#and my swiftie friends kept telling me to listen to her | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chaosfairy18 · 20 days ago

Text

Medda had never planned to have children. It wasn't something meant for the life of a performer, especially one with - now - her own theatre. She had more than enough work every day without a man to tell her what to do and trying to get the finances 'in order' and tell her to look after the kids.

No, she'd never wanted that for herself, she'd wanted to be on her own feet, having her own place and deciding herself what she would put on stage.

She'd gotten all that and, somehow, a few dozen kids not related to her by blood as well.

It was always a surprise which newsie she'd find somewhere in the theatre, either backstage warming up, relaxing or causing some mischief, or up in the balcony or in the front rows listening. Sometimes even in the back rows looking painfully in love with whoever they came in with.

Everyone had different things they liked to do in the theatre, and Medda kept her doors open for every newsie as long as they didn't cause too much of a ruckus.

She'd already seen Pie Eater talking to Toby (the Candy Butcher), and she'd known since the rally, when Toby had been devestated that Pie had been taken to court even if he'd tried to pull him away from the cops, that they were friends. Relatives over a few corners, both ending up in the same area of New York and excited to have someone familiar she'd found them talking a lot since, glad that the quiet newsie had an adult that was kind to him.

Of course that couldn't be the last newsie she found somewhere in the back, but she was still surprised to find Sarah Jacobs with a bowler hat and bowtie twirling around Snoddy who had a feather boa around his neck and a crown in his hair as they were both laughing like little children. Swifty was also there, looking through the accessories where they'd obviously taken out a few for their dance already, and if she didn't know him she'd be concerned that one or two things wouldn't end up back in her belongings after he was done.

She still said: "I want to see all of these things back where you got them from, Vincent.", in a soft scolding tone, knowing he wouldn't take anything from her.

"Of course, Miss Medda. Not like Bumlets would let me steal anything under his watch." Swifty nodded to the wall where Medda hadn't yet noticed Bumlets, sitting on a blanket with Skittery, the latter writing something down in a little journal, looking focused.

"I hope we're not disrupting anything, Miss Medda.", the spanish boy, always the polite one, said, apparently content with just watching his friends and being close to Skittery.

She waved him off. "You never are, honey. And Sarah, I'm glad to see you here too, even if I'd say a blue bow would fit you better than this red one." She got one from the crate Swifty had open in front of him and swapped the one Sarah had with this. "This is more your colour, my dear."

Sarah thanked her and then she and Snoddy went back to learning some dance steps with the 'wrong' roles, seeming to find it hilarious. Swifty had meanwhile put on one of the big sunhats she had stored on mannequin heads or in hat boxes so they didn't get squished, looking at himself in the mirror with an amazed expression.

"You, on the other hand, suit red very well, Vincent." She smiled and pat his cheek as he bashfully put down the hat again.

"Just wanted ta see how heavy them hats are."

She nodded but felt that wasn't entirely the truth. "No shame in trying things on you find interesting, Elliot seems to be having fun too."

Sarah was just trying to help Snoddy put the crown back in his hair after it had fallen off, both seeming content in what they wore.

"I know.", Swifty just said quietly, but he didn't put anything other on. Maybe he would do so another time, it wasn't like most of the props were used every day or even once in a month.

She wished the boys and Sarah a good fun, telling Bumlets that he could always get some sweets from Toby if he wanted any for himself or the littles and then went near the stage, looking out at the room. Racetrack and Mush sat in the front rows, clearly enjoying every second of the show, while she could spot Spot Conlon in one of the balconies, cane over his knees and all alone on his high shelf, at least until Racetrack would inevitably run up in a few minutes to tell him what Mariah on stage had just singing - she knew wonderful operas in Italian and had a number of great vaudeville songs as well, and she knew Race loved to hear them, as well as Itey and Dutchy - even if the latter didn't understand the language, he loved hearing as many different ones as he could.

Jack and David were probably somewhere on another balcony, just so they wouldn't disturb anyone while whispering about cowboys or what David had learnt in school, but she couldn't see them from here, so she went farther back to see if there were people she could help for the next shows.

There was just Claira, being helped into her costume by Pie Eater, Claira thanking him a lot as he was done. "Oh Medda! It was awful, I couldn't get in the last bits, something got stuck! I'm glad Toby's friend was here, I have to be out in a minute.", she'd said and Medda had thanked Pie for being such a gentleman, just receiving a small smile and a nod.

Finally ending her round around the theatre she did finally spot Jack and David sitting close on a balcony whispering, as well as Specs and Dutchy having just arrived to sit in the back.

It was a constant influx of working boys, but she found she didn't mind it one bit, even if she'd never expected to become a mother, be it in blood or by motherly feelings alone.

Duane Street December, Day 3: Irving Hall/Medda's Theatre

#duane street december #newsies #92sies #medda larkson #swifty #swifty the rake #pie eater #bumlets #snoddy #sarah jacobs #just tagging the main ones #that talk or are more of a focus but really it's about all #no shippin Sarah and Snoddy btw I just think they love dressing up #Skittery is writing a poem or story btw #he got into it because of Denton (and Katherine as she exists in my mind)#Bumlets is just chilling #Swifty is trying on hats and bows as well but not sure how he feels about it or should feel about it #anyways I like this :)

19 notes · View notes

liberty-barnes · 3 years ago

Note

I’ve always wanted to know (just as a random thought, I don’t mind if it’s a short answer), I know y/n lively-Reynolds was adopted when she was 8 (this is definitely because I reread your fics religiously), but I also know that by then Taylor Swift would have been relatively famous.

So I wanted to know, was Y/N a Swiftie before adopted by Blake and if so, how did she react when meeting T.S

Oh, you have no idea the can of worms you just opened. Also, this universe works how I want it to, so homophobia is a myth, Larry’s always been out, Taylor Swift is bi, and fuck everyone else. Okay? Okay.

How Taylor Fits Into The Lively-Reynolds Fam

Cause you see, here's the deal: (Y/n) was always a Swiftie. And a Swiftie with major trust issues, at that. But then again, so was Blake cause really why not? So Taylor is really much more than a family friend.

Taylor was the reason why Blake adopted (Y/n).

Let me explain:

So, back in 2006, Blake and the cast of Accepted went to visit an orphanage as part of their promo strategy, cause who doesn't love kind actors near adorable kids?

But (Y/n) didn’t trust people. She was abandoned in front of a church, and moved around from foster home to orphanage… Three different couples had started the process to adopt her only to give up after a week of fostering her.

She’d decided that she wasn’t going to trust anyone anymore. Ever. that means being as rude and shut off as she possibly can, sticking close to her books, or putting her headphones in with her music on full blast so no one will talk to her.

Until Blake visited.

Cause you see, it was supposed to be a quick thing. Get in, take a few pictures for the press, give the kids some toys, and that’s it.

But then Blake set her eyes on a little girl, sitting at a window as far away from the crew and other kids as she could possibly be, furiously colouring in her book. And the closer she got, the clearer she could hear the song coming from her headphones.

She tapped the book. Then kept tapping until the girl took off her headphones if only to glare at her.

“I told Miss Tollbaum I didn’t wanna be on camera, go find another kid.”

“I was actually listening to your song. Is Our Song your favourite so far, or do you like another song better?”

And that was all it took, really.

They talked for close to two hours. At first, it started with Taylor, then they moved on to their favourite things, then books…

And that was enough for Blake to decide to adopt her.

And it all started with a Taylor Swift song.

So obviously, since it’s what started their relationship, they listened to Taylor Swift religiously from then on. Taylor also got them hooked onto One Direction after she became friends with the boys. (Also, the Larry/Swiftgron double date and how happy (Y/n) got at seeing her favourite artist be openly bi were really just the first signs that she might not be completely straight, but anyway, I digress).

Ryan got pulled into it, mostly against his will, cause he wanted to bond with Blake and (Y/n). He ended up getting really into the whole thing and if he wasn’t humming You Belong With Me, then he was screaming Up All Night at the top of his lungs.

This then brings us to: The Meeting.

