#i have yet to actually listen to any of their albums but i wanna check out floating eye of death

[low-po1y-princess]

*gets up on a stool and pulls out a megaphone* ATTENTION EVERYONE, i have aquabats brainrot. if u remember the super show i will give you ten dollars

[solarwynd]

Jimin really is the new BTS. Actually no, he's the old BTS. Jungkook is new BTS, in the sense that he's a perfect representation of everything that went wrong with BTS starting with Dynamite (and he's actually worse). But Jimin is that old BTS that made people fans in the first place. Cause no one became a fan because of the english songs. Yes, people discovered the group through those songs since they were playing everywhere, but all that did was introduce people to BTS and make them check what else they had to offer. And what they had to offer was what made people fans. If the rest of BTS's music was the same as the english trilogy people wouldn't have stuck around.

Armys have this thing where they pretend like someone liking BTS but not liking most of the members as soloists is a crazy, unfathomable thing. But as someone who likes BTS as a group and, despite being continously uninterested, continues to give the members at least a few listens whenever they released something, I can tell you that what BTS offers with their music and performances is not being offered by any other member expect Jimin. There's definitely pieces of the group in all their individual carrers, but it's either not enough or it's not the good pieces (like with Jungkook).

Cause what do people love about BTS? It's their songs, those songs that were a good balance of being people's taste (so more pop leaning or if a different genre than at least something exciting) while still being of good quality and having enough depth for fans that like thinking about and discussing the meaning of songs. It's also their performances of those songs (which, of course, first requires having those good songs), is having full intricate choreographies and a lot of energy on stage.

When you think of all of that – easy to like but not basic and shallow songs with impressive performances – then what members of the group are offering that? Go down the list, one through seven, and tell me if any other member expect for Jimin has all that? I'm not asking if any other members has something good to offer, I'm asking if they have the specific things that made fans became fans in the first place. Let's see:

Rapline: Armys aren't rap fans. Rap enjoyers? Maybe. But rap fans? No. They like rap enough to have a few verses of it every song, but not enough for it to be the whole songs, the whole album. And the attempts rapline have made with genres other than rap have somehow been even less armys's taste. Their performances are also lacking. It's fine if you wanna see someone just rap, but armys want dancing too. J-hope really could've had something here but for some reason he refuses to actually dance to his solo songs.

Jin: Now, to be fair, we haven't really seen what he has to offer as a soloist, so he could surprise me. But is he likely to? Probably not. He'll probably have an album made up of mostly ballads and no dancing.

Taehyung: His music is boring. I'm sorry, but even his fans lowkey don't care about it. Also, they can scream all they want about him being a danceline member but I have yet to see him actually make use of that position. Taehyung's appeal is his looks and that's all.

Jungkook: Mister Dynamite himself.

Continuing with the rest of my accidently sent incomplete ask. I think I was talking about Jungkook? He's doing what BTS was doing with the english songs. That stuff is definitely popular I'll admit, but does it make for a good foundation for a whole carrer? Cause BTS could get aware with it since they already had that foundation, but Jungkook doesn't. You can't have your entire discography be Dynamites, Butters and, god forbid, PTD's. Fans are gonna get sick of it eventually. I mean armys already did after PTD, three songs in and they were ready for it to be over and for BTS to go back to how they used to be before 2020. Jungkook is currently getting away with it because it's just one solo album that gives armys the records they like while they wait for BTS (what they're actually fans of) to come back. But if he wants an actual solo carrer, he's gonna have to step up eventually. So as you can see. None of them are really offering what fans want. So why should people who became fans of BTS for those specific reasons be forced to be fans of the other members as soloists when they're not giving them what they want. I'm not a fan of people out of obligation, I'm a fan because I genuinely enjoy things. And Jimin is the only one whose solo work I genuinely enjoy. Sorry not sorry 🤷

.🎯

[sam-loves-seb]

gallavich questions

thanks for the tag (and the questions) @callivich !!

What’s a fic you’ve read more than once? intro to quantum dating by @spoonfulstar, i think i've read it 3 or 4 times now, it's one of my all time favorites

What’s a gifset you always have to reblog? anytime i see a gifset from that one s5 deleted scene, yeah that one, i have to reblog

What’s a headcanon you can’t stop thinking about? i have a very specific headcanon for a tattoo ian gets post-canon for mickey, and i hesitate to even explain it now bc i think one day i do wanna write a fic about him getting it, but whatever--my headcanon is that he gets an M tattooed on his left ring finger and it's a subtle yet sweet nod to his husband. (i could talk about this for 9 hours but i will limit myself and stop here)

What’s a fanart you love looking at? i've spent an obscene amount of time staring at this fanart by @doodlevich it just checks all my boxes (domestic, husbands, fluff, etc.) and it's so well done, i'm obsessed with this pieces

What’s an idea you’d love to create if you had the time/inspiration? listen, i have this idea for a rock band au that lives rent fucking free in my head, and if i can find the time and the inspiration to actually turn these vibes and unorganized plot points into actual words and a coherent story in the new year, then maybe it'll see the light of day in 2024 but no promises. for now, i leave you with this: four milkovich siblings are in a rock band that is rising to success with the launch of their second studio album and subsequent tour, and ian gallagher is lead singer mandy's (fake) boyfriend--at least in the eyes of the public--and he spends some time that summer touring with the band and hooking up with their lead guitarist in secret until the band's manager/father catches wind of what's going on behind closed doors

What’s something you’ve discovered since entering this fandom? A new trope you love? A different analysis of the show? Something else? i've always been a post-canon enthusiast for almost all of my ships, but i think before gallavich i always envisioned them with a very cookie cutter standard american dream family with the house and the careers and the 2.5 kids, which usually fits a lot of my ships, but with gallavich i... don't have that same vision ?? i think they're actually my first ship that i hc more often than not without kids in their post canon life, which is a new vibe for me entirely but i kinda love reading/writing it. idk if that answers the question you asked, but it definitely answered a question

What’s an underrated trope or concept you’d like to see more of? honestly i want more s9/10 prison era gallavich fics (and/or fanart). i think it's a gold mine era with so much untapped potential, and there are very few fics/series/whatever that really get deep with it and get to the good stuff of these two boys who haven't spent any significant time together in years but still love each other like they did way back when

What’s your favourite season? And has this changed after multiple rewatches of the show? it flip-flops for me between s4 and s5, like right now i think it's s5 but idk if i could actually pick one or the other as my absolute favorite

What’s a plot hole you wish had been answered or resolved? i would give my left arm to know how the fuck (and why the fuck) mickey started rolling with his dad again in post-prison s10 era, like in 10x08 he's going to terry for advice on how to protect ian, just for terry to try to kill him again 3 episodes later ??? make it make sense john wells i'm under your bed

What scene or moment do you feel isn’t discussed enough? personally i think the promise ring scene in 10x09 is criminally underrated and not talked about nearly enough, like you don't understand how happy that scene made me (stay with me here) seeing mickey stand up and fight for the future he really wants with ian and not settling for anything less

What line/dialogue/description from something else (a poem, a book, a tv show, a movie, or something else) do you feel describes Ian and Mickey’s relationship? can i do song lyrics? i'm gonna do song lyrics--i've always thought the song godlight by noah kahan was very gallavich, especially the chorus, and especially during s4/5/6 era and it may or may not be a piece of inspiration for my big bang canon divergent fic

What do you think is next for Ian and Mickey post-finale? i think they take a while to really settle into their new place and and make it their own, and it's a bit of an adjustment (for both of them) to fit in with this new crowd and this new environment, but they're learning how to grow and evolve together and at the end of the day that's all that really matters to the both of them

tagging: literally anyone who wants to play bc my brain is tired and i am too tired to try and remember everyone i probably should tag

[naneun-no]

🎧⚡️ BTS-INSPIRED SONG RECS ⚡️🎧

Idk about you guys, but Spotify tends to recommend me the same 10 artists when I’m listening to BTS, and I like those 10 artists, but I also like variety.

So, here are some less-often recommended songs that I think you should check out, based on which BTS songs you already love. If that’s something you wanna see, keep reading!

FYI, these aren’t ringers, or even songs that necessarily have the same sound, just songs I think have a similar vibe/color to the BTS counterpart.

If you like Telepathy, check out:

If you like Jamais Vu and Wildflower, check out:

If you like Slow Dancing, check out:

If you like Filter, check out:

If you like Fly to My Room and Yet to Come check out:

If you like Arson, check out:

[forewarning this one is a stretch but somehow it has JITB vibes, if JITB were an alternative instead of rap/hip hop album]

If you like Lie, check out:

If you like Haegeum, check out:

If you like Moon, check out:

If you like Standing Next to You, check out:

Okay, that’s all for now. I’m not sure if I got everyone’s solo work in there, so maybe I’ll do a part two (if anyone actually cares or enjoys this, LOL).

If you happen to listen to any of them, I’d love to know what you think! Would also love your song recs, last time I asked for some you guys came through with some amazing ones 💜

Happy listening!

[jlf23tumble]

Hello Jen~ Really love the American Ivy Podcast (thanks also anon that sends this rec) it's sooooooooooooooooooooooo interesting and the voice was so soothing yet intimidating as well (just like Louis' lmao) anyways do you know any other great podcasts I should listen to? Might leave #this fandom for a while after seeing the most bland and stereotypical "babygirliest" thread, my god, I need to bleach my eyes and slap a gender studies book on the big blogs here. I cannot-

btw thank you for the podcasts rec in advance :)

I need to bleach my eyes! REAL! Anyway, I definitely have some podcasts I'd recommend, assuming you haven't checked 'em out yet:

Seasons 1 and 2 of Articles of Interest (American Ivy is actually season 3, but godDAMN Avery covers some good ground on the earlier ones, too, like pockets and kid clothes and those French dolls I'm obsessed with)

Table Manners, with Jessie and Lenny (I usually pick and choose based on who's the guest, but both Paul Hollywood and Rina Sawayama are good ones to start with, if you want a taste)

Every Single Album with Nora and Nathan (they've branched beyond Taylor to cover Adele, One Direction, etc., but their love for Taylor, their knowledge/wit, unrivaled)

Celebrity Memoir Book Club with Claire and Ashley (another one where it pays to pick the celeb you want covered, but the tear down they did on Matthew Perry's book, OUTSTANDING...I'd also rec fast-forwarding through the first 5 minutes or so of each ep unless you want to hear about their weekends, I just wanna get to the book)

Grounded with Louis Theroux with, uh, Louis (doesn't have enough episodes, give me more! But the ones that are there are great!)

What I Will Say with Cam (serves up some oft-times unhinged Gaylor, but Cam is ever-calm and cool)

Still on my list to listen to (after I catch up with the latest installments above) = Tagline (rec'd by Avery), Fair Game (love Leah and Mike and their pursuit of Scientology), FluentlyForward (rec'd by lots of people)...I'm a bit meh on Music Now and Popcast and the Ringer and 99% Invisible and the 60 Songs That Defined the 90s or whatever because of my love/hate relationship with the various hosts, but I like the subjects covered, so they're on the fringe of my listen list, like, if I get desperate, I might give an ep a listen. If you have any recs, send 'em along!

[celeste-fitzgerald]

Thoughts on The Orchestra and ELO Part 2?

I LOVE THEM VERY MUCH.

I have CDs of both of ELO Part 2's studio albums and I think they're both great (though I'm slightly partial to Moment Of Truth since Kelly's on that one haha). Some of my fave songs (I know you didn't ask but I wanna talk about it haha) are Blue Violin, Easy Street, Honest Men, and One More Tomorrow. I'm more familiar with the later lineup than the early lineup, but it's all good.

