our station, alarmed by the number of deer carcasses spotted around the village. No, there's no wolf pack, bear, chupacabra or genetically mutated wolverine-badger-mongoose lycanthrope roaming around: don't worry! What you saw is one of those uh- brands of fucked up deers. Like the Muntjack deer - y'know, the ones which have many holes on their face to smell and trigger trypophobia - who live in the nearby forest. Sometimes they get down in town in search of food. So, don't worry: if you spot them, just leave them alone since they will awaken and scuttle away as soon as night falls! And remember to keep your trash bins and homes securely closed!

Let's now return like an urban-line train to our railway situation. I'm receiving a message through the telegraph with some updates. Let's see what's going on! Mh... aha! Uhm... So, it appears that even the other people-adjacent beings turned into unclassified goo while in containment, but the science guys still don't know how that could've happened. But they are doing their best by analyzing the varied puddles of goo. Town Council adds, in a separate message, that they believe it's the Government's doing... and even if I disagree with the Town Council's words, I'm legally bound to repeat what they say.

Oh! The telegraph is pinging me with a new update... Okay, it appears that the melting might have been caused by a "disconnection between the people-adjacent beings and the railway's electric grid, as the grid supplied the beings' internal electromagnetic field that helped them maintain their form". Well, at least they know what they are doing now! I'm not sure if I have grasped the concept, I'm a humanities person, but that explanation sounded like a very relevant thing! Honestly, you could talk to me about uh- I don't know, maybe how the thermodynamic laws work and I would silently nod and smile while, in my head, I'll be climbing a rotating Penrose staircase. But I'm going off the rails.

Another update came through. It appears that the authorities found a way to deal with the Platform Four beings and the goo for which they are made. That's great news, my guys! Looks like they are already close to finding a solution!

We also tried to reach the current supervisor of the railway authorities present at the train station to ask for some declaration of sorts about the event. Something we could share with you all to keep you informed and safe. The Supervisor replied that there is no fourth platform in DeadRiver train station, and because there isn't any fourth platform, there isn't anything happening related to that. "Nothing to worry about, nothing that we're allowed to know about", he said. Well! It's good to know that there isn't anything to worry about!

Sadly for you, listeners, our time is up! Don't forget to tune back into channel 13.13 tomorrow for your dose of local news! See ya next time, bozos!

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Quarantine Lovers | Charlie Gillespie

Requested by anon: Can we have a Charlie x reader where she is his secret quarantine partner and the cast keeps guessing who it is until Maddie names a famous writer and gets it right? Thanks!

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x Female!Reader

Warnings: fluff

A/N: I’m not sure if this is what you wanted but i kinda like it haha

Charlie has always been secretive about his private life. It’s always been his one thing he promised himself. Work life and private life needs to be separate. Especially in the industry he’s in now. You and Charlie have been together for a couple of months now and nobody knows. It all started when he’d finished filming Julie and The Phantoms and came back to Dieppe from Vancouver. He went for a hike with one of his brothers when they found you sitting on a rock, clutching your ankle. 

“Hey, are you okay?” his voice made you look up. You offered him a polite smile, trying not to show your pain or the fact you were thinking ‘Holy crap, attractive”. “Yeah, just threw my ankle a little bit on the rocks over there,” you pointed to a few feet behind the boys. “Was waiting for it to blow over and I could go on, but I’ve been sat here for…” you checked your watch, “About half an hour.” You chuckled at your own pathetic behavior. “I used to be really good at these hikes, you know?” Charlie then chuckled too, mostly at how endearing you were. 

“Can you stand on it a little bit if we support you?” Patrick, Charlie’s brother, asked then. 

“I’m not sure…” The two guys walked up to you, each taking a hand of yours to pull you up, and then wrapping one arm around your waist. You could go like that for about a kilometer until your foot began to throb again. “Can we take a break?” you squeak. Charlie and Patrick placed you onto a tree trunk very gingerly and took a seat next to you. 

“Are you from around here?” Charlie then asked.

“Yeah, I live in Moncton with my best friend,” you replied with a smile, glad he’s distracting you from the pain in your ankle. 

“No way! We live in Dieppe!” The excitement on his face was the most adorable thing you’d ever seen.  Your eyes and smile widen at this, not necessarily at the fact he lives kind of close, but at the excitement on his face. 

“Cool! I have family in Dieppe, so I know my way around there,” you told them. Charlie and Patrick nodded their heads at this, not entirely sure what else to say to this stranger they just picked up from a rock in the middle of nowhere. 

“So, what’s your name?” Charlie then asked upon reminding himself of this fact. “Y/N Y/L/N,” you replied. 

“Charlie Gillespie, and this is my brother, Patrick,” he introduced himself and his brother, who gave you a little wave. The wind suddenly picked up, and you knew exactly what that meant. 

“It’s going to rain soon. We better get going.” Charlie and Patrick nodded their heads agreeingly and helped you up from the trunk. 

“Get on my back,” Charlie then suggested. “It’s going to go quicker than you hopping along with us.” You hesitated for a few seconds, but then decided you agreed with him. Patrick helped you jump on Charlie’s back, and the three of you continued your walk down the trail, chatting about your lives the whole way down. 

You found out Charlie was an actor and had just finished filming about a month ago, and you told him you were a screenwriter. Your most recent work was on Outer Banks and Season two of Umbrella Academy. You talked about your hopes and dreams and agreed the industry you both were in was a tough one.

From that day on, the two of you have been pretty inseparable. You became really close friends and spent a lot of time together before he finally asked you out on a first date. Then came more and more dates, and then came March 2020. Quarantine. And since Charlie had been spending most of his nights at your place since your best friend was with their parents, you both decided to quarantine together. 

