#him and the band absolutely killed it! such a beautiful performance!!

[lifemod17]

Hozier singing a cover of 'Fairytale of New York' by The Pogues ft. Kirsty MacColl

Saturday Night Live || 12/21/2024

[letstevengrantsleep]

Bad Girl - ft. Eddie Munson (pt.2)

older!rockstar!Eddie Munson x younger!reader

summary: after working on your new album with Eddie Munson of Corroded Coffin, you debut your latest single on stage at one of their concerts

word count: 920

warnings: age gap (reader is 20s, Eddie is 40s/50s)

a/n: this can realistically be read as a stand alone thing but if you want the buildup then read pt.1 here - please let me know if you want a smutty pt.3 to this :))))

masterlist

It's half an hour before you make your debut appearance with Corroded Coffin, and quite honestly you've never been so terrified. You find yourself standing in front of a full length mirror staring at your body as you mull over your outfit options.

A sharp knock on the door startles you out of your train of thought. "Dollface!" Eddie shouts, swinging the door open dramatically. " You ready for this? Corroded Coffin is about to bring this place down!"

He's got a wide smirk on his face, hands shoved in the pockets of his ripped jeans as he leans casually against the door.

You can't help but smile back at him as you sigh out, "I'm fucking terrified I'm not gonna lie. Performing with legends like you?" You bite back another smile, "It's intimidating."

Eddie nods, tilting his head to the side and smirking at you, "hey, you're a big star baby, do your thing and the crowd will go crazy." Standing there, he continues with a wink, "I'll see you out there dollface."

"See you out there, rock star."

After getting ready you head to the side of the stage and watch as Eddie absolutely kills it out there with the band. His energy is palpable as he stomps around the large space, completely commanding the audience with his undeniable sexuality.

The crowd are roaring with excitement and the whole experience feels so intense, to even be here at a Corroded Coffin gig feels like a once in a lifetime experience, and the thought of being on stage with them in a few songs time makes you buzz with anticipation.

Holy shit, you think, the energy building up as you wait to go on stage, this is really happening.

"Right, fuckers..." Eddie drawls into his mic, turning to side stage and throwing you a wink to let you know this is it. "I've been busy recently... writing some stuff with a friend. She's taken the metal world by storm with this fucking single, and her sexy vocals... they'll drive you crazy, trust me." He smirks at you again and raises his arm to beckon you on stage, "please welcome the beautiful..."

The crowd roars as Eddie introduces you and as you strut your way onto stage throwing him a wink, you swear you see his mind go blank. Clad in fishnets and a vintage Corroded Coffin tee that so tight fitting it's practically a crop top... he can't take his eyes off you. Eddie's eyes move up along your legs and land on your cleavage, you're stood there like something out of his fucking dreams.

As the first notes of your song starts, Eddie practically moans out the first line...

"Just lay your head in daddy's lap you're a bad girl..."

You've never felt so confident, singing your lyrics and performing with one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. Eddie's got that grin on his face again as he makes his way over to you. He can tell your confidence is growing with each beat, your sultry voice only empowering your attitude more.

Eddie wraps an arm around your waist and the crowd go mental, watching with anticipation as he leans in to your ear. "Keep going! Just imagine the things some of these guys want to be doing to you right now..."

You can barely hear him over the crowd but his comment still makes you feel weak at the knees. Turning to face him fully you belt out the next lyric, pulling his hand to trace up your body and land on your neck.

"Choke me 'cause I said so. Stroke me and feed my ego. I've been a bad girl don't you know?"

As you sing a smirk plays at the corners of your lips, one hand moving to rake down from his chest to his belt which you grip, pulling him in. If he's going to make comments like that, you're going to put on a show.

Once again the crowd goes wild as you tease Eddie, and as the song ramps up to the final line I step impossibly closer to him, singing...

"Come get it now or never, I'll let you do whatever, I'll be your bad girl, here we go!"

The song ends and you both stand there breathless, Eddie singing "bad, bad, bad, bad girl..." while smirking wide at you.

The crowd is deafening, but the only thing you can hear is Eddie as he shouts "fucking gorgeous, dollface!"

As you move to stand back from Eddie you find yourself trapped by his arm quickly wrapping around your waist and pulling you back in. The tension between you is so thick you can barely breathe as he stares into your eyes, looking for any kind of panic in your gaze... but all he sees is passion, lust for fuck sake. It's all built up to this. Months of waiting to get in the same room as you again and here he is fucking drooling over you like a teenager.

He can't take it anymore, and before either of you can process the implications of what's happening, you're kissing him. Deep and sensual and raw fucking passion running through you like electricity. It takes all the willpower in the world for you to pull away, knowing full well that Eddie still has a show to perform.

He's breathless, feral, and there's nothing you can do as he grabs at your jaw to still you for a second longer.

"Wait for me in my dressing room, dollface."

[cryptictongues]

Garnet Kisses

pairing: Barnabas Tharmr x Reader rating: Explicit (MINORS DNI; 18+) word count: 4.6K summary: You and Barnabas commence your newfound union with a blood oath.

warnings: BLOOD PLAY (like a lot), rituals, knifeplay, spit kink, possessive behavior, cunnilingus, vaginal sex, choking, squirting, overstimulation, religious themes

This is a work of fiction. Understand that what happens in this fic can be dangerous if performed in real life. This oath was created entirely by me, but there are blood oaths that are considered forbidden to be used by certain groups of people.

Also, if blood is not your thing, be wary. This fic has A LOT of blood play, blood consumption, etc.

[AO3 link]

All little girls dream about finding their prince. They hope to find a man that will sweep them off their feet, protect them from the ways of the world, and cherish them for all time. They dream of wearing beautiful gowns as their knight and shining armor holds them close, whispering more sweet dreams into their ears. They dream of lavish ceremonies that symbolize love and joy. They dream of starting families with a man that makes their heart race no matter how much time has passed. You know this because you were a little girl once, only while most end up not getting close to their fairy tale end, you got all that and more because of the man you now found yourself at the altar with: Barnabas Tharmr.

You and Barnabas have known each other for years. The two of you grew up together in a small religious clan: followers of the Circle of Malius. With both of you being descendants of the Children of the Dzemekys, the religious teachings and ways of your culture came easily. You both believed that leading the path for your Lord was destiny, and with those morals in line with one another, it wasn’t hard for you to fall in love with him and vice versa.

You’ve been one of his biggest supporters. Ever since the brutal killing of his mother and the awakening of his unique Eikon, he was on the war hungry path of conquering Ash and bringing it back to its former glory. There would be many nights where he would come home to you, ravished in the blood from those who stood in his way, looking like an absolute maniac. You loved the sharp look in his eyes, and it made your nether regions quiver with the need to clean him with your tongue. Greedy little thing , he would say and would fuck you like no tomorrow wherever he desired.

Everything fell into its rightful place once he conquered Veldemarke, the last bastion of Ash. You remember that day fondly, as he had promised you the day the Kingdom of Waloed was established was the day you would become his queen. And so here you both are, at the altar of the grand hall of your new Kingdom, finishing your vows amongst a small audience. You both wear black wedding attire, you in a beautiful black gown with a veil trailing far back and him in a special black tunic with dark blue embroidery. You both have your rings, simple yet elegant silver bands decorating you and your beloved’s ring fingers. As he finishes his vows, it is pronounced that you are both husband and wife, king and queen. The audience kneels before you two, and Barnabas takes that time to press his lips to yours in a chaste kiss. You’ve dreamed of this day, yet not for the reasons the Waloedian audiences would expect. 

“Are you ready to depart for our own ceremony, my dear?” Barnabas whispers in your ear, a shiver running down your spin for what’s to come. You nod, and with that the two of you take your leave to the Tower of Reverie, where you two will commence in a ceremony in the sanctuary of your Lord.

You could have cared less for a wedding ceremony, but Barnabas insisted it would be wise to do so in order to make appearances. It is vital that the people of our newfound Kingdom know who they bow before, he would say with the promise that anyone who disrespects you will face the consequences of his blade. He agreed, however, that the wedding has no real meaning because regular wedding ceremonies aren’t a concept within the Circle of Malius. The religious ceremony you both shall partake in was something much more intimate, a ceremony in which to be bound is through blood and blood alone.

You both ride in silence, reflecting on what is to come. It takes no time to make it to the tower’s steps and into the intricate lift. The anticipation of partaking in a ceremony used by your ancestors with the one you love has you vibrating in Barnabas’s arms, causing him to hum at your excitement. “Someone’s exhilarated, hm?”

“How can I not be?” You chuckle. “Are you not?”

“Oh, my heart,” he nips at your neck, a gasp leaving your mouth as he pulls you closer to him. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this day.”

The lift halts, signaling your arrival. The two of you walk hand in hand, and Barnabas places his hand on the door to the entryway, letting the magick course through as it opens up. You both walk in, and what you see leaves you in awe. 

You’ve been here plenty of times. You and Barnabas come here once every few days to worship Lord Ultima, bowing before the giant statue created in His Name. However, you see candles at the top of the steps that lead to the statue, and as he leads you closer to the spot the ceremony shall take place, you see they form a circle. In the middle of the circle lies a box, which you are well aware of its contents. 

Barnabas’ is right behind you, his breath heavy on the back of your neck as his excitement starts to rise. He slowly removes your black veil, the weight of its trail no longer present as he tosses it behind him. His hands trace the buttons on the back of your gown, making you antsy as you wait for his instructions. 

“I could just tear your gown to shreds,” he growls, fingers pulling at the buttons lightly. “But I shall savor this moment.”

He starts to unbutton your garment, kissing the exposed skin of your back as more becomes exposed. The last buttons become undone, your back fully on display for him. His warm hands run themselves along it, diverging to each shoulder to push the sleeves down your arms until the garment pools to your feet. “Beautiful,” he mutters, before tugging your knickers down. He stands back up, walking in front of you only to kneel again. “Grasp my shoulders.” 

You do as you are told and watch as he helps lift each leg to tug off your shoes. Once they are off, you are completely bare before him. He takes a step back, admiring your form before taking your hands and placing them on the belt securing his trousers. “Undress me, my dear.”

You start at his belt, unbuckling it before pulling his trousers down. You do as he did; kissing the rough skin as it became exposed. Just as he did you, you remove his shoes to set them aside. You kiss your way back up, giving his cock a little kiss causing him to groan. “You are quite the minx.”

You grab at the belt on his waist, humming as you unclasp it from his waist. “Yeah? Well, I am the minx you chose to marry.” 

With the waist belt done away, you lift his tunic from his body, revealing his toned yet scarred body. You can’t help but stare; no matter how many times you’ve laid witness to it, it is still the body of your beloved. Every viewing is as delicious as the last.

He takes hold of your hand, leading you to the circle of candles and making sure you step over them carefully so as to not burn yourself. He guides you to your spot, and you assume the position to kneel. Barnabas moves to mirror you, the box now in between the two of you. He reaches for it, opening it to pull out the tool you both will be using for the ceremony: a dagger with a short, dark metal blade and a handle decorated in black and red binding.

“This is the dagger our people used long ago.” Barnabas states. “My mother passed it onto me before her passing.”

“She knew we would go through this eventually.” You bring your hand to his thigh, rubbing up and down to soothe him. Anytime he brings up his mother, it's unfortunately a painful reminder. 

“That she did.” He smiles, placing his free hand over yours, the dagger in his other. “Shall we proceed with our ceremony, my queen ?”

