#i was already head over heels for both this song and album

[fairweathermyth]

The song "Snake Plant," it's chock full of what seems like memories, and very detailed memories.

Yeah, I actually wrote that when we were still in lock-down, that was one of the first songs I wrote for this collection. And I realized that I had flashes of memory, and I didn't know what to do with them. And I realized, oh I can just kinda create a memory box in a song. You know, I think I'd been thinking a lot about how one day I'd love to write a memoir. And I was getting down about it, being like how am I gonna do that? I'm not gonna be able to tell a linear story of my life. So that was me kind of embracing not experiencing time or memory in this linear way. Like, just creating little shelves of "here's this flash, here's this flash," and embracing it, or allowing myself to experience it in that way. (Alynda Segara interviewed on the "That's How I Remember It" podcast)

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF fan recording of "Snake Plant"

[lee-laurent]

Slim Pickins - Jack Hughes

Summary: Ana's got slim pickings

content: kissing, allusions to sex, fluff, minor angst, bittersweet ending

wc: 1.8k

inspired by sabrina carpenter's song slim pickins from her new album short n' sweet!

notes: i love sabrina carpenter!! and her new album EATS! i thought of writing a jack fic as soon as i heard the full song!! enjoy!!!

Guess I'll end this life alone I am not dramatic These are just the thoughts that pass right through me

Ana had given up on finding the "perfect guy." Every guy she dated just let her feelings unsatisfied and disappointed. Her friends were beyond excited to introduce her to Jack. They'd dragged her along to the bar, meeting their boyfriends there, and shoving her in the direction of Jack.

A smirk took up his face as soon as his eyes met hers. The blonde just narrowed her eyes, waiting for him to say something. Introduce himself and show her this "Hughes" charm she'd heard so much about from the girls.

"Hey, I'm Jack," he said, extending his hand with a confidence that bordered on arrogance.

Ana took it, her grip firm, but she didn't bother with a smile. "Ana," she replied coolly, already bored.

Jack's smirk deepened, and she could see he was expecting her to be more impressed, maybe even flustered. But Ana was neither.

"Nice to meet you, Ana," he continued, leaning in slightly. "Your friends have been telling me a lot about you."

"Oh, I'm sure they have," Ana said, her tone flat. She glanced around, noticing how her friends were watching eagerly, clearly hoping for sparks. The only sparks Ana felt were the ones of irritation.

Jack raised an eyebrow at her lackluster response, clearly not used to being met with such indifference. "So... what do you do for fun?"

"Read," she replied simply, taking a sip of her drink. "I'm into fiction, but I like a good biography every now and then. You?"

"Uh, I play hockey. For the Devils."

"I know," she said, not bothering to add that she couldn't care less about hockey.

The conversation dragged on, Jack trying to charm her with his stories from the rink. Ana just nodded along, letting her mind wander. She had already resigned herself to the idea that the "perfect" guy didn't exist--not for her, anyway. And Jack, with his cocky grin and predictable lines, wasn't about to change that.

But as the night wore on and she saw the hopeful glances from her friends, Ana sighed inwardly. Maybe it was time to stop holding out for someone who ticked all her boxes. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to settle for someone who could at least hold a conversation--even if it wasn't what she wanted.

With that thought, she decided to give Jack a little more attention to see where things would go.

A boy who's jacked and kind Can't find his ass to save my life

Ana watched as Jack laughed at something one of the other girls' boyfriends had said, the sound rich and easy. He looked the part--tall, athletic, with that effortless charm that had most girls falling head over heels. Her friends had raved about how he was the total package: a boy who was both jacked and kind.

But as Ana sipped on her drink and observed him more closely, she noticed the flaws in her friends' description. Like the way his eyes glazed over whenever the conversation veered away from him and/or hockey, or how he seemed more interested in impressing his friends than actually getting to know her.

Sure, Jack was kind in a superficial way--polite enough, quick with a smile, and generous with compliments (when it benefitted him). It wasn't that she needed him to be perfect-- God knows she'd given up on that fantasy long ago--but she couldn't help the pang of disappointment that she felt. Jack was exactly what everyone had said: good-looking, successful, and charming. But beneath that, he didn't really have much that Ana looked for.

"So, do you follow much hockey?" Jack asked, walking back over from where he had been with his friends.

"Not really," she admitted, her tone more honest than before. "It's never really been my thing."

Jack nodded, looking a little thrown. "Oh. Well, what are you into then?"

Ana considered lying, giving him an answer she knew he'd like, but decided against it. "Honestly? I'm more into arts and stuff like that--books, museums, writing."

Jack's smile wavered, and Ana could tell he was struggling to find a way to connect with her. It wasn't really his fault, she knew she wasn't making it easy. But as she looked at him, trying so hard to find common ground, she couldn't help but feel the weight of her earlier thoughts.

It was time to lower her expectations.

As everyone was saying their goodbyes, Jack gave her a lingering look, clearly hoping for a sign that she was interested. Ana smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Thanks for tonight, Jack. It was... nice."

"Yeah, maybe we could do this again sometime?"

"Maybe."

Oh, it's slim pickings If I can't have the one I love I guess it's you that I'll be kissin' Just to get my fixings Since the good ones are deceased or taken I'll just keep on moanin' and bitchin'

As the weeks went by, Ana found herself spending more time with Jack. Not because she was falling for him, but because it was easier than being alone. The more they hung out, the more she realized that Jack was exactly who she thought he was--nice, handsome, but not who she'd been hoping for her whole life.

One night, after a dinner with their mutual friends, they found themselves alone, walking through the streets of Newark. Jack reached for her hand, and Ana let him take it, though the warmth she'd hoped to feel never came. Instead, she felt a dull ache of acceptance. This wasn't what she wanted, but it was better than nothing, right?

Jack stopped walking, turning to face her. There was something in his eyes. "Ana," he began, his voice softer than usual, "I really like you. I want this to work."

He was trying--really trying--and it wasn't fair to him that she couldn't muster the same enthusiasm. But life had a way of wearing down those high hopes she once held onto.

She forced a smile, leaning to press a quick kiss to his lips. "I like you too, Jack," she said, though the words felt hollow.

The continued walking, hand in hand, and Ana thought about what her perfect guy looked like. Maybe George Harrison or a young Bob Dylan. A guy with soul, who wrote her songs and poems. Wasn't afraid to talk about feelings, but was still just as attractive as Jack. But Jack was here, and he was nice, but he wasn't a young Jimmy Page.

That night, as she lay in bed next to Jack, who had fallen asleep almost immediately, Ana stared at the ceiling, her thoughts swirling. She knew she should be grateful--Jack was sweet, he cared about her--but the spark wasn't as strong as she dreamed.

Jesus, what's a girl to do? This boy doesn't even know The difference between "there," "their" and "they are"

Ana tried to focus on whatever her friends were yapping about, but Jack's text messages kept lighting up her phone. The boy didn't even know the difference between "there," "their," and "they are."

She reread his text over and over again. "I'll meet you over at they're place. Their should be plenty of parking outside if you don't wanna walk." Ana had almost chucked her phone across the room at the sight of it.

"You okay, Ana Banana?" one of the girls asked.

"Yeah, sorry, just thinking about shit."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Ana hesitated. What was she supposed to say? That she was annoyed because her boyfriend couldn't differentiate between basic homophones? That she was frustrated because she wanted more than he could offer? It wasn't fair--he wasn't really doing anything wrong.

"Nah, it's stupid. Just work stuff," she shrugged. "Continue your story."

Yet he's naked in my room Missin' all the things he's missin'

Jack sighed, pulling her body into his. She cringed at the feeling of his sweaty chest against her back. The room was quiet, just the sound of their breathing returning to normal. She turned to look at him, brushing some of the hair stuck to his forehead back. He looked at her with so much care in his eyes, massaging the skin of her thigh.

He was completely unaware of everything she thought was missing in him. So oblivious to the things that mattered to her. He didn't understand her passion for literature, her love for art, or the way she craved deep, meaningful conversations with her boyfriend.

But none of that mattered to Jack, he was just happy to have Ana by his side. And it made her feel so guilty. But if she didn't have Jack... what would she have? She'd be back to being lonely and bored with her life. At least Jack brought some excitement with him.

Since the good ones call their exes wasted And since the Lord forgot my gay awakenin' Then I'll just be here in the kitchen Servin' up some moanin' and bitchin'

The kitchen was dimly lit, the soft glow of the overhead lights casting shadows on the walls. Ana was putting away the last of the dishes from dinner, her mind preoccupied with everything she'd been thinking about over the entirety of their relationship. The rhythmic clicking of plates was a soothing backdrop to her contemplation.

Jack had been quieter than usual, his nerves evident as he fidgeted with his phone as she dried their wine glasses. Ana glanced over, noticing his unease but attributing it to work stress or something else she didn't understand.

After she finished cleaning, Jack took a deep breath and approached her, his face the most serious she'd ever seen. Ana's heart skipped a beat as she saw him pull out a small velvet box from his pocket.

"Ana," he began, "I know things haven't always been perfect, but I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Ana's breath caught in her throat as she looked at the ring. She had been contemplating the idea of settling for the last year, and now, faced with Jack's heartfelt proposal, she couldn't ignore it any longer.

"Since the good ones all call their exes wasted," she thought, reflecting on all her past disappointments and the unattainable ideal she once chased.

Then I'll be here in the kitchen, servin' up some moanin' and bitchin'. The idea echoed in her mind as she stood there, knowing that despite her doubts, Jack was offering her a commitment that she might not find elsewhere.

"Yes, Jack," Ana smiled. "I will marry you."

Jack's face lit up with joy as he slipped the ring onto her finger. Ana had come to terms with the idea that while Jack might not be the "perfect" partner she once dreamed of, he was a solid choice in a world of slim pickings. She had chosen to move forward with him, not because he was perfect, but because he was the best she could find.

Jack just might have to put up with some moanin' and bitchin'.

[betterthanburrow]

It Was Divine - Instagram AU

(Bengals Quarterback! Joe Burrow x RnB Singer! OC)

liked by yourinstagram and 99,690 more users

Bengals: Starting off May with a pic of Joe.

view all 13,009 comments

username1: a great start to the month

username2: thank you admin!

liked by 113,009 users

ENEWS: is it the time of season for romantic relationships between singers and football players?!

R&B Singer Y/FN Y/LN and Football Quarterback Joe Burrow are rumored to be in a relationship.

Official Sources tell us that the two met earlier this year when Y/N performed the National Anthem at the AFC Championship game between the Bengals vs the Chiefs and have stayed close in touch ever since.

view all 909 comments

username1: my favorite singer and my favorite football player are in a RELATIONSHIP?!

username2: this relationship seems like a fever dream

username3: he didn’t walk away from this football season with a SB ring… but he’s walking away with a new hot girl by his side.

liked by 222,013 users

WorldOfY/N: AFTER 3 YEARS OF WAITING…

WE’RE GETTING A NEW ALBUM THIS MONTH!

view all 69,420 comments

username1: dating rumors AND album announcement on the same day? … this is too much to handle 🫨

username2: OH MY GOSH!

username3: AM I DREAMING RIGHT NOW?!

username4: GO CHECK HER INSTAGRAM! … SHE JUST POSTED THE ALBUM NAME, THE ALBUM COVER, THE RELEASE DATE, AND THE TRACK-LIST!

liked by joeyb_9 and 5,420,013 more users

yourinstagram: It Was Divine 🦋 The Tracklist 🤍

view all 999,009 comments

yourrecordlabel: very excited for this new album 🤍

username1: I’M CLAIMING TRACK 4!

username2: i can already tell that this will be my new favorite album of all time!

Twitter:

liked by joeyb_9 and 4,250,009 more users

yourinstagram: More Than Enough is Out Now ☁️

view all 250,045 comments

username1: MORE THAN ENOUGH IS MY NEW FAVORITE SONG!

username2: is this a soft launch 🤨

username3: i think there’s only one man on this planet who would wear those tie-dye sweatpants…

liked by yourinstagram and 245,450 more users

Bengals: Headband Joe: Unlocked

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username1: i didn’t expect to see this kind of look on Joe… but i don’t hate it at all.

username2: this dude is SO FINE!

username3: hard to watch ❌ hard while watching ✅

username4: i understand what the tiktok girls see now

username5: you’re a lucky woman @.yourinstagram

liked by yourinstagram and 930,205 more users

joeyb_9: First day of school vibes

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username1: you got me feeling some type of way on this lovely morning Mr. Joe Burrow.

username2: 🤤🤤🤤

username3: MY FAVORITE WHITE BOY!!!

liked by 255,505 users

ENEWS: Despite no official confirmation of the relationship between the Singer and the Quarterback, Sources close to the new couple say that they’re both “head over heels in love” and that fans will be able to feel that with the songs on Y/N’s upcoming album.

“Things in their relationships are moving quicker than they expected but for all good reasons… Ever since the two met for the first time earlier this year, Joe has made a huge impact on Y/N’s life to the point where she got very inspired to get into the music studio to create her new album.” one source says.

Another source says, “After the lost of the AFC Championship game, Y/N was by Joe’s side as a new friend and Joe had been very welcoming of the new friendship because he had been a fan of her music since her debut album was released in 2020 (Joe had said in an interview before that her debut album helped ease his mind during the Covid Lockdown).”

