zandraz

[mellotronmkll]

Wverytime I sit down at a computer to make music I get so scared

[t3a-tan]

Cody Adopts Cynbel

Another of the old g/t fics, this one being how Cynbel came into Cody's (and later Jael's) life.

---

Cody was in his makeshift hut in the woods, humming a gentle tune to himself as he arranged flowers to decorate the wooden walls. He had been living here for a few months now- after he got away from Syris with Jael he had been trying to settle down again. He needed a break from it all; corruption and war…

The hut was set up a few miles next to the Kriegerin ruins, which was now abundant with plantlife. He had even seen a few bird-sized dragons flying in the trees, squawking in a familiar way. Through the walls of the facility, sometimes he and his siblings would hear dragon calls and everyone would get excited, telling stories about what it could be. Jamai could always perfectly recreate the sounds.

He smiled at the memory, pausing his song to let out a small chuckle. It turned sad after a few moments… the memory of Jamai. That only led him down a path of thinking about his other siblings too, which only led to death and pain and fire.

Sometimes the dirt from digging graves for his own brothers and sisters still clung to him, like cold dead hands; always there to remind him of his past. Cody shuddered at the thought, shaking his head to snap himself out of it.

Just as he was about to continue arranging the flowers, a movement from the corner of his vision caught his eye. Cody turned, just able to see a shadow completely slip behind a vase of yellow roses. He blinked in surprise, shifting from his relaxed position in order to sit up.

"Hello?" He tilted his head, ears pointed upwards and twitching with interest. The shadow didn't move anymore- completely out of his sight. It didn't matter… as his eyes flashed white, he could definitely tell that something was behind the vase, and they seemed...scared. Not to mention humanoid.

"Don't be scared.." Cody couldn't help it, even though he knew saying that would not be very successful. He stood up and started to walk forwards, his footsteps almost completely silent. "Do you need some help? If you're lost or you need somewhere to stay I can help you- so please come out."

Also I want to know what you are- how are you so little?

Still no response. Cody frowned, though he couldn't blame the little being; he preferred hiding when he was scared too.

Quietly, he picked up the vase, sliding it to the side bit by bit to avoid startling the person hiding behind it. That's when he heard a squeak of fear. He let go of the vase hastily, letting them hide once more.

"Ah- no no, it's okay! I can leave the vase, don't be scared…" He changed tactics, kneeling down on the ground and curling his knuckles over the side of the shelf they were on. He leaned over to one side, trying to peek around the vase, but not going all the way quite yet.

"I didn't hurt you when I moved it, did I?" His brows furrowed with worry at the thought.,

More silence… Cody tried not to be too disappointed. "Alright then… I'll leave you be for now, oka—?"

"N-no..!" A timid voice came out from behind the vase. Cody's eyes widened and he leaned back in surprise. It sounded like a child. I can't just let them go then- but I can't scare them..!

"No..?" He questioned, their exclamation suddenly registering in his mind. He leaned forwards again, but didn't try to peek behind their hiding place. There was a sharp inhale of breath from behind the vase.

Soon enough, a little face peeked out, reddened with tears and obviously afraid. Oh boy… he barely looks 11.. Cody bit his lip empathetically, lowering his head down so only his eyes could be seen over the top of the shelf- this all being an attempt to be less intimidating.

"Y-you can hear me, cawr..?"

"Sure can." Cody nodded, frowning slightly. "Was I not supposed to..?" It hadn't even crossed his mind that he might not have been able to communicate with the little being.

The head ducked back out of sight, only the toe of a tiny boot and a tuft of hair poking out from behind the vase. "...people usually can't hear us when we're small… we sound like um..b-bells..."

"So you aren't small all the time?" The prospect made Cody excited. Size shifting must be very useful- he wanted to figure out how it worked and try recreating it. This would make it much easier to find the variable for height! He leaned around the shelf slightly, getting a full view of the timid boy.

“That's awesome! Is there a prerequisite for growth to happen, or is it the other way round? It must be really convenient being able to switch like that-- That would’ve been a useful ability when my earring went missing.”

Cody beamed at them for a few moments, only to pause as he noticed guilt suddenly appearing in the little being's expression. His own expression softened.

His earring had fallen out when he and Jael were taking a walk on the outskirts of a snowy forest, and it fell into a hole too small for him to reach into. Since his powers weren't working at all at the time, he decided to part with it for the time being— but once he had enough power, he teleported it to himself.

He must have gotten teleported with it, poor kid…

"..did you take the earring?" It was more out of curiosity than anger that he asked. Still, the boy's reaction made him feel bad.. They jolted, shuffling further away from Cody in a meager attempt to escape his wrath… It wasn't as if they just started running away— they weren't that terrified, but they seemed on edge for sure.

Cody let out a small sigh.

"I may have accidentally teleported you here with it, little one. Sorry about that.." He moved his hand carefully, deliberately, rubbing the back of his neck in a sheepish manner whilst trying not to make any fast movements. His other hand inched a little closer to the hidden boy on instinct, but he didn't see any reason to move it away for now.

"I'm not... little one…" Cody was a little amused that the boy had focused on that aspect of what he'd said, his smile reappearing. "I'm Cynbel.." They announced softly, wings fluttering nervously at their back.

Cody's hand inched closer still, his knuckles brushing against the sensitive wings with a delicate touch. Stars almost seemed to appear in his eyes.

"Cynna, then." The god smiled, petting the little pixie's hair with his fingertip. "Do you need help getting home?"

“W-well um…Can I...stay here with you instead..?" He asked quietly, looking down at his boots to avoid seeing the Kriegerin's reaction. Cody blinked in surprise and leaned back for a moment, brows furrowed.

"...why..?" He knew that maybe the child just didn't understand how easily he could get him home, but regardless... weren't children not meant to go off with strangers? Cody wouldn't do anything to him, but what about his family— wouldn't they worry? "Just for the night..?"

Cynbel shook his head, fidgeting with his shirt sleeves. That gave Cody some pause.

"You don't have anyone at home who will worry about you?" Once again, the pixie shook his head, looking even more nervous as time dragged on.

“U-um… My parents died during my pod’s migration. I..I live with the other orphans, but it’s cramped and cold there..and they never have enough food to go around.” He explained slowly.

Cody’s expression softened as he spoke. It was a problem affecting many people in Gahenn as the war raged on; no one ever seemed to have enough food or shelter, and children never seemed to have parents. Not that he was too different.

I can go to his pod soon, just to make sure no one worries…or accuse me of kidnapping. I’m sure they would appreciate a helping hand anyways.

He let out a small sigh, leaning down again so he was at eye level with the pixie and offering a smile.

“Alright. Let’s get you warmed up then, hm? How does tomato soup sound?”

[lacecap]

hiii do u have any advice / tips on composing + music making? im playing around on beepbox and its rlly fun but i have no idea what im doing lol. i like ur music + songs a lot they reach a lil spot in my heart and open it up like a sweet flower

hi!! thank you for such a sweet message; theres a sweet little flower in my heart as well now; lets start a garden together, etc. lol. as for your question: i think music-making is very similar to drawing, in that you get better by replicating the things around you and learning what exactly makes your favorite drawing-- or song in this case-- appeal to you specifically. you'll pick up a lot just by arranging your favorite songs and attempting to recreate them; i made a lot of piano and 8bit versions of my fav songs before delving into making my own stuff! its like that with drawing fanart and studying other people's art styles until you develop your own thing too. love how art works.

as for original stuff though, i dont think theres a universal guide to How to make a song, bc theres no right way to make one and it really depends on what youre trying to convey. Butttttt im not going to give you a nonanswer for your question lol, so i'll detail some of my personal songwriting process below. i hope it helps :-]

Let's make a song on beepbox together!!! i'm going to try to outline how i made May-- a very tiny song that i haven't finished yet at the time of writing this.

this song in particular was inspired by... his theme from undertale actually, lol. or maybe less inspired by, and more pulled from? i was looking up ukulele covers of songs i knew in order to learn the instrument and found this really lovely cover; the chords they played at the very beginning stuck with me so i transcribed them into beepbox. i changed it a little, though, and added a few different notes in each measure to flesh out the progression a bit more.

link here.

after that, i kind of stitched together each chord with some in-between notes & that ended up being the melody. i think that happens a lot in music; borrowing the top note of each chord as a sort of grounding note for the melody. eventually i ended up with this:

link here.

it was at this point that i realized the melody's remarkable similarity to april, so i added the chords/melody from april (yellow channel) and the beat too (gray & brown channels). i also added a bass melody (orange channel) to make it sound more fleshed out, as well as a fade in swelling noise.. thing.. to better introduce the fuller accompaniment. & thats how u get may :-]

link again

sorry that this explanation is so brief; that last part especially is hard to surmise briefly. Kinda feels like one of those drawing tutorials where the last step is just "render" and they cast some sort of transformation magic without any explanation. but i feel that a lot about songmaking and art in general is just going with what you like; in music specifically i tend to start with one central melody and then stack on more melodies that i think would complement the first. and then i keep adding as much as i feel like adding.

but yeah! theres no wrong way to make a song. even if you feel like you have no idea what youre doing Its still really fun just for the sake of like.. making sounds. noises. the human experience. thank you for your question & sweet message, i hope youre having a good day.

[daydreamingatnight209]

Requests are open!

Feedback is always welcome ✨💕

“I’ll see you around?”

Freddy Carter x Reader

Requested - For @aliiiyyaaah

“okay so i actually got a new idea, maybe the reader is amita’s friend/or cousin and she was around set a lot because they really close and the reader loves to sing but is shy and idk maybe freddy is lowkey crushing on the reader and something super cute happens?”

Prompt - The melody of the music box soothed me”

Warnings - Small angst? Fluff 💞

————————————————

The melody of the music box soothed me.

I would play it over and over when I felt stress or anxiety gripping me.

Sometimes I would sing along with the tune and other times I would hum it.

I remember recreating the beats in my head when I met him.

The human version of sunshine.

We locked eyes for a single moment but my heart started to race.

He broke contact first and when he did I spun around to my best friend.

“Amita, who was that?”

“Who was who?”

I move my head slightly in the direction of the mystery man, doing my best to be subtle.

Amita chuckles and links my arm as we walk to her trailer.

“That was Freddy. He’s a shy one but he’s really sweet. You should talk to him!”

I shake my head.

“No no ‘Mita I can’t do that! Besides I’m only here for a couple of days.”

Amita just winks at me as she places on a film and gets comfortable.

“I will introduce you to the rest of the cast later, most of them are filming today.”

“Ahmmm” I mumble, sliding into the blanket on the back of the sofa and slowly feel my eyes slide close. Travelling always leaves me exhausted.

——————————————

I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep but I was awoken to a loud knocking on the trailer door.

I jump up and take in my surroundings. Amita wasn’t here but I see a note on the coffee table.

The knocking continues so I rise from my seat and open the door.

I come face to face with Freddy.

I silently cursed at me dishevelled appearance as he began to speak.

“Oh erm, I’m sorry. I thought you would be Amita? Is she in there?”

His voice was soft and gentle. Kinda like the sound that could soothe you to sleep.

I take a deep breath and pray that my words don’t fail me.

“No sorry, she left me a note saying she had to nip out. Do you want to come in and wait? I won’t mind”

He flashes me a small smile and comes closer.

“Sure, thank you”

He steps inside and takes a seat beside me.

“I’m Y/N ‘Mita’s best friend. She let me come and see production for a couple of days, I love the books and I study media so it helps with my degree”

It took Freddy awhile to warm up but soon we were chatting away, he would listen so intently and absorb everything around him. It was amazing to see.

Suddenly the door flung open and Amita rushes inside looking every wind swept.

“Oh! I see you guys have met!” She exclaims seeing Freddy and I together.

“I was just sorting out last minute arrangements for your stay, your in the same hotel as us” she explains to me. This prompted me to look at my watch which in turn caused me to gasp.

“It’s getting late and I still need to check in!”

Amita helps me with my luggage and I turn to leave the trailer.

“I’ll see you around?” I ask Freddy.

He responds by giving me a quick nod and a bright smile.

Amita giggles under her breath.

“He likes you”

———————————————

Days on set turned into weeks on set and soon I felt like part of the family. I got to meet the others and had many laughs, especially with Kit and Archie and Ben. The girls became my sisters, I loved spending my nights with Amita, Jessie and Danielle.

I didn’t see Freddy often but when I did I would always greet him with a wave and a smile.

I never really got much out of him, not since the day we actually met.

It was currently night and I was sat in Amita’s hotel room with her and and Jessie.

Amita was laughing with Jessie, telling her how we met and grew up together. I watched with a smile on my face reliving the memories in my head.

I lost myself in my thoughts and was startled when Jessie squeals and grabs me by the the shoulders.

“You didn’t tell me you could sing!”

A blush creeps over me and I lower my head.

“Erm, no no. I don’t, not really”

Jessie still spends the next hour trying to convince me to sing her something but to no avail.

I wish them both goodnight and head down the hallway to the elevator to my room.

A Ding! rings out and I step forward into the small metal box.

I small scream jumps from my throat as I see Freddy stood in front of me.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry! I should of watched where I was going” I gasp, trying to regain my breath.

“Oh no, it’s my fault, my apologies” Freddy replies before pressing the number 4 on the control panel.

Number 4, for the floor of my room.

Silence envelopes us but this time it nagged at my mind.

I couldn’t stop the words that fell from my mouth after that.

“Freddy do you not like me?”

I watched as his face fell, it was like seeing a wounded puppy and it tore at my heart.

“Why, why would you think that?” He asked, his voice cracking slightly.

“Have I done something wrong?”

I shook my head rapidly.

“Oh my gosh! No no, not at all”

I take a moment before continuing, or at least I tried to before a loud thump! caused me to lose my balance just as the lights went out.

“Freddy? Freddy what’s happening?” I panic.

“Hey hey it’s okay, it’s just the lift. Everything will be back up and running soon”

I do my best to listen to his words but I couldn’t focus.

I grab for the closest thing to me and I end up taking Freddy’s hand.

He brings me to his chest and strokes my head , whispering sweet nothings in my ear. When my panic finally subsided, I slide down the elevator wall and quietly sing that one melody to myself.

I didn’t realise that Freddy had sat next to me until the song reached its last note.

“You have a wonderful voice” Freddy mumbles and I smile at him.

“Thank you”

“And in answer to your question, I do like you. I like you so much I feel that when I’m around you I’m going to burst. You make me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time. I feel like I’m 15 again, always wondering what to say and stumbling over my words. You’re extraordinary and well ... well this ...”

Freddy leans into my face and slowly places his hand on my cheek, caressing my face just before our lips finally joined. It was a short kiss but one I that will be encased in my memory forever.

I lean in to go again but I stopped when brightness lit up behind my eyes.

The elevator was run and running. I jump up before it’s noticed that we were on the floor and help Freddy up along the way.

The doors open and I step out of them.

I turn to wink at Freddy with a smirk on my face.

“I suppose I’ll see you around?”

—————————————

Tag List -

@elennox03

@xcharlottemikaelsonx

@aliiiyyaaah

@hopebaker

@subjecta13-thefangirl

@imagines-and-preferences1216

[drabbles-of-writing]

Reverse Au! Dump

Don’t mind my idea dumping here. Brain decided to have fun while I was at work and I have too many wips as it is, so… Thought I’d ask before I dumped, experience. Used morningmark’s comics as a base, so if you want reference. Now this isn’t all that well compiled, but here it goes.

~

Magic in the Other World is varied as it is crazy. So many styles over the generations and not a lot of organization. There are some that try to categorize it all, but that works as well as you’d expect. Some were lost, some erased, some weren’t passed down/recorded because “the power is all mine! Ahahaha!” It took a lot of time and collaboration, but eventually a sort of system was installed to help out. Still a lot of work to do, but its a step forward. Nowadays the term Wild Magic is generally reserved for those that aren’t all that well documented and understood.

Some Magics are very powerful and desirable, but also tend to be very high risk/high reward, kinda pass/fail, pretty literally Do or Die most times. So not a lot of people can use those or are even willing to. Story says this one guy named Odin hung himself on a massive tree by his own spear for nine days, no food water or rest in constant pain before he could unlock the secret of Runes. But it’s also said he gouged out his own eye to drink from the Well of Wisdom so… 

There are lots of different ways to channel magic too: wands, staves, jewelry, certain gems, familiars, potions, enchanted armaments, chants, scripts, etc. Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages and play into a Witches’ style. Every Witch has at least two methods of spellcasting. Only children have one. Haven’t thought of how Luz gets her Palisman though. Maybe its one of those magic Artifacts like Dr. Strange’s cloak, Elder Wand, Thor’s hammer, or a Green Lantern’s Ring. Something that can’t be recreated because the secret is lost, materials no longer exist, too hard/dangerous to make, accident that can’t be recreated, etc. Happens more often than people like.

Camilla is sometimes called the Blue Witch. She’s a healer by heart and trade, but push her and she will become a one Witch Battleship. Bismark who? Aaaaand she just deleted a whole battalion. And the fortress behind them. Hide me. There are the very rare occasions, like count on one hand rare, when someone near and dear to her heart is in trouble that she takes up her other job. She’s especially terrifying when she decides to torture, those who know how to heal the body know best how to break it. Many shades of Blue, some are very close to Black. She doesn’t necessarily hate Humans exactly, but doesn’t have the highest of regard from past experiences.