“Yes, my king, ” you draw out, ready to claim him fully as he is with you. You have waited for this moment for so long. You had studied this ceremony for years, preparing for the day you get to go through with it. It has become muscle memory from how many times you’ve gone over the process; the oath ingrained in your brain from reading the words over and over. You were ready to fully commit to the man before you once and for all.

“Grant me your hands, my dear. Palms up.” He says, and you display your palms. Barnabas grins, an eagerness in his eyes as he gently holds your left hand. The blade touches your thumb, and then digs in only enough to draw blood before bringing it down across the thenar. He stops just above your wrist, and does the same to your other palm, blood pooling in your hands as he finishes. The pain is soothing. It’s dull from the adrenaline running through your veins. The blood is warm in your palms, and all you want is to paint Barnabas’ skin.

He presents the blade to your mouth, smirking as he watches you. “Stick your tongue out.”

You do as you’re told, and he places the cool steel on your warm tongue. He drags the dull face down, a soft moan leaving your throat at the taste of your own blood. “So obedient,” he murmurs, flipping the blade to do the same with the other side, ensuring the blood is completely cleansed before he uses it on himself. From your religious teachings, the blade is to never mix blood, for it can only connect once the ritual starts. 

He takes the clean blade, shining with your spit, and cuts his palms with the same precision and depth. Once finished, he licks the blade clean as you did and sets it down on top of the box. He pushes it to the side with the back of his hand, and then settles his hands on his thighs, palms upward.

“My dear, are you ready? Do I need to go over anything before we commence?” Barnabas asks, being patient only ever for you, even when the glint in his eyes is sharp and lethal.

“I’m ready,” you say. “I’m ready to give myself fully to you.”

“Then let’s commence,” he holds his hands up, blood traveling down his palms. You bring your palms up at level with his, and slowly you both connect your palms, fingers intertwining. Your blood mixes with his, warming it back up as each other’s palms press together. You two stay there for a moment, letting your blood and his meld together in perfect harmony. 

“For thou blood has mended, let us take our oath.” Barnabas speaks, nothing but authority in his voice. He has always been a serious man, but this was different. This seriousness is untamed, the control lacking in his usual demeanor. You can see his urge to take you on the stone of the sanctuary, but you know he won’t. He has waited for this moment as long as you have. He wouldn’t dare ruin this moment. 

His eyes bore into yours, taking a breath before his lips start to move. “I, Barnabas Tharmr, take this oath by blood as a decree to bind myself to you for all eternity.” He releases your right clasped hand, the blood dripping onto the stone beneath you both. “Through mind,” he brings his thumb to your forehead and smears a mix of his and your blood slowly as he continues reciting the oath. “Body,” his hand travels to your tummy, blood blooming on the skin with his touch. “And soul,” his hand is now at your heart, marking you once more with the deep red that continues to seep from his flesh. His hand returns to your hand as he says the last bit of the declaration. “I submit myself to you, and may death punish me if I part.”

Barnabas reclasps, signaling it is your turn to recite the oath. You repeat his actions, rubbing the blood mixture onto the same spots he had on you. Seeing him with red on his skin makes you restless, wanting so badly to lick it off. You bring your hand back to his, the oath out in the open. 

Once your hand reclasps, Barnabas squeezes your hands as a way of saying you did well, a genuine smile on his face mirroring yours. “For thou oath has spoken, let us conclude thy ceremony with the blood seal.” 

The blood seal is not a seal, but an act; the last act of the ceremony to seal the bond. You tilt your head back, ready for the final piece, and open your mouth with your tongue out. You see Barnabas do the same, and you both unclasp your hands, bringing mirroring hands towards each other. Both of you have a fist hovering over your tongues, and simultaneously you both squeeze, letting the blood flow. The metallic tang fills your senses, and your nostrils flare. For all the times you’ve tasted the blood on your lover's war ridden body, tasting from the source sends your mind reeling and makes your cunt whimper.

After the time you are supposed to let the blood flow, you both drop your hands. The look Barnabas is giving you tells you that your blood is having the same effect on him; his pupils big enough to make the blue of his eyes vanish. You both reconnect hands, and lean forward, your mouths connecting in an open mouth kiss. Barnabas grunts into your mouth, your tongue playing with his as both of your blood mixes, concocting a flavor one could get drunk on. 

You want to let go of his hands so you can get closer to him, but you must be patient. All you can think is once this is over, you and him will be bound for all eternity. You will be him and he will be you; one cannot go on without the other. To know this man is yours and cannot part from you without consequence makes you smile. He is yours forever.

Suddenly, you feel a shift inside of you. It’s as if you can feel more than just your body’s function. Instead of one heart, you hear two. Instead of two lungs, you breathe through four. As the oath commands, you two are mended in every way two people could be. This is heaven, you think. This is what it’s like to be reborn. 

Barnabas releases your lips first, pulling back with fierce eyes. You feel hypnotized, not being able to look away from him. A smirk eases its way onto his face, curling into a smile as he starts to wind up. A laugh bubbles from his mouth, growing louder and louder as it turns manic. You can’t help but join him, laughs blooming from your chest. His hands come to your cheeks, leaning towards you so his forehead leans against your own. He continues to laugh, giving you time to place your own bloodied hands onto his cheeks. 

“Finally,” he says, placing a sloppy, bloody kiss against your lips. “Finally, you are mine. All mine!”

He continues his assault on your mouth, making your laughing halt as he gets closer, with him almost hovering over you. You gasp between kisses, as he barely gives you anytime to breathe before he attacks your now garnet lips once more. “Darling,” you say, completely breathless. “I’ve always been yours.”

“Yes, however,” he pushes you on your back, hovering over you looking absolutely debauched with his face covered in your blood. “You are bound to me. You are mine forever , my dear.” He licks your lips, only to let his tongue travel from your cheek to your ear. “You are forbidden to leave me.”

His mouth leaves open-mouth kisses down your body, leaving a path of bloody marks in his wake. You feel your nether regions grow wet, the display of affection before you doing something completely depraved to your body. The image of your beloved, blood covering multiple parts of his body, creating more art on your own makes you shake with need. The need for him to claim you officially in this new bond you two share makes you let out a whine, which only causes Barnabas to let out a sadistic chuckle.

“Don’t worry, my heart.” He murmurs, his lips lingering right above your sensitive pearl. “You’ll be begging for me soon enough.”

You sit up with your elbows, the stone digging into them without a care, and watch as Barnabas lets his tongue feather with your lips, teasing you enough to make you whimper at his actions. You lift your foot and place the heel on his back, pushing him forward so he can consume you. His hand smacks your thigh, leaving a bloody handprint as a reminder. You groan, needing him to do something to soothe the ache that has built between your legs, which only causes him to chuckle at your neediness. “Good things come to those who wait, precious one.”

The hand he smacked you with grips your hip, his arm hooking your leg over his shoulder. His other hand places itself firmly onto your stomach, pressing down to ensure you move as little as possible. “However, our Lord has blessed you because my patience has waned, and I am starving.”  

He goes right to your clit, sucking gently, causing you to fall back in an arch. You feel your cunt clench and unclench, letting your gold leak from your hole and being ever so close to hitting the floor. Barnabas has none of that, his tongue snaking down to capture the nectar before attending to your clit again. You try to lift your head, seeing the brutal stare he gives you, before he smacks your thigh again causing your head to fall back down.

“That’s it,” he growls. “Take the pleasure I’m giving you as our Lord watches over us.” 

Your eyes fall onto the statue of Lord Ultima, shivering more at the thought of Him watching your newfound communion. The stone voyeur observes every hitch in your breath and every shake in your thighs as Barnabas devours your essence. It adds to the pressure in your abdomen, and a delusion whispers in your ear to release for Him and him, causing an explosion of light behind your eyes. You scream as the flood of your release consumes you, your nails scraping against the stone below. 

You hear and feel Barnabas grunting into your cunt, a wildness in his movements taking over as you wither in bliss. The stimulation is overwhelming, and words bubble from your red stained mouth as your legs start to thrash. Barnabas was having none of it, scooting closer so your hips were in the air as he held you down tightly. This new angle gave you no choice but to look at him and his tongue, performing magick that has your hands making purchase on his knees with nails digging to the point of drawing blood. This, of course, did not deter him in the slightest. The atmosphere he is in is an energy he thrives on, and you know nothing makes his cock harder than seeing you so mindless. 

You release again, crying out as he keeps you steady in his bruising grip. The amount of essence coming out of you is felt, leaving trails down your ass to your back. He slows down, yet you continue to whimper as his tongue caresses your sensitive pearl. “My darling,” you cry out. “I beg of you!”

He hums and releases you. He crawls back on top of you, bringing himself down to kiss you. It is through this kiss you understand his hunger, the mixture of blood and your nectar creating a taste so divine that you find your tongue licking every crevice of his mouth. He releases your mouth, smirking at your eagerness before caressing your face, leaving more blood from his palm. “Our Lord has truly gifted you with the taste of an angel, precious one.” 

“Yes, He has,” you purr, before letting your hand go to his hair and yanking his head back. “But that isn’t the only thing He has granted me.”

You take his surprise and flip yourselves over. You straddle him with one hand still fisted in his hair and the other going to his throat. You bring your mouth back to his, and slowly let your hips move so your cunt grinds against his erection. He moans sinfully into your mouth, his hands coming to your hips to guide you along. You let yourself move all the way until the tip kisses your clit and back down, whimpering every time they make contact with each other. You are riled up again, and all you want is to sink down onto your lover until you are one. 

You let go of him and sit up, tilting your head down to let your saliva, now pink from the dilution of the blood, drip down onto his tip. Barnabas curses, his head falling back making you grin. You grab his cock and align yourself, sliding down until you are full of him. Your hands lay claim on his chest to position yourself, and you start to slowly lift your hips, only to slam back down. You repeat the cycle, your hips having a mind of its own as you work your pace with Barnabas releasing a deep sigh every now and then. 

You admire him from above. He is the most beautiful and divine being you have ever seen, especially with him taking what you give him. But even more so, the blood that covers his body makes him irresistible. Anytime he would come home covered in the blood of the enemy, it made you weak in the knees and sink into submission; the urge to clean him off and seduce him a strong conscience. But this, him covered in your blood, the very essence of your being, makes you feel powerful and strong. You suspect it could be the bond, but at this moment it didn’t matter. The feeling makes you want to devour him.

You lean over him, continuing to ride him as you start to lick the blood off his chest where your hands were. You make your way to his throat where your hand once laid, sucking and nipping as you lick the rough skin. Barnabas growls, his hand weaving into your hair as he pulls your head back making you yelp in surprise. He pulls your face to his, his free hand taking your jaw with a tight grip. “Give it to me,” he snarls. “Give me what you’ve collected.”

He squeezes your jaw, and you gather all you can muster and open your mouth. Your red saliva falls onto his awaiting tongue, and the sight makes you rock faster on his cock. He closes his mouth and swallows, laughing as he starts to rock up into you. “You revel in this? You revel in my consumption of your blood, hm?”

“Yes,” you mewled, meeting his quick thrusts. 

“You revel in my war-torn body? The one you’ve completely painted in your life force?” He continues, his grip in your hair tightening. “You are a greedy little thing.”

You laugh, the tinge of pain from your scalp and the pounding of your cunt driving you to be hysterical. “I’m your greedy little thing, my darling.”

“That you are, my dear.” He snickers. “Now, be greedy once more and keep taking me.”

He lets go of you, allowing you to sit up again. He halts his actions, letting you take the reins to take what is yours. You move so you're on the balls of your feet, squatting over him with his cock still inside of you. Your hands reach out for his, and he holds onto them. Using your lower body strength, you start to bounce on his cock with all the energy you can gather. 