“Don’t expect Joe and Y/N to hard launch their relationship on social media because Joe and Y/N use social media as just a business platform… but through the way they’ll be supporting each other is how the world will be able to see the love that Joe and Y/N have for each other.” an official source says.

view all 55,013 comments

username1: i can’t believe that my favorite singer and my favorite NFL quarterback are in a relationship WITH EACH OTHER?!

username2: the two most private celebrities that i stan are in a relationship… I JUST NEED ONE PICTURE!

username3: oh okay… so they’re IN LOVE!

username4: Y/N is a WAG!

username5: this man has made such a huge impact in her life to the point where she was INSPIRED to go to the MUSIC STUDIO to RECORD A NEW ALBUM!

liked by joeyb_9 and 10,013,420 more likes

yourinstagram: It Was Divine 🦋 Out Now!

view all 690,513 comments

yourrecordlabel: congratulations on the new album 🤍

username1: THIS IS YOUR BEST ALBUM!!!!

username2: ALBUM OF THE YEAR!

username3: the album has been on repeat ALL DAY!

joeyb_9: 🤍

Author’s Note:

if you have a Instagram AU request, please send the IG AU request to my Inbox and i’ll try to get the requested Instagram AU published as fast as i can!

thank you for all the love and support! 🤍

[cherryredcheol]

me!

tldr: i promise that you'll never find another like me a/n: i unironically love this song. and lover is in my top 3 taylor albums. don't fight with me about it. tw: mentions of drinking/drunkenness (not shown)

i know you never get just what you see but i will never bore you, baby

laying in bed, seungkwan thought it was almost eerie how quiet the apartment was, but he was grateful for it. last night it was packed to the brim, bursting at the seams with friends there to celebrate your birthday. songs were sung, music was blasted, and the laughs were abundant. now all seungkwan could hear was the steady sound of your breathing next to him, the distant hum of traffic outside, and the pounding in his head. the sun was bleeding through the curtains, too bright and too warm. his skin felt sticky and sweaty. which was probably due to the hangover he would be nursing for the rest of the day. 

seungkwan had no idea what time it was. the two of you could’ve been asleep in that bed for a few hours or a few days. he was sure you’d feel even worse than him when you finally woke up. you had gone hard last night and would be reaping what you had sown today as a consequence. he had a fleeting thought about climbing out of bed to get some medicine from the cabinet in the en suite but just as he was about to actually do it, you shifted on the mattress curling closer to him, as if seeking his comfort. he couldn’t leave you in that state, could he? he didn’t think so. 

you had surprised him last night. not usually a heavy drinker, you hadn’t been that drunk in a long time. he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen you like that, if at all. he probably should’ve kept a closer eye on you and helped you pace yourself. but when you turned to him, already slightly tipsy after two shots thrown back in quick succession, lips wet with liquor, and eyes sparkling with unadulterated birthday joy, he couldn’t tell you no when you asked him to do the third one together. but three shots suddenly turned into two bottles of soju each and by then all bets were off. seungkwan has always had a hard time telling you no, and apparently, that still stands even when you’re both wasted. 

“i can feel you staring at me.” seungkwan was startled from his thoughts by the sound of your raspy morning voice, made worse by the lingering sting of alcohol.

he laughed and pressed a soft kiss to your temple, hoping to ease some of the pain he’s sure you’re feeling, “i’m trying to decide if i should risk crawling out of bed for water and medicine or if our love for one another is enough to cure this.” 

this time you laughed, wincing slightly from the jostling of your head you pointed out, “our love is strong but it’s not magic.” 

“i don’t know, feels pretty magical to me.” eyes on you, he watched a blush creep across your cheek that wasn’t squished into the pillow, the exact reaction he hoped his cheesy comment would have. 

eyes still trained on your closed ones, he wasn’t surprised when your soft voice reached his ears after a few moments of stillness, asking the question he was already expecting, “can we just lay in bed today? i know it’ll be boring but-”

seungkwan cut you off, “i’m never bored with you, cutie.”

you ran after me and called my name i never wanna see you walk away

soonyoung probably didn’t mean anything by the offhanded comment about seungkwan’s repeated choreography mistake but he took it personally. today had been so long already and it wasn’t over yet. he was desperate to leave the practice room. craving fresh air and some quality time with you. sweet you, who was sitting on the floor, back pressed to the wall, head tilted down, enthralled by whatever was on the screen cradled in your hands. well, you were captivated until voices started getting loud.  

you look up from your phone to see the flurry of seungkwan’s hands moving animatedly, decibel climbing with every word. just at the peak of the crescendo he heaves a sigh, turns on his heel, and promptly exits. 

the tension left behind is thick and uncomfortable but you’re on your feet following him out the door before it could even slam in its frame. 

you could see him down the hallway, the distance between you two growing with each of his purposeful steps. “seungkwan-”  you called out to him gently, not trying to make anything worse, but wanting him to know you were behind him. 

he turned at the sound of your voice, the frustration on his features softening into fondness as he watched you catch up to him. 

as soon as you’re close enough he reaches out to you, fingers intertwining, and suddenly he felt exhausted from all the effort he had put forth today. here in the hallway with you was the first moment since he left you in bed this morning where he felt like he could relax. 

looking at him and seeing no signs of the earlier outburst you decide to test the waters, “are you alright? need to talk?” 

seungkwan closes his eyes, squeezes your hand, and releases a slow breath. with a small nod of his head, he reopens his eyes, meeting your own,  “i had you meet me here so we could go out to dinner tonight and it would’ve all been great because we were supposed to get done with practice an hour ago except i keep messing up and it’s keeping everyone here late and you’ve been sitting on the floor and i just-” he closes his eyes again, tilting his head back and releasing a hard breath through his nose. 

you barely hear him when he says, “i’m so tired.”

this time you squeeze his hand briefly before releasing it. choosing instead to wrap your arms around his middle, offering wordless support as he wraps his own arms around you and pulls you closer. you two stay like that for a moment and when seungkwan has finally collected himself he whispers again, “do i have to go in there and apologize or can we just leave and pretend this never happened?”

sensing his teasing tone, you giggle, “oh kwan, you definitely owe them an apology. storming out of the room is pretty childish, not cute.”

he pulled back, looking incredulous, “what do you mean ‘not cute’? it was cute enough to work on you! you came running right after me!”

you laughed again, “yeah that’s because i never want to see you walk away.”

i promise that nobody’s gonna love you like me

seungkwan eased the car to a stop at the red light, looking over at you in the passenger seat. your head was turned, looking out the window admiring the bright colors of early summer that have bloomed across seoul. 

glancing at the light to make sure it was still red, he broke the comfortable silence, “any idea where i’m taking you?”

you turned, meeting his teasing gaze with your own, “obviously not. that’s the whole point of a surprise, isn’t it?”

he held your eyes for a minute, the moment only broken by the sound of a polite beep! alerting him to the change in signal. he focused his attention back on the task of driving, a feat in and of itself that was near herculean when he could feel your eyes lingering on his profile. 

another few moments of quiet passed when he spoke again, “would you like to know where i’m taking you?” 

you couldn’t help but continue to tease him, “it kind of seems like you want to tell me. not the other way around.” 

he scoffed, “i do want to tell you! i planned this whole thing for you. i know you’re going to love it.” 

you smiled, “you better tell me then. i’m dying to know.” 

throughout this whole exchange, you had been too busy watching seungkwan’s expressive face and didn’t even notice the car had stopped. only when you felt seungkwan shift the gear into park did you look around. 

“you brought me to a…parking lot in a random seoul neighborhood. cool.” 

seungkwan shifted in his seat to turn and look at you, “this is not just any parking lot in a random seoul neighborhood, cutie. this is the parking lot for museum kimchikan!”

your eyes widened in disbelief and a smile stretched across your face, “you brought me to the kimchi museum? holy shit, i love you!”

you were giggling and unbuckling your seatbelt in a flash, hurrying to get out of the car and into the museum you had seen on instagram a few weeks ago. it had come up on your feed as something unique to do and you had promptly sent the post to seungkwan, telling him how cool it would be to go and learn the history of such a staple food. he hadn’t seemed that interested and you’d kind of forgot about it so when he planned this surprise date for you two, you had not been expecting this at all. 

crossing the parking lot, fingers clasped together, you pulled seungkwan to a stop, “thanks for planning this for me. it means a lot that you remembered.”

he blushed, giving away how touched he was by your words despite his simple answer, “of course i remembered, i love you.”

[abeautylives]

A Friend in Need

a/n: Just another little thought that turned into a whole thing! I wrote this pre-album name drop and pre-song release and I forgot that I needed to publish it. Credit to @samkiszkasfacialhair for certain artistic choices made lmfao, love you bff. Anyways, stream Greta Van Fleet's latest single, Meeting the Master 🫡

pairing: Joshxfemale!reader

word count: 3.2k

summary: He just needs some relief. Who are you to deny him?

warnings: 18+ minors stay far away, language, the illusion of non-consent (it's 100% consensual), friends with benefits, light manhandling, unprotected penetrative sex, rough sex, degradation, oral (m. receiving)

The fine hairs on your arms raise, the air almost crackling with a subtle electricity that your body senses before you’ve even heard him. It’s always like this, you can feel when he’s entered a room before you turn to see him.

Now that you know he’s there, you can hear his bare feet padding softly toward you and you wonder where he’d snuck in from. The front door hasn’t opened since you’ve been in the sitting room but you suppose you could have just missed each other in passing, he could have arrived and slunk up the stairs in silence as you’d stood in the kitchen filling the watering can you’re now wielding. Just as you stretch to hydrate the pothos bathing in the light streaming in through the window, a pair of warm hands slide over the skin peeking out from below the hem of your t-shirt.

It’s suddenly clear why he hadn’t announced his arrival, why his jubilant voice had not rung through the foyer, calling for you.

Something is wrong.

You know Joshua well, and you have for several years. Fast friends since the day you’d met, he’d recently asked you to look after his house when he was away, to tend his plants and the feral cat that lurks around his backyard. Although he claims he has no attachment to it, he insists on making sure it’s fed.

And so, your duties had been outlined clearly: drop by and fill the cat’s dish on the back porch, grab any mail from the box and leave it on the kitchen counter, water the plants if they need it. He’d insisted on compensating you for your efforts, which you’d declined in hopes of not ending up on his payroll.

Thank god you’d rejected his offer. Being in his employ would make what you think is about to happen rather… improper.

Without turning to face him, you keep your tone light as you settle on your heels and ask if he’s okay. He doesn’t respond with words, just drops his head forward and rests his forehead against the threadbare cotton covering your shoulder. You feel his head move from side to side as he shakes it, no.

“What do you need, Josh, how can I help?” His continued silence makes you nervous, his fingers pressed into the thin skin at your hip bones bring you closer. You know the answer, already accepted the truth of it. The watering can clatters over the hardwood as he knocks it away, you're pulled from the window and your face is pressed into the adjoining wall before you can concern yourself with the water splashed across your ankles.

With his fingers laced into the hair at the base of your neck he keeps you there, cheek pushed into the cool surface as his other hand works to push the elastic waistband of your leggings down past your hips. You open your mouth to speak, to stop him or tell him to keep going, you’re not sure but he snaps your head back and the only sound that escapes you is a pained inhale of breath. Straining to see his face over your shoulder, you find reddened cheeks and knit eyebrows, full lips set into a tight line. The flush is creeping down his neck and across his chest, bare and heaving.

“Josh…”

“Shut up. I don’t wanna talk about it.” He’s mad, or sad, or both and he’s got your leggings hugging your thighs just above your knees, fingers tucked under the plain cotton at your hip, already sliding it down. “I need to fuck something, how fortuitous to find you here even though you knew I was getting back today. Convenient.”

Oh, he’s pissed.

Your panties fall and meet the bunched up fabric at your knees but the hand that’s pushed them there doesn’t leave you, its fingertips skim up the back of your thigh and sink into the soft flesh of your asscheek. Finally glancing up to meet your eyes, his are pleading with you but his mouth expresses his need differently.

“Spread your legs.”

You nod against his hold and try to obey his command, but the elastic wrapped around you only allows your feet to move but so far from each other.

“That’s as far as-“

He throws off your balance and stops your words in their tracks, his own foot coming between yours to kick them farther apart. You can hear minuscule threads snapping, the material stretching until it breaks and satisfied with that, he leans in and runs the tip of his nose up the side of your neck. He takes his time, breathes in the scent of you and loosens his grip on your hair. This is going to be the solitary moment of tenderness, you can feel that in his touch and you brace yourself for his next words.

“I need you.” It hits your skin and travels down your spine. As your head nods your consent, your body offers it as well, your back arching just slightly and ass pushing against his hips. “I’m not gonna be nice. I need to fuck you… is that okay?”

His voice is quiet, deep and it gives off the impression that whatever tempest had been brewing inside him had stilled, but you know this is simply the calm before the storm. You face it headfirst.

“Yeah, Josh. It’s okay… take what you need. I'm here.”

So lightly that you barely feel it, he ghosts his lips over the skin just below your earlobe before he nods his head.

A tense hand slides down the back of your neck and holds on tight. “Don’t move unless I tell you to.” The other is between your legs before you can respond, and pleased with what he discovers there, he growls his gratification into your ear. “Your pussy is practically dripping for me, begging me to use her.”

His fingers are slipping through your obvious arousal with no intention to pleasure you, only to take from you. You hum at the feeling anyway, just to lose it when he pulls away to undo the fastenings of his pants. Your body relaxes without the pressure of his hold around your neck as his pants sink down around his ankles, he’s definitely not pleased when he notices and you’re pushed against the surface again once his cock is freed.

“I said don’t move.” There’s a barely contained anger rolling off of him like a haze, a fog clouding his normally sunny demeanor. He shoves his hand between your thighs again, fingers indelicately sliding through to collect some of the slick moisture leaking from you. A timid whine sounds from deep in your throat, it’s a little embarrassing that he’s affected you like this, that your body is so willing to accept a punishment for something that has nothing to do with you. Your cunt mourns the loss when his touch leaves you again, but his knuckles are brushing against the swell of your ass as he rubs your arousal over himself.

Unable to see him fully, all you can do is sense his next moves but your muscles jump when he runs the tip of his dick down the cleft of your ass before he slips it where his fingers had been. His skin is like velvet and fire, and you only get to appreciate it for a moment before he’s pushed inside you to the hilt.

“Fuck fuckfuckfuck Josh-“

In an instant he’s everywhere, fingertips digging into you and the other hand smoothing up the front of your body, under your shirt until those fingers are sunk into the pillowy softness of your naked breast. His breaths are heavy against your ear, the heat from his chest blanketing you as his hips work themselves into your ass.