Luz has training and is a proficient Witch for her age. Camilla and her father were adamant about having a general knowledge/skillset alongside her specialized skill. Jack of all trades and a master of none, still better than a master of one. She has gone through the system for her magic with varying success. Oracle magic? Zero talent. Bard classes? She can play an instrument, but can’t sing at the same time. When she does sing she tires too hard and messes up. It’s only when she doesn’t try, like absently singing along with a song or playing by her heart, that she’s good at it. Beasts? Can use them, but would rather play with them. Bleeding heart and all that. She does have a good handle on healing magic partly due to Camilla drilling necessary skills into her and partly osmosis. Her father arranged for some CQC lessons from an old friend of his which the girl loved. You get the idea. It wasn’t until she discovered Glyphs that she found her niche and her skills took off. Glyphs are one of those ‘eccentric’ or 'archaic’ styles since they haven’t been used in so long after being lost and are barely understood. She still has a long way to go, but she is on her way.

Luz never really had much in the way of friends, partly cuz of high profile parents which leads to certain pressures and a target on her head, partly because of her magic style and personality, and partly because of the trouble been going on. Luz grew up her whole life with this tension of a group of anarchists trying to burn society that’s just trying to do the right thing. The anarchists started small, but have been a growing problem the past few decades with talk how to 'reshape the world’ in not a good way. Anyone with critical thinking skills can tell this is a bad idea, but they are too brainwashed to notice. They harass anyone who doesn’t follow their rhetoric and attack anyone who even questions them. Luz’s parents put a real kink in a lot of their plans for years, which makes Luz guilty by association. 

Luz got caught in one of those sudden larger scuffles and was accidentally chucked/blown through a portal created by an attempted tactical retreat that went off course. Hence why she can’t go home because she hasn’t learned how to do portals yet. Those are high level anyway so how did these guys pull it off so easily? Luz has a hard time blending in obviously. Learning how to use a phone was a fun endeavor. Internet was a trip. Luz is amazed how these people can do all this cool stuff without magic. Keep a low profile sure, she can pass off as a weird out of town kid. Keep the beanie on, underperform in gym and stuff because some things don’t change, like genetics. Someone sharp eyed will see discrepancies. The Beanie has a small Glamor spell built in that covers her witchy traits but she forgot the ears which is why it sits like it does. Luz can erase memories in case she has an accident, but it’s less of a 'remove my face from this picture with a scalpel’, and more of a 'lemme just hack off the past hour or three from your brain with an axe.’ If she tries to take any more then she starts burning into some more dangerous territory and those Wiped are groggy and disoriented for a while after already. Then the magic attacks start happening and her heroic instinct/anti-bystander complex kicks in and there goes that. It runs in the family so Camilla isn’t surprised in the slightest when she finds out.

“Oh titan, why did you curse me with another me?” “I’m right here Mami!”

Eda has a shack very akin to Grunkle Stan. Lots of junk that Lilith can’t believe that people are dumb enough to buy. She’s also involved in some not so legal dealings on the side. Well, Eda isn’t actually hurting anybody and the tax dollars she should be paying would only go towards some politicians’ next yacht or another pointless overseas 'investment’ instead of where it’s supposed to go so. Eda does give some good intel on occasion and a place to vent so Lillith overlooks her. Lil’s more of the secret police for witches and a petty crook isn’t part of her job anyway. Eda understands Luz’s predicament and is willing to help. The cover story is that Camilla work in hospitals and has to work crazy hours while her dad passed away so is living with Eda for a while. King is that kind of critter that grew up weird and acts like ten different animals all the time.

Gus is the nerdy kid who infodumps on everybody, even if they’re not listening. Loves anything fantasy/sci-fi related and plays Minecraft too. A good kid at heart, but needs some social skills. Keep him away from anything more sugary than tea. Luz learned a lot listening to him. Not all of it is entirely useful, but still. Some of his ramblings give her some good ideas for magic and stuff, like putting Glyphs on cards.

The Blights are the cool rich kids obviously, and have some discipline and social issues. Big family name makes them intimidating for normies and a meal ticket for the unsavory. These kids need real friends. They decided to act out to get some attention from the parents who then decided to ignore them. “If you’re going to act like a child tantrum, get treated like one.” Ed is perfect for Drama classes, if he were allowed to partake. Can’t decide what Em is great at, hacking perhaps? Amity’s car is an inheritance from the only family to treat her as such Twins aside, even if she’s too young to remember it. She only remembers that she has feelings surrounding the car. All three of them were pretty impressed with Luz for standing up to them, calling them out on their shit, and not giving a crap about their family name. Being treated like a normal person is pretty weird. Can we get her to do that again?

Amity tried dating Boscha once, didn’t work out very well. Boscha is still hurting over Amity’s comment of “I’d rather go date the new weird kid (Luz) than go back to you.” It’s one of the reasons she goes after Luz. She has that kind of Bud personality from Spider Man, feels lesser and so acts out so much. 

“Wow, this new Witch is amazing. Not as cool as the original Witch.”

“What is it with the Witch with you?”

“Oh, she’s a hero. Looks out for the city and the little guy. She inspires me. Makes me want to be a bigger person. *sees Luz* What’s up Luz-er?”

~

And that’s what I got right now. I know there was more, but it’s lost to the void right now. Might come back later, maybe not. Lemme know what you think.

............

DAMN you weren’t lying when you said you had an info-dump this is *chefs kiss* you got me intrigued now

[sunflowerryvol6]

Movement - H.S

Warnings - Angst

WC - 2.4k

Hey! So I promise I don't intend to write such angsty things, but it just came to me! Hope you like it. Feedback is always welcome, and my ask box is open for requests. This might have a part two, but I'm not sure yet, let me know if you would like it. Please like and reblog. I have some more non-angsty ideas, but I'm stuck, so I'll try to work on them and put them out.

Masterlist

Today Mohini sat by the windowsill in her parent's home, silently counting fruits on the mango tree in her neighbours' yard. Teentaal played in the back. Shed, she was doing her warm-ups when she got distracted. The dark green raw mangoes were a clear sign that summer has begun in full swing. She and Harry had come down to India arguably during the worst time of the year. But this was the only time her guru(teacher) could give her the time she needed during the year. Mohini has been up since 5 am in doing stretches for a very strenuous riyaaz by herself before stepping away for class with her teacher.

Harry wasn't awake yet, he usually wakes up by around 7, and she's well into her hour-long tatkar footwork by then. She comes out to the terrace balcony to open up and use the more vacant space for chakkars (pirouettes). She sets her mat down and starts with sun salutations and some prayer. Silently working on arm movements where teentaal plays dimly in the background. She thinks back to how she and Baba would do riyaaz together. She had become a dancer because of him, of course. He was the one that pushed her to pursue her dream to become a dancer. If not for Baba, she'd have never met Harry. The same Harry who was now asleep in the room upstairs, who she doesn't want to wake up so early, which is why she pushes tatkar to the last of her riyaaz. She makes a mental note to tell him all about the time she and Jaya stole mangoes from their neighbours' yard and how she wants to show him how to do it, to recreate that memory in a way. With that thought, she goes back to working on her pirouettes.

He's not really used to the muggy heat in Mumbai, but it's not too unpleasant. They try to avoid stepping out when it's hot anyway. Today he's pleasantly lulled out of sleep by the sound of her ghungroos. This his favourite way to wake up, he thinks. That lights up an idea in his mind. He knows she'll be working on her footwork for a bit. It gave him enough time to scour through his stuff and find his latest purchase, the Exakta RTL 1000. He knew it was the right moment to take it out for a spin. A Photowalk was due, but with their conflicting schedules, they hadn't ventured into town yet. Staying close by in the suburbs, so Mohini could help out with her dance teachers classes. They did have plans to explore the city, maybe go away for the weekend, but hadn't been in a rush. They were here all throughout the Indian summer and some of the monsoon. He slowly walked down the stairs, camera in hand, ventured out into the balcony where he knew the music was coming from. He could hear her feet patter away to the rhythm of the music. Looking at her right now, he's taken back to the first time he'd seen her at the dance studio a few years ago. He'd been there rehearsing for treat people with kindness music video, and she was in the studio room right next to his, blasting Fineline. It had really caught him by surprise, so he wanted to see who was playing the music. He was met with Mohini at her finest, in a red flowy cotton tunic and loose linen pants, she had these gold bells tied to her ankles that he now knows are called ghungroos. She was performing to his song, easy to say he was in awe. The way she moved effortlessly to the music, was really a treat to watch. He stood by the door and watched her perform to the whole 6 minute song, tearing up by end at intensity and fervour her performance exuded. He knew then that he was done for. After watching her for so long, he felt obligated to tell her how much he loved it. He approached her, only for her to get really startled and then upset that he was eavesdropping. He apologised of course, but he was expecting her to recognise him, considering the song, you know? Turns out, her friend had hooked her up to a gig at an art gallery in London to do an experimental piece; and she also suggested the song. Mohini really had no clue about him. What were the odds that she would run into this international pop star in a beat-up studio in Hampstead? But that's precisely what happened. He asked her if he could attend this said performance since it was his song and all. She reluctantly agreed and told him where it was. He went there the next week, in a poor disguise, to catch the least attention possible. But he needn't have done that, because nobody cared who he was, at Akademi Dance, they were there for her. They watched in awe, tearing up just like he did that same week. He didn't need a better sign. It was love at first sight, really, at least for him. He called Jeff after that performance and had his management contact her. It wasn't that hard. She was very known with the south Asian classical dance community but tough to book. So he went back to that studio in hopes of finding her there. Today he's not ashamed to admit, that he went there consistently for 2 weeks before she showed up, surprised to see him there. He told her what he had in mind.

Today that's known as one of the most viewed classical meets western ballad performance. They had to contact the gallery to erase any trace of that performance. Mohini rechoreographed it to the music, with Harry and his inputs, though they were very few, if at all. With his audience, she had dance companies contacting from all over the world. But all Moh wanted was to stay in London and teach. The one thing he hopes, she remembers fondly, is her falling in love with him during that project. Rest is history. He went on tour for the album. She continued teaching, performing a fair bit. The two met up at different venues, depending on where the other person was.

The morning sun hitting her just right, sweat glistening her face and chest. She had a thin gold chain with an H pendant around her neck which swayed as she moved. Her hair was slightly damp, likely from the heat and her practice. Mohini's side was facing him. She was wearing a light pink tunic with loose white linen pants. He was waiting for her to turn so he could quickly capture the elation on her face that he knows is there when she's practising. "Moh! Why don't yeh give me dazzle?"

She turns when she hears Harry, quickly covering her face with her palms. "H! I'm so sweaty right now! Stop it!" she's laughing now. Having stopped dancing, he chases her around the balcony getting as many photos of her as he could. He stops when he's cornered her at the edge. Her back hit the rim of the balcony, she leaning outwards. He puts the camera on the table where her speakers are placed and locks her within his hold. Both hands on either side of her waist, she's breathing heavily now, adrenaline coursing through her. He slowly moves one finger to swipe the sweat that gathered on her exposed chest. Her breath hitches at that, taking in the look in his eyes, but she knows she can't back away now, so she takes charge, grabbing him by his face, inching closer to kiss him. Just when he thinks she's going to kiss him, she leans forward and gently nibbles on his ear, which has his knees weak. She whispers, "Think we should smoke that blunt, Jaya got us last week", and ducks under his arm, laughing as she runs back into the house. "I'll get yeh back fo' that, Moh! Just wait yeh little minx," shaking his head smiling.

That evening, Moh and Harry brought out the works. She only smoked when she felt the tension to release some of that pent up energy. Harry will use any excuse to spend some time with this girl, knowing he wouldn't get any time with her this summer. They were here for her work, after all. So he pulled out all the stops for the night, went out and got her favourite snacks, whipped up some quick salad for dinner, knowing they would be gorging on munchies. He set up a blanket on the balcony floor, brought out all the food while she showered upstairs. He had been working on some writing and recording today. They brought a bunch of their recording equipment along, so Harry could set up in her dad's study. Ever since her parents passed, her home in Bombay laid vacant for her to use whenever she pleased. Coming home to an empty house had been hard for her last year, but Harry had been there by her side through everything. Cleaning out all the supplies, arranging things, throwing out old items and keeping things that would remind her of her parents. He made it home for her that year. So when she was asked by her teacher to spend the summer here, she readily agreed because Harry would be with her, and going back home wouldn't feel so morose. The first week had just been setting up the house to their liking. They were just about getting comfortable around the house. Somehow Harry knew the terrace balcony was special for her, so that's where he'd set up their make-shift date night. She walked in, wet hair from her shower dripping all over. She was wearing one of his loose t-shirts and he was lounging in a pair of white shorts. He looked up at her, smiling softly. "How was class today? Is Madhuri doing any better?"

"Yeah, I think so, she is, but she was resting, we did some footwork with the kids, movement exercises and whatnot, and with me, we just went over some of the stuff I'd been working on back home", she smiles.

He sits down, leaning against the railing, and pats the spot next to him, silently motioning her to join him. She does so, reaching her place and leaning in to kiss him on his nose before picking up the joint. She lights it and takes a long drag from it. "I miss baba", she exhales.

He takes the joint from her, "Know yeh do, pet. D'ya want to talk about it?"

"No. I just hadn't said that out loud in so long. Felt like it was eating away at me, y'know?"

"Yeah, know what yeh mean, s'okay though, we can just sit here and take that in for a bit."

"Madhuri Ji, asked me if I'd considered coming back," she said

"Yeah? Well, yeh are here now, and we'll be here all summer." He added

"No, I think she meant moving back here, but I didn't give her an answer yet"

"Are yeh really considering that? Thought we were looking to put the down payment for that house in Chelsea when we went back?" He asked, slightly confused

"Yeah, I mean, we are, but I didn't want to not consider it. I'd be able to help her out with classes more often, work on new projects with artists that I don't get to back home, and just" she pauses ", I just wanted some time to think about it, y'know."

"Okay, well, yeh know I've got to go back after the summer, pet, if you'd like to stay for longer, that's okay, we can figure something out." He sighed. He knew Vrindavan was vital to her. She had too many memories attached to it. She thought she had time with those here, but with her parents passing away in an accident last year, it really took that opportunity away from her. So now she felt cheated of her good memories of her home. He knew she'd want to keep this place, but they'd always talked about settling in London and coming down here for her performances and to meet Madhuri. Something changed her heart, and she seemed unsure of their plan to settle in London.

He kissed her softly and put an arm around her, bringing her close to him, "We'll sort it out, darling. Baba and Ma are going to be with yeh no matter what."

That conversation ended with them lazily passing the joint, munching on the snack laid out. Both of them passed out contently in each other's arms out in the open terrace that night.

Come monsoon that year, Moh decided she wouldn't go back to London, so she sat on her bed, watching the love of her life pack away all his stuff to leave for his home the following day. The yellow light of their room fell on him, which only made him look more beautiful. She realised how much she would miss watching him play her his new songs sitting in the same spot he sat now. Rain poured mercilessly, almost as if Bombay was weeping at the state of their relationship. She didn't want this to end, but she also couldn't leave the only semblance of her father behind. She wanted Harry to stay, desperately hoping he would make it work, but she also knew that wasn't rational. He couldn't fly back and forth so often, it would be detrimental to his health. So she turned her face away to wipe the tears that lined her waterline.

"I wish you'd at least consider coming back with me. If yeh still don' like it there, you can come right back, Moh" his voice shaky, she knew if she listened to him any longer, she wouldn't be able to hold her sobs back. So she looked at him with this vacant look, tears brimming in her eyes. "I'm not ready for that yet, Harry. I don't think I will be. It's not fair to you."

"Okay then, if you change your mind, know I'll be waiting for yeh, pet" he wipes away a lone tear and goes back to packing.

The following day she waves Harry goodbye and rushes to the balcony terrace to watch him go gently twisting the H hanging from her neck. The mangoes are long gone, so is the light from those summer mornings.

[seancekitsch]

Not to Touch the Earth

this is a prize buck 60s au bc apparently i have enough of an ego to do that

a/n & warnings: drug reference, alcohol references, no actual drug use, unprotected car sex, use of the word daddy, roughness, cult references, orgy references, none of this is even really prize buck canon but yknow we might reference it again for a joke or two. natural born killers reference also

“Some outlaws lived by the side of a lake, The minister's daughter's in love with the snake,” you sing off-key, “Who lives in a well by the side of the road. Wake up, girl, we're almost home!”

You punctuate the end of the verse by howling out the window of the car Klaus was using, voice being swallowed by the vastness of the desert somewhere on the California border. Klaus drove on, trying to remember a time you were ever so free. He figures you probably never were, not sober. Not totally sober like now. He was coming up on three years, you on six months, and your new favorite activity was definitely driving out into the desert, as far away from Klaus’ little commune as possible, and singing songs that hadn’t been written yet and making love on the hood of the car. 

He smiles and looks over, watching you lean out the window bathing in the golden light of the sunset and he has to laugh. Is this just what you’re like in a car? Or is it being trapped in time? Your first week here was spent avoiding any of his followers and trying to talk to any of the universities in San Francisco, but none of them would hire you because a woman with a doctorate was rare, and a woman professor was even rarer. You stopped trying in a fit of anger after one Dean told you your ‘husband was a brave man for letting his wife become so educated’ before offering to let you take undergraduate classes because those were available to women. So you leaned into helping him hide from the Destiny’s Children. You had fun here. You kept each other in check being sober, you kept him from being fully engulfed by the group. You like these people, you just wish they didn’t like you and your partner as much as they do.