Your moans echo throughout the sanctuary, chants leaving your lips. His cock is hitting all the right spots in this position, and even though it makes you weak in the knees, you tread on. You feel Barnabas twitch inside of you, so close to his end just as you are. It brings you much joy to know that your cunt alone can bring him to his ruin. Although, a little help doesn’t hurt.

You let go of his hands, collapsing back to your knees to bear your weight, and let your hand go to his throat once more. Your thumb and pointer finger squeeze gently, progressing ever so slowly as he reaches his end. You can’t help the smile that spreads upon your face, seeing his eyes wanting to roll back but refusing. “Come now, my darling.” You murmur. “Let those steel blues roll back for me.”

His hands wrap around your waist, bracing himself so he is able to batter himself into you. The way he has you makes it so with every thrust up, your clit hits his groin with utmost force. It brings you closer to your second coming, your moans growing from the knot of pressure in your gut. Barnabas’ eyes have rolled to the back of his head, completely possessed from the pressure on his cock and throat. The boil of your love making grows bigger, until it finally overflows. Barnabas lets out a guttural noise, and as his seed shoots up into you, you relieve his throat. The fresh air entering his lungs exuberates him, which makes him go faster than he was before. You don’t know if it is the position you are in, but his pace sends a shock through your system, and makes you release all over him. Liquid squirts onto his groin, the sound of your love making increasing as it disperses over down your lover's thighs. It is overwhelming, and yet you wouldn’t have it any other way.

Barnabas slows down, bringing his thrusts to a halt. He is breathing heavily with a drunken smile on his face, eyes glazed with a calmness you have never seen with him. He looks like an angel; one that has fallen from grace into a world that must start anew from his command. It’s funny to you because he calls you an angel, yet you are seeing one right before you. 

You both are covered head to toe in each other’s blood, which has started to dry up. You go to remove yourself from him, but he holds onto you tighter. “Stay still, my heart. Bear my seed for a while longer.”

You nod and lay your head against his heart. Its pattern is all too familiar, falling right in line with your own. “My darling, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so calm before.”

He hums, his fingers brushing through your rowdy hair. “Remember, my dear. This bond binds us, for I am you and you are me.”

“I guess that means my calmness has officially rubbed off on you.” You chuckle, your finger drawing random letters into the dried blood on his chest.

He doesn’t respond but leans to press a kiss to your forehead. You both lay there for a while, basking in the post-oath glow. The candles dwindle off gradually, the wax melted onto the stone, letting the casting of the dark night sky cover both of you. And there you two fall asleep, covered in the throes of passion and rose petal stains.

[mikeyforreal]

Hi there, Mikey! I was wondering if you have some headcanons about Robin Buckley? Because I love Robin so much!

dating robin buckley head cannons !

a/n: thanks so much for requesting! here ya go :) also this is intended for afab

cw: fluff, robin being a little nerd

you're always going to her band performances ✰

robin invites you to all of them, big and the little ones

the first time she did, she did it think you were gonna show 😭

but ofc you did !!! how could you miss something like that? it was so important to her and you knew it

as soon as she saw you on the bleachers, her face lit up and she couldn't stop smiling the whole time :)

to the point where the other trumpets thought there was something wrong lmao

and if you're on the cheer team or any sports teams it's even better because then you never miss them, even if robin forgets to tell you

different dates ✰

robin is a little clueless romantically, so she usually asks steve or nancy for their thoughts or ideas

usually nancy gives better ideas in the end

one of your favorite dates was when you two went to get ice cream and walked around hawkins together

speaking of ice cream !

i think she'd really like sherbet in a waffle cone because she swears they taste better

and she always has ice cream at her house

but anyway back to the dates

steve is always third wheeling when she needs a lift to get you or when you're going somewhere that's too far for walking

he swears he hates it but secretly it makes him super happy to see robin get so excited talking about you or seeing the two of you interact, even if its awkward (he's so sweet to both of you)

sleepovers !! it's easy and comforting for her to know that you're safe with her all night :)

some random head cannons ✰

say it with me now,

PHOTO SHOOTS !!

she loves loves loves taking pictures of/with you

if you're on the cheer team or sports team, she has a pic of you in your uniform in her wallet

she has tons of pictures of you everywhere; her room, in a little locket she wears 24/7, on the mirror of steven's cars passenger seat (it's officially her spot fight me)

she loves hugging you from behind :)

always wanting to hang out at your house or vice versa

she learned how to make mixtapes for you

robin is always picking up random rocks that remind her of you

she's always watching whatever movies you want to (and letting you rent them for free)

she def wants to teach you to play trumpet

always helping you with homework

basically whatever it is you need she'll do it, no questions asked

idk why but robin reminds me of the song josie by blink-182 😭 (go listen to it, it's a masterpiece)

i think her love language is quality time or touch

robin is definitely a fast talker, especially when she's excited or worked up

so sometimes you just gotta take her hands in yours and look her in the eyes and politely tell her to slow down

she nods, takes a few breaths and then tells you what happened

if you're on the cheer team, she thinks you look absolutely adorable and beautiful in your cute little skirt and zip up with your name embroidered in cursive

and if you play on a sports team she is in awe whenever she sees your absolutely KILLING IT on the field or court

sometimes she hugs a biiit too tight and you can't breathe but she doesn't mean to hurt you !!! she just loves being close to you and pour it out in her hugs

she loves holding hands ! and she loves kissing your hand, very gentlewoman of her 🧐

she literally loves you sososo much, regardless of any "flaws" or "imperfections"

a/n: i had a lot of fun making this ! thanks again for the request :)

[chitsangenthusiast]

for awhile now i've been craving to do a fic/scene to this song but no earthly clue how to write it where it adequately matches the energy of the song and isn't a song fic

so imagine with me: marine biologist sokka, famous rocker zuko, and a night of karaoke

——

naturally, their entire thing starts with a concert.

zuko's playing in his home city, and all sokka needs to do is take an hour train in to see one of his favorite bands. easy enough, he's made the same commute countless times, and absolutely worth it, even if it means he's going alone when no one else's schedules line up to be able to tag along.

except the forecasted snow hits harder than it was supposed to during the concert, putting any outbound trains out of commission as well as any hopes for an uber willing to drive him the hour back to home. it's bad enough that he wouldn't risk asking his friends to come out to him, especially not katara, who was already on call tonight and whose probability of going into work just sky rocketed.

which means: a hotel. which means: he's pissed, and if he's going to be unexpectedly forced to spend the money to stay a night in the city then he's at least going to go waste more money and get blasted at a local dive bar he knows.

the older couple sitting next to him who he'd been commiserating with get up to brave the weather at the exact moment zuko walks in.

(the next morning, sokka wakes up to the distant sounds of zuko saying he got late check-out for him, then again to an empty room and a phone number scrawled onto the hotel note pad laying next to his dead phone.)

//fast forward, where zuko is trying to enjoy lunch with his friends in the city, except the paparazzi are relentless. but fate had granted it to be a beautiful day, with the bay sparkling invitingly, and one of the best seafood places happens to be on the route to sokka's favorite lunch spot.

they make eye contact across the street, and zuko pursues.

//fast forward, through several more nights spent together, several more paparazzi issues, a classic airport scene, the kiss that finally seals the deal.

//linger on the moment when zuko sneaks into a conference sokka is attending. the one with an importance that had been alluded to for the past month, where sokka even refused to schedule anything together in the two weeks leading up to it, the one where he laughed at the idea of zuko attending it as a show of support, but also hadn't explicitly stated he didn't want him to find a way to get in.

so zuko does, and he finds out that what sokka had vaguely described as a podium presentation was actually the keynote speech, given to a packed auditorium.

zuko knew sokka was smart, but he didn't know he was 'on the fast track to being renowned in his field' smart.

(it's hot, all that easy intelligence and confidence as he watches sokka just totally in his element. he jokes to mai later that he can't believe he fell in love to a total nerd.)

//linger on how, once he's said it out loud, the thought never leaves his mind.

//fast forward to (finally) karaoke night. sokka can sing, but zuko's never succeeded in getting him to sing along to one of his songs, despite sokka's unabashed proclamations of how big of a fan he is. until tonight (thank you katara and ty lee), and—oh.

oh.

zuko had encouraged him by saying he'd provide back up vocals (it's fun to watch sokka squirm at the idea of singing along with the lead singer of the song he's about to perform), and sokka declared he's going to face the tv the entire time to avoid seeing ty lee's phone bc of course she's recording to some social media live—

he forgets about the camera halfway through, forgets their friends are even in the room despite their cheering, because he loves this song, loves the theatrics, and he'll be damned if he doesn't do it full justice like he does every time he sings it. especially when he whips around, caught up in the vocals and the dramatic sway of his performance, and catches sight of zuko on the couch, microphone fully forgotten in his lap as he stares wide-eyed and open-mouthed at him.

sokka is hitting every note, every emotion that the song demands. he's doing perfect, he is perfect, and when he sidles close enough zuko can't help but cling to his legs, desperate and breathless as he stares up at him, utterly enraptured. he yanks on sokka's belt loops, tries to pull him down, an unconscious action fueled more by his pounding heart than any desire to end the performance—the last thing he wants is to end this—but sokka doesn't indulge him until the very end, during the small space of a breath right before the last few lines.

"together bound in madness," he sings, shakier then zuko performs it, sweeter then he could ever make it, then bends down to kiss zuko soundly, putting as much of his everything into this kiss as he is singing zuko's song, and only sokka is able to hear the rattled gasp zuko releases when he slips his hand into his hair to cradle the back of his head.

when he pops back up to do the big finish, his hand remains nestled in zuko's hair, grounding him. he savors both the iron grip on his hips and how zuko's head lays boneless against his palm.

the last ringing note, the end of the song, and sokka barely gets in a steadying breath before zuko is frantically tugging him back down to his mouth.

in the background, simultaneously hazy and so, so clear, he hears mai: "i can't believe we just watched zuko fall in love."

and yeah. yes.

he absolutely just did.

[allfillernothriller]

Yard Act (+ Murkage Dave + Folly Group) @ Les Nuits Botaniques, Brussels, Dream Job Tour, 28.04.24

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Land of the Blind

What. A. Night. The acoustics? Terrible. Did they play Grifter's Grief and Petroleum like I expected they would? Nope. Am I disappointed? Not in the least. There's no way for me to assert one gig was better than the other. They were unique experiences and I'm so happy I went to both.

My favourite spot at any given concert is near the singer's mic but a little to the side so that I can get a good view of the bassist. As you can tell on the video, that's precisely where I was 🥰

10mins before the start of Murkage Dave's set, there was still only 12 of us inside, and man. That was heartbreaking to me (at least at first). I saw him get on stage and start his set fully focused like everything was normal, but it certainly didn't feel normal to me. Back in Paris, the venue was full from the moment they opened the doors. (Maybe cause this time was a festival?) Thankfully, people started to come in bit by bit and by his 4th song the tent was filled. But in the meantime I turned into a self-appointed hype man and cheered + sang along anytime I remembered lyrics from his set in Paris. He flashed me the biggest smile and that was my job done. I'll say, he killed it! He acts out some of his lyrics while singing them and I love how theatrical his presence on stage is. In the end, he told us that while we were 12 at first, he felt very welcomed by the fact that his performance attracted the rest of the audience inside. I'm glad it turned out to be a positive experience for him bc I was quite worried during the first 3 songs.

