#i will say so i win you all over i loved the evermore set at eras i thought it was so beautifully done

[vogelmeister]

anyways i am feeling kinda brave today so im gonna share a potentially unpopular taylor swift hot take. when i was talking to my friend yesterday about ttpd i realised that i kinda have a similar problem with the anthology as i do with evermore.

like don't get me wrong, both have absolute gems (willow, tolerate it, long story short, gold rush and NBNC from evermore are great and i love the albatross, so high school, the prophecy black dog, manuscript etc) but i think both collections (bc anthology is not an album) suffer because they came out connected to a much superior more cohesive work, and both almost feel like rejects from the body of work that proceeded it.

[twirlingsmilingwriting]

Hunger Games Characters as Taylor Swift songs PART 2!!

I know these aren't popular like the fan fiction on my account but I love mixing my music and intrests so ima do a PART TWO

Johanna Mason

Mad Woman- Taylor Swift, Folklore

"Does a scorpion sting when fighting back? They strike to kill and you know I will"

Honestly, it's so hard to find just one lyric in this song that I felt like truly highlights her because the whole song is literally her. Especially the last verse. Like "'Cause you took everything from me, Watchin' you climb, Watchin' you climb Over people like me The master of spin Has a couple side flings Good wives always know She should be mad Should be scathing like me" THAT JUST FEELS SO MUCH LIKE HOW SHE VIEWS SNOW. He took everything from her and she was just sitting back ready to take him and the rest of the capital down with it. Also, I love her.

Katniss Everdeen

Eyes Open- Taylor Swift, Red

"In backyards, winning battles with our wooden swords. But now we've stepped into a cruel world. Where everybody stands and keeps score"

OKAY ADMITTEDLY THIS IS A SELL OUT BECAUSE THIS SONG WAS ON THE HUNGER GAMES OTHER SOUND TRACK BUT, it is quite literally her song. Side note but this song is so sad but sounds so happy. I love when Ms. Swift does songs like this. But yeah from the first verse describing how they were just kids then one day got thrown into the cruel and harsh world of the hunger games. Also the part talking about "they never thought you'd make it this far" makes so much sense because the girl from district 12 is always seen as the runt of the picks, the one who isn't supposed to win, BUT SHE DID!! Honestly, if yall can think of another song that fits her character please let me know. I have some honorable mentions

A Place in This World- Debut: honestly, I think this song really describes her thought process going into the hunger games. She was just trying to survive and keep her family safe. Even when she was thrown into being the head figure of the Revolution, she never wanted that position, she just got thrown into it. She was just walking along the path set for her. Even the line "maybe I'm just a girl on a mission but I'm ready to fly" makes sense to me because she IS the mocking jay.

Only Me When I'm With You- Debut: So Peniss coded (Peeta X Katniss)

I Know Places- 1989: Also Peniss coded

I Did Something Bad- Reputation: Killing president coin, pushing forth with the revolution,

Sujanus Plinth

Only The Young- Taylor Swift, Miss Americana

"You did all that you could do, the game was rigged, the ref got tricked, the wrong ones think they're right. You were outnumbered, this time"

Honestly, the whole thing reminds me of his reaction to the games. Also the whole song is about how only the young can change the future and Sujanus's character really showed that spirit. He was trying to make a change but unfortunately, he trusted the whole people and the odds were stacked against him.

Haymitch Abernathy

Champagne Problems- Taylor Swift, Evermore

""This dorm was once a madhouse" I made a joke, "Well, it's made for me"

He has em. Simple as that. (alcoholism)

Seriously though this song reminds me of him more so because of the concept of it. Champagne problems is a term used to describe issues that seem rather trivial, unimportant, and I feel like a lot people tend to disregard all the genuine things Haymitch had gone through. The story of the song also is about a marriage that never happened, it also has undertones of lost family and friends. As we know, Haymitch lost his girlfriend and family to the capital. He never got to marry her because she was taken from him.

Lucy Gray

My Tears Ricochet- Taylor Swift, Folklore

"And I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky. And when you can't sleep at night you hear my stolen lullabies"

LETS BE HONEST, SHE IS SO FOLK-EVERMORE CODED. I could dissect this song for ages explaining why it's the perfect example of what Lucy Gray would be saying indirectly to Snow. Firstly,

"Even on my worst day, did I deserve, babe All the hell you gave me? 'Cause I loved you, I swear I loved you 'Til my dying day"

CUZ NO SHE DID NOT DESERVE WHAT SNOW PUT HER THROUGH. She loved him truly, deeply, but when it came down to it, she knew she could never trust him. Especially with the position he put her in. She could go anywhere she wants but not home after Snow made it seem like she killed the mayors daughter. And then the part

"I didn't have it in myself to go with grace And you're the hero flying around, saving face And if I'm dead to you, why are you at the wake? Cursing my name, wishing I stayed Look at how my tears ricochet"

She didn't go with grace. She left in a flash, deep with mystery. She has to hide for the rest of her life while he gets to be the proud hero and savior to Panem. The second half of the main chorus is so true to how Coryo was acting when they were in the forest in that last scene. He was quite literally cursing her name, wishing she'd stayed.

"You know I didn't want to have to haunt you But what a ghostly scene You wear the same jewels that I gave you As you bury me"

JEWELS? HER EARRING??? HELLOOOOOOOO and then the "as you bury me" HE DOESN'T KNOW IF SHE DEAD OR NOT BUT IF SHE IS, HE KILLED HER. HE BURRED HER AND TOOK HER EARRING.

"But you would still miss me in your bones And I still talk to you (when I'm screaming at the sky) And when you can't sleep at night (you hear my stolen lullabies)"

She had such a hold on him, he still remembers her years later, haunted by her memory. the song constantly references the "Haunting". The "I still talk to you when I'm screaming at the sky" reminded me of the way the mocking jays carried her voice all around the sky. And the last line was so clearly connecting to 'The Hanging Tree' in my brain. Many years later, Katniss sang the same song she did to lead a rebellion against him. His life is haunted by her memories and cursed by it. He can't escape her anywhere.

The tears he made her spill simply ricocheted into bullets that hit him instead.

Effie Trinket

Bejeweled- Taylor Swift, Midnights

"Best believe I'm still bejeweled. When I walk in the room,I can still make the whole place shimmer"

MS. EFFIE TRINKET IS THE BADDEST BITCH BRO OMG I LOVEEEEE HER. STYLE ICON. Listen, no matter what happens to that woman, shes gonna shine. A diamonds gotta SHINE. She is always the most sparkly, eye catching person out there at ALL TIMES! Even without all the glitz and glamour she is still so iconic. She is ALWAYS bejeweled.

[foxes-that-run]

Willow

Willow is about an affair with someone she desires like a prize, she cheats to win him. The Willow Song is in Shakespeare's Othello. Harry Styles Sweet Creature also references Othello about Taylor. To People on 5 December 2023 Aaron said Taylor wrote

Due to their huge spread willows are susceptible to wind and flexible, so they have deep and strong roots. It's symbolism for a strong bond that's tenacious and grows in poor conditions. A Willow appears in Begin Again, where it was also shot a similar way.

The film clip picks up straight from Cardigan which is also about Harry. The children in the tent is a reference to Everything has Changed and Seven. In a Livestream Taylor said the film clip referenced Exile, which I think is "I've seen this film before and didn't like the ending." In Cardigan she was 'changed' but she stayed where she started, in Willow she leaves with her muse.

There are green curtains when Taylor is behind the glass, Taylor said this references Mirrorball. Harry is also behind glass in the As it was and referred to 'being behind the glass' as something others couldn't understand, separating them from other people. This is similar to the gilded cage theme. She also uses similar imagery to refer to her stolen masters for her Eras being behind glass in the Eras tour and I Can See You music video.

The dancer is from Red tour (IKYWT). The posters behind him say The Python and The Man of Fire (a Sweet Nothing and William Bowery reference, in Rolling Stone Paul McCartney told Taylor his pseudonym was Fireman). The Man of Fire is is doing the Whale. (!!)

The cloak is like the one in Ready for it and Green. They step into the Daylight at the end. The Invisible string ends in the cabin.

To Zane Lowe Taylor said:

'It felt like somebody's standing over a potion making a love potion dreaming up the person that they want and the person they desire and trying to figure out how to get that person in their life and all the kind of misdirection and bait and switch.' The complexity of seeing someone, feeling a connection wanting them and trying to make them a part of your life. It's tactical at times, it's confusing at times. I wanted to set the vibe of magical and mysterious." and "One of the main themes [of Folklore] was conflict resolution, get through something with someone, making confessions or communicating. Evermore deals a lot in endings of all sorts shapes and sizes all the kinds of ways"

To people magazine 5 December 2023 Aaron Dessner said it was the first song after folklore:

“There are so many stories I could share. When I sent Taylor the music for our song "Willow" — I think she wrote the entire song from start to finish in less than 10 minutes and sent it back to me. It was like an earthquake. Then Taylor said, "I guess we are making another album."

Othello and Sweet Creature

The Willow Song is a real folk song referred to in Shakespeare's Othello. Othello is married to Desdemona. Lago seeds doubt in Othello's mind that Desdemona has been unfaithful with Cassio. Desdemona sings part of 'The Willow Song' in which a lady mourns her true love lost, the singer dies from their false love's cruelty. As the folk song foreshadowed, Othello loses his mind and kills Desdemona in a jealous rage.

Considering Taylors comments above that Folklore is about communication (with songs like Cardigan, The 1 and Exile where she cleared some air with Harry). And her comment that Evermore is about endings, and Willow figuring out who one wants and Masterminding them into one's life. Like it's namesake, Taylor's Willow is expressing a wistful desire for a lost true love. The context implies neglect and distrusted by her partner at that time.

The Othello reference implies the object of her desire, the title of Harry Styles Sweet Creature is an Othello quote. Sweet Creature mocked CH's unwarranted belief that he had had an affair with Taylor, it also expresses Harry's love for Taylor.

I have seen analysis suggesting that Willow is retelling of Othello from Desdemona POV, but it isn't. Desdemona is an innocent victim, She's faithful and says she would not cheat for anything short of the whole world then is murdered. Taylor's character in Willow has more agency and would 'cheat to win' a trophy of man that she describes in Gold Rush. Unlike Desdemona, she has desire, which Taylor described to Zane Lowe. She is the character in the Willow Song - stuck in a false love, longing for her lost true love. It is a metaphor for Taylors own life, Sweet Creature parallel intended. Which explains the video with links to Taylor's past since Red.

Lyrics

I'm like the water when your ship rolled in that night Rough on the surface but you cut through like a knife And if it was an open-shut case I never would've known from that look on your face Lost in your current like a priceless wine

To WFPK Taylor described the couple in Coney Island and Exile as 'Ships in the Night' in having trouble communicating. A similar water theme is here. Although she is not open to a relationship, she is rough on the surface, he gets through and she wants him.

She is defenceless and lost wanting to be with him. (Wonderland: "We found wonderland, you and I got lost in it").

Wine is a theme, (spilt on many dresses (Clean), shirts (Maroon), bathtubs (Dress) and a sea here).

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh) Head on the pillow, I could feel you sneaking in As if you were a mythical thing Like you were a trophy or a champion ring And there was one prize I'd cheat to win

Life is a willow that bent to your wind is brings the symbolism of a strong, deep force that grows around and with life's interferance. She has grown around this love, bending with it over time.

She feels her muse sneaking in to her pillow, sneaking implies an affair, this is not her boyfriend but someone she desires more that has had a deep impact on her life. This is confirmed with being willing to cheat to be with this muse.

She desires him like a prize, she describes Harry with similar desirability in Gold Rush, where she is intimidated by how desired he is, here she is proud he is her man. Similar to Gold Rush which starts with 'I almost jump in' Willow started with her having a rough surface he cuts through, both body of water metaphors.

The more that you say The less I know Wherever you stray I follow

'The more you say, the less I know' refers to her confusion over being in a committed relationship. In Folklore she and Harry communicated about their past in The 1, Cardigan and Exile. She's now confused about the path she is on and questioning if she should leave her partner. In The 1 she sang "And if you wanted me, you really should've showed", he now has and she is confused.