He’s bruising you from the inside out, you can feel it with every thrust and you let him, taking his retribution silently until a deep stroke buckles your knees and rips a cry past your lips.

The chuckle that huffs out and over your cheek is sinister and hot. “Did that hurt, angel?” Rather than soften his blows, he puts his full weight into them. The mewling whimpers escaping you sound pitiful, even to you, even as you’re clenching down around him. “You liked it, didn’t you?”

You’re left empty when you offer no response, spun to face him and pushed back against the wall by a palm splayed across the middle of your chest.

“I asked you a question.”

He looks sinful like this, curls already sticking to his forehead, perfectly straight teeth bared in what you’d almost consider a snarl. He expects an answer but you let your eyes travel over the sharp angles and soft curves of him, let your gaze drop until it lands below his navel. You’ve never seen him in this state of undress, fully nude aside from the khakis and briefs resting around his ankles. The last time you’d let him find relief between your legs, neither of you had removed an article of clothing. It had been hurried and hushed, and afterward you’d smoothed out your skirt and left the dressing room.

You’d told yourself that last time was the last time. But he needs you.

A sharp sting brings you back to focus, his hand is still against your cheek when your eyes snap to his.

“What the f-“

“I asked you a question. Did I hurt you?”

He had, but it’s already a distant memory that recalls as pleasure rather than pain. “Yes…”

“Did you like it?”

“Yes…”

He sounds disgusted by your admission. “You did, I felt you squeezing me, whining for it like a whore.”

Oh god. Heat spreads across your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, burning the spot where he slapped you.

“Take your fucking clothes off, I’m not done with you.” He kicks his own away and turns his back to you, casually moving toward the couch and relaxing into it, an arm outstretched over the back. You watch each other as you free your feet and pull your shirt over your head, as he takes his cock into his fist and strokes it slowly. He looks almost regal as he wields his command over you with his eyes alone.

“Interesting that you were waiting here for me, tits out. Indecent, really. Come here.” It’s not lost in the moment that he’s never seen you this way either, his eyes are zeroed in on your chest as you move across the room. “I want your mouth, you gonna let me have it?” He’s surprised when you sink to your knees but he wipes it from his expression immediately and tangles his fingers into your hair. “You really are my whore, aren’t you?”

You bat your eyelashes as you replace his hand with your own around his cock, swollen and still slick from you. Your lips meet the tip, a chaste kiss pressed into his flushed skin. “Whatever you need, Josh.” He groans as your tongue darts out to wet your lips, sighs in relief as he slips past them and growls when you take him to the back of your throat. His grip against your scalp tightens and you let a moan ripple around him, ready to pull out all the stops and give him your best but before you make your first move, he jerks you off of him.

A string of saliva keeps you connected before it breaks and dribbles down your chin.

“I’m not in the mood for some pretty princess blowjob, don’t bother.” With wide eyes, you nod in understanding and open your mouth, tongue laid out for him. He forces you down around him and holds you there, nose pressed into the soft hair at the base until your lungs are burning. When he pulls you back slowly, you drag your tongue along the silken length and release him with a pop, suck in a ragged breath before you take him in again. Wrenching you over his lap with the fist locked in your hair, his hips are thrusting up from the couch, you bring your hands to rest on his thighs and feel them bunch under your touch.

With your lips wrapped around his cock, cheeks hollowed and tears pricking the corners of your eyes, it strikes you that the way your fingertips are pressed into the muscle of his legs feels like the most intimate way you’ve ever touched him. You also realize that between your own legs you’re throbbing with neglect.

Lost in the way he’s fucking your mouth, grunting through clenched teeth and eyes clamped shut, he doesn’t notice when you slide a hand off of his and slip it between your own thighs. Two fingers tucked inside, you pump them at the same rhythm that he’s working himself over with inside your mouth before swirling them over your clit. A quiet but high pitched whine, interrupted in your throat by his thrusts, draws attention to what you’ve done.

“Absolutely not.” You’re pulled up and away from his lap until you're face to face, noses touching and heaving breaths mixing. He looks incensed but you can’t help but wonder what it’s like to kiss his lips. “If you cum, and I truly don’t care if you don’t, it’s going to be with my cock inside that greedy pussy of yours.”

Just as quickly as he’d had you against the wall, he’s got you bent over with your face pushed into the back of the couch. You’re braced for him to slam into you, but he takes a moment to commit his view to memory. Your back is arched and legs spread across the cushions, knees sunk into the fabric, he can see everything. Gripped tight in his fist, he rubs himself through you, takes in the way you open for him, soft pink skin spread around him.

“Pretty…” He says it so quietly, when you think back to this you’ll be sure you imagined it.

He pushes into you slowly, just for the visual. As soon as he’s bottomed out he rears back and slams his hips against you, over and over, hands wrapped around the small of your waist. His voice, gravelly and laced around the edges with hunger, rises over the sound of your bodies colliding.

“I want it, need to feel it. Touch yourself. Fuck-“

More eager to give him what he needs than to take it for yourself, you do as he’s commanded. Your fingers slide over your clit sloppily, your entire body jerking forward with each of his thrusts as he fucks into you at a brutal pace. You feel a hand slide up your spine and find its home back in your hair, he yanks your head back.

“You’d do anything I wanted. You’d let me fuck your ass right now, wouldn’t you?” There’s venom in his tone again and it shoots straight to your core.

“Yes, anything, anything!”

He just needed to hear it. “Filthy, fucking filthy.”

Your orgasm takes hold, a hot rush of shame and pleasure gripping you and pulling you under. His name tumbles forth, absorbed into the cushions and through the frenetic buzz in your brain you hear him call out to you.

With an animalistic groan, he releases it all. Whatever had happened that brought him home frustrated and needing, he lets it go as he spills inside you. He doesn’t stop, fucking it all into you until he’s empty, completely spent.

When he collapses, he pulls you with him and into his chest as he falls to his side onto the couch. You can feel the change in him, the heaviness he was carrying when he’d entered the room is gone, and any resistance to his fondness for you fails as his lips come to rest on your shoulder. When you’ve both caught your breath, he slips from your body and shoots you a shy grin as he helps you sit up.

You try not to watch as he stands to stretch and walks across the room to retrieve your discarded clothes and his pants, but his ass is bubbly and cute and you figure you deserve to enjoy the view. When he bends to scoop up his pants he catches your gaze over his shoulder.

“Like what you see?”

You do, and that’s probably fine. “Ehh, it’s alright. Jake’s ass is better.”

Your t-shirt flies through the air and lands across your face, you’re laughing as you pull it away and start tugging it over your head.

“Jake's ass is bigger. Not better.” He’s stepped into his khakis and his affectionate giggles trail off as he tucks himself into them and slides the zipper up. Eyebrows knit together again, he appears to be in serious contemplation as he picks up your balled up leggings and underwear. You’re still naked from the waist down as he comes to sit at your side.

“Hey.. you know I didn’t mean that, right?” His eyes are trained on your face, swimming with worry as he carefully ensures that they don’t wander lower.

“Give me those. Didn’t mean what?” He hands over your clothes and you pluck your panties free, bending to slip them up your legs and lifting your hips to pull them higher, unconcerned when his eyes dart to the junction of your thighs before it’s hidden from view.

“When I called you… ya know.” His head drops forward and he huffs a sigh of disbelief.

“A whore?” He meets your eyes and cringes before running a hand over his face then dropping it to place it softly over your own, resting in your lap.

“I don’t think you’re- I mean, I would never think that of you. I’m lucky to have you.”

“Josh.” You tug your hand free of his to cup his sweet face in your palms, smoothing your thumbs over the corners of his mouth until a lopsided smile pulls his dimple to the surface. “I know that. Do you wanna… talk about whatever happened today?”

“No. No, I feel better. You’re too good to me, I don’t pay you enough.” The rest of his perfect smile stretches across his lips, the first real one you’ve seen since he snuck into the house.

“You don’t pay me at all, and it’s going to stay that way.” You pat his cheek as you stand from the couch and he doesn’t stop himself from watching your bare skin disappear as you step into your leggings and pull them up. “You do owe me a new pair of these, though. They’re all stretched out.”

His grin is smug, self-satisfied. “Consider it done. Do you wanna stay and hang out? We can order food, I’m fucking starving.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m gonna go… clean up.” His cum is leaking from you slowly, you try not to mention it.

“Oh, oh my god yeah of course.” A pink tint of embarrassment creeps over his face, making you chuckle. He calls out as you leave the room, “Hey, what do you want, I’ll order it!”

“Whatever you want, Joshua! Whatever you want.”

Taglist:

@lightmylove-gvf @spicedandicedtea @weneedsomehealing123 @milkgemini @why-ami-on-here @gretavanbitches @twistedmelodies @wildflowerxx-x @dannythedog @blissfulbellss @averagemisfit03 @dharmasdivine @thetroublegetssoloud71 @lucimoo @toxbexannouncedx @dig0930 @maddie-van-fleet @friska101-cg @welllauragvf @gretasimp @objectsinspvce @writingcold @gretavangroupie @sweetybre @gretasgoose @gvfjess

Hi beauties, I was not keeping track of Taglist requests that were specific to Imperfect Moments so if you didn’t want to be included here I’M SO SORRY. Please just let me know and I’ll do better in the future 😘

[undead-supernova]

HIGH TOLERANCE

Masterlist

important note: this is a one-off of my High Tolerance series! I suppose you could read this first, but I think reading the whole 5-part series first would be more fun hehehehe

plot: when a cute guy with curly hair asks you to be his best friend, how can you say no? how do you look away when your whole life has been altered by this one instance? In other words: This is how Eddie and Weirdo met.

pairings: modern!bestfriend!Eddie x bisexual!fem!reader

warnings: drinking, cigarettes, pure fluff

wc: 3.4k

additional note: this cover of Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" was a biiiiig help with tone and vibe hehe

         “And we'll have Halloween on Christmas.

         And in the night, we'll wish this never ends.

         We'll wish this never ends."

You swayed around in circles, careful not to let the microphone cord wrap around your block-heeled Mary Janes. The minimal drums and guitar kicked in, with the faded background vocals echoing I miss you. Your pleated black skirt swayed around you, following your lead.

This was your favorite Tuesday Karaoke genre, the emo and pop-punk throwbacks being your jackpot. It was a classic go-to for you, the meme-ification of the song riling you up even further. And you were going to prove it.

“WHERE ARE YOU?” you nearly screamed, too excited to get to your favorite part. You imitated Tom DeLonge’s voice, concentrating on getting it right. Maybe a little bit more than you should’ve, but— “AND I’M SO SORRY! I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight!”

You really thought that the meme of it all would bring the five drunks here together. That you’d earn at least a chuckle from someone other than the bartender. But maybe you’d miscalculated your audience. Because everyone was sitting, mainly ignoring you as they either talked to each other or stared at their phones.

But was that going to stop you? Fuck. No.

         “Don’t waste your time on me.

         You’re already the voice inside my head.”

“Woo!”

You glanced over at the voice to see some guy standing there. A very attractive some guy, with long curly hair and bangs. A tight t-shirt hidden by a leather jacket with…a denim vest over it? His hands were stuffed in his pockets, but that didn’t stop him from shimmying both his shoulders and swinging his hips around. Rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet as he danced. 

He was paying attention to you. Why was he of all people paying attention to you?

You couldn’t deny that you liked it, liked the way he moved no matter how stupid it looked. So, you decided to give him a show, pointing at him as you came in for another round.

         “Don’t waste your time on me.

         You’re already the voice inside my head.”

He pulled his hands out, cupping them around his mouth. His many silver rings and chain bracelets shone in the light, along with sparkly blue nails.

“Do ‘Freebird’!”

That made you laugh harder than you thought you’d ever laughed before, having to pull the mic away from your lips from the sheer volume that erupted from you. And above the sound of the music, you could hear his guffaw of laughter mixing with yours. 

When you looked back at him, a huge grin on your lips, you couldn’t help but feel something tingle in your stomach. Like a small fizzle, something resembling a firework that sputtered out almost immediately after being ignited.

         “I miss you."

You replaced the mic back on its stand before stepping down from that shitty excuse for a stage. Immediately, you were face-to-face with this pretty guy.

“Hello, it’s amazing to meet you,” he said.

You smiled. “Likewise. Thanks for being my biggest fan.” Gesturing around the nearly empty bar, you added, “Tough crowd tonight.”

“Oh, I gotta get your album autographed. And your mixtape. And the collector’s edition.”

“Oh my god.” You giggled as you shook your head. “You’re too kind.”

You introduced yourself, desperate to put a name to his face.

“I’m Eddie,” he said, sticking his hand out for a handshake. You took it without thought, his palm sticking to yours with a bit of sweat. “You’re not gonna sing ‘Freebird’?”

“I don’t think she’s singing it, dude,” another voice said lightheartedly behind you. 

You dropped your hand from Eddie’s nearly immediately, absolutely embarrassed for reasons you couldn’t understand.

As you turned, you saw another guy there, with silky honey hair and warm brown eyes, rocking a post-work look. Popped white button-down, navy slacks with shiny mahogany loafers that clanked against the floor when he walked. 

His hands were resting on his hips, showing off a nice watch. One lifted, extending toward you. “I’m Steve.” 

Taking it, you noticed that you weren’t as affected by his touch. Maybe it was because his hand wasn’t sweaty. 

As you introduced yourself, you were almost trampled by a very cute girl.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said with a harsh breath, arm slung around Steve. “Jeez, they really made me grovel to get off on time and the traffic is hell. Maybe we should go back to—” She noticed you then, straightening her posture. Her hairstyle could barely be considered a ponytail from the way half of her short hair had spilled out. A black button-down now unbuttoned, hanging down her sides with a black tank top underneath. Paired with black jeans and an array of thin rings. God, she was cute. “Hello, new friend. I’m Robin.”

“Hi Robin, I’m new friend.”

She opened her mouth to respond, but Steve took over the conversation, asking her about her shift. 

You tried to pay attention, but it was brought back to Eddie when he asked, “Can we be best friends?”