Folly Group was the best kind of slap in the face. You know me, I went without listening to anything first. That strategy has never failed me and I'm going to keep doing that until I die. They are so good?? Ridiculously good. I'm defo seeing them again some day, in a nebulous future.

Yard Act... They were magnificent. Beautiful people, beautiful show. They gave their all for the last one, the energy was electric! Daisy and Lauren went all out with the dance moves and I was so here for it! Love them, love the vibe they bring, it's the icing on the cake. I hope they'll stick with the band next tour (fingers crossed).

Now here come the fun parts.

James, James, James.

Dunno if any of you recall the post I made for the Paris gig, but basically he caught me singing along to the newest songs and went through a hilarious mix of emotions bc most ppl in attendance didn't know the lyrics yet. (It was at the very beginning of the EU tour, by the end of it more and more goers had had the time to memorise the lyrics.)

Well, this time I was front row and in his line of sight more often than not. So of course he noticed I was pit choiring (dunno if that's a thing but you know what I mean) during the 2nd song (Dead Horse), came to the edge of the stage right in front of me, crouched a little, looked me straight in the eye and basically sang the last verse with me. Thing is, he did it again during the next song (When the Laughter Stops) for the remaining half of the 2nd verse and from that point on, it turned into a game, sort of?

Land of the Blind was next, he gave me a pointed look from the mic stand at the very beginning of the 1st verse (to see if I'd start singing straight away I assume?), he didn't sing directly with me this time BUT mimed the 'magic trick' in front of me. (🥰)

Now for the real shenanigans. The following song was Fizzy Fish and it is my absolute favourite. However, there is a tricky part at the beginning of the song — a tongue-twister (and rather long at that). You prolly know where this is going. So, when I cheered obnoxiously at the first notes, he got a twinkle in his eye and a grin that spelled trouble and before I knew it, he was squatting in front of me, initiating the most intense eye contact I've received in years (eyes wide and intent, as he does), daring me to follow. And you best believe that I always mess up this part when singing in the comfort of my own home, and given the smug look James was giving me, he was 100% trying to trip me up. But I wasn't going to turn down a challenge from one of my favourite musicians, was I? Bc the other thing is, that lil stunt of his channelled my focus and I was able to sing through the tongue-twister for the 1st time thanks to him. He feigned annoyance and moved to the other side of the stage, and that was fucking hilarious. He came back at the very end though, and addressed the “keep your silly grin plastered accross your stupid fucking face” line to me. Love that man.

Oh, but we're not done. Next up was We Make Hits, and I believe that's their most popular one from the latest album. The crowd was extra responsive, and James tried to interact with as many people as possible. He still sang the first chorus with me, but the band (not just James) went and tripped *everyone* up on the 2nd one (took a longer pause between 2 lines basically), everybody in the crowd fell for it, except me. (I'm not psychic, their body language was easier to read from my pov.) I'm not gonna lie, I felt a tinge of pride.

James 'left' me alone for the next few songs (for one he was too hyper to stay put, and that would've been unfair to the rest of the audience if he gave attention only to me). But! He sang the tiniest bits of A Vineyard for the North and 100% Endurance with me and that meant the world. James is a certified sweetheart and I wish he was my big brother.

Surely, I'm done now, right? Think again. Bc I have to tell you about Ryan. I'm autistic, right, it's no secret. I'm very sensitive to sounds, I do suffer from misophonia and that does include music sometimes (heavy autotunes, recorders...) but that also means I get the exact opposite of that. Sensitivity works both ways, and I've been obsessed with bass guitars and basslines for as long as I can remember, and even that is putting it lightly. (I could make a post about that to go into further details if you're interested but this one is never-ending enough as it is.) When filming a performance, I keep my eyes off my phone as much as possible, but I always try to make sure to get decent footage of the bass. Now Ryan was quite far off to the side, and the stage was rather wide, so that meant if I wanted him in the frame, I had to blatantly orient my phone towards him. I got caught, obvs. He didn't pay much mind at first (I like how he looks very focused and overly serious when he's playing, you wouldn't guess he's just as silly as James is), but after a while he realised I was filming him specifically a lot. He sort of kept and eye on me from then on, and so we made eye contact several times (esp when James was interacting with other members of the crowd). I was unapologetic bc I'd kill for his basslines, but at one point he raised an eyebrow at me, tilted his head towards Sam (who was at the opposite side of the stage) and nodded once. I chuckled, nodded back and filmed Sam bc I felt called out. 🥲 (Don't get me wrong, Sam is a tremendous guitarist but tHE BASS.) I basically got scolded by one of my favourite bassists of all time for not giving his bandmates enough attention, that was both sweet and really funny. Ryan caught me again a few more times (I couldn't help myself) and he'd give me a glare with no real heat or roll his eyes lmao.

I had such a blast! Towards the end of 100% Endurance, James thanked their crew and each band member, I yelled "LOVE YA" enough times to pass as the lunatic I am, so that was great too (/gen). James always thanks Ryan last (they're the co-founding members), and takes the time to hug him and give him lil kisses to his temple and cheek, and that's when Ryan melts. Lemme tell you, seeing a grown man drop his professional musician mask and turn into a puppy in anticipation at the sight of his co-founding bandmate walking over to him is the most adorable fucking thing ever. (The queerplatonic vibes they got going too 🥹) I'm a bit sad I didn't record that, but there'll be other opportunities.

This time it wasn't just Murkage Dave joining in on the Trench Coat Museum fun, but Folly Group too and the result was insane! Sadly all my footage is extremely saturated (again, the acoustics suuucked).

After the concert, a handful of us goers were waiting round to see if we could get a setlist but the security staff didn't know anything about that. Thankfully, Ryan walked back on stage to get something so I asked him directly. He was so surprised he didn't reply, he simply gave me an acknowledging glance and proceeded to peel off his setlist with the greatest care in the world. I immediately thanked him profusely (and loudly) and some guy waiting with me had the audacity to say Ryan wasn't going to give it to us. I got super defensive and told him that yes, he was, what do you think he's doing? Ryan gave me a fond lil lopsided smile, got up and went on to peel off (just as carefully) all of the remaining setlists. I just... Lost it, half yelled “AWW YOU'RE SUCH A SWEETHEART, YOU'RE THE BEST”, thus successfully embarrassing the both of us. He sent me a look that said “do you have to be so loud?” (tbf I didn't). He gathered the setlists in a pile and handed them to the staff so we could have them. I've never received one in such good condition, they always get at least a tad torn and/or crumpled. But look at that! 🥹

I love him so much, protect him at all costs. ❤️

Even though I remember everything vividly, I'm still having trouble realising everything I've told you here actually happened. I'm a lucky bastard.

I'm in love with this band. 🧡

🫶🏻

[Click on 'read more' for bonus vids & pics]

—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—•—

Murkage Dave keeping it real (World I Want to Live In)

He's got a sense of humour too (Gotta Go DJ)

Folly Group setting the tone (Awake and Hungry)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

James making the most of the last gig (Pour Another)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Daisy & Lauren 🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 (Pour Another)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

James decided to sing the 'clean' version of Land of the Blind, and I decided to ruin it

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Yard Act tricking the crowd (We Make Hits)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Losing my entire mind over them (Dream Job)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

I can't post the video itself bc my obnoxious cheering pollutes the audio, so have a gif instead (Dream Job)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

The four words James sang with me (A Vineyard for the North)

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

A very blurry James singing with me (100% Endurance)

Better yet, the video

[CW eyestrain: flashing lights]

Ryan staring at me disapprovingly while I'm filming him (The Trench Coat Museum)

He looks absolutely done with me but don't let that fool you, he's a very endearing man 🧡

Bonus anecdote:

The woman who was next to me at the barrier (I'd say she was in her 50s) accosted me after the gig was over and told me she had fun watching James sing with me 🥹

Post-concert sap for everyone involved 🧡

[catchyhuh]

Hello I am DEVOURING your headcanons. they're so so so fun to read dude, you have no idea. I'd be honored to fuel the beast 👍

As a hypothetical au, if the gang (pops included) were to be in a band together, what roles do you think they would have? Who'd be the front/ on vocals, who would play what instruments, would one of them take the manager role (or maybe which side character would be their manager?), etc etc??

Cheers, and welcome to tumblr!)

SEE THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT!! I’D NEVER HAVE EVEN CONSIDERED THIS WITHOUT YOUR ASK! THANK YOU SO MUCH! for both the inspiration and the kind words/welcome :)

ok battle of the bands let’s see…

lupin:

known attention whore = MADE for the too self important lead vocalist whose ego eventually breaks up the band. it’s just that by standard lupin miracles nobody has even considered that as an option! but just saying “main character is the frontman” is boring so let’s go further

lupin probably had like piano lessons as a kid per the hyper decadent lifestyle of the family, but he only retained like. don’t stop believin maybe. piano isn't totally his style in a BAND band, like he COULD do keyboard reasonably if he wanted but he thinks it looks silly so he doesn’t because he’s just. like that. it's his band he gets to do whatever

jack of all trades master of none most likely. can play a little on the guitar, bass, bagpipes for all i care, jaw harp, elementary school recorder, etc, but it’s mostly for show. he’d kill on drums but that’s in the BACK and HE can’t be in THE BACK

jigen: 

a second in command comfortable with being second in command? jigen wouldn’t even be on the stage if it was up to him, he’d just play his part like standing on the steps to the platform

guitar, but prefers acoustic. he processes the notes better if they're like, "organic" like that, not to say he CAN'T do electric guitar, and he admits it sounds pretty sick time to time, but he has his preference. he loves the sound of piano, too, but he doesn’t have the fingers for it, and he’d LOVE to do saxophone but learning it is a real task and it’s hard to juggle murder, burglary, and lessons simultaneously. maybe if he ever retires. and if that smoker’s lung capacity doesn’t have anything to say about it

jigen’s gonna be causing beef about the music styles for sure. and lupin’s like “you LOVE rock” and he’s like “but this is specifically is shit. actually take it down a few steps pal let’s just do some billy joel” “WE HAVE AN AMP.”

fujiko:

oh god she has a beautiful singing voice. you know it, i know it, everyone does, and maybe she’ll sing once in a while, but her REAL deal is managing.

oh she LOVES being on that clunky flip phone going “my talent would sooner play a swamp than take pocket change from your dinky little joint” and really none of the others like the setup side of playing live music so really it works out! plus she gets to hit ‘em with the agent royalties. best of both worlds

could probably play damn near any instrument if she really tried, but she doesn’t care too much to make that effort, at least not for this purpose. she likes listening and dancing to music more anyway! it’s probably why she doesn’t sing too much despite her natural gift there. i bet she'd be hands on if they made a music video or something though

goemon:

you know what instrument/position perfectly encapsulates “often overlooked but everything would fall apart without them”? THE BASS. and let’s be honest nothing hits like a sick bass line. auditory equivalent of watching this guy slice the moon in half or some shit

initially i see him not getting why anyone would want to do this? the recording he gets, he’d wanna listen to this again later too, and the live music he understands, because it’s more. personal. frankly cooler. but performing for strangers? but au or not MONEY IS A HELL OF A MOTIVATOR! 

they’re not even that type of band and yet goemon is absolutely the dreamboat pick with all the fans. it’s so funny he himself doesn’t even care (the idea flatters him, but none of these people really know him, ergo the attraction isn’t completely bc of who he is as a person so he’s like hm. whatever) but lupin’s like we’re not a fucking boyband. and if we were a boyband WHY IS IT YOU AND NOT ME? 