Blake met Taylor and hyperventilated for a while, but it was mostly okay. Ryan was cool as a cucumber during the exchange but legitimately squealed into his pillow when they got back to the hotel. The only reason Blake doesn’t make fun of him for it is cause she was right there next to him doing it too.

But the starstruck feeling eventually faded (thank fuck), and they became good friends, which is when Taylor met (Y/n) and confirmed that she was, in fact, very much bi.

It was kind of a mix of “there’s a girl in my drama class that I find pretty so maybe I’m not fully straight”, “oh my God, I’m meeting my idol”, and “Taylor fucking Swift just smiled at me and I have to fight every bone in my body that’s telling me to drop to one knee and propose”.

She came out to her parents about a week later, which means that Blake won the poll for “when will (Y/n) realise she’s not straight?”, Ryan bet she’d hold out until the concert, he was wrong.

They did become friends eventually. Somewhere around visit number four or five, Taylor Swift™ became Taylor, they became friends, and as they say, the rest is history.

But so, yeah. To recap:

Blake talked to (Y/n) cause she was listening to a Taylor Swift song and they bonded over that, which means that if it weren’t for Taylor, they wouldn’t be mother and daughter.

Taylor, Louis, and Harry were (Y/n)’s first queer role models.

(Y/n) figured out she was bi after Taylor smiled at her and said her name all of once.

So that earns Taylor the title of honorary Lively-Reynolds.

#tynlrs #the (y/n) lively reynolds series #libby writes

177 notes · View notes

stranger-nightmare · 2 years ago

Note

I don’t know why but Enchanted by Taylor Swift reminds me of Steve Harrington like. The vibes are immaculate.

“I’ll spend forever wondering if you knew I was enchanted to meet you.”

“This was the very first page, not where the storyline ends, my thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again, these are the words that I held back.”

Like I can see a whole “friends to lovers” trope with this, where the reader is Steve’s best friend, and something one night just clicks for them, and they realise how hopelessly head over heels for Steve, not realising that he still (in their head) holds a candle for Nancy, not realising that he feels the same about the reader, and they’re both oblivious to each other’s feelings.

“Please don’t be in love with someone else, please don’t have someone waiting on you.”

The reader confessing to Robin about how they feel for Steve, and Robin being Robin, trying to make it happen. I just have a whole movie moment in my head where Steve and the reader have this big fight about Nancy, not realising that Steve doesn’t feel for Nancy how he feels for the reader and the reader being jealous of Nancy for nothing, and they argue, and words were said that weren’t meant, that end in the reader leaving upset, and it’s raining outside, so they evidently get caught in the downpour, and Steve following them to stop them from leaving. They’re shouting at each other through the rain and the reader’s tears are lost in the rain, until Steve finally tells the reader how he finds himself wonderstruck by them 24 hours a day, and can’t get them out of his head. The angst, the buildup, to probably Steve tangling his fingers into the readers hair and kissing the absolute life out of them.

“2am; who do you love.” Reader. It’s reader.

“Now I’m pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door, I open up and you would say ‘it was enchanting to meet you.”

Like modern! Steve Harrington is definitely somewhat of a Taylor fan. I’m making it canon. I got lost in the moment and kept rambling. Enjoy the idea of Swiftie!Steve and the whole concept because I sure did.

- 🫶🏻

ahhhh this is always where I have to admit that the only Taylor Swift albums I’ve listened to are 1989 and Reputation!! so yeah unfortunately I haven’t listened to this song but anyways...

this idea is so friggin cute and sad I love love love it!! that’s like a whole fic series idea right there, ugh such beautiful angst :’)

but yeah I can also lowkey Steve being into Taylor Swift, like he’s not a full on swiftie imo but he definitely enjoy her music more than he lets on haha

-hope

#the answer to your nightmare #🫶🏻 anon #steve harrington #steve harrington angst #steve harrington imagine

29 notes · View notes

ax-y10 · 2 years ago

Text

a song you like with a colour in the title I'm sure everyone knows this song but Steve Lacy is just legendary, and his music is just so ethereal. "Dark Red" has a really catchy tune to it that makes it get stuck inside my head for days on end. I am definitely biased, and there is no shame about that

a song you like with a number in the title This used to be all over social media but I couldn't help myself from absolutely loving "Bound 2". The random beat drops where it goes into a completely different genre of song. I love this song all over omg

a song that reminds you of summertime But the first three lines in "Sunkissed" just describe my feelings entirely 'So slowly, a sunlit dream pulls me out of sleep. Feel the morning through the blinds. I get to thinkin' ' bout your sunkissed face'. The amount of times 'sun' is used is just perfect

a song that reminds you of someone you would rather forget about I'm not a swiftie and I'm not one for friendship break ups but recently, one of my friends and her sister started stalking me and knew when I left my house, where I went, and they also found out stuff about me that I have never told anyone. It was really weird and everyone I know had warned me about them and I just relate so much to "I knew you were trouble (Taylor's Version)" because of this

a song that needs to be played LOUD I have a thing for girl in red because her music is absolutely awesome and lots of my family listen to it. "You Stupid Bitch" is such a good song and I just feel that everyone could listen to it and relate somehow to it. This also needs to be played ta parties like c'mon?

a song that makes you want to dance Now the chorus (All up on it [start <--> end] And ride it a bit) is just the best. I literally made a dance to the chorus because '7FIGURESUPERMODEL' has honestly the best beat I've ever listened to in a chorus. I already love SNOW WIFE

a song to drive to I don't know what it is about choruses that repeat themselves with a tropical sounding beat drop but I constantly want to drive to this song. And being a fan of Beach Weather is a plus because I can never get over their songs, especially "Swoon"

a song about drugs or alcohol If you have never heard "Rehab", or at the least, Amy Winehouse, where the fuck was your childhood? Like this is the best song ever because her voice is just so iconic and it constantly gets stuck in my head constantly, and I only heard this song recently after years of not listening to it. And the best thing? You get so caught up in the beat and her voice that you don't realise that it's about drugs and alcohol, so it's perfect to listen to with kids.

a song that makes you happy Can you tell where my favourite songs fall into? I just love songs like "Don't Cut Your Hair" because it reminds me of different scenarios throughout my life and when people and myself decided to pick fun at me or tell me something about my appearance and behaviour, and how I overcame them.

a song that makes you sad I heard "Someone To You" through the dream smp and I genuinely sobbed. And then I kept hearing it everywhere. Pubs, YouTube, Radio, everywhere. And then the acoustic version popped up on my Spotify recommended and I gave it a listen, knowing fully well that acoustic versions of songs are always so much sadder for me. "Someone To You - Acoustic" makes me so sad because I can hear the lyrics better and I sobbed (proper sobbed) for a good hour on a call with my friend.

a song that you never get tired of Tally Hall is a fucking banger, I love all of their songs. "Two Wuv" was really funny when I heard it because I asked my mum who 'Mary-Kate' and 'Ashley' were, and she told me about the Olsen twins. And let me tell you, I fell asleep to this song... ITS JUST SO GOOD! And it's just another addition to my Tally Hall collection.

a song from your preteen years It wasn't released in my preteen years but I heard it everywhere, and it's just such a well-known song where I live, that if you hear it in a pub, it becomes a mini concert in that place. "Mr Brightside" is a beloved song of mine, and I cry when my friends say they don't like it :|

one of your favourite 80's songs I find "Take on Me" really funny because my parents grew up with it, and when I played it the other day, they remember it so well, they just started jamming to it. I think all of my family remembers this song so well and for some odd reason, my grandparents play this at every Christmas we attend with them. It's also just such a classic song

a song that you would love played at your wedding I would have said an Ed Sheeran song but I remembered I don't like Ed Sheeran so... but "P.U.N.K. Girl" is such a good song for me, I would just want this played at my wedding because my friends and I share the same sarcastic humour and this song just reflects our humour so well.

a song that is a cover of another artist I cut my Lovejoy songs down to just one because I knew the majority would be Lovejoy. "The Perfect Pair - Spotify Singles" is such an awesome song, and the rasp in Wil's voice, and the way all the instruments blend together so well, and the cover of a song that many people love is such an awesome combo.