I love The Orchestra too, though I haven't actually listened to their No Rewind album (yet). But I've seen several videos of them performing and I obsessively check their Facebook page to see if there's any upcoming shows near me (I wanna see them SO BAD). Also their Facebook page is just great in general, they share videos of the band members goofing around, or little behind the scenes snippets. Plus some of the band members occasionally chat in the comments on the posts which is lovely. They all seem like such cool, chill guys <3

[yegas]

oh believe me, he does HAHAHAHA

lol same I swear, goldfish brain over here 🙃 he's actually the main character!!! his name's robota hatohara and he's so much like kuroko in a sense that he's always got this deadpan expression on hahahaha I haven't read so much of it though to get more into character development omg yes pleaseee it took me so long to get into it (blue lock) but no regrets (only the fact that I'm waiting for a second season for forever) UGHHHHG JJK!!!! ughhh I SWEARRRRRRR I saw your reblogs of some art!! you've started watching right? UGHHHHHHGHHHHHHGGGHGG I CANNOT EVEN just..don't get attached to the characters and be ready to get enraged (if you haven't finished the anime yet) I'm one of the angrier fans tbh hahahhahahaha and I'm trying not to be too... emotional about it (hard af if you've already started having a ship) ugghHGGHhGGgGGGG

otherwise for other anime recs.. hm.. tbh I haven't been watching a lot of the newer ones.. I've only been up to date with older anime that have new seasons (like bleach tybw) there's bsd, it's pretty old but one of my faves if you haven't seen and yes, jjk hahahahhaha recently a lot of my anime watching time has been dedicated to one piece. it's been a year since then and I STILL haven't reached the latest episode 🤧

IT DOES!!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA his hair looks so misplaced I'm crying

I SAW THE PICS!!!! they're gorgeous but you passed out?? holy crap tg you were okay and you weren't crushed in the mosh pit??? were people doing that? and you were so young too!! yes this is definitely a valuable lesson for future concerts hahahaha tbh I was 15 too when I went to my first concert and didn't know "pre-concert preps" but these days people actually have tips about this now! esp in the k-fandom hahhahahahaha it really helps 😂 I'm sure it was amazing!! I'm from south east asia but am residing abroad for work. yeah I saw their tour dates. the thing is, I COULD go somewhere in europe to watch them BUT my passport is too weak to enter any of them AND it's a bit of work to get a visa.. then there's indonesia which I can enter BUT tix are sold out :') so I guess I'll have to wait till the next tour cycle and when /if I've secured a visa 🤧

KINGSLAYER IS DOPE one of my faves indeed. you should check out that's the spirit and amo! oli has a lot of vocals in those and it's really refreshing! OMG YESSSS HAYLEY WILLIAMS!!! her hair was GOALS I was in highschool when I discovered paramore and I swear I VOWED to dye my hair red once I was out of hs. I finally did when I hit college and basically kept the red hair (sometimes copper) for the entire duration. people in my department knew me as the 'girl with red hair' hahahahaha (unfortunately due to my work, I can't do any crazy hair colours anymore, but I'd love to do it once again when I'm outta here hahahaha)

I GAVE DEG A LISTEN!! and the devil in me really grew on me! I'm also listening to the albums you mentioned..I probably need a couple more listens to find my fave, hut so far so good! OH that one by gazette is also fire! I wanna recommend GODDESS by gazette as well, I feel like you'll like it!

yes plsss you won't regret! oh ateez I def know of them! but as for kpop groups.. well I used to be an ARMY and I was really into BTS but apart from them and the kbands I mentioned, I'm just a casual listener too (oh I had an EXO ohase as well hahaha) hahahaha omg the first time I saw helena was on you guessed it, mtv 😂 and I was in the 5th grade!!

yeah I've only ever kept it to connect with my friends..I was never a public profile anyway. holy crap so since I'm not on ig rn I've found myself on yt as well 😂 these reels are everywhere it's a pandemic hahahaha (ughhh yessss the dessert videos 😩 I used to watch mukabangs just to satisfy my food cravings bc I never keep a stock of guilty pleasures at my place to discipline myself hahaha) OMG DID YOU SEE WHAT WENT ON WHEN YOU GOOGLED? if you didn't that's fine too, you're saving yourself from major cringe

thank you :')

(btw I am so sorry for the late reply!! I went on a holiday and afterwards was thrown into work! honestly I don't even know how many days pass when I'm working! I was actually pre-typing this reoly many days ago, insert hectic schedule here, and am continuing now and by this time, the a7x concert in indonesia is done, just the other day 🥲)

he looks like a combo of kuroko and akashi im loving it! and yea i literally finished both seasons of jjk and the movie within like 4 days :'D i haven't started the manga but i've read summaries and spoilers and stuff and now that u say it IM SO GLAD I DIDNT GET SUPER EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO ANYONE at this point im just expecting everyone to die and be revived and die again lmaoo like nothing is surprising in this series!

can u believe i've never seen a single episode of one piece (am i even an anime fan lol) i've just never been fully ready to commit to 1k+ episodes hahah but is it worth it ??

yea lmao such a wild experience! i'm sure there was a pit at some point but it was way behind me cos i was in the 2nd row so i didn't get caught up in it, and the ppl around me were cool, i didn't get pushed around or anything. what was your first concert?? and ah i get you with the passport stuff, mine is among the weakest european passports (we're not in the eu or anything). it's fine for most countries in europe, but i need visas for pretty much everywhere else and it's so annoying... always dreamed about getting a strong passport but i don't think it's gonna happen hahah

definitely will listen to those! and omg red hair was a vibe!! i had it all throughout high school (it was dark red, not like hayley's fiery orange-red) and then i dyed it black in college, and i've kept it black since then. kinda bored of it sometimes but im too lazy to change it hahah

yay im so glad you like the devil in me!! you might like their newer albums then, phalaris and the insulated world, it's more similar to those rather than the older ones i mentioned (they've gone through sooo many phases in their discography). GODDESS IS AWESOME tysm for recommending! totally my vibe!

oh i loved a lot of bts too, mostly their earlier stuff. i watched a bunch of their interviews back in the day, but i wasn't active in any online bts communities or anything, so idk if i was technically ARMY hahah

lmao i get you, i can't have guilty pleasures at home either, like there's no way i can know there's a box of cookies at home, if it's there i HAVE to eat the entire box!! it's been such a problem hahah working on learning balance and self control w/ food right now but it's sooo freaking hard D:

and abt tumblr live i didnt really do a deep dive but should i now ?? haha i do love me some drama :')

nooo don't worry abt it! i'm sorry myself that it's taking me so long!! how was your holiday??? i went on a lil trip too, it was overall pretty great but with a few unfortunate situations aka my friend that went with me had her backpack stolen on a train :( and don't worry abt the concert you'll totally get to see them next time, i'm sure it won't be long til then! they won't be retiring anytime soon anyway i'm giving them at least 30 more years of touring lmaooo

[finalgirlmegumi]

whats a good starting point for a guy who wants to get into led zeppelin!!

HEHEHEHEEHEHE… hello anon, come in come in….. sit on this nice cozy chair dont mind the leather straps on the armrests heheeh……..

ok in all seriousness. And ill try to keep this as short as i can. theeee lz experience is hearing them play live, rather than the studio recordings. This may sound weird to hear from a guy born 20 years after lz stopped doing shows lol but theres a LOT of material out there that u can watch/listen to if u wanna get (what i assume is a fraction of) the experience. Probably the easiest thing to find and in best quality (though in my exp the quality of online streams is still atrocious, maybe theres some hq torrents though?) is “the song remains the same”, a concert film of three dates they played at MSG in 1973. but theres also videos floating around of their concerts at Royal Albert Hall 1970 and Earls court 1975 (you can check yt for these) plus a few odds and ends here and there (im a big fan of this tv appearance in france 1969, though this was super early on so their performance “style” isnt yet well defined, esp wrt plant, but the actual playing is still peak imo)

as far of audio-only live recordings go, theres of course the album version of TSRTS, the BBC sessions album (of various radio appearances they did through the years), and the album called “how the west was won” with live versions of many of their more popular songs taken from a couple dates in california in i believe 1972. These are all on spotify or yt or wherever else u listento music. Theyre also really well mastered (and remastered, and re remastered…) bc Jimmy Page is anal like that. So even if theyre live theyre great quality and u can hear every instrument distinctly.

ALSO theres like a million lz bootlegs out there, which is like its own niche subfandom(?). A bootleg is an illegal recording that fans made back in the 70s and then spread around and/or sold for money. the digital versions of many of these are available on yt and archive.org but theres also a huge marked of selling them, the og 70s vinyls are especially prized. idk much about lz bootlegs bc i never could listen to a single one all the way through as all the noise bothers my brain lol so if anyone reading this does and has tips please share<3

I spoke about live stuff bc in my opinion, and also according to members of lz, fans, various music critic type people, basically everyone agrees lol lz studio songs were just kind of the first iteration of what would then mutate and stretch into a more loose, longer, live experience. Imo lz, studio or live, is some of the best music ever made point blank period, but its definitely not for everyone, in that you have to be able to get in that classic rock/prog rock* type of mood of songs lasting anywhere from 6 minutes studio to 35 minutes live, and taking you on this weird journey with ebbs and flows, rather than having a tight structure that is easier to follow and listen to like all pop music ever. i mean this in an entirely value neutral way: a pop song, whether from 1965 or 2015, is easy to listen to bc IT carries YOU through the listening experience, whether you want to or not, whereas for instance a 20 min version of dazed and confused live requires you to willingly be there. Its not work or effort, exactly (at least not to me) but it definitely requires a different type of attention.

and btw maybe you knew all this already lol but i said it incase you or anyone else who ends up reading this doesn’t know a lot about rock

ANYWAY, of course theres also the actual studio albums. i dont think theres any specific way you should listen To them, like my friend has been going thru them chronologically but back in the day when i was just getting into lz i just jumped from one song or album to another as the mood struck me (which is how hoth ended up being the first lz album i ever heard… i think itd finished torrenting first and i liked the cover and took it on my ipod on holiday with me, and now its my favorite album of all time & engraved on my very soul lol). If you want MY recs of the stuff i like best, i have this recruitment playlist where i put a mix of my fave lz songs and the ones i think are must-listen for any new fan.

Ok so i ended up writing a bunch anyway LMAO. ty for the ask lmk if u have any specific questions ❤️

[aaronafgash]

10 NEW SONGS - 3/1/24

1. Von dutch - Charli XCX

After a full month of teasing on social media, Charli XCX has finally released her lead single for her upcoming album, Brat, and it does not disappoint. This song sounds like drugs and I mean that in the best way possible. The girls and the gays will love this, and who am I to disagree with them?

2. Thinking About You - Faye Webster

Didn’t love some of the singles so I was a bit nervous to hear what Faye Webster’s new album, Underdressed at the Symphony, would sound like, but those concerns were immediately extinguished as soon as I heard this intro. Faye’s band has always been a secret strength behind her music, and that proves to be true yet again on “Thinking About You”. The Wilco-esque groove leaves you in a trance, so much so that you might not notice that she sings “I’m thinking about yooooooou” about a thousand times!

3. Wanna Quit All the Time - Faye Webster

Again, Faye and her band sound incredible here. I love the kind of tropical, twangy vibe we’re getting on this one - it reminds me quite a bit of Molly Lewis, to the point where I actually checked to see if she had any writing / production credits (she doesn’t). Per usual, Faye keeps it real lyrically. “Overthinking in my head again / I’m good at making shit negative / Right now I hate the color of my house” elicits the same feelings I get when I hear her sing “I’m losing my mind / Why the hell did I paint these walls white?” on “Jonny” from her debut album. I could listen to this on repeat for hours.

4. Excalibur - Good Morning

One of my favorite indie groups of the last decade, Good Morning comes correct with a new single from their upcoming album Good Morning Seven. As someone who had a strange, partially isolating, semi-existential Vegas experience a few years back, and as someone who also happened to stay at the Excalibur a few years before that, it’s safe to say that I can personally relate to this song. Vegas as a concept is pretty bizarre, and lyrics like “And over there by the pyramid, right next to the fountains and the Empire State Building / Could have sworn that I was present for the minute” beautifully encapsulate what it can feel like at times.

5. ecstasy - Public Library Commute

Just a nice, chill, catchy, easy-to-listen-to song. I’ve been a fan of Public Library Commute’s previous work and this continues that trend. Lovely harmonies and I’m a fan of his vocal tone.

6. Sometimes - Mannequin Pussy

Mannequin Pussy rocks so hard. I Got Heaven feels like their most cohesive and accessible album to date, and “Sometimes” is a clear highlight for me. Love the grunge, but I appreciate their softer moments too - those two aspects of their sound fit perfectly together.

