#funny enough when all this started going down I was like Damn there goes Ariana again but I feel genuine disgust at Ethan

[vegasvagus]

I have the urge fight Ethan Slater again

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

if carlisle and dumbledore were put in each other's respective stories / dilemmas , how do you think they would react? how would a carlisle cullen have dealt with voldemort/grindelwald? and how dumbledore would have dealt with vampirism, etc? i almost view the two of them as a sort of foil to each other, not yet able to articulate why or how though

I mean, they'd live completely different lives, because they're completely different characters. It's very unlikely they'd end up in the same situations.

But alright.

Carlisle is Dumbledore

Carlisle's born in a working class family that quickly begins to fall apart. His father's sent to prison, his mother dies, his sister has a chronic illness that will never disappear, and it's just him and his brother left with very little chance of a future between them.

Handsome Gellert Grindelwald moves in next store with grand, new, ideas concerning the muggles.

Now, this particular Carlisle won't be Christian, he's a pureblood wizard and we can pretty safely assume that the Dumbledores were no more religious than any other wizarding family is.

It's a little up in the air whether Carlisle would be seduced by Gellert or not. Gellert is learned, foreign, and has all these radical, new, theories that weren't very prevalent at the time (well, anti muggleborn sentiment was, the facism was new). On the other hand though, Carlisle is also a man who once radically changed his own beliefs to something that went against nearly every edict of his previous religion. This is not a guy who takes things for granted and is not afraid to both confront himself and the true nature of the world he lives in.

And he has a deep respect for human life that, had it been any lesser, would have undoubtedly led to him eating humans as a vampire.

So, I'm going to say no, or if he does, it lasts up until Gellert says, "We should totally make the muggles our slaves." The muggles may have irreparably damaged Carlisle's sister, they may be hated by society, but they are free thinking beings who should be enslaved to no one. Carlsile raises his pacifism flag.

As a result, Gellert probably thinks he's a tool. Hot, of course, and intelligent, but a useless tool. Without somebody to bounce ideas off of/confirm his radicalization, Gellert has little to no interest in Carlisle or any of the Dumbledores. Gellert spends his time in Godric's Hollow then goes elsewhere, Ariana lives, at least for now, unclear how long her lifespan was going to be otherwise, Carlisle does not have the Gellert incident, and he and Abeforth remain on good terms.

Carlisle graduates Hogwarts and either is a) bullied into taking Flamel's apprenticeship opportunity by Abeforth who screams "DUDE, GET YOURSELF A FUTURE or b) immediately sets about trying to find a relatively high paying job so he can support the family. In the case of B, I imagine he goes to work for the goblins who seem to hire those straight out of Hogwarts with good enough grades. In the case of A, well, he goes to study alchemy.

Knowing Carlisle, he does a bastardization of both. He studies alchemy under Flamel and then works nights as a bartender in Paris or something to that effect. When he finishes, what career he does then is out in the air.

Given that, as a vampire, he had all the choices in the world open to him in terms of education (and tried many different things) before eventually settling on and sticking with human medicine despite the dangers, I think that's telling. Carlisle probably tries to get a job in something healing related.

However, that strays more into the "What if Carlisle was in the wizarding world" vs. "What if Carlisle was Dumbledore" so we'll say that the idea of teaching appeals to him and he returns to Hogwarts for the Transfiguration position.

This all goes well except then there's a first world war on, the muggle world goes completely insane, and no one understands why Carlisle's so upset.

And now we enter the world where Carlisle starts really making choices in Dumbledore's shoes.

First, Tom Riddle. Carlisle, I imagine, makes 100,000 times of a better impression than Dumbledore on the young Tom. He does not, for one, light his wardrobe on fire and threaten him. Carlisle might think this kid is weird, but he lives in poverty and an orphanage, much of his behavior can be explained from that. I imagine Carlisle becomes determined to take Tom under his wing.

I imagine at first Tom thinks this is excellent, LOOK HOW MUCH HE'S MANIPULATING THIS ADULT! And then he realizes that, no, Carlisle is perfectly aware he's a little shit. He just likes talking to Tom after classes about how to fit in with pureblood society/weird esoteric muggle philosophy.

Trouble is, Carlisle is so damn likeable (see his friends all over the world), that Tom can't help but like him. When the Blitz begins, and Carlisle undoubtedly offers Tom (and any other muggleborn who was not moved to the country) a place to stay, that seals the deal, the wizarding world might suck but Carlisle's a pretty cool guy.

Of course, Tom still thinks the government should be reformed or overthrown, but he and Carlisle actually sit down to talk about things like communism and facism (Carlisle's not a fan though the modern, muggle, form of democracy not practiced in the wizarding world is a weird concept to him).

My point being, it's unlikely this Tom Riddle becomes Voldemort or even really aspires to become him. You want more on that topic, check out these posts.

Grindelwald meanwhile, becomes a bigger and bigger deal, and things start looking... bad. However, it's not immediately obvious that Carlisle's the one who should do something about it. He's not a duelist, he's a professor, and his job is to teach the children. He may have been alright in school, but that was decades ago now. More, unlike Albus, he feels no personal responsibility, he knew Gellert, briefly, yes, but they had no real connection. Gellert spoke about insane things and Carlisle said, "Mm, don't like". Add to that that Carlisle's a pacifist, he's going to insist that someone trained for the position do the job.

Given canon, this means that Grindelwald likely invades and takes over wizarding England and, with a strong enough foothold, enacts his "enslave the muggles" plan. Which very well might result in a nuclear holocaust as Grindelwald was likely not keeping up with muggle technology and the muggle world war.

The muggle world collapses, which in turn causes society collapse, and the world may or may not be a nuclear wasteland that Tom and Carlisle get to wander around.

If Carlisle by some divine intervention has a prophetic dream of "YOU MUST DEFEAT GRINDELWALD OR DOOM DOOM DOOM" then he goes and tries to defeat Grindelwald. Considering Grindelwald has the elder wand, he probably needs Deus ex Phoenix to win, but if it worked for Dumbledore it might work for Carlisle.

Well. No one saw that coming.

Carlisle's an overnight sensation and a national hero, the hero of Western Europe even. He's suddenly being presented medals, honors, seats of power, and Carlisle desperately tries to refuse, feeling very squeamish that he's being given these things because he took it upon himself to murder another human being (yes, even a war lord).

Tom finds this funny and Abeforth is ureservedly proud and tells everybody.

All Carlisle wanted to do was teach children and now he has to reside over trials in the Wizengamot. This is terrible.

As for what happens to the wizarding world from there, well, inertia probably carries it along for a good while. However, antimuggleborn sentiment is still on the rise an even without Voldemort I imagine there's quite a bit of unrest.

I imagine Carlisle, not wanting in any way to be a political figure, is not nearly as outspoken as Dumbledore on anything. He just wants to be headmaster, guys, leave him alone.

Tom may or may not go into politics and do it for him. But he probably ends up teaching too and just laughs as the country collapses.

Harry Potter is an ordinary student who has no prophecy surrounding him. Carlisle did not recruit children to join an illegal resistance movement nor does he have a plethora of spies and moles in the ministry.

Harry Potter canon does not happen.

Dumbledore is Carlisle

Well, Dumbledore undoubtedly also burned witches and very much believed in their existence. An irony there. He may chase the vampire, probably isn't first in the mob, in which case he remains human or dies.

If he does survive being bitten, I imagine it pains him for a while, but I don't see Albus having the same willpower as Carlisle. Or at least, not as much, Albus probably ends up eating people. He at first probably tries to be picky and eats those who harm society in some way (pick your poison for what that means) and then over time becomes less picky.

They're just humans, after all.

Albus probably isn't invited to stay in Volterra, he's not all that interesting. He doesn't become a human doctor, he's just your ordinary vampire. He might hang around libraries as much as he can but that's about as far as that extends.

He probably turns a Gellert equivalent at some point as a mate and they have a grand time together.

Edward is never turned nor the rest of the Cullens and Bella dies in a parking lot.

[sunshinesteves]

my favorite hamilfilm moments:

groff doing the intro as kg3..."enjoy my show" klasfjskfd

everyone except burr is wearing all white in alexander hamilton...probably some metaphor in there (alex gets his brown coat at the end of the song tho)

the lil punching motion lin does at "i may have punched him"

"you punched the bursur?" *snappy finger gun* "YES"

I LOVE THE REVOLUTIONARY SET THAT IS ALL

oak's beanie

the fact that my shot is just hamilton yelling about the revolution in a bar and everyone's like "what the fuck is happening"

at "i think your pants look hot" when oak puts his leg on the bench and swooshes his cape back and anthony and daveed start CACKLING...idk if it wasn't scripted or if they just laugh at it every time. either way it's incredible

the lil woah woah woaaaahhhh encore between my shot and story of tonight

lafayette's "let's have another round tonight" is. so funny

peggy is PISSED OFF. mood

EVERYTHING about burr and angelica in schuyler sisters. renee's facial expressions. her shoving the paper at him and then pushing him away. SO GOOD

literally everything about farmer refuted. lin's smile like "w-what the fuck-" seabury moving the box to try to be in front of hamilton. them trying to push each other off the box. burr RUSHING in to stop hamilton sfjslfksf

"why so sad?" *sad face*

that one shot from the back of the stage of chris right before he turns arond and enters in right hand man

LADIES!!!

the lil grapevine "hey, hey" dance at the end of winter's ball...and also anthony's smile when he's doing it

during helpless jazzy and anthony are just chilling talking on the staircase in the back...BEST COUPLE

HAHAHA PEGGY'S DANCE AT "ONE WEEK LATER" WITH THE LETTERS

eliza saying HA right to the audience

HAMILTON'S DANCE AFTER GETTING ENGAGED AND ELIZA KINDA GETS INTO IT TOO

eliza’s face at “angelica tried to take a bite of me” alkfjaslfaj

FLOWER GIRL HERCULES MULLIGAN

all right all right that's what i'm tawwwwwkin aboutttt

alskfjaa alex is just standing facing the audience and the whole male ensemble comes up and turns him to face eliza

DEBBY RYAN FACE

PEGGY DOES THE DANCE AGAIN. ICONIC

the take a break outro plays right in between satisfied and story of tonight (reprise) for a seconds...UM

oak’s headband

this fuckin thing (best moment of the whole show no cap)

and when laurens stops, lafeyette and mulligan keep dancing and they’re like. flossing?? idk but it’s so good

anthony’s face at “on the siiiiide buuurrr” DLSKAFJ

and oak starts grinding on him while making kissy faces. incredible

leslie odom jr....god damn

idk why but lin’s face at “but every day he dismisses out of hand” is so fucking funny

THE WAY LESLIE SAYS “OK SO WE’RE DOING THIS” ALDKFJASDF HE’S SO DONE

there are so many moments where lin just smiles when like. he probably isn’t supposed to?? it’s v pure tbh...i think he was just happy to be there which. mood. 

burr just JUMPS on the ledge during guns and ships lmaoooo

DAVEED DIGGS WAS HAVING THE TIME OF HIS FUCKING LIFE

the dance daveed does at “sir he knows what to do in the trench”

when oak blows the audience a kiss and sticks his tongue out at them after his part in yorktown 

“i’m so blue” *stomps* *lights change to blue*

lafayette and mulligan reading their letters from mr laurens in the back while eliza reads alex’s...haha i’m in pain 

“i practiced the law, i practically perfected it” SWOOSH

the way alex introduces the constitution like it’s the next big tv show or something asjfklasf

jefferson waving to the audience and sauntering down the staircase

oak as madison is so funny to me just because the clothes just...look small on him. like i get that they technically do fit him he’s just a huge dude so they don’t. look like they do

AKSLFASF there’s one part where jefferson just runs over to madison and tries to put his leg up on his shoulder or something? and madison just pushes it down like “thomas. no” alsjfas iconic

hamilton sticking his hand IN BETWEEN jefferson and washington to introduce himself

daveed is just. prancing. like a pony

in cabinet battle 1 jefferson drops the mic into madison’s hand

whatever the fuck lin is doing at “whatever the hell it is you do in monticello”

how does anthony pull off playing a 9 year old boy so well akldfjasd

ELIZA BEATBOXING GO OFF PIPPA

philip finishes his rap, hugs alex aggressively, throws his hands up, then RUNS off stage. mood

angelica and eliza in take a break..........pure

JASMINE CEPHAS JONES. GOD DAMN

love how alex just has a whole ass woman in his lap

the “talk less, smile more” in room where it happened...ily lin

“i’ve no where else to turn!” LEAVES

THE TABLECLOTH THING

saklfdf jefferson literally prances (PRANCES) over to madison and puts the mic to his mouth and he just goes “...france” SO QUIETLY

hamilton holding up king louis’s head

burr walking up behind jefferson for washington on your side and jefferson’s like ????? where the fuck did you come from what

WHICH I WROTE

whatever the fuck they’re doing at “southern motherfucking democratic republicans” askfjasdkf

CHRISTOPHER JACKSON. SIR.

washington and kg3 just. lookin at each other for a sec.