one of your favourite classical songs "Nocturne in Eb" is such a sad song for me but it's one of those classical songs that everyone I know, knows. And the way the piano blends with itself, and the slight rise and fall of the tempo is just so beautiful. I don't usually enjoy slow songs, soft songs, or classical music but this is an exception.

a song that you would sing a duet with on karaoke "She's Kinda Hot" is such a well-known song with my friends, and I always sing to this with them around, so they already know the lyrics. This was a choice between "Basket Case" and "She's Kinda Hot". I would also make my friend @igloo1292719 sing it with me because they struggle with with comprehending words and spelling words (They're a bit like Tubbo). I would sing the melody, they would sing the backing vocals?? Are they called that? Idk the stuff in brackets on the Spotify lyrics, and we would both sing the heavy stuff. This would just be hilarious

a song from the decade that you were born (I wanted to change this) I love Fall Out Boy and "Thnks fr the Mmrs" and the overall genre that this falls into. Ask me what bands I like? This is #3. This song is just so good and I lov eit so much. I listen to this when my friends or people piss me off or give me the shits so yeah. Idk I sorta relate to it.

so until i can get the ability to write

send some numbers in and ill share some music

#Spotify #Music

7 notes · View notes

anonymous-swiftie · 4 years ago

Text

If you are on twitter, please retweet this:

https://twitter.com/ASwiftie00/status/1334245577933148164?s=19

Dear #Swifties,

I'm new on tumblr, and I really don't know how to use it.

I know you are the best supporters of the music industry and I'm here to ask your help.

I'm fighting with a crippling depression, that due this covid situation just got worse.

I'm at my lowest, I truly don't know if I will make it through this time.

I always dreamed to talk to Taylor, since I was a teenager. She is the only one that make me feel like I do fit in this world.

I've created this account because I know she is very active here, and I'm trying to reach her with this part of my story.

You can read everything below.

I didn't write any personal information because I don't want this to be seen by my family or somebody that can recognise me.

I don't want upset anyone.

I know that everyone hope to meet or chat with her, and so you are probably wondering why you have to share this here.

You're totally right, maybe it's a stupid idea to ask you this, but I haven't anything left in my pocket to fight this situation, and you're my only hope right now.

Thank you.

#taylor #swift

*******************************************

Dear Taylor,

I keep writing and deleting this, over and over again.

I feel so dumb to write my personal story here, but this truly is my last chance to feel better and try to overcome this giant monster called depression.

I genuinly don't know if I can make it through this year. It's the worst period of my entire life and i don't even know if it's worth living this hell anymore.

I know you have millions of supporters (that probably write you every single day, and they are all better fans than I am, that's for sure) but I know that you proved, time after time, to be so down to earth and to use your time to read your fans messages.. so, in this moment, I'm just trying to share a part of my story with you.

You are the one that make feel understood, since I was like 13teen.

I'm so sorry if my English isn't very good but I'll do my best.

I'm not very active on social media , because I'm very shy when I have to talk about myself.. but If this could work, I must do it.

I will try to send a letter, If I can find the strength to mark this feeling on paper.

**IF I'M WRITING TO SOMEBODY FROM HER STAFF, PLEASE JUST LET THIS MESSAGE REACH TAYLOR**

I'll try now to resume, because I don't want to bother you too much.

This has been a crazy year so far, and the all the time I spent by myself during the lockdown didn't help at all.

This situation brought me back to childhood.

I spent a lot of my days back and forth in hospitals, due to my allergies.

I had to wear a mask all the time I wanted to go outside to avoid severe allergic reaction (that's why this Covid thing awakened some hurting memories)

I didn't have real friends back then, 'cause I've spent most of the summers at home, watching other kids playing around, from my window, or from the windows of my classroom.

It was so hard to make new friends, because the only thing that other kids saw was my mask.

I was the masked kid.

I was the strange kid.

I couldn't play with them.

Everytime I tried to play with them, the only thing I heard was "oh you are ill , I don't wanna be like you so stay away".

This situation made me start to write things in my personal diary.

I wrote small sentences, as a kid, and that was the only thing I could do alone inside an empty classroom during all summer.

This situation continued for many years.

I wasn't the cool kid before, I wasn't the cool guy after.

The only things that let me enjoy those days were writing and listening to your songs.

I started to listen to your music thanks to my English teacher. She was a fan of folk and country music and she gave me a pic in which you were singing near a lake (I still have that photo somewhere, I strongly remember the white banner with your name written in red on it) and told me to listen to the cd she gave me that day.

I immediately fell in love (I think I still have a crush on you, I'm sorry).

I loved your album. I loved your voice. I loved the lyrics.

I remember having a "test" in school: each one of the class had to write their favourite lyrics and let the others guess the song.

If the someone guessed It, We could play the cd.

I chose Love Story and I translated it in Italian.

The class guessed the song, and I played it.

After the lunch break I went back to my desk and I saw some bullies that were breaking my cd-album and they started to laugh at me because I loved your music an I loved writing poems.

I was a boy so I was a loser because I enjoyed those things.

That felt terrible, but I continued to love your songs even more .

Those were my inspiration to write and to study english.

I felt so good when I listened to your album and this still happens.

Then I went to a private high-school.

Nothing changed, I still was the nerd guy that always got good grades and I have to say that the first year was quite good, but the second year was the start of the apocalypse.

I choose that school because two girls that I knew from childhood went there.

One of the cool new guys started to spread a fake "news" about me.

He said to everyone that I was the boyfriend of one of the two girls that I mentioned before.

So he was the cool guy and one of the girls believed him and told me to f*** myself.

The other girl was her best friend, so you could imagine by what happened next.

After 14 year spent together, I was nobody.

I didn't have "friends" in that class anymore.

I didn't say hello to anybody for 4 years, and nobody would say anything to me.

Nobody to talked with me.

That's great when you're a teenager.

I hated to wake up every morning.

I had an eating disorder, I lost like 22pounds in less than a month. Got hospitalized twice. I kept vomiting for 3 years, every single morning before school.

During that time I only talked with one of my cousins, who lived like 2 hours by car from me.

He was older than me but he always tried to help.

He knew that I loved to write poems so he started to give me guitar lessons.

I made it through a lot of things thanks to him.

I'm sorry, It's hard for me to write this part of the story.

I still get emotional when I think about this.

On the 10TH of December 2013 (some days after his birthday) we received a phone call from his mother: She warned us that he didn't return home after the last working shift.

I wrote a message to him like 3 hours prior to that phone call.

Never had the opportunity to get a reply again.

This year is the seventh year that he is missing.

That destroyed me.

I felt empty.

I felt like nothing couldn't help me.

I still feel that everytime I care about someone in my life, it will disappear someday.

This have happened several other times.

You know when ignorants say that men don't cry, is real bullshit. Men cry. I cried a lot.

I wrote so many poems , lyrics, thoughts in that period of time, that I destroyed my hands.

That was the only way to close my eyes and let me reach another reality because the real one was way too much for me.

Be a sensible man in this world is somehow a curse.

All these things made me afraid even to hug someone 'cause I feel I'm too ugly or just to scared to be refused.

I will stop here my story, but there's so much more to tell.

I make it through all of these things and memories because I keep dreaming that one day I could meet you and we could talk together.

Dreaming about the fact I could spend a day with you made me find the power to battle my depression.

I'm 25 now and this year I'm not dreaming anymore.

I was going to start again university, I wanted to get a degree in marketing and have the chance to live in the us.

For years I believed that I would make it and hopefully be part of your marketing team.

I'm so stupid. All these years I kept dreaming to avoid pain.

I wanted to pursue my passion and continue to write lyrics but all I was doing was putting myself in unrealistic realities.

This covid situation made everything clear.

When everyone had someone to facetime (or video call) I was alone.

When everyone had someone asking them "how are you?" I only had myself looking in the mirror saying: "Will I ever feel better?"

I've never been the one for anybody, and I think I'll never be.

I won't be the one among all your fans to realize his dream.

Nobody likes me, and I'm exposing myself once again just because I want the opportunity to smile at something that could happen to me.

