#like it sounds so happy and upbeat but if you pay attention to the lyrics

[decadentfantasy]

Could you do MK11 Fujin, MK1 Earthrealmers (plus Syzoth and Lord Liu Kang) with a DJ/music producer reader?

𝑴𝑲1 𝑴𝑬𝑵 𝑾𝑰𝑻𝑯 𝑨 𝑫𝑱/𝑴𝑼𝑺𝑰𝑪 𝑷𝑹𝑶𝑫𝑼𝑪𝑬𝑹 𝑹𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑹

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔: Syzoth, Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Kenshi Takahashi, Raiden, Kung Lao

𝑻𝑾: brief mentions of alcohol

𝑨/𝑵: i'm sorry i took so long to answer, i've been so busy with school and it's completely drained me </3 i promise i'll be active again very soon

❥︎ 𝑺𝒀𝒁𝑶𝑻𝑯

❥︎ Being from Outworld, Syzoth is obviously unfamiliar with your line of work. But that doesn't mean he doesn't like it, quite the contrary in fact: as I've mentioned before dance in Outworld is considered a sacred art, and such appreciatetion is extended in regards of music as well. At every important celebration there are musicians and singers, in charge of entertaining the guests all evening. In Syzoth's eyes, what you do is very similar if not the same thing exactly, you just use different means.

❥︎ If you have one of those neon DJ consoles, Syzoth is going to be enamored by it. Reptiles have four color receptors in their eyes, one more than humans, so what he sees is far more vivid than what you see.

❥︎ Accessing the club you work in isn't a problem for him, after all he can turn invisible and walk right past the bouncers. He watches you from above, clinging to the ceiling, and sees the bustling sea of people surrounding the small stage you play on, colorful lights hitting the shimmering glitter on your face. It's the most beautiful and happy he ever saw you.

❥︎ 𝑳𝑰𝑼 𝑲𝑨𝑵𝑮

❥︎ I think it's important to mention Liu Kang lived in the '90s (his Friendship in MK11 is literally him dancing under a disco ball), he's a big fan of disco and pop music. And, despite that not exactly being your genre, he grows fond of it very quickly. After all it's your passion, it's only fair he interests himself in it at least a little.

❥︎ He likes to sit in on your recordings, especially if there are lyrics. Despite appreciating your music, he prefers the sound of your voice: he finds it sweet, caressing his ears softly. He could listen to you singing for days on end.

❥︎ Over the eons he's become increasingly good at sneaking around unnoticed, so he often goes to see you when he's not particularly busy and it's one of your quieter evenings (as quiet as a DJ can be). He doesn't want to disturb you so he just stands back, watching you from afar as you enjoy making people dance under the bright lights.

❥︎ 𝑱𝑶𝑯𝑵𝑵𝒀 𝑪𝑨𝑮𝑬

❥︎ As a person who works in cinematic productions, Johnny deals with music producers all the time, so it's suffice to say he's not easily impressed. But, from the first time he heard you, he was hooked to you and your music. He doesn't know what it is, it could be the basses or the echoey vibe it has, but he loves the atmosphere it sets.

❥︎ He hired you on the stop after he saw you perform for the first performance, in his mind there's no other producer that can compete with your work. He has you compose and play the soundtrack for all of his movies, and some of your songs become hits thanks to him! Not to mention he brings you to a lot of his interviews and other occasions, increasing your popularity tremendously.

❥︎ When you're not busy composing, you still perform at one of the most exclusive nightclubs in Hollywood. And you better believe Johnny will attend every time he can! If he has to black out drunk, he'll do it with your music on, slowly growing to become white noise as he passes out.

❥�� 𝑲𝑬𝑵𝑺𝑯𝑰 𝑻𝑨𝑲𝑨𝑯𝑨𝑺𝑯𝑰

❥︎ He goes to nightclubs regularly, more out of habit than anything. He generally doesn't pay attention to the music that plays, huddled away in his VIP, but it's different when you play. He sees it in the way you move, the way you sing along to your own music: you pour so much passion into your job, he finds it contagious.

❥︎ Kenshi likes your more upbeat music, the fast-paced, bass-boosted kind. He's always been a fan of the more energetic genres, specifically synth-pop. He teaches you some Japanese words and phrases to use as lyrics, after a bit of coaxing he even relents and lets you record him for some of your pieces (much similarly to Lady Gaga's bodyguard in "Government Hooker").