No one knew about your relationship. Not even his friends from the cast of Julie and The Phantoms. Only his family knew, and that’s all that mattered right now. No one knew you two were spending lockdown together at your place, and you could keep it a secret for a very long time. Charlie liked it this way, though the cast had been texting and calling non-stop because they knew he wasn’t home in Dieppe. 

When September 10th hit, and he could finally show you the work he’d done on Julie and The Phantoms. 

“What do you think, Baby?” he asked every five minutes when you were cuddled up on the couch watching it together. 

“Stop asking me that question, Char,” you giggled and pressed a kiss to his cheek. You were fine for most of the show, chuckling at the ghost jokes or pretty much anything Reggie did, bopping your head along to the catchy songs. And then Unsaid Emily hit. “Oh, no…” you whined as the music started to play and on-screen-Charlie started to sing the sad song. The Charlie next to you chuckled, endeared by your investment in the show, and wrapped his arms tighter around you whilst kissing your head multiple times. “HOW DARE THEY END THIS LIKE THAT?!” You screamed at the very end, making Charlie love you even more. Afterwards, he listened to all of your theories and your predictions for season 2. 

Thus far, quarantine is going really well at the Y/L/N-Gillespie Quarantine Residence.

The couple of weeks after the release of Julie and The Phantoms, Charlie had to do a lot of zoom calls for interviews. Sometimes even multiple a day. You made sure you were never in sight during those interviews, sometimes even leaving the house for a walk, but today, you decided to stay home and work on a script for an episode of season 2 of

Outer Banks.

You were sat on the sofa with your laptop and all your notes while Charlie was doing his interview in the bedroom. You could hear him talk to his castmates and the interviewer, and you often had to pause your writing because you wanted to hear what he was talking about.

“Where have you been spending quarantine?” the interviewer asked. Most of them said home with their families, and even Charlie said ‘home’. This answer melted your heart just a tiny bit.

“That’s a lie, Charlie,” Madison said with a giggle. “Charlie has a secret quarantine partner and doesn’t want to say who!”

“I am spending time with family, exploring Dieppe. I don’t know where you get your information from, Mads.” Though Charlie was a good actor, he couldn’t hide the fact he was lying to his own friends. Even you could hear how flustered he was.

“OK, I wanted to start with a couple of the fans’ questions that they sent in,” the interviewer continued, either ignoring the banter and the big piece of gossip they could get out of this, or not having heard it. “Someone asked who you’d love to work with on a next season.”

“Actor wise, I want to do scenes with Cheyenne Jackson,” Madison replies, “I didn’t get to do any scenes with him this season, but he’s really talented and I’d love to work with him. And I also have a writer that would be really great to work with on our show and that’s Y/N Y/L/N. She worked on Outer Banks and Umbrella Academy, and I loved the episodes she wrote.” Charlie’s face at the mention of your name is priceless. His eyes widen first before his mouth curled up into a smile, though he tried to hide it from his castmates and the interviewer. 

Madison and Owen glanced into the camera knowingly but decided not to say anything and continue with the interview. It’s when that interview was done, Madi, Owen and Jeremy called Charlie in a group FaceTime.

“It’s Y/N, isn’t it?!” You heard Madison scream from Charlie’s phone as he walked into the living room where you were working. He gave you a questioning look, as if asking for permission to tell them. You simply nodded encouragingly.

“Yes, okay, fine! You figured it out!” The three on the other side of the line cheered loudly, making you chuckle slightly. “You want to meet the cast, Babe?” he asked you whilst making his way over. You patted the spot next to you for him to sit down, and he obeyed, showing you the screen of his phone.

“Hey, guys!” you greeted with a wave. A chorus of ‘hi’ and ‘hey’ meets your ears. “How’d you figure it out?” You asked them, placing your laptop on the coffee table to get more comfortable. You tucked your feet underneath you, placing your elbow on the back of the couch and gliding your fingers into Charlie’s long, lockdown-hair.

“First of all, I follow you on Instagram, Y/N, and I saw the two of you tagged the same location on the same day once, and your last pictures kind of look similar. So, I had a bit of a hunch, but I wasn’t sure, and when I mentioned you in the interview, he got all flustery and happy and I just knew!” You gave the girl an impressed nod.

“We literally just hung up on the interviewer when Madi texted us ‘IT’S Y/N!!’ in all caps,” Jeremy added with a smile. Defeated, and a little embarrassed, Charlie groaned and hid his face in the crook of your neck, seeking comfort.

“We won’t tell anyone, Char. We’re just happy for you,” says Owen with a smile, “And us, because now Madi won’t be texting us non-stop with all her theories on who your quarantine partner is.” All of you chuckled a that, except for Madison, she glared at her blonde-haired friend through the screen.

“You all wanted to know!” she snarled.

All of you chatted for a couple hours until Charlie and you got hungry and decided to prepare dinner.

“It was nice to meet you, Y/N! Hopefully we’ll see each other soon IRL!” Madison said with the biggest smile on her face.

“It was nice to meet you too, guys! Ooh, by the way! I loved the show!” you complimented.

“Of course you did,” said Owen with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

“Bye guys!” you waved at them, completely ignoring Owen’s statement. Charlie hung up the phone and put his phone on the coffee table before turning to you. “Madison would be a good detective,” you pointed out with a grin. Charlie glared at you, which just made you giggle and kiss his lips. At least now you didn’t need to keep it a secret from his friends. Almost like a weight off your shoulders.

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