could pull sales by himself tbh but he wouldn’t. he loves his friends he’s not bailing for money. no matter how often fujiko suggests i

zenigata:

wait. hold on i gotta look something up i feel like i just remembFUCK

I WAS GONNA SAY DRUMS. I WAS GONNA SAY DRUMS AND I DON’T WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE I'M JUST GOING THE BASIC ROUTE BUT REALLY IT’D BE GOOD FOR HIM TO GET SOME ENERGY OUT ON THOSE THINGS. also its symbolic because the drums are placed furthest away from the other instruments. it’s a music metaphor

okay let’s just forget the blurry t-shirt image. i’m sticking with drums. solid, consistent and neverfuckingending, just like he is. the first and last part of the song, most often. we love symbolism. as for why he’s here and his role in the madness? god knows. maybe he’s just doing it for the free drinks! i wouldn’t blame him! i can’t imagine the mental timeout i’d need touring with these people!

the only one that. not really clashes with fujiko's managing but the only one that has an opinion on the way they go about things. he probably went "what? why the hell would we open with that. what's the matter with you" and took the setlist and the others went. shrug. ok. and then he got on their backs about how they shouldn't be so passive this is a CAREER they're talking about!! HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS

a little addendum: it would be so cute if yata was also trying to manage them. like he’s fujiko’s assistant. man gets stuff DONE i can easily imagine the trade off of “yes i can schedule this. wait what are the hours? ooooh. lemme get you on the line with miss mine” and she just grins knowing she’s about to unload a whole schpeel on this phone guy. good cop bad cop managers. if i knew more about the band scene as a whole i bet i could throw some other thoughts in here but for now we'll just reach the honorary sixth guy :)

[louisupdates]

Louis Tomlinson in Tampa, FL

Photos and Written by Romina Raggio

Louis Tomlinson is, and will always be, an absolute rockstar! Louis took Tampa by storm on Friday, July 14th at our very own Yuengling Center, located on the University of South Florida Campus, as part of his Faith in the Future World Tour. Dedicated fans with general admission floor tickets began lining up as early as 9am for their numbered wristbands, per the policy set forth by Louis' team to dissuade overnight camping. Later that day, they returned to line up in their places to enter the venue.

Once inside, fans were regaled by powerful and emotional ballads from the first opener, Andrew Cushin. At just 23 years old, Cushin puts on a show filled with passion and left fans absolutely floored! Next came a band by the name of "The Snuts". Originally from Scotland, the Snuts know how to put on a show. With high energy songs like "Seasons", fans were jumping around & filling the center with fun dance moves and smiles.

When it finally came time for Louis to take the stage, fans were absolutely brimming with anticipation. Fog and strobes filled the scene as the opening notes of Louis's song "The Greatest" began to play. Louis' band made their way out onto the stage, and the screams were deafening as we awaited the man himself. The crowd absolutely exploded as Louis finally appeared, and proceeded to put on one of the best shows I've ever seen!

When Louis began his performance, I was absolutely speechless. His voice is absolutely incredible, with the most beautiful and unique vocals of any vocalist I've ever heard. Louis sang his heart out, songs like "Bigger Than Me" and "Face The Music" from his latest album "Faith in the Future", while also bringing out some oldies from his debut album "Walls" with songs like "Kill My Mind" and "We Made It". Fans went absolutely nuts for Louis' cover of "505" by the Arctic Monkeys, and then completely lost it to Louis' new rock rendition of one of his earliest singles "Back to You" feat. Bebe Rexha. Louis sings each and every word with so much passion, and every one of his songs is an absolute work of art! Louis also takes every possible opportunity to thank his fans, saying time and time again that he wouldn’t be here if it weren't for them, and expressing just how much he loves them. At one point, Louis even took the time to sign a tattoo for a fan, a common request from his tattoo-obsessed fanbase. Louis was constantly cheesing at fans and looked to be having the absolute best time on stage, and we just couldn’t get enough of him!

As Louis' left the stage proceeding his final encore, something incredible happened. One particular fan in the crowd began belting out the lyrics to "No Control", a song by One Direction that is famously known to be written by Louis himself. The entire crowd then began singing along, me right along with them, serenading Louis backstage with this and another 2 songs from his One Direction days in a nostalgic sing-along. The camaraderie within the crowd was beautiful, and it was so touching to see music bringing fans together like this.

Louis then took the stage one final time, performing an acoustic "Saturdays" under one single glowing bulb, the iconic "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" by the one and only One Direction, and finally finishing off with an off the charts performance of "Silver Tongues". Fans at the barricade scrambled to get as close as possible when Louis climbed off stage and sang the final few lines from on top of the barricade itself. Louis pulled himself out of the crowd, said one final thank you, and left the stage. With that, Louis concluded his final Florida show date of his Faith in the Future World Tour.

I could not stop smiling throughout the entirety of this show, from the incredible openers to the iconic Louis Tomlinson. As a longtime fan, I'll never get tired of seeing Louis perform, and I recommend it to anyone and everyone! Louis was born to perform; From his early days as the lead in his school play of "Grease" to his chart topping years in One Direction, to now, taking his solo career to new heights every single day. It's only up from here for him, and fans and I alike cannot wait to see where he takes us next!

Louis Tomlinson, FITFWT23: TAMPA [14.7.2023] Part1. Photos Part 2, Part 3

[louistomlinsoncouk]

Louis Tomlinson knew where to go on his second album Faith In The Future with rockier and smashing indie songs from Britpop inspirations to modern indie classics. His Place Bell’s Laval show was no exception with a stellar performance and the stage scenic effects on point.

First to hit the stage were Snarls from Columbus, Ohio with their fine twist of indie pop. With their fun guitar chords and dancey rock beats, it was such a refreshing and enjoyable time. The female-fronted band were solid on their first performance on Canadian soil with their jolly and emotive lyrics, singalongs and beautiful melodies.

Snarls set up for what was going to be a magical night, all smile on stage with such good vibes. Those who loves Haim, Tegan And Sara, jangly and strong riffs will be served.

We knew Irish indie- rock is catchy right now with the rise of many bands like Inhaler, Fontaines D.C, New Dad and Louis Tomlinson brought in another one, The Academic. Hailing from Mullingar (yeah that’s why the accent sounded familiar, hello Niall Horan!), the crowd was all over it, singing along dancing and jumping around on the upbeat indie pop songs.

Blending elements of pop with magnificently driven chords, the songs are powerful whether they sing rock songs or emotional ballads. Crowd went crazy on Girlfriends, singing a Capella on melancholic soothing drum snarls and bright riffs. Here’s a little snippet of The Academic performance that brought the magic to the French Canadian city. What a blast!

While waiting for Louis Tomlinson and the band to come on stage, pre-show playlist drove us back in time from Nirvana to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Pixies while going in depth into British culture with some Foals, Maximo Park and obviously lots of Arctic Monkeys and never forget Oasis Supersonic banger from Definitely Maybe, a fire throwback to 1994’s Britpop era.

While roadies prepping the set up and Louis Tomlinson’s scribbling Faith In The Future on the big screen, people were so loud even before he hit the stage. Through the huge screams and claps, Louis and his band then hit the first note of The Greatest for a solid intro. Kill my mind followed with such a viral energy and the fans iPhone lighting effects and singalongs. While playing Bigger Than Me on the opening night Uncasville and skipping it the next show, Laval was so happy to get it back on the set list, this is such an anthem and live it’s totally an incredible vibe. Louis Tomlinson energy was all over going from side to side of the stage, interacting with the fans like a proper rock star (and we absolutely adored it!) while teasing and laughing at his amazing musician.

Britpop inspiration floated from every side of the 10,000 cap almost-full arena alongside the live versions of Lucky Again and the slick guitars of Isaac Anderson and Michael Blackwell. Louis Tomlinson’s vocals were solid and very emotional, happiness and smiles flowing all around the people crowd. We were definitely Holding Out To Heartache when the concert finished later on! The Doncaster-born singer never let negativity bring him down and he proved it with Face The Music. Rock and indie was always his thing and he finally step up on his last record to find his genuine sound. He’s thankful for the fans and never forget where he belongs. Dedicating We Made It for his supporters, people sang along loudly to the chorus. Forging his career since 2010 and even from a younger age, Louis Tomlinson is humble, grateful and gave us a very strong and rockier edition of his former band One Direction’s with Night Changes and the crowd was really into it screaming at the chorus.

Emotional and so impossible to describe the feeling, the Yorkshire singer-songwriter got this special bond with his fans. With few words, laughs and drinks, he sang back to back hits from Faith in The Future new album and bonus tracks with soulful songwriting like Chicago, Saved By A Stranger and kicked in with the dance feeling of Foals-esque number Written All Over Your Face, pointing his mic through the crowd with the infamous “SING IT” vibes. Louis Tomlinson knows how to rock in style with his eclectic influences and props to his musicians sparkling some magic with his wonderful new-wave infused mega mix of All This Time and She Is Beauty, We Are World Class. His stage presence and pyrotechnics effects were just incredible and added some spice and energy to the show.

How do you make a perfect setlist? Mix some rockier song with heavy tearful ballads. Following A Copy Of A Copy Of A Copy and the Oasis-inspired first album titled song Walls, Louis Tomlinson surprised the fans with Bebe Rexha’s collab Back To You. Add more guitars, hectic drums and you got a truly better indie version. It was so original and that’s the kind of rendition that could attract brand new audiences. Of course, we can’t skip how his voice truly fits Alex Turner’s shoes on his brilliant cover of 505 by Arctic Monkeys. Indie Louis is a pure gem. The Angels Fly in the room with all the phone flashlights moving in sync and people humming the chorus with Tomlinson. The singer brings hope and joy to the world and the confetti exploded in the room to the jolting guitar riffs of Out Of My System. People jumped around and Louis Tomlinson did his traditional hop in the front pit to interact with fans.

Lights went off and fans shouted and cheered for the encore. Few minutes later, Louis Tomlinson’s offered three last songs, kicking it with Where Do Broken Hearts Go? He gained such confidence slaying on the high notes on some guitar-centred version, inspired by The Who. It was theatrical and emotional just like the beginning of Saturdays and the lights blinking like stars all across the arena. The night closed the Britpop fashion way with Silver Tongues in such a very electric way. Louis Tomlinson presence on stage was so on point all over the show that we would even have take more and more! What a night!

Get Faith In The Future tour tickets, records and more here! Get to know more on Snarls on their website and The Academic here.

[ofpineapplesanddawns]

Would love some more Peter Vincent x Thorne Jamison 🙏

Maybe Thorne participating in Peter’s show - or Thorne dragging Peter up on stage during one of his music gigs l?

I've written about Peter dragging a Michael-shaped boyfriend on stage before, time to turn the tables on him.

On with the fic!

--

It was a solo act tonight, which sometimes happened when Thorne wanted to give him band a break but he had the energy to run around the stage and sing his damn heart out.

Which meant that his band wasn't there to protest for what he had planned.

He had invited Peter to come watch, knowing damn well the guy was free tonight and that he could easily get him to come to the performance. Peter was so easy to get to do stuff when he knows he gets something fun afterwards. He could see the actor in the pit, trying not to head bang or bounce around like a lot of the other members of the audience were.

Ah, gonna play hard to get, eh?

Thorne smirked as he finished up his song, fingers finishing the last notes on his guitar before he leaned close to the mic. He stared down at the crowd and made eye contact with Peter, and he could see the man twitch.

"You've been an absolutely lovely audience tonight, Vegas, just beautiful, amazin'. But now I think it's time for a li'l somethin', somethin', ya know?"