“country”

ariana debose telling kg3 about adams...she starts laughing and the look he gives her....queen ily

kg3′s dancing in adams administration. why is he even there lol

maria on the side of the stage during we know

jefferson’s “whaaAAAAAA”

and also jefferson’s "my god”. daveed ily

ariana debose being the only ensemble member in an act 1 revolution coat during hurricane...there’s a metaphor there. i think

maria handing hamilton the quill for the reynolds pamphlet

jefferson’s lil dance when he’s sitting on the table klsfjasld

jefferson making it rain. king george is. there. what is happening

PHILIPPA SOO. MY QUEEN

anthony’s hands at “the ladies say my brain’s not where the resemblance stop” SIR

philip’s just yelling up at the ledge from the stage which is. so funny to me. 

EVERYTHING IS LEGAL IN NEW JERSEY

philip goes flying...but in slow motion....fuck

props to anthony for being able to sing like that while lying on his back

THE SCREAM NO

poor madison is so choked up over philip awwwww

at “to get hamilton on your side” jefferson is just shaking his head aggressively. i mean mood

how excited burr looks when hamilton makes his decision because he assumes he’ll choose him...and then the look of shock + disappointment

“as your vice president! “MMBLAAAAA” daveed WHAT was that noise

the ensemble handing burr like 7 letters from hamilton in a row

anthony playing both laurens and philip in the world was wide enough...he just kinda turns around to switch characters alsdfja

EVERYONE IN ALL WHITE AGAIN EXCEPT ELIZA, ANGELICA, BURR AND HAMILTON LIN

ik people have different opinions on the end with lin taking her hand and everything, but i heard someone say that it’s lin as himself (not hamilton) showing eliza that he’s telling her story...tears.

THE GASP OH MY GOD

that is...a lot. it was so good. FUCK–

[letsbenditlikebennett]

When Wolves Knock || Ariana & Orion

TIMING: Before Winn ran off.  PARTIES: @3starsquinn​ & @letsbenditlikebennett​ SUMMARY: Ariana goes by Ricky and Winston’s to surprise them with venison stew. They’re not home, but Ariana and Rio end up hanging out. 

With how much kindness Ricky and Winston had shown her, Ariana had wanted to drop by with a nice surprise for them. This batch of venison stew had come out wonderfully and she knew Ricky especially would appreciate it. There was nothing quite as tasty as fresh venison and she liked being able to share with the people she loved most. As she knocked on the door, she hoped one of them was home. She could easily leave the cold bag on the porch, but being able to hang out and chat for a bit would be nice. When the door opened, she was surprised to see a new face. That’s right, Winston had mentioned they had a new roommate. She shifted the bag on her arm and greeted, “Hey, you must be the new roommate. I think we spoke online before. I’m Ariana. I’m friends with Winston and Ricky. I brought some venison stew by.... Figured it’d be a nice surprise. Are either of them home?”

Orion still didn’t really know what to do in the house by himself. Maybe he wasn’t 100% comfortable inside of a house that he didn’t really consider his, despite Ricky and Winston’s countless attempts to make him feel as at home and welcome as possible. It wasn’t that they hadn’t done a great job or anything, Rio just thought that they vastly underestimated how awkward Rio was as a person. For example, Rio was in the kitchen, finding snack food when he heard someone approaching the front door. For a moment Rio completely froze, unsure what to do without Ricky or Winston there to answer the door for them. Eventually, Rio realized that he was apparently in charge of that for the moment. But that didn’t stop him from sulking towards the door slowly and deliberately. He didn’t look ready for visitors, with an oversized hoodie, sweatpants and a baseball cat smashing his pink hair down. But oh well. Beef jerky stick in one hand, he used his free one to open the front door. He was immediately hit by that way too familiar sensation. Werewolf. Since only one person stood around him, it wasn’t very hard to deduce who it was. A girl, younger than him and carrying some kind of food with her. “Hey there…” Rio started, more confused and apprehensive than anything else before realizing that it probably sounded pretty rude. “Sorry. Hey!” he snapped from his funk and took a bite from the jerky stick. “We did! Nice to meet you in person. I’m Rio. That was nice of you! Uh sorry neither of them are here right now…” He shrugged, wondering exactly what he should do in this situation. Anybody could stroll up claiming to know them right? But the girl didn’t seem malicious or anything. “Do you want to come in? We can put the stew in the kitchen. If you want you can hang out until one of them gets back.”

There was no time like the present to make friends with their new roommate, though he did seem just a little bit awkward. That didn’t really bother Ariana though. By nature, she was a social creature and she could make this work. Ricky had an open invite for the couch so it was only right to befriend the third roommate. She knew he had solid taste in Oreos which is a strong starting point. She offered a wide smile and nodded, “You’re all good. That’d be great though. I can go ahead and put it on the stove. It can literally sit there on low heat for like… ever. I know my last venison dish was a huge hit with Ricky and they’ve both been super great to me, so kind of thought it’d be nice to keep the love going, you know?” She realized she was rambling a little excitedly, but she followed him in toward the kitchen. From the last time she cooked with Winston, she remembered where the pots and pans were. She reached for a big pot to dump the stew in and left it on the stove. The sweet smell of venison, stock, and onions was already permeating the air. Ulf’s trailer still smelled damn good because of it. Ariana turned back to Rio and said, “I hope I wasn’t interrupting or anything, but hanging out would be kind of nice. How long have you known Ricky and Winston?”

Ariana seemed more comfortable with the place than Orion did. “Yeah. They’re both super great right?” He chuckled, seeing her work her magic in the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans that he didn’t even know the location of. It wasn’t shocking or anything, Rio hadn’t been here that long. Plus he wasn’t exactly an expert cook or anything. Most of his meals were Little Debbie's. “Make yourself at home!” Before it was even cooking, the stew smelled good. He could only imagine how good it must taste. “Not at all, I don’t really have a life.” Rio shrugged. He had meant it as a joke, though it may have come off as more pathetic sounding than that. “Uh a couple months. Not that long actually. Just a few months, really. We became fast friends. How about you?”

“Oh, yeah, love them both to death,” Ariana answered as she gave the stew a quick stir before leaving it to simmer for a while. She had no doubt it’d be a welcoming smell when Winston and Ricky got home. For now, she’d make it a point of making friends with their third roommate. He seemed nice albeit a little shy. “Thanks,” she said, taking the invite to pour herself a glass of water and pop down on the couch. “Aw, I’m sure you do. Having a life doesn’t have to be, like, exciting. Sometimes it’s just totally boring things that you enjoy.” It was funny, they’d known Winston and Ricky about the same amount of time. They really were just a friendly, kind-hearted bunch and she loved them for that. “I met Winston first a couple of months back. They offered help with my math class, but I’d already found a tutor. So we went to that farmer’s market.... Pro tip, don’t fucking buy the watermelons, they bite, but they brought Winston and I together… and Ricky by proxy. Who’s also great, he totally hyped me up to ask this girl on my soccer team to prom, so you know, totally stan a hype man.” She took a sip of her water before setting it down on the coffee table. “So outside of having stellar taste in Oreos and snack foods, what do you like to do for fun?”

At least Ariana had good taste. It made sense that she would love Winston and Ricky, they were both awesome. “Oh yeah. If you count reading as having a life then totally. I have a lot of lives then.” Orion shrugged and grinned shyly. “But Winston and Ricky keep me company at least so it’s not all bad.” Rio had heard about Winston’s time with the vampire watermelons, but hadn’t known that Ariana had been the one with him. “Oh! I know those things! A friend of mine and I also got attacked by them. It bit my arm!” Rio would have shown off the scar, if it didn’t blend in with the others. “Yep that totally sounds like Ricky.” While Ariana got comfy, Rio found himself curling up in a chair across from her. “I like gaming, reading, uh and definitely some other things too. Like eating.” Okay, he could definitely use some more work when it came to social skills. “What about you? How do you spend your free time?”

While reading wasn’t necessarily her thing, Ariana thought it was a cool enough hobby. She liked stories. Dyslexia just made reading a bitch. “It totally counts,” she answered with a small smile, “Not my thing, on account of I suck at sitting still and I’m dyslexic, but you know different strokes or whatever.” It was seeming like more and more people were having bad luck with the watermelon vampires. “Damn, yeah, that had to hurt. Thankfully, my combat boots were the only victims in our case. Sorry you got bit, those shits have sharp teeth.” She leaned against the arm of the couch and nodded along as Rio spoke. “Reading and gaming, nice. I do love eating, too. Also, pretty good at the cooking thing… which I guess you’ll see later. There’s totally enough stew for everyone.” Rio seemed a bit more on the shy side, but she could appreciate that. Sometimes she was entirely too… not shy. It was a good balance or something. “I like pretty much anything that involves moving. I run a lot, I like cooking, building things is always fun and will be my profession soon, and I love soccer. I’m actually coaching a camp this summer with my friend Athena. If my boss approves it, I’ll also being doing some work study with Ricky to get some more insight on wood-working. So yeah, basically the opposite. I can’t sit still for long periods of time. I’m like energizer wo- bunny. Bunny.”

Orion patted at his arm through the sleeve, almost like some kind of badge of honor. Those that survived the attack from the vampire watermelon things. “Luckily it wasn’t that bad of a bite,” That wasn’t exactly the truth, but the hunter healing may have helped, “It’s all healed up now. Can’t even tell that it was there in the first place.” That may not have been the entire truth either. It had definitely left a faint scar. But compared to all the others, this barely scratched the surface. Definitely didn’t make a distinctive first impression. “That’s great! I’m really excited to try the stew. It smells amazing.” Rio pointed back towards the kitchen. He could smell it from his seat, appreciating the layer of scents. “Sports and stuff are super fun, I’ve heard. It was never really my thing, but my sister loves them.” And speaking of his sister… Ariana…. Knew her? Oh no. Oh god. Oh no. Ariana was a werewolf. Rio was pretty sure of that. But Athena couldn’t know that, right? At least… no, she couldn’t or else Athena would have taken matters into her own hands. What the heck could Rio do about that? She couldn’t tell Ariana about Athena. Should Rio just not say anything at all? Just ignore it and move on? That was the best choice, Rio was sure. “Athena?” Rio heard himself asking before he could shut himself up. God, no. “Uh- wow small world. That’s my sister.” Rio found himself nervously giggling, using it as a guise to distract from the fake that he had started shaking. “She is very athletic. So uh- cool thing with the coaching camp. I’m sure you’ll both rock it.”

It dawned on Ariana that they could both believe in vampire watermelons and she could just leave it alone, but that really wasn’t her style. Maybe one day it’d bite her in the ass, but it hadn’t yet so she’d take her chances. She leaned back into the couch and kept her eyes on Rio. “So, you seem pretty chill about the whole there being vampire watermelons thing. I’m guessing the crazier parts of White Crest aren’t exactly news to you?” One of her brows arched at him hoping to get a truthful answer. Ricky was a selkie and Winston could do magic, it wouldn’t be totally off base for them to have another supernatural roommate. There was a shrug as he mentioned not liking sports. “They’re definitely not for everyone. I just happen to have a shit ton of extra energy by default. Gotta get some of it out for the sake of not being a crazy person.” When Rio mentioned that Athena was his sister, she had to quickly swallow the water she was drinking causing her to let out a small cough. If Winston had been seeing their new roommate’s sister and Rio’s sister was Athena, that meant Winston had been seeing Athena. Ariana’s mind was effectively blown. Her lips formed a small “o” and her eyes were wide before she caught herself. “Dude, that’s cool. She mentioned having a twin brother, but clearly didn’t connect the dots until just now.” The topic seemed a little uncomfortable for him, so she shifted in her seat and added, “But yeah, soccer camp will be pretty cool. I like kids and soccer. You got any plans for the summer or anything?”