7. THank god 4 me - ScHoolboy Q

I didn’t love the new album Blue Lips, but it’s always good to see ScHoolboy Q back, and I did enjoy this song a ton. Starting with the chill, vibey sample, switching to an horn-blaring trap beat, and then combining the trap drums with the intro sample is brilliant producing, and Q sounds great over it all, adjusting his cadence and flow to each section.

8. Need Nothing - Katie Tupper

Had to dig pretty deep to find this one, but Katie Tupper sounds excellent on this jazzy, simple, upbeat track. I’ve heard her featured on a few songs on vbnd’s Daughter of the Sun, but my exposure to her is pretty limited outside of that. May need to familiarize myself with her game considering how much I fuck with this one.

9. Slug - Matt Champion

I haven’t followed Matt Champion’s career too closely post-BROCKHAMPTON days, and the bits and pieces I've heard haven’t left much of an impression. But this hits. A fast paced beat, and unexpected, textured, and layered vocals bring this together.

10. Cinnamon Crush (feat. Lindsey Lomis) - Jacob Collier

Jacob Collier is hit or miss for me for sure, but I tend to be into his more R&B-leaning songs, which is exactly what we have here. Beautiful harmonies - I appreciate how well he and Lindsey Lomis’ voices blend together. Lindsey crushes her voice, floating and running over the thumping, understated beat.

[studioweus]

hello frankie!! hope you've been doing well 😊

vidéo therapy is also one of my fave b-sides (I loved it as soon as I heard that instrumental in the opening I was like "oh yeah she's a fave")! as for lyrics I really love the moonshot lyrics - especially that if you wanna change be not afraid part, it's so uplifting, it feels almost like a rallying chant -, seunghyub rap in video therapy, i also love how the opening line of like a flower sound (i like the general theme of that song but I specifically like how that line sounds in korean lol) also on a more fun side, the main line of I like you, "I'm doomed! I'm in love with you" (also another fun one is the opening of hot potato where they're like what do you want to be when you grow up? a potato!). I like how they often reference stars/space/nature (moonshot/fate/like flower/firefly) in their lyrics while also making more fun songs (like I'm gonna) and going all out

ok so my questions this time are : do you have a specific playlist for n.flying or do you usually listen to one album at a time or just play their songs on shuffle or mixed with songs from other artists in a themed playlist?

also I noticed on your blog (and also based on your url lol) that you like quite a lot of other bands and groups, do you mostly listen to bands? which one (can be a band or a group or both) is your favourite and do you have any song recs (if it's not n.flying)?

your secret n.fia ✨

also random question that I just thought of but when a new album comes out do you like listening to teasers and highlights previews or do you wait until the day? do you read the lyrics (and the translation) as soon as they're out? do you watch the mv before listening to the album or the other way around? it can be different for different artists but I tend to go : no listening teasers + mv first then album at once when I'm at home (+ sometimes lyrics/translation of my fave songs after a few days - there are a lot songs that I've not yet checked the translation of, I'm going with pure vibes)

your secret nfia ✨

a rallying chant! that's exactly what it feels like when they sing that part in moonshot 🌙 the main line of i like you is very catchy too! haha that part of hot potato 😩 the first time i listened to that song and i heard that line, i was like??? a potato??? a hot potato??? it's even funnier when you see hweseung's smile after he says it in the mv and that's all i ever see when i listen to the song. now that you've mentioned it, i didn't even realize that a lot of their lyrics reference space and nature themes! that's really neat 👀

i actually don't have a dedicated playlist just for n.flying but i do have a k-bands playlist and that's where i would just play on shuffle! i know some people tend to have certain playlists of songs they want to listen to for specific vibes (happy, sad, angry, etc.) but i generally just put all my fave k-band songs into one playlist. how about you! how do you sort your songs into playlists? 🤔

haha yes, i do like a lot of bands and groups - but i only closely follow/buy merch and albums for a handful of them (being a multi-stan is a bit heavy on the wallet 🥲). i noticed that i do tend to gravitate more towards bands tho! that's probably because i listened to a lot of pop-rock bands/songs growing up.

n.flying recently became one of my fave bands, but my other fave ones are onewe, lucy, and hoppipolla 🥰 and my top fave groups are seventeen, golden child, and verivery!

i put a read more break just so i can list off the song recs here! since i have waaaay too many recs (esp for onewe because their entire discography is just *chef's kiss*), i've tried to limit it to 2 songs per group as well but here it is!

onewe - montage // rain to be

lucy - flowering // snooze

hoppipolla - enough // about time // bonus rec is their cover of 'creep' because it sounds so hauntingly beautiful 😭

seventeen - rock with you // shadow

golden child - wannabe // breathe

verivery - o // privacy

how about you? do you have any other bands and/or groups that you like! i'm also always down for any and all song recs so please feel free to send them my way if you have any 🥰

hmm if it's one of the bands and groups that i mentioned above, i would most definitely listen to the teasers! i feel like it gives me something to look forward to, and it hypes me up even more before the actual album drops.

i watch the mv first too! i like to closely look at the lyrics, just so i can get a better understanding of what the song is about 🥺haha i try to get a grasp of the song on my own before any translations are posted! but recently my translation skills are a bit whack due to lack of practice

it's almost the weekend, but i hope your week is going well! 💛

[piastrinorris]

can i request eddiexreader where the reader is also lowkey considered a freak, she's a painter and plays dnd and wants to join hellfire? thank you! no worries if not!

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 735

You're listening to your Walkman as you sketch out your latest piece to paint when you're home. The sound quality of you taping a recording of your favourite album from the family record player isn't the best, but it's still listenable.

Something hits your headphones, knocking them askew. You look up to see a group of preppy girls standing around you, already laughing behind their hands. You simply smile sarcastically and carry on, hand on your headphones to readjust them when you hear, "Oh my god, isn't it pathetic? The way she tries so hard to act like she doesn't care. So transparent."

You shrug, "Don't know what to tell you, dude. Just go on and do your thing. I'll do mine. Never the two shall meet."

"Why do you talk so weird?" Another girl asks.

"Didn't you hear your little friend? Everything I do is in the desperate attempts that you girls will come over, disturb my peaceful existence and just harass me until I can't take any more," you reply monotonously.

"You think you're better than everyone just because you like your tiny, specific, insignificant things? Get real," the first girl scoffs. "It doesn't make you special, sweetie. Nobody's gonna pick you."

"Good! Let them leave me alone! God," you pull your headphones back on and turn away from them. The poor quality music doesn't drown out their laughs as they leave. You're back in the zone until someone taps you on the shoulder. You look up to see Eddie Munson's smiling face. "Can I help you?" you ask scathingly, now that you're not in the mood, as you remove your headphones entirely and pause your cassette player.

"Whoa, whoa," he holds his hands up, stepping back once, twice, before pulling up the seat opposite to you. "Just here to check on a fellow misfit."

"I don't need checking up on, thank you," you reply. "Just... Go on back to your little boys' club, it's fine."

He frowns, "Come on, you can't fool me. You and I, we're kindred spirits. You can talk to me." He looks down at your book, and points at one of your warm-up doodles. "Cat Lord? Nice. Haven't utilised him yet."

"Yeah, well. Neutral aligned, doesn't really care much for people, only cats. Doesn't sound like a bad life if you ask me," you shrug, and Eddie chuckles.

"C'mon, not all people suck that much," Eddie chimes.

Head still bent over your sketchbook, you look up at him. "Let me guess, you're the exception?"

"Well, I don't wanna brag, but..." He stretches out. "I've caught you peeking into the Hellfire clubhouse once or twice. I don't think you'd be doing that if you weren't curious." A deep blush forms across your cheeks, and it doesn't go unnoticed. "Hey, look up at me, I wanna see something."

You move to face him, closing your book and crossing your arms on the table. "Alright, fine. What?"

Eddie toys with his hair for a second before also leaning in to grin widely at you as he mutters quietly, "Kiss me if I'm wrong, but I think you want into Hellfire."

Your whole face turns bright red. "Excuse me?!"

His smile somehow gets even bigger as he leans back, "Knew it. All you ever had to do was ask." He rests an elbow on the table, lifting his fist up to lay his cheek on as he looks at you.

You can't bring yourself to look at him, because ever since he propositioned you to kiss him, you can't stop focusing on his lips. "Like I said earlier. It's a whole boys' club. I've not exactly seen any girls at your table."

Eddie shakes his head. "We've had oneshots with female players before. But you're right, someone's gotta be the first to stick around for a whole campaign. And I'd be honoured to have you be that for us."

You sigh in defeat. "Yeah. Alright, fine, you got me. If you really want me there, I'd... Actually kinda love to join."

Eddie does a little victory dance in his place. It's actually quite cute in its own awkward way. "Have you got a character in mind? I'd love to talk backstory with you sometime... Amongst other things," he leans back in closer to you.

Just as it was starting to cool off, your blushing makes a comeback. "I'd... Kinda love that, too."

[mybiasisexo]

Entangled - Part 4

Pairing: Chanyeol x f.Reader

Chapter Warning: Language

Word Count: 5.5k

Author's Note: There's a lot that happens here lmao. Like I feel this is like 3 chapters jammed into one. I hope we can get a bit of insight on Channies thought process here, and maybe even OCs?? Also I LOVE this friend group and will add so many irrelevant scenes just to see them interact 🥺.

Also.... pls lmk if you would like to be tagged! There are a couple people who I want to but... dont wanna bother anyone haha. So, if you'd like that, just lmk 🙃

Also also.... have y'all listened to beyonces new album?!??!???????!? Was DEF listening to it HEAVY while editing this (Virgos groove was hitting a bit too hard christ she's done it again 😔 we stan forever)

Okay, I'm rambling (shocker) as always, don't be afraid to lmk how you feel about the story so far!!! I appreciate all interaction!!! Have fuuuun~

“Ah.” The calm that overtakes you as you lay back on the blanket separating you from the powdery sand is welcomed after the morning you’ve had. Just as you predicted, the sun is helping your hangover just as much as the food digesting in your belly.

It would’ve tasted a lot better without the bitter knowledge of Chanyeol’s apology, but the heat kissing your skin is enough of a distraction from that fact. “This is the life.”

“If I could, I would live a life strictly on the shore,” Seulgi agrees. She already sounds drowsy as she sprawls out like a starfish beside you.

Yerim is somewhere splashing along in the water, finally enjoying the crisp waves instead of taking pictures for her Instagram. Poor Seulgi spent the first ten minutes out as her photographer and is now finally having time for herself.

You aren’t sure how much time passes when Yerim joins you both. Cold drops of sea water drip onto your stomach alluding to her presence. You wince, eyes springing open to give the young girl a glare.

“Oops.” She shrugs innocently, her smile dazzling. You huff before rolling onto your stomach, evening out your tan. Yerim checks her phone and sucks her teeth, tossing it angrily aside before plopping onto her stomach across from you, so that your heads now huddle together.

“Still no word from Loey?” Seulgi asks. Her eyes are still closed, and she hasn’t moved an inch. Honestly, you thought she had fallen asleep.

You hate how your ears perk at the mention of your ex.

Yerim’s mouth tightens. “Nothing. We were supposed to get breakfast this morning. He had promised me that while kicking me out, to try to make up for what he was doing. But he hasn’t replied to any of my texts or calls!”

Her words trigger something in the back of your mind. Little fragments from the night before come to you in flashes, images of a pissed Yerim in front of your hotel room.

“He kicked you out?” You ask.

The sisters share a look before turning their attention back to you.

“What?” You snap. “I told you I blacked out.”

Yerim sighs dramatically and falls onto her back, blocking the sun with an arm draped over her eyes. “Yes, well, he did. Suddenly sharing a bed made him uncomfortable.”

“You two haven’t… you haven’t had sex yet?” You push out, swallowing the bile the question has rising up your throat.

She pauses and then bursts into laughter, saying your name conspiringly. “I had no idea you would be interested in my sex life.”

Oh, it isn’t hers you’re curious about.

You shrug non-committedly, glancing away.

“No, we haven’t,” she reveals. “This trip was the first time we’ve hung out outside my job, actually. Our first date. It was kind of funny. We both thought of coming here together at the same time. It sounded like the perfect idea then. Now? I’m starting to see how much it wasn’t.” 