❥︎ He doesn't tell you, but when you perform he takes it upon himself to look out for you. He knows how easily these events can escalate into violence, especially if there's alcohol available. He stands just behind you, watching over you from the shadows. And if nothing happens it's even better: he gets to just bask in the lovely atmosphere you create.

❥︎ 𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑵

❥︎ Raiden isn't that big on clubs and nightlife in general, he's a very calm person who enjoys calm places. Still, the only time Kung Lao manages to convince him he gets to see you perform and instantly feels more comfortable in what he otherwise would find to be a suffocating atmosphere.

❥︎ He asks you to play privately for him often, in the comfort of your bedroom or living room. Truthfully, he enjoys looking at you as you play more than listening to the music itself: you look so relaxed even as your hands move so quickly over your console, a sequence that seems to be engraved in your memory from how effortlessly and fluidly you carry it out.

❥︎ While he doesn't attend many of your performances, he uses the lo-fi compilation you composed for him to do basically everything when you're not around, namely cook and meditate. He makes him feel like you're right there at all times, it brings him great comfort.

❥︎ 𝑲𝑼𝑵𝑮 𝑳𝑨𝑶

❥︎ While he can't exactly be described as a party animal, Kung Lao is still much more socially active than Raiden. Before your relationship developed to this point he was your biggest fan, doing his best to attend each and every one of your performances. He even got his t-shirt signed once, and it's the one he insists you wear when you sleep over at his place. Call him cheesy, but for him that was the fateful moment your lives crossed.

❥︎ If you were up to teach him, he'd love to learn how to play your console. It looks so complicated and cool with all its buttons, switches and levers, he has so much fun messing with them! Though he gets the worst jumpscares sometimes, making you laugh until your belly hurts. He almost doesn't mind.

❥︎ Even after you start dating he's still your biggest fan, maybe even more so than before. He's the type of boyfriend to brag about you to all of his friends, he's just so proud of you he can't keep it to himself! He especially enjoys helping you with your make-up before you go up on stage, it's an excuse to smother your face in kisses.

[writingquestionsanswered]

I want to include little made up songs in my story, but I don't know the first thing about songwriting. Not full out-music sheets just a few lyrics.

Writing a Few Lyrics for a Story

Try not to overthink it. When you just need a few lines, think of it more as writing poetry. Read through the lyrics to songs you like to get a feel for how they work structurally. Lyric videos on YouTube are great for this. Pay attention to word choice and the way that so much is conveyed with so few words. Sometimes it helps to use the tune of a song you like and make up new lyrics. Then, when you describe the song in your story, since you don't have to describe the exact melody, you can describe it as sounding slow and somber, or upbeat and jaunty, or loud and synthy... whatever works. Happy partial songwriting!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[shadamyheadcanons]

What songs do you think that fits Amy and Shadow?

My knowledge about Shadow is only a few so I'm not sure about him

For Amy, it will be Happy Synthesizer and Ikanaide/Don't Go and various bubbly and lively songs

Combining these two for convenience.

First one - I’m glad you asked!

Love your ideas, especially Ikanaide. It sounds pretty upbeat at first, but then you pay attention to the lyrics, and...ouch. Feeling left behind and trying to pretend she’s okay with it? Yeah. That’s Amy. Here’s a link I found for an English version.

And here’s one for Happy Synthesizer.

As for which songs I associate with them, my Song & Dance tag covers the topic pretty well, especially this post.

Given how often I think about these two, though, I’m always finding more examples. There’s one song that I feel fits Amy better than any other. I wrote a headcanon about it on January 7th, 2022. I correctly predicted in that headcanon that a bunch of Amy-related stuff would happen that year--right down to her getting a new theme song, even!

I still think my song idea works better than the one in the Frontiers DLC, though. That one feels kind of bland to me. Yeah, she trusts her cards, but she’s supposed to be a go-getter! She reads the cards and then blazes her own destiny using them as a guide. Her mild Frontiers theme gives off the vibe of someone who’s letting fate happen to them, not the other way around. Amy is kind, but she’s not passive.