Considering Orion was talking to a werewolf at the moment, it definitely went without saying that he was familiar with the supernatural. Of course, there was no way for Ariana to know that Rio knew. It muddied the water and always made things more difficult. It felt like some power move, an upper hand that Rio didn’t deserve. But he supposed that was the whole point, for hunters to get the upper hand. That tingling sensation had been sort of bittersweet to him. On one hand, he loved learning about the supernatural, and meeting people other than regular humans. On the other hand, it made him feel downright creepy. “Oh yeah, uh. I mean I know some. Enough. That it exists.” He constantly battled between how he could tell the truth while also… not telling the whole truth. Luckily, Ariana didn’t seem to have too many questions about his sister, thank god. “Summer plans? Well… not much aside from hanging out with them too. I just sorta tag along with Winston and Ricky wherever they go, honestly.” That, and spend a bunch of time in the Scribe building. “How long is the soccer camp? All summer long? Do you actually like… stay at the camp or is it like a ‘go home at the end of the day and come back the next morning’ kinda camp?” Rio had no idea how camps worked.

The explanation Rio had provided was really more of a nonanswer. Sure, he knew about the supernatural, but how? Ariana tried to get a lock on his scent, but she didn’t notice anything off about it so he wasn’t like Ricky or some other sort of shifter. Maybe he just grew up here and wasn’t totally blind to everything that happened around him. She hoped her attempt at being subtle had worked, but she was about to be truthful anyway. An arm absentmindedly wrapped itself around a couch cushion as she explained, “I guess it’s hard to avoid any of it living here. I mean, I knew about it before moving here, but full disclosure-- I’m a werewolf. Which Ricky and Winston both know so it’s not like a huge secret or anything. Maybe just don’t mention it to anyone outside of here.” Seeing as she had an open invitation to sleep on the couch in the midst of her current hunter drama, she figured being truthful with Rio was the right thing to do and she trusted Ricky or Winston hadn’t mentioned anything about it previously. She nodded along with his summer plans, which seemed to be a little lax, which was nice. Sometimes relaxation was needed, not that she was very good at it, but still. “Sounds pretty chill. I hope you enjoy it. Everyone needs a good reset every once and awhile.” A brow raised as Rio asked more questions about the camp, she thought he’d know because Athena but she did remember Winston mentioned things were complicated there so she answered, “Nope, not a sleepaway thing, it’s here in town. We watch them for the day and do soccer stuff while their parents are working or doing whatever it is they do while their kids are at camp.”

Orion had to physically stop himself from leaping off of the chair in excitement as Ariana disclosed her secret about being a werewolf to him. In a lot of ways, he felt so honored and happy to have the knowledge entrusted to him as well. Though even with that, there was a sort of sinking feeling in his stomach. If Rio had been any other hunter, what would they have done with this knowledge? Sure, Rio had already known because of his ability. But if Athena knew about it, if Ariana told Athena about it… Oh god. That wouldn’t be good. For anybody. Luckily, the excitement at this exact moment outweighed the fear. So it was pretty easy to pretend to be shocked at the news, despite the constant tingling feeling raising the hairs on his skin and reminding him of her species. “Holy woah…” Rio began, finally rising from the chair and sitting at the edge of it, giving Ariana his full attention. “That’s so freaking cool holy crap. I don’t really know that many other werewolves. I mean I know like two.” Or three, really. But the fact that Rio knew wasn’t exactly a topic of discussion. Not yet at least. “But of course. I promise your secret is safe with me.” He wanted to support her, even if he couldn’t be completely honest with her himself. It just complicated things. There was no easy way to tell a werewolf that he was a beast hunter. Not without that look of fear and hatred in their eyes. Rio was familiar enough with that look from himself. But that brought things to a whole other topic. Ariana and soccer camp. And Athena. “That’s really cool. I’m sure it’ll be a lot of fun.” He began, smiling and trying to determine how to phrase his next sentences. “So uh- weird request. Is there any chance that you could… not mention anything to my sister about knowing where I live? It’s like… a whole thing. I’m kind of in a fight with our parent’s right now and don’t want them to know where I’m at.”

Living with Winston and Ricky, Ariana had much doubt that Rio would take the whole werewolf thing well. She did have a standing invite for the couch so she figured honesty was probably a good call. The story of her current not so ideal situation could be told if she ever did have to take Ricky up on that offer. It was cool that he seemed pretty excited about it though. She smiled and responded, “Thanks, I like to think so. Definitely comes in handy with some of the crazier things going on in White Crest.” Came with the disadvantage of being hunted, but she’d still never change who or what she was. “I appreciate as much,” she answered, “Winston and Ricky know, but I haven’t said anything to your sister. Kind of figured you should know since Ricky’s pretty much offered the couch to me for whenever I need it.” Her face shifted to concerned when he asked her to not let Athena know he was living here. She kind of figured as much what Winston had vaguely mentioned before, but opted to nod along instead with her brow furrowed. Family could be tough. Not that she had her own blood family left, but Celeste’s parents had shown her well enough that families could be complicated. “You got it,” she promised, “I won’t tell Athena or anyone else you live here. I’m sorry about your parents though. That has to be tough.”

Ricky’s place seemed to be some orphanage for the wayward and supernatural. At least, it had been for Orion. He didn’t know much about Ariana’s past, but if she was offered a place to stay he could only assume that she may have a reason to need to escape at some point. Which was totally something Rio could relate too. He wished he knew them beforehand, so he didn’t spend so much time sleeping on a dusty bed in an abandoned building. “That’s great! Well just so you know, I am totally cool with that. Not that like… it would matter per say if I wasn’t. Because this isn’t my house. But that doesn’t matter. Because you are. Welcome here, I mean.” He really had a way with words, didn’t he? “Anyways, ignore me. You uh- You’re like… safe here in town right? No crazy people trying to hurt you because of the werewolf thing?” Jesus, what kind of question was that? He was such a disaster. “My family’s complicated but uh- you know things are okay now. At least, now that I’m far away from my family things are great. I’m way happier than I have been in a long time.”

There was something so wholesome about Orion. While Ariana could tell he tripped over his words a little, she found it to be kind of endearing. She supposed as much made sense since his hobbies seemed to be stuff you do alone. “Thanks,” she stated calmly, “I appreciate as much. Even if it is technically Ricky’s house, I wouldn’t want to make anyone living here uncomfortable. That’s not cool.” The frown that followed the question of her being safe was unavoidable, especially knowing now that her bounty had been picked up. She wasn’t entirely safe and it sucked to admit. She supposed the sooner Celeste’s parents arrived the sooner this could all be over, but it still left knots in her stomach. She fidgeted nervously with her hands before opting to just hug one of the couch cushions. “Not exactly,” she mumbled before speaking up, “It’s kind of a crazy story, but here goes. My sister/guardian isn’t biologically my sister. She’s actually a hunter that saved me instead of killing me when I was like three and her parents killed my parents. Her parents apparently have a bounty on both of us which has been picked up… so that’s been a fun time. Hence the whole Ricky offering up the couch if I needed a place to lay low. You know how he is. Dude has a heart of fucking gold… or really whatever is like more valuable than gold.” Her fingers played with the fringe of the cushion and added, “Sorry if that was like, a lot. If I do end up crashing here, figured it’s only fair you know.” She listened carefully to his own family troubles, glad he had somewhere accepting to stay. “Well, whatever is going on, I’m happy you have Winston and Ricky. And that you’re happy. That’s the most important thing.”

Orion sat silently, completely speechless as Ariana recounted her tale to him. “Holy crap.” Was all Rio could say for a long while. His brain was still processing the news. And there was a lot to unpack. Ariana’s parents were murdered by hunters. An obvious reason for Ariana to despise hunters. But… she was saved and taken in by a hunter? That was insane. Sometimes Rio truly thought he was the only one that had wanted a different fate for supernatural creatures. Not just a hunter tired of killing or exhausted with the lifestyle, but someone that truly wanted to save the supernatural from other hunters. And to defy her own parent’s? “Your guardian… she sounds pretty incredible.” Rio whistled. He could only wish that he had the strength to do what she had done. Instead, the image of his former teacher, lifeless on their guest house floor kept flashing through his mind. Something he wished he could unsee, or even better, he wished he could have stopped. “I- uh. Jesus. I’m so sorry. That’s terrifying.” Did either of them know about Silver Bullet? What if the bounty had reached the hunter bar? Anybody around town could spot Ariana. Rio hadn’t gone since the fall out with his family, but maybe he could sneak by when he knew his parents wouldn’t be there? Check the board and tear anything down that shouldn’t be visible. “Platinum has always been considered to be one of the most valuable metals. For almost all of history, it has been more expensive than gold, but not always. Mostly because Platinum is a lot rarer than gold.” Rio rattled nonchalantly, barely realizing that he had just spouted off the random and unnecessary information. Despite this story, Ariana seemed as casual and cheerful as ever. Rio definitely liked her. “You don’t owe me an apology. And you definitely don’t owe me an explanation. I appreciate it, but you don’t have to ever feel obligated to tell me anything. Secret’s are sacred and all that… But uh- I hope everything is okay now. In town.” Rio found himself falling back into the chair and becoming a bit more relaxed now. Having this stuff laid out on the table for both to see was a bit therapeutic. “Thanks. It’s definitely been a healthier environment. They accept me for who I am and all that sappy stuff.”

Ariana knew she had dumped a lot on him, but if she ever did take Ricky and Winston up on their offer for a place to crash at and lay low, it was only fair Rio knew the full story. Plus, anyone that was a friend to both Ricky and Winston was a friend to her. All things considered, Rio had taken it all pretty well. He seemed like a kind and understanding person that she would now consider a friend. “Oh yeah, Celeste is amazing. Total nerd, but amazing nonetheless,” she agreed. It seemed wrong to compliment her sister without throwing at least one little jab in there. Teasing her was always fun. Maybe she had become so desensitized to how bad her current situation sounded, but she kind of shrugged it off. It was bad. She knew it was bad and the threat of danger was always there, lurking and waiting, but didn’t want him to worry. “It’s okay, really. Well, you know, as okay as it can be. We have some protections set up and friends who are helping us.” There was no need to throw in that the bounty was already picked up and worry him more. Everyone had so much else going on, they didn’t need to worry about her, too. When she told Celeste she wanted to stay here no matter what, she knew this day would eventually come. It had to. If they ever wanted to build roots anywhere, there was no avoiding it. Though now he was saying something about platinum and he brows knitted together in confusion. Yep, it was official. She broke Rio. That was way too much. “Good to know,” she assured him, easily, “And sorry for dumping all that on you. Hopefully crashing on the couch won’t be necessary though.” She gave him a comforting smile hoping it helped. Her smile only grew wider at his mention of this was a much healthier environment and how accepting Ricky and Winston were. “Good, you deserve all that sappy stuff. And Oreos, you deserve Oreos.” The last part may have been her own sweet tooth kicking in, but she returned to the kitchen to get them both snacks to enjoy while they hung out.

[allinlowercase]

If I Could Tell Him - Chapter Four

Chapter Four - Family Portrait

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five 

Summary: Alaska hadn't intended to be slingshot back into 1960. Life doesn't always live up to our intentions. When she and her friend Jackie are supposedly hit by Paul's car, they are by chance swept into the Beatle's orbit. But while Alaska struggles to reconcile her lost future and past, Jackie is unable to contain her excitement.

January 23rd, 1963

I sat in the living room, my leg bouncing up and down as I waited for my phone to charge. Interestingly enough, my phone wasn't as beat up during the crash as I thought it would be, although the screen protector was so cracked that I had to remove it. I smiled when the battery finally reached 100%. It was an iPhone 8, which meant that it suffered from the garbage decision to only have one shared port for charging and headphones. This was, of course, a mild inconvenience in the grand scheme, however, since the only task I could perform with my phone was listening to music, it was frustrating.

I pulled up the Spotify app and thanked God that I'd had the sense to download all my favorite music for offline. I needed Ariana right now, and I didn't relish the possibility of having to wait 60 years for Sweetener. Of course, none of the McCartney clan were home at the moment. I was alone, working on a few job applications. Paul's pocket wasn't limitless, and I'd already spent valuable hospital money on what Mr. McCartney deemed "respectable working clothes", which really meant single-colored skirts with matching shirts. I looked like a damn secretary, but seeing as how that was probably the only job I'd land in my situation, it was appropriate. I'd also managed to purchase a small box of feminine hygiene products.

They weren't so much for me as they were for Jackie whenever she was released. My birth control was a small implant inside my arm (there was no telling how the removal of that was going to go if I were still here in the next four years), but Jackie had been on the pill, which was not readily available yet, and wouldn't be for another four years as according to her. I rested my head back against the seat of the couch.