He licked his lips. "Sometimes I like to have a fan come up on stage with me, help me sing one of my numbers. Let's do that tonight, yeah?"

Peter was shaking his head, already figuring out the surprise. Thorne grinned.

"How about... you!" He pointed directly at Peter, and got the bird in return. "Ah, don't play hard to get, sweetheart. Just one song, that's all I ask!"

Peter bared his teeth and pushed his way through the crowd, climbing up on the stage as the audience cheered. "You're a fuckin' prick." He hissed, just loud enough for Thorne to hear, but not loud enough for the mic to pick up.

"Gorgeous, ain'tcha? Ready to croon with me? I'm sure you know my songs, cutie." Thorne teased and Peter's glare looked heated enough to set fire to the stage.

Thorne decided it was best to start playing the opening notes.

--

"You. Are. An. Asshole!" Peter said in between heated kisses in the dressing room, having Thorne under him on the ugly green couch that wasn't exactly comfortable.

"I couldn't resist!" Thorne teased, turning his head away to speak.

"Fuck you, what if I dragged you up on stage to be tied down by a bunch of vampires and play victim?"

"Sounds kinky, you gonna rescue me in those painted on leather pants, sweetheart?"

Hahaha, if looks could kill.

--

These two are total fucking disasters. <3

[jmdbjk]

Jimin really seems to love the stage. He loves performing. That's why he was working his ass off on finishing his album. Because without that, his own album, he might not be able to get on that stage soon. Now with his album soon coming out, I am keeping my fingers crossed. Maybe we'll see him do some concerts. I hope he does. Pretty sure he wants to.

Hello, Nice Anon,

You are absolutely correct. I am 100% sure we will see Jimin performing live somewhere and I am excited to see what all he has in the works. I can't wait to be blown away.

As for my personal wish list, I hope he gets to do an outdoor venue much like Lollapalooza, but in Seoul because I know he and K-Army deserve something like that. And it would be easy for the other members to attend if they have time in their schedules.

While performing live, I would love to see something theatrical similar to Black Swan that would let him show off his modern dance. I know I'm not the only one craving to see his beautiful dance lines in something like that.

Hoping beyond hope that he would come to the States and perform but I am not going to count on that. But you never know. He might show up on one of the late night shows and that would be awesome too!

Of course, in any live performance, I wish to see Jimin killing some fabulous choreography...and then JK mimicking said fab choreo anytime we see him after that hahahahaha.

I'd like to see a Tiny Desk type of performance with a live band. I really enjoyed Jimin and Taeyang's live performance of Vibe and if Jimin has any songs that lend themselves to that type of small intimate space, I'd love to see him do it. I don't think those have an audience but nevertheless, I would like to see Jimin up close and personal like that.

Thanks, Anon!

[eclipsecrowned]

+6 NEW MUSES ADDED!

Baldur's Gate update pack, including two PCs and four canons, spanning from the original games to 3. All have been added to the Mobile Muse Page, but the bios will also be posted under the cut. Like for me to approach you to plot with any of them!

Viconia DeVir (Canon, Divergent as of BG3 ; FC TBD ; Drow ; 300+ ; Pansexual ; Cis woman, She/Her ; Cleric ;  Darkness calls to her. She rejects it, too, in her own ways, wearing Gods like statement pieces to be doffed when the new trend arrives. Raised a priestess of Lolth, Viconia found herself heretical in her refusal to sacrifice an innocent or to offer her own neck to saveh er House. Fleeing to te surface after life in the Underdark became untenable, life on the surface proved its own special layer of the Hells. Yet there was always opportnity for a woman of her wits and beauty, and falling in Shar's faithful was the first turning point in her life under the sun. The second was falling in with a team of adventurers, led by a young Bhaalspawn who could easily play both protector and pawn to Viconia. An able Cleric and an acerbic wit, she wears her disdain as armor and refuses to let others near enough to hurt her. Yet much can change in the flow of time, and the world might see one last divine betrayal on the part of Menzoberranzan's prodigal daughter.)

Ismail of Candlekeep (Player Character ; Haaz Sleiman ; Human ; 20-50s ; Bisexual ; Cis male, He/Him ; Wizard ; The Bhaalspawn of legend, who rose up against his own blood to fight for Faerun. Though his journey began inauspiciously, as a young man thrown into the world for the first time, he carved out a name for himself as mage and alleged hero. Though his methods and morality might be controversial at time, his pragmatic approach to the world has a way of opening doors and keeping alliances flexible, which serves his own ends neatly. Upon emptying the throne of Bhaal and seeming to smite his divine father, he retired from adventuring for a time, returning to the road only when his family was threatened. As of the Absolute crisis, the man has been dead for nearly a century -- but his tale, it seems, does not end there, or with any peace.)

Haer'Dalis (Canon ; FC TBD ; Tiefling ; Appears late 20s ; Bisexual ; Masc, He/Him ; Bard ; One troupe's visionary is another company's madman, and one plane's rebel is another plane's monster. Haer'Dalis has always been adept at walking between poles, the son of an Elven planeswalker and a lady Fiend, claiming to be Tiefling when skewing a bit closer to Hell than most can imagine. Still, there's whimsy in his darkness, and fire in his veins that calls for adventure. How lucky, then, that he crosses the path of a seasoned leader intent on saving the Material Plane from threats beyond the understanding of most. Acting as fool and advisor in equal measure, Haer'Dalis rises to the occasion to play hero. It's just one of several roles he has been called to perform, and he relishes the opportunity. If he can find new connections among the happy troupe, whatever shape they might take, then so much the better.)

Miruna Blackthorn (Player Character / Companion ; Julia Ormond ; (Alleged) High Elf ; 35 ; Pansexual ; Femme, She/Her ; Bard ; Divine blood is not the only kind that runs. Rivers of it lie in her wake, innocent and enemy alike, with a sundered mind that was once cold and clear as a diamond. But ambition was her folly, both her own and that of her companions. All she knows now is the Nautiloid, the crash, and the ghost of kills from another life. There is a beast in her demanding to be fed, and in a world so full of horror, she finds it hard to argue for resistance. Yet if she is not the leader of this merry band, she is content to throw her lot with those who know more than she does, and act according to what benefits the needs of the group. Yet try as she might ot obscure her darkness under beauty and song, it gathers in her eyes and clots her throat. A horrific mystery, Miruna does what she can to understand her past and discover who she was -- and whatever she might become.)

Thaniel (Canon ; FC TBD ; Nature Spirit ; Ageless, appears as a child ; No ; Masc, He/Him ; Mage-Adjacent ; Once, there was a boy who dwelt among his father's dominion, singular upon the earth, a living splinter of the Heartlands. Bound to that same land, he pursued life with all a child's demanding, seeking companionship and challenge. It was the sort of life from a storybook, but every fairy tale has its ending. Another father's loss was the downfall of Silvanus' rule of the region, and the Oakfather's son fell into the shadows. Yet one of his friends never forgot him, and a part of him lived on in the remains of what had been Thaniel's home. After one hundred years, new pages are written into the story, promising potential rescue and hope for the future, and to reunions of both friends and self. Never you mind his queer ways, his young voice speaking of slaying tyrants. He is no true child, and was not wrought of mortal hands, and a hundred years is as long to him as it is to mayflies like his saviors.)

Vellioth the Martinet (Canon ; Jeremy Irons ; Half-Elf / Vampire ; Ageless, phys. 50s ; Bisexual ; Cis, He/Him ; Fighter ; His name is torn from the histories, his portraits burned on a pyre, but Vellioth will never be simply a memory. He is as much a part of the Szarr estate as the stones, and not just in metaphor. A mercenary whose history has been lost, he came to serve Donella Szarr exclusively in his prime, and was favored and broken by his lady over the years til she saw fit to make an 'equal' of him. Serving the Szarrs even in undeath, he lost his connection to his god, his community, and even himself. But it was a trifling price for immortality, and his god did demand that some serve while others rule. It was only on a whim that the Szarrs were destroyed but for a single boy, that Vellioth usurped his Maker and ruled her shadow empire. Once secure in his power, he focused on expanding his influence as Master Vampire and Banite, enforcing discipline among the Spawn. Yet the Szarr boy he spared rose up in due time, as is the way of the world. A third death followed, but even this was not peace. Bound to the estate he once served and ruled, Vellioth's spirit lingers there, whispering of his killer's failures, watching with joy as the boy turns towards slavery to the infernal for what he calls true power.)

[rose-of-oz]

I heard you'd like some asks? What about 7, 19, 23, 40, 51, 63, 79 and 90 from your Spotify Wrapped for the OC association thingy? Giving you lots of numbers to think about, hope that's what you're looking for. Get well soon <3

Evie, I know I say this pretty regularly, but I absolutely love you, thank you so much for this!! <3

So, number seven on my Spotify Wrapped is "You Should Probably Leave" by Chris Stapleton, and I definitely associate this with Wyatt Friedman and his relationship with Kelly Severide during their hookup phase! The repressed longing in the lyrics, the wanting to push the other person away a bit so you don't catch feelings but also wanting them to stay with you... it all just screams this phase of Wyatt and Severide's relationship to me!

Number nineteen is "Wendy" by Maisie Peters, and to me this song is definitely one of my new Ted Lasso babies, Day Harvington! For most of her romantic relationships before falling in love with Roy and Keeley, Day has been content to just stay in the background and let her partner be the main character in their story, even when it meant she just wound up getting hurt. After her most recent breakup before her story starts and she and her two friends move to Richmond, though, she makes a promise to herself that she is never going to play a background character in her love story again, if she ever manages to fall in love again, and I think this song is a really good showcase of that.

Number twenty-three is "Somebody To Love" by Queen, and you just know I have to give this to my Good Omens girl Luci Evans! Not only is Queen's music a big part of Good Omens and therefore part of Luci's story, but she's a pretty big fan of the band herself, and "Somebody To Love" is definitely one of her favorite songs from them.

Number forty is "First Burn" by Ari Afsar, and while this one was a little bit harder to figure out, I think I'll have to give this one to Ivy Kekoa, seeing as she's my resident show tunes girl! I can definitely see her singing this with some of the other Glee girls when she first finds out Sam has sort-of kind-of cheated on her by kissing Quinn, because even though they're not married and this isn't even on the scale of Alexander Hamilton's cheating she is just that dramatic. She would definitely sound amazing singing it, though!

Number fifty-one is "Cell Block Tango" from the musical Chicago, and honestly I'm going to have to give this one to my boy Will Welton, purely because I think it would be funny if he convinced Rebecca and Keeley to join him in a performance of this number to try and help Rebecca get over her feelings about Rupert.

Number sixty-three is "ocean eyes" by Billie Eilish, and I definitely associate this with Ivana Morozova and her reluctance to fall in love with Dick Grayson! Dick really does have those beautiful blue eyes, and as much as Ivana would like to resist them and resist falling for him (for many reasons, not the least of which being that the whole reason she came to Gotham was that she was sent there to kill his brother), she always winds up staring deeply into those ocean eyes and getting herself even further in!

Number seventy-nine is "Born This Way" by the Glee Cast, and maybe this is cheating, but I'm gonna go ahead and say my girl Bailey Taylor for this one! This would definitely be one of her favorite performances with the New Directions, and it's also a song she resonates with, having struggled with her sexuality and self-worth before. So on top of being a fun song to sing, it's really helped her and made her feel good about herself!