But the times when the two of were alone were the best. Klaus loves stealing you away from everyone else and being with you like everything’s normal. He loves you without that twinge of shame you carry with you, without waking up with tears in your eyes and thinking he doesn’t notice them. You haven’t been crying or hiding it from him here. He loves how goofy you allow yourself to be, the way you don’t constantly hold yourself back.  He remembers back on earlier today, when you’d snuck up on him, licked a warm stripe up his neck and sang lyrics from the very song you were piecing together now.

“Not to touch the earth, not to see the sun. Nothin left to do but run run run,” you sang, only for him.

“Let’s run.”

You didn’t have to say it again before he grabbed the nearest set of car keys and was swatting at your ass to get you running for the passenger seat. 

You feel the hot air hit your skin, and you can’t remember a time you ever actually liked the heat. You never saw yourself even visiting southern California. Sobriety re-introduced you to the cold and you greeted her like an old lover. You like your cold weather and your jackets and your fucking hospital socks you stole and stockpiled which now didn’t even exist yet. But the heat here is different, it kisses your skin like Klaus does, frees you from the burdens of life fifty years from now. The heat is a reminder that you don’t have the struggles you had in 2019, the heat is a reminder you can rebuild yourself. You know you have to go back sometime, but you can be selfish and steal this time with Klaus. You squint into the setting sun on the horizon as Klaus makes the car slow, then veers off the empty road to park. You’d have the moonlight soon, which meant a cool night with him all to yourself. By the time he walks around to your side of the car, he blocks the sun from your view. Your eyes trail up from the tip of that ugly fucking beard he’s got growing to his chin, to his lips. To the grin he sports, saves only for you.

“Do you think they’ve noticed were gone?”

“Why? Worried Keechie’s missing you?” you snort.

“Keechie? God, no. Although, if I were you I’d be worried Madelaine was getting lonely by now”

Right; you were hiding from two members of the group in particular. Your first mistake was attempting to have sex in a five mile radius of the group. You didn’t think they’d barge into your tent and invite themselves to join. But, ever the adventurous and slightly stupid, you let them. Now two of the four that had been in your tent  were trying to recreate that moment again.

“Not my fault I rocked her world. You jealous, Prophet?”

“At first I was impressed because I didn’t think you swung that way, but yes. Yes, terribly.”

That probably isn’t much of a joke. Sobriety put a bit of a possessive streak in Klaus, and as much free love is flowing, it’s nice to feel like you belong to someone. And you do belong to Klaus, in every way that counts for your group. But you’d struck a chord with Madelaine and now shes creeping in on Klaus’ territory.  

He pulls you from the car, literally pulls you. His hands come up under your armpits and lift you from the car window until you can step out of the window and he can lower you down onto the sand. He’s thankful you’ve learned your lesson, as the last time he did this you weren’t wearing sandals and burned your feet on the sand. He bends to let you pluck the wide brimmed hat from his head and you place it on your own as you walk to the trunk to fetch a blanket. Dancing, not walking, he thinks. The way you walk is more like dancing. You grab a blanket from the trunk and sit with him until it’s night. You sit with him close enough to reach out and touch, but not quite. It’s in these moments you can close your eyes and perfectly imagine you’re back in your studio apartment with him, listening to the record player and sharing a bottle of wine, thinking about the narrowly avoided apocalypse and job hunting for him. You can close your eyes and imagine inviting his siblings over to crowd your apartment for a loud night of laughing and take out. You can hold his hand and think of how very little space the two of you took up in the world and how comforting it felt. 

When you open your eyes again it’s dark. Perfect. Night falls quickly in the desert. You look over to see Klaus equally as relaxed, an easy smile painted across his entire face, worry lines smoothed away.  He hums a song you recognize.

“Sweet Jane? Don’t you think that’s a little too ‘Mickey and Mallory’ for us?”

He hums a little more of the song before he answers.

“I was just thinking if we mixed blood in a wedding ceremony our paramours would leave us alone,” there’s a hint of something dark in his eyes, “Now get on the hood.”

It’s the way that he says it, low and commanding, that has you jumping up onto the hood of the car and eagerly arranging yourself in a provocative pose, legs splayed and leaning on your arms to arch you back a little, just to entice him even more. That’s all part of the dance, and here more often than not he leads. He commands and positions you the way he likes it and rewards you in kind. He actually looks a bit like a god figure or a superhero the way he saunters over to you in the dark and crawls above you onto the hood, sandal clad feet standing on the grill so he has more leverage for what he has in mind. 

“Now, are you ready for Daddy?

You have to snort at that.

“Daddy? If anyone is daddy here, it’s me babe.”

He grips your bare thigh, just above the knee, then gives it a little warning slap. Not hard, just a little more than nothing.

“I don’t think you’re in the position to call yourself anything besides what I feel like calling you, doctor.”

Any retort to that comment, which honestly stung a little, died on your tongue when a low growl rumbles from his throat and his mouth connects with your stomach, biting at the cloth of your tank top and the skin underneath. You sink back down and stare at the stars, whimpering as you count them and let Klaus tease you as he undresses you. 

“If you were the prophet I’d be entirely devoted to you,” He says as he pulls your shorts down your legs, “I’d follow you everywhere on Earth, I’d do anything you asked of me.”

“Don’t you already?” you laugh.

“I do,” He confirms, “I do, I do, I do” and punctuates each confirmation with a little nip at the inside of your thigh, the same one he had just slapped. The beard he’s been growing out tickles as you squirm beneath him, hands roaming wherever they wish but solidly keeping you in place for him. You think back on your first time with him, how eager he’d been to please, how you wanted to be the one he was pleasing, and how far you’ve come together. His fingers wind up your legs like ivy on an old statue and pause at your underwear, teasing for a moment, before pulling them aside and plunging two fingers into you without warning. He pushes them in deep, scissoring them back and forth a few times, before pulling them back out, and sucking on them. If youre moaning or swearing, you can't hear yourself. An appetizer for a meal, or something equivalent of that. The delighted moan that echoes from his throat as he sucks you from his fingers sends shivers up your spine, just knowing you're in for it tonight. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you dare to meet his eyes, dark and stormy and hungry for you. He has the audacity to give you his sweetest smile before roughly pulling your underwear away from your body and heavily dropping his knee onto the car hood between your own. Klaus himself is intoxicating, you didn't need drugs or alcohol. It was so easy for him to consume your senses, and you readily let him. And when he finally kisses you, you feel yourself drowning. Really truly drowning. The way his tongue dances with your own has you gripping his shoulders like hes the last rock before a riptide pulling you under. It takes him no time at all to have his pants undone and to be grinding himself against you. This is a glimpse of the Klaus of 2019, humping against you and gently whimpering into your mouth. But quickly he pushes that away, lining himself up with you and pulling back enough from you to make eye contact as he pushes himself in. No matter how domineering he could be in the 60s with you, he makes sure to look at you, to ask those silent questions, to be granted that permission to absolutely take over you.With each thrust, long and deep, punctuated with a needy moan, he takes a little more of you. And you willingly let him, and give him everything you can. 

You probably look like one of those renaissance paintings beneath him, as he thrusts hard deep fast, your breasts exposed like all of the biblical women, your body contorted on the hood of the car, like one of those angels in anguish. There was no where for your hands to find purchase that wasn't Klaus, so your hands are far up behind you, palms planted on the windshield to give yourself a better angle, a better arch of your back for Klaus to wrap his arms firmly around you, so he could kiss your chest and the long expanse of your neck and shoulders while he kept his pace. He held you as lose as possible, and for a moment you imagine its just him. You as nothing but an extension of himself, your pleasure mixing and becoming his pleasure. When he got like this, its easy to imagine he didn't have many lovers before you that cared that much about his pleasure. Sure they probably thought he was a fun time, as that was a given, but it was probably rare someone actually cared about what he was feeling. You like that he trusts you with this bare part of himself. No, you love it. You love-

A deep moan from his mouth vibrates against your breast, you feel it even more than you hear it, and it brings you back to where you are now, looking down at his lust filled, indulgent expression. 

“Keep looking at me,” he commands, thrusting harder, making you almost squeak at the angel he's hitting, “It's just me, and you, and the coyotes out here.”

Your hands scramble to grab the sides of his face as you start to move your hips to fuck back against his thrusts, eager to come for him while hes watching you. Any attempt to praise him comes out as stuttered moans and fragments of words, but there's a devilish smile on his face that tells you he knows what you're saying. 

He pulls one arm from under you, slams it on the car below right next to your head, and goes in for the kill. He’s merciless in his thrusts as he kisses and nips at your fingers that he can reach. He doesnt guide you but throws you off of the cliff into bliss, a scream parting from your lips as he refuses to slow his pace. This more dominant and possessive Klaus is wild, selfish in a beautiful way. In his face you see indulgence personified, a modern Dionysus filling each urge that swept over you. He doesn't let you calm down, doesn't let you catch your breath, overstimulating you as he reaches his own release. He comes equally as loudly, with a shout of your name and “oh, lover” tumbling from his lips before he stills, and captures your lips on his own. 

He kisses you slowly, like he's drinking in the taste of you, holding you still, feeling your skin melt with his. It's hard to tell where he ends and you begin, but you prefer it this way. It's just the two of you in the desert. Just the two of you in the world. There's plenty of water in the canteen, and after a drink to refresh you, you'll be tearing at each other again, just far enough off the road no one will see you. He pulls out of you with a hiss, like it hurts him not to be inside of you, and you find yourself involuntarily whining at the loss as well. He grabs the canteen and returns to put it to your lips, then his own, then you sit and talk of nothing and everything sweet, needlessly flirting and preening each others egos with loving words until you're both ready to go again. It continues like this until one of you falls asleep on the other. This is the desert routine. 

When you wake around sunrise, covered in bruises and hickies, hair tangled to hell, you're wrapped in the blanket from the trunk, Klaus’ shirt used as your pillow. He’s just outside, naked as you are, greeting the dawn. Something about his posture beckons you to join him, and on shaking legs you pull yourself from the car, unsteadily stepping until you can wrap your arms around his torso, his hand reaching to grab for you and sliding over your shoulders. He repositions you so you stand together, not with you behind him. The way its supposed to be. And then the moment the sun is fully in the sky, he greets it by crowing like a rooster. Loudly, freely. You join in.

[where-theres-smoak-2]

Barchie 5x06 Review.

So I usually just do one reivew for an episode but I have so many thoughts on this episode that I decided to split it in two otherwise it’ll be way too long, I figured two smaller reviews will be easier for people to read than one novel of a review. So in this part I am just going to be talking about the Barchie content. Then I’ll post a second half covering the rest of the episode later on today. As always these are just my own interpretations and opinions and naturally there are spoilers. So if you want to know my thoughts on Barchie this episode read on.

The Teacher’s Lounge

The first scene we get of Barchie is the one where they are in the teacher’s lounge. Now I have seen some people who are disappointed or using the argument that Barchie have become only sex and that they never talk. To me though I don’t think that is true at all and this scene is proof of that. When Archie first approaches Betty they are talking about the Polly situation. Betty is confiding in her friend about what is going on in her life and is sharing her worries with him. In return he tries to reassure her and comfort her when he reminds her that Alice had said Polly would disappear for days at time before showing up again. Another thing I’ve seen some people worry about is that Barchie are just using each other as a distraction. Again I totally understand why some shippers might be worred about that. But to me I’m kinda like well yeah they are. I mean maybe I misinterpreted the situation but I kind of thought that’s what their whole friends with benefits arrangement was about. It’s a friend that you can use to help you work out your frustrations and to be a distraction for a little while. Also this idea of using sex as a distraction and coping technique is hardly a new thing to riverdale both v*rchie and b*ghead have used sex in the past to distract themselves from their problems and they were both long term established relationships, them using sex that way didn’t negate from their very real feelings for each other. So I don’t think that just because Barchie are sleeping together in an attempt to escape for a moment, that means they are doomed or that their relationship is shallow and only about sex. If anything its a good thing because it shows that when they are feeling stressed and worried its each other that they choose to turn to. I think we often get so distracted by the sex part of the arrangement that its easy to forget about the friends part of friends with benefits. 

What I did love about this scene was how cute it was. Like when he calls her Ms Cooper and just the fact that he came to check up on how her day was going in the first place was adorable. And of course I loved that little hand touch it was just so soft. I also thought their smiles and that playful look Betty gets when she’s thinking about a plan for where they can hook up was really funny.

The Titanic Sails Again.

Growing up Titanic was my favourite movie and in my young mind it was the most romantic of movies, so naturally I was thrilled about that iconic titanic moment being recreated for Barchie. At the same time I couldn’t help but laugh a little at it too. That being said there is no denying that the scene was on fire.I mean I don’t know if its just Barchie and their chemistry or if its because they’re depicting adults now or a combination of both but is it me or do these sex scenes seem so much more explicit than they used to be? I mean holy firecracker.

 I also thought the song choice was perfect. I’ll be honest I had never heard it before but I do think the lyrics and also what the song is about is significant. I talked about songs a bit before and how in tv shows the lyrics can often hold significance because the producers have to shorten the song to fit the scene, therefore they have to chose not just a song that will fit the scene but which lyrics specifically work for the scene. Obviously it was a sexy scene so they wanted a sexy song to go with it. But the song, by the writers own admittion, is a love song. Bazzi said this about the song and I just think it is so in line with Barchie at the moment  "It became more than just a love song to a girl I was with…Lyrics were just flowing out, because I had felt this certain love and acceptance from this girl, and I wanted to take that and on a bigger scale give that back to people." This is exactly how I see Barchie’s relationship, its about love and acceptance. They have always loved each other, whether that’s romantically or as best friends or both. Also they have always been supportive and accepting of each other. 

So what about the lyrics that are actually in the scene. Well like I said some of them I just think are because they go with the whole sex of the scene. I mean lyrics like ‘hit it from the back and drive you wild’ and ‘hands on your body.’ Those don’t really need much analysis, pretty damn obvious why those lyrics were chosen. I mean you can look at it as simply its a song about sex and they are having sex, its not that deep. But I actually think there are some lyrics that could indicate that there’s something deeper to Barchie. The lyrics ‘girl I lose myself up in those eyes’ for example is actually a rather romantic line about how he is enamoured with the girl and I do feel like that’s how Archie feels about Betty and always has. Also the line ‘I just had to let you know you’re mine.’ Again this to me seems deeper than just sex. I do wonder if on a subconcious level they both see each other as theirs but that they aren’t willing to admit to themselves or each other. My favourite lyrics though are ‘feels like forever even if forever’s tonight.’ To me this makes me think that when they are together they let themselves feel all of those feelings they have for each other. Just for those moments they aren’t hiding, they just feeling it all and it feels like something that can last, it feels like forever. But neither one of them is ready to confront that so instead they just settle for tonight, they are willing to take what they can for now. 

I also feel like when they choose a song they probably do so knowing that either the audience have heard it before or that they will go and listen to it in full. So maybe there are some more clues as to where Barchie are heading in the rest of the song? (Probably not, its probably me just over analysing everything as per usual but hey let me live in my land of denial a little longer, its fun here.) In the full version of the song it starts out with a speaking part where the guy announces that he’s had a bit too much to drink and now he needs to tell her how he feels. I do wonder if this will be how Archie ends up confessing how he feels, like he has a bit too much to drink maybe at this point Glen has shown up and he’s feeling some jealousy and so he just goes to her and admits to how he’s feeling? Anyway back to the song, he then goes on to talk about how much he loves her smile and how he gets lost in her eyes. Again really romantic notions that we often associate with being in love. Later in the song there’s another similar lyric ‘Even when it's rainy, all you ever do is shine.’ Again this idea of someone being the sunshine in the rain is a very romantic notion and again I do feel like this is how Barchie feel about each other and kind of ties into what I was saying above about how when things are bad they turn to each other. I mean those scenes when they are together they look happy, they are both each others sunshine when things are getting stormy. 

Throughout the song there is also alot of the idea of belonging with the other person and this idea of a long term relationship. Outside of the obvious ‘you’re mine’ lyrics and the title of the song itself. I talked a little about the feeling like forever lyrics too but there are some other lyrics that I think are important. For example ‘Man, this feel incredible, I'll turn you into a bride, you're mine.’ Again this lyric isn’t about sex its goes deeper than that this is talking about being together forever not just a fling. But I think another even more interesting lyric in the song is ‘Swear to God, I'm down if you're down, all you gotta say is right.’ I’ve said before that I think that Archie is the one that is more willing to explore a relationship than Betty right now. I do feel like this line reflects how Archie is feeling like all Betty would have to do is say the word and I think he would be all in. Now I am fully aware that I could be reading way too much into this but I just find it interesting that they chose a song for a Barchie scene that is talking about how in love a guy is with the girl he’s with and how that guy is longing for more. 