Relief floods you, relaxing your tense muscles. You wonder briefly how you would have reacted if they had slept together. Most likely seen red.

You halt those thoughts instantly. This is not your place anymore, not your right. You have zero claim on Chanyeol and whatever you are feeling right now is unwarranted.

Pushing away all that, you focus back on the conversation. “Because he kicked you out?”

She hums as she ponders your question. “That. And he’s in the wedding. He’s a groomsman, and that’s his main focus on the trip, not necessarily me. But also….”

She sighs and shifts around, getting comfortable. “He warned me, but I didn’t think he was being serious. At least, I didn’t think it was actually going to matter.”

“What did he warn you about?” Seulgi asks, voice quiet.

Yerim is silent for a breath before huffing, laughing mirthlessly. “He was engaged once.”

Your heart drops.

“He told me that he was engaged a few years ago, and that he was a bit worried that being in a wedding might… hurt.”

Just like you.

You honestly didn’t know what to think of Chanyeol going through the same thing as you, although this new perspective made your conversation from this morning make a bit more sense, made you understand his actions and words. 

He was putting up a front, just like you. 

“I told him to not worry about it too much,” Yerim continues, unaware of the epiphany you’re having. “Because I am here now. I’ll stay by his side. I’m not going anywhere. He laughed when I said that, and said he thought it was cute. To me, that sounded like that was enough for him. But, something changed after dinner yesterday. He was different, and well, I guess he was right about being worried after all.”

“Engaged, huh?” Is all you can say.

Yerim pouts. “It’s not like he was married and got a divorce. It’s only an engagement. Like…get over it?”

Her words sting. It feels like she’s speaking to you directly.

“Yerim….” Seulgi chastises gently, probably aware of how her statement might affect you. You can’t bring yourself to feel hurt, she’s right afterall. Plus, you can hear the hurt in her voice, the disappointment.

Reaching out, you touch her hand reassuringly. “Would you like me to beat him up for you?”

That brings out a bright laugh and you grin at the sound. “Apparently, you gave him a piece of your mind last night.”

You blink. “I did?”

“You weren’t very happy with him once you found out what he did to me, so you went to his room and confronted him.”

Chanyeol’s words from earlier echo in your brain. ‘We already had this conversation last night’.

“How did that go?” You question, hoping they can’t hear the rising panic in your voice.

‘Because you missed me’.

“Not sure,” she answers.

“We heard you banging on his door for a minute,” Seulgi informs.

You came knocking on my door like the police’.

You gulp.

“It got really quiet afterwards for like ten minutes or so. Then you started banging on our door because, of course, you didn’t have the key. You were pretty incoherent, mumbling something about him being an asshole, I think. Then you stumbled right to bed. Out like a light.”

You take in this newfound information warily. “So, you aren’t sure if I actually talked to him or not?”

“No. It could’ve been Sehun’s door. Hell, it could’ve been a damn wall you were hitting, you were that fucked up,” Seulgi says, chuckling at the memory.

So, there is still a chance Chanyeol was lying. Your certainty crumbles even further when a fresh memory from last night unlocks. It isn’t an image, but a feeling. Hands–fingers–ghosting up your stomach, your cheek.

You blink. Will you remember this? A whisper.

“Either way I appreciate it.” Yerim leans her head back to smile at you upside down, pulling you out of your reverie. “I love you, Sis.”

You smile in return, hoping it reaches your eyes as you pat her round cheek. She giggles, the sound should ease your heart. Instead, it brings another wave of guilt over you, making you shiver despite the heat of the sun overhead.

She readjusts, no longer staring up at you, and starts going on about something else, missing the way Seulgi and you lock eyes, worry and apprehension shared between you both.

Oh, how the knot tangles.

You spend a few more hours at the beach. Play in the water, take a nice afternoon nap, and just lounge around until you get a text from Sehun letting you know that the rehearsal is almost over and that they will all be eating lunch in his suite.

With that, you head back to your own room to get ready.

While in the elevator, Yerim’s phone pings. She checks the text and immediately lights up and starts squealing in excitement.

“What is it?” Seulgi asks, reveling in her sister’s delight.

“Loey just texted me!”

“What did he say?” You ask, playing as nonchalant as possible.

“He said that he’s sorry for not getting back to me this morning and missing breakfast. He said he overslept and woke up right before he had to go to rehearsal. He was wondering if he could make it up to me with lunch!”

“That’s… cute.” Seulgi’s smile becomes forced, and she turns to you with widening eyes that say, ‘what the hell’. You purse your lips as an unwelcoming bout of jealousy makes you consider telling the sisters that Chanyeol was indeed awake early enough to get breakfast this morning.

Not your place.

“I’m going to invite him to Sehun’s…. If that’s okay?” Yerim checks for confirmation. You both agree reluctantly.

She bounces on the balls of her feet excitedly as she types away. The doors open and you leap out, feeling trapped in the confines of the small metal box.

“Aw man. He wants it to be just us two. I hope you don’t mind me skipping out on lunch with everyone.”

“It’s no problem,” you reassure her, meaning it completely.

“Yeah, I’m sure you both have a lot to catch up on,” Seulgi adds.

That is that. You all take turns showering and start getting ready for lunch. You’re rushing a bit, wanting to see your friends and ask about the rehearsal, plus you’re starving. Chanyeol hadn’t given you much in his apology plate.

And, you hate to admit it, but you need a break from Yerim.

When Yerim is in the shower, Seulgi enters your room, sits on the corner of the bed, and watches you put your makeup on.

When your name finally leaves her mouth, you know you’re in trouble. It holds an authority you rarely hear her use. Slowly, you put down your mascara and turn in your chair, giving her your undivided attention.

“I love you,” she starts, voice deceivingly calm. “But Yerim is my sister. I can’t keep protecting you and Chanyeol. It’s not fair to her.”

“I know,” you say.

“We have to tell her,” she proceeds.

“I agree.”

Seulgi inhales deeply. “She’s going to be furious, but she has a right to know about you two. Especially since it seems you’re the reason why he kicked her out of their room.”

Her statement shocks you. “What?”

She throws you an incredulous look. “Are you telling me you didn’t see the way he was watching you throughout dinner? Not to mention how he would, like, study you whenever he touched Yerim? Like he was trying to get a reaction? Trying to make you jealous? I don’t know. Neither one of you have ever really told anyone why you broke up. It’s been a mystery for all of us, you know. We’ve been trying to solve it for years. I was hoping that seeing you both together would solve everything. But, to be honest, it’s only making things more confusing because….”

Her hands rub together, as though she’s putting on lotion. Her eyebrows furrow and her eyes are far away as she thinks about what she has seen. When she refocuses on you, you gulp, hating the distrust in her gaze. “I think Chanyeol is still in love with you.”

“Seulgi.” You don’t–no, can’t hear this right now, not when everything has become so much more complicated.

Her eyes pool with sorrow, for who you weren’t sure. “If Yerim is going to get her heart broken during this trip, I would rather it be from Yeol alone. I don’t want to hurt her, and I know you don’t want to either.”

You didn’t. Yerim is like a little sister to you. Damn Chanyeol for putting you in such a predicament.

“So, when do we tell her?” You ask, filled with a new resolve. You wanted to be done with all this unnecessary drama. “Right now? After lunch? Tomorrow before the wedding? When is the right time?”

“I think now is better than later. I can’t keep lying to her face.”

“I don’t want to lie anymore either. This is Chanyeol’s mess. Let’s tell her, and have him deal with explaining everything while they’re out.”

A couple knocks at your door cuts your conversation short. You both share a glance, not expecting guests.

“Maybe it’s Sehun?” You guess before getting to your feet to answer. “Lord knows he’s always so damn impatient.”

You trudge over and tear the door open.

“Dude, I swear we’re on our way….”

The height is expected. Chanyeol’s face? Not so much.

Speak of the devil….

He is wearing a cocky grin on his face, that swiftly falls the moment you grace his presence. 

“Oh,” slips out of your mouth, expressing all the disappointment you feel at seeing him instead of your best friend. Although your heart begins racing, you find it a bit easier to be confronted with him this time around. Actually, the conversation you just had comes back to you, and you realize that you’re annoyed with him. “What are you doing here?” 

He jerks back from your tone, probably shocked by how bored you sound. “I was just, um, I’m here to, uh, pick up–”

“Yerim,” You finish for him, nodding in confirmation. Right. Of course. His girlfriend.

With her name hovering between you, the atmosphere thickens awkwardly. You’re still mad at him, but it’s overwhelmed by a different disappointment than you felt prior. It takes a second, and then it clicks as to why you feel this. Wow, you really are stupid, huh? A foolish part of you had hoped that he was here to see you. But at the reminder that he has someone else, you are embarrassed to think something so delusional. You don’t know where to look–eyes jumping around randomly, only passing his face every few seconds. Your hands dangle uselessly at your sides, and all you can think is ‘abort, abort, ABORT’. 

“I–right. Let me go get her.” Your voice betrays your disappointment. 

You turn stiffly to do just that, but get pulled to a stop before you can even take a step into the room. Chanyeol’s strong hand curls posessively around the pit of your elbow, thumb resting on the sharp bone. You gasp and hold your breath, still as a statue as you anticipate his next move. Once he senses your attention, he lets his hand slither down the soft skin of your arm to wrap around your wrist. 

“Wait.” Your name leaves his mouth in a gravelly whisper, causing your stomach to roll nauseatingly. Hesitantly, you turn your body back around to face him, and once your eyes lock, they hold on steadfast, as if that is where they are always meant to be. 

“I….” His sentence gets caught in his throat as he continues staring at you. It’s as though your face is distracting him, rendering him the ability to even speak. There’s a question in his glittery orbs, but you can’t decipher what it is he’s asking.

“What is it?” You ask gently.

That seems to draw him out of his trance. He shakes his head in an attempt to clear it. 

“Did you get my gift?” The way he asks makes your conversation feel more intimate, a private thing between only you.

You know instantly what he’s referencing: the food from earlier. Confirming your suspicions that it was indeed him, although you never had a doubt. 

“I did,” you admit, albeit reluctantly.

His eyes narrow suspiciously. “Did you eat any of it?”

Even more reluctantly, “I did.”

“Good. That’s good.” And he does appear very relieved, knowing you accepted his ‘gift’. “I was worried.”

“Worried about what?” You push.

His eyes cut to you and you almost recoil from the intensity burning within them. “That you wouldn’t eat it, even though you were starving, because you knew it was from me.”

Ah, he still knows you well.

“I’m not that petty,” you mutter.

“Yes you are.” He grins before a thought occurs to him, causing the smile to fall just as quickly as it formed. “At least, you were.”

That kills the peace you two had created.

“Anyways,” he starts, scratching the back of his neck. “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier. It was wrong for me to say all of that. I just, I don’t know, wanted to try to be normal, for Junmyeon’s sake, but….”

He shrugs helplessly, and you feel that–the helplessness. Despite digging this hole, Chanyeol is just as stuck as you are.

“What about this morning was ‘normal’?” You ask, feeling the anguish from earlier take over your body. “You were trying to upset me. Is that what all of this is? One big ploy to make me feel like shit?”

“That’s not….” He lets out a heavy sigh and runs a hand over his face. “I’m really bad at this. I don’t want to fight, I want us to start over. To be friends.”

You give him an incredulous look that he meets earnestly. Looking at him, at that angelic face that was once your whole world, you realize that what he is asking is impossible. There’s too much history here, too many unresolved issues for you both to move forward on friendly terms.

“I don’t know, Chanyeol,” you say quietly. “I think we’re far from becoming friends, and I don’t really want to be. We only have a few more days here, so let’s just keep pretending we don’t know each other. Hell, we don’t even have to pretend. I don’t know you anymore.” 

“And who’s fault is that?” He asks, voice rising in a sudden anger that makes you flinch. “I wasn’t the one who called off the wedding, remember? That was you. You were the one who decided I wasn’t worth forever anymore, not the other way around!”

“Is that what you think?” You hiss, just as upset. “That’s never what I meant! And why would you even care anymore? You’ve moved on, haven’t you? Do I have to keep reminding you that you have a girlfriend?” Who isn’t me, you want to add.