You let out a small laugh before nodding. “It’s a done deal,” you responded, earning a high-five. 

“Wanna come hang with us?” he asked, pointing his thumb at Steve following Robin to a small table in the back. When had they decided that?

Looking back at Eddie, you weighed your options. You could continue to sit by yourself, reading a book in a bar and listening to them have fun; laugh. Could let yourself wonder what they were talking about. Could take the easy way out, could walk out of there right now and leave yourself wondering what could’ve been with someone like Eddie. 

But that wasn’t really the easy route.

And you wanted to take the easy route.

“How could I refuse?”

“So why’re y’all out tonight of all nights?” you asked, placing a napkin under your vodka Redbull to fiddle with something.

Eddie was looking at you, sitting on the opposite side of the table, holding your eye contact in a way that was making you nervous. Because he was lifting his glass to his lips and right on those pretty lips of his was the softest smirk you’d ever seen. And there his dimples were, deepening as he took a sip.

“We’re celebrating,” Robin said, smiling at you.

You turned your attention back to the conversation at hand, letting out a breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding.

Steve nodded. “We moved here five months ago today.”

“Hell fucking yeah we did!” Eddie exclaimed, raising his glass before clinking it with Steve and Robin’s. You were surprised when he faced you, gesturing towards your drink.

As you lightly tapped your drink to his, you couldn’t help but notice the way he was looking at you now. Like you were already something to him.

“Well, congratulations,” you said, still making eye contact. “Do y’all like it here?”

“It’s pretty different from the world we’re from,” Eddie said with a nod.

“Feels very, uh,” Steve stumbled, snapping his fingers. “Can’t think of it…”

“Upside down?” Robin offered.

Snap. “Yes, that. Exactly. Upside down,” Steve said, pointing at her.

“What about you?” Eddie asked.

Your eyes widened. “Me?” All three nodded. “Oh, I’m from Tennessee. I came here for college and then ended up staying.”

Eddie nodded along as you spoke. “You like it here?”

“Yeah, I actually do,” you said. “It’s the first place that’s started to feel like home.’”

Steve smiled. “I hope we all start feeling that way.”

“Oh, I think I’m already there,” Eddie said, shamelessly holding your stare as he lifted his drink back up to his lips again. It was soft, sweet—something that he wasn’t currently sharing with the other two.

No, it was just you.

God, he was hot.

When you looked back at Steve and Robin, you noticed Robin tilting her head at you, like she was observing you or something. Watching you. Studying you. Whatever the right word for it was, she was doing it.

“Rob, we should get up there,” Steve said, nudging her.

She returned his nudge with a more forceful one. “And sing what, dingus?”

“‘Livin’ on a Prayer’!” Steve exclaimed.

“Are you kidding me?” Robin asked. “I’m not singing ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’.”

“Woah-oh, we’re halfway there!” Steve shouted.

“Wo-ah, we’re livin’ on a prayer!” Robin shouted back.

You and Eddie were sitting at the bar, laughing as you watched the two go back and forth. It had started as a field trip to get another drink and then ended with you sitting on the stools. Eddie had followed your lead wordlessly.

“They’re incredible,” you said and really meant it. How they convinced Craig to let them sing a song outside of the theme was astonishing. Maybe Steve gave him heart eyes. Craig was such a sucker for a pretty face.

“I have not seen Robin this drunk in a while,” Eddie commented. “She’s something else.”

“Are you gonna sing?” you asked, turning your attention back to him.

He chuckled. “No, maybe next time.”

“Not a singer?”

“I am, actually,” he replied with that special smile he’d given you earlier. “I just convinced my bandmates to move down here after they graduate back home.”

“Oh, that’s really cool! What’s the name?”

“Corroded Coffin.”

“Metal?” you questioned.

“How’d you guess?”

You shrugged. “A hunch.” 

That is the most metal band name I’ve ever heard, you thought to yourself.

“You listen to metal?”

Laughing, you pointed at your outfit. “Clearly.”

His eyes seemed to spark up. “Really?” 

“You make that seem like it’s such a big deal,” you said. “Or are you one of those guys that’s all ‘Women don’t even know real music. Name six of their albums.’”

Eddie took a sip of his whiskey, all the while shaking his head. “Nah, I think those guys are assholes. It’s not like women aren’t making the same music about more important shit anyways.” 

“Correct answer,” you said, pointing at him before taking another swig of your drink.

He shrugged, scratching the top of his head. “I think it’s wild just ‘cause I come from a small town where the mere idea of liking that genre is, like, unheard of.”

You snorted. “Where are you from?”

“Hawkins, Indiana.”

“That sounds fake, I’m so sorry.” He laughed. “But, to be fair, I don’t know much about Indiana.”

“I wouldn’t expect you to. Fuck, I wouldn’t wish it on you, either.”

“Well, consider yourself lucky. There’s lots of people in Atlanta who like metal. But beware of the weird Republican-looking guys who listen to butt rock. Oh, and the skinheads. I made that mistake once and I’ll never be the same.”

“Seriously?”

Trying to get the flashback out of your head, you stated plainly, “You’d be surprised how easy it is to think you’re around like-minded people before you realize where you are.”

Eddie raised an eyebrow. “Was it like Green Room?”

“Kinda, just with less death,” you said before pausing. “Or maybe I didn’t stay around long enough to find out.”

“Shit. Makes sense,” he said. “So, are you waiting for someone? A boyfriend…or girlfriend? Partner?” Eddie sighed when you laughed, putting a hand over his face before waving it around. “I’m sorry, I’m not used to being in a cool place like this. I don’t know why I thought anyone would be straight here, least of all you.” 

You started laughing harder as he gestured to your outfit. With your skirt and Mary Jane’s, you had a simple black crop top on and spike bracelets. Almost as many rings as him. A simple tattoo choker. You were a blatant neon sign with GAY written in cursive and an arrow flashing at you.

“No, it’s alright. I’m a raging semi-goth bisexual.”

“No way, same here just with metal. And my buddy Steve is bi, too.”

The two of you looked over at Steve who was doing some variation of a hip thrust and pretending to play the guitar at the same time. 

“Is he dating your other friend? They seem close.”

Robin whipped her head around as she pretended to play the drums before her head collided with Steve’s and they paused to have a bickering match.

“Robin? Nah. They’re kinda a package deal but they’re platonic with a capital P, as she likes to say. And she’s only into girls.”

“Right, of course.” Some part of you felt an itch that you couldn’t help but scratch. “Uh, are you dating Steve?”

That made Eddie cackle so loudly that even Steve and Robin looked over.

“No, absolutely not,” he finally said. “I’m not dating anyone, least of all Steve.”

You let out a hum. “A gaggle of queers.”

“Got your own gaggle of queers, then?” 

You shook your head, watching his smile fall. “Lost all my friends a few months ago,” you explained. “Some my fault, others not.” 

You couldn’t help but shrug, trying not to go back to all the shit talking and the fights and the blocking and the tears and the loss. The late nights wondering how you were so blind to the manipulation. The games. The accusations you made against the innocent. The moment you fell to the ground when you realized that you were just the pawn in a game made to humiliate someone else. Someone you considered a close friend. 

You’d burned your bridges with the assailants but lost your best friend in the end.

Senior year of college was not what you’d expected it to be.

“Sometimes you trust the wrong people and end up hurting the right ones. Either way, you get burned from a flaming double-edged sword. And then you graduate all alone.”

“That sucks,” Eddie said, his tone changing. “I hate that that happened to you.” He paused, giving you a glance before putting his shoulders back and pretending to wield a sword. “Fear not!” he said in a low voice. “For I am here to lead you from the realm of darkness and into the world of victory!”

You giggled, shaking your head before clearing your throat. Mimicking his posture, you said, “I would be more than honored, my lord!”

As you fell into fits of laughter, your smile fell. “Sorry, I don’t mean to dump all that on you. Sometimes I just have no filter and—” 

“No,” he interrupted. “I don’t either. It’s alright. I kinda like talking to you about—”

“Hey, Eddie,” Steve said, approaching you two. “Rob and I are thinking of heading out. Are you coming?”

You watched Eddie’s eyes flicker from Steve to you before he shook his head. “Nah, I think I’m gonna stay out for a little longer.”

For some reason, that made you feel all bubbly inside.

Despite hiding your smile, you caught Robin’s eyes on you again, eyebrows raised at you with some kind of crooked smile on her face. 

“Have fun,” she said, glancing between you and Eddie before taking Steve’s arm and dragging him out of the bar.

When the door shut behind them, you turned back to face Eddie.

“You’re staying,” you stated with a playful tone.

“Uh, yeah. I’m talking to my new best friend.”

“You’re telling me that the only time you watched Lord of the Rings was at the beach?” Eddie looked at you like you were crazy, causing you to giggle. “What about the beach says, Let’s go to Mordor, shall we?”

“Listen!” you exclaimed. “My mom and my sister would go to a DVD rental place by one of the grocery stores. Well, then Redbox after video stores closed. But, anyways, every year they had Lord of the Rings on display first. So, they decided that that was that.”

Walking side by side, you and Eddie headed to your cars, sharing the last cigarette in his pack. The bar had closed, the first time you’d ever been kicked out of one. But you and Eddie weren’t done talking.

“And those were the only movies you watched?”

You shrugged. “Basically. Unless you count the time I rented Saw and nearly shat my pants.”

Eddie paused at his car, a rather creepy looking van, looking like he was considering something before he ran around the car. Without any hesitation, you tried to beat him to the other side. But he faked you out, coming back around and scaring you.

“I’d like to play a game,” he growled. You squealed involuntarily, jumping back to escape him. But he continued to chase you around his van. “What’s your name?”

You smirked, surprising him by turning around and pushing him back. “My name is Very Fucking Confused, what’s your name!”

Giggles spilled from your lips, colliding with his in some kind of harmony. It was so natural, the way you fell into tandem with one another. The way you were leaning into one another already, laughter mixing with labored breaths as you tried to catch them.

You couldn’t believe just how easy it was with Eddie, especially after months and months of loneliness. There was a part of you that had given up on any form of friendship. A little voice that told you that no one would be willing to listen when you spoke. No one who could be as goofy as you were. Readily give back what you put out.

And it was something that you really hoped you wouldn’t lose.

“This was really fun,” you said. “You’re really cool.” Before you sounded stupid, you added, “Y’all seem really fun.”

Eddie held a soft smile, reaching his hand out to you. “Here, give me your phone. I’ll give you my number.” You handed it over without any protest. “Let’s hang out in the next few weeks.”

“I’d love that.”

Your smile was slipping. That was just something people said. Nothing ever followed through and you knew that all too well. Any date you tried to go on. Any new interaction with coworkers in passing. Anyone you casually talked to at Go Ask Mary. 

“What about next Thursday?” he asked, handing your phone back to you. “Are you free?”

A smile made its way to your face as you stared in shock. “Yeah, I have that day off.”

“Same. I’ll jot it down in my calendar,” he responded with a growing smile before unlocking the door and jumping into his van.

“Welcome to Atlanta, Eddie,” you said, looking up at him.

Leaning down, he gave you a final handshake. You took it, noticing that it was a lot less sweaty than before.

“I’m really starting to like it here,” he said. 

And you gazed at each other for a moment, continuing to hold each other’s palms, a special look in your eyes that was reserved for each other. Like this look was going to be a continual thing. Like this was just the start of something. You just couldn’t figure out what exactly that something was.

Then Eddie seemingly flinched, pulling his hand away.

“Thanks for being my new best friend,” he said finally, scratching his cheek before placing it back on the steering wheel.

A lump in your throat formed as you took a step back. Put your hands together behind your back. Squeezed for some kind of comfort to satiate the ache in your palm.

“Thanks for asking,” you replied.

“See you next Thursday?”

“See you next Thursday.”

He shut his door then, leaving you to turn on your heels to trudge towards your own. You noticed that he waited to back out until you got in your car, giving you a wave before driving off.

And you watched his van go, taking him farther away from you. Though you knew you’d see him again in just a week, you really wished it had been now. 

Maybe you should’ve known then, should’ve understood what that was going to mean in the future. But hindsight is 20/20 and you’ve never been sure what that even meant. Perhaps it would’ve saved you a lot of distress. A lot of jealousy. A lot of insecurity. If things had transpired differently, maybe you could’ve avoided everything that came to fruition.

But instead, you drove home. Picked out your clothes for work the next day. Brushed your teeth. Got into bed. Turned some YouTube video on. Let the darkness fill your room. All the normal parts of your routine. 

Except for the buzz of your phone, a sound that you were still startled by after months of near silence.

It was from Eddie.

can’t wait for next week!

With a smile and droopy eyes, you sent a reply.

Me neither.

[thisaintascenereviews]

Yellowcard - Southern Air (Twelfth Anniversary Retrospective) [Featuring @jakeh2987]

In the summer of 2012, I dove headfirst into the genre of pop-punk. I was familiar with the genre already, having already been a fan of bands like Paramore, Fall Out Boy, and Blink-182, and having heard some stuff from New Found Glory, Man Overboard, and some other random bands, the album that opened the floodgates was 2011’s Under Soil & Dirt by The Story So Far. That album really introduced me to the genre, and I was head over heels for it. I needed something new to listen to, because I was getting bored with metalcore and post-hardcore, but that album opened up a whole new world to me. It came out in 2011, but I think I found it in the summer of 2012, because I remember finding it later.

That summer also happened to have four major pop-punk releases, although they were major to me. All Time Low first dropped Don’t Panic, which was a return to form for the band after going to a major label, but then in the span of two weeks, With The Punches and I Call Fives dropped their debut albums, then Yellowcard dropped Southern Air. I was familiar with them, knowing the title track to 2003’s Ocean Avenue, but that was it. I heard “Always Summer” a few months before the album came out, and I really enjoyed that song, so I made a note to check out the whole thing. Sure enough, Southern Air ended up being one of my favorite albums of the year.