Wherever you stray a follow is similar to Lover "can I go where you go?" Also in Treacherous "And I'll do anything you say / If you say it with your hands". Also Harry's Medicine. "If you go out tonight, I'm going out 'cause I know you're persuasive"

I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man You know that my train could take you home Anywhere else is hollow

"Begging for you take my hand" refers to:

Blank Space: "Grab your passport and my hand"

I Know Places: "Just grab my hand and don’t ever drop it"

New Romantics: "Please take my hand and please take me dancing", and

As it Was "I want you to hold out the palm of your hand / Why don't we leave it at that?"

"You know that my train could take you home" Home is an important concept between Harry and Taylor who sing about each other as home. Trains are also mentioned in Cardigan and Sad Beautiful Tragic, which Cardigan's BTS links to Cardigan.

'Anywhere else is hollow' is similar to Ready for it? "Every lover known in comparison is a failure" and Question...? "Does it feel like everything's just like second-best after that Meteor strike?" and Harry's MMIH "Once you go without it nothing else will do"

I'm begging for you to take my hand Wreck my plans That's my man

"Wreck my plans", Taylors plans were to stay with the partner that, in Willow Song, is jealous and neglectful. This muse has shown up and that's out the window.

"That's my man" refers to the cyclical nature of their relationship:

Style: And when we go crashing down we come back every time

Blank Space: "But you’ll come back each time you leave"

Out Of The Woods: "We were built to fall apart, then fall back together"

How You Get The Girl: "Broke your heart, I’ll put it back together"

This Love: "When you’re young you just run, but you come back to what you need"

Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh) They count me out time and time again Life was a willow and it bent right to your wind (oh) But I come back stronger than a 90's trend

I love this, to me the 90's trend/come back (to me) is a reference to 1989 and Style/the cycle nature of their relationship. In this part of the film clip she also references Reputation and where she was counted out and came back stronger.

Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark Show me the places where the others gave you scars Now this is an open-shut case Guess I should've known from the look on your face Every bait and switch was a work of art

Taylor further discusses how she meets her lover after dark, this is describing an affair as in Illicit Affairs.

He shares his vulnerability, where the scars are. Harry has sung of showing Taylor scars in If I could fly "I've got scars, even though they can't always be seen. And pain gets hard, but now you're here and I don't feel a thing. Pay attention, I hope that you listen cause I let my guard down. Right now I'm completely defenseless" I think she is also referring to Seven.

Taylor used 'Bait and switch in promotion for "Look at what you made me do" the bait and switch was that Reputation seemed like one thing but was about finding love through the noise. While Taylor dated Joe for the last 4 months before it's release, the album was primarily written by September 2016 before they started dating.

Taylor also referred to Zane Lowe about "The complexity of seeing someone, feeling a connection wanting them and trying to make them a part of your life. It's tactical at times, it's confusing at times." in the music video and Era's tour she has a witches gathering to use all her power and bring this muse into her life.

[oh-cramity-its-amity]

real! I used to love her (ts) but she feels very different than she used to. I’ve listened to phoebe bridgers a bit, she was good just not the type of music I usually listen to. Boy genius and Lucy Dacus are both amazing tho. They for sure deserved to win Aoty, or sia

sorry for how long this got??? i just started writing and oh whoops....

anyway- THATS what ive been saying about her unfortunately. its like after folklore/evermore things genuinely changed because of all the fame and popularity. people werent criticizing her anymore and instead overly praising her.

which isnt bad! i do think she deserves praise over folklore. the marketing of it being a suprise album was very clever too. but i think before those folklore there was a sense of criticism that people had with her music that kept her wanting to innovate it.

i have a strong believe that social media's algorithms are failing artists to innovate pop music in the same way than 00's pop music did just because of how much less artists have to lose now with their brandings. i once again bring up artpop by lady gaga and how much she lost for her idea???? and now??? gaga was really fucking killing it. her music had such creativity and passion put into it that you can SEE her drive in that. (also to know i didnt understand artpop as an album until MUCH later in my life)

but taylors lack of needing to innovate her sound due to her popularity and lack of criticism really has just shown how much her music has come to decline in quality. if you see the transition between fearless and speak now. those two albums. she TOOK the criticism that she "couldnt write her own songs" and literally flipped that narrative to write that entire album herself. and to me? arguably speak now is MY favorite taylor album.

and the transition between speak now to red to 1989 to reputation. theres SO much that happened in that sense of time. theres different sounds that make those albums what they are. 1989 was such a creative endeavor for her because it was her first step into pop music. i think was also her first time working with jack? now people say her decline on music is his fault as a producer but i dont believe his role had gotten bad until midnights. (i saw people discussing clairo's sling album because he produced it. but THEYRE WRONG. SLING IS GOOD AND HIS ERA OF BAD PRODUCING HAPPENED IN 2023(?) i forget when midnights came out ugh thats how many taylor albums we have gotten ffs)

but the breakaway and challenge 1989 gave really set up for reputation. she disappeared because of all the hate. and i think while I DONT SUPPORT that type of treatment because no one should go through that type of mental low... that really set her into a space to create more fluidly and with more passion?

lover- people will say was a flop.. and ill admit too... cruel summer?? shouldve never ever became a single. it was better as a hidden gem. but lover was good for the majority of songs!! there's still passion in it.

it was just that after folklore/evermore it felt very.... underwhelming and not like her at all. the quality slipped so so off the page. it just feels very recycled and unnecessary. especially like i said the fandom doesnt help with overconsumtion and she really truly should use her platform for more. the economy being in shambles and yet she wants to charge $700 for a concert ticket. (nothing bad if like someone WANTS to go but its genuinely ridiculous because inflation shouldnt BE like that).

not to even cover merch??? why is it so high?? shouldnt you want it to be accessible to your fans since you have so many?? vinyl prices are ridiculous but WHY is a hoodie almost $100. im sorry but like why 😭. cant we just charge $60 again?????

anyway all that to say that after the evermore era her music genuinely slipped off. im just thankful that the speak now rerecord didnt get BOTCHED as high hell. i have opinions about the vault tracks because the entire reason was to include tracks from that era and yet its like your smearing shit onto a perfectly wonderful painting and saying "look yall!! i added to this!!" wrong. wrong wrong wrong. idk. 1989's vault tracks just made me mad. it felt so unlike the vibe of what 1989 was???? and slut was NOT written at the time of 1989. come on.

timeless though off of the rerecord for speak now.... i will defend that one with my honor. i genuinely am glad speak now's vault tracks didnt get horrible treatment. i like that she kept the solo writing with the entire album. adding on fob and hayley's collabs as a callback because i really remember seeing videos of her singing sugar were going down and thats what you get during the speak now tour. it just felt like a full circle moment for that. fob's collab couldve been better but im glad it wasnt like... bad.

stilllll think matty's collab couldve been iconic on slut. even if i hate 1989's vault tracks as a whole... the 1975 does have good music. I KNOW. controversial yeah. anyway. hes got talent tho.

i found phoebe during 2020 when i was listening to a bunchhh of different artists (the 1975 too yeah). but punisher found me and i used to not be able to sleep due to anxiety/insomnia back then and i would listen to that album for months to just SLEEP.

i have a closeee bond with it. its like my favorite if not a close second of my favorite album of all time. its just really interesting?? also really valid that its not your type of music either. i just hold her stuff close. also did a english assignment on smoke signals' lyrics. i remember that. i got to say "fuck the cops" in the assignment and felt very proud of myself LMAO.

in terms of lucy- i for some reason never have gotten around to listening to her stuff?? even though i know i need to and should?? i just always somehow forget. many people have told me to but oh man i forget.

glad we can agree that they deserved album of the year btw.

sorry for the LENGTHY reply but yeah!! i might be forgetting to talk about something but askinf about my special interests (music) will always give you a lengthy answer.

[mysticalthingphantom]

Hey! I wanna get to know my Swiftie mutuals. Tell me your top 5 songs and albums from her. Feel free to go into depth/explain if you'd like!

hey!!! meowdy! ( yup, i read your bio and agree) nice to meet you! i'm sorry for all my lore but it is hard to talk about things i love without bringing personal matters with it. i feel like i can talk about taylor lyrics without trauma dumping so i am truly sorry for the things i wrote. but since you said you want to know your mutuals here i go!

TOP ALBUMS

1 - folklore: it is such an ethereal experience for me. i love how all the stories in it are connected in some way and the way she could create so many details for all the characters tbh i feel like i could have been any one of them and in some ways i am. i love how every song feels like summer rain, is comforting and vulnerable. i was the first album of her that i felt i could relate to 100%. is my all time favorite.

(now the positions after folklore vary depending of the day for me so i may change them later)

2 - the tortured poets department: i know is new and everyone is freaking out about it but for me that's one of the most honest pieces of music i have ever listen to it. i keep caught on all these debates about to whom she wrote it but is so stupid because these songs were never about anyone BUT taylor. she could have dated anyone and still wrote these masterpieces, it isn't about a man, it is about taylor swift. and she put SO MUCH of her heart in it that i can feel it. all that anger, all that pain, all that fear it all came from her. she is the artist. i know some critics say is easy to write 31 songs if they all look similar (haters gonna hate is so fucking true) but for me as an inspiring artist is a relief to know you can create different things about the same topic and don't feel ashamed about it. you can write about the same theme a thousand times and guess what? it can be a thousand times different because it will be a thousand different parts of yourself. everything about ttpd is so beautiful ( plus dead poets society references makes it perfect bc is my favorite movie)

3 - evermore: follows the folklore aesthetic and vibes. marjorie? champagne problems??? tolerate it???? Does she have a hidden camera in my backpack or something?

4 - speak now: i'm nineteen wtf she wrote something like THAT when she was nineteen?????? this album is so magical, It has some of the fantasy she later put on folklore and evermore but with more joy and cheerful melodies. listening to speak now is like opening my favorite book over and over. i wish i could be emma falling in love and i wish to live a timeless love and i wish i could sing long live with my friends/found family after winning a battle. i just love it all so much and never grown up? i listened to it when i was packing my things to move out of my hometown so you can imagine how much i relate to it. castles crumbling is also so close to my heart because i constantly feel i'm burning bridges and fucking things up. so yep all these fears of loneliness and failure goes present in this album goes deep .

5 - midnights: as a HUGE fan of the moon ( the moon is my true soulmate and i don't care if it "just a sattelite"or a "bunch of rocks and dust glued together" because guess what? i'm also a bunch of universal dust glued together) the whole celestial aesthetic of the album hits me like a train. all these confessions, these letters, these maniacal thoughts i have after the sun sets are not only mine. i love how she hugged me through these lyrics and showed me that everyone is haunted by ghosts after midnight. but the night time isn't just a place for nightmares, there is also hope, and joy and good dreams.

TOP SONGS

1 - mirrorball : since the first time i listened to it all i could think about is "someone finally sees me"

2 - the archer: she saw right through me. i am so scared of being seen because if someone sees me, if someone truly knows me it would hurt 1000 times more being rejected by them.

3 - you're on your own, kid: i lost all my friends after high school, literally no one of the fucking people i used to talk to every day and go to their houses and remember their birthdays. all of the people i used to open up to, the people i used to cry and laugh with just didn't reach out anymore and i know it is half my fault but it made me realize how truly alone i am as a human. It doesn't matter how much you connect with someone you are always on your own at the end of the day and she literally summarized that feeling in a fucking song.

4 - i can do it with a broken heart: because you still can be a mirrorball even when the ones you built the show for have left.

5 - the lakes: dead poets society vibes and i'm also a poet and i also want to run away.

6 - renegade: (you asked for 5 but here is a bonus track for you haha <3) i sing that song is a platonic way because it translates so much of my relationships with my friends and family. i sing along thinking about them and i know they could sing thinking about me because of trauma and miscommunication is such a top topic in all that.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Devotional Hours Within the Bible

by J.R. Miller

The King in Zion (Psalm 2)

“Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. “Let us break their chains,” they say, “and throw off their fetters.” The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, “I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will proclaim the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed.”

Men have always been ready to conspire against God. They think of Him as like themselves, as one they can oppose, one whose authority they can reject. To us, with our thought of God as the glorious King of all the world, opposition to Him is the worst folly. What can puny man do to resist God’s power, or to interfere with His sway? Yet evermore does heaven behold the spectacle described in the opening of this Psalm: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?”