I was sitting as I usually liked to: on the floor, back braced by the couch, legs spread straight underneath the coffee table. Mr. McCartney and Michael as well thought it improper the first time they'd seen me sit that way, so I made a habit of only doing this when I was alone.

I got to a part in one application that asked for my parentage. The official story was that I could not remember where Jackie and I had been staying for our "trip", and Jackie remembered nothing at all. I hoped that that would help account for why we didn't have passports ("we can't remember where our luggage is") and why the English government was going to have a time and a half trying to find any American records of us. I kept hoping that there was some kind of loophole I could indefinitely exploit, like "oh, I was born in a bathtub in Butt-Fuck, Nowhere, so the state has no record of me" or "my family died in The War". For now, we were on temporary visas until whoever was in charge of us could find a proper permanent solution.

I heard a door open and shut and quickly ripped the one earbud I'd had in and shoved my phone underneath the couch in a panic. I was terrified of messing up time-space. Paul turned a corner and came striding into the living room with one of his bandmates. I didn't really know one from the other yet. Maybe John?

Paul cracked a smile at my position on the floor. I'd resolved to really only wear my future clothing as a kind of at-home wear, them being dark wash jeans and an emerald green sweater. His bandmate took one look at me and started laughing.

"Macca, that's the bird you hit with a car?" he wheezed. I frowned at him, not really understanding what was so funny about me. I'd seen girls wearing pants in these parts . . . occasionally.

"Well kind of, the one that got hit-hit is still in the hospital," I deadpanned. This seemed to calm him down a little and he looked almost sheepish.

"Right, I apologize. That may have been uncouth of me," he said. That was kind of an apology, so I kind of forgave him, nodding in response. Paul cleared his throat as he sat down next to me, on the actual furniture.

"Well then. Alaska, this is my friend John Lennon. John, this is Alaska Dunn; she's a guest of mine," he introduced primly. Inwardly, I congratulated myself on my earlier guess. I stood up and stuck my hand out to shake.

"Hi," I offered simply. John took it and pumped a couple of times. His handshake was firm, the skin of his hand warm. It felt weird to analyze someone's handshake. Is this how Dads feel?

"Well, girly, we're here to work on official Beatles business and as much as I enjoy an audience, this is secret stuff. Run along now," John said dismissively, making a shooing gesture with his hand. I wrinkled my nose at him but did as suggested. As if I want to be in the presence of this asshole anyway.

Paul snorted. "John, don't be rude. Alaska, you're welcome to stay, but it might be loud in here." I smiled in response.

"Thank you, Paul, but it'd be best for me to leave then. I need to finish these up," I said, gathering my applications from on top of the coffee table. Paul shrugged and moved to sit at the upright piano in the corner. I had a fleeting thought of grabbing my phone from under the couch, but John was still looking at me to leave. I figured it would be better to leave it there and come back later.

From the living room, I went and sat at the kitchen table. It was probably not that much quieter than staying in the living room would have been, but I liked the solitude. I looked back at the line asking for my parentage. My father wouldn't be born for another ten years, my mother for eight. I leaned back in the kitchen chair, a little lost. It kept hitting me anew how serious this situation was. Everyone I'd known, except Jackie, didn't exist yet. I was going to miss Kennedy's senior homecoming game; we had a tradition of going to Steak n' Shake after every home football game, and even Steak n' Shake probably didn't fucking exist yet.

My cheeks felt wet and I reached up to realize, I'd started crying. Oh, that was great; any moment now my vision would get blurry and my throat would get tight, and at any moment John fucking Lennon could walk in and see me crying. I could guess he'd probably have a field day. I started to gather up my things to move upstairs when I heard a throat clear.

In the doorway stood Paul. In the other room, piano continued on, the same stilted melody playing over and over as John worked around with it. Paul looked a little uncomfortable, the same guilt coming out again. I sighed.

"I'm not crying because of John, this isn't your fault," I offered. Paul nodded and moved until he was sitting at the table with me. His eyes caught the area on my application where I'd tripped up. He swallowed and nodded.

"But I do understand what you're going through, at least a little." I knew he'd lost his mother at an early age. "How recent . . .  has it happened then?" he asked softly. I swallowed thickly, my throat starting to hurt.

"Not much longer than before I met you actually. I'm still processing it," I said, some tremble in my voice. I cursed myself; I didn't want Paul to feel sorry for me, even if some small part of me was desperate to reach out for comfort. He nodded solemnly, and, hesitatingly, put his hand on top of mine on the table.

"It doesn't get better per se, but it gets easier to focus on other things as time goes on, I think. I was fourteen you know when my mum passed," he told me, softly. I turned my hand over so our palms were touching and squeezed his hand. He smiled small, at me. "I won't bother you for details, I'm sure that wouldn't help. But I'm here if you need me."

"Paul! Get back in here, I'm onto something," John yelled from the other room. Paul smiled and rolled his eyes. With that, he stood up and patted my shoulder before leaving the room.

A/N: Hello, thank you for reading, as always. Oh look, another wild Beatle, in a Beatles fanfic! And it only took me four chapters.

[thatgoddamnwizard]

✘ Why did you deliberately meet my gaze the day we met?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks.

Ask them funny questions, get personal, query about the people around them or pester them for their deepest darkest secrets - go wild! Include ✘ with the asks!

My subconscious and I had a long, unpleasant chat about that once. He’s kind of an asshole, my subconscious, real good at telling it like it is whether I like it or not. Also he’s a better dresser than me, all kind of suave and put together. The jerk.

Anyway, it went a bit like this.

_______________________________________________________

I often say I had a grueling week because, well, I often do, but this week set a new standard definition for the word. It started out normally enough– whatever the hell that means in my case– but then quickly escalated when someone that I had been investigating decided he didn’t like being investigated. 

Things happened. There were a bunch of goons with tire irons, fists, boots, and a ready-to-fire paralysis spell, some angry vampires hellbent on vengeance, a lot of blood and bruises, a concussion, and a few episodes of not-so-blissful unconsciousness.

Oh, and Marcone. There was a lot of Marcone in this mess, which of course cranked my surly wizard factor up to eleven.

We’d escaped the vampires by hook or by crook, got trapped in a snowstorm in the middle of the wilderness, took shelter in a cave. All of that gets told elsewhere. My point here is that I fell asleep in that cave, utterly spent, battered and scarred, and my magic was still suppressed by the remains of the thorn manacles that we hadn’t been able to completely remove from my wrists.

I came to awareness standing in darkness, not the moonlight-dappled darkness of the cave we were in, with its coarse, uneven floor and looming walls and damp, musty scent, but someplace smooth and flat and endless, featureless, but for the pale luminance spilling on the floor in a circle ahead of me. A simple folding chair stood in the circle of light, and a man sat in the chair, his arms folded across his chest, eyebrow raised as he studied me with his dark, glittering eyes. He was something akin to a mirror image of me, except he was dressed all in dark, custom-fitted clothes, sported a well-trimmed beard, and didn’t look like he’d just gone ten rounds with the Hulk. He wore the same black leather duster that I wore, though he wore it better. The jerk.

“It’s about damn time,” said my doppelganger. “We need to talk.”

“We really don’t.” I wasn’t in the mood. “We really, really don’t.”

One corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. “The fact that you really, really don’t want to talk about something is usually an indicator that you really, really need to, Harry.” 

“Don’t care,” I said. “Tired. Good night.” I turned to start walking into the darkened space around us, hoping that it would lead to peaceful oblivion and then maybe something resembling a normal dream (at least as far as these things go for me), but in the blink of an eye, he was standing in front of me.

“Can’t let you walk away from this, man,” he said. “It’s too important. You need to work some things out here. There’s too much at stake, and you need to understand why you’re doing what you’re doing or you’re going to end up somebody’s dinner. Or somebody’s pet. Or both.”

That rankled. I wasn’t particularly one to psychoanalyze myself, to dig up all sorts of hidden reasons why I do the things that I do. Yeah, I’ll question my motivations, if I’m doing things for the right reasons, if what I’m doing is right or wrong. But psychobabble isn’t really my thing. 

“Yeah,” I said. “Because deep, quality introspection is so important when you’re trying to stop a supernatural gang war from breaking out in Chicago.”

“Hell’s bells,” my subconscious grumbled, passing his hand over his face in a gesture of sublime irritation. “Look. You’re dreaming. I’m your friggin’ subconscious. That means you’re a captive audience here until you wake up, and that’s probably not going to be for a while, considering the state of your physical body. You can go running off into any dream you like, but I’ll be hounding you the whole way. So make it easy on us both and sit down, shut up, and listen.” He pointed to the circle of light, where a second chair had appeared, situated across from the first one, as if by magic. Abracadabra.

And just like that, I was sitting across from him in the chair, mirroring his body language, arms folded across our chests, legs crossed at our knees, scowls on our faces. “Fine,” I said. “Talk.”

My double regarded me for a few seconds, and then pointed to his left. I looked and saw Marcone, leaning against my desk and looking at a battered, bloodied figure that sat on the floor, propped against the wall. I did a double-take. The bloodied figure was me. Wow, those guys had really done a number on me. Marcone was cool and collected as ever, regarding me with a level of composure that belied the pain he must have been in after weathering his own attack.

“Yeah?” I said. “So?”

My double sighed. “Marcone is attacked, and the first person he goes to see about it is you. Despite the fact that you have, on multiple occasions, told him where he could stuff his job offer.”

“He’s relentless like that. But so am I.”

“So why did you decide to work with him this time?”

I glared at my doppelganger. “Because,” I said, then paused. “Because I’m trying to prevent a goddamned supernatural gang war, for Christ’s sake.”

He arched an eyebrow at me. “So you decided to team up with one of the players in that up-and-coming blockbuster.”

“I didn’t– I’m not– I’m not teaming up with him,” I protested. “We’re not bosom buddies. We just–”

“Why did you let yourself get drawn into a soulgaze with him?” 

I blinked at the sudden shift in topic. “What? I didn’t let myself–”

“You let yourself. You’ve been habitually avoiding eye contact with people since you were old enough to know what it could do. You tempted fate. You did it because you wanted to see him for who and what he was. Why’d you do it? Of all the people, all the enemies you’ve encountered, why’d you do that with him?”

I didn’t really like where this was going. “He was a threat. I wanted to take his measure. See what I was dealing with.”

“And?”

“There’s no ‘and.’ Just that.”

“Bullshit.”

I sighed. “Okay, oh wise and stylish guru. What else is there?”

He smiled. “You saw something in him, before you ever locked eyes. Something that looked an awful lot like you. Drive, determination, the ability to be an ice-cold bastard when the situation called for it. You weren’t just taking the measure of an enemy. You were taking the measure of a potential ally and friend.” Then the bastard winked at me, actually winked. “You also thought he was kind of hot.”

The sounds that came out of my mouth sounded more like a choking Ringraith than anything human. “I what?!”

“You heard me.”

“I did not!”

“Did so.”

“Did not!”

“You really did.”

“Okay.” I stood up and kicked the chair away hard enough to knock it over. “This conversation is over. I’m not gonna sit here and talk about my latent sexual tendencies with my freaking subconscious. Especially in regards to Marcone.”

He held his hands up in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay. There are more important things to talk about here. But you really ought to look into that. It’s not healthy to repress. It’s the twenty-first century, man. It’s okay.”

I glared at him and repressed.

“Look,” he said. “I’m not suggesting you should trust the guy. But I’m saying that you’ve seen him like few other have. You’ve seen sides to his story that he doesn’t let anyone get a peek at, and he let you see them. Deliberately. He has a vested interest in keeping the city free of unchecked bloodshed and violence. War’s bad for his kind of business. You can be sure he’s on your side as far as all that.”

“Marcone’s on the side of Marcone,” I mumbled.

“Yeah. You’re right. You two just happen to have the same goals at the moment– minimizing the death and destruction that you’re both going to be ears-deep in if you don’t work together to prevent it from happening in the first place.”

I didn’t say anything. My double glanced to one side, then back to me. “We don’t have much time left. I’ve just got one more thing to say.”

“What’s that?”

“Do you really think Ariana and her vampire mod squad are the only allies this new player has?”

“What do you mean?”

The world was fading around me, and I could feel myself getting dragged reluctantly towards the waking world, but I heard him say, as if from a great distance: “Where’d he get the hellhound?”

[babyi]

Thank U, Next: Album Review

Disclaimer: These opinions below are my own and only opinions. It’s okay not to agree with anything I will say here, this is my personal experience of the album. Also the album hasn’t been out long yet so it hasn’t had the chance to marinate yet and opinions might change in time. Y’all asked for it. 