The album turns twelve this year, and I wish I would have done a 10-year retrospective on it a couple of years ago, but better late than never, right? This is an album that means a lot to me, not only for being one of the first pop-punk albums that I got into, but it still holds up all these years later. This record means a lot to me, especially for the sense of nostalgia I get every time I listen to it, but I’m not here to talk about this album alone. I’m bringing along my buddy Jake to talk about this album, as he’s a big Yellowcard fan. I couldn’t imagine talking about it this with anyone else, so to kick things off, what’s your history with Yellowcard, as well as this album?

Firstly, thanks for having me back to do this! I'm always down to talk about Yellowcard; they're the band I credit most with really getting my foot in the door as far as my love of music goes. Ocean Avenue was the very first album I ever bought in the summer of 2006, and I just fell head over heels for it. It was really one of the first times I could call music "mine," so to speak, because up until then, I'd listen to whatever my family was listening to, and that was a lot of 80s hair metal or the boy bands of the 90s and early 2000s. Funnily enough, though, I didn't keep up with Yellowcard, or pop-punk as a whole, until much later in life. My music tastes kind of shifted a bit after I discovered Linkin Park, and eventually I got into a lot of the super big hard rock bands of that era, like Three Days Grace and Breaking Benjamin. Yellowcard wasn't particularly on my radar for a long time, until one day in 2012. I was in an FYE, just browsing the new releases when I saw there was a new Yellowcard album out that week. I remember thinking "Aw man, I loved Ocean Avenue, I should check this out for kicks!" So, I bought Southern Air that day, and I had no idea that this band was about to change my life again. We'll get into more about what works about this album, both on its own and in terms of Yelllowcard's discography, but man, hearing this thing for the first time hit me like a wave of nostalgia; six years afrer I discovered Ocean Avenue, it was like I was catching up with an old friend, and we picked up right where we left off.

You’re absolutely welcome, man! I’m glad to have you aboard for this, because I know you’re a huge fan of Yellowcard, especially being the band that got you into music. I can completely relate with having music that feels like “yours,” and that’s what Fall Out Boy’s Infinity On High was that album for me (despite listening to a few other albums before then, but that’s the one that stuck). Southern Air came out at the right time for me, because I was just getting into the genre throughout that summer, and after hearing a lot about them, I figured I’d check it out, but I didn’t realize how important that album would end up being, especially all of these years later. It’s always awesome when bands can make you feel like you’re catching up with an old friend, especially after them coming back after so long, whether you haven’t listened to them in so long, or they hadn’t released an album in years. That’s how I felt when Fall Out Boy finally came back last year, but I digress. Before we talk about this album, I think we need some context as to where the band was at the time, because there was a lot going on with them for the last few years before this thing. I listened to this as a stand-alone album, but what was the context surrounding this album and what makes it so important in their discography?

So, after they put out Ocean Avenue, and that album catipulted them into siccess, they put out two more albums, 2006's Lights and Sounds and 2007's Paper Walls. Both of those albums I I feel are very good or even great (Paper Walls in particular I think is actually pretty underrated), but they didn't do as well sales-wise or in terms of fan enthusiasm as Ocean Avenue did, and that, combined with the members wanting to take a break for various life reasons, led to a hiatus in 2008. That would last until 2010, and then they would release their comeback album, When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes. I often think because Southern Air is so beloved and turned out so well, this album gets overlooked, but thinking about it for this piece, it almost feels like a beta test for what would come next. When You're Through Thinking really reignited the love for Yellowcard both for the members themselves and for the fanbase, and they had such a great time making that album, it ended up being a pretty quick turnaround to get to Southern Air in 2012. And boy did it pay off for them; Southern Air ended up debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, their highest charting album since Lights and Sounds in 2006, and the fanbase was universally happy and loving the album. I think outside of Ocean Avenue, many fans would consider Southern Air to be the best thing they've ever done, and honestly, I can't really argue against that. I think you said this when we first started talking about doing this, but it really is a lightning-in-a-bottle type of album. Let's get into why this thing works as well as it does.

Yeah, Southern Air is one of those “lightning in a bottle” kind of albums where everything fits so perfectly into place, and there’s no way that it could ever be replicated. Every moving part came together in such a perfect way to make something that is truly one of a kind, and Southern Air is just one of those albums for me. Even without any context going into this, you can hear a renewed sense of energy and vigor that the band seemingly hadn’t had in so long. There’s so much energy here, minus for what I argue to be the emotional crux of the album (and one of the most heart wrenching and unique pop-punk songs I’ve ever heard, even 12 years later), but you can tell they were having a blast working on this, and aside from When You’re Through Thinking, this truly feels like a return to form, so to speak. This isn’t just one of my favorite albums of 2012, but it’s one of my favorite pop-punk albums, period. A lot of the genre is youthful in tone, and it’s not meant to be so timeless, but I’ve found that this album has only aged better with time, both for its music and its lyricism. It just keeps getting better after every year. If anything, this album retains the youthful spirit of their earlier work, but there’s a sense of maturity and growing up that lingers throughout it. I was a year out of high school when this album came out, and I didn’t have any idea what I was doing with my life, but this album felt so relatable to me, because one of its biggest themes is getting older and feeling lost, and that’s a theme I still relate to all these years later. What do you think, though? What makes this album work so well for you?

You know, I think you really hit the nail on the head when you talked about the youthful energy mixed with this almost world-weary maturity that makes Southern Air work so well and why it's held up as well as it has. The themes of growing up yet feeling uncertain of where life is going or being afraid to take that next step I think is something almost anyone can relate to, especially at our age. So often, there's this pressure to have it all figured out by the time you hit your 30s, and as someone who turns 32 in December, this album really cuts to the heart of that. "Here I Am Alive" is the song that really drives this home for me; it's a song about being unsure of what's ahead, but ultimately being okay with that and being ready to take that on. You alluded to it earlier, but we also gotta talk about the song "Ten," because man, what a gut-punch this one was when I first heard it, and even still now. The song was written about vocalist Ryan Key's then-girlfriend suffering a tragic miscarriage, and when I was listening to the album again for this, I had this thought about this song that I hadn't really thought of before; it's an incredibly emotional song on its own, but within the context of the album, it's a sort of flip on its themes, talking about what could have been and being heartbroken that he'll never get to experience those things with his unborn child.

But even outside of all that, the band as a whole is just in top form here. Southern Air was actually the last album (not counting the acoustic version of Ocean Avenue they would release a year later to celebrate its 10th anniversary) featuring their longtime drummer Longineu Parsons III, and you can tell he's having an absolute blast on this thing. There are so many cool little drum fills he does on this album that always get me hyped when I hear them. The band's secret weapon, violinist Sean Mackin, also has plenty of moments to shine; that solo he has on "Always Summer" really brings that song home. And vocalist Ryan Key had never sounded better than this to that point. I always really liked Key as a vocalist, but here, he's still got that youthful energy in his delivery, but he'd also really improved as a vocalist, and he really sells the emotions in these lyrics, especially on the aforementioned "Ten."

Ryan Key is certainly an integral part on why this album works, and I already mentioned the lyrics a bit, as well as the themes of growing up, getting older, and wondering where you’re going and where your life could be headed, but “Ten” is what I referred to as the emotional crux of the album, especially for what you said about the song flipping those themes about an unborn child and what he would be missing out on by not being born into this world. Miscarriages are a very taboo topic already, and certainly not spoken of in the pop-punk scene, but it brings a lot of the themes of the album together. Key as a vocalist is a big part of why this album works as well as it does, because he’s got such an energetic and invigorating delivery that sucks you into his woes and revelry. His delivery is youthful, but world weary, so it has that nice balance between jaded and naive.

The rest of the band is killer, too, and I think this album works so well for me, personally, because it’s the perfect distillation of their sound, but a modernized and mature version of it, albeit at the time, anyway. I also think they made this album knowing full well they would never be a full-fledged pop-punk band, and it might seem to be a farewell to their old sound, at least until their latest EP from 2023. Even then, that EP certainly does not try to top their classic material, let alone this album. Their last couple albums before their hiatus were some of their more adventurous albums, and they dove into stuff that they hadn’t done before, so this feels like a farewell to their youth, both literally and metaphorically.

Before we close this out, I have one final question to ask, and we can discuss a bit — I know you said was a fan favorite, but where do you rank this among their body of work, let alone would this be a good album to recommend someone new to th band? Personally, this is my favorite Yellowcard album, both for its nostalgia and musicianship. Ocean Avenue is a close second, but I don’t have that nostalgia for it the way I do with this one. I also would say this album is perfect for new fans, because of its immediate sound, and its very mature and adult themes.

It's interesting, because while I think I'll always put Ocean Avenue above anything else because it was *the* album for me, I can't really argue against Southern Air being their magnum opus. It has all the best parts of what makes this band so special, and it's packaged in a modern coat of paint that, like you said, is a pretty good way for someone to get into them. Not to discredit their other work, either, but I do think Suothern Air and Ocean Avenue are at the top, and then it's kind of the rest of their discography. But you know, it's gotta be pretty damn cool to know you've made two classic albums that have stood and will continue to stand the test of time, in two different eras of your career, no less! I will say, though, for this album especially, I think When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes is an important album in that it was a launching pad for what we'd get with Southern Air, and without that initial comeback, we're not sitting here today talking about this album. And for their later mateial, I'm more mixed on Lift A Sail, and their self-titled album is probably not gonna have quite the same impact now that it's not their final release, but they're all very soldi in their own ways and worth a listen. I'm hoping the Childhood Eyes EP ends up being much like When You're Through Thinking, in that it's a great first step for what will come next.

Ocean Avenue is always going to be their biggest album, just for how important it was to the 00s pop-punk scene, but Southern Air has that maturity that Ocean Avenue doesn’t. It doesn’t make that album bad, by any means, but Southern Air hit me at the right time. That’s the best way to go out talking about this album, though — Yellowcard have one hell of a legacy. They dropped two classic albums in a ten-year period, as well as many other albums people love, and how bands can say they have two, let alone one, classic albums under their belt? I’m excited for their future, especially if their future material is anything like Childhood Eyes. That’s a great stepping stone, especially in the way that When You’re Through Thinking was. It’s good they’re back, because the pop-punk scene was missing one of its best bands, even if their later stuff doesn’t quite have the same critical appeal as their earlier stuff. As always, though, it was a real pleasure talking with you about an album we love! There’s never any time I wouldn’t want to talk about this album.

Thank you again for having me! This has been such a great time, revisiting this album in general and thinking about it and talking about it like this. I can't wait to see what we get up to next!

[crmsndragonwngss]

1,4,7 and 9 :)

Nah fuck it, I’m doing both!

1. three songs that come up when you put your phone on shuffle

Seeking Somewhere, by Monument Of A Memory Proxy, by Valis Ablaze Legion, by TesseracT

4. three songs that you know thanks to your parents

Many, but here are some faves:

(No seriously)

7. three songs you didn’t expect to like but eventually loved

Believe it or not, as much as I love Lorna now, I really did not care for this song in the beginning. I’m not real huge into deathcore (I have bands I like but it’s far from my favorite subgenre), and I did not vibe with this song at first. Obviously that changed. I tried it again when I was in a different mindset and fell completely head over heels in love with the whole ep!

Again, believe it or not, I didn’t particularly care for Ghost Atlas the first time I heard them. I was already an Erra fan, so I already adored Jesse Cash, but GA was so totally different from Erra and it simply wasn’t what I needed at the time. Then All Is In Sync came out in 2017 and their sound finally clicked with me, and I went back and ended up really loving this song in particular. This is also a great band if you like alt rock/indie rock.

Listen, way back in 2014, when I was discovering Erra and Amity for the first time, Psy’s Gangnam Style went viral for the second time in the States and a couple of BTS mv reactions had landed on lame ass “comedy” shows that my ex-bestie watched like tosh.0, and I tried to listen to BTS just to see what all the hype was about. I listened to this album and fucking hated it. I always give songs to the chorus to catch my interest before I skip, and I ended up skipping every track, but I really disliked this one. I could not pinpoint why exactly, I just did not fuck with it at all. Fast forward to like six fucking months ago and this is one of my favorite songs period, let alone one of my fave BTS tracks. I LOVE this song. I listen to it almost every day (followed immediately by cypher 3, not big on the other two cyphers, but I love these two). This is not the song that made me actually fall in love with BTS’s music, that distinction goes to a track from the same album (Tomorrow), but this one has earned a spot in my regular rotation for sure

9. three songs that get you in the Christmas Mood

(That is hands down my favorite Christmas song ever)

Of course

And Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, but no specific version of it

10. three favourite Halloween/spooky songs

Imma basic ass goth bitch, so naturally:

And because I hit the audio limit (lame)

Cry Little Sister, the theme song from The Lost Boys (and yes, I do actually prefer the original over the covers I've heard. BUT if anyone has a cover they like of it, feel free to send it!)

[justkeeponsimming]

Silence falls across the wedding party as the excited cheers die down. The air fills with bird song, the chilly spring breeze rustling the trees of the dense forest around the farm. The sense of peace from Henford-on-Bagley flows into the brides and their wedding guests. 

Ivy, Kana and Reed look at one another, realising that they haven’t rehearsed the ceremony itself. They’ve just focused on writing their own vows. Eventually, Kana steps slightly forward, drawing attention to her without letting go of her wives-to-be.

Kana: “Thank you all for coming. I’m sure you all know that our band - the Fated Mates - will be launching an album soon with our record label, Oasis Records. Whilst this isn’t a just shameless plug, you can see the inspiration behind our band name standing before you today. It’s rare for a werewolf to find their fated mate outside of our own occult, but I was blessed with two. Ivy Summers and Reed Quick - you both own my heart and soul. Thank you for blessing me with a pack of my own. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you both. I love you so much!”

Instinctively, Reed and Kana snuggle in closer to Ivy as they hear her sniffle. Their partner takes a deep breath before sharing her own vows next. 