There are two possible meanings in this “Why?” It may suggest the folly of such opposition. Or it may indicate the enormity of it. It does seem strange that the world so hates God. What has He ever done to hurt anyone? If He were a cruel despot, like many of earth’s own kings it would not be strange if men hated Him. If He were a Nero, or a Caligula, or a Diocletian, or a Napoleon, it would not be surprising if the nations dreaded Him and if His name aroused rage. But never was there any other king so gentle, so loving.

The prophet foretold the reign of the Messiah as most kindly and gracious. He would not break a bruised reed. He would not lift up His voice in the street. He would not strive nor cry out. He comes not to destroy men’s lives but to save them. His reign is one of love.

A glance over the pages of the Gospels will show us how He fulfilled the Messianic prediction. He went about doing good, healing all manner of sickness, comforting sorrow. The “program of Christianity,” the work of Christ in this world, is mapped out in these words of the prophet Isaiah: “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.”

Does it not seem strange, therefore, that the mention of the name of Christ causes such rage among the nations and peoples of the world? Why do the people not love Him? Why does the gentleness of His reign not win men to loyalty and affection? What is there in Him that makes the world dislike Him? Yet from the day He came into the world unto the present He has been rejected and despised. When Herod heard of the birth of the King he trembled with anger and slew all the infants of the town in which He was said to be, in hope of destroying the hated One .

All through His life it was the same. He did nothing but good, and yet the rulers ceased not to plot against Him, until at last they nailed Him to the cross! It is not otherwise today. The gospel breathes only love, and yet it is met by many with hate, scorn, and rage. Why is it? Why do the nations rage? “Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.” The words tell of revolt. They will defy His rule and cut themselves off from obedience to Him. They treat Him as if His rule were cruel and inhuman.

“He who sits in the heavens shall laugh! The Lord shall have them in derision.” The picture of God sitting on His throne in heaven, laughing at man’s puny efforts to frustrate His plans is a very striking one. It suggests to us the calm quiet of God in the face of men’s opposition. Can a man put up his hand and arrest the lightning bolt as it flies athwart the sky? Can he stand beside the sea and with his puny arm hurl back the waves that come rolling from the great deep? And can man resist omnipotence or defeat the divine purpose?

Look at the outcome of Herod’s plot to kill the infant Jesus. What came of the rage of the Jewish rulers who finally nailed Jesus on the cross? It only carried out God’s counsel and exalted Him to be a Prince and a Savior. So always, persecution has but advanced Christianity, not destroying it, not hindering its progress. The rage of infidels has resulted in strengthening what they sought to destroy. We need not be afraid, when the enemies of Christ seem to triumph. God is not disturbed on His throne. His plans go on in unbroken fulfillment. He laughs at men’s plots and schemes against Him.

“Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.” It is a suggestive thought that even this Son of God, exalted on His throne, must ask for the inheritance that was promised to Him.

We get the lesson that no blessing comes to us but through our own prayer. The clearest, plainest promises must be taken up and claimed. They are checks which must be presented at the bank, before payment will be made. Promises do not mean anything to us until they are believed and then pleaded before God.

We know that Christ claimed the Father’s promise. Before He ascended He said, “All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.” Paul tells us that having humbled Himself to death on the cross, God has also exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow and every tongue confess that Christ is Lord.

So all nations are Christ’s. He is the rightful King of all lands. This ought to be an encouraging truth for all missionaries, and in all missionary work. India and China and Africa and the islands of the sea belong to Christ. They have been given to Him by His Father. In going into those lands and preaching the gospel, the missionary is but claiming Christ’s own for Him. So in offering Christ to any man and asking him to accept Him as Savior and Lord, we are only asking one of Christ’s rightful subjects to own his allegiance, to receive his true King.

This word has also its glorious assurance of the success of Christ’s kingdom on the earth. God will surely give Him the nations for His inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for His possession, because He has promised to do so. Not a Word of God can ever be broken. Heaven and earth may pass away but not the smallest of God’s Words shall ever pass away.

“Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.” The only true and wise thing to do is to submit in love and reverence to this glorious King. Those who will not yield to Him, shall be broken with a rod of iron. Gentle as He is, He is also just. Defiance of Christ can have only one outcome. It can end only in the utter destruction of those who lift up their hands in rebellion. Easily as a potter’s vessel is dashed in pieces when hurled against the rock shall the proudest human strength be crushed and destroyed by the power of Christ!

Submission, therefore, to this heaven-ordained King is the only wise course for anyone. Submission brings life and great gladness. “Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.” He makes them joint-heirs with Him. They sit with Him on His throne. They enjoy all the privileges of sonship. “All are yours; and you are Christ’s; and Christ is God’s.” We should all therefore submit to Christ, the Son of God, and become His subjects.

[dontlikeadam]

Evermore

My personal scoring system. 0-10 on how related to Matty and the situation I believe it is. 0= not at all, 10= totally fits

Willow: (10/10)

Taylor said this song was supposed to be like "placing a spell on someone" making them fall in love with you.

"The more that you say, the less I know" Accurate.... That fits both her and Matty

"I'm begging for you to take my hand, wreck my plans, that's my man"

"And there was one prize I'd cheat to win" I think she would always go to him whenever he wanted.

"You know that my train could take me home" train reference

"Wait for the signal and I'll meet you after dark. Show me the places where the others gave you scars" Still a secret, and obviously still seeing other people.

Champagne Problems (7/10)

William Bowery Written Song/ Joe?

"You booked the night train for a reason"

"dropped your hand while dancing"

Sincerity is Scary "After your show when you let go of my hand"

"This dorm was once a madhouse. I made a joke, 'well it's made for me'."

"She would've made such a lovely bride. Its a shame she's fucked in the head"

Gold Rush (8/10)

Originally always assumed to be Joe, but we were sort of confused by the lyrics.

"Eyes like sinking ships on waters, so inviting, I almost jump in"

"I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch. Everybody wants you. Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you. Walk past, quick brush"

"At dinner parties, I call you out on your contrarian shit" Sounds like Matty

"And then it faded into the grey of my day old tea, cause it could never be"

"What must it be like to grow up that beautiful. Your hair falling into place like dominos. My mind turns your life into folklore. I can't to dream about you anymore". Him and those curls...

'tis the damn season (5/10)

Going back to an old love. The set up similar to go home after for the holidays.

"If I wanted to know who you were hanging with when I was gone, I would have asked you"

"The road not taken looks real good now"

"We could call it even. You could call me 'babe' for the weekend. Tis the damn season. Write this down"

"I won't ask you to wait, if you don't ask me to stay"

"So I'll go back to LA and the so-called friends who'll write books about me if I ever make it and wonder about the only souls, who can tell which smiles I'm faking"

"Time flies, messy as the mud on your truck tires"

Tolerate It (5/10)

Assumed to be Joe and them falling apart.

Could be either.

No overly specific lyrics. She does say "you're so much older and wiser" - could mean older and wiser than her, or so much older and wiser then they were when they met.

"I take your indiscretions all in good fun" which could fit Matty

Themes of complacence, indifference, infidelity. Could also be written about a friends story and what they were going thru, which is what we initially thought that the time.

No Body No Crime (0/10) w/ HAIM

A more country style song, since that was what HAIM wanted to do. Old school country song plot line.

Friends all working together to kill the man that tries to cover up the fact he killed their best friend (his wife).

Happiness (3/10)

Ending of a longer serious relationship that never fit Taylors experiences that we knew of. (7 year relationship. Would have been back in 2012/2013) Not an angry song, very forgiving.

Was always thought to be related to a friends divorce.

Does share the title with The 1975's happiness, but this was recorded first.

Dorothea (0/10)

Always thought to be about Selena Gomez.

Coney Island (3/10)

William Bowery written song

Break-up type song, falling apart

"and it this is the long haul, how'd we get here so soon?"

"Did I close my fist around something delicate" relating back to the song Delicate?

"Sorry for not making you my centerfold, over and over"

"What's a lifetime of achievement' If I pushed you to the edge, but you were too polite to leave me?"

"Cause we were like the mall before the internet, we were the one place to be. The mischief, the gift wrapped suburban dreams" Suburban Dreams

"Did I paint you bluest skies the darkest gray?"

"and when I got into the accident, the site that flashed before me was your face" "But when I got up to the podium, I forgot to say your name" - The only ancient we ever knew about was Harry as far as I remember. Unsure if Joe was in any accidents.

Ivy (7/10)

"My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand. Taking mine, but its been promised to another"

"I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland. My house of stone, your ivy grows and now I am covered in you".

"He's in the room. Your opal eyes are all I wish to see. He wants what's only yours"

"What would he do if he found us out?"

"He's gonna burn this house to the ground" burning down the lover house for Era's tour?

"How's one to know. I'd live and die for moments that we stole"

"So tell me to run or dare to sit and watch what we'll become and drink my husbands wine" Obviously cheating on someone you are very serious with.

"So yeah its a fire, its a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it"

"So yeah its a war, its the goddamn fight of my life and you started it"

Cowboy Like Me (9/10)

This one has been a popular one to connect to Matty. His random love of cowboy hats from time to time doesn't help.

At the NME awards, Mattys acceptance speech included that one of his heroes considers there to be two categories of art. Cowboys and Farmers. Cowboys being the ones who like to go out and find new passages. Taylor was in attendance for these awards. They were 2019, right before Covid. Matty would have just started dating Twigs, and this may have been around when Joe and Taylor were falling apart.

She also say's "Im never gonna love again" 4 times in this song. Matty also says "I'm never gonna love again" 4 times in happiness (shares its title with a Taylor wong) and wears a cowboy hat in the music video.

"And the tennis court was covered with some tent-like thing. You asked me to dance, but I said dancing is dangerous game" Covered up? Like a fort? hahahahah

"I've got tricks up my sleeve, takes one to know one"

"You had some tricks up your sleeve, takes one to know one"

"you're a bandit like me, eyes full of stars, hustling for the good life, never thought I'd meet you here"

"and the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up"

"And the ladies lunching have their stories about when you passed though town, but that was all before I locked it down"

Long Story Short (7/10)

"and I fell from the pedestal, right down the rabbit hole, long story shot it was a bad time" GIRL I FEEL YOU. But also this could have been relating back to the year between 1989 and Rep. When she was being attacked by everyone.

"clung to the nearest lips, long story short it was the wrong guy, now I'm all about you" Clung to Joe because she wasn't doing well and had been almost cancelled?

"When I dropped my sword, I threw it in the bushes and knocked on your door. And we live in peace, but if someone comes at us. This Time I'm ready" This time she was prepared for the backlash? Prepared for the attacks?

"No more keeping score, now I just keep you warm" "No more tug of war now, I just know there's more" Someone she was playing games with.

"And he's passing by, rare as the glimmer as a comet in the sky. And he feels like home. If the shoe fits, walk in it everywhere you go"

Marjorie (0/10)

For her Grandmother.

Closure (9/10)

"Its been a long time, and seeing your name, still spell out pain"

"It wasn't right, how it all went down, looks like you know that now"

"Yes, I got your letter" - The 1975's All I Need to Hear Connection " I wrote you a letter, it was no use at all"

"Yes, Im doing better, it cut to deep to know you"

"I'm friend with my spite and my beers and my candles"

"I know I'm just a wrinkle in your new life. Staying "friends" would iron it out so nice"

"Guilty, Guilty reaching out across the sea, that you put between you and me. But its fake and its so unnecessary"

Evermore

William Bowery written song.

Gray November. I've been down since July. Motion Capture

She addresses months in this song like they are people. Months could relate to a different people? This is a song I never really could nail down a thought on honestly.

Overall a song with sad vibes, depression, thing falling apart.

Right Where You Left Me (Deluxe) (2/10)

"Friends break up, friends get married"

"But I'm right where you left me"

"Help I'm still at the restaurant. Still sitting in the corner I haunt"

"I swear you could hear a hair pin drop, right when I felt the moment stop" She has been wearing hair pins again.

"They expected to me find somewhere, some perspective, but I sat and stared. Right where you left me"

"You left me no choice but to stay here forever"

'Time went on for everybody else. She won't know it. She's still 23 inside her fantasy, how it was supposed to be" Taylor was 23 in 2012 so around Connor Kennedy/ Harry Styles

It's Time To Go (Deluxe) (0/10)

Reviews multiple situations when you just know it's over and time to move on.