So like I said earlier there is no denying that this scene was all kinds of hot so naturally I was very amused when the fire alarm started to go off. I don’t know I just found that really funny, like a literal fire broke out whilst they were doing it. Of course this is because some Stonewall Prep footballers set a fire in the school. One thing worth noting though is that obviously those two guys saw both Archie and Betty there at the school I can’t help but wonder if they’ll go back and tell Reggie this. I mean I don’t think they will but its possible they could do some scenario where Reggie tells Hiram and considering how Archie later tells everyone that he was alone and out running when he discovered the fire, Hiram is going to know that Betty and Archie are wanting to keep things quiet and maybe he or Reggie will use it to try and blackmail Archie. Like stop what you’re doing or we’ll tell everyone about you and Betty. I mean Betty didn’t do her blouse up all the way when they came out so I think the students probably would be able to guess what they had been doing. I’m not entirely convinced on this theory but the thought did cross my mind. Speaking of Betty’s state of dress, that leather skirt and the heels with the blouse, our girl came all dressed up for Archie and I loved that outfit. Also I really loved the scene where Archie was trying to explain why he was at the school in the middle of the night to see the fire. I mean Archie does go night jogging, he has in the past at least so the excuse was a believable one but his delivery was far from smooth.

On a less fun note I have seen some people comparing the Barchie car scene with the one with Miss Grundy and that’s just not ok. They are very different situations one scene is between two consenting adults and the other was a person of authority and an adult manipulating a teenager into having sex with them. The fact that people are using that scene as a way to prop up their own ship or to try and say its evidence that Barchie are wrong is quite frankly disgusting and disturbing so please just stop.  

The Shallows.

So this was on the surface such a small scene but in truth I actually think in terms of Barchie’s relationship it was one that held the most significance. Whilst Veronica sings the lines ‘Tell me something boy, aren’t you tired of trying to fill that void.’ It zooms in on Archie’s face and you can see he is feeling some things. He is clearly got some things on his mind that have been stirred up by those particular lyrics. I said before the episode aired when I saw the clip of them in the teacher’s lounge in the promo that I wondered if Archie was already beginning to get tired of sneaking around and after seeing this episode I do think that’s the case. I think Betty and Archie have been in love with each other since the pilot, maybe even before, but they’ve spent so long pushing down those feelings and ignoring them that I’m not sure they know how to do anything else. But as a result, I think not acting on these feeling has left a void in their lives/ hearts. Now they’ve reunited and they are both single and they’ve realised those feeling are still there, but like I said, I think they spent so long denying their feelings its become second nature to them. I think they both fear losing the other if they take it to the next step and it doesn’t work out, then they’ve lost their best friend. But I also think this void they’ve created is becoming too much so they instead try to fill it by sleeping together hoping that it might be enough to make them feel more complete.

When Veronica sings the next line ‘Or do you need more?’ this time it zooms in on Betty who you see gets a little sad and looks down at the ground, like Archie those lyrics have got her thinking and feeling things. Again these lyrics are so significant and I think the mesage is pretty clear. Barchie want more with each other, as much as they are enjoying the whole FWB thing they’ve got going on they’re realising that its not enough. They are also probably feeling a lot of fear and uncertainty around that revelation. The next line Veronica sings is also very meaningful. ‘Is there something else you are searching for?” What’s really interesting to me is obviously I think this lyric is suppose to indicate that yes Barchie are searching for something other than the FWB deal they’ve got going on. But I actually think the writers show us exactly what it is Barchie are looking for. At this moment they zoom in on Kangs. I think its important that at this moment they show us a happy, stable couple, who have a deep relationship and who fell in love when they were in high school and who still had those feelings for each other all these years later. This is what Barchie want with each other.

Also the song talks about the shallows. Shallow water is indicative of safety as oppose to being in the deep end which makes you think of being out of your element or in danger. Barchie has always been associated with safety, Betty on several occasions has talked about how they feel safest with each other. I also feel like they feel safe with the whole FWB arrangement. The song continues to go on to say that they are ‘far from the shallows now’ and talking about ‘I’m in the deep end, watch as I dive in.’ This line is talking about willingly throwing yourself into the deep end, to embracing the unknown and just going for it. I do think this is suppose to tell us that this is what Barchie will do. That eventually they’ll take that leap of faith for each other and just dive in. A large part of the reason why I think this song is about Barchie despite it being sung by Veronica and Chad (well truthfully I think it had signifcance for a few couples but I’ll cover that in the other half of the review) is because one the fact that they zoomed in on them both. But two because right when the song finishes Archie immediately turns to look at Betty and she flicks her eyes to his. I think this shows that they were thinking about each other during that song. 

The Porch

Ok so now I want to talk about the scene that seems to have caused some differing opinions within the fandom. A lot of shippers are saying that the scene where Betty comes to the door and they kiss, that Archie had a strange look on his face as he closed the door after she suggested they go upstairs. Now I agree there was a strange look on his face. I did see a lot of people speculating that this was because Archie was jealous over Veronica and Chad and was distracted by that so wasn’t really that enthusiastic about hooking up with Betty at that moment. Respectfully I am going to completely disagree with that reasoning. I was actually kind of surprised when I saw so much speculation that Archie was jealous of Chad, particularly over on twitter because me personally I didn’t see any indication that Archie was jealous. He was definitely wary and suspicious of Chad and obviously still protective of Veronica but I don’t think that situation was the reason for the conflict Archie seemed to be feeling. However whilst I don’t think that Archie was jealous I do think that at some point some element of V*rchie is going to come back into play and that was being set up in this episode. One thing I noticed as I’m sure many others have is that so far the time jump has had a lot of parallels and throwbacks to season 1. But the interesting thing about these parallels is that they each have different outcomes then the original parallel. For example the scene in 5x04/05 when the core four reunite at Pop’s. This scene parallels the one, I think is in 1x02, where the core four sit together for the first time, the one where Betty and Veronica are there and then Juggie and Arch come in and Betty offers for them to join them. Both scenes are very similar but the outcomes are different, in the original scene the four of them are relaxed and laughing together, in the season 5 scene they are a little tense and its awkward. Well I think the V*rchie and Barchie storyline is going to parallel the one in season 1. I think Betty will once again feel jelaous of Veronica and Archie. I could also see Archie get confused about whether his concern for Veronica is old feelings returning or just a friendly kind of concern and whether or not what he feels for Betty is deeper or just an attraction. Basically Archie is going to find himself in the same situation he was in in season 1 but in reverse. In season one he was confused about whether what he felt for Betty was just a friend thing and whether what he felt for Veronica was something deeper or just attraction. Now I think it’ll be the other way around. Back in season 1 ultimately Archie chooses Veronica, sort of, especially after Betty shuts him down during his ‘a part of me always thought’ speech. What else I find interesting is there is another kind of role reversal here between Betty and Archie. In season 1 it was Betty who had feelings for Archie and believed he didn’t have feelings for her. I think in season 5 its Archie that has feelings for Betty but believes she doesn’t have feelings for him. I think they’ll hint at V*rchie but I don’t actually think they will put them back together. I think how it will go is Glen will show up and Archie will feel jealous when he realises that there was something between Glen and Betty. As a result he’ll start spending more time with Veronica which in turn will make Betty jealous. Evenutally in 5x10 it’ll come to a head and Archie having one too many will show up at Betty’s door and declare his feelings. But I don’t think anything will happen right there. I think Betty will just look after drunk Archie and it’ll be the next day that they’ll talk about their feelings and then get together because this time Archie will choose Betty. 

Speaking of parallels that brings me back to this porch scene. Obviously I feel like this porch scene is a parallel to the porch scene in the pilot where one has shown up at the others door. Last time it ended in rejection but this time they kiss and sleep together. Also I couldn’t help but notice that during this scene and the one where they a laying in bed together the theme playing is the same one that was played during that first porch scene, which can’t be a coincidence. Ok so what about that strange look? If its not about Veronica then what was it about. Well I think it was because Archie wants more with Betty but feels like she just sees him as a hookup. 

There was another parallel between this scene and the one earlier in the episode in the teacher’s lounge. In both scenes it starts out with Betty talking about how she is worried about Polly. Again this is showing that friends element of their relationship and how they still go to each other for comfort when things are troubling them. Archie in turn confesses that he himself was feeling crazy and frustrated and whilst I do think some of that relates back to Veronica and Chad, I mean Chad had been a huge dick to him right before this, some of it also probably had to do with Reggie and that situation, but I also think some of it is that he is frustrated about where his and Betty’s relationship is, which was brought on by him hearing Veronica sing shallow. Another parallel between the two scenes is in both it is mentioned that Jughead is out and at work. In the first scene Betty says its too risky for them to be together at Archie’s even if Jughead is out. But this time she doesn’t seem worried about it. I think she just wants to be with Archie and so just doesn’t care what the risk is. I do think this is a small indication that things are changing between them. There are more little hints in this scene too. For example unlike after the scene in the teacher’s lounge where we next see them going at it in the car, in this scene they don’t show them in the act. Instead they show them after. I actually really loved this scene, even more than the car scene. Because here they were just cuddling together, it wasn’t about sex in this moment, they just wanted to be near each other and were taking comfort in each other. I am going to come back to this moment in a bit but first I want to go back to the porch and talk some more about that. 

After talking about how he is feeling frustrated, Archie and Betty kiss. But this kiss to me seems different from the others they’ve had post time jump. For one the others were during their hookups and so were passionate and urgent. This kiss however was just so soft. I also think its worth noting that when I first saw the scene I thought it was Betty that initiated it but I actually think it was Archie. Archie takes a small step towards Betty but also as Betty moves forward you can see Archie’s shoulders move almost like he is pulling her too him. Now I feel like if it was a case of he was distracted by Veronica and wasn’t that into being with Betty he wouldn’t be the one pulling her too him for a kiss. Also Archie is the one that deepens the kiss too. Another thing worth noting is that despite Betty’s concerns about the risk and that they up until now have been very careful about not getting caught. Well they kissed each other on his porch with the door wide open. Literally anyone could have seen them. But again in that moment I don’t think they cared, I think they just wanted to be together. Also despite Betty aksing to go upstairs after I don’t feel like that kiss was meant as a prelude to sex, or that it has anything to do with sex. The kiss wasn’t passionate or heated. It was a much more romantic kiss and maybe I’m projecting but to me it seemed to be more fuelled by their real feelings for each other than by desire or lust. And this is exactly why I think Archie had that look on his face as he closed the door. I think he poured his feelings into that kiss hoping she would know and to me the look on his face was one of frustration and I think its because when she wanted to go upstairs he felt like it was a case of her only seeing him as a hookup option. However I think judging from the look on her face as she looks at him after they kiss I don’t think that is true. Again I could be projecting but to me she just looked so in love with him. 

Ok so going back to the scene where they are cuddling in bed together. Like I said they both have pensieve looks on their faces but the really sweet thing is that Archie is stroking Betty’s shoulder and Betty is stroking Archie’s side and I don’t know why but those little details made me feel all soft and gooey inside. When Betty’s phone goes off Archie is just staring at her the whole time with such a loving look, he looks completely besotted by her. Also there is that moment when Betty says that she has to go and then says ‘but this... was really nice.’ That hesitation before she says really nice, to me, showed that Betty was trying to think what ‘this’ was exactly and it seemed like she couldn’t quite find the right words to define it. Again they both just looked so in love when she was saying it. Also as a FWB type arrangement I’m not sure it was necessary for her to kiss him goodbye like that. Like the kiss on the porch it wasn’t a heated or lust fuelled kiss it was soft and tender, again as if there were real feelings behind it. Also as she goes to leave you can see Archie almost reach out to stop her and say something. It’s pretty obvious in this moment that Archie doesn’t want Betty to go and wants to say something, maybe about his feelings for her, but he changes his mind and again looks deep in thought. 

Overall I thought this was a really good episode for Barchie and I do think that they are moving more towards becoming something more than just friends with benefits. I know that there is a possibilty they might go back to the original couples but as of right now I don’t see that happening anytime soon. I do feel like as a fandom us Barchies have been let down so many times that we just expect to be disappointed but for now I’m staying optimistic and I’m just going to enjoy speculating and enjoy any scenes we get.      

[dindjarindiaries]

Adore

summary: The voice in Javier’s head speaks and he finally gets the courage to pass it on to you. (Quit, part two)

inspiration: Staying with the Cashmere Cat feat. Ariana Grande theme, this one’s based on their song “Adore,” which you can listen to here for the full reading experience.

pairing: javier peña x f!reader

warnings: angst, insinuations/brief descriptions of sex, fluff

rating: M

word count: 1.784k

masterlist • part one (quit)

Javier sits at his kitchen counter this evening leaning over a glass of dry whiskey. Though his actions solely focus on nursing the glass in his hand, his mind is elsewhere—as is his heart. The image of you laying so ethereally next to him this morning, face lit up only by the sunlight that peeked through the blinds, created an ache so deep in his chest that he was afraid he may never recover from it. Hours later, even after a full day of work, it’s still there.

It’s been there for a long time, now—maybe not as prominent, but there, sitting at the back of his mind and heart. Javier never wanted to bring it to the forefront because he knows it’d be a dangerous move. You’re already using each other as it is and Javier knows what he’s capable of when it comes to anything more. Even after seeking closure with his ex-fiancée, Javier still feels nothing but shame and embarrassment as a result of what he’d done to her. He can’t risk doing the same thing to you.

But nothing stings more than to be with you in such a way and never get to treat you the way he wants to. The way you let him kiss you and fuck you mindless without a single protest—and vice versa—might be therapeutic, especially in those moments where he feels broken beyond repair, but it also tugs at his heart. It feels good, but it doesn’t feel right. He puts his heart and soul into every action, he always has, but when you’re not even able to recognize that it goes so much deeper than that, then what’s the point?

Javier feels sick at the idea of this arrangement running on and on with him secretly wishing he could have more yet holding himself back from it. He’s not sure how you feel and he’s not sure he wants to find out. Either way, he knows it’ll break his heart. If you’re in love with him, then Javier will be devastated at the fact he can’t treat you the way you deserve to be treated. If you’re not in love with him, Javier will be devastated at the fact his feelings aren’t reciprocated. It’s a lose-lose situation for him and he just keeps wondering how the fuck he let himself get so close to someone again.

Things were different before they got Escobar, when he felt more young and carefree—though he never cared less. He always cared about every woman he shared a bed with, sometimes to a dangerous amount that keeps him up at night when he remembers what happened to some of them, but he never thought about anything more than the emotional and physical release and neither did they. Javier was a fool to think he could recreate something similar with someone as beautiful and caring as you, especially now that he’s on his own in Bogotá. He’s had too much time between ventures in Colombia to think about his past mistakes and regrets, to realize that he truly does want to connect more deeply and emotionally with someone so that he doesn’t feel so fucking alone all the time.

Now, he’s starting to find that with you, but he’s trying so damn hard to avoid it because he doesn’t want to hurt you. But he can’t deny it. He adores you.

Javier thinks about you all the time. He thinks about your heart, the way you brush his hair softly to ease him to sleep and watch to make sure he stays at ease—especially on those nights when he can’t do much else other than cry and fuck. He thinks about your body, how beautiful it is and how perfect it feels with his own. He thinks about your mind, how you always respect him and his boundaries and never think of him as just an item to be tossed aside, no matter how many times you use each other for release. Javier thinks about you more than he should and that’s what scares him the most.

That’s why his heart feels as if it’s leaping out of his chest when your delicate knock sounds at his apartment door.

Javier chugs back the rest of his whiskey, standing up from the counter and jogging over to the door. He’s still in his work clothes because he hasn’t been able to think about anything but you today, and when he opens the door to see you standing there in your work clothes as well, he realizes the same thing must’ve been happening to you. The way your eyes glitter at him with the threat of tears makes his heart shatter in his chest.

“What do you need, hermosa?” Javier practically breathes in greeting, stepping aside to let you in.

You toss the bag you’ve been carrying aside as soon as he closes the door, reaching for the collar of his shirt as you pull his face dangerously close to your own. “Kiss me,” you practically beg, and there’s a shaking in your voice that Javier doesn’t like. But it’s your unspoken policy: no questions asked. He doesn’t get the luxury of knowing what the hell is bringing you so close to tears no matter how much the thought of you being hurt destroys him. It always does.

So, he relents, letting his mouth meet yours in a way that feeds the fire growing in his stomach yet tugs so familiarly and painfully at his heart. He lets you guide him in the same way you’d let him guide you the night before, your hands mussing his hair and your fingers working feverishly at the buttons of his shirt. The only time he takes control is to lead you into his bedroom where it’s more comfortable, and from there he lets you take off what you want to, force him back against the pillows, straddle him and brace your hands against his chest as you move and cry and shout in all the ways you need to. Javier figures it’s the least he could do for you—and he stills enjoys it, enjoys this, getting to feel you and watch your body move so beautifully above and with his own, painted by the glows of the streetlights coming in through the blinds.

When you lose all control, he takes care of you, letting you fall into his arms as he holds you tight against his chest. You’re still breathing heavy and there are tears more silent now that fall from your eyes. Javier wishes he could dry every single one of them, hopes that he’s not the cause of them, but instead remains quiet as he brushes a hand through your hair and leaves a kiss there every once in a while. Your head is resting on his chest, one of your ears pressed right up against his heart, and he wonders if you can hear how quickly it’s beating not just from your recent actions but also from this close and intimate touch. Javier can’t hide from the way his heart is beating entirely for you and he hopes you can somehow sense it.