Ivy: “Wolfie and Starshine - we met under the most unique of circumstances. We didn’t know that we’d both fallen head over heels for Reed - dating her at the same time! But, part of my heart already belonged to Wolfie, so when Reed came along, she completed it. My spellcaster family thought I’d get stuck in an age old role in the Magic Realm that all of my family have held before me. Instead, I met you both and forged my own destiny. I owe you my freedom, my happiness and my strength. I love you both, Ashe, Thorne and Hex so much!”

[the-lone-writer94]

We'll Meet Again (Part 3)

Rex Brown x Female Reader

Summary: You've somehow found yourself in a triangle between Rachel Bolan and Rex. Whilst things with Rachel would be easy, but Rex is the one you really want.... only being with him comes at a price.

Age rating: 13+ (Make out scene *not graphic*)

Word count: 2,823

The night hadn’t turned out to be a total disaster. Over the course of the evening, I had listened to Scarlet yap away, meanwhile, Scotti nodded, only exchanging several words and sentences every so often. 

Whilst, Rachel and I shared a lot in common with each other, deep down I couldn’t help but feel that I was betraying Rex. Although, I was still conflicted where we both stood, just sitting here with Rachel seemed wrong. 

Suddenly, I snapped back into reality, as I managed to catch the final few words Rachel had uttered. 

“What was your band called again?” I asked, hoping that he hadn’t realized I had zoned out. 

“Godsend,” he answered, as he took a bite of his cheeseburger, “I don’t know… Scotti and I are a great team, but I feel like something is missing with the band,” he explained, then shook his head, “I can’t quite get what it is though.” 

I pursed my lips. “It might take a while to find the right people… I’ve definitely been in a bunch of shitty bands in the past.” 

“I think it’s the name.” Scotti interjected. 

“Dude, no it’s not-” Rachel argued as he shot Scotti a cold glare. 

“Yeah, I’m telling you man… I don’t think people get what it means,” Scotti continued, as he grabbed a handful of fries and shoved them in his mouth, “I think we oughta have a name with the word Row in it or something,” he suggested, and then shrugged, “ I don’t know, there’s just a ring to it.” 

“Godsend works.” Rachel added sternly. 

“Anyway, what do you guys like to do for fun around here?” Scotti asked, as he returned his attention to Scarlet. 

Scarlet shot up and raised her hands. “All sorts- we go to the Pit!” She exclaimed. 

I raised my eyebrow at her remark. “The Pit? Sounds cool.” Rachel said. 

“It’s really not… it’s just an abandoned bowling alley and parking lot where all the kids go to get drunk and trash the place.” I explained. 

“Well, whatever it is, it still sounds fun.” Rachel commented. 

“We’re mainly just here tryna have a good time and hopefully gain some inspiration for our songwriting.” Scotti said. 

After we had finished our meal, we proceeded to head towards the Pit. I wasn’t entirely on board with the idea, but I hadn’t protested either. 

The drive from the diner to the Pit hadn’t taken that long. Scarlet had sat in Scotti’s car which he had followed my tails. I was almost certain that Scarlet was all over Scotti at the moment, meanwhile, Rachel sat in the passenger seat of my car. We had only exchanged several words between us occasionally. The silence at first had been so deafening, luckily Rachel had broken the silence and drew out Ramones’s Pleasant Dreams album on cassette tape. He had explained how that was one of his favorite bands, and We Want the Airwaves was the song he enjoyed the most from the album. 

I pulled up by the row of cars in front of the Pit, as I switched off the ignition and removed myself from the car. I glanced over towards Rachel as I watched his face stare at the Pit before him. 

He cocked his head to the side. “This is certainly interesting.” He commented. 

“It’s a shithole.” 

Rachel scoffed. “It totally is.” 

I smirked. “Yeah, I don’t know why Scarlet enjoys it so much here.” 

“I mean, the places we hang out in Jersey aren’t all that amazing either.” 

Just then, Scarlet and Scotti appeared beside us. Scarlet had her arm hooked around Scotti’s arm as she guided him towards the Pit. “Come on guys,” she called behind her. 

Rachel and I followed them on our heels as we entered into the heart of the Pit. The crowd had already begun to form, just like every Saturday night at this place. 

“You want a drink?” Rachel asked. 

“Sure, there’s usually not many options though. Just cheap beer.” 

“I’m cool with that, if you are?” 

“Yeah.” 

Rachel snaked his way through the crowds, as my gaze scanned the place before me. The familiar figures managed to captivate me, as I felt my heart lurch forward. 

Rex was leaned up against a wall, with a beer in his hand. He stood huddled together with a guy who had massive frizzy brown hair with very boyish features and baby cheeks. I had vaguely remembered him the first night at the Pit during their encounter with Billy. If I wasn’t incorrect, he was Dime the guitar player. Beside Dime, was a guy with a slightly fuller figure and a full beard. I cocked my head to the side and wondered if this guy was a lot older than the others. 

My gaze locked with Rex’s, just when I was about to step forward and make my way toward him, a figure approached me from the side. I spun and gasped. 

“Are you okay?” Billy asked. 

“Yeah, you just scared me, that's all.” I responded and placed my hand on my chest. 

“I didn’t know you’d be here tonight?” Billy inquired. 

“Scarlet has friends from Jersey, we’re just showing them around.” 

Billy’s eyebrows jerked. “Oh cool,” he responded. 

Just then, Rachel joined me and handed me a beer. “Here you go. They're lukewarm though.” 

“They always are.” Billy added. 

Rachel’s gaze averted to Billy. “Oh, this is Billy. He’s the lead singer in our band,” I introduced, and then continued, “Billy, this is Rachel.” I gestured. 

“Hey,” Billy and Rachel said to each other in unison. 

“Are you gonna stay for long?” I asked Billy. 

Billy shrugged. “Those assholes from Pantera are here though.” 

“Oh man, Pantera… my buddy told me about them, actually that was one of the reasons why I came. They had a release party recently,” Rachel said and then cursed, “but we missed it.” He then turned to me and asked, “you don’t mind if I go over there and talk to them though?”  

Billy spat in disgust. “You better stay away from Pantera, those guys are jerks.” 

“Oh, really?” Rachel asked. 

I remained silent, unable to interject into that remark. 

Billy nodded. “Anyway, I’ll catch you guys later. My lady friend is here.” He said, before he stalked off and wrapped his arm around a girl. 

“Wow, I never would have thought that about Pantera.” Rachel commented. 

“Listen, I wouldn’t take Billy’s word for it… he tends to be really dramatic.” 

“Aren’t most lead singers.” Rachel said. 

I chuckled. “Totally,” as I took a sip from my beer.

“Do you wanna sit somewhere more private?” He asked. 

“Oh,” I said, as my gaze drifted over towards where Rex was standing. To my surprise, he was nowhere to be seen. 

“Is everything alright?” Rachel asked. 

“Hmm, yeah,” I said as I snapped my attention back towards him. “I don’t know Rachel.” 

“Just to talk… I swear.” He reassured me. 

“Yeah, alright.” 

We had found a spot in the corner of the parking lot, as our backs were leaned against the metal fence. I shifted in my position, trying to find a comfortable spot as I sat crossed legged on the concrete floor. 

Rachel and I certainly shared a lot in common, and I found myself enjoying our conversation. 

I chuckled, “oh god- that’s so terrifying.” I commented, as Rachel finished off his story. 

“Ugh, tell me about it.” 

“How are you not afraid of your chain getting caught on things?” I asked. 

Rachel smirked. “Oh, believe me. It has happened. On the tuning pegs… on girl's zippers.” He chuckled again. 

I smiled. “You’re so bad.” 

Suddenly, Rachel’s eyes met with mine, and in that moment I felt something shift in the air between us. He edged towards me, closing the gap between us. Slowly, his hand raised up to my face as his fingers caressed the side of my face. With his other hand, he stroked my hand. His face was now a mere inch away from mine, I felt the silver chain gently tickle my face. 

My heartbeat pounded against my chest, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. As I felt Rachel slowly closing in towards me, reality finally drew me back into the presence. 

“No, Rachel,” I gasped as I pushed him away from me. 

Rachel stared at me, completely in disbelief. “I’m sorry-” 

“It’s not you…” I sighed. 

From my peripheral vision, I noticed a presence near me. As I cocked my head to the side, I watched as Rex’s jaw clenched, and the beer can being crushed in between his palm as he cast it angrily aside. 

“Wait here,” I said to Rachel as I found myself pushed onto standing and I chased after Rex. 

Rex hurriedly stomped through the crowds. 

“Rex!” I called out, as I tried to match his speed. 

Finally, we emerged from the sea of bodies and Rex paused. 

“Let me explain.” I heaved. 

Rex spun around, his jaw remained clenched and his hands curled into fists. “I know I don’t have a right to say anything, but this is fucked up what you’re doing!” He growled. 

“I’m sorry,” I stuttered, “look, I’m not interested in Rachel. Scarlet set us up and I didn’t know how to get out of it… what he did just now, I wasn’t expecting him to do that.” 

“Whatever, but I’m not going to be your backup.” He said. 

“Rex, come on- you know that’s not true.” 

“Well, that’s kinda how I feel. You kiss me and then disappear.” 

“Please try to understand… you know how it is with my position in the band.” 

Rex closed his eyes and then opened them again. “I’m gonna make this decision really easy for you,” he sighed, as he spun and removed himself further from me. 

I watched as Rex walked away. 

I returned to where I had left Rachel, he remained sat on the concrete floor as he fiddled with the now empty can of beer. He peered up at me through his eyelashes and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Is everything alright?” He asked. 

I sighed and slumped down beside him. “Yeah,” I exhaled as I rubbed my eyes, not giving a shit that it had smudged my eyeliner. “Actually, no.” 

Rachel remained silent as he awaited for me to continue. 

“Have you ever wanted to be someone but you couldn’t?” I asked him. 

He seemed taken aback. “Oh, well… yeah in senior year I was with a girl that none of my friends and family liked, but I didn’t care.” 

“Music is my life… and the band, if they were to find out about me and-” I paused, afraid to utter the words. 

Rache’s gaze shifted to me and then to the crowd where the rest of the Pantera guys were huddled together. He cleared his throat, as the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. “So this person you want to be with, is a rival of the band and you’re afraid of your position if you were to be with him.” He questioned. 

I nodded, suddenly feeling a wave of relief that I was able to disburden this weight I had been carrying. “Yeah, and I don’t know what to do about it.” 

Rachel shifted in his position, as he turned to face me. “Look, I know I don’t know you well. I can tell how passionately you talk about your music… but not to the point where you have to sacrifice your happiness for it.” 

I closed my eyes, trying to force back the tears. “I know.” 

“And you said it yourself, it takes a while to find the right people- if they are the right people, then they just have to understand.” 

“You’re right.” I said, as I wiped the corner of my eyes. 

“Of course I am.” Rachel responded and smirked. 

I released a chuckle and playfully slapped him on the arm. “Stop it,” I responded, and then added, “I also agree with Scotti, I don’t think the name Godsend works.” 

Rachel hissed. “Really? Man… I don’t know about having the word Row in it though?” 

“Skid Row might sound kinda cool.” I suggested and shrugged. 

----------

I had barely managed to sleep after I had left the Pit last night. The moment I had returned home, reality had sunk in, and the only thing that was on my mind was trying to make things right with Rex. 

Countless scenarios flashed through my mind as I contemplated what I could possibly say to Rex. Our conversation at the Pit replayed in my head, as I remembered the pain that was painted across his face when he had seen me with Rachel. 

I continued to thrash in bed, as I glanced up towards the alarm clock on my nightstand. My eyes stung from fatigue and the sunlight which seeped into my room irritated my vision. 

In one swift motion I threw my duvet away in frustration, as my legs swung down to the ground. I managed to stumble towards the living room where I propped myself down onto the couch, I needed to find Rex.

Rex had once said he was currently couch surfing at the Abbott brothers house, but I wasn’t entirely certain. And if anyone in town knew everything it would be Scarlet, as she was practically a walking yellow pages. 

I picked up the phone and punched in Scarlet’s number, as I listened to the dialing tone. Anticipation had now flooded my emotions. 

“Hello.” A hoarse voice answered. 

“Scarlet, it’s me.” I said. 

“It’s fucking five in the morning.” Scarlet moaned. 

“I know… do you know if Rex is still staying at the Abbott house?” 

“Probably,” she answered, and yawned. 

“Do you have the number for the house?” I asked. 

“Of course.” 

“Alright.” I said, as I grabbed the memo pad and a pen. I hurriedly scribbled the number down as Scarlet read it aloud. “Great, thanks.” 

Before I allowed Scarlet to respond, I slammed down the phone and immediately dialed for the Abbott house. 

Moments later, a voice emerged from the receiver. “Hello.” 

“Rex?” 

“No, this is Dime. Who is this?” Dime asked. I muttered my name, unsure whether or not that would grant me sanctuary. “He’s not here.” 

“Oh,” I responded in disappointment. 

Dime sighed. “He’ll most likely be at the Fotomat, but I swear to God, do not tell him I told you.” 

“Of course. Thank you so much.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Dime responded.

I drove as fast as I could to the Fotomat, luckily the streets were still a ghost town. I pulled up by the kiosk and jumped out of the car. 

My fist connected with the back door of the Fotomat kiosk, as I violently continued to pound against the wooden door. 

Moments later, the door swung wide open. “Jeez, what’s your problem?” Rex murmured, as he rubbed his eyes. Realization had struck him as he stared at me. 

“Rex.” 

“Oh.” He said. 

“Can I come in?” I asked. 

Rex sighed, and stepped to the side. “Yeah.” 

I shut the door behind me and stepped into the tiny kiosk. I eyed a sleeping bag in the corner and a couple of empty cans of beer. Rex was still in the same outfit he had on last night, his hair was disheveled and there were dark shadows beneath his eyes. 

“Rex, I’m really sorry about everything.” 

Rex shook his head. “I was too harsh on you yesterday.” 

“No, you were right. It’s not fair on you… nothing happened between me and Rachel. I’m not even interested in him.” 

“You don’t have to explain.” He deflected. 