And finally, number ninety is another Queen song, "Another One Bites the Dust," and I figured we'd stick to the Good Omens OCs theme and go with Zazzadon! I can totally picture this being her intro song the first time she struts up to Earth to help out Aziraphale and Crowley, and it would definitely be playing during the fight in Aziraphale's bookshop in season two while she tries to keep Muriel safe and kick the asses of the lesser demons who are part of the raiding party!

send me a number 1-100 and I’ll tell you the song it corresponds with on my top 100 spotify wrapped playlist, and the oc/ship it reminds me of!!

[thebookworm0001]

I would like to know how Taavani's wild magic manifests and has it ever gotten her in trouble?

I love Reycarn's design so much, she looks gorgeous and terrifying! What's your favorite part of her backstory or something that happened during your game?

Ilrith is just beautiful, like a sapphire. How did they become a bard? Were they a popular performer back home?

Keiran look like a sweet cinnamon roll. Is he? (he also reminds me of Alistair. lol) How does he get along with Shadowheart?

Your Lloth-sworn durge looks positively evil. What's the worst thing she does in your playthrough?

Thank you for the asks! I love these!

I would like to know how Taavani's wild magic manifests and has it ever gotten her in trouble?

The better question is when hasn’t it gotten her into trouble. The first time her wild magic acted up, she burned down her house. And giant bonfires in the underdark aren’t exactly helpful. She gives Gale a fair amount of anxiety because a simple illumination spell may end up with them having a Cambion to kill. Summoning spells, polymorphs, teleportation. You name the spell, it’ll happen and at the absolute worst opportunity. Why does she keep using her magic? Probably because it would feel a bit like cutting off a limb. Sussur flowers are not a favorite plant of hers. 

Probably the funniest and surprisingly helpful instance of this was a fight in act 3 and having everyone, Big Bad included, turn into sheep for several rounds. Couldn’t do a damn thing to the enemy but was able to use my one not transformed companion to knock out an environmental thing so the fight could actually end. There was still an angry-from-being-summoned cambion to take out after that but hey it worked. 

I love Reycarn's design so much, she looks gorgeous and terrifying! What's your favorite part of her backstory or something that happened during your game?

She’s got a design I am absolutely in love with. Though I am eternally amused at how many dark urges get this same tattoo lol

My favorite part of her backstory is that she’s always been trying to be a good person. She was raised to treat people well and to seek to help those around her before her Urge came to her. But even when she doesn’t have any real choices about her Urge and the positions it puts her in, she still tries to aim her impulses at people who actually deserve what she’ll do to them. Though that gets more terrifying because she actually enjoys those occasions just on her own. She’s real fucked up. But losing her memory is probably the best thing to happen to her in a century because of the fresh start it gives her.

Favorite thing that happened in the game that isn’t Spoilers is probably just how terrifyingly lethal she is in battle. Her current build means she usually gets to sneak attack at the very start of combat and the damage she does is. Absurd. She is constantly slipping into and out of invisibility to utterly wreck anyone in her path. 

Ilrith is just beautiful, like a sapphire. How did they become a bard? Were they a popular performer back home?

Ilrith would be flattered by the complement. She sorta stumbled into it. Picked up music at an early age and ended up sneaking away to joining a traveling band a lot earlier than is probably wise or safe. But the troupe that she ended up with was fairly popular. They had requests to perform for a handful of nobles around Faerun, even. They dropped off the map a bit when one of their group - a teenager who’d joined them from a group of druids - died pretty horribly. Ilrith just couldn’t will herself to play for a while. She’d finally got back into the circuit when the Illithid picked her up.

Keiran look like a sweet cinnamon roll. Is he? (he also reminds me of Alistair. lol) How does he get along with Shadowheart?

He is such a cinnamon roll. Just. The sweetest. You’d assume he’s a life cleric meeting him because the idea of that darling boy hurling lighting and thunder just doesn’t compute. 

He loves everyone, but has taken to looking at Shadowheart with the biggest puppy-dog eyes. He just thinks she’s amazing. The shar thing is… well. Mostly he feels badly for her. Shadowheart is mostly (pretending to be) annoyed with how much of a goody-two-shoes he is. (They’re gonna get married hehe)

Your Lloth-sworn durge looks positively evil. What's the worst thing she does in your playthrough?

So far? Kill Arabella. Like, very much on purpose gets her killed and got warm fuzzies thinking about making it happen. This is my evil Durge run and I’ve barely gotten to the grove, so it’s going to get so much worse. 

[the-irrelevant-trumpeter]

vhs christmas carols: the coherent version

clark just casually sounding like an angel

meredith vibing on the bongos is so funny

i love the choreography godbless james tolbert

the box lids making the play button gagged me fr

janaya sounds so good ugh

and is also pretty wtf and i love della’s costume

i also love jim’s costume! maybe this will just be me raving over the costumes

jim making a heart with his hands as he leaves? i love him. he has such himbo energy

joey lauren and brian leaping onto stage is so funny

actually the three of them in general are so funny in this show

the new songs are so boppy, i know this is such a broad statement but i don’t know what else to say about them except that they’re all fucking spectacular and clark outdid himself

the model walking!!!! the dancing!!!! iconic

everything about the internal panic song is hilarious, a strong contender for my favourite of all of the new songs

“you’re more beautiful than ever” CRYING SCREAMING SOBBING WHAT THE FUCK WHY AM I FEELING THINGS

jim and della are so cute istg

“not combs that comb but combs you wear” fave lyric

this song is so heartfelt and janaya and curt do such a good job and sound so good

the matching combs in the hair 😭 i love them

the cold streets of the city probably is my favourite song

their voices are so funny, this is my favourite trio of all time

brian’s face when the match girl comes in is so funny

and lauren’s face when she gets offered a match ansjdhdjsksa

as i said, i will be raving about costumes, and the match girl costume is soooo good i’m so obsessed

scrooge bumping into della and now the match girl is so funny

meredith tearing up is so real i also feel like crying

idk what else i can say about grandma land except that man this story is genuinely so sad

and that jamie burns is gorgeous and also has the voice of an angel

i like how this final song of the act sets up scrooge and the christmas carol themes

“hi clark”

THE AUDIENCE IS SO REAL FOR CHEERING AS SOON AS BAH HUMBUG STARTS

meredith helping out with the bass line on the keyboard is sooo funny

AJ!SCROOGE IS SO GOOD

like i love dylan obvs but i adore aj’s version so much

going into this with the cast changes in mind i was a little more hesitant about brian as fred (just because i think corey is so good at it) but i love the way he plays him so much, he’s so funny

bob’s wave when he’s introduced is so cute

having meredith be in the band for most of it and then coming down as marley is genuinely so ingenious. his presence is constantly hanging over scrooge and the entire narrative even when scrooge doesn’t realise it,

“scrooge gives a shriek” *short high pitched scream* killed me

the ghosts wrapping the chains around scrooge is really cool

christmas past is always pretty unhinged but i need whatever jlb put into this performance because it’s OFF THE CHARTS she’s so iconic

the slo-mo dancing is so good thank you james tolbert

the contrast between jim & della and scrooge & belle KILLS ME!!! need whoever deduced to have them played by the same person to pay my therapy bills please /pos

curt does a really great job in this role

also JANAYA ma’am im already in love with you, you don’t have to keep driving the needle in

aj sounds so heartbroken holy shit he was such a good choice to take over for dylan he’s so so so so so good

james tolbert crushing it as always

the light up shoes and glasses is still iconic

every time tiny tim gets a little more pathetic and this is the correct choice for character

i also like that it’s developed from just emily being disgusted by tim in the last one to bob also being the same in this one

joey trying to drag brian to his feet is my favourite

also tim using the bear as a microphone

basically what i’m trying to say that every new character choice in regards to tim is absolutely perfect godbless

JIM AND DELLA BEING THE COUPLE THAT WERE IN DEBT IS SO CLEVER I LOVE HOW THEY TIE THE SHOWS TOGETHER

bob holding tim’s bear 😭

the choice to have the people that scrooge has wronged surrounding him and him begging to THEM that he’s changed is such a good directorial choice like!!! james tolbert i will never stop thanking you for this decision

THE MATCH GIRL INSTEAD OF THE TURKEY BOY

SCROOGE BUYING SOME MATCHES AAAAA FJDJDHEBDHDND HIS REDEMPTION IS LITERALLY SAVING LIVES ALREADY

clark audibly giggling as aj and lauren fumble around with the money is so precious

SCROOGE GIVING JIM THE WATCH AAAAAAAAAAAAAA

can’t believe i went from laughing at fred still partying with the glasses to crying at his expression at seeing scrooge trying to connect with him. brian holden i am suing you for emotional damage.

overall the show is still so good but honestly what was i expecting

the first act was a really great edition to the story and i love how they made them connect to christmas carol

and all of the cast changes in christmas carol were excellent and worked so well

this is still the best starkid show no i’m not taking criticism

and i hope they keep on performing it because i love it so much

[kmp78]

Truly the Morbius of music.

Thirty Seconds to Mars, They’re back baby. And they’re back at a time where their frontman, Jared Leto, seems to be at a public reception all time low. I don’t know if I’m alone in this, but before 2016 my thoughts about Jared Leto were that I didn’t really have any. He’s been in a lot of movies over his lifetime, and a number of them I actually really like and love - but not because of Jared. Being a method actor who puts his whole body and soul into a role is such an integral part of his brand, yet even at his best it feels like his characters could be played by someone else entirely and nothing will be lost. It wasn’t until a decade into Leto’s acting career that we got Thirty Seconds to Mars’s debut album, where even early on he proved to be even less compelling as a musician than as an actor. They started off as a mediocre space rock influenced alt rock band on their self-titled record, then shifted into being mediocre emo inspired alt rock band on “A Beautiful Lie”, before settling into the sound they have today on records such as “This Is War” and “Love Lust Faith + Dreams”, which can only be described as the middle point between modern Muse and modern U2…except worse. And that’s saying something, cus neither of those bands are doing well right now. I think it says a lot that despite being 20 years into their career and being one of the few remaining successful rock bands, they’re only really remembered for one song (which, I will admit, “The Kill” is a banger and a 2000’s emo staple). Like their frontman’s acting career, Thirty Seconds to Mars in the mainstream felt like they’re just kind of there, like they don’t really matter.

It wasn’t until 2016 where people’s indifference towards Jared Leto’s projects turned from indifference to annoyance. There was the multiple different headlines of all the ways Leto was being an ass on set to the cast and crew of “Suicide Squad” for the sake of THE METHOD and getting inside The Joker’s mind, only for people to see the movie and his performance being one of the most notably goofy things of the last decade (in case you haven’t been told yet, method acting is total bullshit). Then there was Thirty Seconds to Mars’s fifth album, subtlety titled “America”, which by all means the universe seemed to agree completely sucked. It really seems like they were trying to tap into that overblown genre mush Imagine Dragons sound that unfortunately ruled the rock airwaves in the late 2010’s, and the result was an album that seemingly appealed to no one. Then there was multiple instances that painted Jared in an unflattering light - uncharismatic interviews, reports of him being condescending and aloof to fans, an absolutely bizarre performance in “House of Gucci”, an annual Thirty Seconds to Mars retreats that the band delightfully calls a cult and by all means it does look like a cult, a number sexual assault allegations. I’ll also say from my own personal experience I had the misfortune of seeing Thirty Seconds to Mars open for Muse, and it was nothing short of uncanny and weird. And who can forget, “Morbius”, a movie iconic for no one wanting it, no one seeing it, and no one liking it. “Morbius” became the new standard of mediocrity, and what made it even more of a collective punching bag for dissatisfied consumers tired of cynical, formulaic media was the fact that nobody who worked on the movie seemed to get the joke, and Sony even rereleased it thinking there was an actual demand, only for it to bomb the box office again.