Commonly thought to be about her label and the issues she had with them.

"He's got my past frozen behind glass, but i've got me" Him holding onto her old music.

[continentnews]

Taylor Swift Leaves Fans Elated with '1989 (Taylor's Adaptation)' Declaration and Captivating Execution

In a shocking presentation of melodic ability and appreciation, Taylor Swift delighted her dedicated fans during her last Los Angeles Periods Visit show on Wednesday.

As the acoustic section of her show unfurled, the pop symbol, clad in differing shades of blue suggestive of her 2014 collection "1989," revealed an unexpected that left fans in sheer bliss. Swift, known for her thoughtful re-accounts, declared the impending re-arrival of her Grammy-winning pop introduction. The crowd emitted with praise and a thunderous applause that appeared to resound forever.

Swift offered her ardent thanks, saying, "The last time that I was so agreeably amazed by some stuff that you folks did was the point at which I declared that I would have been re-recording… I needed to possess my music." Her assurance to recover her imaginative manifestations reverberated profoundly with fans who had earnestly upheld her excursion.

The zenith of the night showed up when, against the setting of her music, Swift uncovered the cover craftsmanship and delivery date of "1989 (Taylor's Variant)." The group was entranced as she then sent off into a hypnotizing execution of the fan-most loved track "New Sentimental people."

Taking to her Instagram account later, Swift shared her excitement, pronouncing this re-recording to be her number one because of the consideration of "5 From the Vault" tracks, a contribution that pleased her devotees.

All through the show, Swift shared close to home reflections, facetiously cautioning the crowd of her wealth of sentiments attached to the last demonstration of this visit leg. The truthfulness of her feeling was discernible as she drew in with the group, making an otherworldly connection between the stage and her admirers.

A zenith snapshot of the night unfurled during the "evermore" section when Swift, situated at the piano, performed "Champagne Issues." The group's reaction was a stunning thunderous applause that continued for eight minutes, a demonstration of the significant association between the craftsman and her fans.

Overpowered by the reaction, Swift shouted, "What's happening with you? Individuals have feelings. You're playing with them at this moment. I love you so much." Her real appreciation and wonder epitomized the remarkable experience that the night typified.

Swift, known for her liberality, as of late presented more than $55 million in rewards to her visit team, a motion that mirrors her obligation to the people who make her shows conceivable.

Her exceptionally expected visit, sent off in Spring, exhibited a striking 44-melody setlist spreading over 17 years of her renowned songwriting vocation. The show saw shock appearances, paramount minutes, and a large group of striking participants, reaffirming Swift's permanent effect on the universe of music and diversion.

Once more with the declaration of "1989 (Taylor's Rendition)" and the extraordinary presentation of association and feeling at her last LA show, Taylor Swift exhibits her masterfulness and her unmatched bond with fans.

[succyobsessions]

My Fav Sapphic Ships + Taylor Swift Songs

1. Dani x Jamie (The Haunting of Bly Manor)

The Lakes— Folklore

“Take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die

I don't belong, and my beloved, neither do you”

“I want auroras and sad prose

I want to watch wisteria grow right over my bare feet

'Cause I haven't moved in years

And I want you right here

A red rose grew up out of ice frozen ground

With no one around to tweet it

While I bathe in cliffside pools

With my calamitous love and insurmountable grief”

“I'm setting off, but not without my muse

No, not without you”

2. Calliope x Juliette (First Kill)

Don’t Blame Me— Reputation

“Don't blame me, love made me crazy

If it doesn't, you ain't doin' it right

Lord, save me, my drug is my baby

I'll be usin' for the rest of my life”

“For you, I would cross the line

I would waste my time

I would lose my mind

They say, ‘She's gone too far this time’”

“And baby, for you, I would fall from grace

Just to touch your face

If you walk away

I'd beg you on my knees to stay”

3. Shoni—Shelby x Toni (The Wilds)

Wonderland— 1989

“Flashing lights and we

Took a wrong turn and we

Fell down a rabbit hole

You held on tight to me

'Cause nothing's as it seems”

“Didn't they tell us don't rush into things?

Didn't you flash your green eyes at me?

Haven't you heard what becomes of curious minds?”

“So we went on our way

Too in love to think straight

All alone or so it seemed

But there were strangers watching

And whispers turned to talking

And talking turned to screams”

“We found wonderland

You and I got lost in it

And life was never worse but never better”

4. Emaline x Kate (Everything Sucks!)

Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince— Lover

“It's been a long time coming but

It's you and me

That's my whole world

They whisper in the hallway, ‘she's a bad, bad girl’ (okay!)”

“It's you and me

There's nothing like this

Miss Americana and The Heartbreak Prince (okay!)

We're so sad, we paint the town blue

Voted most likely to run away

With you”

“And I'll never let you (go)

'Cause I know this is a (fight)

That someday we're gonna (win)”

5. Mae x George (Feel Good)

State Of Grace— Red

“So you were never a saint

And I've loved in shades of wrong

We learn to live with the pain

Mosaic broken hearts

But this love is brave and wild

And I never (never)

Saw you coming

And I'll never (never)

Be the same”

“This is a state of grace

This is the worthwhile fight

Love is a ruthless game

Unless you play it good and right

These are the hands of fate

You're my Achilles heel

This is the golden age of something good and right and real”

6. Deena x Sam (Fear Street Trilogy)

Dancing With Our Hands Tied— Reputation

“I, I loved you in secret

First sight, yeah, we love without reason”

“I could've spent forever with your hands in my pockets

Picture of your face in an invisible locket

You said there was nothing in the world that could stop it

I had a bad feeling”

“I, I loved you in spite of

Deep fears that the world would divide us

So, baby, can we dance

Oh, through an avalanche?

And say, say that we got it

I'm a mess, but I'm the mess that you wanted”

“Yeah, we were dancing

Dancing with our hands tied, hands tied

Yeah, we were dancing

(Ooh, we had our hands tied)

And I had a bad feeling

But we were dancing”

7. Idgie x Ruth (Fried Green Tomatoes)

Ivy— Evermore

“Oh, goddamn

My pain fits in the palm of your freezing hand

Taking mine, but it's been promised to another

Oh, I can't

Stop you putting roots in my dreamland

My house of stone, your ivy grows

And now I'm covered in you”

“What would he do if he found us out?

Crescent moon, coast is clear

Spring breaks loose, but so does fear

He's gonna burn this house to the ground”

“How's one to know?

I'd live and die for moments that we stole

On begged and borrowed time”

“So yeah, it's a fire

It's a goddamn blaze in the dark

And you started it

You started it

So yeah, it's a war

It's the goddamn fight of my life

And you started it

You started it”

————

Click Here For My Fav MLM Ships + Taylor Swift Songs

[path-of-my-childhood]

About “Birch”: Honestly, it was like the most natural thing. With Birch we didn't actually even talk about it, it was that she had heard the song because Justin and I made Birch sort of before we started working on Folklore. So there was a version, it wasn't done but there was a pretty good version of it. And when Taylor and I started working together I showed her a lot of stuff I was working on, including Big Red Machine cause she's been a fan of the first Big Red Machine record. So she heard Birch and just fell in love with the song. And I think she much have been singing along to it, you know - she listens to a lot of music and she has a very obviously amazing mind for music and I think she just locked into what Justin was doing. So when we were finishing Folklore, it was actually the day that we recorded remotely “the 1″ and “hoax” I think, it was the last day of tracking of vocals on Folklore, and she at the end was like, 'Do you have Birch? Cause I have some ideas.' So I just opened it. Literally, that's how it happened. In one or two takes, she just nailed those harmonies and added these emphasis points. 

About “Renegade”: Renegade is a different story cause it was after we had finished Evermore. By that point, I started to dive back in Big Red Machine stuff, sort of feverishly, cause with Folklore and Evermore we made so many songs over those several months and it was such a whirlwind and I kind of set aside Big Red Machine for quite a while. But then both Just and Taylor and other friends were sort of like feeling like it was so much there and I dived back into it. I think it was in Taylor's mind to write a song for Big Red Machine, so she really wrote Renegade for Big Red Machine after Evermore. And I think that the energy in “Renegade,” and the production of it, and the way it feels and what it's about really connected to this record, so it made a lot of sense. I was obviously very grateful and moved when she sent that to me and then Justin added his parts. And again, they still haven't met but they sing so well together.

On the success of Folklore and Evermore: Taylor and I do talk about it, how crazy it is that that all happened. Cause I think to her also it's crazy, not so much in terms of winning the Grammy, she's won a lot of Grammys. I think more in terms of just this weird thing of how out of nowhere, these two albums happened. And no one was influencing them or, it was like a cocoon, we were on this weird life raft, just making these things and a lot of people have heard them and fell in love with them obviously, but at that time it felt like... I don't know, I would love it if every day felt like that.

About Taylor and Matt Berninger as songwriters: Yeah, both of them are truly gifted writers, in different ways but I think they both tap into something that's human and they have a powerful way of expressing aspects of life that we can all relate to and that storytelling... I mean, Taylor is more of a storyteller I would say, Matt is more cryptic sometimes with his lyrics. But I think they are both really, truly gifted lyricists and I empathize with what they write. That's what I love the most, when you write the songs with someone and their words take on meaning in your own life and you have your own interpretation of them. With Taylor, you know... like “’Tis the Damn Season” - that's not about me in any way but like, I feel so connected to it, I can't explain it. It just feels like that feeling, it sounds like the feeling of missing something in your past or when you go home at Christmas time and there's weird longing. But she somehow captures it.

[gossipgirls]

I LOVE EVERY PART OF YOU: a playlist for chuck & blair in season 5

01. lovesong by adele - “however far away, i will always love you; however long i stay, i will always love you; whatever words i say, i will always love you.” // 02. was i for you? by night beds - “was i for you? cause i’ll still for you; i’m all for you in my heart.” // 03. halcyon by ellie goulding - “i know it’s not over; baby, i worked this out for sure; it’s gonna be colder, now you’ve forced open the door; i know you better than i ever have before, i know you.” // 04. shrike by hozier - “i couldn’t utter my love when it counted, but i’m singing like a bird ’bout it now.” // 05. hope avenue by stars - “pick apart my words as i’m watching you move on; bitter pills that i’m swallowing, choking; but you’re better, but you’re better on your own for a while.” // 06. heart skipped a beat by the xx - “it’s been a while and you’ve found someone better, but i’ve been waiting too long to give this up; the more i see, i understand, but sometimes, i still need you.” // 07. **heartlines by florence + the machine - “your heart is the only place that i call home; can i be returned? you can, you can, we can.” // 08. i am easy to find by the national - “there’s a million little battles that i’m never gonna win anyway; i’m still waiting for you every night with ticker tape.” // 09. **slow by grouplove - “it’s you who brought me here, you through all these years.” // 10. **somebody that i used to know by gotye - “that was love and it’s an ache i still remember.” // 11. i always knew by the vaccines - “it’s you; oh, it’s always you; oh, i always knew; oh, it’s you.” // 12. **we are young by fun. - “let’s set the world on fire; we can burn brighter than the sun.” // 13. this love by taylor swift - “these hands had to let it go free and this love came back to me.” // 14. **shells of silver by the japanese popstars - “there’s a howling that stays beneath my skin.” // 15. cardigan by taylor swift - “i knew you’d come back to me.” // 16. wait by m83 - “there’s no end; there is no goodbye.” // 17. old money by lana del rey - “those summer nights seem long ago and so is the girl you used to call the queen of new york city, but if you send for me, you know i’ll come.” // 18. **video games by lana del rey - “singing in the old bars, swinging with the old stars, living for the fame. kissing in the blue dark, playing pool and wild darts, video games.” // 19. untouchable by taylor swift - “you gotta come on, come on, say that we’ll be together; come on, come on, little taste of heaven.” // 20. evermore by taylor swift - “can’t not think of all the cost or the things that will be lost; oh, can we just get a pause? to be certain we’ll be tall again.”