“I want to be with you.” I pleaded, as I stepped forward, closing the gap between us. “If you’ll let me back in?” I asked, my voice trembled. 

“Of course.” Rex said. 

A wave of relief washed over me, as I wrapped my arms around Rex’s neck. Our lips immediately found each other and I felt the nerves slowly dispersing. My lips parted as Rex’s tongue slipped into mine, my fingers found its way entwined into his hair as I gently tugged at it. He moaned into me, and the urgency possessed me as I deepened the kiss. Abruptly, I jumped as my legs wrapped around Rex’s waist. The sudden movement had caused him to lose balance as he stumbled backwards, as my body laid on top of him. 

We both erupted in laughter, as I rested my palm on his chest. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” 

“That took me by surprise.” Rex responded. 

“I don’t give a shit about the band. If I get kicked out then so be it.” I added. 

Rex sighed. “I don’t want you to do that. You’ve got something good going with the band.” 

“Then, I don’t know what I should do?” 

“Well, we’re just gonna have to be careful then.” He said. 

[lady-of-glass-and-bone]

Songs & Characters: Pedro Pascal

Album: Blue Lips     Artist: Tove Lo

So I did this with all the Florence + The Machine albums and now I’m doing it with Tove Lo’s discography because why not. Basically what I’m doing is listening to the whole album and picking which sing reminds me of which Pedro character and the specific lyrics that go with it.

Some of the lyrics below are sexual/explicit keep reading at your own discretion.

disco tits /  Oberyn Martell

Live right now, peakin' on top / So wild now, I'm high as fuck / Don't look down / My mind, you can relax / I know how to dial it back / Not this time

You think I'm drunk now, but I am not / You're so pretty, come roll with me / I'm 'bout to get down, I'm high as fuck / I'm no chemist, but it's good shit

I'm sweatin' from head to toe / I'm wet through all my clothes / I'm fully charged, nipples are hard / Ready to go (oh, oh) / I'm sweatin' from head to toe / I'm wet through all my clothes (yeah) / I'm fully charged, nipples are hard / Ready to go

shedontknowbutsheknows - Dave York

Hanging by the bar at sunrise / With our bodies talking / Hooked up last week, had a good time / So I regret nothing / I see her come close, ooh / I wonder what you told her to make her stay

Don't even bother with your lies / Won't let you see her when she cries / Go on, unhappy in the night

shivering gold - Marcus Pike

A minute of truth time, talkin' 'bout stuff

Keep saying I'm danger, but thinking I'm love

I'm out on the dance floor, drinking my tears

Acting all cliché, and facing my fears

I feel that thing that jolts me, fucks with me good / Shivering gold / I shiver in gold / Wild, real / Got things like moon rocks rolled up in love / Shivering gold

I shiver in gold

Kissing it better, a physical face

Taking your body, I sit on your face

I see you smiling, covered in me

Moving too fast now, but fuck it, we're free

don’t ask don’t tell - Javier Peña

I'm curious to know who you are

Know what turns you on, turns you off

Know we're not kids anymore

Know we've both been here before

These butterflies scare me to death

Feel them beating out of my chest

Make me come, come so alive

And go with your moves through the night

And baby, don't ask and then don't tell / Already know you're fucked up / And it's cool with me / My past and don't ask and don't tell / No need to share too much / Come on, let it be

stranger - Francisco ‘Catfish’ Morales

You're my stranger in the dark / I am lonely, lonely heart / Waiting for someone to take me home / You're my stranger in the dark / I am lonely, vagabond / Hold me down, want you to bring me home

Let's begin, love making you beg for the win

I'm the prize you get if you do everything I say

Get you high, I get you high

I wanna be what you want me to be

I'd go anywhere, no rules, I don't care

Oh, oh just take me home, oh

So you're my last hope and, and I don't care what you do

Leave my heart open, I'm gonna leave it for you

You can walk on it, I wanna hurt, feeling used

Take the edge off it, just take the edge off it

romantics - Dieter Bravo

We could be romantics for life / Go wild with our scars unhealed / Ooh, ooh / We could be romantics for life / Like drugs make us feel unreal

They talk a lot, don't they?

'Bout your life

They talk a lot, don't they?

Why? Are you tired?

It's none of their business who we love

Drinking, destructive, kind, fill me up

Holding me down in my seat

Tell me, I know what you need

I know your head makes you lie, oh

cycles - Ezra

What's your name?

I can tell you a story before we get into the game

We fall head over heels overnight

See my face in your future

I'm in your future, in your nights, hmmm

I'm in a cycle / Don't make me hate you / Just 'cause I talk about the things I've done before you / I'm in a cycle / Swear this is different / Don't wanna end it, if you leave then I keep spinnin'

It's so romantic in a way / Why don't you catch me when I sway? / 'Cause when my heart falls out of place / I know (oh, oh, oh)

struggle - Max Phillips

So you're deep like the ocean / And got your bottles of potion / I believe in karma / Set the waves into motion

Cold, cold, cold, cold hands over me / Fuck, fuck, fuck some sense into me / Gold for loneliness, I will pay / Fuck, fuck some sense into me

The struggle is real

When you don't tell me how you feel 'bout this love

I've got my way with words

Don't believe me

Pretend like I don't hurt

I don't, I don't, I don't

I've got my way with pain

Don't believe me

I numb myself to blame

I don't, I don't, I don't

9th of october - Joel Miller

We never had coffee table books or dinner parties / We always had hazy nights and sex, cliché's in Paris / Don't disturb on the top floor / Getting high by the window / In bed with your eyes looked into mine / How perfect was it?

9th of October, I always remember / No bad things had happened then / Honestly, you never thought you'd fall for me / But somehow you got pulled in / Livin' so fast, makin' memories last / 'Til our hearts couldn't hold no more / Hear you explodin' while I am implodin' / Now, how did we let this go?

We never wanted

A normal kind of love

9th of October, I always remember

9th of October, I always remember those big words, I said them first

9th of October, I always remember

9th of October, can't think of it sober 'cause all of it fuckin' hurts

bad days - Maxwell Lord

Why cut so deep every word that we speak? / Triggers, shit we never thought / I still remember all the good times / If not, I'll recreate 'em all

If it was easy, I'd forget about you, baby

But I never really understood

How people move on from a heart to love another

Oh, if I could, I would

If it was easy, I'd forget about you, baby

But I never really understood

How people move on from a heart to love another

Oh, if I could, I would

Yeah, I try

But we're in the same crowd

Always at the same scene

So I don't know how

I'm supposed to act fine

When we used to be burning love

That died

Colder than ice

Why am I surprised?

But I guess that's how

I guess that's how we do it now

hey you got drugs - Pero Tovar

Ten years of highs just for fun

Not a height 'til I'm caught

Pain from the past like a small piece of glass in my heart

And this should be the time of my life

You fucking made it your deal, your deal

And I keep dancin' away 'cause it's all fun and games 'til it's real

We don't wanna go home

(Better dance for us)

You're fucked but, oh, you're so fun

(How you holding on?)

I don't know tomorrow

(If it comes or not)

But I promise for life you can brag 'bout tonight

You won't save the night for me

You won't save the night for me

You won't save the night for me

And I ain't never gonna go home

[ao3feed-larry]

the love it takes, it's worth it all this time

by hemakeshimstrongx

“Both.” Harry says easily. “The point is it’s a dream, and I can think whatever I want.”

“Your mind is a wonderful place.” Louis tells him, and if Harry wasn’t already head over heels in love with him (head over heels about a billion times over by now) he would’ve plunged right over the cliff between liking and loving the second Louis says that.

[a timestamp fic between 2010 and 2022, told using snippets of harry's house. the album imagined from bottom to top, the moments little flashbacks in film reels. it's about love, and it's about keeping that love alive despite surmounting challenges.]

or: harry and louis' love story told at different points in their history. the soundtrack is harry's house. who he wrote it for was never really a question.

Words: 46463, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: One Direction (Band), Larry Stylinson - Fandom

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, he's only mentioned sorry, Oli Wright, Anne Cox, Lottie Tomlinson, The Tomlinson Family, The Styles Family, that's easier okay, Gemma Styles

Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Briana Jungwirth/Louis Tomlinson, (minor but it's mentioned)

Additional Tags: Larry Stylinson Is Real, Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, this is self indulgent, Drinking, Underage Drinking, Recreational Drug Use, Break Up, Post-Break Up, Getting Back Together, Flirting, Public Display of Affection, Kissing, bc of course, Louis Tomlinson Calls Harry Styles Pet Names, harry is louis' baby, Harry Styles Wears Louis Tomlinson's Clothes, and, Louis Tomlinson Wears Harry Styles's Clothes, Soft Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, they're tooth rottingly cute, Angst, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, i'm using angst a lot but there is a lot of it, Babygate (One Direction), Closeted Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, Album: Harry's House (Harry Styles), Time Skips, this is a time stamp kind of gig, New York City, Los Angeles, London, Louis Tomlinson Takes Care of Harry Styles, No Smut, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson, trying to cover all my bases for once in my stupid little life, pls bear with me, they're saps okay, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are Saps, Arguing, Making Up, Making Out, Album: Fine Line (Harry Styles), specifically, Song: Watermelon Sugar (Harry Styles), Songwriting, Jamaica, New Year's Eve, Emotional Roller Coaster, Harry Styles Loves Louis Tomlinson, &, Louis Tomlinson Loves Harry Styles

via AO3 works tagged 'Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson' https://ift.tt/mgeMo53

[hummingbee-lievable]

Song of the Day #17:

'Tokyo Á Go Go' by the Magnetic Fields (released 1992).

Tokyo Á go-go

Tokyo Á go-go

The dancing spies

With evil eyes

That walk the night

Tokyo Á go-go

Tokyo Á go-go

In colored scenes

The dancing queens

With laser beams

Track 5 on 'The Wayward Bus/Distant Plastic Trees' (and isn't that just a fantastic album name?).

Fun fact: One of Stephin Merritt's most prolific albums, '69 Love Songs' (a fantastic album, highly recommend for a road trip or housecleaning day) is where the song 'The Book of Love' (covered by many including my favourite version, by Peter Gabriel) came from. Merritt's favourite version is: 'is a seven-year-old girl singing it on Holland’s Got Talent. The instrumental accompaniment was cheesy, of course, but she really inhabited it in a way that you couldn’t imagine a seven-year-old girl doing. Particularly the line ‘We’re all too young to know’'. (Which he thought was particularly funny coming from a seven year old.)*

Personal blurb: *Sigh.* Okay okay. I know I said I was going to try not to do multiple songs from the same artist but I've been driving from one side of the country to the other quite a bit lately and this whole album has been keeping me such company. I can't get over how fun this song is. I mean, it is a crappy romantic spy film (you know the ones) in song form, and the beat is just so goofy and fun. It feels like it could be the theme music for Mr. and Mrs. Smith or the Pink Panther if they just fully embraced their cartoonish side (well, I guess the Pink Panther has already done that, quite literally). I just love how fun and ridiculous it is.

This whole album is so much fun. My top songs from it are:

(As you might know already) '100,000 Fireflies' for it's melancholy and strangely transporting message.

'Railroad Boy' which I LOVE. You know how you listen to an album multiple times and sometimes certain songs only reach you after you've listened to them on the 7th round? It's like reading a book or watching a movie and noticing something you've never appreciated before. It's why I can never listen to an album only once; I discover something new every time. This song in particular reminds me of this song from the movie 'Australia'. The movie was not bad, and I love the message of this song:

'By the Boab Tree' by Ophelia of the Spirits (which is an amazing name):

Both songs feel so magical to me.

I also really love 'When You Were My Baby', 'Candy', 'The Saddest Story Ever Told', 'Candy', 'Tar-Heel Boy', 'Living in an Abandoned Firehouse With You', and 'Josephine' is super fun because it's told from Napoleon's perspective (their love story was quite a cursed and interesting one; in the movie he says to her- though I doubt he said this to her in real life- when they have to face the public after a series of events: ‘All our harsh words are behind us. I need you to be my most tender friend’. I love that line).

My bonus is 'Jeremy' (and let's face it, I'd probably just list every song on the album if you gave me enough time). This one always amuses me because of Pearl Jam's 'Jeremy' and I always think this in my head whenever I hear it:

It's a great song. Trigger warning for school shooting references:

I remember the video for this being intense and good, although it's been years since I've watched it.

Anyway, enough ranting about the Magnetic Fields. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Ralph Rant, if you will (that's my actual name).

The answer to yesterday's puzzle, after these fabulous guesses from my sister:

'So he didn’t cut of his wrong hand?

So he could get hooked easier?

So he could fish better? or zip line without anything?'

😆 The answer issssss:

*Drumroll.*

'Because after he cut off his left, he was hooked!'

*Ahem.*

Anyway.

What creature in the animal kingdom regards you as very attractive, Smalls?

😋

*Reference:

[rainydawgradioblog]

Cindy Lee in concert

Last month I had the pleasure of seeing Cindy Lee with esteemed RDR music director Steven Neff. Despite empty stomachs and an arduous commute, our spirits and expectations sat high. After getting lost in the Seattle Center and shaking our fists at the downtown offices of RainyDawg’s inextricable enemy and corporate counterpart KEXP, we navigated our way to the Vera Project, which lies tucked away in the shadow of Climate Pledge Arena. 

I’m faced by a dilemna in recounting Cindy Lee’s performance. From what I can tell their setlist consisted mainly of unreleased songs from an upcoming record, which leaves my vocabulary for describing specific moments in certain songs limited. So please bear with me!

The opening act was Freak Heat Waves, performing tracks from their recently released album Mondo Tempo. “The Time Has Come” was the set’s highlight, thanks to its spaced-out vocals and catchy bassline. Though energy was strong among the crowd initially, who took part that ameobic gentle-body-swaying and compulsive-head-nodding one might expect at a show of this sort, the goodwill of Freak Heat Wave’s downtempo plunderphonic beats and monotone delivery began to wane on us. As if sensing the audience’s restlessness, Cindy Lee (Patrick Fiegel of Women) waltzed through the GA area, guitar slung over their shoulder like Clint Eastwood’s cape in The Good the Bad and the Ugly. Lee and Freak Heat Waves immediately launched into their Mondo Tempo collaborative effort “In A Moment Divine.” The contrast of the two act’s musical styles played directly to each other’s benefit: Freak Heat Wave’s penchant for negative space in their production, which in some instances plays as indulgent, here served to heighten the presence of Cindy Lee’s haunting vocals. 