I'm tired to smile only for others best moments.

I've always seen the sun through a window.

I want to feel happy.

I want to burn my face with the sun.

I'm so sick of hiding my pain,

sick to cry when I'm alone in my car before going to work,

sick to let my eyes rain on my pillow every night.

I'm sick to say to my mother that I'm fine, just because I don't want to make her feel bad.

It's not her fault.

She is battling with a degenerative autoimmune disease, why I should put other weight on her shoulders?

I didn't give up to my weakness before because I don't want to hurt her.

I always say to her that soon she will feel better, that's why your song It's stuck in my head.

But when she won't be here anymore, how I can go through all of that?

I don't even know if will ever get better for me.

Will this pain ever stop?

Sometimes it's so hard to live and so easy to die.

Hope that my dream to spend some time with you can become true.

Thank you for everything, you gave me the strength to go on for many years.. But this time is so hard to put on my armor and continue this battle.

But is this even worth if thy I try to surround myself with people and I always feel lonely?

@taylorswift @taylornation @jackleopards-thedolphinclub

#swifties #taylor swift #folkore #music #ts spoilers #lover taylor swift #taylornation #swiftified13 #day 13 #pop music #books and libraries #writers #history #musicians #quotes #loneliest #love taylor #hopes and dreams

260 notes · View notes

mercuryonparklane · 4 years ago

Text

Okay, so I’m listening to a podcast Charity did in January 2019 and she confirmed that Liz got her the job on the Fearless Tour. She said that one of the dancers pulled out of the tour at basically the last minute and Liz suggested her to Taylor.

She talks a bit about her experience on the Fearless and Speak Now tours. She also says that she got to travel the world with her best friend (Liz) and says “that was just a dream. I mean, there’s so much drama and so much just... so many stories, but so much fun”.

She said that the Fearless tour was hard for her and that when she got the job she didn’t even know who Taylor was, which is kind of funny, especially since Liz was basically a Swiftie since day one.

She talks about her friendships with both Selena and Taylor and at one point says that “it was like Taylor passed the torch, which was me, to Selena”. And it was a lot of fun when the 3 of them all hung out together.

She tells a story about when she was on tour with Selena in Europe and they were staying at a hotel in Portugal that looked like the Great Gatsby house (they were obsessed with the movie at the time). They were drinking champagne and Selena was like “hey, let’s cut your hair” and she let her (which honestly gives me strong Tayliz vibes).

She talks more about tour life.

Then she says something I found very interesting regarding an IG post about deciding to make some changes in her career that the podcast host brings up, in which she wrote “there’s nothing more important than genuine connection, fierce love, authenticity, and to bring hope to one another”.

The hosts asks “when you were doing this part of your life, this crazy, exciting part of your life, were you experiencing that? As far as the fierce love, genuine authenticity, connection?”

Charity’s response:

“I think there were absolutely moments of that and I think what made it hard were the moments that weren’t like that, but seeing that even the most famous people in the world, all they really want is that connection, like, that real love, that authenticity. They just want to be them and now, because of social media and all these other things, which can also be great, it’s like everyone has this right to know everything about, or make up things about, these people that are just human, that are genuinely just like ‘I have this gift and I want to share it with you and I want to connect with you in this way’.

I think the hardest part for me, once I kept doing the tours and all of that, was realizing how much the fame wasn’t worth it. Just seeing a lot of the realities of that and seeing the pressure these people are under every single day that no one can even fathom. They barely get two seconds to themselves. There’s a tap on the door every other second, something that someone needs from them and just, like, the hopelessness that can kind of come from that.

People get to form their own opinions of these people and then they run with it and now there has to be all these PR people to keep other things from spreading, you know. Instead of just being like, ‘hey, yes it’s the price of fame now’.

But I think the thing that was really hard for me was having to be around things that kind of took the authenticity away or the connection away because of certain things that were expected and required of me or of these people.”

“At the end of the day we all want at least one person that we can sit and cry and be so authentically ourselves and vulnerable and not be worried that ‘are they gonna go and tell someone this?’

And just seeing the way... it’s hard to trust in that industry cause you don’t know who loves you for what you are and who loves you for who you are.

And that was really hard to watch and be a part of and be like ‘I care one billion percent more about being your friend than being your dancer or being your employee or anything else. Like, if you want to fire me from all of that and just let me be someone that can like hold you at the end of the day, let’s do that’.

And then I think what started wearing on me was because... was when I started being that for people and not having it for myself. So, yeah, that is when it started getting a little overwhelming because I wasn’t really even aware of that because I wanted to love so fiercely and have that authenticity.”

The host asked her if the decision to leave that life and career was a gradual thing or if there was a day where she was just like ‘I’m done”.

C: “Oh man, I went kicking and screaming. It was the hardest thing I could have ever chosen, but when I chose it, it was the first time I had felt real peace in a long time. I know that my story is so rare. Yes, I worked hard, yes I trained, but I also... I met the people I was supposed to meet and I kept relationship with people because I genuinely cared to and once I got all of the opportunities, and I auditioned for a lot of them too... yeah, it was hard to leave because I loved it...”

“I knew that I needed to take care of myself and I knew that I needed to be taken care of. That’s what brought me back home...”

“If I can say anything to anyone that’s choosing the entertainment industry, just don’t ever... oof, I can’t say that cause it happened to me, but if you ever get to a place that the industry of what you’re doing is taking the passion away from the craft that you’re doing, please take a break because you are giving out of empty and there’s nothing more life sucking than that. So, I had to take a step away because I needed to love myself and love dance again and be around people that I could just fall into their arms.

Living in LA is no joke. It’s hard. Anywhere that you live that you’re pursuing something in that kind of capacity is challenging and you always have to have your guard on, you know? You always have to be ready and I needed to not have to be ready all the time.”

She talks about moving back to Nashville and teaching dance. And basically just what she is doing now.

“I get to kind of figure out what’s next and pull from what I experienced, and go ‘ooh this is worth it’ or ‘ooh, that is not worth it’.

And just have a lot of grace for people that are still living that and artists that will never get to be like, ‘okay, you know what, I’m done. I’m gonna like be a normal person now’. They don’t ever get to escape and I got the sweet spot.

I got to experience all the cool stuff, then I got to be like, ‘I’m gonna go take a nap. I’m gonna wear sweatpants and no makeup for the next five days and no one is gonna photograph me or make up rumors about me’, you know?”

Anyway, she seems to be in a really good place now and that’s great. It does make me sad because it’s true that someone like Taylor or Selena is unfortunately kind of trapped in the industry in a way that someone who had a more background role isn’t. Ofc, there are people who do escape it, but it’s not easy. And as controlled and grueling as that life can be for a dancer, it’s gotta be a thousand times more so for the main talent.

This interview made me happy for Charity, but sad for Taylor and Selena at the same time...

Also, I’m transcribing this at like 4 in the morning on no sleep, so sorry if it’s a bit all over the place, but you can listen to the podcast here.

13 notes · View notes

paintingtownsblue · 4 years ago

Note

Hope you had a great day! If you want to answer this question privately, you can.

I don’t think I’ve ever asked this of you before. What’s your Swiftie story? In other words, when did you first listen to Taylor? What was life like for you then? Who introduced you to Taylor? What was your first reaction to listening to Taylor? 😊

no i’d love to talk about this actually i don’t know if i’ve ever told my whole story. so basically, i’ve always kinda struggled to settle on what to tell people when they ask how long i was a swiftie because when debut was released i was 1. yes a singular year old, but my family being country music lovers were definitely listening to her, i have a debut cd from 2006 in my room. so, i know i was listening along with them even if i don’t remember it at all. memories of listening to taylor a little later on but still early in my life come easier, screaming picture to burn with my childhood best friend in the car, making cookies with my friends on taylor’s birthdays, going to the speak now and red tours, all of which are little details i’ve mentioned before. it doesn’t really get iffy until the release of 1989 when my family isn’t listening to her as often as before because as i mentioned earlier, they’re definitely country music people. so i kind of just became a casual listener for a while after that. however i did NOT hop on the 2016 bandwagon of hating her, i could never, i was still just a casual listener and mostly a kid who had other “more important” things to worry about. i didn’t go to rep tour even though so many of my friends did. but i never disliked her and still listened to her music i just wasn’t as active in her fan base as i am now i guess. for me, lover is where things took a turn and probably why i cherish that era so much. i started becoming a more avid listener again and kept up with the news and what was going on with her. but i wasn’t the crazy obsessed kid i was in 2012 just yet. i think i have folklore to really thank for the way i am now, i was so surprised by the release of such a new album (as i’m sure everyone else was) that it just drew me right back in, i just had to hear it for myself. and from that point forward i’ve just been shaking hands with my seven year old self because i stepped back, let the universe guide me and i watched it begin again.