Laineybug04 correctly pointed out in this post that “House of Gold” by Atreyu fits Shadamy quite well, and I included “Wait for You” in In a Pinch, but it doesn’t stop there. The more I listen to Atreyu, the more I hear Shadamy, and I’m glad you gave me an excuse to point it out! “House of Gold,” “Wait for You,” “Terrified,” “Super Hero”...and “I Would Kill/Lie/Die for You” is pretty much spot-on for Shadow’s brand of dedication. It’s more romantic than the title makes it sound, haha.

They’re not all necessarily romantic in nature, but it’s very easy to imagine Shadow singing them about Amy.

I want to call special attention to “Stronger Than Me,” though.

The speaker starts by showing insecurity.

Yup.

He fears opening up and showing his entire self because he thinks others will be scared by what they see.

Yup.

He admits connecting with him might be complicated sometimes, but he remains steadfast because the relationship is important to him.

And, uh...this is from the chorus:

“When I was lost, You were always there, my guiding light, You are my ward, my compass ROSE, my lighthouse in the night”

Do I even need to explain? She’s one comma away from being name-dropped. The song’s title fits perfectly, too. It takes a lot of strength to always look for the best in people and put your faith in the goodness of others. It’s so easy to give up. Shadow would legitimately admire her for it. She deserves to know how special she is for that, and who better to tell her than someone whose entire life was changed by that strength and kindness?

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the song and lyrics. Trust me, you’ll need the lyrics sheet.

Second ask:

Yes, absolutely! I think of him as liking modern rock and metal, and also jazz because it would’ve been all the rage when he was made. I’ve mentioned this before, but if I had to pick one band to be his favorite, I’d say Nine Inch Nails. It’s heavy, intense, angsty, and complex, and it has some of the same electronic, bass-centered vibes as Shadow’s earlier themes. Compare NIN songs like Discipline and The Perfect Drug with Rhythm and Balance (White Jungle’s theme) and Shadow’s original character theme, Throw it all Away, both by Everett Bradley. Trent Reznor also has a deep voice like Shadow and Bradley do. NIN could do a mean cover of Throw it all Away, now that I think about it...

I don’t think it’s the best idea for canon, even the questionably-canon Twitter Takeover, to cite real people/artists. It’s fine for fans like us to do it, but the official franchise is different. Humans are flawed and complicated. When you start including real people, you could potentially do something awkward like, say...connect your series built on environmentalism with someone who uses a private jet.

Y’know. Hypothetically.

That’s why I love what the social media team did with Hot Honey in The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog. A fictional band doesn’t carry that risk, and they’re seamless within the Sonic universe. Fans like us can’t get caught on whether or not Shadow would enjoy their music because none of us can actually hear them.

Funnily enough, your ask aligns perfectly with what makes Hot Honey so cute for these two. Shadow canonically doesn’t like Hot Honey at all:

No questions asked, no headcanons needed.

The reason he agreed to go was entirely, 100% because Amy asked him to. I think that’s far sweeter than the Taylor Swift thing. And I’ll be able to prove that when I finish writing Sweeter Than Honey. Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about it!

No offense to anyone who does enjoy Taylor Swift’s music, of course. Different strokes for different folks. :)

[blitzwhore]

Okay I have some song recs for the stolitz playlist.

The Simplest Words - The Narcissist Cookbook (feels very Blitz perspective of the self hating)

Howl - The Family Crest (This song feels very horny and top energy. The definition of I'm going to make you fall for me. Side note it also feels super omega verse, lol)

So Alright, Cool, Whatever - The Happy Fits (This is aggressive yearning. Oh my lord I could see it from Stolas or Blitz perspective)

Rises the Moon - Momoru (Lovely male cover of this song. For some reason I imagine it as a sad Blitz cover. Like almost this was a lullaby that Tilla would sing to him.)