LISTEN: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0CbJmLV91lEUjOyzvWdVxm?si=c9b48b62c6ee4390

[mobagehelllocal]

“lucky ending” extra notes i & iii

Hi, I said I would do it but then I released ver i so long ago that I felt I shouldn't do this unless I had another version out at least so yay! finally! ... I'll add ver ii here when I get around to writing it... *shifty eyes* So as usual, this is just my thought process and ideas while writing lol.

*please do not read if you haven’t read “lucky ending” ver i (dorm leaders) & ver iii (rook & lilia).

It was inspired by an anon ask and the button tradition from Japanese schools.

The anon ask went like this: First at all, I like do much your writing and I hope you are doing well. Second, I was wondering what would happen if the MC (Fem!s/o I guess) decided to not go back to her world, like she decide stay with her villain? Can you do make headcanons of this for the dorm leaders? Thank you very much. – from Anonymous

The button tradition, as narrated by the first years, is done when one person confesses and the other responds by giving them the button closest to their heart. In most Japanese uniforms it’s the second uniform, but in Twisted Wonderland--I looked at the ceremonial robes and the closest button should be the fifth. Maybe. I could be wrong. 

The songs I listened to while writing this! 

The original dorm leaders (and Rook) was written while listening to “Lucky Ending”, the ending theme of Fruits Basket. The English lyrics (translated by otenkiame!) are: 

“Change is important. I want to do it well,/ but I wanna cry. It's still bad. I wanna cry” 

“The word "goodbye" has disappeared completely from this world/ All that remains is me fooling around next to you/A day you don't laugh won't come anymore”

“I've understood it since being here/ These feelings of wanting to protect you aren't a misunderstanding/ If we can call what connects us bonds,/ everything changes/ everybody changes/ Even if in a different world, it'll never be different/ everything changes/ everybody changes/ Don't change, ever/ Stay here, stay here”

I think it’s obvious why I chose to use this as the title of the series. It’s a story about change but it’s also a story about the things you don’t want to change... And I think it’s not wrong to want to hold onto things. 

I also listened to the same playlist that I listened to while writing “wendy?” “hello peter pan”:

“Can’t help falling in love” cover by Annapantsu, “If you’re not the one” by David Beddingfield, “Who Knew” by P!nk and “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift. 

For Lilia in particular, I was listening to three Beauty and the Beast songs on loop. “Evermore” by Josh Groban, “Days in the Sun” by the live action cast and, of course--”How does a moment last forever” by Celine Dion.

“How does a moment last forever?/ How can a story never die?/ It is love we must hold onto/ Never easy, but we try/ Sometimes our happiness is captured/ Somehow, our time and place stand still/ Love lives on inside our hearts and always will”

Also for Lilia, Tolerate It by Taylor Swift.

“You're so much older and wiser and I/ I wait by the door like I'm just a kid”

“I made you my temple, my mural, my sky/Now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life”

Malleus was definitely the first piece finished. Closely followed by Vil’s. I believe there was a gap inbetween them before I did the others? I wrote bits and pieces of Leona, Idia, Kalim and Azul’s. I think I finished Leona, Idia, Kalim then Riddle because I distinctly remember saving Azul for last. 

One of the most important things for me, is that each story stands distinct of each other. So I gave myself a really hard time trying to figure out how each one uniquely belonged to each of the characters.

For the Prologue... I think because it’s set at the graduation of certain characters, I used that to my advantage and implied the stronger bonds between the Yuu!Reader and the entirety of the cast. Because a lot of time has passed and I feel like--regardless of what other people believe, bonds will be made and relationships will have strengthened enough for it to happen. 

Riddle is honestly another really difficult character for me to write. I generally do love him and I enjoy his story, but something about him is difficult and I’m not sure why. 

I think a part of me is also really miffed because from Heartslabyul-Savanaclaw, you could feel that Riddle really cared for Yuu on some level but then he just straight up disappears come Octavinelle chapter. I feel like there was potential to develop their relationship even more. 

He WENT UP AND TIED YOUR RIBBON I REMEMBER I WENT DOKI DOKI OVER THAT. 

I feel like because I’ve established that it’s a Yuu!Reader, it’s impossible for this story to not include both Ace and Deuce. So of course they featured in really big roles for this one, being responsible for telling Riddle the story.

I have to thank my friend, Mes, for bouncing ideas with me. They were the one who suggested what I could do with Riddle’s story by having ADeuce play such a big part!

I also tried my hardest to include Trey and Cater, and I’m pretty happy with their cameo. In a way, they definitely helped Riddle figure out his own feelings for you. 

My favourite lines are: “I think you earned that much. I don’t believe anyone’s ever been in your situation before so—there’s no right or wrong about what you’re doing. It’s all about what you want to do.”

I wish someone would tell this to Yuu in general though. They’re the only one who has ever been in their situation (to our knowledge at least) and like... they’re definitely allowed to be even more selfish. 

Leona is someone who I used to dislike a lot. I never hid that. It’s primarily because of how disappointed I am in the story of Savanaclaw probably. But like, I was always concerned about writing him properly because I thought that it was only right that I did right by him, because there would be people reading these stories who loved him. And I felt like I had to do right by that love. 

I think... it’s wrong to believe that characters... villains... cannot fall in love or “won’t fall in love.” I think it’s wrong also to think that “people don’t change for love.” 

In fact, people do change. You definitely shouldn’t change yourself to be loved, but... people change all the time to be their “better” selves. So whose to say that a good person, who you love, will not make you want to improve yourself? Isn’t that what we want when we meet people? To fall in love with someone who will ultimately make you better and never worse. 

Or so that’s how I try to write the Twisted characters when they fall in love... With an understanding that “morally” the person they are falling for is “kind” and “good” and how a part of them might just want to be better just for that person. (Especially Leona and Azul). They don’t necessarily have to be nice to everyone, but if they can be better for one person... We stan healthy character growth.  

But yeah, Leona is driven by understanding that he’s a very selfish person. But that he’s also very unfortunate and he doesn’t want tie you with someone who, he thinks, is actually worthless. He probably, deeply, thinks you deserve more.

Though his selfishness eventually wins out and well... Won’t you forgive him for it? :) For tying you down to this worthless second prince? 

I think his own self-awareness does make him try harder. Not for everyone or everything... but for you. Just for you. I think that would be Leona’s love language--spending time with you, trying for you.

He’d appreciate if you didn’t call him out on it though, that would be very embarrassing. 

Looking back, I’m surprised that it was the only version where none of the other boys from his dorm showed up lol. Which means Ruggie is the sole character who has yet to appear in the “lucky ending” series, huh.

My favourite lines from his story that still leaves me breathless and patting my past self in the back: ““I’m home—” you said—even if a part of you felt that home should have been two green eyes, a cocky smirk, and a warm patch of sunlight on the grassy ground.”

Like honestly, what was I on? Who was she?

Azul is, like Leona, someone who is so keenly aware of the things he’s lacking. In fact, he’s someone who thinks he’s lacking when he’s probably perfect in some aspects. He might act proud but a part of him--I think--thinks its not enough. It’s never enough. He can certainly do better still.

In that light, it’s why he thinks he’s undeserving of a partner. Especially one who is “kind” and “understanding.” While ultimately, Azul deserves people in his life who are that and “accepting” of him--I think he still thinks he doesn’t. 

And thats why he lets go of the Yuu!Reader. It’s why he doesn’t “chase” after her like Leona did.

It’s because he’s selfish, because he wants her--that he forces himself to let go. 

Azul needs someone who’ll tell him that he is worth something and that he’s definitely worth the effort. So please praise him a lot until he’s crying in happiness. I’m sure it’s the one thing he’s always wanted to hear from people around him.

Also my Poly!Octavinelle Agenda has never died and I am pleased Past!Ai got away with so much Poly!Octa hints in this story lol. But honestly, regardless of wht Octavinelle says... god, you can tell they genuinely care about each other.

I recently rewatched Octavinelle’s chapter and... by god, the amount of things I missed out on first watch. Jade’s concern when he realized Azul wanted to get rid of that photo... The fact Floyd was so willing to drop the fight to return to Azul too... Anyways, Poly!Octa Agenda for life.

Favourite lines: “Azul’s pathetic whimpers turned into guttural sobs. His fingers spread to cover his eyes—and his glasses slid off his face, down to his lap and then to the ground—at his actions. His whole body shook as he cried his heart out.”

It’s not as poetic as a lot of my other favourites, but for some reason these lines always get me when I reread them. There’s something so visceral about it. 

Azul’s piece is probably the least visually stimulating out of all these stories? His was so emotionally driven compared to the others and I worried a lot about that.

I think I remember I was crying so badly as I was writing this. 

Kalim is really hard for me because I feel like I struggle a lot with finding conflict in his character? He’s such a genuinely nice person, I find it hard to believe that the Yuu!Reader would feel alienated from him or something. So I brought in “environment” to get in the way. 

My use of celestial imagery for Kalim is because of the Scarabia trailer! I really loved how it put Kalim as the sun and Jamil as the moon. I definitely will take advantage of that when I get around to writing for Jamil.

So because I wanted to use the sun, I chose to use the idea of comets for Kalim? I think I remember something about how meteors are drawn to the gravitation pull of the sun and can “escape” it or “be destroyed” by it. Haha, hot. 

Jamil is someone who ultimately cares about Kalim too and I had fun writing his banter with the Yuu!Reader. I think I wanted to decribe the shadows licking his face reminscent to the marks from his Overblot but... I felt like doing that would give Jamil too much focus so I ultimately decided against it.

It would’ve been hot though. 

Oh yes, one thing I wanted to talk about is Kalim’s rushed proposal. I remember people talking about it in the tags, comments... even in asks at that time. The reason he does it is because he’s someone who didn’t realize his feelings until you spelled out your own. It was a sort of: “Oh. Right. That is the word I’d use to describe my feelings.” 

My favourite lines from his story is: “How does one bid goodbye to the sun?” and “No one ever willingly bids goodbye to the sun.They spend the rest of their lives trying to find the right way back to it.”

My god, who was this genius.

Vil is probably the most visually stunning out of all these stories. I feel like my stories go from super vivid imagery and setting to just complete emotional disasters lol. (Vil being the former and Azul’s being the latter... not that it’s bad, it actually suits the characters). 

Oh man, I remember thinking that Vil is such a hard character to write because we don’t know what his motivation for perfection is. All we knows is that he wants to be the best but, why? 

It’s like, for example, Idia. His motivations could be otaku-related. He doesn’t want to go to class because he’d rather go play or something. That sounds in character--but Vil was so hard because he wanted perfection.

But we already see him as such a perfect character, so what else did he need to be even more perfect? In that light, Chapter 5 did a really good job on presenting Vil’s motivations. 

But honestly, I think I can comfortably say that the Vil I’ve written so far is pretty accurate? To his character. I’m really grateful I read his chat lines because his comment about intelligence really got me thinking about his possible motivations. It made it really easy to understand that Vil wasn’t like majority of the real world’s influencers. 

One other thing that I was really happy about with his story is the use of the flower language. It’s something I hope I can use more because it’s so beautiful. 

Oh! And the roses the Yuu!Reader talks about are double delight roses. They are specifically bred to have two colors--yellow in the center and pink on the outside. I thought it fitting that the Yuu!Reader breed special roses for Vil.

They can be called... err... Vil Roses?

My favourite lines from his story is:  ““My happiness will not be dictated by others—no, Vil Schoenheit is a person who will grasp happiness with his own hands.” [...] “I’m giving you this button because I’ve already found happiness by your side.”” 

This line was actually inspired by Zelda C.W.’s MYth series. Specifically Hera’s story, Will. 

Idia ...for him, I somehow had a very hard time imagining him trying to tell the reader to stay. Like that didn’t compute for me? I felt like his version was better approached in a more comedic light somehow. 

I also felt that it would be cuter if the Yuu!Reader had already chosen to stay and Idia would need to hastily retrack his confession... Unfortunately, Yuu!Reader won’t let him. 

Honestly looking back on it, I wonder how much of Chapter 6 is going to make me scream and want to rewrite Idia’s part? 

My favourite lines from his story is: “He was never particularly good at lying—nor was he good at keeping secrets from you. You were a person he considered a dear friend—and he was always the type of person who ended up spilling everything to you. He liked being able to talk about the things he enjoyed—he liked that he had found someone who wanted to hear him out.”