#this is so ironic because pop taylor might be my favorite of the three genres

20 notes · View notes

babydotcom · 4 years ago

Note

oooh i find 'betty' to be an intriguing WIP doc title … can u share more abt it?

hmmm. tell me about betty !!! (@ilunei)

yes, tysm!! so basically this is a highschool au mailee inspired by betty by taylor swift (bc zukka nation has given me swifty brainrot).

Mai has an unrequited crush on one of her best friends, Ty Lee, who is always there for her but not in the way she wants. When Ty Lee starts spending more time with Sokka, her new friend and physics tutor, Mai decides it’s time to move on-- and it just so happens that Suki is looking to kill some time after their highschool’s winter formal dance. Mai and Suki start dating and shenanigans ensue!!

This was initially a pretty simple one chapter deal but I kinda fell in love with the Maiki dynamic and now the whole thing is kind of getting away from me. (More under the cut bc I couldn’t help myself!)

"If you're going to be a total stick in the mud, I'm going to find someone else to dance with just to make you jealous," she pouted.

Mai's heart rate jumped just a bit, and she hoped Ty Lee couldn't feel it in the fingers around her wrist. It's not like she knew that yeah, she would be jealous, but it still made her nervous. She wrenched her arm out of Ty Lee's grip just to be safe.

"It's not like it'll be hard for you to find a guy to dance with. Literally every guy in this gym thinks he has a shot with you, since you love flirting so much." Ty Lee's eyebrows scrunched a little and her smile dipped slightly, and she looked like she would've said something if an upperclassman hadn't bounded up behind her. Mai quirked an eyebrow to say see, as a tan hand landed on Ty Lee's shoulder. Her face lit up when she turned to see who it was.

"Sokka! I didn't know you were here!" She throws her arms around his shoulders and he laughs, returning the hug with hands on her waist. Mai watches, wondering if maybe she'd made a mistake in not just going along. But the music had given her a headache and a phantom thrum in her chest that made her feel sick. Or maybe the nausea was just from watching Ty Lee ignore her in favor of a stranger.

"I just got here, I couldn't drop my shift at work. Dance with me?" He says, hands now on Ty Lee's wrist the same way Ty Lee had held Mai's just a moment ago.

"Yes! Spirits, yes," she says, bouncing on her heels with excitement. She turns back to Mai with mock coolness and says, "have fun being a stick in the mud," before bounding off with Sokka into the throng of people.

Mai can still see them from her seat on the bleachers, and her eyes track them as they rejoin what must be Sokka's group of friends, weirdly all juniors even though she knew Sokka was a senior, and began dancing, full of smiles and laughs Mai felt like she could hear even over the music.

She vaguely recognized the early 2010's song that came on next, but she was more focused on how Ty Lee and Sokka were dancing close together, his head lowered to say something in her ear before she threw her head back laughing. Not having Ty Lee to distract her with her rambling left her to be keenly aware of the very beginning of a panic attack washing over her. Resolute not to have a panic attack in front of a good two-thirds of her high school, Mai made her way through the doors to the hallway, and then out towards the courtyard that lay just before the parking lot. The cool January air in her lungs did a wonder on her nerves as she focused on her breathing, but she didn't think she could go back in. She paced back and forth over the concrete a few times, worrying the strap of her mini backpack in her hands, wondering just how mad Ty Lee would be if she asked to leave. She would have skated if Ty Lee hadn't forced her to leave her board at home in favor of Ty Lee's prius, which now also held her overnight bag for the sleepover they planned on and her change of shoes. She could just walk home, it wasn't a big deal, but that would mean pulling Ty Lee out of the gym to unlock her car when she had just started having fun. Mai couldn't help feeling a little bit bad about that, but school dances really weren't her style.

She walked up to the curb and pulled out her phone to shoot off a text to Ty Lee so she wouldn't worry, but was interrupted by a loud truck pulling up in front of her. Ever one to be wary of creeps, her hand went to the small knife she kept in the side pocket of her bag.

The window of the beat up old truck creaked down to reveal Suki leaning across the center console, hair down in a side part and a gold necklace dangling on top of her green strapless dress. "Lost?" she teased, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Haha," she said, dropping her knife back in its place. She knew Suki well enough, as they trained at the same dojo. "Hey, Suki."

"Are you leaving? I can give you a ride, if you want." Mai looked down at the aggressively strappy stilettos Ty Lee and Azula had insisted she wear, and considered her options before tugging the truck door open.

"That would be great, thanks." She dropped her bag onto the floor, which was impressively clean despite the rusting green exterior of the truck, and buckled in before stretching her legs. "How come you're leaving so early?"

"Ugh, that music was just, like, so bad. I don't know who can actually listen to trap for hours on end like that. I was so bored! I'd rather do something actually fun, you know?"

"Yeah, me too." Mai trailed off and noticed the Mitski song playing from the stereo system, a little scratchy from the definitely outdated aux connection to Suki's phone. Suki pulled away from the curb and drove slowly through the parking lot.

They spoke at the same time. "So, where to," Suki asks. "What are you doing now," Mai probes. Mai cringed internally at the awkwardness but Suki just laughed.

"I was gonna get high, actually." The car jostled as they went over the speed bumps at the edge of the parking lot (which Zuko always heartily ignores when he gives his friends rides) and Suki's gold sword earrings swung wildly. Mai's eyebrows lift at the honesty and she turns to look at her.

"Really?" Mai had tried it once, with Zuko and his friend (or whatever) Jet, but it was her first time and she'd hardly gotten even the lightest of highs.

Suki glanced her direction with a shy smile. "You want to join me?"

#tag game #mine #wip #mailee #maiki #very rough draft please be gentle #thank you both for the asks!!! ily!!!!!#atla

10 notes · View notes

ryansaiditposts · 3 years ago

Text

The Lore of Folklore:

The Real Story Behind the Characters of Taylor Swift’s Folklore

We are all familiar with Taylor Swift’s record breaking, surprise quarantine love child, Folklore. Even more so in the Swiftie fanbase, we are familiar with the proverbial “love triangle” established in “Cardigan”, “August”, and “Betty”. What if I told you that I believe the entire album is centered around just these characters at different stages in life with Taylor’s story woven in? Also, what if I said that Taylor/Rebecca were an allegory? Not to mention the complexity of “Hoax” being a combination of all the characters in one? Of course, you would probably ask me for clarification, and that is the intention of the next few paragraphs. These characters reveal certain patterns of behavior, call and responses, and self-referential phrases that map out a much bigger story to tell. The trio of songs mentioned above were just the starting point.

To give you an overview of where we will be going, I want to give you the songs as they relate to each character. These will then be fleshed out to connect them in the way I hear and see Folklore play out. The songs and respective characters are as follows:

Betty- Cardigan, Mirrorball, and Exile (featuring James)

James- Betty, This Is Me Trying, and Exile (featuring Betty)

Augustine- August, The 1, and Illicit Affairs

Taylor- Seven, Invisible String, Mad Woman, Epiphany

Taylor/Rebecca- The Last Great American Dynasty, My Tears Ricochet, Peace

All Characters- Hoax

The genius of this album is that the struggles and identifiers of these characters can sometimes be interchangeable. That is what creates the magic, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. There is more than one perspective to these stories, but this is all what I heard from Inez.