Imagine: 4/10

This is not the most interesting song on the album, but it’s chill and nice to have on. The whistles are everything and really, for me, pull the song from boring into being an interesting experimentation piece. I don’t have a lot of reasons why this would be the first song but it’s not a bad opener. I guess this song is an alright song, a little underrated and a weird choice for a single given the other singles and how much Ariana doesn’t appear to care about it. The lyrics are similarly okay, not groundbreaking but not a fuckup (except the use of ‘sleep’ instead of ‘asleep’?) and the concept is sweetly sad. 

Needy: 8/10

Bop bop bop. It’s not a strong song like a big ballad or brave r&b statement but for what she is, she’s still important. The concept is everything, and it didn’t let me down which is important to me. It was the snippet that I was looking forward to and it did deliver the slow jam with a unique depreciating but honest message. The vocals aren’t stunning but she does sing and it feels really personal and heartfelt. And the babyloves instrumental at the end cinches this as a favourite of mine, it just sounds so pure and it’s a real relatable song. 

NASA: 5/10

Apparently quite a controversial one, either people are loving it or ignoring it. It does have a ‘kiss me thru the phone’ vibe, but I think she’s cute. Again, not a big statement but satisfying as a basic r&b moment. The lyrics are great in this song, despite the repetitive ‘imma need spice’ chorus, the verses have some original concepts and storyline. It has a really cool alternative, almost spin-off vibe to God Is A Woman with the space parallels and some linking lyrics about ‘your orbit’. And whenever Ariana manages to have a concept that doesn’t just revolve around penis in the vag I always nut, and this song is actually about the opposite and pushing someone away which is refreshing. The song is ultimately a bit forgettable but has some redeeming qualities that make me glad it made it to the album.  

Bloodline: 2/10

Nonna is a nice touch but I don’t really care about it? I don’t think about it unless it’s on. It’s good to come to a more upbeat song after the first three, and it’s catchy- with a kinda havana spanish vibe? It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if this was a single instead of Imagine, but as a 2019 song it’s almost a little outdated as music has evolved from despacito’s popularity. The lyrics are basic and something more familiar to Ariana’s usual style of vocals with some signature ‘yuh’s. I can see why people would enjoy it, and I think if it played in a club, no-one would object but for me idc. 

Fake Smile: 4/10

Starting to get tired of these alternative ‘sample’ beginnings to her songs on this album. But I like the sound of the song a lot. It reminds me heavily of Lily Allen? And y’all know I don’t like unnecessary swearing which the chorus of this song has a lot of I think. It has some of greedy’s backing vocals but goes in a different direction with vibe, however the concept really puts me off. We have this ‘’my life is hard the media and rumours are hard’’ in SO MANY other Ariana songs and I am TIRED. Go talk to You Dont Know Me or IDC for those tired concepts. She really doesn’t seem to be focusing on the positivity when she’s always putting out songs like this which is a shame because I really like Lily Allen’s music. 

Bad Idea: 7/10

We start out so strong with this song, and I really like it. The chorus really makes me wanna bop, it’s a good catchy song. Since someone pointed out the ‘ari-chan’ bit I’ve really not been able to unhear it which sucks. But in my opinions it’s like a better/alternative version of dw’s Bad Decisions. It’s not the most unique of concepts but I really like the climax vocal moment in it and it reminds me of breathin at that part. The orchestral part at the end confuses me a little? It doesn’t really go but doesn’t ruin it for me- I’ll always take some strings. 

Make Up: 0/10

I’m not a fan. It’s another one of those trippy pharrell-esque beats with no real content and some more rap-singing. Not much to say about this one, I just don’t really like it, it’s a skip from me. Issa mood issa vibe isn’t good lyrics, it doesn’t have any good melodies or vocals that would endear it to me. The beat kinda sounds like it’s falling down the stairs slowly. I just don’t think it’s album material. 

Ghostin: 10/10

Now she’s a CONCEPT. Her voice sounds heavenly and in my opinion this song has some of the best concepts and lyrics on the album. It’s a sad bop but so so needed after all Ariana has been through with her bereavement and loss. It’s so sad and sends my heart to her, she’s serenading her tears and fears to us on this song and really telling us what is going on with some of her sadder moments. It’s bittersweet and uses the concept of ‘ghosting’ as a double meaning for mac’s spirit and as the colloquial slang meaning to break up with or ignore [her current love]. It’s clever and meaningful and so good, we were blessed with the harmonies and strings on this one. 

In My Head: 9/10

Doug PREACH, this is one of the only times I will praise speaking samples in music because his part of this song is so good and necessary. Doug telling Ariana ‘enough is enough’ is PEAK reliability and you get a good sense of their friendship and her life at that point in time. The song itself pops off, it takes some of the previous ‘pete’ concepts of ‘i thought you into my life’ and develops it into this idea that she actually created that version of that person and how detrimental that can be. I think we’ve all created a vision of a person in our heads before and can relate to the concept. The lyrics are good, and the melodies and vocals are good. Mostly on this one I like the concepts that arise in the lyrics. It also lyrically ties to why try with the demons and angels visuals which i cant get enough of even if ariana shits on why try. I even enjoy (and laugh at) the scoot scoot part. It’s just a good ass r&b song that I thoroughly enjoy. 

7 Rings: 1/10

Listen, do I sing along to this song: Yes. Does that mean I think it’s good music? No. I dont like the concept nor the unoriginality of the verses just being a big sample from another song. I dont care about this flex, and I dont relate. Ariana is too rich and always has been so this song holds more jealousy and distaste for me. I don’t mind the ‘you like my hair?’ lyric but I do know about the controversy with that black woman who sang that lyric about weave and imo it’s a whole ass messssssss. The review of this song by itself could be a whole post but I’ll leave it with just saying I don’t like it. 

Thank U, Next: 10/10

A sweetheart. Really the only pop song on the album, and just a good song. It’s a classic successful max martin song, and I like the self love addition to the lyrics. It’s finally a song that ISNT about penis in vag and I was very excited when it came out. This song is going to get overplayed soon but I’m very proud of it as her first #1, I feel like it’s real and she tried very hard with it. It’s a good concept and aside from not promoting it well, deserves more recognition for the good all-round song it is. Kinda wish the U was a You but this is Ariana so I’ll just live with it. 

Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored: 1/10

This song starts hot and a bit like an attack, which is in contrast to the likes of Bad Idea which is a softer but still strong start. My opinions on the MV aside, it’s catchy but it’s basic. This is probably the least produced song on the album imo, and is what people would expect of her probably. It’s darker and I don’t go out of my way to play it. I do like the chorus and would sing along, but it doesn’t thrill me. I think it’s kinda funny? But unfortunately the song is not meant in satire. Also the title is just too damn long. 

Overall:

The album is still new to me but it has a few really redeemable songs on it. I’ve said it before but my view on it is of this album being a kinda darker side B of sweetener. I think it’s sonically cohesive as an album, only thank u next the title track really sounds different from the themes of the rest of the album. I was pleasantly surprised by the lyrics on this album, and how several of the concepts were a step away from basic fucking tracks. I dont hate it or think it’s a bad album but coupled with sweetener you can definitely see a strong move away from pop or anything ballad-y which would make any sort of good use of her voice which is a shame because she has the talent for broadway, not rap. Ariana’s career mistakes aside, it’s as good an album as I would expect to see from her at this stage and she is definitely getting more confident in sharing real parts of her life in music which is positive. 

[warfear]

✩ puli

* groans loudly *

DISAGREEMENTS

WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO RAISE THEIR VOICE? obviously miss poop. juli hasn’t raised his voice in his life… that’s no joke. can really only recall ONE fight he’s ever had with somebody. like, emotionally. he’s always fighting for the laffs.  WHO THREATENS TO LEAVE BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DOES? pippa again. she’d be way too obsessed with the last word, and you know him… never shuts the fuck up. they’d be going back and forth all night. WHO ACTUALLY KEEPS THEIR WORD AND LEAVES? julian. he’s not really a towel thrower but like, when a man has had enough... WHO TRASHES THE HOUSE? pippa would throw a hissy fit and break multiple vases. those were expensive bitch. you better venmo his mommy right now. DO EITHER OF THEM GET PHYSICAL? she might slap him. maybe. does she have the balls? somebody’s got to.  HOW OFTEN DO THEY ARGUE/DISAGREE? every god damn day. over everything. agreeing is for SUCKERS. WHO IS THE FIRST TO APOLOGISE? julian. obviously. he’s doing it right now in our thread that you refuse to reply to.

SEX

WHO IS ON TOP? i don’t think pippa likes to get down and dirty in missionary soooo… ya make a wild guess. WHO IS ON THE BOTTOM? * ladybird vc * who’s on top their first time?! WHO HAS THE STRANGEST DESIRES? pippa. she fucked her babysitter slash principal. that was mad weird. funny how juli knows about that and STILL choose to knock boots. he must be confident in her weekly planned parenthood check - ups.  ANY KINKS? enthusiastic consent on his part. duh. pippa seems to be VERY into pegging. sounds like she fetishizes homosexual men to me. larry much? big yikes. WHO’S MORE DOMINANT IN BED? we like a girl who knows what she wants. no, genuinely… he does. it’s hot. IS HEAD EVER IN THE EQUATION? juli be eating that wap like its a five course meal followed up by a midnight snack. she slobbers on that dick like its a popsicle stick.If so, who is better at performing it? her, definitely. he’s only really fucked a handful of people, and that includes her. let a boy practice, damn. EVER HAD SEX IN PUBLIC? do parties count as public? if no, then they better get to it. Who moans the most? for juli’s sake, i hope pippa. or else we might be dealing with a case of deflation.  WHO LEAVES THE MOST MARKS? pippa seems like she gets into it, so i’ll go with her. Who screams the loudest? i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again...  WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCREAMING AND MOANING? WHO IS THE MORE EXPERIENCED OF THE TWO? as established, it’s pipperoo.  DO THEY ‘FUCK’ OR ‘MAKE LOVE’? they fuck. plain and simple. maybe when he’s popped that bun in the oven we can get to talking about slowing our roll (no pun intended. just kidding, it was intentional) ROUGH OR SOFT? well, it’s not rough but it’s not soft, either. ya dig? a neat little mixture of both. he’s not a bdsm god, okay. we can’t ALL be randy. but i do wish we could. HOW LONG DO THEY USUALLY LAST? now, i won’t act as if he can go all night in terms of dicking her down… HOWEVER, he don’t give up and if we gotta put our other limbs to use (just fingers, dudes, don’t get any ideas), then so be it. is the tongue a limb? hm. IS PROTECTION USED? with his sperm count? naw. DOES IT EVER GET BORING? probably, they’re depressed.Where is the strangest place they’d have sex? this universe.

FAMILY

DO YOUR MUSES PLAN ON HAVING CHILDREN/OR HAVE CHILDREN? they do not plan on that shit, alright. but if shit hits the fan and a little gremlin starts growing inside the gremlin (let her have some water, did we?), then i guess. just know it wasn’t premeditated.  IF SO, HOW MANY CHILDREN DO YOUR MUSES WANT/HAVE? just the one, thanks. WHO IS THE FAVORITE PARENT? say it’s NOT the apocalypse, then pippa. she would spoil that little brat until it turned into a mini - her. but other than that, juli’s good with kids. THEY LIKE HIM. let me have this. WHO IS THE MORE AUTHORIATIVE PARENT? i feel like juli would be able to handle the everyday stuff of like, “don’t eat glue”. but pippa would be the one snapping, for sure. WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO HAVE A DAY OFF SCHOOL? pippa. juli values education, okay? he’s a little steven crain, why yes he is. WHO LETS THE CHILDREN INDULGE IN SWEETS AND JUNK FOOD WHEN THE OTHER ISN’T AROUND? juli. pippa might be a druggie trainwreck but i don’t see her eating hot cheetos for lunch, nah… that’s juli! WHO TURNS UP TO EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN? juli shows up for the everyday. pippa the games / performances. you think she’s gonna miss her chance at being regina george’s mom? no.  WHO GOES TO THE PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS? pippa forgets them and that leaves daddy julian apolskis with the hot teachers. thank you, poop. WHO CHANGES THE DIAPERS? julian. no further commentary. WHO GETS UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO FEED THE BABY? see above. somebody’s a LAZY bitch… WHO SPENDS THE MOST TIME WITH THE CHILDREN? i mean, i don’t wanna repeat myself but.  WHO PACKS THEIR LUNCHES? naw, that’s a lunch money kid right there. WHO GIVES THEIR CHILDREN ‘THE TALK’? neither, they’d call juli’s mommy or kitty for that shit.  WHO CLEANS UP AFTER THE KIDS? think pippa would hire a maid, honestly. juli’s not very organised and pippa’s, well… pippa. WHO WORRIES THE MOST? julian, for cheesy. WHO ARE THE CHILDREN MORE LIKELY TO LEARN THEIR FIRST SWEAR WORD FROM? oh, that’s a tie. they’d argue about who done did it… you know, like the potty mouths they are. but it’d end up being kitty.