“Why do you keep calling her that?” He asks, exasperated. You’re sure that if he wasn’t still holding onto your wrist like a leash, he’d be pacing the hall. “She’s just my date! We aren’t serious!”

“Does she know that?” You question. “I have a feeling that if I asked, she’d say differently.”

His eyes bounce back and forth between yours, searching for the right answer. He deflates, knowing what it is. “I already told you, I don’t want to fight. I didn’t come here for that.”

“No, because you came here for her.”

You both hear it, the pain that rips from your chest. It causes you both to pause. You’re mortified, and it skyrockets when he seems to soften. He stares down at you fondly, and his stance straightens. 

“I came here to make things right,” he reveals, voice just as tender as his expression. 

“And how are you going to do that?”

“I’m going to take her to lunch as promised.”

You slowly nod at that. “As you should. It’s for the best.”

“Is it?” He questions.

Seulgi’s words echo in your head, “I think Chanyeol is still in love with you.”

And with the way he is admiring you, you can see it. Your heart quickens at the idea of him still wanting you. You want to relish in it, in his affection, his touch. Your attraction for him never completely ceased, no matter how many times you have told yourself otherwise. If you are around him for much longer, you are going to give into the temptation that is his mouth, his big hands, his unbreaking steady gaze.

You want to believe what he just insinuated. He came here to make things right, he said. Not just with Yerim, but maybe with you too. You want to believe that the girl getting ready, oblivious to what’s happening only a few feet away, isn’t the only reason why he is standing before you right now, that you still have a claim on him.

“It has to be.” You tell the both of you, drawing the line in the sand for both not to cross.

And yet he still pushes. “And why is that?”

Because I’m terrified of what will happen if we keep meeting like this.

“Because she’s your date.”

He nods in agreement just as you had before. 

“You want to know the real reason why I brought her,” he asks suddenly.

You should say no. You should walk away and forget the man before you. To keep pretending he means nothing to you. But, the most selfish part of you wins. You need to know. So you nod, allowing him to destroy all pretenses between you both.

“As an excuse,” he whispers, gauging your reaction. “To stay away from you.”

You think you should probably feel angry by his confession, but you don’t. Maybe you’re reading a bit more into it, but you find it has you swooning.

He takes a step forward, causing your head to fall back to keep looking at him. His hand finally falls from your wrist, lifting to cup your jaw, making sure you can’t see anything but him. 

Still in a whisper, he continues. “But since last night, the excuse has changed.”

His thumb caresses your cheek. “Now I’m using her as a way to see you. To talk to you. Because that’s the only way you will.”

“That’s not fair.” 

He smiles ruefully. “It really isn’t, is it?”

You can’t help but scoff. “You’re such an–”

“Asshole?” He finishes with a smug grin. “I know.”

A silence falls over you, and you’re observing him so closely, admiring him in a way that feels so familiar it’s nearly effortless, that you catch the shift. His eyes darken with intent as they latch onto your slightly open mouth with laser focus.

You stiffen in his grip, holding your breath as you wait for him to close the distance. So much for that line in the sand.

His head tilts slightly, hair tickles your forehead, nose brushes against yours.

You can’t.

“I’ll tell Yerim you stopped by,” you let out in a shaky breath, lips nearly brushing against his.

His eyes have fallen shut, and he keeps them closed as he briefly rests his forehead against yours, catching his barings. 

“Right.” Reluctantly, he pulls away, taking steps back so that he’s in the middle of the hallway, and you get a bout of deja vu. You were in a similar situation before, were you not? Only now the roles have reversed.

“Tell her to come to my room when she’s ready.” His tone is professional, no ounce of emotion can be heard, as if he weren’t seconds away from kissing you. 

It makes you cold.

With that, he swiftly turns and heads the two doors down to his own suite.

You stand there for a moment, collecting yourself. You can’t seem to shake off the frigidness that chills you with the lack of his warmth. Your hands go to your jaw, fingers touching  the parts Chanyeol had cradled, fighting the overwhelming need to scream.

You need to tell Yerim her date is ready for her. Right. You slip back into your suite to do just that.

Only to be stopped by Seulgi standing a few feet away, expression hard to read.

A staring match commences. It feels like she’s your parent having caught you red handed trying to creep back into the house after sneaking out.

Yerim comes out of their room, ready to go.

“I thought I heard knocking. Was someone here?” She asks, unaware of the silent battle going on in front of her.

“Chanyeol,” you answer, attention never leaving her sister.

“Who?”

You grit your teeth, growing more agitated with her. How can she not know the name of the man she claims to be falling for?

“Loey stopped by,” Seulgi speaks, voice steel, eyes unwavering. “But you were still getting ready. He asked us to tell you to head over to his room when you were finished. Right?”

The question is aimed at you. She lifts her eyebrow, challenging you to correct her.

“...Right.” You lose the staring contest as you agree, guilt casting your eyes down.

“Oh shit! I need to hurry then!” Yerim runs off.

Your wrist and jaw still burn from the ghost of Chanyeol’s touch.

“The food got here before you did,” are Sehun’s first words when you trudge into his room fifteen minutes later. Seulgi hasn’t spoken a word to you since Yerim left your suite, and you can’t blame her. Although, you wish she’d actually communicate her feelings towards you right now.

You can’t stand her being angry with you.

This is not your first disagreement. You’ve argued numerous times. That doesn’t make it any easier though, especially since you can’t really defend yourself.

“Sorry,” you say distractedly as you search the room for someone in particular. There he is! You march right over to Jongin and throw your arms around his slender torso, burying your head into the crook of his neck.

He freezes only for a second, surprised, and then he’s returning the hug, swaying you back and forth comfortingly. 

“God, you give the best hugs,” you mumble against his warm skin.

He chuckles into your hair. “You seem like you really need one.”

“You have no idea.” Satisfied, you pull back, stewing in your bad mood. He clips your chin fondly and then leads you over to the counter that’s pouring over with food.

You all huddle in the living room, sitting in a circle on the floor. All the groom’s men are present except Chanyeol.

“Oh! I have important news!” Jongdae begins excitedly, gaining everyone’s attention. “Eunhee is pregnant.”

“WHAT?!” You all yell. Eunhee is Jongdae’s longtime girlfriend.

He’s glowing from joy. “I know. I should have told you all yesterday, but there was already a lot going on and Junmyeon was the main event. I didn’t want to take away from him. But, yeah, I’m going to be a father!”

“Is that why she’s not here?” Sehun asks.

Jongdae nods. “She’s not that far along, but we didn’t want to take any risks.”

“Oh, gosh,” Seulgi coos. “I’m so happy for you.”

“I’m going to be an uncle!” Jongin cheers.

“You already are an uncle!” Jongdae points out, reminding Jongin of the fact he has sisters with children.

“Okay, but this is different!”

“So, we have one friend getting married, and now another having a kid.” Baekhyun says, shaking his head in disbelief. “Boy, are we getting old.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you mutter bitterly. Your comment causes the others to chuckle.

“It was bound to happen eventually,” Sehun says, reaching over to pat your back. “But hey, we’re not doing too bad on this life thing. I’m proud of all of us.”

“Do you have any secret lovers or children we should know about?” You ask the proud best man with narrowed eyes.

Sehun rolls his eyes. “As much as I love Busan, I haven’t found anyone that I feel particularly connected to yet. The restaurant keeps me busy. As for children, I have Vivi, and I enjoy spoiling that boy too much. I don’t think I’m ready to have another one.”

“Vivi?” Seulgi asks skeptically. He merely shrugs.

Vivi is his dog.

“I know it’s a rather touchy subject,” Jongdae begins. “But you haven’t been with anyone since Chanyeol, have you?”

Just hearing his name causes your palms to sweat. You have to actively avoid glancing at Seulgi to gauge her reaction.

“I mean,” you start carefully. “I have needs. But, no. I haven’t been with anyone seriously since. To be honest, I think it’s been a year since I last humored anyone.”

“It’s the same for him too, you know?” Baekhyun reveals.

“Where’s the bathroom?” Seulgi abruptly asks Sehun, who shows her. She excuses herself and it’s silent as you all watch her disappear. Once she’s gone, all eyes are on you.

“Chanyeol told me about bringing a date,” Baekhyun admits in a hurry, sensing that you’re on borrowed time. “He told me it was because he couldn’t face you alone. I told him that was the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard. But you know Yeol, once he’s made up his mind about something, there’s no talking him out of it.”

“I know,” you answer quietly. He couldn’t face you alone? Well, it does line up to what he revealed earlier, that he brought Yerim as a way to avoid you. God, what an idiot.

“He’s an asshole,” Jongin speaks up. You lift an eyebrow at that, Jongin isn’t one to be so… vulgar. “And just so you know, we’re all on your side.”

“Hell yeah, we are.” Jongdae agrees, holding up a fist. “Fighting.”

“He shouldn’t have pretended to not know us,” Baekhyun frowns. He must still be hurting over his best friend’s rejection.

“It wasn’t smart.” Sehun turns to you. “Did you talk to Yerim?”

“I was going to,” you start and he groans. “Sehun, really! I was! But then Chanyeol showed up and whisked her away. That’s why she’s not here right now.”

“He really has a lot of balls, bringing another girl knowing you were going to be here,” Jongdae seethes. 

“Guys,” you’re quick to defend. “It’s been years. He’s allowed to bring whoever he wants. Allowed to date whoever he wants. We’re no longer together.”

They all scoff.

“I know it’s not my place,” Baekhyun, king instigator, begins. “But you and Yeol were perfect together. You complete each other, and neither one of you have been the same since the breakup. I genuinely hope that the two of you can work it out.”

“As soon as he gets rid of that high schooler,” Jongin adds.

“She’s in college,” you correct weakly.

Conversation finally turns to something else, and it’s perfect timing because Seulgi rejoins right after.

You spend the next hour chatting and goofing off. It feels so good to be back with your closest friends. You can’t help but get nostalgic, comparing the people you all are today to the carefree group of kids you were when you all first got together.

Unfortunately, time flies by while having fun, and the boys have a bachelor’s party to throw.

“I wish I were a boy. That way I could tag along,” you say forlornly.

“Junmyeon wants you both there!” Jongin says, swinging your hands in his. “Just come.”

“We can’t,” Seulgi declines. “It wouldn’t look good. Watch over our boy though. Show him a good time.”

“I told him we should’ve gone to the states,” Baekhyun sighs dramatically. “We could’ve gone to Las Vegas, gone to a strip club!”

At the mention of a strip club, both Baekhyun and Jongin start doing body rolls. Jongdae pretends to make money rain on them.

“Don’t get him fucked up!” You threaten, pointing at the kinky troublemakers. “Tomorrow is going to be the most important day of his life, and he cannot be hungover through it!”

“Ma’am, yes, Ma’am,” Jongdae and Baekhyun salute before giggling to each other.

Yeah, that didn’t look good.

“I’m not drinking,” Sehun reassures, throwing an arm around your shoulders. “As best man, I have to make sure everyone makes it back to the hotel in one piece.”

“You sure it’s not because Junmyeon punished you for this morning?” You tease.

He shoves you away. “Just for that, you’re not coming.”

You stick your tongue out at him. “I wasn’t going anyway, Nerd.”

You all head out of Sehun’s suite. Seulgi and you wave them farewell as they make their way to the elevators.

Seulgi sighs once it’s just the two of you. “I’m jealous.”

“Same. They’re our friends too.”

You both share a watery pout and then Seulgi is pulling out her key to enter the room.

“Wait.” You rest your hand over hers. She lifts her eyebrows expectantly at you. “I’m sorry.”

She takes a deep breath and rubs her temples. “This is so fucked. I hate lying to Yerim like this.”

“I know,” you say. “You’re now caught in the middle of something that has nothing to do with you. I’m going to fix this. Yerim should be back now. I’ll tell her everything. I promise.”

She gives you a weak smile before pulling you in for a hug. “Thank you.”

“You’re my best friend,” you answer simply. “My sister. Both of you are. It’ll be easier on everyone once Yerim knows.”

“I love you too,” she replies. That brings a goofy grin out of you, knowing that you’re forgiven.

Visibly in a better mood, she enters the hotel room in a flourish.