A lot of my interpretation for Idia is closely linked to personal experience as an anime, manga and gaming fan. It was just a couple of years ago where people would actually be bullied for liking these things--but nowadays its become a norm. It’s... stunning actually but it makes me happy to know that maybe nobody will be judged for loving anime.

That being said, Idia’s longing to find someone he can talk to is something I really relate too--back then, it was so difficult to find someone to talk to about my interests... So I interpreted Idia as much the same. That what he enjoys about the Yuu!Reader is their ability to simply sit and listen to him talk. 

Malleus... man, recently I’ve been starting to fall in love with him all over again. He was my first oshi ever... Anyways, moving on. You think I’ve talked enough about immortal x mortal but nope, we are not done. I love this theme in general, romantic or platonic. 

I will never shut up about it you can’t make me. 

Sebek having a good enough friendship with Yuu!Reader is such a delicious concept. Like mutual respect and Sebek understanding that Yuu!Reader gives Malleus a different type of companionship that Sebek, Silver or Lilia couldn’t... 

And also, ultimately, Sebek and Yuu!Reader do love Malleus. In different ways, but I like the thought of Sebek respecting that and respecting the Yuu!Reader.

Me realizing just now that Silver joins Ruggie in the: “has never appeared in a lucky ending fic club.”... Sorry Silver, I swear soon. Once we get more content on you.

Celestial themes for Malleus are primarily, again, because he only ever seemed to meet you at night. And I thought it would be wonderful, if you were a bright spark to him. 

Favourite lines are definitely:  “Oh, bright light… I would prefer to live the rest of your life by your side… rather than spend centuries contemplating what it could have felt… to hold you in my arms.”

I am, always, going to be such a big sucker for the idea of immortals constantly remembering and loving mortals. Always holding them close in their memories, because in that way--their lovers have become immortal with them. 

I also like to imagine that he eventually figures out a way to connect your worlds together so you can still talk to your friends and family from that world. He is one of the most powerful magicians around, I’m sure its possible.

Rook was honestly the most difficult piece for me to write because he’s so hard(?) for me to understand. He’s a mess of contradictions honestly and I... guess I’m excited to see what he’ll do come Chapter 6. 

I actually rewrote his story so much. I got about 500 words with a different idea/plot in mind before deleting that completely and restarting from scratch. 

I feel like Rook is someone who talks big and talks about love without actually knowing what it truly might feel like. He’s someone who doesn’t understand it and ends up mistaking it for his fascination. 

Aside from me enjoying inserting other characters from the same dorm as much as possible, I felt that Vil was the perfect person to snap some sense into Rook.

Epel’s appearance there is basically to reflect how much I really hope the first year kids get really close to one another. 

Rook is also someone who I think, doesn’t try to explain himself too much. He’s someone who I think talks a lot, but if people don’t understand him then he doesn’t need to be understood? That’s my impression. Lol, when “lucky ending” became a character study. 

I also really loved the idea that Rook was fine with people running from him--to him that makes it all the more thrilling. But then you start running away from him and that just ends up making dread pool in his stomach. 

My favourite lines from his story: “‘When something ends, it must be sad. So, tell me then, how an ending could be so beautiful?’ [...] .‘But there was one ending that was beautiful, non?’ [...] ‘That’s right. ‘They lived happily ever after’—are those not the words that define a beautiful ending?’”

I used the dusk metaphor for Rook. My idea is that he starts seeing dusk as an ending and how he can’t fathom how any “ending” is beautiful. When a story ends, it’s not beautiful to him, humu. But when that ending is the happily ever after then... That makes all the difference. 

Lilia was actually easier than Rook’s but also fairly difficult. I had written the middle of Lilia’s piece while stumped on Rook’s actually. Lilia’s was probably easier because I love the idea of immortals and mortals.

I don’t really like the idea of mortals becoming immortals. Like, yes, it’s certainly sweet and spending eternity with a one true love is definitely the best possible ending but... I think there’s so much weight in an immortal choosing to love a mortal while knowing that they will ultimately lose them.

The biggest theme for Lilia is definitely time.

Thinking about it now... There’s been a lot of things in real life that’s just... Made me think about how we have less time than we actually think we have. And I think I ended up channeling that through Lilia... Though I feel like it is ultimately things Lilia would think about though. 

The most important imagery would probably be the stars.

I honestly wanted to avoid it because I used celestial imagery for both Kalim and Malleus but the words just flowed out in a way that I felt that I couldn’t replace. So I went with it. 

Lilia is no stranger to loneliness. One of the reasons he feels less alone is because he has family now and he doesn’t want to rob you of that. Family is so important to him because they are people who are meant to be with you--they are people who will make you less lonely--or so thats how I think? he thinks. 

My favourite lines from his story: “He would relish in the way—You made the world pause. You made a moment extend into an eternity. You made an immortal crave just a little more time.”

I’m so immensely proud of this one? I don’t really have much else to say. There’s something so raw about it that I love. Also the part where it continues on to say that  “Because there is never enough time.”

Me realizing my extra notes is just half me simping over these characters, half sharing headcanons, have actually giving good advice? perspective?, half song lyrics, half character study/analysis?

“lucky ending” is about change. Whether we want them to happen or not it’s... the human condition to change. For better or worse, we change--day by day. I think we all operate under a small panic about how everyday things are changing...

But “lucky ending” is also about the things that don’t change. Won’t change. Will never change. The things worth holding onto, the thing worth fighting for... or so I’d like to think.

[swiftiephobe]

ok general thoughts: i really really like it!!!!! i've given it three full listens so far and i've enjoyed it more each time. i don't think it's much of a progression nor does it really bring anything super new to her discography but it does feel like a very refined/polished form of the pop sounds she's already explored. i'm not going to officially place it into my album ranking yet because i really need to wait and see how it settles. very very tentatively, it could maybe dethrone 1989 and take third spot (and best pop album spot) but that's a very very very early judgement. i also had lover in my top 3 a week after release so maybe you can understand my caution here asfhdhcjdjf

i do feel there was a bit of a bait-and-switch between the concept/visuals and the music which i think explains some of the initial negative reactions from some? especially since there was no single released there was a LOT of hype over what the album would sound like and the visuals being so 70s inspired but like... it's a straightforward pop album. i really really like it as i said but i can definitely understand why people are disappointed. i feel like if you're gonna leave that much mystery there has to be more of a pay off at the end than releasing songs that have the same dna as stuff you've released before. i also feel like more could've been done with the "midnights" concept in general, like it's there on some of the songs but the theme of "telling the story of 13 sleepless nights" doesn't really come through as strongly as i thought it would.

lyrics: it's a pop album so i wasn't expecting as much folklore/evermore "quill pen" lyricism. there's definitely a LOT more "glitter gel pen" lyrics but y'know she hasn't really been releasing those much in the past couple of years so i'll allow it!! i think overall the lyrics are good, they're a mixture of eloquent, detailed, vulnerable with a bit of cheek at the right moments too. that's not to say there aren't some clunkers on here but overall i think there aren't any songs that are diabolically bad lyrically which is great, and even some of the weaker songs lyrically make up for it in other ways

production: this has jack antonoff's style ALL over it and well i'm a slut for synths so i was always gonna like the production. if anything though it's a bit samey? don't get me wrong i prefer that to the total whiplash mess that was the lover tracklist, i definitely think midnights was a very pleasant listen all the way through and i can see it being an album i return to as a whole which is a win for me. however i do feel some of the songs are just kinda redundant and blend into each other. i'm sure the more i listen the more i will notice the little details that set them apart

anyway here's the track-by-track (under a cut because this post got LONG)

lavender haze: this is sooooo gorgeous, veeeeery sensual, this is probably one of the highlights for me. idk how i feel about it as an opening track; i feel like the "meet me at midnight" intro was definitely added on after she decided to make it the opener rather than it being an organic part of the song. but taking the song out of that context it's absolutely stunning

maroon: ahhh it IS like a grown-up version of red with the colour references. another one that's up the top for me, it's just so rich in imagery

anti-hero: mm there are things i like and things i don't. i really like when taylor properly self-reflects in her music and i do think it must be a really tricky thing to do knowing millions of people will be listening. however this kinda feels like it almost gets there but doesn't quite for me? like idk certain lyrics kinda feel like she's just mocking what people say about her which kinda takes away from what the song is meant to be. i'm kinda like "girlie you're soooo close" at certain points, there's just a certain level of sincerity lacking for me. absolutely love the lyric "i'll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror" though. the bridge is great too. and despite some gripes about the lyrics the song is a certified bop

snow on the beach: she HAS to be trolling omg. i actually don't mind her backup vocal features but why hype up the lana feature just for lana to barely be present at all. i actually don't love the song either which is a shame because i love both taylor and lana as musicians :/ idk it's just kinda meh for me. also this song did not need to be explicit LMAO like there are a few of taylor's songs with swearing i feel is shoehorned in but i think this is particularly egregious

you're on your own kid: i think she's singing about her childhood/start of her career here???? at least at the start, the song as a whole is basically an autobiography. i honestly wasn't expecting that but i kinda love it, it feels really different from what she's sung about before and feels so vulnerable and honest (what anti-hero wishes it could be!), for sure a worthy track 5 which makes me happy because the title had me a bit dubious

midnight rain: some interesting production choices here... i can't really work out who she's singing about and i'm curious. i'm probably just oblivious

question...?: the eccentric title was not necessary ashfhsjfjskf this is not as experimental as i thought it might be. again i want to know who/what she's singing about??!?! both this and midnight rain just kinda come and go for me, like they're solid mid-tier in this album, good but not standouts

vigilante shit: ok this is one i was anticipating to not like as much based on the title and yeah. this is down the bottom for me, it's a bit corny. i think the story in the song is fiction/fantasy (definitely feels like taylor cosplaying as... something) but if it's real i want to know the tea

bejeweled: i do really like how vigilante shit flows into this song, they almost feel like they're a pair that go together. i also like it better than vigilante shit even though i keep hearing her say "hoe" in the chorus which is a bit of a scream (ik she's not i just keep hearing it!). add this to the list of "who the hell is she singing about" songs

labyrinth: the epiphany vibes!!!!!!!!! we won!!!!!!!! i love how this is a bit different from the other songs sonically, it's more of a slow burn. i think this is going to be a grower for a lot of people and one of those underground favourites that doesn't really get discussed much but has devoted fans nonetheless

karma: nahhhhh idc this is so fun. this song is gonna get dragged but i am going to be a karma apologist! karma IS a cat and it's purring in my lap. the girls who get it get it and the girls who don't don't

sweet nothing: this is a bit cutesy but y'know good for them!!! i like the instrumentation it's very sweet, this is the most stripped-back song i think so it'll probably just be more of a grower

mastermind: this was probably the song i was most curious about because it's a closing track and closing tracks always slap and "mastermind" was an intriguing title so i was like hmmm how is it gonna wrap up the album??! and i like it! i really love the production and how it builds and i think it does round out the album really well. the general themes explored and directions the album goes in are nicely brought together here which is exactly what i want from a closing track!

[obsessingmuch]

You've had a makeover! I like the contrast of the black and white dots to the rainbow ones. Did you find out if your person is okay?! I also did not realise I had ignored your questions. Please forgive my oversight :-(( I don't play fortnite anymore! My macbook Does Not Like it and I did download it onto the playstation but couldn't be bothered getting to grips with the controls so I gave up </3 But I did win a game once! Do you always do the classic 'gotta be the last one left out of 100' or do

you ever do that one where there's like two teams? Do you play solo or do you have fortnite friends? Other things I am into atm: sudoko, origami, and Taylor Swift. What are some subreddits you enjoy? i will say that I do spend a couple of hours a day on tiktok :/ but usually only when I go to bed and when I'm on my lunch break at work for some mindless entertainment. I don't feel good about it. But I get some chuckles every now and then. And there are always cute dog videos so who could say no?!