The voice in his head returns to urge him on. Tell her, it soothes him. Tell her how much this means to you. She deserves to know. Javier knows the voice is right. He knows that he wants to be able to help you through whatever’s got you wound up, even if that broke the rules. He knows that he’s willing to let you do the same for him. He knows that he wants these rendezvous to mean something more, to be a shared experience of love rather than a fuck to get rid of pain. 

He knows that he loves you, and he knows that you deserve to hear it.

Your breathing slows and now Javier’s almost certain that you’ve fallen asleep thanks to your emotional and physical exhaustion. His hand continues combing through your hair, but now his lips brush over your ear, gentle and ready to speak whether you’re listening or not. “It’ll be alright, hermosa,” Javier promises you, his rough voice so low and soft that it barely passes through his lips. “Te quiero.” I love you.

Javier had convinced himself you were asleep, so when your head lifts from his chest to look into his gaze, his heart almost jumps right out of his chest. Your eyes have widened and the tears stains on your cheeks have started to dry. Javier loses himself in your sparkling gaze. “You do?”

The hand that’s still in your hair now brushes a piece of it away from your face, Javier’s fingertips brushing gently over your temple as he refuses to let himself escape your intense gaze. “I do.” Javier swallows hard, suddenly feeling panicked at the way he’s just disclosed such personal and possibly damaging information. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I just… I had to tell you.”

You shake your head slowly, a smile growing on your lips as you rest your forehead against his. “I do, Javi. I—I didn’t think you felt the same way.”

Javier furrows his brow, brushing another piece of hair behind your ear. “Is that what brought you here tonight? Was I the one who hurt you so badly?”

You lift a hand to cup his cheek before you speak, and Javier never breaks his gaze with you as he awaits your answer. “It wasn’t your fault. If I’d told you how I felt—.”

“If I’d told you how I felt—.”

“I think we both hurt each other by not being honest, Javi.” You let out a soft chuckle that tickles Javier’s skin. Your fingertips begin to brush down his face, making Javier’s chest burst with affection as he watches that same kind of light flicker in your gaze. “What now? I don’t think we can just be friends anymore, and I know you said you weren’t ready to commit, but…” you trail off, as if trying to think of some way to make this work.

“I’m willing to try.” Javier finishes the thought for you. “I can’t just let you pass me by like I’ve done in the past, hermosa. You truly do mean too much to me.” He leaves a gentle kiss on your lips that’s slower and softer than anything you’ve shared before, pulling away to hold your face between his hands. “Te adoro.” I adore you.

All you can do is smile before you seek another one of those same kisses, allowing you and Javier to finally have the taste of the love you’ve both been yearning much too long for.

permanent tag list: @mikahid @bestintheparsec @stilllivindue2spite @givemethatgold @xbrujita @mandalorianspace @blushingwueen @sevvysaurus @myakai13 @thisis-theway @beskars @rachelloveseveryone @theindiealto @hiscyarika @burningsoulbloodyheart @wickedfrsgrl @synystersilenceinblacknwhite @bookwafflefangirl @charliepeaceout @cable-kenobi @ezraslittleblondestreak @hdlynn @your-pixels-are-showing @b0n-chann @nettyklecan @javier-djarin

[riversofmars]

Negotiation

So @rocketoo7 and I had a chat and agreed that there is just not enough fanfiction of River Song kicking ass in hand to hand combat. So here you are, literally just River fighting off bad guys and the Doctor & Fam watching adoringly/terrified/a little horny. Recreating this awesome bad ass scene from the most recent episode of Star trek: Discovery because, you know, Georgiou and River have the same BDE. Writing action is hard so I sort of did this as a quick exercise to practice, it's no great work of genius but it was fun. Anyway, enjoy! :D

Ship: River/13

Rating: T (I guess?)

Word Count: 1600

AO3

Negotiation

“So what’s the plan, Doc…“ Graham asked as the Fam crowded together behind the Doctor. The were in a sort of bar in the far-flung reaches of the galaxy. What had been meant to be a lovely walking tour ending with a pint at the pub, had turned into a bit of an unfortunate situation that involved guns and a band of bandits wanting to steal the TARDIS. 

“Working on it…“ The Doctor retorted drawing herself to full height attempting to shield her friends from the guns pointed at them. 

“You always say words beat guns, this would be a great moment to prove that theory.“ Yaz quipped. 

“I suggest you show us to your ship.“ The bandit leader, an unpleasant looking fellow with greasy hair, said. 

“Well, that wouldn’t be much use because you wouldn’t be able to fly her.“ The Doctor retorted, trying to reason. 

“That’s our concern, not yours.“ He shot back, annoyed at her back-chat. “Get a move on.“ He pointed towards the door of the bar. 

“Why would we show you to our ship when you want to steal it and leave us stranded?“ Ryan asked. 

“Because you want to live.“ The bandit snarled.

“Living, yes, big fan of living, maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement where we just, you know, drop you off somewhere along the way?“ The Doctor intervened, trying her best to sound positive. 

Suddenly there was a discharge of energy, like a flash of lightning but it wasn’t a shot as the Doctor had expected.

“Did I interrupt a critical moment of diplomacy?“ River Song looked around the room at the shocked faces all round, immediately guns were pointed at her and ignoring that fact, she gave a little wave to her wife who seemed frozen to the spot. 

“How did you get in here?“ The leader of the bandits barked at her. 

“Oh you know, just your standard vortex manipulator, cheap and nasty time travel but it’ll do in a pinch. And when one’s wife is being held at gunpoint? It makes for a great entrance.“ River retorted in amusement and winked at the Doctor who shook off the initial shock. 

“Did she just say wife?“ Yaz asked and exchanged confused glances with Ryan and Graham. They had seen a lot of things travelling with the Doctor but having someone teleport into the middle of a stand off claiming to be the Doctor’s wife… that was new. 

“You know her?“ The bandit leader looked back to the Doctor.

“Ah well, see you got yourself into a bit of a tiff now. That my friend River…“ The Doctor caught River’s affronted glance and corrected herself. “And when I say friend, I mean wife, and unlike me doesn’t mind hurting people, shouldn’t like that, kinda do…“ She shrugged giving her wife a little wink. 

“Glad to see some things never change.“ River smirked. 

“Well, you know I like a bad girl, me.“ The Doctor grinned. 

“You can show me just how much when we’re done here.“ River retorted smoothly. 

“Are you flirting?“ The bandit leader interrupted, annoyed at being ignored. 

“Sorry, it’s been a while. She was a white hair scotsman last time we met. Back to you, you were saying?“ River turned to the bandits almost patronisingly. She was already formulating a plan. There was seven bandits in total… shouldn’t be too difficult. 

“I want that device.“ He pointed to her vortex manipular.

“When I say, you hide behind the bar, okay?“ The Doctor spoke softly and turned to the Fam. They nodded uneasily, before returning their attention to the face off between the mystery woman and the bandits. 

“Hand it over.“ He insisted. 

“What, this?“ River lifted her wrist that the vortex manipulator was strapped to. 

“Hand it over or you die.“ All guns were on her now. 

“I don’t respond well to threats.“ She shook her head disapprovingly. 

“And I don’t respond well to surprises.“ He squared his jaw.

“Oh, then you’re gonna hate this.“ River smirked and gave the chair next to her a kick, knocking it right into him, knocking him over.

“Now, Fam, right now, take cover.“ The Doctor exclaimed and Ryan, Yaz and Graham didn’t need to be told twice, they dove behind the bar and watched the mystery women swipe her arm across a nearby table throwing glasses at the men coming towards her. They turned from the flying splinters guarding their eyes just long enough for River to grab a bottle and smash it over the closest attacker’s head knocking him out. She ducked an oncoming punch and rammed her knee into another bandit’s gut.

“Okay, who the hell is she, Doctor?“ Yaz exclaimed watching the scene in front of them in shock. 

“Long story, people usually need a flow chart…“ The Doctor retorted, looking on uneasily and admiringly in equal measures. 

River ducked a blast and threw herself into the shooter, she knocked his arm with the gun up and smashed her elbow against his temple. As he fell to the floor she kept hold of his arm and took the gun, shooting a man coming at her from the right. 

“See, boys, when you let me have a gun, things are almost over.“ She taunted with a smirk. She jumped onto the edge of a table to her left flipping it over, knocking out another bandit with the other half of the table flipping upwards. She landed and steadied herself from the little stunt when someone lunged at her from behind and put her in a headlock, forcing her to drop her gun. She rammed her elbow into his stomach, then knocked her head backwards into his face. He let go groaning in pain. Probable a broken nose, nothing too serious. Behind her, the lead bandit pulled his gun on her. She whirled around pulling the man with the broken nose in front of her and used him as a shield. He took two of his boss’s shots before he stopped firing. River grabbed a hunting knife that was strapped to the bandit that was limp in her arms now and threw it, catching the bandit leader in the shoulder. He let out a strangled cry of pain and dropped his weapon. Plenty of time for River to drop the dead bandit and pick up her gun again. 

“Oh mate, that was like stealing sweets from a child.“ She grinned slightly out of breath as she headed towards him.

“River!“ The Doctor shouted as one of the others slowly got back to their feet but River was ahead of her. She only half turned to fire, she barely looked, but struck them down. The leader of the bandits scrambled for his weapon but River stepped on his wrist and held the gun to his head. 

“Remind me. What was your negotiating position again?“ She asked in amusement.

“I think he got your point.“ The Doctor drew her attention as she got up from behind the bar, all the other men were either dead or unconscious. 

“Did he? Because my finger is rather itchy.“ River chuckled. 

“You bitch.“ The bandit leader spat. 

“Sounds to me like he hasn’t learned his lesson.“ She stepped off his hand but only to deliver a kick to the side of his head and knock him over. 

“I’m going to hunt you down. You’re gonna wish you died here when…“ He groaned in pain.

“Spare me the empty promises, that implies you’re gonna walk out of here alive.“ River pointed the gun at his head. 

“River.“ The Doctor tried to get her attention. 

“Not now Sweetie.“ River huffed.

“I really think you’ve made your point.“ The Doctor insisted more firmly. 

“You’re no fun at all.“ River sighed and used the hilt of the gun to knock him unconscious.

“That was…“ Ryan didn’t really have words. They looked around the room taking in the destruction.   Broken glass, thrown over tables and chair, seven grown men flat out. River meanwhile pocketed the gun. It would be a nice addition to her collection and a lovely memento of this trip. 

“Fam, meet Professor River Song.“ The Doctor grinned as River walked up to join them. The three of them didn’t know what to say. There was a lot of information they had yet to process. 

“You’re welcome.“ River smirked.

“That was… quite the safe. Very impressive.“ The Doctor had to admit as she came to a halt in front of her.

“Oh, you were watching?“ River smile innocently. 

“Very carefully.“ The Doctor couldn’t help but admit. 

“I bet you were.“ River smirked. 

“Worked up a bit of a sweat haven’t you. You look a bit flustered.“ The Doctor observed, brushing back her curls a little. 

“In my defence, so do you.“ She replied in amusement, running her hand along the Doctor’s coat collar.

“Right, okay, we get it.“ Yaz interrupted the flirting, unable to watch any longer. “Beating up bad guys is a turn on. Now, can we get out of here before they wake up?“

“Wouldn’t want me to have to do it again, would we.“ River sighed and winked at the Doctor who blushed. 

“Let’s go back to the TARDIS.“ The Doctor agreed and they crossed the room, stepping over the bandits. 

“So, what sort of a professor are you?“ Graham asked trying his best to sound casual and ignore the destruction all round.

“Archeology.“ River replied cheerfully. “Love a tomb.“ 

[manjuhitorie]

Hitorie Interview - Skream! Magazine - Feb. 2021 Issue

First and foremost, I'd like to address REAMP as a whole. I couldn't help but pick up on signs inner turmoil and sorrow over wowaka's unfortunate passing, among a brand new resolve. What's your opinion on this such take?

Shinoda: We voluntarily chose to vent those feelings without any beating around the bush. This band has taken a huge twist in terms of the one who sings, writes, and produces the music, after all. There’s no point in hiding that, we felt. To be completely honest, even after all this time we still haven’t exactly regained our balance at all. Sad is sad. In order to express our choice to push onwards, the cards we had in our hands are.... -Actually the word “cards” was a poor choice. We merely had no other option but to express our feelings outright. ygarshy: We weren’t in the place to put together a theme or concept for the album or anything like that either. We felt baffled and confused by the very fact that we were making songs at all, but nevertheless I felt we had to do it, we just have to. We were wishy-washy so, we decided to hold the times we 4 made songs together close to our hearts, and use that as our foothold: to just try and write as we always do. Shinoda: Squeezing a song out was our one and only objective. Yumao: Yeah. The universe wowaka alone had created and his structures and all that.. To be honest, this new album is cut off from it... We chose to not agonize over trying to recreate it, and to rather let whatever we could just flow out of us.

I have a question about the timeline. After wowaka’s passing, when did you make the concrete decision to keep Hitorie alive?

Shinoda: To be real, we still haven’t even made that decision. Yumao: We haven’t concretely said “Let’s keep this up.” or anything. Our mixed emotions are still churning, or how to say it... When we wrote the music we become immersed and even excited about it but, once our songs were laid out on the table we came back to our senses, like “Uhm? Is this okay?” ygarshy: Even now I’ll have sudden thoughts like “Hm? What am I doing here?”, even when we toured as a trio for the Hitori-Escape Tour 2019, I never thought ‘Let’s keep going on like this’ as well, owing to the circumstances. Just, if we didn’t do it we would’ve lost out minds is all. Shinoda: He speaks the truth alright. ygarshy: If we had to make a thoughtful commitment, I think it would’ve taken us hundreds upon hundreds of years until we finally made a move.

Was there not any type of critical moment during the tour wherein you realized “We can do this?”

Shinoda: Truthfully, during the tour I was so deep into it that I barely even the foggiest memory as to what was going through my brain back then. What I can say for sure is that 2 years ago on June 1st at the Memorial Concert (At Shinkiba Studio Coast), before that day I hadn’t stood on the stage in months. For the past 10 years of my life I haven’t gone that long without the stage. So when I got up for the Memorial Concert, despite it being a tragic event, I felt that when I’m up on stage with this band my mental state is the most stable it ever is. We even all went out for Chinese food after that.

The three of you did?

Shinoda: Yep. We drank our heads off and talked about how “We could totally manage a tour too, eh?” Yumao: Since our HOWLS tour (Hitorie Tour 2019 “Coyote Howling”) was cancelled, we felt we owed something, that we had to do something. We may be sad but, even more important than that was the urgency of the situation.

So there was no resolve or concrete decision to tour and make an album then.

Shinoda: Yep, looking back, I think that’s right.

Were you writing songs while touring?

Shinoda: We started writing around March of 2020? Yumao: Due to COVID-19 we had a lot of free time on our hands, so we took the oppurtunity. Though it wasn’t as if we said “Alright, let’s get going!”, we just all knew it was imminent, and that we had to do it at some point. That point was then.

Which was the first song you wrote?

Among the ones which made the cut, “Marshall A” was the first one consummated at the studio. Though “Utsutsu” was the first one made in my head. Around the end of the tour in 2019 the idea for the phrases took form. I felt that if I was to ever write for Hitorie again, this would be it.

”Utsutsu” stresses sorrow way thicker and heavier than any of the other songs in the album, so it makes sense that it came first.

Shinoda: It gets my feelings across, doesn’t it... The lyric and sung melody of “Utsutsu da ne” were around since the beginning.

Did you each make a song voluntarily?

Yumao: Yessiree. It was like “I’m’ere writing, so you'd better pick it up too." Shinoda: We had the slogan "Let's make 10 songs in one month". Yumao: Even if it was one chorus of a song, that would be okay. Shinoda: In the end, the ratio of songs I, ygarshy and Yumao completed was 8:1:1 (Though in the album itself it became 6:2:2). It might seem unbalanced, but this is perfectly balanced for us. ygarshy: Shinoda just makes a heap ton of songs. Shinoda: From there we picked and chose.

Did you have any standards for which would make the cut? Such as befitting of the current Hitorie or not?

Shinoda: That too was all over the place. Personally when I write, I place importance in how it will pan out with Hitorie as a whole but, I also contemplated what would fit our band's current climate. "Should the guitar not be too distorted?" "Should it not sound too 'rock band-ish'?", my mind was going crazy, I thought it would be best if it was entirely chilled out and mellow. There  was a moment when a switch flipped.

It is true that songs such as 'tat' do take that direction, but after listening to the complete album I have to say, the rock band-ish style is in full bloom. There's a lot of distortion too.

Shinoda: Yep, it's distorted. Yumao: And it's rock (giggling). ygarshy: Listening to Shinoda say that just now made me upset.

Why is that?

ygarshy: Because I had purposefully intended for it to be distorted. Everyone: Ahahaha!

So you like distortion (laughing). To push this point further, would it be true to say that those are core aspects of Hitorie's style? Shinoda: Ahh, there’s definitely truth in that.

Yumao: The one most mindful of that had to have been ygarshy. Whatever we release next can’t be too distant from classic Hitorie, he was the one who secured how best to keep the string in tact.

Where was the poster song ’curved edge’ made in the creative process timeline? Shinoda: We upheld the slogan of 10 songs a month for about 2 months, and ‘curved edge’ was the final one. I wanted to make a classic Hitorie style riff-based song, but I didn’t want high-tempos. ‘curved edge’ was where I finally found the perfect balance between my wishes and Hitorie’s standards.