The 1 (Augustine)-

I have been sitting with this song for a while. I began to wonder why, for lyrics that for all intents and purposes were sad, did I not get sad listening to this song. Sure, it’s about loss and what could have been, but it’s mere conjecture. Almost like a love that never really existed outside of the storyteller’s imagination. A film that was never made, if you will. Then it hit me, “you weren’t mine to lose”. Augustine simply imagined what it would have been like if the man she did not end up with could have been the one. Betty and James DID have a relationship and the theme of this “film” is repeated in the stories told throughout this album. She would have not gotten the chance to have the movie kind of romance if he had not chosen to be with her. Rose flowing with his chosen family.

If one thing had been different, could everything be different today? Had he not already been in love with another woman, could we have been the greatest love story ever told? Something also struck me as odd. She called out him meeting some woman on the internet and taking her home. Knowing he has a tendency to stray, there could be a superficial level of jealousy. Imagining that he’s cheating on Betty, but disappointed that it isn’t with her. Not because she’s necessarily a bad person, but I think that as we will see later on in this breakdown, Augustine struggles with conventional relationship types and ties herself to sinking ships for the tragedy of it all.

Cardigan (Betty)-

So, not to rehash lore we are already incredibly familiar with, but this song is clearly Betty knowing that James is going to run back to her after straying the path. Cool, amazing, fierce. However, there is language here that suggests this is not the same instance as him showing up to the party. I believe that James has a very toxic pattern resulting from his wondering eye and Betty just has a bad case of loving him. At least, for a while. Betty likes the fact that she is able to show James who he really is when all is said and done, and being someone who has struggled with confidence, she doesn’t want to let this love go too soon. Even if she should. More on that in a bit.

Betty says, “Chase two girls, lose The 1”. We all assumed that she was referring to herself, but knowing that she was almost waiting for his return, it’s very possible that she intended to forgive him even before he asked. She had scars from years of not being enough and she may have even been bullied as indicated by this and him seeing in her what others could not when he was present in the relationship. That feeling of “what if” made sure she would not completely walk away. When you are young they assume you know nothing. Well, knowing something does not mean you know everything and I think she stayed long enough to find that out the hard way. Peter does lose Wendy because he cannot grow up.

The Last Great American Dynasty (Taylor/Rebecca)-

Taylor owns the previous home of Rebecca Harkness in Rhode Island. This beachside mansion has all the salt air and cliffsides to scream off of that anyone would want. Rebecca has a big reputation as a maneater who just isn’t ladylike and mild mannered enough. Sound familiar? Taylor Swift has been demonized, ridiculed, and made infamous based solely off of complete speculation. Rebecca faced the same fate as a middle-class divorcee who was cast as a gold digger after the Standard Oil estate. Truth is, both of these women were just in search of love that could last. Under circumstances far beyond their control these things ended so loudly that there was no right to privacy while they grieved or attempted to make sense of it all. Worse? They were blamed in a blameless situation.

Taylor makes her identity known to mirror Rebecca’s at the end of the story. So, what’s the connection to the album as a whole? Bill grew up in the area that the rest of them would eventually be in later on. Cliffside and salt air, the characters revisit these scenes and similar ones several times throughout the story. They lived at a different time here, years later. In fact, in terms of the house itself, it sat quietly for 50 years until Taylor would acquire it. She then marks her entrance to the rest of these stories as she then will later touch on points of her life leading up to Holiday House.

Exile (Betty and James)-

Communication is key. However, Betty and James eventually resented the back-and-forth nature of their relationship. He believed that she would always forgive him as she had always set that precedent each time before in their relationship. Although they always knew they walked a very thin line, they always felt like the other person would become better to them if they loved hard enough. Each had their demons, though. Between James cheating nature and drinking problem, he could become withdrawn and combative. Betty loved James so much that she gave him second, third and hundredth chances and even excused his more aggressive behaviors in a Streetcar Named Desire type loyalty. Until the branch broke that they were balancing on.

For someone like James, being left as a result of bad behavior can often be skewed as a betrayal in and of itself. Her leaving could have only been a result of her not telling him how to be a better partner. On the flip side, Betty was not clear in her signals of being fed up with his actions, but allowing him back time and again. The blame game ensues and each call out each other’s faults too little, too late. They have, in fact, seen this “film” before. They kept the hope that the cinematic love they were both obsessed with would eventually play out if they wanted it enough, but did not put in the work or self-reflect enough to make it so.

My Tears Ricochet (Taylor/Rebecca)-

Of course, it’s about a certain sellout record executive of her previous label who did not even have the decency to let her own her masters. I will not be bringing his name into it because he does not deserve to even be thought about. However, I think Taylor does an expert job of exploring the anger stage of grief and death that Rebecca and Bill would have had to face in his untimely death as well. The allegory dips in and out of this song to further establish the mirror effect of these two women and their fears/perception. Taylor calls out her own inability to leave with grace. Rebecca was left to burn at the stake after Bill died with no one to defend her either. While it is not his choice to have died, grieving does bring about emotions of abandonment when still panning out. Much like Taylor felt when the label she trusted acted like they had never met and that she had not given them her all to gift them any kind of notoriety.

Gathering stones is beachside activity, but when, so is collecting jewelry. This in a metaphorical sense could allude to also gathering dirt and receipts when it all falls down. This line has quite an impact in the context of a business transaction and the marriage of a rich couple. Toward the end, each woman speaks as though they have gone to the cliffside and screamed into the open air. Rebecca challenges the masses to go for her heart in same way the public felt she had gone for Bill’s, but knows that she would be missed all the same. Each woman is directly calling out their naysayers and bullies telling them they know they’re drunk on pain and negating the good they had done before tragedy. These fake people have both built them up and torn them down in times it benefitted them the most.

Mirrorball (Betty)-

As I previously mentioned, Betty struggles with self-confidence (relatable content). This song takes a deeper dive into Betty’s desire to be noticed by James in the way she needs him to and to show him that she knows him better than anyone else does. When he does not pay attention, she breaks into a million pieces. Although her friends consistently tell her that the end is imminent, she has committed herself to changing the narrative. She’s walking the tightrope, another call out to the thin line they feel they have always walked in regards to one another.

The insecurity is palpable in the self-deprecating “I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try, try, try”. Remembering from their teenage years, Augustine, a natural beauty, is able to draw men in with a sense of sensuality and a carefree demeanor. She doesn’t have to get too invested in relationships because she only chooses men that are in high risk, low reward circumstances. On the outside, it seems like she has all the confidence in the world and that is intimidating to someone like Betty who does not exude the same assuredness and has been burned by trusting unnecessarily before. In spite of this, Betty is still a believer in true love even if James has given her no indication there is reason to believe.

Seven (Taylor)-

Little Tay on her Pennsylvania farm just discovering her own voice and the meaning of friendship. Making her own tales of time gone by and recounting the origin story of a girl who makes “too much” noise any time she wants. Also, quite possibly the REAL queer-canon of the album. Taylor was close to someone who she has not seen for a while, a girl. She remembers the feeling more than anything and a certain protectiveness that she felt for this person who was having to hide in the closet. Labels did not matter and love was love in this scenario. She wants them to know their story and the care she felt for them is not forgotten and still a source of inspiration for her life in present day. Think “hope ur ok” by Olivia Rodrigo.

This song explores Taylor’s fierce feminism and activism into adulthood. The unwavering support she gives to the underdogs and why Rebecca’s story resonates with her so much. She was the wild child the world tried to tame with constant expectation. The subject of Seven that she befriended reminded her that there are beautiful things out there and grounded her in a way to keep looking for meaningful connections and to respect the stories of each person she meets to gain perspective.

August (Augustine)-

Somewhere on the beaches just outside this small Rhode Island town, Augustine was manifesting a relationship that she knew had a slim to none chance with James. Despite her hopes and efforts, August came and went. James dreamed of Betty with Augustine in his arms, but wanted is cake and to eat it too as a seventeen-year-old boy. The thrill of it all enticed him to give his summer to Augustine instead. Particularly because she was willing to pursue him in the way she did. However, much like the surface level pining found in The 1, she just wished she could write her name on his back in a performative ownership move as if to say finders keepers.