I'm glad it's not just me that's nostalgic for lockdown! Feels a bit weird to say that but I genuinely miss the one way systems at supermarkets and the like. I haven't seen any films on your two most recent lists (except for Mrs Doubtfire) but I have watched some youtube commentaries on the Vanessa Hudgens ones and got the impression that they weren't that great :/ Who are you watching on youtube these days? I did like Folklore and Evermore! I didn't love Folklore too much at first (as it came out when I wasn't listening to her all that much, and I don't really like soft-acoustic-y music so much) but it's really grown on me over the last couple of years and these days, she's all I listen to <3 From Folklore my faves are My Tears Ricochet and The Lakes, and from Evermore my faves are Champagne Problems, Gold Rush and Cowboy Like Me. Which album re-record are you most looking forward to? My other fave songs are Long Live, All Too Well, Out of the Woods, and Forever and Always.

I'm also very sorry for the amount of notifications you're about to get from me. BUT do you still follow Jedward and what they're up to?!

anon you are back!! I was wondering how long it would be until you replied again, if it would be weeks or months or years lol. I wasn’t expecting days! (I also didn’t know how long ago you sent the previous messages cos I had no timestamps in my inbox when I replied to them - when was it??)

I did have a makeover. the garrett watts sidebar image didn’t seem appropriate anymore so I just pulled my most random/non-fandom-related gif of mine out lol.

my person hasn’t posted since about 2019. I’m hoping they’re ok and just taking another tumblr break cos they’ve done that before.

and I forgive your oversight :D I understand the vibe of your macbook Not Liking It. mine didn’t either, so I installed Windows a couple of years ago and play from there (and also have the game graphics set incredibly low and my fans on an increased speed. it does ok tbh). amazing congrats on your win!!! I do have a couple of friends so usually play duos/trios - it’s very, very rare for me to play solos. I think I would get lonely and frustrated dying alone lol. on occasion I play squads with random fill friends (but sometimes those people are not so nice). maybe you need to install windows tbh and resume your fn career :D

subreddits, mostly I read AITA and relationships ones. so basically just people complaining about their life problems lol. how about you? which good ones am I missing?

youtube has been showing me tiktoks as youtube shorts so I have been spending lots of time on these for the past few weeks. currently the algorithm thinks I want to see a mixture of: engagement rings being handcrafted, a comedian lady who pretends to be an annoying mother/teacher character, a man cooking lunch for his wife, horses getting new horseshoes put on, golden retrievers, cakes being frosted, and tiktok fashion girls trying on clothes. what all things does tiktok show you??

the Knight Before Christmas was not good. BUT I did kinda like the Princess Switch ones lol. they were fun and easy to watch if you just want a happy albeit cheesy and I’m-definitely-older-than-the-target-audience-for-this movie and not a Serious Cinematic Marvel. 

youtubeeeeee I’m watching mostly hmmm. (edit: this was originally going to be a short list but it turned out longer than I expected): simply nailogical (esp. her podcasts), jammidodger and shaaba (highly recommend), molly burke, tom scott, ryland adams, hannah witton, jessica kellgren-fozard, carrie hope fletcher, louise pentland, vlogbrothers, a few fortnite youtubers, and the Cut and Jubilee channels. do you watch any of those? who are you watching?

I am a Bad Fan maybe cos I’m not getting the Taylor’s Version songs. I have all my music in iTunes so it’s not like I’m streaming and giving revenue for the old versions, but I like how the old ones sound for nostalgia and don’t want 2 of everything. but I have listened to some of the new ones to compare. and I have been getting any new ones that were previously-unrelated / From The Vault etc. sooooo I guess I’m not excited for any re-records specifically, but I will be interested to see how they sound. do you have the old or new versions?

jedward no lol. are they up to anything? occasionally I stumble across a tweet of theirs and I’ve noticed they now swear openly in tweets which I found amusing and not unexpected. and generally call out people for bad human rights / sexism / other isms. which I guess matches with 2011/12 jedward except now it comes with less sneakiness and more swears lol. 

this is such a long post. I hope my multitude of decimated followers have had a most enjoyable read :D

[iwanthermidnightz]

When she was 18, Taylor Swift wrote a song called “Fifteen.” “Back then I swore I was going to marry him someday, but I realized some bigger dreams of mine,” she sang, sounding more like a wizened great-grandmother than a rising senior.

“Fifteen” is evocative, if a little sanitized: Nimble mandolin strums mimic the nervous-excited butterflies of the first day of high school, as Swift sings of wide-eyed hope that “one of those senior boys will wink at you and say, ‘You know I haven’t seen you around before.’”

There was a certain emotional truth to the lyrics — do several years’ age difference ever seem more consequential than when you’re a teenager? — but some older listeners were skeptical. “You applaud her skill,” wrote a critic for the Guardian in a mixed review of Swift’s second album, “Fearless,” “while feeling slightly unsettled by the thought of a teenager pontificating away like Yoda.”

Swift, now 31, sings, “When you are young they assume you know nothing,” on “Folklore,” an LP that is both compositionally mature and braided throughout with references to the specific, oft-denigrated wisdom of teenagers. By the end of that song, “Cardigan,” the narrator has excavated such a heap of florid but emotionally lucid memories that she must conclude, with the force of a sudden revelation, “I knew everything when I was young.”

Though it’s not as flashy a topic as exes, fame or A-list celebrity feuds, age has long been a recurring theme in Swift’s work. A numerology enthusiast with a particular attachment to 13, Swift has also released a handful of songs whose titles refer to specific ages: “Seven,” “Fifteen,” and, of course, “22,” the chatty “Red” hit on which she summed up that particular junction of emerging adulthood as feeling “happy, free, confused and lonely at the same time.” Like her contemporary Adele, Swift seems to enjoy time-stamping her music, sometimes presenting it like a public-facing scrapbook that will always remind her what it felt like to be a certain age — even if, with their millions of fans and armfuls of Grammys, neither of these women is exactly typical.

Swift’s critics have often seemed even more hyper attuned to her age. Perhaps because precocity played such a role in her story from the beginning — at 14, she became the youngest artist to sign a publishing deal with Sony/ATV; at 20, she became the youngest to win the album of the year Grammy — many listeners have been fascinated with how her evolution into adulthood has, or hasn’t, played out in her songs. People comb Swift’s lyrics for allusions to sex, alcohol and profanity as meticulously as MPAA representatives do a borderline-PG movie. Particular attention was paid to her 2017 album “Reputation” and its several mentions of drunkenness and dive bars — even though Swift was 27 when it came out.

The relative puritanism of Swift’s music up until “Reputation” did feel like an intentional decision: Unlike the female pop stars who broadcast their “loss of innocence” as a sudden and irrevocable transformation, Swift seemed acutely conscious that she did not want to repel younger listeners — or lose the approval of their parents. At best, it felt like an acceptance of her status as a role model; at worst, it had the whiff of a marketing strategy.

But the mounting obsession with whether Swift was “acting her age” also reflected a larger societal double standard. Famous or not, women face much more intense scrutiny around age, whether it’s those constant cultural reminders of the biological clock’s supposed ticking or the imperative that women of all ages stay “fresh-faced” or risk their own obsolescence. (“People say I’m controversial,” Madonna said in 2016. “But I think the most controversial thing I have ever done is to stick around.”) And while girlish youth and ingenuity are rewarded in some contexts, they’re also easily dismissed as silly and frivolous as soon as that girl strays too close to the sun — as Swift has experienced time and again.

Despite having once been a teenage girl myself (unlike a lot of music critics), I confess that I am not completely free of these internalized biases. I was initially dismissive of “Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,” a song that appeared on Swift’s 2019 album “Lover.” The first few times I heard it, I wondered what a grown woman on the cusp of 30 was doing still writing about homecoming queens and teenage gossip.

But over time, I’ve come to appreciate the song and its dark vision, which acknowledges cruelty, depression and the threat of sexual violence (“Boys will be boys then, where are the wise men?”) more directly than any of the songs Swift wrote when she was an actual teenager. The senior boys in this song are not the sort who wink and say to freshman girls wholesome things like, “Haven’t seen you around before” — which, unfortunately, makes them feel more authentic. Even the title “Miss Americana” alludes to a larger world outside the high school walls, and the greater systemic forces that keep such patterns repeating well into adulthood.

“Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince” now feels like a precursor to some of the richest songs on “Folklore,” which finds Swift returning once again to her school days with the keen, selectively observant eye of an adult. Consider “Seven,” an impressionistic recreation of her perspective at that age. The second verse, charmingly, plays like a first-grader’s breathless sequence of unguarded observations:

“And I’ve been meaning to tell you, I think your house is haunted, your dad is always mad and that must be why/And I think you should come live with me and we can be pirates, then you won’t have to cry.”

But “Seven” is not cutesy so much as poignant, because of the tensions that result when Swift’s adult perspective interjects. “Please, picture me in the trees, before I learned civility,” she sings in a yearning soprano, prompting the listener to wonder what sorts of feral pleasure she — and all of us — have exchanged for the supposed “civility” of adulthood.

Quite a few songs on “Evermore,” Swift’s second release of 2020, also toggle between past and present, conscious of what is lost and gained by the passage of time. The playful “Long Story Short” passes a note to Swift’s younger self (“Past me, I wanna tell you not to get lost in these petty things”), while “Dorothea,” like “Seven,” revisits a fevered childhood friendship from the cool perspective of adulthood.

Most striking is the bonus track “Right Where You Left Me,” a twangy tale of a “girl who got frozen” (“Time went on for everybody else, she won’t know it/She’s still 23, inside her fantasy”). That language echoes something Swift admits in the 2020 Netflix documentary “Miss Americana”: “There’s this thing people say about celebrities, that they’re frozen at the age they got famous. And that’s kind of what happened to me. I had a lot of growing up to do just trying to catch up to 29.”

But Swift’s recent songs, at their best, understand that “growing up” isn’t always a linear progression in the direction of something more valuable. Take the “Folklore” songs “Cardigan” and “Betty,” which use an interconnected set of characters to chronicle teenage drama and celebrate the heightened emotional knowledge of youth. “I’m only 17, I don’t know anything, but I know I miss you,” Swift sings in the voice of James, a high schooler who broke Betty’s heart and has shown up on her doorstep to ask forgiveness. Maybe that is a melodramatic thing to do; maybe it is the sort of thing adults could stand to do more often. Swift’s music helps us to remember that growing up doesn’t automatically mean growing wiser — it can just as easily mean compromise, self-denial and growing numb to emotions we once felt with bracing intensity.

In a gesture to regain control of her songs, Swift is currently rerecording her first six albums (her master recordings were recently sold by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings to the investment firm Shamrock Capital). Last month she released a note-for-note update of her early hit “Love Story,” and has promised to release an entire new-old version of “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” later this year. It has been amusing to think of Swift going back and inhabiting the voice of her teenage self: On the face of it, “Fifteen” is particularly surreal to imagine her singing as an adult.

In another way, though, “Fifteen” — with its distant reflections on the youthful folly of expectations — makes more sense and carries more emotional weight being sung by a 30-something than it does an 18-year-old. Perhaps Swift was preparing for such an exercise when she made “Folklore,” an album that shakes off years of scrutiny and finds her reveling in the creative freedom to be as young or as old as she wants to be.

[hobidreams]

MotH Minis: I

“The rumors are indeed true. I am engaged. Soon to be married.”

His eyes swept across the room, finding various reactions to his words: shock, joy, confusion. Miss Ingram sat up incredibly straight, her fingers smoothing the tresses of her hair. She was smiling, her fan set down upon her lap - sitting pretty, as if she were waiting for her portrait to be drawn, her ballot to be called.

“To Miss Kim.”

pairing: hoseok x reader genre: fluff words: 2.6k contains: victorian au, much banter, mr. jung is all sorts of sweet & way too handsome, mr. min returns, miss ingram gets what she deserves, SERIOUSLY so much softness read the original fic first! // this drabble contains spoilers & starts off right where the oneshot ends.

“Are you prepared, my love?” Long fingers brushed across the thin fabric that covered your shoulder. “It seems quite impossible for your beauty to grow any further, even if we delay our descent.”

If you had been in any state of calm, the deep, intimate tone with which your betrothed poured these sweet words into your ear would have shattered your psyche entirely. But your excited heart had not quite settled back into its normal pattern throughout the entire evening (for good reason), and thus left you in a state of nerves that threatened to hold your tongue.

“As much as I ever shall be, I suppose,” you eventually replied, setting your hairbrush down upon the wooden vanity. It was perhaps a touch of irrationality that bade you to fear the possibility of any of the party guests realizing what illicit activity had just occurred in this private room based solely on the appearance of your hair, but it did no harm to be prepared. “Still, you flatter me, sir.”