Hitorie never made songs with unwavering low tempos that take off into an uplifting dance breakdown at the chorus up until now after all.  

Shinoda: Yeah. We all made the silent agreement to absolutely not try and make songs like wowaka’s.

I can definitely detect wowaka’s influence on your music, which is natural after being in a band together for so long. So, you kept it at.

ygarshy: We’ve each grown a keen sense for this. Suppose we were to show wowaka a song we wrote that mimics his style... He would make a really disgusted face. We just know, we just have a sense for it.

Shinoda: That’s the thing he despises the most after all.

ygarshy: That’s right. It would be but as a parody. And we wouldn’t want to do that.

ygarshy, you wrote the songs ‘Image’ and ‘dirty, correct. The melody of them feel nostalgic and longing, yet simultaneously evoke a rush and shivers.

ygarshy: In my current state letting the music flow out of me is all I’m capable of. Last spring, or summer was it, where we were showing each other our songs I.... Felt sad. So sad. Like “Why am I writing songs for Hitorie? Why is this what it’s come to?”

Yumao: Yep yep.

ygarshy: That’s why “dirty” and “Image” both are not very elaborate pieces. There’s much room to mix up chords or arrange it to be complex but, I just really had no heart to do that. Whatever popped out of my head wasn’t tinkered in the slightest, my wish was to keep in its organic simple form.

So when you handled the arrangement of music as a band, did you change as little as possible?

ygarshy: For the two songs I brought in, they were nice and stayed as close to demo version as they possibly could. “dirty” especially has a garage-style melody and tone which clicks immediately, so the lyrics and singing were molded to follow suit. Shinoda: Him (ygarshy) and I are the same age and all, so I pretty much can grasp whatever he goes for. Like he was probably going for those late 1990’s declining vibes. ygarshy: Exactly. I had thought to myself that I wanted dirty lyrics, and he actually delivered just that. I’d like to hear the story behind the two songs Yumao wrote as well, “YUBIKIRI” and “faceless enemy”. Both melodies are pop.

Yumao: That just kind of happens with me. Shinoda: He makes my contemplating and agonizing look stupid, because those songs are just as clear as fresh water. Yumao: All I did was squeeze out whatever I could (laughing). To be honest, I think my songs will be the most unacceptable to Hitorie’s listeners. I may be a member of Hitorie, and understand Hitorie like the back of my hand but, from the start I knew I’m incapable of writing songs to Hitorie’s standards. I took a realistic approach. ygarshy: Though I really enjoy the music Yumao wrote before Hitorie. So when he brought it those genuine honest pieces, I was so happy. I think I like the songs more than he himself does.

The fact that you chose to keep Yumao’s songs in the album despite them not being perfectly Hitorie fashioned, sounds like proof that you’ve found your answer for this album.

Yumao: Pedaling to the mettle is what I have to do, it’s all I can do. No matter if it’s acceptable or not, I’m doing what I can. That’s one message behind my songs.

Your song “YUBIKIRI” as the final track of the album has a lot of impact as well. It’s a bright and cheery song yet somehow it brings a tear to the eye.

Shinoda: Doesn’t it?

Yumao: It’s very cheery and it’s the brightest of the mix, isn’t it. When I wrote I was riding the groove in over my head, so I asked Shinoda to make the lyrics sound immature, like something a teenager would click with. I felt knotted up inside, and I needed something to break the chains for me. Completely divert from what Hitorie should or shouldn’t do, I alone needed to express and vent myself. And that’s how this song happened.

Shinoda: Yumao made that direct request of me, so I steered my word choices far away from any purple-prose. The keyboard was played by NariHane of Passpied, and when those 3 were off recording the music without me, I finished the lyrics. That’s how quickly they were zipped out.

After completing a whole album, how do you feel, do you think you will be able to continue on like this?

Shinoda: I don’t know yet. We’ll have to hear the people’s opinions. ygarshy: And what are we going to do after hearing them? After performing all these concerts? is one apprehension I have but,.. everything feels so up in the air.

Yumao: I know we haven’t said anything conclusive but! I want people to know we have a mountain of hypotheses on how we could move forward, on how we could keep Hitorie going, on how we could keep wowaka alive but, for now this album was just a do-or-die for us!

Shinoda: We made it, that’s all we needed.

Yumao: Yep. It was an absolute for us. I want to get that point across. This album is our declaration: that “We’ve taken one step forward”!

[cordonian-literature]

The Aftermath - Ch. 10

An Argument

SUMMARY: Hana finally finds out about Riley, and tensions rise in New York

Word Count: 2.2k

Warning: Mention of character death

*All characters belong to Pixelberry, except those that are unique to my story (I’ve also used some characters and fictional instances from Donna Tartt’s “The Goldfinch”)*

Catch up here!

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✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧✦✧

- Maxwell - 

When they reached Riley’s building and Maxwell got out of the limousine, he spots Liam and the children.

“Baby blossoms!” he calls. “Liam! Where are you guys coming from?”

“The Petty Cookie Dean!” Eleanor states.

“No it was Le Pain Quotidien!” Gabriel corrects. “We had breakfast there.”

Maxwell raises his eyebrows at Liam, who has a wide smile plastered over his face. It’s something that Maxwell hasn’t seen in years.

Once the rest of the Beaumonts are out of the car, Bartie nervously waves at the baby blossoms.

“Hi, Bartie,” Eleanor greets.

He doesn’t say anything back.

They all pile into the elevator, and Maxwell’s phone rings. He takes it out of his pocket and stares at it. Bertrand yells at him.

“Dear God, Maxwell! Answer the phone so that maddening song will be turned off!”

“It’s Hana,” Maxwell breathes.

Liam’s eyes go wide. It was only him and Maxwell that had tried to stay in touch with Lady Hana. She only responded to Maxwell’s calls and letters in the beginning, then stopped. They knew she answered Liam because it would be disrespectful not to. Neither Liam or Maxwell could guess the reason for her calling. Maxwell nervously forces his finger to lick “answer,” hoping that there wasn’t any bad news.

“Hana?” he whispers into the phone, doubtful that she even meant to call in the first place.

“Oh… hello, Maxwell,” she says softly. “I didn’t think you would answer.”

“Oh Hana I never thought that you would call! I’ve… I’ve missed you so much! I can’t believe I’m hearing your voice again!” Maxwell chokes up, and has to hold his breath to stop a sob from escaping him. The baby blossoms look up at him, concerned.

“I know…,” she continues. “I never really thought that I would either. How are you?”

“Uh… fine… yeah, I’m doing fine. So are Bertrand and Savannah.” He glances over at Liam, then adds, “And Liam.”

“What about Drake? Is he with you all?”

He glances over at Liam. They’re almost at their floor. “Drake’s not with us right now, but I’m sure he’ll catch up with us later.”

There’s a pause at the other end. Maxwell can’t even hear her breathing. Everyone looks over at him expectantly. The elevator dings: they’ve reached their floor.

“I wanted to let you know that I’m in Cordonia,” she finally says.

Maxwell stops in his tracks. “You’re in Cordonia?”

Everyone except Bartie and the baby blossoms turn back and stare at Maxwell.

“She must be there for the tea ceremony tomorrow,” Liam speculates.

“The Queen Mother personally invited my husband and I to the Cordonian Tea Ceremony,” she confirms.

“So… so you’re with Neville?” Maxwell says. He walks closer to Liam and puts the phone on speaker. The children have reached their door at the end of the hall. When they notice that the rest of the adults didn’t follow them, they wait.

“No. I’m here by myself. Neville had to go to London at the last minute.”

Maxwell thinks, Good riddance.

“Also… I just had an interesting lunch with the Queen Mother. Lady Olivia and Countess Madeleine were there, too.”

“What do you mean interesting?” Liam asks. He clears his throat. “My apologizes Lady Hana. It’s nice to hear from you.”

“A pleasure to speak to you as well, Your Majesty! Olivia told me that you were all in New York?”

“Yes, I… meant to call and let you know, but I became occupied once we arrived. My apologies.”

“That’s alright… but I thought you should know that the Queen Mother knows that you’re with Lady Riley. I don’t know if Olivia got the chance to tell you.”

Liam’s eyebrows furrow, but before he can say anything else, Hana continues, “And she… she told us that she played a part in keeping Riley away. She was quite proud of herself, actually.”

Liam stares down at the phone for a moment. Everyone else looks at him expectantly. When he speaks, his voice is rough: “How?”

“The Queen Mother prevented Lady Riley from attending Duke Bertrand’s wedding,” Hana answers in a hushed tone.

“Oh, my God…,” Maxwell breathes. “I didn’t even know she accepted the invitation. I… I didn’t even know that I had sent it to the right place!”

The group falls into silence. Bartie and the baby blossoms have walked back up to them, and Gabriel and Eleanor stare at Liam’s face, which has gone pale.

After a few more seconds, Hana speaks, “How is…,” she pauses to clear her throat, and Maxwell can hear the tears in her voice. “How is Riley?”

“She, uh…,” Maxwell begins. He looks at Liam, waiting for him to say something, but Liam’s jaw has stiffened and he stares off, deep in thought. “She lost her memory. She doesn’t remember any of us.”

“Oh… well… have you all tried showing her things that might help her remember?”

Someone opens a door and bumps into Maxwell. They realize that they’ve all been standing aimlessly in the hallway, next to doors on the other side of which people live. Bertrand motions for everyone to keep walking. Once they reach the door, the baby blossoms knock and Rowan opens the door.

“Hello?” Hana calls.

“Yeah, sorry, Hana. What did you say?”

“I said that you should try exposing Riley to significant things from her past. That usually works when you try to reverse long-term memory loss.”

Maxwell is about to ask her how she knows that, but Bertrand speaks up and says, “The only significant thing that could bring back her memory of us would be Cordonia, and everything in it…. Perhaps it would be best to return and bring her back with us.”

“Excuse you?” Charlotte Brooks’ voice echos off of the walls. “What the hell did you just say?”

Liam speaks first. “Good morning, Mrs. Brooks.” Seeing that Charlotte was walking closer to Bertrand, Liam steps in between them. “He simply suggested that bringing her back to our country could help get her memories back.”

“Oh I heard what he said,” she spits. “If all you came here for was to take her away again, you can all turn around and leave. What gives him the right to think that he can bring my daughter back to that—” she notices the baby blossoms. “That garbage bag of a country?”

“Ma’am, please—” Liam tries to stop the argument. 

“I’ll have you know,” Bertrand begins. “That Cordonia has been and remains to be home to the most sophisticated and honorable people this world has ever seen! We have more culture and ambition that this social experiment of a country could ever imagine having!”

“Speak for yourself!” she screams. “The only Cordonians I’ve known are you folks, and all you’ve proved to be are some pompous pricks that show up when no one wants you!”

Fuming, Bertrand continues, “We did not come here for our satisfaction or for your’s Mrs. Brooks, we came here to check in on Lady Riley! And finding that she has already provided Cordonia with her long awaited heir, we will be bringing her and the child back!”

“Really? That’s all you people care about, isn’t it? All you want is a continued status boost—”

Bertrand interrupts her, “We will be bringing her back on her own accord, ma’am! This arrangement will have nothing to do with you! Our country is in enough turmoil as it is, and we will not stand by and let some—”

Charlotte interrupts him. “You seriously think that Riley would want you people here? You think she would want to go back to the country that’s brought her and her husband so much pain? All your people and your court ever did was shame her! I’ll be damned if I let that happen again. Get the hell out of my house you son of a—”

“Okay!” Rowan screams, grabbing everyone’s attention. “This looks like it’s getting messy,” she directs her words to the baby blossoms, “so why don’t we go downstairs and play some games while the adults sort this out?” 

Liam turns. “Downstairs? I don’t think there’s any need to bring them all the way down to the lobby.”

“We’re not going to the lobby,” Eleanor tells Liam. 

“We have three floors,” Gabriel continues. “The one below us is a game room.” He points somewhere behind him, where there is a set of spiral stairs going down. 

“Bartie,” Rowan continues. “Why don’t you come with us?” 

“Oh,” he goes, taken aback. “No, thank you.” 

“Nonsense!” Maxwell cries, grabbing Bartie’s shoulder and following the baby blossoms. “We’ll go together, muffin. Let’s give them the rest of them some space.” Maxwell realizes that he still holds his phone with Hana on the line. 

Once they’re downstairs, the baby blossoms rush towards a large TV and Rowan sits on the couches that face it. Bartie walks around the game room, looking at all the recreational activities. Maxwell turns his attention back towards his phone. 

“Did you hear all that, Hana?” Maxwell asks. 

“Yes,” she responds. “Who was that arguing with Bertrand? And what did he mean when he said Cordonia’s heir?”

“Hana... I don’t know if Olivia told you, but... Riley has two kids.”

The baby blossoms turn on the TV, and music begins to play. 

“Hana,” Maxwell continues, lowering his voice so that the baby blossoms wouldn’t hear. “We’re so sorry we didn’t call you before to tell you. Riley got into an accident and we were just busy....” 

“It’s alright, Maxwell. I only have myself to blame for being misinformed. Well, I’m sorry to keep you. I talked to Olivia and she also knows that you are all in New York. Perhaps her and I will join you all after the ceremony.”

Maxwell and Hana say their goodbyes. He joins Rowan on the couch while the baby blossoms set up the game. 

“So,” Rowan begins. “You’re the one who sponsored Riley and everything?” 

“Yeah... uh... for her to be a suitor during the social season.” He feels his palms sweat. “That kinda backfired.” 

“No it didn’t!” Rowan argued, patting his knee. “I mean... if she never met Liam, then Gabe wouldn’t be here today. And honestly, neither would Ella. And yeah it would have been nice for Riley to get her happily ever after... but I know she can’t imagine giving up her kids for that.” 

They both turn to smile at the baby blossoms, who bring game controllers over to Maxwell and Rowan. They accept, and Maxwell asks what they’re going to play. 

“Just Dance!” Eleanor cheers. 

Maxwell shoots up from his seat. “I love Just Dance!” 

Gabriel chooses a song, and they all start dancing. Rowan gives her controller to Bartie, who shows little enthusiasm. She sits back down, but Maxwell grabs her hand and makes her dance with him. 

Almost an hour later, Bartie, Rowan, and Gabriel all collapse onto the couch, but Maxwell and Eleanor keep going. 

“How... do you two... have... so much... energy?” Rowan breathes.

“It’s easy!” Eleanor states. “You just have to keep moving!”

“But that’s what gets you tired!” Gabriel states. 

“Only if you’re not used to dancing a lot! I love dancing!”

Maxwell looks down at her, glad to have finally found someone who shared his love of dancing. “We’re an unstoppable dancing duo!” She jumps up to give him a high-five. 

They hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and Liam appears a few moments later. 

“Hi!” Eleanor calls, still dancing. 

Maxwell notices Liam and pauses the game, which makes Eleanor pout. “It’s okay, baby blossom, we can play again later.”

“I came down here to tell you two that I’m sorry you had to listen to your grandmother and Duke Bertrand aruge,” Liam says to the baby blossoms. “You were not meant to hear some of the things that they said.”

Gabriel shrugs. “It’s okay.” 

Liam takes a seat next to him on the couch. “Hopefully there shall be no more arguing. Your grandmother was upset when she thought we meant to take your mother away, but we’ve all decided not to discuss any of it until she gets better.” 

Gabriel looks away from his father and nods. 

They all sit in awkward tension, until there’s another pounding of footsteps on the stairs. It’s Bertrand, holding out his phone. 

“Your Majesty,” he says. “There have been some pictures going around the internet of you walking around the city.” 

“Ah,” Liam stands. Maxwell goes over to see that there are pictures of Liam going down into a subway station, and another one of him going into a cafe. Maxwell suspected to see the baby blossoms in the pictures, too, but thankfully they’re not visible. “These are from this morning,” Liam continues. “Only a few hours ago.”

“Your Majesty, I believe it would be best—” Bertrand tries to begin.

“Please, Lord Bertrand, there is nothing to worry about for the time being.” He tilts his head in the direction of the baby blossoms. “We cannot leave at the moment, considering Riley’s current situation. All we can do is be more discreet about our comings and goings.”

Bertrand looks like he wants to protest, but instead says, “Of course, Your Majesty.” He turns to leave, sending a smile in Bartie’s direction. 

Liam turns back to the kids. “Now,” he says. “What were you two playing?” 

“Just Dance,” Eleanor says quietly. 

“Do you mind if I join?” Liam asks. 

Eleanor’s face lights up, and she hands Liam a controller, who gives a broad smile.

[nicknellie]

Honestly when Tumblr crashed I just thought it was my Internet being wonky but that stinks that it got rid of everything you said, I completely agree it’s really fun to bounce ideas off of each other.

Agreed, although the show kind of says that Luke wrote the songs that Julie mentioned I feel like the band probably did help out with those songs but those exact ones may have been a bit personal to Luke hence the extreme reaction ‘My Name is LUKe’. However an idea that I have is that Alex write songs as well (also just because I want his version of unsaid Emily in my life) (and the show mentions that Reggie wrings county music) also it would make more sense for the band to bounce ideas off of each other (as we see Luke do with Julie) then just Luke writing every single part of those songs by himself.  also the show never really confirms when he wrote the songs so easily could be that he wrote them while he was still grieving because he was thinking that was the best way to honour them and then later down the road he realized that wasn’t the best. And the show doesn’t mention if he gave money to charities in their name or what he did just that he didn’t give them credit.