Functional Poetry - The Narcissist Cookbook

I think I am going to leave my phone at home tonight- The Narcissist Cookbook (cute Blitz or Stolas perspective)

Casualty - Lawrence (Blitz perspective)

C'mon Baby, Cry - Orville Peck (Good cowboy sounding song about letting people in and having your guard down. When Blitz wants to cosplay as a cowboy)

The Curse of the Blackened Eye - Orville Peck (This is a really good song about depression)

Dirty Imbecile - The Happy Fits (Could see from either perspective)

Self Esteem - AJJ (Blitz perspective)

Goodbye Optimism - Pedals on Our Pirate Ships (Super edgy Blitz)

Self-Loathing - Days N Daze (Blitz)

I'm Not a Good Person - Pat The Bunny (Super edgy Blitz)

Horseface Pirate - Blind Mountain Holler (Title is self explanatory. Song just feels Helluva Boss coded)

Next to You - Jon Vincent III

Moments - Micah Edwards (sleepy)

Notice Me - acoustic - ROLE MODEL

Goodbye - The Altogether (sweet goodbye song 😭. Kinda feels apology tour coded)

Painkiller - Ruel (kind of a vibe and a jam)

I recommend some that I don't think you have yet. I have a huge playlist myself for edgy romances. I hope you enjoy 😊.

So many recs! Thank you! ✨💞

The Simplest Words - oh this one is going right into the Blitz playlist, damn. It's so him it hurts. Love how it sounds, too!!

Howl - oh hey I actually already have this song saved, I think an irl friend recced it. And yet somehow I never stopped to pay attention to the lyrics and realise just how well they fit Stolas holy shit. Especially the first half! Wtf. 🤣 I've added it to the Stolas playlist now! (and, yeah, the second half of the song is so omegaverse coded 😂 I love that shit)

So alright, cool, whatever - love it! The rhythm is a bit too upbeat, but I think the lyrics at the beginning are sad enough to fit in the Stolitz angst playlist, so there it goes!

Rises the moon - love how it sounds! I like your idea of Tilla singing it to Blitz, but while I was listening I couldn't help but imagine a sad and lonely Stolas singing it to himself as a way to self-soothe. I feel like the moon imagery and the poetic language fit his character very well. (and how cute and heartbreaking would it be if the song Tilla sings to Blitz is the same song Stolas sings to himself? 😭) added to the Stolas playlist!!!

Functional poetry - the lyrics fit both of them at different parts, so yeah, this one goes to the Stolitz playlist! I really liked it!

I think I'm going to leave my phone at home tonight - the first half of the song fits Stolas so well, I feel! And I like the second half, I have a very soft spot for spoken poetry in the middle of songs (Nightwish songs my beloved), so I think I'm gonna save it to the Stolas playlist!

Casualty - yup, 100% Blitz lol, added!

C'mon baby, cry - oh hey, I already have an Orville Peck song in the Stolas playlist (recced by @stolitzsings!). Despite the cowboy vibes I feel like the lyrics of this song also fit Stolas better, so his playlist is where this is going ❤️

The curse of the blackened eye - saving this one to my likes because I really enjoyed it but I haven't decided if it fits any of my HB playlists!

Dirty imbecile - I think this one might go in my Blitz playlist! Gotta listen to it a couple of times to see if it sticks :)

Self esteem - the lyrics fit Blitz so well! Pity the song is so short!

Goodbye optimism - super edgy indeed! I don't think this one fits my style but I can see Blitz in it!

Self loathing - same as above

I'm not a good person - damn this is so Blitz 😳 how sad is it that the only lyric that doesn't fit him is "I'm asleep all day in my room" because he doesn't have a room? Anyway, this is going in his playlist!

Horseface pirate - loving the way this sounds! It's going in the Blitz playlist methinks :)

Next to you - I'm saving this one to my personal likes because I'm not sure it fits any of my HB playlists but I really enjoyed it!

Moments - this is so pretty 🥺 I can imagine Stolas singing it about Blitz. I'll add it to the Stolitz angst playlist!

Notice me - might keep this one in the Blitz playlist :3 I have to listen to it a couple of times

Goodbye - 😭😭😭 *adds to stolitz angst playlist*

Painkiller - loving the way this one sounds. I'm gonna save it to my likes for now and maybe it'll make it into a playlist after I've listened to it a few times!