AFFECTION

WHO LIKES TO CUDDLE? julian loves himself a little cuddle sesh. why, is she not down? boo. WHO IS THE LITTLE SPOON? both, what the fuck. * ariana grande vc * IT’S EQUALITY. WHO GETS NAUGHTY IN THE MOST INAPPROPRIATE PLACES? pippa. like you really wanna be getting down and dirty in the diaper aisle of wholefood? get ya damn hand off his non - existent buttocks.  WHO STRUGGLES TO KEEP THEIR HANDS TO THEMSELF? yeah, see above. HOW LONG CAN THEY CUDDLE UNTIL ONE BECOMES UNCOMFORTABLE? like 3 minutes for her. he can go all night, baby. WHO GIVES THE MOST KISSES? probably juli. HE’S AFFECTIONATE. WHAT IS THEIR FAVOURITE NON-SEXUAL ACTIVITY? bitching with blunts.  WHERE IS THEIR FAVOURITE PLACE TO CUDDLE? uh, a BED?  WHO IS MORE LIKELY TO PLAYFULLY GROPE THE OTHER? did you not read ANYTHING i said? HOW OFTEN DO THEY GET TIME TO THEMSELVES? i feel like they both demand a lot of me - time, and honestly i don’t see them simply existing in quietude next to each other, so… often.

SLEEPING

WHO SNORES? pippa like the wee pug she is. IF BOTH DO, WHO SNORES THE LOUDEST? she do, bitch. DO THEY SHARE A BED OR SLEEP SEPARATELY? who are they, bandy? they don’t live together but i’d ASSUME if they fucked and it went past midnight neither would just dip, that’s dumb. IF THEY SLEEP TOGETHER, DO THEY COZY UP TOGETHER OR LAY FAR APART? we start far, far away and we end up a wee bit cozy. WHO TALKS IN THEIR SLEEP? neither. that’s some tom behaviour. WHAT DO THEY WEAR TO BED? juli’s just a boxers type guy, add a t - shirt for winter. and i’m guessing she has some cutesy pajamas that are like pink… and silk.  ARE EITHER OF YOUR MUSES INSOMNIACS? juli could sleep a year. but he could also stay up a year. it’s a toss - up. i think pippa has a noise machine and a sleep mask, so. CAN SLEEPING PILLS BE FOUND BY THE BEDSIDE? yes. and we pop those for fun. DO THEY WRAP THEIR LIMBS AROUND EACH OTHER OR JUST LAY SIDE BY SIDE? both. although the former is ACCIDENTAL. Who wakes up with bed hair? juli, for sure. have you seen his hair? he ain’t brush that. Who wakes up first? fucking neither. they sleep until noon and THEN SOME. Who prepares breakfast in bed for the other? juli can’t cook but if she wants a poptart… baby, he’s your man. What is their favourite sleeping position? probably like… him on his back, arm stretched out for her to use as a pillow and then she sleeps with her back towards him. what, is he not CUTE enough to face? Who hogs the sheets? pippa. greedy as hell. Do they set an alarm each night? neither, lols. Can a television be found in their bedroom? juli has one in his bedroom, but pippa might be too poor to afford that, so. Who has nightmares? i don’t think either do. then again, i don’t edward cullen pippa every night. Who has ridiculous dreams? probably juli. they’d be incoherent and she’d be like “shut up it’s 7 am i do not wanna hear about your homoerotic dreams about harrison ford.” Who sprawls out and takes up most of the bed? i feel like they are both sprawlers. Who makes the bed? neither, it just be looking like a HOT HOT mess at all times. What time is bed time? sunrise. Any routines/rituals before bed? more bitching with blunts. Who’s the grumpiest when they wake up? my guess would be pippa. he’s not in a great mood but he’s also not in a bitchy mood. and she always is.

WORK

Who is the busiest? juli, seeing as he’s the only one with a job. freeloader much @ poopy. Who rakes in the highest income? somehow, despite not being unemployed, not juli. Are any of your muses unemployed? pippa and she’ll stay that way until the day she dies. ain’t got no skills, lady luv, what are you gonna do? onlyfans? yeah, you wish. Who takes the most sick days? pippa. from like, existing. Who is more likely to turn up late to work? juli because he doesn’t have a fucking car. who skates to work? losers, that’s who. Who sucks up to their boss? fucking NEITHER. when have these dumbos ever sucked up to anybody? What are their jobs? juli’s a clerk at the comic book store and pippa’s a professional slut. Who stresses the most? tew many blunts to be stressing, my dude. Do your muses enjoy or despise their careers/occupations? julian actually likes his job. because comics are his PASSION. one and only aside from punk and being a little meanie. and who cares about pippa’s stance on unemployment? not me. Are your muses financially stable? juli, no. although he lives at home so it’s fine. pippa, yes.

HOME

Who does the washing? juli, reluctantly, after a lot of bitching from a miss espina. Who takes out the trash? he takes her out every friday night. haha, just kidding.jokes, jokes…  but he does take out the trash. Who does the ironing? i think pippa hates wrinkly clothing HOWEVER she would burn holes in that shit and he’d have to do it anyway. Who does the cooking? it’s called take - out, baby. look it up and order me some red curry chicken from your nearest thai food place. Who is more likely to burn the house down just trying? pippa, hence… them not doing that. the oven is purely decorative. Who is messier? pippa. somehow. Who leaves the toilet roll empty? also pippa because she does not respect her fellow man (julian) Who leaves their dirty clothes on the floor? that’s juli, alright. pippa would at least fill the hamper until it overflows. good for her. Who forgets to flush the toilet? NEITHER. get some help. Who is the prankster around the house? juli would probably do something very lighthearted and then she’d take it like eleven notches too far. Who loses the car keys when it comes time to go somewhere? pippa be throwing those bitches halfway the antarctic, lemme tell you. then again he doesn’t even know how to drive, so… you win some, you lose some. Who mows the lawn? * TRIGGERED * Who answers the telephone? pippa would yell at juli to do it while she’s standing RIGHT THERE and then he’d be like yo, wtf and she’d be like omg my pedicure, though… yup. Who does the vacuuming? juli’s mommy. Who does the groceries? THEY DON’T COOK. Who takes the longest to shower? pippa. juli’s an in - and - out kinda guy. and i respect that more than i respect her for taking 45 minutes every time. Who spends the most time in the bathroom? see above.

MISCELLANEOUS

Is money a problem? no, but maybe it should be. then she wouldn’t be such a horrid little cunt, you know? too much? yeah, well… like queen lizzo once said, the truth hurts. How many cars do they own? i wanna say… one.  Do they own their home or do they rent? um, owning a home is a huge commitment (and a baby simply isn’t, just leave it on the curb outside and you’ll be gucci within 30 minutes top) and they’re not committed to the cause. Do they live near the coast or deep in the countryside? bitch, city. but a city near the coast? ahah, seattle? Do they live in the city or in the country? fucking see above, damn. Do they enjoy their surroundings? sure, why not. sounds cute. What’s their song? wap, obviously. but also everybody talks by neon trees. don’t ask me for 80’s songs, i am brain dead.  What do they do when they’re away from each other? rejoice. Where did they first meet? at a party, probably. How did they first meet? let’s just make it less awk and say through a mutual friend... Who spends the most money when out shopping? how is this even a question… obviously juli spends big bucks on nightwing comics that heavily feature dick’s thick behind. Who’s more likely to flash their assets? pippa should be robbed. Who finds it amusing when the other trips over? both. pippa would just more vocal about it. Any mental issues? * takes long drag of a cigarette * so anyway... Who’s terrified of bugs? pippa cries at the sight of butterflies. did i steal that from some toddler in the chat? yeah. Who kills the spiders around the house? jjuli would let it outside. like idiots who want the spider to come back in do. Their favourite place? probably some shitty make - out spot in the woods where you can smoke weed and bitch. Who pays the bills? juli would insist on paying half even if she could buy him. Do they have any fears for their future? ahah.... hunny… for that you’d have to expect a future. Who’s more likely to surprise the other with a fancy dinner? juli. he’s a big softie, alright. Who uses up all of the hot water? well only one of them spends the whole day in the shower, so. Who’s the tallest? JULI, FOR ONCE.  Who’s more likely to just randomly hop into the shower with the other? that’s a pippa move if i’ve ever heard one. Who wanders around in their underwear? well, he’s not gonna be putting on any pants unless there’s company. Who sings the loudest when singing along to the radio? see, juli would jam out to some sick punk rock and she’d turn it off for madonna and then have HER moment but man, did you know he’ll just join? that’s kinda cute * barf * What do they tease each other about? their respective failures. Who is more likely to cringe at the other’s fashion sense at times? he looks like he got dressed in the dark. Do they have mutual friends? HAAAAAAAAA... Who crushed first? IF that were to ever be a thing, then juli for sure.  Any alcohol or substance related problems? * loud breathing for 16 consecutive minutes * Who is more likely to stumble home, drunk, at 3am? both of them. maybe together.

[theswiftarmy]

#10 - Oak Felder’s Studio: Ariana Grande, You Can Be The Mockingjay, Okay?

The Defender returned once more.  This time he didn’t say a word.  Ariana Grande burst into the room.  “I’m soo sorry I’m late!”

           “Where were you?” Scooter sneered.

           “Scooter!  I had a show!”  She wasn’t putting up with his scolding at this moment, not after he missed her performance.  “You were SUPPOSED to have been there!”

           “I‘ve got bigger problems at the moment.”  He looked over at the open silver egg case containing Taylor Swift’s masters.  “I’m sorry I missed your show, okay?”

           “It’s fine, whatever.  I heard about what happened at the Big Machine offices, I came as soon as my Arianators informed me—Justin, are you okay?”

           “Yeah, I’m fine.  But, she captured my cat.”

           “Tuna?”

           “No.  Sushi.”

           “Oh no!  I mean, oh no if it was Tuna too!  Like, oh no if it was either one.”

           “Any update on Sushi, is she okay?”  Grande asked.

           “No update yet, I’ve been tracking Taylor’s social media accounts looking for a sign.  It just all happened so fast, we were just sitting there and then all of a sudden the Swifties stormed Big Machine Records offices—And well, here we are.”

           “I can’t believe Taylor did that!  I can’t believe she took your cat!”

           “It wasn’t Taylor, actually.  It was one of her Swiftie Soldiers—She used to come to my shows early on.  She managed one of my fan pages even—she used to be a Belieber.”

           “Oh Justin.  I’m so sorry.”  Ariana walked over to Justin and sat down beside him in the gigantic oversized beanbag chair, the chair nearly swallowed her whole.

           “I should have warned you that this chair eats people.”  He said as they fell in close with one another.

           “We’re gonna make Hailey jealous.”  Ariana whispered.

           “Nah, her and I have a high level of trust—We have true love—Nothing can tear us apart.”

           Ariana smiled at him.  “You two are one of my favorite celebrity couples.”  

           Justin smiled back.  “It just really hurts.  I didn’t think it would hurt so much.  It feels strange, she has something that is a part of me, something that I have grown attached to—I need my cat back.  I guess that’s how she must feel about those—”  He pointed at the masters.  “Damn.”

Justin fell silent, then continued, “If she feels anything like I do about Sushi being held captive by someone else, she must be hurting so bad. How does she sleep at night?  It’s no wonder she’s changed.  When you spend time with anything, you grow attached to it. I haven’t even had Sushi and Tuna that long, but I already love them so much.”  He paused.  “There are six albums there.  SIX ENTIRE ALBUMS of her career—Wow.  She must be a wreck inside.  I can’t even imagine how Taylor must feel right now…”

Ariana didn’t know what to say.  She knew he was right.  “It’s just, life gets, complicated Justin, you and I both know that.  This business is really hard, it isolates people, it’s like what Xzibit said in that Dr. Dre song on ‘The business end of this… can turn your friends against you’.”