I’m honestly surprised Jared released anything so soon after “Morbius”. The public narrative of him is that of an uncharismatic egomaniacal dickhead who takes his artistry way too seriously and thinks his art is next level shit even though its become so increasingly mediocre that it has become a collective joke. I would think he would want to take some time out of the limelight or at least rethink how he approaches his work since the writing on the wall is that it desperately needs a change. But Thirty Seconds to Mars have taken five years to release their newest album when they promised it would only take thirty seconds, dammit. Apparently him and his brother Shannon had written two hundred tracks for their newest album in 2021 and were just waiting for the right time to release it, even saying they were sitting on three albums worth of material. I guess the band felt like the time was now to put something out, and I guess curiosity got the best of me. I hoped that Thirty Seconds to Mars had learned something from the last fifteen or so years of increasingly negative reception, maybe switch things up a bit and do something different because the formula hasn’t been working for a while, and I don’t see why it would work in 2023 when music is so much different from where it was even five year ago. Maybe they would get their heads out of their asses and stop making their typical brand of ego fueled, pretentious, generic, bland stadium bait and instead release something that feels like it was created by someone with thoughts and feelings.

And then as I was about to listen to this I saw its Windows Screen Saver album art and its title: “It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day”.

Yeah, I don’t think that’s happening.

What are we doing here? What are we doing here. There are only so many hours in a day, why did you spend your limited time making this and why are you asking other people to give theirs to hear it? I am genuinely asking you, Jared and Shannon Leto of Thirty Seconds to Mars. Because from where I’m sitting, it feels my time was wasted by one of the most milquetoast, flavorless, and soulless albums of the year simply because you were bored and wanted another car. “It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day” is an album that is one of the most lacking in care, heart, emotion, soul, personality, ideas, and effort I’ve heard in a while, and that’s saying something because “ELEVATION” and “Honestly, Nevermind” came out just last year. This sounds like thirty minutes of an AI recreation of a Chainsmokers remix of an Imagine Dragons cover of a new Post Malone B-Side. It’s like the duo have studied the charts circa 2015-2018 and algorithmically spat out every poorly aged millenial pop trend nearly a decade too late. Thirty Seconds to Mars claims that they wrote over TWO HUNDRED SONGS for this album, and THIS was the best they had to offer. Jared Leto, you are fucking with me. You have to be fucking with me. You would think that if you spent five years writing 200 songs that you would come up with *something* interesting at least by accident, but it’s like Thirty Seconds to Mars is trying to go out of their way to make music so bland, manufactured, generic, formulaic, and devoid of humanity that it’ll appeal to literally no one.

From beginning to end, the production on “It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day” feels like it’s trying to take from what the band thinks is popular and puts the most derivative, uninspired take on it it possibly can without bringing anything new to the table. Opener “Stuck” tries to cash in on the recent queer leaning dance pop revival with the most flat, colorless sounding EDM beats I’ve heard in a while, the perfect encapsulation of the “H&M changing room music” criticism that has become popular for generic pop music these days. As if that wasn’t enough, the main riff/backend hook sounds like a bastardized take of “Disturbia” and “Bad Romance”, except substituting Rihanna’s cool mystique and Gaga’s artsy weirdness we get Jared trying to sing “dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah” in the most ear grating way possible. Meanwhile, I’m guessing the duo saw that their attempt of being Imagine Dragons on “America” and instead of realizing it was a bad idea to begin with, they decided that they needed to literally get the singer of Imagine Dragons, Dan Reynolds, to co-write and produce the next track, “Life Is Beautiful”, (god, what a fucking eye roll of a title). And yep, this sounds exactly like Imagine Dragons - and I do mean that as an insult. The barely existent verses that artificially inflate the chorus, the overblown Hans Zimmer BRAAAM drop, the “Well Will Rock You” stomp claps, the poorly implemented, trap hi-hats, the faux soul Dan Reynolds mini hook, the atmosphere sounding like it was made by a boardroom for a car commercial - this sound was already overdone, growing old, and receiving incredibly huge negative pushback back in 2018 when Thirty Seconds to Mars released their last album, who the fuck is this for in 2023? It’s cheesy, gaudy, and tacky, and it brings out the worst of both bands. These songs aren’t good by any means for the reason I listed above, and they may arguably be two of the worst here, I’m not sure, but I wouldn’t fault anyone for actually preferring them because they’re the only songs that poorly attempt some sort of edge - because from this point on, the rest of the record sounds like it was made to be the soundtrack for “The Bachelor”.

“Love These Days” sounds like modern Maroon 5 circa “JORDI”, and I don’t just mean Maroon 5 as in generic but as in it sounds exactly like Maroon 5, with it’s predictable, formulaic melody, its stale trap beat that shows the band is aware of hip-hop but not enough to be any good at it, and it’s “oh, this relationship has so many problems and we fight so often and we’re toxic for each other - but god, the sex is out of this world” lyrical theme. Also, “Getting high on heartbreak, hooked on to the pain, kind of fucked up and fake”? Jared, why would you say that? Why was Olivia Rodrigo’s last record more emotionally intelligent than this whole album. You’re 51 years old. “Lost These Days” (no, this isn’t a typo, there are actually two songs with virtually the same title) continues the Maroon 5 route, opting for their non distinct sad pop song sound this time with an outro that sounds like it would fit right in with the Chainsmokers era of radio pop, while “Never Not Love You” sounds like if someone dared to ask “what if Skillet remixed a song from ‘Dear Evan Hansen’”, and trust me, no matter how gross that sentence sounded to you the actual song is much worse.

Meanwhile, “Seasons” sounds like if the band tried to recreate “Sunflower” by Swae Lee and Post Malone from memory with its breezy atmosphere and electronic drums, except they sucked all of the catchiness and charm out of it and intended it for suburban moms to listen to it instead, while “Get Up Kid” is uncanny with its flat, corny, faux sentimental vibe, sounding like pouring out your traumas and mental health problems to someone and then responding “just be positive and you’ll stop being sad :)”. Both of these songs suffer from being just two of many notable instances of Jared’s vocal production and mixing being just ugly to listen to. Say what you want about Jared, but the man *can* sing - his style is overdramatic as fuck but he *can* sing - yet here, it sounds so fake, unnatural, and digitized, loaded to the brim with processing and Melodyne audibly dragging his voice from note to note, that I’d believe if you said they actually used AI to recreate his voice. And while we’re on the vocals, how can I forget the millennial whoops? Thirty Seconds to Mars are no strangers to overusing vocalizations to add a bit a bit of catchiness and fake emotionality instead of writing meaningful lyrics and well crafted songs, and they’re here in spades on this album. The “oh-oh’s”, the “you-oo-oo-oo’s” the “aye-oh, aye-oh, whoa-oh’s”. They’re here on almost every track trying to get you to feel something and bait the stadiums into singing along, but they just come across as soulless and as a way to fill up space where they couldn’t find a line. I know I must sound like I’m nitpicking some non-existent issue but I promise you the minute you notice them you won’t be able to stop, and they’ll get increasingly annoying every time they come up. All of these shifts from one gentrified pop trend to the next are not only bland and obnoxious as hell, but it makes the band feel like they have no real identity, sounding like some gray soup resembling pop music you’ve heard before but not being particularly good at any of it.

But the worst part of “It's the End of the World but It's a Beautiful Day” isn’t just the fact that it’s completely derivative and generic, it’s how the record is all style and no substance. The booming basses, the big hits of stomps and claps, the overdramatic vocal performances, the stadium bait millennial whoops; they all point to a common problem of the band trying to come across as profound with material that just has no content. The Ed Sheeran co-written track “World on Fire” is just beating you over the head with this attitude of “THIS IS DEEP, THIS IS MEANINGFUL” with its melodramatic vocals, pounding drums, big synths, and melodic guitar leads, yet the song is packed to the brim with clichés of “Life leads us out of the dark, Let there be light, And we’ll set this world on fire” that are not only unoriginal but completely unspecific. The meaning of “life is beautiful” is that life is beautiful. Oh, and you should rise up against…something? I guess? The closer “Avalanche” drops these loud burst of vocoder choirs, clearly trying to set the mood as larger than life with some sort of great knowledge, but they just sing the vapid lyrics “Time, time to live our lives, Set the world on fire, From the ashes, we will rise, Life, don't let it pass you by, Open up your eyes, From the ashes, we will rise”. Like…do I have to say it? These words are so cliché that they practically don’t mean anything. They’re not saying anything, these are empty slogans you hear at MLM events trying to convince you to ruin your life. Not only are they completely predictable with rhymes you can see coming a mile away, they just sounds vapid, surface level, and fake deep.

And that’s the problem with this whole record. From the overblown instrumentation to the exaggerated performances to the calls to action for nothing in particular, this record is trying so hard to be big, grand, meaningful, and profound, yet every attempt at trying to be impactful comes across as hollow. It’s empty grandiosity and the definition of being pretentious. More than anything, it reminds me of bad Christian rock. Think about it, the overdramatic performances, attempting to sound huge yet feeling incredibly limp, calls to action to do…something, attempting to sound deep and meaningful yet coming across as cliché and meaningless, trying so hard to sound sincere that you sound anything but. Thirty Seconds to Mars is just using the aesthetics of bad Christian rock while taking out the religious part of it. It’s basically a non-religious Newsboys. But while I think bands like Newsboys suck, I’ll give them this - they do have a message that they do care about, and I think they’re earnestly trying to spread it, even if I think it’s in one of the most ineffective and corniest ways possible. Thirty Seconds to Mars has no message, I don’t think Jared Leto cares about anything, I’m not even fully convinced he likes music; I think he’s just so far up his own ass that he thinks his surface level stones ramblings over stadium bait atrocities are just that good and meaningful and will sell records to continue to fuel his celebrity lifestyle.

So yeah, I don’t like this Thirty Seconds to Mars record. In a lot of ways, I actually feel like “It's the End of the World, But It's a Beautiful Day” is the album equivalent to “Morbius”. There seems to be no purpose behind it existing besides it could make money and the fact that it can. It’s generic, dull, insipid, unoriginal, unimaginative, run of the mill, nondescript, and has no point of view whatsoever, and as a result its got not appeal besides being similar to other media people are already tired of and not being a particularly good resemblance. It’s trying to hype itself as a big event, and yet the final result is just pure background noise, with anything that does stand out being gaudy, tacky, and flat out gross. And most importantly, it’s got Jared Leto making a big deal about how much of an artist he is while having nothing substantial to show for it, leading to him further looking like an egotistical ass. It feels like an album made with very little of any love and a record made for no one, with music and lyrics that come across as inauthentic, insincere, manufactured, and lacking in substance when it’s desperately trying to act like it’s not. I’ve seen lifestyle gurus that charge $6000 for a three day wellness stay that come across as more genuine than this. There might be albums that I rank lower this year on my worst list - we’ll see when we get there, I’m being 100% real with you when I say I don’t know yet - but I can tell you right now that there is nothing else that I’ve heard this year that feels this cynical. “It's the End of the World, But It's a Beautiful Day” by Thirty Seconds to Mars is completely absent of soul, care, effort, feeling, emotion, and anything resembling good.

Thanks, anon.

But please don´t send messages that are THIS LONG.

It´s impossible to read smthg that has 20000 words.

I prefer if you send just the link and then people can go to a different site to read the actual article.

I don´t need my feed being taken over with smthg as massive as this, thanks. 👍