Thanks SO MUCH for these recs, I loved so many of these!!!! 😍

[natalyabby]

𝐼𝓃𝒹𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝓇𝓉𝒾𝓈𝓉𝓈/𝒮𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝐻𝒶𝓋𝑒 𝒞𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝓂𝓎 𝐸𝓎𝑒 ⭐︎🎨

If you're looking for small indie artists to pay attention to, check out this list! 🤍

Since starting to put out my own music I've been paying way more attention to small/new indie artists and it's been soooo fun; there are so many people out there creating the coolest, stuff who don't yet have nearly as many eyes on them as you'd expect. Here are a few smaller artists/projects that are on my mind! Most of these I literally found from YouTube recommendations lol :)

✩ Homade - Blue Fish

omg I found this last night and I loved it sooo much; it's so... strange, dreamy, creative, psychedelic. It's something that genuinely feels like it could've been written in the 90s but with the aesthetics and quality of something more recent. They are an all girl rock band from NYC. The video & song are just so pretty; and I can't get over how much fun they look like they're having. I'm obsessedd! Music that feels like some sort of trip is often the best kind 🐠★🦋

✩ Baby Bugs - He Loves Me (he loves me not)

Baby Bugs has been on my radar for about a year now, ever since they put out this song and I think I saw one of their posts on IG reels. I was mesmerised! I mean, y'all know how much I am a sucker for the flowergrrrl aesthetic (the singer, Bowie goes by they/them pronouns but for the sake of explaining the vibe). Bowie's voice & lyrics are very captivating and vulnerable in a way that makes them so unique. They've put out a lot of awesome songs but this one especially has me hooked- the heartbreaking sweetness of it 💞✩🤍

✩ Fcukers - Homie Don't Shake

This one was another iconic YouTube recommendations find. I don't know too much about this band from what I could find, I think they're relatively new to the scene; but this song is awesome lol. It genuinely feels like something out of the 2000s, I mean I can see this being in 'Skins'. What struck me about this one is I love how sweet the singer's voice sounds which makes a really pleasant juxtaposition with the upbeat, 'edgy' for lack of a better word genre. This is gonna be stuck in my head for a while ✌🏼❤️‍🔥

✩ Natalya - Garden of Love

You know I had to plug myself okay 😅🤍 this one caught my eye, because I spent many hours working on it & I am the sole creator aside from my bf helping with the guitar hahaha 🤪 if I had to talk about what I love about this song, I really am happy with how it's come out. My goal with this song was something like... Lana Del Rey in terms of dreamy, romantic siren-esque qualities; meets Nirvana or the Smashing Pumpkins in terms of 'edge', grunginess, casualness/relatability, etc. As an artist; especially an extra self critical artist, it's really a challenge to not look at my work and see everything I need to improve but I can at least honestly say that I like Garden of Love & would listen to it if I didn't know it was me 💐🪷🎨

✩ Natalie Madigan - Six Strings

I came across this artist & song on TikTok and woww, she is phenomenal! I think I overuse the word 'dreamy' but yet again I do find this piece incredibly dreamy, fun, sensual. This is just a short visualiser but damn, isn't it gorgeous? When I see artists like this, really all of the artists I've mentioned & more; it's a really good reminder of the way that level of fame or praise is not necessarily correlated to the quality of the art at all; because some of these people literally have flawless music & production, meaning, visual aesthetic, beauty, etc. but it still truly is a climb like any other to get 'noticed'. Which is why it's incredibly important to do it for yourself first. ✩💕🥀

✩ Ha Vay - Fragile

I believe I found Ha Vay off of YouTube too, I'm not sure but her music & aesthetics are just beautiful. I really resonate myself with the way she connects the beauty of nature & spiritual themes in with her music. This song, 'Fragile' talks about the beauty in fragility, in being sensitive, and how powerful it truly is. The way that spiritually, the person who is called 'fragile' has access to a certain magic and strength that not everybody can understand. As a very spiritual person who has spent years studying all things esoteric & contemplating the beautiful mystery life is; I am incredibly inspired by the way this artist manages to weave this sort of magic into her work. She gets a lot of comparisons to Kate Bush which I totally see with the whimsical vibes & beautiful soprano vocals. 🦋🕊️💞

So they're just a few of the many small artists I've had the pleasure of discovering online. I am definitely one of those people who can and will bang on about how I wish we could go back to a time in the past where music & art was more highly revered and approached with more authenticity, patience & integrity.. but then I see artists like this and I'm like damn nevermind! Music & art is still as alive as ever, it's just about paying attention to the right places! ✨🌙