“There’s just so much going on right now…”  Justin said turning away from her.

           Ariana hugged him, “SO, what IS exactly going on? My Spotters were keeping an eye on some of your Beliebers that were acting out of character when the attack happened.”

           “You were spying on me?”  Justin said pulling away.

           “No!  Justin—” She turned away, then back, “Just checking up on you.”

           He pulled away a little further.  “I just need to be in my own thoughts right now…”

“Okay, I understand.  You’ll get your cat Sushi back, okay?  I promise.” She climbed out of the chair, walked over to Scooter and sat down.  “So, what is this all about?”

“It’s just a lot to explain.”  He replied.

Oak spoke to the room, “Okay I’m going to connect the masters drives and start the Easter Egg track so we can figure out what we’re dealing with here—”

“Wait, maybe we should bring Ariana up to speed!”  Scooter said stopping Oak.

Oak agreed.  “Okay, okay, that’s fine—So, here’s what’s happening—Scott do you want to tell it?”

“No.  I’ve told the story enough.  You’ll do it better justice.”

Oak Felder nodded.  He clicked a button to change the mood lighting.  The lights in the studio dimmed to a low glow.  “Okay, here it goes.  In 1960, Elvis recorded a song completely in the dark, the song was Are You Lonesome Tonight.  His recording engineer, named Bill Porter, was able to remove the Devil from Rock and Roll, The Squares at the time thought Rock and Roll was the devil rising up to take over the world.  Bill was able to isolate it to an old reel to reel tape, which he labeled Easter Egg and signed his name.  Scott here found the Easter Egg tape just before he discovered Taylor Swift at the Bluebird Café in Nashville—Scott borrowed an old antique tape player to play the tape back as Taylor wouldn’t stop obsessing over the idea of an Easter Egg song being on the tape.  When they played it back, they heard nothing; they listened to it a second time, and got some kind of craving to listen to music.  The first piece of music they listened to, Taylor playing guitar, sounded like the best song they had ever heard.  They started recording, not realizing the Bill Porter Egg track was still playing through a set of studio speakers.  When they played the song for friends and family, everyone went bananas for it. Too long don’t read, they put in all her masters like sugar in candy and got everyone hooked on Taylor Swift’s music. Something changed when she released her Reputation album and now we think she’s possessed by the Rock and Roll Devil and is trying to take over the world.  Does that sum things up?”

“Yeah, that’s pretty much where we’re at.” Scott replied, satisfied.

“I’m not entirely sure I follow, who’s Bill Porter, again.”

“Bill Porter was to Elvis what I am to you, Ariana Grande.  Behind every great song and talented artist is a great sound engineer and producer.  Their stories largely go untold.  Everyone knows Elvis but very few people know who Bill Porter was.”

Ariana nodded.  “This makes it sound like she’s only famous because of this sound.”

Scott stepped back into the conversation.  “No.  She’s famous because she’s a fantastic songwriter.  When I first saw her perform at The Bluebird Café, she was—Still is, just amazing.  There’s no doubt about that.  But she’s taking over the world because this sound made the songs addictive beyond the usual on repeat symptom you see when you hear a normally addictive song.”

“Yeah.”  Oak agreed. “This takes her ordinarily addictive songs and makes it so you basically cannot stop listening to them.  It’s like falling in love with someone.  Where you obsess over them, you can’t sleep, you can’t eat, and you can’t function without them in your life.  It does that with Taylor’s music and makes you do anything for more and anyone who crosses her, crosses you.  You become jealous, overly zealous, a warrior on her behalf.”

“Can I put this in my music?” Ariana asked.

“I’m gonna say no that.  We don’t really know what we’re dealing with here.  This sound, could literally be The Devil.”  Oak voiced, slightly concerned at her question.

“Well, okay, can I be The Mockingjay then?”

“This isn’t The Hunger Games!”  Justin sat up in the giant beanbag chair.  “There is no Mockingjay.  This real life we’re talking about—These are real people’s lives that are being effected.”

Editor: AFFECTED!

Writer: Sorry.

Editor: Continue on.  Just remember what you learned in English class.

Writer: I actually failed 11th grade English.

Editor: Well that explains everything.

Writer: I RETOOK it over the summer and got an A-... I was going through a hard time, 11th grade was hard okay!  I had to work through some stuff.

Editor: Ohhh look at you with your A- in 11th grade summer do over English class.

Writer: Shut up....  let’s just get back to the story.  Stop being a bully.

Editor: I’m not I’m being an editor... I just got a little carried away... I’m sorry about that.

Writer: It’s fine, let’s just keep going.

“…lives that are beings affected.”  He paused.  “At least I think it’s real life.  Maybe we’re some sort of story and someone else is writing our lives, and others are reading them.  Like The Never Ending Story.”  Justin mused.

Scott picked up where Justin left off, “We just don’t know what this is exactly... okay?  So until we figure out what is going on here, everyone just calm down okay?  You all need to calm down.”

“Okay Taylor.”  Ariana added.

“This isn’t funny, this is serious stuff!”  Justin shouted out.

Oak pushed another button and the lighting changed, a sense of calm overtook everyone’s thoughts, “Listen we need to hear this tape okay?  So we can figure out what we’re dealing with… Once we analyze it we can better understand it and then make informed decisions from that point in time, and, Ariana, if we figure this all out, and some big war has to be fought, you can be the Mockingjay, okay?”

“YES!”  She exclaimed.  “I get to be Katniss Everdeen!  Thank u, next order of business... let’s listen to the tape.”

@taylorswift @arigrandescloud @justinbieber

[nomenomen]

I enjoy lame things and hurting myself, i lack friends and talk to myself

01: tell me the truth, what made you start liking the person you like right now?

i started loving her day after day and I couldn’t control it

 I used to find him very good looking, and then I got to know him and found out he’s charming, and smart, and funny, and it was kind of a slippery slope.

02: what on your body is hurting or bothering you? my boobs are terribly sore right now

 My left ass cheek and my shoulders are kinda sore because of some ice-skating falls, but I’m alive.

03: what was your last thought before going to bed last night? “i need to study more tomorrow”

 “I wish I didn’t have to come home and I wish I could have stayed more in bed with you.”

04: what are you listening to? mean by pink

 Death of a bachelor by Panic! At the Disco

 05: what’s something you’re not looking forward to?

my exam in two days

 My exam next month.

 06: where do you think your best friend is right now?

at home, I guess

 Both at home, both in Milan.

 07: have you kissed anybody in the last five days? i haven’t

Yes.

08: sex on the first date? i would if I felt like it

 Probably not.

09: kiss on the first date? why not

 Yes.

10: is there one person you want to be with right now? yes

 Yes.

11: are you seriously happy with where you are in life? not happy, not unhappy

 Yes I am. Terribly out of character statement.

12: is there something you would like to say to someone? there is a billion things

 Nothing I can’t just say.

13: what are three things you did today? i studied, baked cookies and made myself chamomile

 I ate an ice cream, walked in the rain, tried on a leather jacket.

14: would you rather sleep at a friend’s or have them over? have them over. i love my own bed too damn much

I would like to spend a night at a friend’s house.

15: what is your favourite kind of gum? i prefer candy

 I still prefer candy.

16: are you friends with any of your ex boyfriends/girlfriends? yes

 No.

17: what is on your wrists right now? my skin

 The sleeves of my hoodie.

18: ever liked someone you thought you didn’t stand a chance with? almost every time i liked somebody I thought I didn’t stand a chance

 Not recently.

19: does anyone have strong feelings for you? i don’t know, i hope so

 “yeah, I sure hope it does” vine frame

20: are you slowly drifting away from someone? i wish I weren’t but i am

 Not right now.

21: have you ever wasted your time on someone? i am starting to think so now

Yes absolutely.

22: can you do the alphabet in sign language? i can’t but i want to learn

 I still haven’t learned, but I do know how to sign a couple words now.

23: how have you felt today? terribly tired

 Very bored.

24: you receive £60 without any reason, what do you spend it on?

food, a dress i love

 I don’t know. I want to say books, or a stationery shopping spree. Or maybe pay for a fancy date.

 25: what is wrong with you right now? i wish i could pinpoint just one thing

 I have a headache and I am kind of pissed that my weight and my diet seem to be a matter of public opinion and discussion. Aside from that, I’m good.

26: is there anyone you’re really disappointed in? yes. so, so much

 As of now, no, I’m currently not disappointed in anyone.

27: would you rather have starbucks or jamba juice right now? i don’t know what jamba juice is so i’m gonna go with starbucks edit - i googled jamba juice. i want alllll of that inside of me. hell yes.

 I googled jamba juice again. I want that one.

28: why aren’t you in ‘love’ with your last ex anymore? because we can never go anywhere and we have to accept we can never be more than friends

 Cause she’s a bitch. B I C T H. In that order.

29: how late did you stay up last night and why? i went to sleep around four. sometimes it’s just how it is. it will fix itself

 I went to sleep around one because I spent the evening at my boyfriend’s house and we kept ignoring the time ‘cause none of us wanted to leave.

30: when was the last time you talked to one of your best friends? right now

 I’m talking to him now.

31: what were you doing an hour ago? watching snl sketches because i need some damn fun in my life

 Reading The Great Gatsby.

32: what are you looking forward to in the next month? the end of this horrible summer and the start of a hopefully better autumn

 Finishing my exams and spending all of my free time with my boyfriend.

33: are you wearing jeans right now? i’m not

 No.

34: are you a patient person? it depends on the situation, on the people…

 Depends on what I need to be patient for. Overall, not quite.

35: do you think you can last in a relationship for three months? i can last a whole life

 Yes.

36: favourite colour? green

 Green and blue.

37: did you have a dream last night? if i have, i can’t remember

 I’m sure I did, and I usually remember them but today I don’t.

38: are you wearing jeans, shorts, sweatpants, or pajama pants? short shorts

 Sweatpants.

39: if someone could be cuddling you right now, who would you want it to be? if i don’t say it it will count as a wish and come true

 My boyfriend.

40: do you love anyone who is not related to you? yes

 Yes.

41: if someone liked you right now, would you want them to tell you? absolutely

 Of course. Being honest is always important.

42: do you like meeting new people? sometimes, when i’m in a decent mood

 Not really. I’m very awkward when I first get to know people. But I do like it when I get over that and get new friends.

43: are you afraid of falling in love? i never want to for the rest of my life

 Kind of, sometimes.

44: ever self-harmed or starved yourself? it has happened

 Yes, but not since I last answered this question.

45: has anyone ever told you that you have pretty eyes?

i have pretty boring eyes

 Yes.

 46: have you ever felt like you weren’t good enough? everybody has expectation, and it scares me how much i think about that when i do anything, rather than thinking about myself and what i expect

 Yes. In many occasions. But I know how to work it through.

47: take a selfie right now and show us? forget it 

 I got one this morning, hope it’s ok.

1: Let’s start with a tricky one; what is the real reason you are confused right now?

I’m in a complicated relationship right now and I don’t know if this is really good for me or it’s just my emotions taking the lead and making me make horrible horrible decisions.

I’m conflicted about having sex.

·         2: Do you ever get “good morning” texts from anyone?

I do. Every morning.

Yes.

·         3: If your significant other smoked pot, would you care?

I’d be worried for their health, but I would just consider it their business after all.

I don’t.

·         4: Do you find it easy to trust others?

I find it easier to stay as far as possible from anyone and tell myself I’m a strong independent woman who don’t need no one.

Absolutely not. It’s definitely something I should work on.

·         5: What were you doing at 11PM last night?

Studying like crazy.

Something not PG-13.

·         6: You’re drunk and lost walking down the road; who is with you?

Probably no one. And that’s probably the reason I’m sad and drunk.

My friends and my boyfriend and it’s my birthday and, honestly, we’re all having a great time.

·         7: What would you do if you found out you had been cheated on?

 Unfortunately, I had to experience this first hand. Before I thought it was something I could simply not forgive, but when it actually happened to me, I just took my time and then acted as if it didn’t matter.

 I would leave that person and not look back. Fool me once.

 ·         8: Are you close with your dad?

Very much.

Yes.

·         9: I bet you kissed someone last night, right?

I wish.

I did.

·         10: What are you listening to?

A playlist called beautiful songs to break your heart and make you feel. I think that says a lot about me.

7 rings by Ariana Grande. Gee thanks, just bought it.

 ·         11: You can only drink ONE liquid for the rest of your life - what is it?

Water. Water all the way.

Yep, water.

·         12. Do you like hickeys?