Only for you both to stop dead in your tracks when you see Yerim sobbing in the living room.

“Yerim!” Seulgi rushes over to her sister. You join a bit later, apprehension slowing your limbs as you hover over the bawling girl. “What is it? What happened?”

“Loey!” She wails. You share a nervous look with Seulgi. “Loey broke up with me!”

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[holdingforexo]

I'd hardly count dftf as lay's return to exo. he wasn't even included on the album cover. I don't wanna sound negative, but the whole "left sm but still with exo" is only for show. he's barely a present in exo when he WAS signed with sm, now that he's the company, aint no way we're seeing him with the group again. honestly, I think the members are probably upset by his decision because he wrote a whole song dedicated to them and there's been zero acknowledgement from any of them.

Every point you tried making is wrong. I have such low tolerance for stupidity, and you are truly testing me with this one.

Yixing recorded for every track on DTFT ... try listening to the actual album instead of just looking at the cover. When Yixing was absent from the group, it is never due to his personal choice. Political tensions between South Korea and China increased near the end of 2016, and Yixing—along with all Chinese-born artists working in South Korea—had to stop activities in South Korea ... he couldn’t even finish the EXO'rDIUM tour. This is the very reason Sehun’s Catman doesn’t have an official release date yet, but everyone likes to just make it about Yixing. When political tensions mellowed down a bit, pandemic restrictions prevented Yixing from traveling to South Korea to film the DFTF MV and take photos for the album jacket with the rest of the members—both him and SM confirmed this.

They just celebrated a decade together, and still have to defend their relationship because some of you only live on social media. Clearly, you missed the meaning of Jiu. The beginning of the song is proof the members keep tabs on Yixing. He has also said so many times they are always in contact and checking in with each other, despite the long distance. EXO has never been a group to publicly showcase their close bond. I’m so tired of “fans” projecting their own feelings about how EXO feel about each other. You really think Yixing would write, produce, and dedicate a heartfelt song to his members if he didn’t feel the love reciprocated? It is not your decision whether or not the members’ love and support is enough, it is theirs. Relationships exist beyond social media validations.

And I don’t know if Yixing will take part in the upcoming comeback ... but if he says he’s still EXO, then he is still EXO. It’s just that simple.

[theworldofotps]

The Way You Love Me

Pairing: Damian Priest x Reader Word Count: 1,202 Description: When Damian isn’t feeling the best, the reader reminds him of some of her favorite moments.

Warning: Very brief smut implied, mentions of mental health

A huge shout out to @omg-im-such-a-masochist for her help on figuring this out. I had the main inspiration for this fic and two ideas but didn’t know how to decide between them. She took the ideas, made them better and is letting me use it which I truly appreciate. I tweaked things around a bit and love how it turned out thank you so much baby! This one’s for you💕 _________ Tag list:

@omg-im-such-a-masochist @hungmanhorsecarriage @writtingrose @sjwrites22 @sassymox @new-zealand-chic @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk @xladyxfatex @biforrollynch @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @demonqueen29 @itsicantbelievethis666 @lilred91 @xbreezymeadowsx @rebellious-desires @youcantreignonmyparade @melblacc @letsgivethisonemoreshot @alination @ava-valerie @shortyiceheart @serpantscorpio8497 @thatpanpal If you wanna be added to the list lemme know. ________

“Babe?”

You call out, closing the front door behind you and kicking your shoes off. The house was completely silent, she knew Damian was home. Adam told you he had asked to leave early while you were in the middle of a practice match.

Setting your keys on the hook and making your way through the house checking every room then heads upstairs when you have no luck. Gently pushing the door to the master bedroom open, you spot a lump in the middle of their bed wrapped in the blankets.

“Damian? Are you okay?”

Walking over and sitting on your side of the bed you untuck some of the blankets and pull them back. The sight of Damian laying there with his eyes shut, tear tracks staining his cheeks broke your heart.

“Hey hey it’s me, why are you crying?”

You whisper gently stroking his cheek waiting for him to open his eyes.

“Oh hello princesa, it’s nothing, don't worry about it. How was the rest of your practice?”

“It was fine. It must be something if it’s got you this upset. You know you can talk to me about anything.”

Turning his face into your hand as it stroked his face Damian swallows the lump in his throat then looks at you.

“Why are you with me?”

“What?”

“Why are you with me? There are so many better looking more athletic people out there for you to be with. Someone who can give you all that you deserve in this life, which is so much more than what I can.”

“Where’s this coming from?”

Sighing Damian pulls the blankets back so you could crawl under them with him. Wrapping your arms around him and kissing his forehead you wait.

“At work today I was hanging out with some of the guys and they were going on about things they had gotten their partners for Valentine’s Day. I told them we had a simple picnic together after breakfast in bed and how I gave you that new photo album you’ve had your eye on.

They kinda teased me and said I needed to do better before someone else swooped in. I know it was just harmless banter but it really got me thinking what if it happened? And then I said for your promise ring I gave you my class ring, they thought it was silly and that you deserved an actual ring. My confidence has been a bit shaken lately, my mental health is taking a nose dive but today just proved those thoughts.

I’m not good enough for you y/n. I can’t give you all that you deserve and I know that’s true. It just keep replaying over and over in my head.”

Damian swallows, blinking back more tears and closing his eyes for a moment.

“Te mereces mucho mejor que yo.” (You deserve so much better than me.)

“Oh baby no no.”

Quickly shaking your head you cup his face wiping the tears away and waiting for him to look at you.

“Now you listen to me, my love, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about what we get or do for each other. I wanted that album for our photos and that’s what you got me. I love that you listen and pay attention to the small things. You always manage to get me what I want and I always feel so loved”

Kissing his lips gently you smile holding your hand out looking at his class ring.

“The fact you’re using something so special and that you worked hard for as a promise ring. Means more to me then any other ring, there’s sentimental value behind it. I wish you would have told me you’d been feeling this way lately.  I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you Damian. Baby I’m forever yours. 

Nobody has ever treated me like you have and it’s not just about the gifts. It’s the memories, fun and support we give each other. What we have is incredible I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I love the way you love me, How can I help cheer you up besides remind you that I love you with my entire being?”

Searching your face he gently kisses your hand hugging you

“What’s one of your favorite moments in our relationship?”

“Ohh there’s so many.”

Laying there looking in his eyes you think lightly tapping his chin with your finger.

“Oh! I know, do you remember when your Chronicle streamed for the first time?”

“Yeah that was a nerve wracking but exciting time.”

“Do you remember how we celebrated?”

“A lot of that week was a blur.”

Smiling you snuggle closer to him kissing his shoulder.

“Well let me remind you, we got to the arena and when it aired we watched with a bunch of our friends. Then afterwards everyone decided to watch another one since they didn’t want to go home just yet. You and I then went outside just to get some fresh air since you were feeling a lot of emotions. We wanted a little privacy so we managed to get up to the roof of the building. The moon was out and right after we got up there.”

“It started pouring and we made love in the rain.”

Damian says his face lighting up as you grin at him gently poking his nose.

“Exactly, that was the first time I ever did anything crazy like that. And I enjoyed every moment of it. That is when I really knew you were the one for me, someone I wanted to try crazy stuff with all the time.”

Damian smiles letting out a soft laugh as he holds you close.

“That was a lot of fun now that I remember, we should do it again sometime.”

“We’ll see baby, just don’t forget I love you and I am the luckiest person alive to have you.”

“I love you too mi amor.”

Kissing you softly Damian allows you to go ahead and change into comfier clothes while he rubs his face.

“Sorry about crying.”

“Hey, do not apologize for having emotions and sharing them with me. It's one hundred percent okay. There’s nothing wrong with need a good cry, there’s nothing wrong with feeling your emotions or letting them out. It’s completely fine I promise.”

Blowing him a kiss you take your dirty clothes into the bathroom and place them in the hamper. Going back into the room you glance out the window and walk over opening it. The sound of rain falling causes an idea to form in your head.

Taking your bra off you throw it at Damian’s face as he stares at the ceiling.

“Let’s go down memory lane again, shall we?”

You smirk as he looks at your bra chuckling then watches you strip your night shirt off. Swaying your hips as you go over to the bed.

“Mmm mi amor I would enjoy nothing more.”

Leaning over he wraps his arm around your waist pulling you onto him. Straddling his waist you look down at Damian with a smile.

“I’m going to spend all night reminding you of how much I love you.”

[damn-stark]

The Trouble ch.8

A/N- tell me how you liked it!! The ending is coming soon.

Warning- ANGST, talks of loss and grief, ptsd, violence, blood, light fluff, SPOILIERS if you haven’t played the game.

Pairing- Jesse x fem!reader

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

——

Here. Finally.

It took a long time, but you arrived.

Maybe you regretted it a little, feeling the sun burn your skin as it scorched down, but there was no turning back now. You’ve made it this far. Santa Barbara, and hopefully one step closer to reaching Ellie.

Albeit you knew you weren’t going to find anything on the abandoned boat that you came to. Everything here seemed to be untouched for a couple months, if this was Abby, she was long gone now.

“Has Ellie passed by here?” You couldn't help but wonder out loud whilst you stepped out of the cabin and walked off to jump off the boat—Is she even here?—you think to yourself.

Nevertheless You couldn’t stay out here in this damn blazing sun for too long, nor could you stay so below, you needed to get to higher ground. You could possibly find something there—your eyes lift to the house that overlooked the ocean behind you and getting there, or just getting higher was your goal. And it wasn’t a tough thing to do, the terrain was easy to get through, you just expected the neighborhood you ran into, Messa Bluff, to be tough. All neighborhoods were. Those not used anyway.

You pulled out your gun expecting to hear, or see any sort of infected roaming mindlessly in the streets, but as you walked towards the first house you saw, there was dead infected on the ground. And it could be an old body, but as your eyes roamed it’s ugly figure, you noticed the fresh blood that spilled from the wound on its head. Some of it was still pouring out of its corpse, so it was just killed.

“Hmm,” you sigh before you lift your eyes from its body and continue towards the house, noticing not just a few feet ahead another freshly killed infected—someone’s here.

Your eyes flicker up to the house and you just hoped it was Ellie.

*A FEW YEARS AGO*

“We actually have a girl around the same age as you,” Tommy directs to Ellie who sat by herself on the reading chair. “She should be coming from her classes soon.”

“Classes?” Joel questions. “You guys have a school?”

Maria nods her head. “For the younger kids we do, but y/n is learning to become a doctor.”

Ellie heard them talk but she could hardly care, sure she might want friends if staying here was for the long haul, she didn’t want to be alone cooped up in her room, but she hardly cared to meet someone at the moment. She was bored, hungry and frustrated, but perhaps that was the hunger. All she wanted to do was go to her room and see what she could decorate it with.

Yet Joel stayed in his brother's house talking about random things that came up, but Ellie knew that he was waiting for you, the girl Tommy and Maria had mentioned, so she could meet you. But you surely took your time to get to your house, and once you did, you rushed in unaware of the guests in your living room. Albeit Ellie had noticed you first, she caught your muddy shoes in your hand that you tried to hide behind you, she noticed the urgency and panic in your face that she had seen on other people many times. She couldn’t help but wonder what you had done in your nursing classes to have ended with your shoes caked in mud, and for your first instinct once you got to your house was to dart to your room without as much as a glance at the obvious chatter in your living room.

And luckily for you, you got stopped before you could reach the stairs. “Hey, Y/N, wait up.” Maria called out after your fleeting figure.

“Yes?” You ask as you poke your head past the wall, noticing in that instant an older man with hair a deep grey color, and visible scars on his face that only made him appear intimidating and rugged; he also looked familiar, but you’ve never seen him in your life—“oh.” You mouth before your eyes flicker over to a red-headed girl slouched on the reading chair, her green eyes brightened by the sunlight kissing her face while she obviously studied your face. She also looked intimidating, but not as much as the man, and one thing you couldn’t help but notice was that she looked young. Which, you didn’t know if it was a good or bad thing, yet.

“Come over here and introduce yourself,” Tommy waved you over.

You sigh, but don’t argue as to not look suspicious, instead you throw your backpack on the stairs and regretfully put your shoes on top of it, making sure to cover them with your coat before you walk towards the living room.