[morrisseyhaterr]

thank you sm for this long answer! get ready for some rambling from me too :)

i've talked about it on this blog before, but my favourite smiths song is definitely nowhere fast. it's such a typical "smiths-like" song, sounding really upbeat and happy, yet when you listen to the lyrics a whole different picture presents itself. honestly, i can't even sit still when that song comes on, because it physically gives me energy. i feel like i'm walking/dancing through manchester while pondering life with this song. the criticism of the British monarchy, the questioning of life's meaning and life in general, the anger, the sadness, but also the underlying hope for a better future - all this would feel forced in a different context, yet here, it all comes so naturally. i can't even explain why this song means so much to me, but it just does. the rest of the songs aren't in any particular order, i'm just listing off some songs that i love, have some memories attached too, or wish people would pay more attention to:

last night i dreamt that somebody loved me - there's a reason why this song is among both marr's and morrissey's fave smiths songs. the actual song feels like just haven awoken from a dream that was too beautiful, trying to get back to it, while wishing your real life was different - it REALLY achieved its goal for me - while the sounds from the miner's strike in the beginning not only make a statement against thatcher and neoliberalism, but also contrast the dream-like sound with real-life problems. can't say i never shed a tear to this song.

two songs i think are terribly, TERRIBLY underrated, are wonderful woman and london. you rarely see anyone mentioning these, but i think they definitely deserve more praise. (if you're interested in songs that don't follow typical song structures, i wonder how you feel about london?)

i definitely understand your praise for the song i know it's over. it's honestly up there with last night i dreamt for me, incredibly somber and the metaphors used just fit with the sound so perfectly.

finally, i know it's basic, but i just have to put how soon is now on my list. DEFINITELY a guitar masterpiece - it was johnny's goal tomake this song instantly recognisable, and he 100% succeeded - but what really maked me attached to this song is the time i first discovered it. at the end of last year, i was just starting to get into the smiths, and my grandma was in quite a bad condition (she is much better now, don't worry). i distinctly remember being on the train to visit her, and this song coming on. its sound perfectly complimented my emotions, despite the lyrics having absolutely nothing to do with my situation when looked at objectively. it made me sad, but also gave me strength.

i definitely understand not being able to pick a top 3, honestly, my answer to your question was all over the place haha - i could keep going on and on about songs i adore, but those were the first to pop into my mind. and definitely don't apologise, i'm happy to see someone as passionate about the subject as i am!

do you have a top 5/top 3/just a top 1 smiths song? if yes, which one and why? :)

See this is actually hard bc my list of smiths songs that I adore is longer than the list of ones I don't. I'd say in terms of favourites, I have a few that will probably always be up there, and some that i decide to rotate being obsessed with. but top 3 in no particular order are:

I Know It's Over - I tend to be a person who will obsessively listen to tracks, but not for long, because I get tired of songs very quickly. for some reason, IKIO is the exception to that rule - each time I listen to it it feels like I'm hearing it for the first time again, and I think it's because of the absolute complexity and depth of emotion - it's not so much of a song as it is a musical journey, a raw expression of pure emotional anguish. it's also a remarkably hard song to sing/imitate, at least initially, because it really doesn't have that typical verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure, and Morrissey's vocal delivery is incredibly free-flowing, rubato and expressive - it feels like the kind of delivery you'd get from a live performance, as though we're directly getting the emotions he's feeling at that moment, instead of something carefully constructed, which we know it is. also just the visual imagery of the lyrics - the soil, the sea that takes, the knife that slits, the sad veiled bride - it's all so evocative!!

also i am physically incapable of hearing the lines "it's so easy to laugh it's so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind" and not fall in love at least a little bit.

I Won't Share You - for IKIO I talked a lot about the lyrics and Morrissey's vocal performance, and whilst that's also part of why I love I Won't Share You, this one's honestly more to do with the music - the vocal line is gorgeous but I don't think Morrissey could have written it if he wasn't being pulled in that direction by Johnny's music. idk, it's the chords or something I think??? Anyway this is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I know, I did cry the first time I heard it, and I still do sometimes when it randomly decides to hit extra hard. Can you blame me??? I'm listening to the last song of the last smiths studio album and it ends with the lovely, gentle lament of "I'll see you somewhere, I'll see you sometime, darling..." It's a shame that Morrissey never does the last verse when he sings this song live, but I get it, it hurts too much. like same moz, it hurts for us too. and yeah, goes without saying but this is obviously a marrissey classic