I do. I like having them, and I like giving them.

No.

·         13: What time do you go to bed?

When I do, it’s really late. When I don’t, I sleep a couple hours in the afternoon.

Around midnight, a little earlier if I’m tired or I need to wake up early in the morning; a little later if I need to study.

·         14: Is there someone who continuously lets you down?

I guess.

Not right now in my life.

·         15: Can you text as quickly with one hand as you do both?

Not really.

Kind of.

·         16: Do you always answer your texts?

Always, as soon as I possibly can.

Yes.

·         17: Do you hate the person you fell the hardest for?

Somehow, I do.

No.

·         18: When was the last time you talked to one of your best friends?

A couple minutes ago.

I am right now.

·         19: Is there someone that makes you happy every time you see them?

Yes. 

Yes! Yes. So happy.

·         20: What was your last thought before you went to bed last night?

I wish I could erase my memory and start all over again.

I wish I was still in bed with you.

·         21: Is anyone else in the room with you?

I’m alone.

No.

·         22: Do you believe what goes around comes around?

I don’t. People can be good or bad and not have to respond for anything for the rest of their lives. It’s just how it is.

I don’t. It’s not gonna stop me from hoping bitches will get fucked though.

·         23: Were you happier four months ago than you are now?

The last three months have been hell, but I would have to go far back in time to find something I can call happy.

Oh baby, no. I’m very happy right now, thank you very much.

·         24: Is there someone you wish you could fix things with?

There is. But I’m afraid we can never fix things again.

No.

·         25: In the past week, have you cried?

A lot.

No? No!!!

·         26: What colour is the shirt you are wearing?

I’m wearing a black dress.

I’m wearing a black hoodie.

·         27: Do people ever call you by your last name?

My first name is just fine.

No.

·         28: Is anyone ignoring you right now?

I don’t think so.

No.

·         29: Do you have a best friend?

I do.

More than one.

·         30: Would it be hard seeing someone else kiss the last person you kissed?

It would kill me. But I guess it’s just a matter of time now.

O o f. It would.

·         31: Who was your last call from?

My dad.

I think my mom.

·         32: Are you mad at anyone?

Mostly at myself.

No, I’m good.

·         33: Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

I did, but it was just a couple months difference.

Same answer as last time.

·         34: How old will the last person you kissed be on his/her next birthday?

Twenty.

24. We’re so old.

·         35: How many more days until your birthday?

Nineteen, yay!

252, I’m so ready.

·         36: Do you have any summer plans yet?

I’m just hoping for it to be over as soon as possible.

Look, it’s January. I will, maybe, who knows.

·         37: Do you have any good friends of the opposite sex?

I do. Very good friends of mine.

Yes.

·         38: Are you keeping anything from your best friend(s) now?

I am always keeping something from someone.

No. Definitely not.

·         39: Do you have a secret that you’ve never told anyone?

Kind of.

No.

·         40: Have you ever regretted kissing someone?

I regret it very much.

Yes.

·         41: Do you think age matters in relationships?

Not really.

Not that much.

·         42: Are you available?

I never am.

No. Never.

·         43: How many people have you had real, strong feelings for since high school ended?

One.

Two.

·         44: If you had to get a piercing (not ears), what would you get?

I’d get my tongue pierced.

Absolutely a tongue piercing.

·         45: Do you believe exes can be friends?

I have to.

No.

·         46: Do you regret anything?

Committing to a serious relationship with someone who was’t ready. It’s not her fault, but it wasn’t mine either. I guess it was just terrible timing. Or terrible luck.

Yes. I regret my previous relationship because it ended up being shitty for me and I’m incapable of finding the good in the bad.

·         47: Honestly, what’s on your mind right now?

I want to be clean now. I want to forget and forgive. I don’t want this relationship to be everything I constantly think about.

I think I’m in love.

·         48: Did you ever lose a best friend?

I did. Now it doesn’t seem so bad, but back then it hurt like a bitch.

Yes.

·         49: Was your last kiss a mistake?

I have to tell myself it was.

No, it was a pretty great kiss.

·         50: Why aren’t you pursuing the person you like?

Because she cannot love me back.

Because I did and I got him.

·         51: Has the last person you kissed ever seen you cry?

Many times.

No.

·         52: Do you still talk with the person you last kissed?

I do.

Of course.

·         53: What was the last thing you ate?

A kiwi fruit.

Almonds.

·         54: Did you get any compliments today?

I was told I got skinnier.

No.

·         55: Where are you going on your next vacation?

I don’t know when my next vacation will be. Probably years.

No idea.

·         56: Do you own anything from other countries?

Some things here and there.

Yes. Half of my belongings come from Belgium.

·         57: Are most of your friend guys or girls?

It’s a fifty-fifty kinda situation.

Still and even number.

·         58: Where have you lived most of your life?

Here in Italy.

Still Italy.

·         59: When was the last time you took a long drive?

I never did, but I wish I could.

I don’t drive.

·         60: Have you ever played Spin the Bottle?

I haven’t.

No, I think it’s kind of late for that experience.

·         61: Have you ever TPd someone’s house?

It’s not really a thing here.

Nope.

·         62: Who do you text the most?

My sister.

My friend.

·         63: What was the last movie you saw?

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Again.

I did watch something recently but for the love of me I can’t remember what it was. Yes, I got it! I watched the Ore Monogatari live action.

·         64: What’s preventing your current boyfriend/girlfriend from going back to their ex?

I don’t have anyone.

This bomb pussy that’s what.

·         65: How many boyfriends/girlfriends did you have in 2010?

One boyfriend.

Still one boyfriend.

·         66: Is the last person you kissed younger than you?

She is, by a little more than a month.

No, he’s a little older by a couple months.

·         67: Do you curse around your parents?

I don’t.

No.

·         68: Are you happy with where you live?

Not really.

I’m not.

·         69: Do you collect anything?

I start collections of literally anything.

Yes. Books and other random stuff.

·         70: What’s your favourite colour?

Green.

Green and blue.

·         71: Does the last song you listened to remind you of anyone?

Everything reminds me of just one thing right now.

Yes.

·         72: Has anyone ever cheated on you?

Yes.

Yes.

·         73: What are your plans for tomorrow?

Buying cream, eggs, and chocolate to bake, and then studying.

I need to read and study. Also I want to watch some Steven Universe. And I hope they’ll deliver my new camera so I can try it out, since mine’s broken.

·         74: Do you have siblings over the age of twenty-one?

I have a younger sister that is sixteen.

No, she’s gonna be 20 in a little more than a month.

·         75: Does your last ex have a job?

I don’t think so.

How should I know?

·         76: What would you do if you found out your most recent ex was in a relationship?

I couldn’t and wouldn’t do anything. I know this moment is just bound to happen sooner or later.

Hope it sucks. Bitch.

·         77: Where is your cellphone?

Next to me, charging.

Charging, four years later.

·         78: What colour is your cellphone?

It’s black.

Gold. But, like, tasteful gold.

·         79: What did you dream of last night?

I can’t remember.

Unfortunately I can’t remember. Which is a shame, cause I have some pretty weird dreams

·         80: Are you atheist?

Mostly.

Yes.

·         81: Will you change your name when you get married?

Not in a thousand years.

No.

·         82: Are you ready for autumn weather?

Fucking bring it on.

I’m ready for summer and dresses and looking bomb.

·         83: Have you had any big storms recently?

I have.

Don’t get me started. December 2018 has been a  r i d e.

·         84: What kind of bottoms are you wearing?

Told you, it’s a dress.

Green sweatpants.

[canaryatlaw]

So today was all sorts of cool because I got to be lazy and productive and just enjoy myself all at once. I did the whole in and out of sleep thing until like 2 I think, then remembering my thought from last night I made pancakes because I hadn't made them in forever and they turned out pretty good. Not long after that I started making the caramels I had wanted to made for a while. I get frustrated with caramel recipes (or at least the ones I've seen) because they'll generally require you to get the sugar syrup to a certain temp and then add the cream/butter which is supposed to lower the temp, then you keep cooking it until it gets up to a temp that's significantly lower than the first one- except candy thermometers are really fucking slow to react to temperature changes so it never ends up going down fast enough so I have to take it out of the pot and wave it around till it goes down and then by the time I can put it back in there it's already too hot or maybe never got down to that temperature in the beginning (ugh). So they turned out kind of hard and like, just a little burnt but they still actually taste really good so I'm fine with that. I still have a cup and a half of heavy cream with no specific purpose so I may try another recipe in the near future, but we'll see. After I was done cooking I started doing my laundry which was so very overdue because finals, and I ended up doing 5 loads today haha and cleaned out all my quarters- I was 1 short of 5 loads so my roommate let me take one of hers lol. So throughout the rest of the day/night I was running up and down the stairs every 45 minutes to switch out loads. While doing this I watched some tv and chilled on my laptop for a while. I started with designated survivor, which is definitely one of my top shows that's airing right now. I'm just really enjoying it. They've been doing a good job with balancing the whole "this is clearly a massive government conspiracy" without going too overboard to an extent where they can never actually make an adequate play out for. So that I appreciated. I was sad to see Kimball step back in congress (though I did a major LOL when Josh Chan suddenly showed up as a congressman) but I'm sure she'll still be around for other purposes so that's good. I want more Alex Kirkman! I love the female characters on this show so much I just want more of them. Alex is like this kick ass civil rights lawyer and is pretty much ultimate career goals for me so I love seeing her do anything. And of course my girl Hannah is out there kicking ass and taking names every week, outwitting every man standing in her way. I enjoyed the episode and look forward to where they're going with it. After that I watched Blindspot, which I figured I'll watch through the end of the season at least even though Archie is potentially permanently gone, but I guess we'll see about that (I think that because she essentially became a barrier between Weller and Jane, which I hated, they just want her out of the way now since Jane and Weller are obviously endgame so they probably won't be bringing her back). It was a good episode, poor Paterson is losing it and needs some serious counseling. Poor thing. The plot with Zapata breaking out of prison was quite entertaining I have to say, even when I'm sure it would be much more difficult to actually break out of a prison like that (and not just because I've watched shows about it). But that was a great one. I feel bad for Roman and what he's being put through with not knowing who to trust, and now having this memory of the person he thought he could trust more than anyone else being the person who did this to him....like I don't necessarily think Jane did the wrong thing there but I feel bad for Roman being in that situation now. So then I moved on to Riverdale, which, oh boy, I was not prepared for this episode. What a drama fest (spoilers ahead, obviously). I definitely did not expect Jason's killed to actually be his father, and then to find his body like that was so like, holy shit and man so I feel bad for Cheryl who's literally lost half of her family now, even if she is a "mean girl" nobody deserves that. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at the whole Blossom/Cooper incest thing because it was just so ridiculous, like you did what????? I was not expecting that to happen, lol. I'm looking forward to seeing what will happen in next week's season finale for sure though. Also poor Jughead. This kids just gotten such a rotten lot in life (even though the sheriff saying his dad wasn't getting out anytime soon on those "charges" he listed were straight up bullshit and there's no way he could hold him on that). Sometime in here I decided I wanted pizza so I ordered that for dinner. It was decent, I'm always trying to find new places that deliver to attempt to find one I really like. Okayish, I guess. Around the time I finished Riverdale I had my last load in the washer so I started folding my clothes, which took a while because I have a damn lot of clothes that are currently all fitting in my dresser but we'll see how long that lasts. But as of now there's not really any dirty or clean clothing on the floor and no clean clothing in the hamper so that's a win. After that I came back to the tv and watched some of the late show with Seth Myers which was enormously funny, I must say. Andrea Martin was on and it took me a minute to realize who she was and then I was like OH I saw you on Broadway and you were fan-fucking-tasting so that was a fun interview to see. At this point I was also doing some online digging for my sister (I've officially become her Internet "find this for me" sleuth because I'm actually quite good at it) based on a picture of a dress Ariana grande was wearing that she apparently wants for her sweet 16. There was the knock off shop which I'm like hmmm I don't think I'd trust you to actually make it look good, but I tracked down the designer and found his website, then couldn't find that specific dress on the website and ended up stalking his Instagram until I discovered the dress for Ariana had been custom made so we probably couldn't get it. Not to mention these dresses are all around $5K or more and as persuadable my parents are on some things I don't quite see that happening. Maybe we can go dress shopping when I'm there in June, that'd be fun. And yeah shortly after that I started getting ready for bed and here we are. It's late already obviously and I don't really have anything else to say, so I'm gonna go to sleep now. Goodnight darlings. Happy weekend.