“Hello,” you greet the man and the girl still on the couch with a faint smile. “I’m y/n.”

“Y/N, this is my brother Joel.” Tommy introduced him as he fell by your side, the new information letting you realIze that, that’s why the man looked familiar, he looked like Tommy.

“Hello.” He simply said in a husky voice that was much deeper than Tommy’s. “Tommy,” he continued as he looked up at his brother beside you. “You didn’t tell me you had a daughter.”

“No,” Tommy chuckled, “she’s not my biological daughter. She’s my adopted daughter.”

Joel nods and then looks back to the girl, motioning her to get up with his hand. She seemed hesitant, but she picked herself up and stood behind him, making Joel step back so he could push her forward and introduce her. “Ah, this is Ellie, and she’s just around your age.”

“Really?” You question as you blink and meet her gaze. “That’s cool.” There's an awkward silence after, with neither of you knowing what to say or do, but Maria seemed to have a good suggestion that only made things more awkward.

“Why don’t you take her up to your room.”

You weren’t children to show each other your toys, but you did need to hide your shoes before either of them saw—“okay,” you say in a feigned calm tone before you walk back and point your head towards the direction of the stairs. “Come on, it’s upstairs.”

Ellie steps forward and you miss the glare she shot Joel before she slowly followed after you, managing to catch you snatch your shoes and other things from the stairs before you ran up and waited for her at the top. Once Ellie reached the top you guided her to your room at the end of the hall and made sure to swiftly throw your shoes in the bathroom, and shut that door.

“So,” you decide to break the tension. “How old are you?”

“Uh, fifteen.” Ellie answers whilst her eyes wander around your nicely decorated room. “You? I mean they say you're the same age as me, but I don’t believe them. I think they’ll say that just to force you to befriend me.”

You scoff lightheartedly and turn to face her once you’re stopped by your bed. “I’m sixteen. I just turned sixteen like a day ago.” You sit on the edge of your bed and catch Ellie focused on the vinyl records all neatly tucked in the shelves, she walks towards the shelf and her lips tugged to a small smile.

“Are these all yours?” She asked excitedly as she looked at you.

“Yeah,” you nod, “I’ve collected some along the years, and my grandpa gave me the rest.”

Ellie’s eyes return to the vinyls to brush her thin fingers over the backs, stopping as she catches sight of a certain album that caught her attention. “Do you have anywhere to play them? Or I mean do they work?”

You drag yourself off the bed to walk to your desk and open the wooden record player. “You can put one on.” You smile as you step back to make room. “To try it out.”

“Are you being fucking for real?” She queried as her eyes met your eyes and you caught a gentle sparkle in them.

“Yeah,” you nod. “Go.”

Ellie doesn’t hesitate to bring an album by “The Clash” with her as she walks to stand by your side, pulling out the vinyl from its sleeve and carefully placing the record where it went. She then set it up and you both waited, hearing silence for a brief second before the sound of an electric guitar began to play, and seconds later a voice began to sing and you recognized the song “Should I Stay or Should I go’ was playing. One of your favorite songs. And it seemed to be hers too because she soon turned up the volume and began to bop her head to the beat, as well as tap her foot as her hands went into her coat pocket and her smile turned to a grin.

You then followed by doing the same head movements as the song played and completely broke the tension between you both. And perhaps it was such a small moment, a small change, but the hostility was gone, neither of you were strangers anymore, but Instead immediate friends.

“Can I ask you,” Ellie spoke up while the song played. “What happened in your medical classes that got your shoes dirty?”

Your eyes widen and you blink to meet her curious gaze, but you don’t hide the truth from her. You smirk instead and reveal the truth. “Yeah, there was no class today. I snuck out with my friends. Just don’t tell Tommy, or Maria.”

Ellie scoffs, and her lips tug to a smirk. “Your secret is safe with me.”

You grin and step back to walk towards your shelf. “Wanna listen to more music?”

“Hell yeah,” Ellie grins.

——

The trail of dead infected bodies led down a small hill that you cautiously followed, even if you weren’t sure who had just killed these infected. For all you knew it could be those people called the Rattlers, that you read about on some letter in one of the empty houses, even if you hoped it wasn’t, the possibility was that it was them. And you could still run, turn back and return home, but you needed to check if it was Ellie first. You couldn’t leave her behind.

So you needed to continue following the path. And as you did. you ended up finding thick green shrubbery blocking the path forward, with the trail of bodies ending a few steps back, so whoever had left it went forward. But when you let your eyes scan the area, you see that an RV and a truck were also blocking the path.

“Hmm.” You slowly walk forward and see a large enough gap between both trucks where you could squeeze through. You were hesitant and anxious in doing so because your peripheral view was limited since you couldn't see much past the truck's gap, but, it was the only way through—fuck—you hold your breath and have your hand tightened around your gun as you slowly walk through.

Once you’re miraculously through and don’t get tackled or suddenly bit, you exhale deeply and feel a wave of relief wash over you, but before the feelings could set in your bones you instantly jump back at the sight of a clicker hanging upside down from its leg. “What the fuck,” you gasp as you clutch onto your chest with your unoccupied hand. The clicker begins to click it’s jaw and manages to push its body forward in attempts to try and get any piece of flesh it could sink its teeth into, but you only stepped back from its reaching hands and then felt yourself bump into something else.

There was no noise, or movement that you could hear behind you, but you still swiftly turned around, only to see the girl you had been looking for. “What the shit…Ellie?!” You gasp again as you feel your whole body grow stiff. You narrow your eyes on her, and besides noticing that she was upside down, you couldn’t help but notice fresh blood dripping down her red, sunburnt face, half of her shirt drenched in the same thick liquid, and her cheeks looked more sunk in than before.

The first thing that should’ve run through your mind was to help her, but your mind kept fixating on wanting to know if she was real, or just some weird hallucination. She looked real, but was she? You snapped from your stupor and stepped forward, reaching out your hand to feel the warmth of her cheeks under our fingertips; she felt real. Next you proceeded to lean in and press your ear close to her lips to hear her slow breaths taken because she was passed out due to the blood that ran to her head because she was upside down. So the answer was that she was actually here, hanging upside down from a tree.

There was an answer as to why she ended up as she was, thus leaving you finally to act out on your plan to help her off the tree. However, when you reached the rope that was tied around a large rock, you caught the sound of footsteps behind you. Thinking it was infected you turn around to get ready to shoot them, but then you see that it was something much worse.

“Drop your weapon and put your hands up, and this might just go easy for you.” A man much shorter than his ponytail wearing companion spoke to you with a certain, annoying cockiness expressed on his face.

You quickly glance at the rope just inches beside you, and then your eyes fall on the switchblade just under Ellie. You think of dropping your gun and then running to get it, but they’d shoot you, or hurt you some other way before you could do damage, so instead you stayed put and did as he said whilst you tried to talk them out of whatever sick plan was on their mind. “Please, just let us go, we'll be on our way out. We just got lost and my friend got caught in this trap.”

The short man approaches you with a smirk and his gun points at you while his companion stood behind him with his weapon on the ready. “We can help you find a way out.” The short man assured you even if it was a lie that you weren’t aware of. “But you have to follow our rules since you’re in our city.” He reaches for your arm, yet as he tries to grab it you kick him back and pull out your gun hidden behind you. You shoot at him, but end up missing after the older looking man he was with shoves you to the floor and steps on your hand until you let the gun go.

“Take her.” The older man instructed, “I’ll take this live one tied up.”

You quickly flip over and reach for a dagger hidden in your waistline, but the guy pulls you up and in a harsh movement twists your arms to your back, and pulls you closer to his chest. “Don’t try anything,” he sneered in the ear. “Or I’ll shoot your friend and then you.”

“Fuck—”

“Abby….” Ellie unknowingly interrupts you, “I found….”

“This bitch is fucked.” The guy holding you remarks about Ellie.

You scoff and squirm in his hold, but he only presses a gun to the back of your head and turns you so you could watch his friend drop Ellie to the ground from where she was hanging, causing her to groan out in pain as she landed on her wounded side. “Ellie!” You bellow, seeing her open her eyes to see the person who had called her name.

It took her a moment to recognize you, to figure out that you were real, but once she did, she could only continue to groan out in the blinding pain she felt shoot out from her bleeding wound.

“We’ll be lucky if she even lasts us a month.” The same guy kept talking, this time however, his comment made your eyes widen out of fear. “Can we please just please just say we’re done for the day?” He continued to ask as he watched the other man untie Ellie.

“Yeah,” the guy agreed whilst he kicked Ellie forward. “I’m going to get that thing down, and let me reset the traps.”

Right! The clicker hanging from the tree—the corner of your lips tug to a smirk and using all the strength you could muster after a long day, you use your legs to throw yourself back, causing the man that had you captive to stumble back towards the clicker who quickly lunged forward in means to bite him.

Nonetheless he managed to get out of the way before the clicker could bite any part of him.

“It get you?!” The friend asked in a panicked voice and with his gun pointing at the guy behind you, who still surprisingly had you in his hold.

The man shakes his head, “No, I’m good.” He then digs his nails in your skin and grimaces after what happened. “You bitch,” He proceeds to also finally tie your hands with some zip tie. “You’re gonna pay for that.”

You snort and just as you’re going to snap back, Ellie beats you to it and begins to laugh. You can’t lie it creeped you out that she did laugh since she was badly wounded, but you let it be, and well it annoyed the guy.

“Something funny?”

“Looks like you shit your pants,” Ellie counters while she struggles to push herself off the ground.

The guy shakes his head and whispers in an annoyed tone. “What you say?”

“What a little bitch.” Ellie continues smugly.

“Oh, you like funny huh?” The guy snaps before he grabs your arm again, cuts off the zip tie and drags you towards the clicker. “Watch this.” He shoves you forward and the clicker begins to reach for you, clicking its teeth as the sound makes it go crazy. You struggle in his hold, and dig your heels into the ground to make it difficult for him to continue pushing you forward, but he’s stronger than you and manages to tear your arm from where it was stiffened to your side to push it towards the clicker's mouth.

“You fucking,” you strain to say whilst you squirm and try to throw your elbow, or foot back. “Asshole. Let me go. Stop!”

“Come on,” the other man protests, “we don’t need this.”

“No, man,” the young man responded amusingly. “They’re fucked up anyway.” He continues pushing your arm towards the clickers teeth until the point you could feel the heat of its mouth on your skin. It was terrifying and heart clenching, your breath became heavy and quick and Ellie wanted to stop him, but she was struggling to get up. You kept trying to fall back, or really just do anything, and miraculously you did manage to get the upper hand after an instant of throbbing pain shot throughout your arm.

You didn’t pay much mind to the pain and passed it off as the man digging his nails in your skin and pressing his rough fingers on your arm, before you ducked and used your strength and weight to swing him to the side and throw the man towards the clicker's arms and jaw. After that he let you go and his friend tried to shoot you, but Ellie quickly grabbed the gun you dropped and shot him first, causing him to fall down on his ass.

“Fuck,” you breathe out as you move away from the clicker and catch your breath on the ground, catching Ellie snatch the guys rifle off the floor and storm towards the other man in means to shoot him.

“Wait! Wait! You said Abby! You’re looking for an Abby right?” The man bellowed as he threw his hands out, managing to make Ellie stop before him. “We picked one up a couple months ago.”

“Yeah sure.” Ellie said, stepping forward.

“Big girl!” The man pants, “blonde. Arms like mine.” He motions, “she had a scrawny kid with cuts by his mouth.”

Your attention focuses on the man and your eyes narrow as your mind pulls out flashing memories of who he was talking about. For a brief second you see and hear the memory of Abby killing…Jesse play out in your head and it hurts far worse than your arm does.

“Yeah, that’s her.” The man says once he notices the realization on yours and Ellie’s faces. “You let me go. I’ll tell you where she is.”

“Talk.” Ellie deadpanned.

“She’s in a holding cell in our camp,” the man obliged.

“Where is that?” Ellie interrogated him further.

The man points past her and continues. “Head up that way til you hit the railroad track. That’ll lead you to a resort. We keep em in the tall, round building.” He groans and Ellie looks back to where he pointed to for a second before looking back at him—“I swear.” Before he could add more Ellie lifts her gun and shoots him once before he goes limp like his friend.