I agree I feel like part of it may have been that he didn’t want their deaths following him because reporters would definitely be like oh how are you recovering and etc. also as you said he was going through a lot of trauma from losing his family and although that may not have been a lot of people’s gut reaction it is understandable. I just think that’s how the boys saw it just because unexpectedly they hear that someone stole their songs and then all the sudden it’s not someone who’s not close to them but someone who it feels like they stabbed them in the back kind of.

Honestly the fact that he meditates is kind of what made me think of the idea just because he would be able to calm himself and think rationally which I don’t feel like Luke and Reggie could do if they thought someone who they cared about was hurt. Maybe back then it was Bobby and Alex who shared the single brain cell that was Sunset Curve (but only Bobby when Alex was upset any other time he was just as chaotic as Luke and Reggie)

Crossword: that is totally what Reggie would do and he would totally just blurred out the words before Alex even had a chance to think about them just because he loves Alex so much and he was so excited. (Also I feel like Reggie would be the sentimental one who would make a scrapbook and just give Alex a photo album to show that no matter what they will always be here for them)

Reggie owns so many flannels, yes!! (also double yes, because I definitely feel like those piece meant something to them especially if that’s what they had before they died, also it would just be so adorable if the band members just gave each other items to show support and unconditional love)

Awe, now I’m thinking about Bobby sobbing after they passed just because he loved them so much and that for the longest time he couldn’t get back into knitting or  jewelry making because it reminded him of the boys (similar to how Julie couldn’t play music after her mom passed)

Necklace: But he definitely would, he probably put so much research into it as well and chose colours that held meaning and stuff, also the necklace helped Reggie so much when his parents were arguing because just like with Alex’s bracelet they were made with love and it remindes him that he always has a place to go.

Yes, when Luke ran away they were all sobbing however that’s exactly what they did. You described it perfectly, also because I feel like it’s canon that Alex gives the best hugs so he was giving Luke huge hugs while Reggie was trying to distract Luke and Bobby was trying to figure out arrangements. (also I feel like Alex would help Bobby would as soon as he can, I feel like Reggie would try to get movie night as a way to distract Luke).

With the jigsaw I could definitely see Luke trying to pretend like he isn’t interested well just focusing on Bobby putting the jigsaw away. (The point with Reggie is perfect and reminds me of that meme with the guy who is looking at a butterfly and it’s just Reggie being like is this a reason to get distracted and then dropping the jigsaw)

Yeah I totally agree that the mentioned ones were more personal. I reckon all of their songs came from some sort of struggle and to have that kind of erased when they weren’t mentioned must have been another thing that really hurt them when they found out what had happened. So yeah, I think they would all bounce ideas off each other (when they would all talk again after one of their quiet jigsaw/knitting/crossword/Rubik’s Cube sessions) and Luke would sort of put the pieces together to make the song. When Julie says ‘none of his latest stuff is as good’ I think that maybe Bobby had been trying to emulate their old song-writing sessions, trying to recreate the way they had given each other ideas and stuck them all together, but it just wasn’t quite working with just him because he couldn’t make it alone. Which maybe is when he realised even further that it had been the wrong thing to do, not credit them for their music. He would definitely write out of grief and pain and then later realise that he hadn’t really done them justice or kept their memories alive in the way he had tried to because he had unwittingly done everything he could to erase them. I’ve thought in the past that Mitch Patterson would have set up some sort of charity or foundation in Luke’s name that set to bring help and music to kids in need and now that you’ve mentioned charities I have decided that Trevor/Bobby makes hefty donations to that whenever he can.

An Unsaid Emily-style Alex song would kill me. His would be more focused on how his parents view of him changed. I headcanon that Alex’s parents were very kind and loving and they doted on Alex. They loved him with all their hearts and none of them ever thought that would change, so he was confident when he came out to them. But obviously they weren’t cool with it and we get very little detail about what happened next. I think Alex would have written about his memories and how lonely it felt and how shattered he was that he hadn’t been accepted. There’d be undertones about him missing them and missing the old days and part of him wishing he’d never told them (although he is really glad that he did).

Yeah, you’re totally right about the fact that he didn’t want their deaths following him. For a teenager to be thrown into stardom is one thing, to be constantly bombarded about his trauma would have been another. It wasn’t that he wanted to escape the boys or forget them, he wanted his memories of them to remain untainted by flashing cameras and cruel interviews. And YES, that brings us back to the fact that they’ve grown at different rates and the last two and a half decades were nothing for the boys but likely hell on Earth for Bobby. The guy they used to know is suddenly someone seeming cold and distant and because they didn’t experience losing each other they can’t understand how it must have been for him to lose them. They never really give themselves a chance to see it from Bobby’s perspective - even when they begin to move on in episode 6 Luke says Bobby ‘has to live with that guilt’, he immediately discards it as a bad thing and none of them begin to rationalise his actions. They don’t make any effort to see the situation from Bobby’s point of view (although admittedly I can’t imagine that would be an easy thing to do).

Totally - Bobby and Alex shared the brain cell but Bobby was the only be who could really use it to it’s full potential. He was so ready to be there for all of them when they needed it. Luke and Reggie would want to fight the problem head on while Bobby knew it was best to take their time and figure it out like one of Alex’s beloved jigsaw puzzles.

Kind of off-topic but I think he’s very spiritual too (I kind of get it from the meditating in a way I can’t quite explain) and if he wasn’t so certain that he was finally losing it after all those years of guilt then he would have believed and been happy that the boys were back as ghosts when they haunted him. Like he thinks rationally until it comes to supernatural stuff and then he’s all over the idea of ghosts and monsters.

Omg ok the scrapbooking!!!!! I am so here for this!!!!! Reggie had tons of scrapbooks and photo albums - he writes silly little captions underneath the photos, gets Bobby to make things that can be stuck in as decorations, and will take a camera with him wherever he goes. I think cameras were very different in the nineties and I wasn’t born then so idk how it all works but didn’t you have to go somewhere to get them developed?? Well, Reggie loved doing that and he’d always get one of the boys to come with him so when he saw the photos for the first time he would have someone to look through them with. He made special scrapbooks for special occasions: Alex’s coming out, Christmases, birthdays, holidays they all went on together. He would collect things and add in little envelopes to the scrapbook if it wasn’t flat enough to be stuck in. He kept everything from tickets to candy wrappers because he wanted to remember everything they all did together.

I definitely think the boys’ signature clothing is important to them. Reggie loved his flannels and his favourite was from the boys; Alex loved his hoodie which the boys got him (and his fanny pack may have been a gift from them too so he wouldn’t have to carry whatever���s in there all the time); our theory that Bobby was the one who knitted Luke’s beanies. It makes me wonder if Bobby had anything from them he still wears. He probably would have grown out of clothes, but maybe his sunglasses were a gift? Or they made his necklaces? Or he has a jacket that used to be one of theirs and still fits him?

Oh my god no that hurts 😭 Bobby trying to make himself a necklace or bracelet out of colours that reminded him of them (pink for Alex, blue for Luke, red for Reggie) but his hands shaking so much that he can’t thread the beads and had to stop. Him trying over and over again but not being able to do it because he gets bombarded with memories about Luke knocking over all his beads that one time, or Reggie accidentally breaking the clasp on his necklace so Bobby had to replace it, or the tears in Alex’s eyes when he was given that rainbow bracelet. Oh my GOD.

Alex definitely gives the best hugs. I would kill for an Alex hug. For a while, Luke just needed to be held so Alex did that, Reggie started talking about something completely unrelated, and Bobby started making phone calls and looking things up to find out what the best way forward was. Alex of course helped, like you said, as soon as Luke was fine to be left with just Reggie. I feel like it was kind of similar within the band - Bobby was the one who booked gigs and made deals, he did all the managerial stuff while the others focused more on the performances and the music. He missed rehearsals because of meetings with record execs or whatever sometimes but he could pick things up very quickly so it didn’t really matter.

And because I couldn’t not do this:

(Also is it cool with you if I make a mini masterlist of all these things we’ve said? I’m definitely going to want to find these again but at some point they’ll be buried deep within my blog so I want easy access lol)

[grimseywrites]

Chloé Bourgeois in Lockdown

Chloé and Adrien are stuck together in lockdown, and she learns a lot about herself in the process. 

Word Count: 1572

So this turned out super duper long. I legit wrote most of this in a chat (lol) with my sister, and came up with the plot, then added almost 500 words trying to make it coherent. 

Lockdown. Due to her father’s position in government, Mayor Bourgeois arranged for Chloé to stay with the Agreste family, the estate big enough and secure enough that she would certainly be safe. At first, she's as prissy as ever, ordering her butler and Adrien’s bodyguard around as though it were her own home. What more could you expect?

There’s barely anything for her to do. Whenever she is around Adrien his tablet inevitably alerts him to a new message from someone in the class. And yet Sabrina is the only one who dares check in with her. Every buzz, every video chat, every message that Adrien relays to her with a smile only serves to make her loneliness worse. She’s isolated in more ways than one. Of course they message Adrien. He’s friendly and sweet, to the point where he even tries to include her on the video chats, but she knows she isn't welcome. How could she be, when she has spent every waking hour making their lives more difficult.

At least Sabrina is making use of quarantine. Without Chloé there to boss her around, she is using her spare time to learn anything she can. Maybe I could learn something new? Chloé thinks. Then I’ll have something no-one will ever be able to take away.

But what? What could she learn?

She considers fashion design; she has always idolised her mother. Adrien clears her head of that idea quickly, reminding her that she doesn't want her mother's life, she just wants her to be proud. So then, she thinks of her father, but he is easily swayed, and while Mayor, his duties are not exactly 'skilled'.

Sabrina suggests she learn needlework, but Chloé quickly finds she lacks the desire to sit still, and keeps pricking her fingers.

She looks to Adrien, who suggests baking, but she doesn't like the feel of the ingredients on her hands, and doesn't know how to infuse it with love like Marinette does. No way am I going to ask her for help.

Before she knows it, Adrien is pulling her onto the group chat, and asks them for ideas on her behalf. Kim is the first, he remembers that the Agreste Manor has a pool, and says that she should try swimming. She gives it a try, but hates getting her hair wet, and refuses to wear a swimming cap. On seeing her genuine effort, the class all begin to offer new options based on their own hobbies. Nino suggests dancing, Max offers to tutor her in coding, Alix says to get roller-skates. Even Marinette put forward the idea of video games.

Chloé takes suggestions from everyone who will offer one, and Adrien is happy to facilitate however he can. The class are actually getting into it now, and she tries incredibly hard, but just can't find a skill that she connects with. Everything has something wrong with it.

Until one day.

She and Adrien are having lunch together, as usual, and they are peacefully discussing anything they can think of that isn’t to do with the virus or their failed attempts.

And Adrien mentions that he has piano practice after lunch.

She thinks about the piano. About the baby grand in the hotel. About how Adrien would play for her when they were kids, to show her what he'd learned that day.

She considers it carefully, and sheepishly, she asks if he would mind showing her how to play. She's never really been sheepish around Adrien before, but given how he's seen her try and fail at new hobbies for the last few weeks, she tries to not let it stop her from asking. He smiles wide at her, and says ‘of course’.

It's slow going. Chloé's hands are smaller than Adrien's, and he has been playing for many years, so they’re both expecting frustration. And yet…She listens carefully to his instructions, and it's so much easier now that she's given up on calling him her boyfriend. He can position her hands without her trying to kiss him or posting a picture on social media.

Together they learn a four handed piece, him playing the intricate right, and her learning the bass chords on the left. Every day they work at it together, Adrien is patient and helpful, and Chloé does her best to not get frustrated. There are days when she feels as though she'll never learn, but there are days when they play the piece in perfect synchronicity. Slowly, the duet becomes a genuine partnership, and her dexterity improves.

And then, lockdown restrictions are eased. Chloé has to go back to the hotel, now that she can be around her father again. I’m not ready. How could she just leave the piano and her tutor behind?

Adrien assures her that he'll come over and teach her still, but it's not her only concern. In quarantine, alone with Adrien, she realised that she didn't have to create a persona for herself. That she could figure things out, without her parents screeching at each other in the background, without her own raised voice trying to incite fear and obedience in her classmates.

Together with Adrien, she realised that she never wanted to be hated, she just had no other way to keep people close.

And the day comes, when she has to say goodbye.

Adrien pulls her in for a hug, something she's gotten used to over the lockdown. She never realised how touch starved either of them were, not until this moment when it was going to happen again. Her butler's throat clears. He's trying to get her attention, but she knows what he's going to say. 'What if I forget?' She asks Adrien quietly. They both know she doesn't mean the piano. 'Then I'll remind you' he answers. The hug eventually ends. Chloé moves to leave, but can’t help glancing back at her oldest friend. He smiles reassuringly, but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

She gets into her suite, and immediately gets a sour taste in her mouth. It's not her room, not anymore. She asks her father for a piano and he's stunned that she didn’t simply order him, but acquiesces immediately.

She plays her half of the duet, but it isn't the same. It feels emptier. She tries to recreate some of Adrien's part, but it doesn't work, and she just ends up crying.

Adrien visits her twice weekly, and they continue the lessons, but she still feels alone.

Noticing this, Adrien gives her piano exercises, and over video chat teaches her to read sheet music. Suddenly, she seems to be picking it up quicker than ever, finding an escape in the world of music that Adrien had never truly considered. The piano had stopped being a source of joy for him, since he only ever played on his father's orders before lockdown.

And Chloé begins to improvise. Staying inside by choice, away from the eyes of Paris, she starts to compose. She lays her emotions bare; some songs are joyful and bright, but most are heart-achingly mournful.

The compositions aren't masterpieces. The old Chloé would have pretended so, but now they're just for her. She keeps them to herself, locked away in the pages of her diary. She stopped writing in that long ago, but now, these pieces, they feel as personal as any diary could ever be.

Days later, she's trying to find a specific sheet, and it all collapses onto the floor. She thinks how heavy-handed the metaphor is, but starts to pick it all up anyway. And then she sees two sheets from separate compositions, side by side. As she stares, she plays the notes in her mind. It's not perfect, but it's enough for her to know.

It's a duet.

She writes it out as a duet, mixing and matching her pages of already written music. It's not several small pieces, it's one long one, a musical epic, a story combined of all these small moments, traversing her emotional turmoil.

Adrien comes in, and sees what she's done. Of course he offers to play it with her. And she's terrified, terrified of showing her innermost feelings to anyone, and yet if anyone will understand, it's him.

They sit together, and start to play. It's easy to see Chloé getting lost in her own work. Adrien is used to it by now, she's processing, and that's okay.

It takes some time for them to get it right, sight reading only goes so far, however they both practice, and eventually it's as Chloé intended. They finish simultaneously with a major chord, victorious and happy.

And Chloé looks at Adrien, both of them breathing heavily.

‘I’m gay’ she tells him, the words spilling out of her before she knows what’s happening, but she needs to tell someone and he’s witnessed her every weak moment during this ordeal.

Adrien is now a very confused boy. So he stares, trying to work it through his head.

It's the longest minute of Chloé's life. She pictures a hundred reactions before Adrien realises he doesn't need to understand why she spent so long chasing him, or why she’s only saying so now.

He hugs her tight, and tells her that he's happy she could trust him with this.

She starts to cry.

They wait it out, and begin to play again, both wishing for an end as happy as Chloé's song.

[griffinnblake]

A couple of you have asked for it, and Part II of my Bellarke fanfic rec is finally here! 

This is suuuuuuper late considering I promised it a while ago, but I blame moving to a new house, teaching a new course, and getting sick at least twice in one month. What can ya do? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

These fics are in no particular order because one) I don’t have any particular favorites and two) I ain’t got time for that.  I hope y’all enjoy! 

P.S. If y’all missed the first part of my fanfic rec, you can find it here!

P.P.S. This is my disclaimer that I obviously haven’t included all the Bellarke fics out there. If you have a favorite that I did not include, I probably haven’t read it yet, in which case, please share!

a castle in the clouds by @pawprinterfanfic Star Wars AU. Bellamy is Han. Clarke is Leia. Oh and did I mention that there’s some fake dating? That doesn’t normally do it for me, but I can make an exception this time. *kisses fingertips*

We’ll Paint the Town Blue by @animmortalist

Clarke wants to ruin her reputation in this College AU and who better to do it than resident heartbreaker Bellamy Blake? They enter a friends with benefits/Bonnie and Clyde arrangement (it works I swear), but oops, they like like each other.