“And you wound me with such distant terms,” Hoseok retorted with a laugh. “But even ‘sir’ has a certain charm falling from your lips now.” He captured your hands in his, urging you onto your feet so he could lavish said lips with a tender kiss. “Now, when I truly know where your affections lie.”

“And you will know it evermore,” you whispered, words hot against his handsome mouth. Yours to taste, whenever you pleased. That concept alone could make you dizzy with bliss. “Shall we?”

“Certainly.”

You both agreed it was unseemly to appear for the first time in closer proximity than was allowed, since you intended to maintain your outward relationship of friendly acquaintances. It was proper etiquette to first address your parents before any announcement could be made to the general public. But it seemed even that knowledge could not staunch the smoldering looks he cast generously in your direction as you made your way to the staircase.

You placed a hand on the cool banister. “Mr. Jung, if you continue to be so blatant, they will see through our guise in an instant.”

“Hmm.” He pressed his lips together, contemplating your words but not openly affirming or denying a single thought. You never were able to control him, were you? But he did eventually turn his attentions away, refocusing on the path before him.

The chatter emitting from the open drawing room doors swelled as you approached. Be still, you commanded your heart, they know nothing about Hoseok and I. But it seemed trepidation had machinations of its own, as your fingers began to tremble. Without words, Hoseok covered your hand with his own. A single warm squeeze, his thumb rubbing over your knuckles. It was enough.

“Allow me to enter first,” you said, when there was no more corridor to protect you from the inevitable.

“Whatever you wish.” He gave you one last, encouraging smile.

You stepped into the room. Namjoon’s head immediately turned towards you, though he was still in conversation with Mr. Jeon. He tilted his head to one side in question at your presence. Then he opened his mouth, likely excusing himself from Mr. Jeon. As you followed the walls of the room inside, your brother did the same, meeting you somewhere along the middle.

“Sister. You are here?” He carried a slight frown. “Did the carriage I call for you not arrive properly?”

“No, I… Circumstances shifted. I—I remain welcome here still.”

“Hm? Was there ever a time when you were not? I find it difficult to believe that Hoseok would turn you away, regardless of any ‘circumstances.’” His arms behind his back, he pushed his broad chest slightly further out. “He may be stubborn, but he is certainly not that slow-witted,” he added. His voice was so quiet, you gathered the words were not fully meant for you. “Either way, I am quite delighted you are staying. For the rest of the party?”

“Yes, that seems to be the present plan.” And much, much more.

Namjoon smiled, his cheek caving in slightly at the action. “I would have missed you otherwise.”

The chatter throughout the room was beginning to decrescendo as the steep, cool night drew on. It was almost time to retire for the evening. A few guests were hiding their yawns behind their fans. Miss Ingram had located herself in the middle of the room, her cheeks rosy as she discussed topics that were likely frivolous, with Maria and some other women. Alice was now commanding Mr. Jeon’s attention, her fingers fluttering as she spoke.

But it all quieted when Mr. Jung, your Hoseok, stepped into the chambers and cleared his throat.

“Hoseok!” Mr. Jeon’s voice soared. “Whenever did you return?”

“A few hours ago.” An easy, unaffected smile graced his lips.

You were struck by him even though you had been in those arms just a few short minutes ago. If this was to be your reaction to his mere presence, your impending marriage was sure to be fraught with his teasing of your deep affections. But if he continued to smile like that… Perhaps you would not mind such a thing.

“For what reason did you not come greet us immediately then?” Mr. Jeon pressed, pretending to be highly affronted at the slight.

“Mm. Let me just say that I had much more pressing matters to attend to.”

“Well, we are very glad you have returned, aren’t we?” Miss Ingram broke in, to the instantaneous nods of the ladies around her.

“Thank you, Miss Ingram.”

He fell silent for a spell. Then his eyes suddenly flashed with something you knew too well. “Ah. Before I allow you all to continue your discussions, please indulge me in one matter. I have an important announcement to make.”

Oh? Your lips fell apart. No, he was not about to…

“I shall be holding a ball! On the second to last evening of our party.”

Your every nerve seemed to unravel with relief.

“A ball!” Maria immediately cried, her hands flying to her chest. “Oh, Mr. Jung, you spoil us!”

“How thrilling!”

The voices swelled upwards, but it seemed he was not done with speaking. “It will be—!” he started, waiting until the excitement quieted once again. “It will be in celebration.”

“What happy event are we celebrating?” Namjoon asked.

Hoseok did not even pause before he answered. “The rumors are indeed true. I am engaged. Soon to be married.”

His eyes swept across the room over the murmuring, finding various reactions to his words: shock, joy, confusion. Miss Ingram sat up incredibly straight, her fingers smoothing the tresses of her hair. She was smiling, her fan set down upon her lap – sitting pretty, as if waiting for her portrait to be drawn, her ballot to be called.

His gaze finally fell upon yours. This meeting he held, like he intended to do for as long as you would have him.

“To Miss Kim.”

Looking back at the scene, if you had not been caught in just as much surprise as Miss Ingram, it would have been very amusing to watch how her jaw gaped and how her powdered eyebrows rose so high they almost disappeared into her hairline. Her abrupt gasp was enormously obvious in the silence Hoseok’s words had left. Maria’s head snapped to her friend, seeking explanation.

“M-Miss Kim?” Miss Ingram’s bottom lip wobbled. “You… You mean to marry her?”

“Yes, quite right.”

Alice placed a hand on Miss Ingram’s shoulder, but she refused it by surging to her feet. Her fan clattered noisily to the floor. “What is the meaning of this? Have you partaken of too much wine by mistake?”

“I assure you I am perfectly sober. It is rather simple.” Hoseok’s calm was enviable. “I am in love with her.”

“In love!” At Miss Ingram’s affronted expression, he might as well have said he was going to marry one of the horses!

Your heart thudded in your chest as you watched her stare him down, her fingers curled in the folds of her expensive dress. She was fighting hard to compose herself, but it seemed her less rational side was about to win.

“Why--!” She caught herself, biting back the shrillness. “…I. I plainly do not understand why you would want to have…” she quickly bent her head in your direction, as if she could not bear to look, “her, when you could have something much more tolerable. Considering our families.”

Hoseok’s laugh came naturally, a beautiful sound. “Oh, not to worry, I find Miss Kim exceedingly tolerable.”

It was becoming imminently clear to Miss Ingram that Hoseok was not going to alter his mind and pull her into his arms instead. This… This she did not like for one second. Her cheeks were growing increasingly red with unbridled emotion. You were all aware she was showing too much in such a public space, herself most of all.

She had little choice but to steel herself, shaking stray strands away from her proud face. “I see. Mr. Jung, then I wish you all the best in your marriage. Excuse me.” She held her head extremely high as she walked towards the door, but not towards the one closest to her. Instead, it seemed her intentions to be the door you stood by instead.

You met her crystal eyes and refused to shrink at the noble fury that had been bred in them.

It was with indignance that she took a deep breath. “Though I cannot imagine you will have much fortune marrying down,” she muttered, only loud enough for yours and Namjoon’s ears. Then she disappeared into the hallway, her extravagant dress’ long train dragging behind her.

Hoseok stood still for few long moments longer, surveying the hush left in Miss Ingram’s wake. “My esteemed guests, please, continue your festivities,” he eventually said, his features returning to their regular pleasantness. “Miss Page, would you please look after Miss Ingram?” He asked of Alice, who curtseyed instantly before she hurried off to do just that.

You, who still held your heart in your throat, attempted to portray your best imitation of calm as you watched him take long strides in your direction. When he stood in front of you, merely a foot away, looking at you with such open adoration, you felt a sense of comfort wash over the shock. That is not to say the latter did not remain in your system, however.

“Hoseok, I had thought we agreed to do no such thing!” You exclaimed, though you hushed your tone as much as you could manage.

“My apologies, love. I had no intentions of keeping our engagement a secret,” Hoseok murmured, his tone low and undoubtedly certain. “In fact, I wish the entire world to know that my heart has finally found the home it sought for so long.”

Your lips twisted in what could only be described as a fond grimace as you allowed him to step back into your good graces with such a compliment. (You were both aware that he had never left.)

“Hoseok!” Namjoon’s grin was ever so wide, allowing the charming indents beside his lips to appear. “I have truly long waited to see this day come to light. My darling sister and my closest friend. I am beside myself! Overwhelmed with joy.”

“You anticipated this?” Bewilderment painted itself across your features. “Had you known of our… affections all this time, brother?”

“Mm. A gentleman never interferes with affairs that do not directly concern him,” he said, looking far too pleased with himself. “But neither of you are as prudent in hiding your intentions as you believe.”

Your eyes only continued to widen at his words. Beside you, Hoseok was barely concealing his amused laughter. At least one of you find this to be a positive occurrence. “You could have saved us much trouble, Joon.”

“Ah, but where is the romance in that?” With a final smile, your brother excused himself to refill his tea.

“I am blessed to have such considerate companions,” Hoseok said, watching as Namjoon almost tripped upon a quilted ottoman, but managed to catch himself before he spilled the remains of his cup upon Mr. Jeon. Said gentleman was clearly accustomed to such goings-on’s, as he gave Namjoon a look of exasperated fondness.

“Miss Kim. Hoseok.”

A quiet, polite voice came from beside you. It could really only belong to one man, with a gentle visage and comforting words.

“Mr. Min,” you breathed out.

This was the first time you were speaking directly since his proposal last night, and the slight guilt at having to turn him down still remained ever present. It must have been incredibly rude to announce such a thing in his presence only a day after. You felt the urge to apologize. “Mr. Min, I am—”

“Please. Accept my warmest wishes on your engagement.” Mr. Min shook his head slightly, as if already knowing what you were about to proffer. “You have found an excellent partner, Hoseok. In the short time I have known her, Miss Kim has made quite an impression upon me.”

“Oh, Yoongi. Thank you. I know this perfectly. She has an affinity for sticking in one’s mind, though by perhaps unconventional methods,” Hoseok said cheerily, no doubt thinking of the first time you met as children. He had taken a ball of snow to the face, courtesy of your mistaking him for your brother.

Mr. Min let out a brief laugh, his smile small but affectionate, showing just the hint of pink above his teeth. “You are well suited for each other.”

“Yes, she keeps me in line, she does.” Hoseok stole a touch, brushing the back of your hand ever so briefly with his thumb.

“Even though you make it as difficult as possible!” You retorted.

Mr. Min had averted his gaze, finding the piano in the corner of the room. “Allow me to play you a song. Anything you wish.”

“What, not going to threaten to charge me this time?” Hoseok teased, patting his dear friend on the back.

“No, for this singular exception, I will waive any such payment and consider it… a sending off gift.” His expression waned for the slightest second, his eyes blinking slower than was usual. But then his geniality returned as quickly as it had gone. “Next time, I shall not be so generous!” He warned, without any real spite.

“Then let us have something lively!” Hoseok declared. He spun towards you as Mr. Min made his way to the piano. You held your gazes together, something lovely and warm settling into your silence.

The first notes of a plucky, undoubtedly joyful tune filled the air.

“That Yoongi has excellent taste. Now, I wish to dance a few rounds with my beautiful lady, if she will allow me the honor?” Hoseok knelt slightly, offering his upturned hand and a grin so dazzling that you wanted nothing more than to break decorum and kiss him.

The truth was, you never once thought that such happiness could find a suitable home in your wild heart. But now, when you could no longer deny the rush of reciprocated affection as you placed your hand in his, you realized that happiness had been waiting patiently for you for a long, long time.

Your smile came with ease, as it always did around him. “You have only but to ask.”

He laughed loudly and wholeheartedly, throwing his head back, eyes alight with brilliance as he began to lead you to the dance floor. “Then I shall be asking you for the rest of our lives!”

a/n: i really wanted to give you all a huge blow out but it just wouldn’t have fit the time period D: i hope you enjoyed Miss Ingram’s outrage all the same! it would mean so much to me if you left a comment or sent an ask & let me know what you think 🥰

huge thanks as always to my beta readers @hoseoksdior​​ & @mypurplelamp​​ 💕