This superficial relationship was hallmarked in sex and lust by being spent tipsy and wrapped and in bedsheets. It wasn’t shameful or tawdry to two kids, but would show it’s truth one single time before becoming a feeling both would continue to chase. The shaky and electrifying experience of sharing firsts and secrets though “Never Have I Ever” and the charged nature of “Are you sure?” feeling like a pact. Until guilt set in for James, there was only excitement and both were forever changed. One by the hope of it all, and the other by the excitement.

This Is Me Trying (James)-

Years after the first thrill and eventual heartbreak, James has never found direction. He fell behind the classmates that moved on with their lives and ended up here. Still in their same hometown, he is a shell of a man grappling with depression and alcoholism. He’s in Betty’s doorway once again in her front porch light begging for forgiveness. He even matched Betty’s previous speech pattern in “Mirrorball” by saying “I just wanted you to know…” as if to respond to her finally because he sees her after it’s all been said and done. He pulled the rusted, vintage car that once made him so cool off the road to the same cliffside that they once made out in front of. This represents the edge that they all seem to stand at one point or another to contemplate their mistakes. He calls out his own substance abuse and aggression (which we talked about in Exile as well).

He wants to continue his same party lifestyle, but feels like an open wound because his bad behavior has finally caught up to him. All he thinks about are his own shortcomings, especially now that he is left alone with them. Betty once again gets compared to a film in a reel on the one screen they have in this small town. Now, only a memory instead of a reality. The defensiveness from being what he perceived as betrayal has subsided and he is left to face the cages he mentally put himself into and the fear that he was not as good of a man as he tried to project to others around him. Betty being the product of his transgressions since she is left broken and resentful toward him now.

Illicit Affairs (Augustine)-

Augustine finally pulls back the layers on why she continues to try to recapture the feeling that James gave her at a mere sixteen years old. Someone displaying all the confidence in the world may have had less than Betty in actuality. It was all a misconception. Instead, Augustine feels that her looks and sex are what she has to offer and by giving herself away, she hopes to capture lightning in a bottle one of these times. She recreates the same structure of what she had with James only to meet the same disappointment.

The beautiful setting of the beach house gives way to the parking lot behind the mall in a way. In some twisted way, James brokenness recognized Augustine’s and she had never been seen in real way before that and then not again after. James thought Betty’s level headedness would fix him and did not want to have to face himself via Augustine since they understood each other in the worst way. Like I said, that first taste left her living for the hope of it all and it was simply a dwindling mercurial high. A drug, though, that could work a hundred times over.

Invisible String (Taylor)-

Taylor’s stories are often on this album the only ones with direct references to actual places. This one references Centennial Park and Los Angeles. This is the story of Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn (William Bowery to some). This in and of itself is a modern day, currently in the making folktale. The idea of an invisible force bringing the two together to tell a great love story just like Taylor had always imagined. Here she self-references her own part in contributing to the media circus surrounding breakups and dating and owning her growth in those situations.

Allowing herself to live in the moment, she talks about the colors and touches of humanity this relationship has brought her. A deeper appreciation of the present and making memories that will one day make beautiful stories to tell for both themselves and for others that once tried to taint her narratives on hearsay. This is her story in her words and an expression of gratitude. Hell was the journey, but it brought her heaven.

Mad Woman (Taylor)-

This one is about the other one and his soon to be ex-wife. The one the masters were sold to. Shares a name with a two wheeled ankle destroyer and will also not be mentioned by me. This is a slight reference to her Rebecca allegory in the sense that character assassination played a big part in that story, but not enough to say it’s a direct correlation. Although, it is interesting to note that they are hunting all of the witches even if you aren’t one.

Taylor gets raw about the cheating nature of the man in question whether it is in business or in relationships and how he should be called out for it. There’s a hardship in feminism, though. She watches as a woman who knows she is in the wrong defend the thief instead of the robbed. It explores the right to be mad when lied to or stolen from, particularly when you’re willing to go on record with false statements if they serve a certain narrative. Undeniably, this moment will go down in infamy for generations to come. In a word, folklore.

Epiphany (Taylor)-

Paying homage to her grandfather, Taylor sets a scene as a war rages on. Keeping your helmet to keep your life is a good direct correlation to mask mandates that swept the country as COVID-19 developed. The horrors of watching someone die for things that may have arguably been avoided sets the anguish apart in this song to any other she has done. This is the world in a life and death lens and nothing else. Trying to make sense of what she and the rest of us are seeing when it did not have to be this way.

The most hard hitting look at medical staff and the precarious position they stood in for both instances is found in the bridge. They watch to make sure someone is breathing. They stand in the face of danger and are contained to one place while a threat is posed but serve unselfishly and risk falling like the people around them in the hopes of reaching a breaking point or a point of clarity in the chaos. On a metaphorical level, this song establishes a very important piece of perspective for us to hold onto long after this virus is contained lest we forget.

Betty (James)-

The first injustice and a look into the dramatics of young love. We now at least get to know why James loves Betty so much and humanize him a little more for the things he’s been dealing with internally since a young age. He comes off a lot more charming here even if unsure. Possibly a reason why he leans on liquid courage later on, James is actually a bit shy in group interactions. This also causes him to avoid confrontation if it can be helped or talking about his feelings. He also has a tendency to fear loneliness as a result so he’s easily convinced to go along for the ride even if it isn’t the right decision.

However, here, he nervously plans for weeks to gather up the courage to ask for a second chance. From what we can gather, he was likely forgiven in this instance which made him more comfortable than before to do so again and again. The cycle started here with this grand gesture, but post-cheating, the damage was likely already done since he had gotten a taste of the thrill. Betty would serve as a constant, but she would not stand alone.

Peace (Taylor/Rebecca)-

Taylor knows she will likely always be speculated on, but she loves intensely even if no one else believes. Here, you can see her sympathy and understanding of someone like Rebecca who no one ever even considered that she may actually love her late husband. All she can ever hope for is that the person she dedicates herself to can recognize how invested she really is and can handle the storm that comes with that. She talks with her own pack of friends being wild and rowdy much like Rebecca, but hopes he never sees that as a sign of disrespect. It’s just who she is.

Everyone DID think the love was for show, but they knew nothing of what happened behind closed doors. Does a woman pace rocks staring out at the midnight sea who isn’t missing someone? I don’t think so. Painting dreamscapes on the wall referring to the home they share together. The very same place that tied Rebecca and Taylor’s stories together in the first place. I think Taylor learned to embrace the madness before the rest of Rebecca’s story became hers and stopped apologizing for being so loud but remembered to continue to let love in.

Hoax (Everyone)-

Every time I listen to this song, I hear a different character speaking to me. Then I realized each one was just taking turns. This one is a bit different so I’m going to break it down by character:

Betty- He had drawn stars around her scars, but the way he made her feel was just as bad as the pain they caused. She believed him each time he said never again. She let him back in time and again to be hurt in the same way, but nobody else would have done for her if he could just be the things he promised to be. She was bound to him even though he never came through.

James- He knows exactly what he’s done and that he cannot fix it now. He knows that she possesses a love for him that will never die, but that is unrealistic after a certain point. He resigns himself to having to miss her forever. The hero has effectively died, so the movie has lost a purpose in plot. He tried, but did not succeed.

Augustine- She had a plan for them. No matter the means in which to get it, she wanted him to love her the way he did Betty. She used slight of hand and a little convincing to lead him to her. It left her aching for more when she knew that would never come back. August slipped away and there was no winning. Winter came and the ground was frozen.

Rebecca- She stood out there screaming for a reason why she had to be left alone in the life that was supposed to be theirs. I don’t think she ever quite got past that feeling of abandonment and just needed anything to believe in. This beautiful mansion had become a kingdom come undone. Bill’s heart had given out like a broken drum.

Taylor- When you sign a record deal at such a young age and a man who has always taken care of you in that time suddenly becomes your biggest enemy, it can certainly feel like a total heartbreak. The hoax was making her believe that even if all was said and done he would at least have her back. He most certainly did not. She screams at the sun (now eclipsed) on the cliffside while he listens to her stolen lullabies. The part of herself that remains in New York being her life’s work.