Following their set, Steven and I had a chance to chat with Freak Heat Waves at their merch table. When asked what influenced their stylistic turn to trip-hop beats away from their former post-punk sensibilities, Steven Lind and Thomas Di Ninno were happy to elaborate: “Well we uh. We listen to a lot of music.”

Cindy Lee arrived for their set through the side door this time, sporting heels, a blindingly sequined dress, a fur coat, and a sheepish demeanor. Over the next hour we’d watch Lee place the pop music of the 50’s in front of a funhouse mirror. Preserving the genre’s catchy chord progressions, Lee swapped Brill Building doe-eyed innocence for a disquiet loneliness, an ethos captured throughout the night by the harsh echo of their black-and-white telecaster. Often, Lee enhanced the sound of their guitar by playing over recorded guitar already found in the backing track. This technique reached its full potential on a song about halfway through their set, when, instrument sat comfortably across their lap, Cindy Lee chewed on a solo that would have felt at home both on B.B. King’s Live at the Regal and Unwound’s Fake Train. 

Sound design and composition brought a lot to the table, but the Cindy Lee Experience ultimately hinged on their voice. It’s at once commanding yet delicate; on “Burning Candle” Lee’s voice was particularly striking, managing to be rich in tone without overpowering. The reverb-laden vocal echo found on their recorded discography was reproduced live, but in concert  their voice carried an extra layer of fragility. Imperfections in a deep falsetto merged Lee’s influences and presentation, completing their image as the tortured lounge-singing intersection of noise and pop. 

While I’m by no means as seasoned a concertgoer as many of my RDR peers are, Cindy Lee’s performance felt markedly different from most shows. At a certain point I lost all awareness that I was watching an artist perform songs they’ve no doubt performed many times throughout a grueling tour schedule. I was never fully under the impression that what I was experiencing was in any way contrived. It’s easy to picture Cindy Lee as an omnipresent fixture of downtown speakeasies and smoke-filled country club ballrooms. On any given night, should you find yourself inside such an establishment, you might make out the shape of Cindy Lee through the haze; might hear them spin tales of love lost and burning candles, might see them transcend time and place, at least for 45-60 minutes. I can only hope that Lee’s setlist was indeed composed of songs from an upcoming album, one that might be released as soon as possible.

Plus Steven and I got to ride the monorail on our way back to East Seattle. 

Written by Benjamin Fudal, whose feelings towards KEXP may or may not represent RainyDawg Radio as a whole.  

[theafrochick]

Just posting a chapter of a fic i have on Ao3 for something don't mind me. its Lukadrien if anybody wants to read it

You could feel yourself drifting off on a sea of haunting melodies the longer you lay there. The album you were listening to was proving to be more thoughtful than you had originally thought. Now that you weren't listening to it beneath dialogue and sound effects, you could sense the various moods and shifts in tone a lot better.

The song changes. The sensation of being watched creeps over you, but you weren't sure if it was the haunting melody or Jules trying to work up the nerve to ask you something. You uncover one of your ears and raise one of your legs in case she wanted to sit. “What is it?”

“Uh, I'm a little early.”

Your brow furrows in momentary confusion as you place the voice. You sit up and pull your headphones off. “Sorry, I thought you were Jules.” You smile and gesture to your room. “Make yourself at home.”

Adrien sets his bag down. “What were you listening to?” He glances around your room before sitting next to you. You stash your headphones and fish your phone out from under your pillow.

You take a moment to turn your bluetooth on and resume the song you had been listening to. “Movie soundtrack. Jules and O watched it a couple days ago. I couldn't really tell you what it was about thought, I got way to wrapped up in the music. Chilling, isn't it?”

You glance at Adrien while changing the song. He furrows his brow slightly in concentration as the beat drops. You take a moment to make a small playlist with a few other songs you were more fond of.

You had been waiting for your chance to actually talk with Adrien, but now that he was in front of you, you didn't know where to start. Marinette and the others talked about him so much it felt like you already knew him. But you didn't. You didn't know what sort of expressions he made. You didn't know what his laugh sounded like. You didn't know if he was really everything the others had built him up to be. You didn't want to let your need to know scare him off. “Adrien, right? Marinette talks about you a lot.”

“She does?” The slight crease in his brow deepens. Shit. You hadn't meant to upset him. You were under the impression that him and Marinette were close. Especially when you added in the girls always plotting to get them together.

“You don't sound to happy about it.” You shake your head slightly to yourself. No matter how you felt you weren't exactly close. Adrien might not have appreciated you trying to peak into his personal life no matter how well your intentions were. You didn't want him to feel like he was backed into a corner. “Sorry, I don't mean to pry. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, I understand.”

You catch his eye and smile.

“No, it's fine.” Adrien pauses, searching for the right words. “She's...nice.”

You exhale sharply and set your phone aside. Surely there was more to it than that? He wouldn't be put off by her talking about him if that wasn't the case. “But?”

Adrien shrugs and lays back. You splay your hands out beside you as the song changes. You nod along to the bass line while Adrien thinks. This felt so easy. “There's no but, I guess.” Adrien shrugs again. “She's nice, but I'm not interested. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but she's just not getting it.”

Marinette was a lot of things, but subtle wasn't one of them. She probably wasn't doing it intentionally, rather she still held out hope that their friendship could turn into something more. You could tell she was head over heels for him. Even if it was hard, Adrien wasn't going to get out of this if he wasn't firm with her. “Where there's love, there's bound to be heartbreak as well. You should be more direct with her. Even it it hurts now, there's no way both of you can be happy with how things are in the long term. If Marinette really loves you then she'll want you to be happy; even if it means you need to be happy with other people.”

You could feel Adrien staring at you. You were certain that was the right thing to say, but you still felt selfish saying that. He wasn't going to come to you just because he rejected Marinette, but you wished he would. You wanted to know if the Adrien you had hear dos much about was the same as the one you had sitting in front of you. You wanted to know the Adrien that was kind but also selfish. The Adrien that was charming but also crass. You wanted to know that Adrien that was smart but also a little clueless. Or maybe the Adrien that was beyond what everyone thought of, and expected, from him. You wanted to know him when he was just being him.

Adrien forces out a smile and asks, “does that mean you're going to ask her out?”

You hum thoughtfully, pretending to consider it. You supposed you were in the same boat as him. Marinette was nice but, you weren't sure you wanted to be anything more than friends. You shake your head. “Not my type.”

“Then what is your type?” You hold Adrien's gaze. Color rises to his cheeks and you hear him swallow.

“Blond...” You inch towards him. “Headstrong.” You place your hands on either side of his head. His eyes widen slightly, but he doesn't try to push you off. “Charming... maybe a little clueless.”

You swing your leg over him. “I'm not clueless.”

Adrien pouts slightly. You struggle to stifle your laughter and touch your forehead to his. “If you say so.”

You shift your right hand and run your thumb across his bottom lip. It felt like you were stealing him away. Faint notes drifted through your head and merged into the new song that started. Adrien's breathing picked up. His eyes would wander towards your mouth then back to your eyes. He shifted slightly beneath you as you place your hand back beside his head. The closer your lips came to his, the more aware you felt of him lying beneath you. What little reservations you still held about this were pushed to the back of your mind until there was nothing more than you, him, trapped in his moment.

You press your lips again his. You feel his pulse quicken to match yours as you press your chest against his. The sound of his sharp, uneven breaths mingle with your own deeper ones. He slips his hands beneath yours and intertwines your fingers.

His hands were soft, and just barely smaller than your own. His lips were soft too. The smell of his cologne started to wrap around you and it only made you want him more.

You shift your weight to your forearms and deepen the kiss. You squeeze his hands. Strands of his hair brush against the side of your face. Adrien grips your hands tighter than you would have expected. You suck in a breath, catching his bottom lip in your teeth. “Geez, you're stronger than you look.”

Adrien's eyes widen slightly and he stammers out an apology. He releases your hand and glances away. You kiss his cheek and laugh quietly. “It's fine.” You squeeze his hands again. You feel him take a breath as you trail kissed down the side of his face and to neck. He squeezes your hands again, gentler this time. You sigh his name and touch your forehead to his once again. “What am I going to do with you?”

You slip your hands from his and sit beside his head. The sound of your uneven breathing breaks the silence of your room. Fragments of his melody linger in the back of your mind. If he'd let you, you wanted to hear it again.

Adrien struggled to catch his breath again, His hand trembled slightly as he reached for your face. He strokes your cheek with his thumb and bites his lip. You wrap your hand around his fingers and turn your face into his hand, kissing his palm. You could feel his pulse still racing beneath your fingertips. “I hope I didn't overstep myself. I just... Everyone talks about you so much. When I saw you standing there it felt like I was meeting an old friend. I wanted to hear your melody for myself... I wanted to know if it could mix with mine.”

“And do they?”

You kiss his hand again. “That wouldn't be entirely up to me, would it?” You hold his gaze again. Doubt lingered at the edge of your consciousness. This felt so natural to you. But you could very well be wrong. You may have been letting your desire to know him cloud your judgement.

Adrien slides his hand up the side of your face and sits up, tangling his fingers in your hair. A flash of purple in the peripheral catches your attention as he pulls you into another kiss, but the thought was gone as soon as it had formed. Adrien shifted his grip on your as he edged closer to you. You slip your arms around him, trying to find your grip in his over-shirt. He runs his hand up your chest only to wrap his hands around the collar of your shirt and pull you closer to him. “Are you guys ready to rock?”

You flinch away from him as Rose's voice pierces through the silence. Adrien seemed just as dazed as you were for a moment. Practice had entirely slipped your mind. “I guess that's our cue.” You kiss him one last time before leaning away from him. If you lingered too close you might have been tempted to stay here for as long as you could.

Jules appear in the doorway once again. She glances between you and Adrien and shuffles her feet. “Luka can you help move the amps? W-when you're done.”

“Of course.” Jules ducks into the hall, but you could still see her shadow on the floor. You stand, and rest your hand on top of Adrien's head. His hair was soft too. “See you up there?”

“Yeah.” Adrien nods absentmindedly and smiles to himself. You follow Jules into the living room but stop short of grabbing one of the amps. “Adrien said he's going to talk to Marinette, but can you keep this a secret for now?”

Jules flips her hair back, a ghost of a smile appearing on her face as she rolls up an extension cord. “I mean, I didn't look like she stood a chance anyway. But, I'm not sure I know what you're talking about.”

You grab and amp and follow her toward the upper deck. “Thanks Jules.”

“Don't sweat it. The real question is who's gonna tell mom she's not getting grandkids?”

You peer into your room on the way by. Adrien was still sitting on your bed, off in his own little world. “We can adopt.”

“Don't give Rose any ideas. She'd turn the house into an orphanage.”

[sheabuttahwrites]

this was literally my face the whole time.

i ain’t gon’ lie, that picture had me messed up before i even started reading. but omg. mr. sir! he must be ready for a full commitment, right here, right now, no questions asked. bc why else would he fuck her like that? did it say he had my good sis among the stars? lord have mercy. 🫠 she ain’t about to be any good after this. lmao. they both already head over heels, but this sealed it. they might as well go ‘head and rent the uhaul when they get back. lmao. and all the songs finna be about her. best believe the next album already been titled My Charisma in his head. 🤣🤣🤣 i love this for them. they both deserve. especially her. 🥰 not to bring him up 😒 but her ex gonna be sick. he can choke, though.

Lost & Found: Lost Files Pt. 2

General Summary: You’re living a suffocating life and you finally find breath in Masego.

Summary: An “outside looking in perspective” of Charisma and Masego’s continued night.

Author’s Note: Hi guyssss! I’m back with a little update! I hope that you guys are all doing well as always! I’ve missed you guys! This is a continuation of “Lost & Found: Lost Files Part One”. I hope that you all enjoy!!! Please leave a comment for ya girl! You know I live for the commentary!!! Enjoy! Enjoy!!!

Laying flat on her back taking him like a pro. Her mouth open. His teeth gritted. The moans. Him, furrowed browed engraving his vows in her womb. Her back was arched as she loudly sang praises to her king. Her legs rested around his shoulders like fine drapery. He placed his hand around her neck and gave it a subtle squeeze. And she wore his hand around her neck proudly as if it was the finest jewelry. Sweat fell from his chest as he crashed into her like a summer’s rain. He grunted like a beast as he ran his tongue up her leg looking her wickedly in her eye. 

“Sweet,” he breathed along her dewy skin. Relentlessly, he plowed into her and drilled into her, totally fertilizing her soil. Her unsteady hands wrapped around his wrists as her eyes fluttered like a caged bird’s wings. Visions blessing her eyes and running down her cheeks. He elevated her to higher heights. And little did he know, she was somewhere along the stars now. He painted her like a canvas - marking her with his lust and his revere.

Like a comet falling from the sky, she crashed back down to earth and was instantly greeted with his lips. His tongue sparred with hers as his restless hands explored her body. Soon after, he flipped her like the other side of the pillow and worked her ten times over. Her bottom lip was wedged between her teeth as her hands now gripped the cotton sheets as if they held an undeniable solidity. Her chest danced like ocean waves caving in and out as he slid in and out of her. He spread her wider so that he could dig deeper as he planted kisses along her curved spine. He filled her ears with profane words ever tantalizing her. And to her, it was the prettiest sonnet.

And as the early sun greeted the sky once more, they finally collapsed. Joyfully falling into each other arms until they both drifted off into the sweetest of dreams. But there was nothing sweeter than this. That beautiful blooming and budding new love. She loved him and unknowingly to her he loved her too. 

——

Lost & Found: Lost Files Pt. 1

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