(clumsy) ‘cause I’m fallin’ in love by skai_heda

Sometimes you just need a cute little S1 AU where Bellamy faints and Clarke gives him a hard time for it. Oh, and feelings. 

small dot among infinite stars by @kindclaws

This is a really interesting take on how one change can drastically affect future events. It’s a S2+ AU where Dante shoots Cage and Clarke doesn’t irradiate Mount Weather, but the end of the world still comes.

someone let the poets out by @kindclaws (WIP)

This one’s hella meta and I love it. Even though it’s based on the GoT cast, I could totally see it also applying to the 100 cast given how S7 may or may not go. Fingers crossed for a decent ending. Anyway, Bellarke and co. are the stars of a popular show in its final season, and they are horrified by what Jaha comes up with story-wise. (Think those final GoT table reads. C’mon, we’ve all seen the footage of Conleth tossing his script aside when Varys is killed off). So they decide to recreate their own low-budget version of the final season. And Bellamy may or not be having a crisis regarding his feelings for a certain blonde co-star. OH! And how could I forget the social media tie-ins? Brilliant. Definitely read this one on a desktop to get the full experience.

how I learned to stop worrying and love the apocalypse by @kindclaws 

Another kindclaws fic. I’m sorry but the writing is just so good. I can’t help but include them. This one’s a Praimfaya AU fic and also an exes fic and also a time loop fic and also an angst fic and I love it so much. I personally recommend the 2nd person POV version (chapter 1), but if 3rd person is more your jam, then just read chapter 2!

An Evening I Will Not Forget by @octannibal-blake

Bellamy is a soldier who has a “one night stand” with Clarke the night before he’s deployed, but these losers can’t have a one night stand to save their lives, so of course there’s emotion involved. I’m a sucker for military AUs, so of course I liked this one.

i would give my life just to hold your hand (i’m your number one fan) by @captaindaddykru

Bellamy’s an actor. Clarke’s a singer. He likes some of her photos on Twitter. She slides into his DMs. It’s the start of a beautiful friendship love story. These idiots I swear. I’m actually surprised this is the first safeandsound13 fic I’ve listed on here considering the first part of my other fic rec was basically a love letter to her Hunger Games AU series. That, and I’m subscribed to her as an author. Seriously. Go read everything she writes.

so i sing a song of love by @hiddenpolkadots

Clarke gets pregnant and Bellamy’s the father, but they’re not together. Oops. They figure it out.

It’s All Coming Back by @johnmurphysass

Clarke receives an invitation to Octavia’s wedding, but the problem is that she hasn’t seen Bellamy or Octavia in over 5 years. And Clarke and Bellamy are both hiding secrets. Y’all. This one was emotional af. But so good. I will say, heed Tricia’s author tags and warnings.  Just in case.

a beam in darkness: let it grow. by starsonfire

I’m not sure if this user has a tumblr, so I just linked their ao3 profile. This is a S6 Finale AU where Clarke gives up and Bellamy helps her. Again, heed the warnings just in case. But it’s really good.

like you mean it (like it’s splitting you in two) by @talistheintrovert

Talis lets them sleep. She lets tHEM SLEEP. That’s all you need to know. 

as moonlight through the pines by @hiddenpolkadots

Clarke and Bellamy get matching tattoos while drunk and now all the Grounders think they’re married. Heh. Sign me up.

guess it’s never really over by @captaindaddykru

Bellarke + exes + Bellarke kid + Bellarke trying for another kid + angst + fluff = Bingo for Lindsay. Looking back at it, I think it was written for Bellarke Bingo. An ACTUAL bingo fic. So basically this just means you really need to read it. 

All tomorrow’s parties. by @robotmango

This is a really cool take on a Praimfaya AU. Bellamy is for intents and purposes the Time Traveler’s Husband. I LOVED this one.

Kiss It Better by delinquents

This is a really cute S1 AU with forehead kisses. Forehead kisses! It’s the only work by the author, but I hope they write more.

speedin’ into a new sunrise by @carrieeve

Clarke participates in a night of speed dating and ends up reuniting with an old college friend slash huge what if. It’s super cute and fluffy and totally the type of fic needed to break up an angst session. I love angst like nobody’s business, but sometimes you just need something happy.

everything will bring a chain of love by @lost-n-stereo

Another cute fic but this time with Bellarke as parents! These are short little fills combined into a one shot, and they’re just perfect. I love it.

A Safe Place to Land by @octannibal-blake

Bellarke as parents but the Angst™ version. Basically Marper dies and Bellarke take care of Jordan. It’s sad but so good, I promise.

Still Yours by @arysafics

Bellamy and Clarke agree to be friends after they break up. Angst ensues. Being friends with your ex is hard y’all. I promise it has a happy ending. 

when it all comes together by soundtracktomysoul

Jasper wants Bellarke together and creates a group chat that includes all the delinquents. Plotting and shenanigans ensue. This one was super fun, and in going back to it, I discovered that this author also has a Bellarke Rock Band AU. Haven’t read it yet but definitely going to check it out!

gone til november, on my city come december by @jamesstruttingpotter

Bellarke are cops and Bellamy goes undercover. Angst. Pining. Gah, I love it.

we’re never done with killing time by @bestivals

The angst. The angst. This is a post-s5 AU fic where they’re onboard the Eligius ship but didn’t go into cryo. Bellamy and Clarke have a series of 48 conversations and we get what they were supposed to do which is TALK.

I think I’m going to call it for now. I hope you enjoy all these wonderful fanfics! And if you have additional favorites, please share!

[mel-ancholymuse]

ABOUT OLIVER MUSE.

oliver muse was a name that, at one point, held a lot of weight on the island’s music scene. a talented song writer and producer, oliver had leant his musical ear to some of the most popular and successful acts on the island — even helping produce powerline’s first album. with talent and drive like his it seems nothing could have ever stopped oliver muse’s reign. but as times changed and the sounds on the radio evolved, oliver found it difficult to evolve with them, and soon the work came in less frequently. to make matters worse, oliver lived a grandiose lifestyle that his sudden lack of work simply couldn’t support. blowing all his money on a large house, flashy suits and supporting his five daughters and the various music lessons he insisted they take; oliver suddenly, and horrifyingly, finds himself between a rock and hard place financially. his reckless spending would soon be his undoing.

ABOUT PRIVATE SHOW: THE EP.

in a last ditch effort to cling to a legacy that was quickly escaping him, oliver gets the bright idea to turn his daughters into a girl group. the idea comes to him as the girls sing christmas carols around the piano for their families, hearing the easy ways their voices compliment and harmonize. it doesn’t take much convincing to get all the girls on board, if only to please their beloved father. oliver has a vision for the girls, and when he sees them sing and dance together he envisions the greats: the supremes, En Vogue, TLC! and once again, it becomes evident that he simply can’t be bothered to keep up with the times. the nostalgic 90s sound that finds it way into their first recorded body of work is one the girls appreciate, but can’t necessarily claim as their own. but as it is with most things, it’s Oliver’s vision or nothing at all. the girls sing along to songs they don’t write and ignore the empty way some of those lyrics feel because it’s not their story, just an extension of his.

THE UNGODLY HOUR.

oliver muses’ untimely death turns the girls’ worlds upside down. creatively, they find themselves on their own and for the first time in their lives daddy isn’t there to tell them what to do or who to be. it’s liberating. it’s terrifying. just as terrifying and disorienting?  learning their father owed a surprising amount of money to oscar bordes. the muse sisters, for the most part, had known their father had some financial struggles but the realization of how much their father owed in loans was staggering — and humbling. and while each girl had other means of income prior to the group, those jobs wouldn’t cover the monthly payments they owed the casino owner. so the muses remained a group and signed the first record deal tossed their way, needing a quick payout to cover some of their new financial costs. but without oliver around to guide them the question then became: what now?

the girls quickly assumed new roles to keep the ship afloat. calli penning almost all the tracks on their album, mel taking over production, clio arranging vocals, era creating outfits to match the visuals they come up with, and teri lending her dance experience as choreographer. overwhelmed and with a growing and impatient fanbase, the girls get to work on their first album. of all the ideas they throw out, the one that sticks is one that will force them to be a little more open musically than they were prepared for.

ungodly hour: a time of day when it is very early or very late, and not reasonable to speak to or see someone.

THE NATIONAL MANTHEM. w. calliope muse. wanting a song to show off the girl’s harmonizing abilities, the girls debated having a full-blown song completely acapella before deciding against it. a compromise was made and much like with raindrops they decided to go for a shorter song, just slightly over half a minute. national manthem showcases the girls’ raw voices while also sending a message to men listening to always know the worth of the women in their lives, as well as being a reminder to women everywhere that they too can be goddesses.

GOD IS A WOMAN. w. calliope muse, melpomene muse, clio muse. named after actual greek gods, the world of divine feminity isn’t a concept entirely new to the muse girls. calli lends her pretty prose to the track, painting dreamy imagery of the powerful woman clio and mel create for this song. the hook, ‘i can be all the things you told me not to be / when you try to come for me i keep on flourishing’ is a positive affirmation meant both for their fanbase but themselves. a reminder to each other that hardship won’t break them.

TIPSY. w. calliope muse, clio muse. while clio isn’t one of the stronger writers of the group, that doesn’t mean she was going to allow their first album to be released without a song primarily written by her (with calli’s help, of course). and given her current rocky relationship with one danny fenton, it only seemed obvious for her to take inspiration from that. tipsy was written as a warning to him - and all men everywhere - about what can happen if they fuck up in a relationship. it’s a reminder to treat your woman right or else there will be consequences. of course she claims to just be exaggerating. of course she would never hurt or kill anyone ever. but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to fantasize about it every once in awhile. secretly this song is also dedicated to her best friends gigi moth and rosie widow, but for very obvious reasons she will never admit that out loud.

MAD AT ME. w calliope muse, melpomene muse, clio muse. the majority of the writing sessions for ungodly hour were...heavy, the sisters opening up lyrically about things they wouldn’t even talk to each other about. with an outkast song stuck in their minds the girls set out to recreate the confident, bossy feeling the rap singing duo evokes in ‘so fresh and so clean’. early in the writing process it becomes clear to the eldest muse sister that mel and clio need the fun ego boost, watching the two girls dance, laugh and hype each other up as they put their drama behind them and have fun. the girls only hope the song makes their fans feel as cool and powerful as it made them feel, knowing that somewhere in the world someone needs a reminder that they’re #thatbitch.

WOMAN LIKE ME. w calliope muse, melpomene muse, clio muse, erato muse, terpsichore muse. one of the first songs the girls wrote and recorded for their album, ‘woman like me’ served as a much needed bonded experience for the girls who found their lives turned upside down. one of the only writing sessions that featured more laughing than arguing, the girls reflect on their lives and embrace all the positives and negatives that make them who they are. the song is meant to make the girls listening feel as powerful and sexy as it felt for them to write it, and remind their listeners that changing who they are for the attention of a boy is silly. he’s gotta accept you as you are.

THINK ABOUT US. w. calliope muse, melpomene muse. written long before their relationship imploded, mel found herself quickly smitten with oscar bordes after they initially met. she focuses on the rush of that initial moment she first laid eyes on him, and how he managed to do what she deemed virtually impossible — hold her attention for the rest of the night. unbeknownst to her at the time, the chase was just a game to him. but that information doesn’t change the way she initially felt about him. learning that he’d only used her as a way to get her father crushed her, and she spent months avoiding going to the monthly payment meetings just to escape the embarrassment and pain. when it came time to vote for songs that would make the final cut of the album mel found herself a little annoyed that think about us remained in the fight, and she knows if she told her sisters she’d rather not be reminded of how stupid she was they would have scrapped the track. but that would mean coming clean about her relationship with oscar, and her fear of telling the truth about it outweighs how much she hates hearing the song now.

NOTICE. w calliope muse, clio muse. with their father finally out of the picture, it would make sense for the girls to open up a bit more about their more private parts of their lives. with notice the muse sisters came in strong asserting their sexuality and more sensual sides. inspired particularly by the lack of attention clio has felt in her current and previous relationships, she channeled that frustration at being ignored into notice. of course, her issues actually tend to be over more minor details but she is the queen of nothing if not exaggerating. it took a lot of fighting from calli to remove a line specifically about friday nights, reminding clio that she can’t be too obvious when it comes to songwriting and that the more vague they can be the more their fans will be able to relate. also she just didn’t want to see a fight break out between the younger muse girl and her boyfriend.

LIGHTNING. w. calliope muse, melpomene muse. mel is heartbroken, plain and simple. but her sisters would never know it, because she’s playing the greatest role of her life — removed and unbothered by the betrayal and heartache she’s hiding. as she struggles internally with her feelings and how they won’t just...go away, she finds herself in the studio struggling to put to words all the things she’s feeling. calli helps tremendously, filling in mel’s silent rage and pain with pretty words that almost make it all feel a little better. anytime mel finds herself missing oscar she revisits this song, and to be fair, she often needs the reminder that he’s a piece of shit who doesn’t deserve her lingering feelings. but just because he doesn’t deserve them doesn’t mean they’re not still there.

FIRES & FLAMES. w. calliope muse, melpomene muse, clio muse. as each girl writes about their very different relationships, fires and flames becomes a song about various people. on clio’s end, her troubled relationship with danny as they start to suffer from the effects of a hasty decision to rush into something without really knowing each other. as they argue more frequently and find that going days without talking to each other is their new normal, the couple finds themself teetering on the edge of an end that clio isn’t really sure she wants. on mel’s end, her heart is torn between two men and she hates how tired this story is. ‘i can’t forget what we’ve been through now / I’ve tried to not let you self destruct’, for hans mel feels grief over whatever pain ending their relationship could have caused him. ‘i keep my back against the wall / and i’m scared that you’re too powerful / i try to stop getting too close.’ for oscar she stupidly clings to the man she fell for and not the monster that her sisters think killed their father. despite the warring emotions from the girls and the very different stories they try to paint, the song bonds clio and mel as the other realizes there’s certainly more going on with the other beneath the surface. and for the two sisters whose guard is almost always up, it’s nice to be open and honest about their feelings in some way.

LIFE’S TOO SHORT. w. calliope muse, melpomene muse. while she’s unaware of all the ways hans has changed after his mother’s death, mel knows there will always be very few constants in her life, and hans’ presence is one of them. having met in their high school’s band the pair became fast friends, bonding over sharing some rather nerdy extracurriculars (because who the fuck plays the oboe and cello?), mel’s daily routine soon included spending time with her newest best friend. the decision to take their friendship further didn’t come until much later but mel knows it was probably one of the only smart decisions she’s ever made in regards to her love life. there’s a level of familiarity and trust in their relationship that made it so easy for them to transition, and there was a time where mel thought they’d be together forever. but when the girls first became a girl group she had less time for her best friend and lover, and so, she ended things to focus on making sure a dream that was never hers succeeds. she misses him, and that’s putting it very simply. after everything with her father’s death, oscar’s “possible” involvement with it and their new debt; mel found herself baring her soul to hans and unsurprisingly he was there for her like he always was when they were younger. he’s got new friends now, and honestly mel can’t really wrap her head around why he wants to hang around candice da vil and genevieve hart — hans had always been so sweet and harmless, and her memories of the mentioned girls doesn’t align with that. but he still makes time for her and it’s making her wonder if she’d made yet another mistake by letting him go.

RASCAL. w calliope muse, clio muse. similar to the image they put out with joan of arc, rascal tells the story of a lifestyle the girls are no longer living. ‘money, cash, clothes, fast cars’ are all far from their grasp and the least of their concerns as they continue to painstakingly put nearly every penny they make into paying off their debt, but they can't let the world to know that. the girls put on a brave face as they go out every day, pretending to live a life that was taken away from them. this song about being successful, making money, and having unapologetic fun is nothing more than a fantasy, the way they want their fans to see them. the sisters decided that if they put the energy out there, maybe they could one day live the glamorous, carefree life of a superstar.

JOAN OF ARC. w calliope muse, clio muse. while in reality the girls are far from living comfortably financially, that doesn’t mean they want that information to go public. in fact, it’s quite important that the debt they owe to oscar bordes remains a secret. for this reason, many of the girls (clio specifically) wanted to ensure they had at least one song about how they can provide for themselves. joan of arc acts as a feminist anthem about loving yourself and knowing that you can do whatever you want on your own. as they put it ‘i don’t need a man / if i’m loving you it’s ‘cause i can’. and while some of the girls are uncomfortable singing about having their own cash and putting their own rocks on their hand when they are in fact in deep debt, a song like this was expected by many fans and the muses ensured they did not disappoint.

RAINDROPS. w. calliope muse. one would think it’s a no brainer to write a song honoring their late great father. what the world will never know is that the very idea created an ongoing battle amongst the sisters for weeks. mel finds herself in a new role, no longer interested in keeping the peace because her rage with their father and his secrets and his (now their) debt winning out over her quiet nature. she insists the man doesn’t really deserve some long, beautiful song about how great he was when quite frankly he wasn’t. clio, unsurprisingly, agrees but argues that they need to keep up appearances and that the world could never be let into what they were dealing with and how it could have changed their view of their father. teri is adamant that she doesn’t want to sing a song about her father if it’s not coming from a genuine place, and as the youngest muse struggles with the new information about her father, the other sisters continue to war over what they know. in the end, they dedicate a barely there song to their father, leaving the task of writing something pretty and meaningful about the man to calli.

ROYL. w calliope muse, melpomene muse, erato muse, clio muse, terpsichore muse. no matter the complicated feelings each muse sister has about their father, one thing was certain: his sudden death left each of the girls reeling and with one reminder. life is short. despite even the youngest and most immature of the sisters being forced to grow up as their newfound debt and relationship with oscar bordes looms over their heads, royl serves as a reminder to both the girls and their fans to hold on to their youth and live each day like its your last. royl empowers their listeners to embrace their mistakes and imperfections, choosing to live out their best lives by having fun and worrying about the consequences later. you never know what you could be missing out on because you're living out the rest of your life in your head rather than just going for it.