Please let me know if you have anything to add! Any new perspectives I may have missed? I would love to further this conversation and find new ways to explore the Folklorian Wilderness!

-Ryan Freeman

#folklore #taylornation #taylor swift #swifties

5 notes · View notes

pogueshomecoming · 4 years ago

Text

lover - john b routledge

requested? yes: if you happen to be a swiftie or know the song could I request a fic based on lover with john b?🥺 (I am not a swiftie but I will admit this is a song I could listen to forever)

description: having recently moved into the chateau officially, you spend a night reflecting on yours and John B’s relationship.

fill out this survey to join my taglist(s), here’s my masterlist, and requests are open

warnings: john b and reader are a little older in this, I imagined it as the summer after their senior year. domestic relationship vibes for sure, a lot of sweet fluff. I’m kind of in love with this so please don’t hurt my feelings

word count: 1.5k

You were never far from John B. At least, you didn’t like to be. Actually, he’d gotten in the habit of waiting for you to follow any time he got up to go talk to friends or get another drink at a kegger. Or anywhere, really.

But that’s where you are now, tucked into his side as he talks to some guys that were visiting the island. They were talking about surfing: the best places to go, the best times to go, what kinds of boards to use, and John B was shining. He loved knowing he looked like the guy people should ask questions, the guy that knows everything.

One of your favorite things is the way John B looks as the orange glow from the bonfire dances across his skin. You admire him as he talks, his face and hand (because one is secured tightly around your waist to keep you close) are so animated and show his excitement.

Watching John B do anything could never get old. Being right by his side any chance you got could never get old. You never wanted it to, anyway. John B was literally your best friend. The person you were closest to, the one you came to for everything. Three years of dating had passed in the blink of an eye, but at the same time, it felt like forever.

The conversation had moved on from surfing and the island to something else that you didn’t quite catch, but when there was a lull, you took the chance.

“Baby? Can we go home?” You whisper, not moving from your position of being attached to his side but tilting your head, so it was less noticeable that you were asking him something.

John B didn’t have to look at you to let you know he heard you, he just gave your hip a gentle squeeze, and you knew he’d wrap it up. You provide a polite wave to the three boys as you two walk away, going to tell the Pogues you’re leaving. John B’s arm stayed around your shoulders, his thumb at your hip, rubbing sweet circles just under the hem of your shirt. Another one of your favorite things.

“Hey, my lover and I are going home.” John B called as you two passed where your shared friends were sitting. The three of them collectively rolled their eyes but bid you goodnight anyway.

JB loved calling you his lover. To him, it felt more endearing, because he knew you loved him and he wanted to show it off. Even though you’d told him multiple times that people don’t usually use it in that context, but he never stopped. His excuse always was, “Well, saying, “the love of my life” takes too long.”

But John B was your lover, in every sense of the word. He showed you he loved you in a million different ways. It was in the way he kissed you awake every morning, in the way he was almost always touching you, in the way he protected you and made you feel comfortable wherever you were. The list could go on for days.

The van comes to a stop in front of the chateau, and John B hops out first. He jogs over to your side, opening the door with a goofy grin on his face. “Welcome home.”

Home. The chateau was your home now, yours and John B’s. His uncle had agreed to sign it over to him, and you’d both spent the last semester fixing it up whenever you had the time. It looked good now, and you were proud of what it was. So many of your memories had already been made here, but there were so many more to come.

“I think we should put Christmas lights up.” You say, playing with the hair on the nape of John B’s neck as he stands between your legs, still sitting in the van.

“In June?” He laughs, looking around.

“Why not? It’s ours now, we make the rules. Plus, it’s so dark out here at night.”

His hands that rest on the top of your thighs move to underneath, hoisting you into his arms. “Alright, we’ll go get some Christmas lights tomorrow.”

As John B is walking up the three stairs, he trips on the last one, stumbling inside but catching himself, and you, before he falls. You squeal, tightening your grip with your legs and your arms. “Jesus, John B, I could’ve died.”

“Oh, yeah, a near-death experience for sure. I’m so sorry, what ever could I do to make it up to you?” JB plays along, being dramatic with you is his favorite way of teasing you.

“Can we dance?” You ask, your lip jutting out.

“Let me shower first, okay?” John B kisses your forehead as he sets you down.

“Hurry back, I’ll miss you.” You wink, watching him skip to the bathroom with a goofy grin on his face.

“You could join me!”

Ignoring him, you sit down on the couch and wrap a blanket over your shoulders. As you look around the empty chateau, the old light bulbs cast a haze, making the air seem slightly foggy.

You looked at the empty table, five mismatched chairs sitting around it. Each one being claimed by one of your friends. The sixth one that completed the oddball set had been destroyed long ago, broken when JJ and John B barreled into it while they were fighting once.

What you’re really focused on is that your and John B’s chairs are next to each other. As if you’d be attached at the hips if you were actually sitting in them. Usually, the boys were the last ones at the table when you all gathered for game nights or dinner. You always saved him a seat. No matter how delayed John B was in getting to the table, or how many times the chairs had been rearranged, that never changed.

Then, your attention is brought to the kitchen. All of the nights that you and John B would stumble into the chateau, ransacking the cabinets for snacks or anything edible after a night of drinking at the boneyard. He’d get handsy after having to socialize all night long and not being able to tell you how good you looked dancing with Kie. It never failed that he saved his dirtiest jokes just for you.

But as you look through the window and to the couch on the porch, you’re reminded that not all of the memories here are good ones.

You’ve sat on that couch with John B and cried about so many things. That’s where you found him the day he got the news about his dad all those years ago. Even before that, he had sat there with you through a few breakups. You had this bad habit of giving boys your heart thinking they’d keep it forever, only to find out they were just borrowing it. John B was always there when it was returned in pieces, each time keeping one until he’d won you over.

John B shared plenty of heartbreak on that couch with you too. Girls had this habit of wanting to get close to him, but also wanting two of his four closest friends to disappear from the face of the earth. Boys having friends that were girls seemed to be a problem back then.

“Thinking hard over there?” JB’s voice pulls you out of your thoughts. He’s dressed in pajamas, his hair is stringy and probably still dripping, but he’s making his way toward you.

You stand, meeting him in the middle of the room like he’s a magnetic force that you’re attracted to. His hands make their home on the small of your back, and his arms pull your torsos together.

“Not too hard. Just remembering all those girls who swooned over you way back then. I think I’m still highly suspicious that every girl who sees you wants you.” Your nose scrunches in a teasing manner.

John B raises his eyebrows, chuckling while he shakes his head at you. “Oh, do girls still swoon for me?”

You hit his chest playfully, and he takes the opportunity to grab your hand and push you out so he can twirl you around. “There’s plenty, did you see that group of tourons at the boneyard tonight?”

He pulls you back in, shaking his head once more. “Nope, but I did see this one adorable girl. She definitely only had eyes for me, I could tell. Her eyes kept finding mine, and I was lucky enough that she sat next to me, much less talked to me. She did this cute thing where she asked me if we could go home. Turns out, she’s the woman of my dreams and my girlfriend. Crazy, right? It was unbelievable.”

JB’s face lights up as he talks, swaying you absentmindedly as he talks about you. You can’t help but laugh, your forehead falling onto his collarbone and your hair into your face.

“You’re ridiculous sometimes, but I love you.”

As the two of you dance around to nothing but the beats of your hearts, you feel content. You feel at home. You feel loved.

John B is your perfect match, your soulmate, but most importantly, he’s your lover.

thank you for reading! don’t forget to reblog if you liked it or send me feedback :)

john b taglist: @pogue-h , @shawnssongs , @hopelesswritingxd , @millie-753 , @thatsonobx , @jjtheangel , @ohbx , @babysbestlife , @psychicforest , @fanficscuziranout , @maebanks , @diverdown06, @thelocalpogue , @maybe-maybanks , @extratragic , @alexandracheers , @a-brooding-bird , @ughitslizz , @damonsalvawhore27 , @beth-winchester21 , @pixelated-pogues , @tomfreakinghollandneedsaoscar

73 notes · View notes