Finally leaving Ellie and you alone.

However the reunion wasn’t a happy one. After Ellie could tear her eyes from the man laying on the floor, she turned to you with a serious expression that expressed no warmth. “What are you doing here, y/n?” She asked bluntly.

You push yourself up to your feet and can’t help but glance at her wound on her side as you answer her. “I came after you.”

Ellie walks past you to collect her switchblade off the ground, but stops as she’s crouched down, turning her head to look at you over her shoulder. “Why? Who told you I left?”

“Dina, told me. After I went for a visit.” You say as you walk and grab a rifle from the man Ellie had killed.

There's a short silence while Ellie stands up, but she’s quick to fill it with the same question. This time in a more demanding tone. “Why are you here?”

“Because.” You stand up and turn to face her, ignoring the pain your arm was under. It felt as if someone was pressing a hot iron on it. “My friends' problems are my problems.”

Ellie’s green eyes quickly snap up to meet your own eyes, and you notice a sadness flicker within them while her lips twitch to almost express a frown, but she holds back and instead focuses on her wound at her side. “Did you come to take me home? Convince me not to kill Abby?” She lifts her shirt and a soft hiss leaves her lips. “Well then let me tell you that you’ve come in vain. She killed Joel, I’m only finishing what she started.”

You scoff. “What she started?!” You storm towards her but she keeps her eyes on her wound. “Ellie, you went after her already. You killed all the people that were with her and it almost took Dina, Tommy and you out with them. The only reason,” you pause when you don’t notice her looking up at you. You crouch down to be at her level. “Look at me.”

Said girl blinks a few times to fight the tears that welled in her eyes before slowly dragging her eyes up to meet your gaze.

“The only reason,” you continue, “neither of you died was because she spared your life. She wasn’t going to bother you anymore, and you came after her. You left your family to come after someone who most likely has not thought of you since she left Seattle.”

Ellie shakes her head. “It’s not that easy to forget what she did!” She stands to her feet and stands just a few inches away. “I can’t sleep, I see him all the time. I see that day, I see her.” She cries. “I need to do this. It’s the only way I will be able to live in peace. I need to do this for….him.” She can’t even muster the strength to say his name, or mention her pain without her voice breaking. Tears wanted to slip past her eyes, but she was strong enough to hold them back for now.

“And what?” You counter with tears of your own while you step forward. “Don’t you think I see Jesse? Don’t you think Jesse’s death hurts me too?” You sniffle and swipe tears off your cheeks. “I see him all time. And not with good memories, but his body after he was shot. It haunts me, even when I’m awake. And I want it to stop.” Your voice quivers. “But even I know this is wrong. Stop this and come home before something happens to you. You know Joel wouldn’t have wanted you to come if it meant risking your life. So come home Ellie, please.”

Ellie steps back and her gaze holds yours for a moment whilst tears roll down the curve of her cheeks this time. She parts her lips to argue, to try and convince you to follow her plan, but she knew you more than anyone, no matter the pain you were enduring after losing the man you loved, you’d never fall as low as she thought she had fallen. She couldn't ask you to stay.

“Just leave, y/n.” Ellie mumbled as she shoved past you.

You turn sharply on your heels and stay put with determination in your own plan. “No. Not if you’re not coming with me.” Your lips twitch.” Wherever you go, I go.”

A sigh leaves Ellie’s lip and with some hesitation she turns with a comment ready to be shot out, but before she could speak, her eyes fall on your arm and they go wide with horror. “Y/N.” She mutters before she rushes towards you and grabs your arm, twisting it a bit and gasping sharply. “You’re….” She pauses and you follow her line of vision down to your arm, instantly feeling your heart sink to your stomach, and feeling all sound cease to exist as you catch the bite mark on your arm. “…bit.”

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Tagged- @protect-lev, @expecto-nox @vintage-and-hypnotic , @kokomaesadie @0j-b0 @itsyellow @minheoly @traceylader

[hwrryscherry]

The one where the reader is a singer

characters: HARRY x SINGER!Y/N

blurb: The reader is finishing up her brand-new album and as Harry comes to visit her on her last day of working in the studio, he gets to react to one of her songs, 34+35.

word count: 1.9K

author's note: HI GUYS! It’s been a week I think? Anyway, I’ll get back to school tomorrow so idk when imma post the next request but I’m hoping that it will be soon! Anyway, I want to thank y’all for the love and support on my writing and I hope that the anon who asked this likes it as much as I did. Never forget that you’re so golden and tpwk. AND ALSO, HAPPY 27TH BIRTHDAY TO HARRY!

    You took a deep breath right after asking for the track to be played again. To everyone else the track was perfect, but it was different for you. It just felt like something was missing and you didn't know what. And god, you were tired. You were so genuinely exhausted that if you sit up in a chair and stay silent for more than five minutes you'll simply fall asleep. You felt your eyes heaving at every blink of yours and it was only 5 pm, but you were in this studio for so long. You were inside this place for 36 hours now with no shower and no sleep. You did eat but now you were hungry again.Your shoulders were tensed up, and you couldn't feel comfortable anywhere. Not in the couch, not in the chair, not in the floor and not even stand up. All you genuinely demanded right now was to be home under your bed sheets curled up with your boyfriend of four years while taking many naps or watching many movies, but no, you needed to have this done. You needed the album to be done and were extremely thrilled to release it to your fans that were excited as well. But yes, you were so frickin' tired.

— Again... — You repeated after a long and sharp breath listening to some groans from your coworkers. You all have been listening to this one song for about an hour and a half now and you haven't actually changed anything yet. — I know, I know, and I'm sorry guys, it's just not right!

— Maybe you think it's not right, but it is and you're just making a huge deal about it. — One of your co-workers said. A girl, Lucy, one of your friends as well. You turned your head to stare at her face and gave her that glaze that made her shrug her shoulders because of it — Alright, I'm sorry.

— I'm not making a huge deal. It's just not right, and I feel like the entire album is so great and this is just wrong. Like... — You said standing up from the couch you were sitten in and walked to the table with the computers on to grab the one paper you used to write this song. You stared at it in your hands for a while as you read the letters. — See, here is the problem. So here it's "you drink it just like water" and then suddenly comes "so what you doin' tonight?", it doesn't make sense, there's something missing in here. — You go through the lyrics again as you hear more groans from the people in the room — And honestly, I'm disappointed with myself for the rest. I need to change it so badly, but I have no idea on how.

— No problem, love — You naturally said referring to his previous apologies.

   That's when you hear the sound of the door being opened. You rise your head to look at the door and see Harry, your boyfriend, walking into the room with some paper bags in his hands that contained burgers directly from In-N-Out, which was in fact your favorite Los Angeles burger place ever. He arrived in silence, trying not to make a noise for fear that you were recording something but you could note his surprised expression when he saw everyone was looking at him instead of recording.

— Sorry guys, I didn't want to disturb you. I was passing by and wanted to check up! — Harry said as he closed the door behind him and walked farther into the room. You smiled tenderly when you saw the figure of the man walking closer to you. You haven't seen each other personally in some days, and he consistently secured you so much spiritual peace, he just had such a light energy and it made you feel so good  — And also y’all had been stealing my girl for so long now! — He joked getting a slight laugh from everyone inside the studio. He approached you by wrapping your waist with one of his arms around your waist and sealing your lips together as he bends down a little.

— And Harry, technically she is maintaining us here and not the other way around — Lucy said in an ironic tone causing you to look at her quickly before letting out a deep breath and lowering your head by rubbing your sleepless eyes with the help of your hands, probably a negative result of sleep. Harry reflected the girl's words and then looked at you carefully before placing the bags on the coffee table that was next to the studio sofa.

— Why? What happened? — Harry asked encountering his gaze with yours as he crossed his arms and observed you raising your hand that contained the papers with the lyrics of your new song.

— I can't write a proper ending that I genuinely like! — You said, sounding frustrated to everyone in that room.

— The ending is good! — Another of your friends, Jaden, said as he got up and picked up one of the bags Harry had brought and then started walking again to sit on the sofa.

— Jaden, you in silence is everything to me! — You said in a mocking tone while running your hand through your hair — But you understand, don't you? — You asked Harry because he has experience with such a specific subject — It's not that it's bad, it's that I don't feel like it's ready!

— I get it! But have you already recorded? — Harry asked softly in his understanding tone. He more than anyone in this room comprehended exactly what you were feeling and he would do his best to help you since you did the same with him so many times before.

— Yes, twenty times! — Jaden murmured a little before taking a bite of one of the burgers that Harry had brought. Harry couldn't hold back the laugh when he heard the boy, as they knew each other well and Harry knew all his sassiness was based on nothing more than hunger.

— Let me hear it, so I can have some ideas to help! — Harry said looking at you, and then noticing your reaction. Your eyes widened at the man's request. It wasn't fear. It was just an apprehension and that made Harry extremely curious  — What? 

— Well... It's a little... — You said in a lower tone seeking your words.

— Promiscuous and indulgent! — Lucy and Jaden completed your sentence making Harry look at her and the boy sitting on the sofa and then Harry raised one of his eyebrows and looked at you with a smirk on his lips.

— Uh, is it about me? — Harry asked in a mocking tone, waiting for the answer that would raise his ego, of course.

— Look, let's not specify anything — You said quickly and nervously looking at the smirk on your boyfriend's face — Ok, Trevor, play the song right for the love of god! — You said getting a laugh out of Harry, Jaden and Lucy due to your despair in ending this matter.

    And Trevor did as you asked and put the song on. You sat down on the bench near the wall and crossed your arms while watching Harry's reactions. The soon as the song started everyone could notice your voice and the rhythm of it that matched the beat.

You may think I’m crazy

The way I’ve been craving

If I put it quite plainly

Just give me them babies

    You could notice Harry bouncing his head on the rhythm of the song as a sign that he liked it because you knew that he only did that to songs that he likes. And you also noticed a small smile when he listened to the end of this verse because he did remember all the times you both had talked about having a baby before.

So what you doin’ tonight?

Better say doin’ you right

Watching movies 

But we ain’t seen a thing tonight

    Again you noticed the smirk and you did smirk as well because you both knew the lack of ability that you had to watch any movie that lasted longer than two hours and you almost ended not watching anything.

I don’t wanna keep you up

But assuming can you keep it up

‘Cause then I’d like to keep you up

So maybe Imma keep you up

Boy

    Harry wasn’t looking at you, though. He was looking at the floor while bouncing his head and paying attention to the song as he was trying to catch the vibe of it and honestly you don’t know if it’s the song that had this vibe but he was looking way too hot to handle at this moment.

I’ve been drinking coffe

And I’ve been eating healthy

Know I get squeaky, yeah

Saving all my energy

    Now the chorus was about to start and you were actually excited and nervous to see Harry’s reaction of it. You two have been dating for four years now. He probably understood any little detail of this song more than anyone else.

Can you stay up all night?

F**k me till the daylight

34 35

    You started to hold back your laugh as Harry lifted his head up fastly with winded eyes and a surprised look so he could face you. It wasn’t actually your style to write songs that promiscuous so he was actually surprised at it even though he loved it. He had a smile on his face though and so did you. 

    The song kept playing as the words repeated itself and it stopped just after the second chorus so Harry passed his hands through his hair as you waited for his opinion on it. Honestly, Harry’s opinion about your music is extremely important to you because you cherish and admire him way too much and love his songs so you hope that he does too with yours.

— So... What do you think? — You asked anxiously waiting for his opinion. The truth is Harry had already listened to all the songs on his new album except this one.

— I like it! — Harry said with a smile on his lips making you breathe a sigh of relief — Maybe I can help write the rest, but they really didn't lie and it's great. The beat is good and the lyrics are catchy and everything will be fine. The point, my love, is that you are too worried! — Harry said as he approached you, placing his big, strong hands on your shoulders and massaging them lightly feeling all the tension in your muscles slowly dissolving — Relax, it's amazing! You got it!

   With Harry's help, you finished the song in less than an hour. When you recorded the rest and listened, you felt that now it was ready and now you could go home with him. It was simply incredible to know you could always count on him and to know that while you were together creativity would be present and life wouldn't be boring. After all, you had each other and had the art.