Reel Around the Fountain - so this is the inverse, first track of first studio album lol. I first heard this track on an early autumn morning when the sun hadn't risen yet, and I put the smiths self titled cd into my car (it was one of the first cds I ever bought for myself). and I cannot. describe what a surreal feeling it is to hear those opening guitar chords hit after that drum beat as you're driving out in the complete darkness. (also!! those piano chords at the 4 min mark!!!!) it's an INCREDIBLE opener and such a beautiful representation of the smiths' music in general. It's also another one that tugs at my heartstrings - it's a pretty tune but there's also such a resigned feeling to the whole track. It's also the song that has the best demonstration of an aspect I like a lot in smiths songs, and that's the fact that a lot of the time it really feels like these songs have their own stories and characters? (even tho they’re not specifically narrative songs if you get me) the "you" in smiths songs is often not a generalised you (but rather a specific character that lives within the song), nor is the "i" always morrissey. I just always find myself wandering about the "you" and "i" of Reel Around the Fountain - i feel a great need to know them, which is silly

ok that was wayyyyy too much, sorry for the rambling lol. @morrisseyhaterr what are your own favourites?

[feralheadphones]

see i was born a restless child and I could hear the world outside calling me

AND HEAVEN KNOW HOW HARD I TRIED BUT THAT DEVIL WHISPERED LIES I BELIEVED

[dr4kenlvr]

MY BABY'S AN ID♡L !! (3)

pairings: mikey sano, chifuyu matsuno, mitsuya takashi, ran haitani x fem!reader

genre: fluff

request: Hellooo ♡ just saw ur post of idol girl crush reader and omg I'm in love 💖 and since u also said that I'm free to rq the other boys,here I am. So same request (heyyyy would be hella cool if u could do some hcs for tokyo revengers boys with a idol s/o who is a rapper on a girlcrush group <3 xoxox), but this time for Mikey, Chifuyu, and Mitsuya 💕💕 add anyone else if u wanna, take care uwu

a/n: v happy you loved them! it's a very fun request to do, so thanks for sending one in again! muahah you know i had to add my baby ran muahahah <3 enjoy! + not proof read ily

part 1 / part 2 /

MIKEY:

is,, sorta nonchalent about it?

"oh? you're in a worldwide famous girl group? woah."

but! that doesn't mean he's not totally impressed at how cool you are, what!!!!

he gets really hyped listening to your group's more upbeat songs- like he'll be jumping around and shit screaming out poorly pronounced lyrics LMAO

when your verses come on though, he doesn't even try to rap along because he knows he's gonna butcher it all

he's already had you and draken laugh at him, he doesn't need more

(imagine him and his pout <3)

"you're too fast! sounds like peh-yan!"

THE LOOK YOU GIVE HIM AFTER HELPPP

he loves watching you perform, he feels entranced every time

you just look so gorgeous up there, hair all done, skin all glowing and your outfit- ugh, he just thinks you're so wonderful

and he's really happy that you're happy- he couldn't ask for more

he buys all your albums btw, and squeals if he pulls your photocard

"KEN LOOK! IT'S Y/N!"

"yes mikey, you've already shown me."

when you're feeling tired or bummed out he'll offer you his entire bed to rest so that you'll be comfortable

he's giving up his bed for you- that's true love right there

but sometimes he'll cave in and cuddle with you on the small mattress because damn has he missed you

CHIFUYU:

you already KNOW this mf listens to kpop religiously !!!!

and he is head over heels for you

he was worried when you first started going out, because of the strict rules on dating in the kpop industry (which is so ass btw)

you told him you had spoken to your company, and that you were willing to go through the troubles if it meant you'd be with him

yeah, chifuyu was sold

he loves you so much, let me just say that

and he is so encouraging and enthusiatic about your career, it's really sweet

he's always there to give you feedback, praise, a person to laugh with, a shoulder to cry on, he is there for you

streams all your music, on youtube, on spotify, anything to improve your efforts of winning an award

and honestly? he loves your group's music- it's so diverse and there's a perfect song for every mood

he gets so hyped when he hears your raps

he's shaking his head aggresively left to right while holding up a rock sign and it's the most hilarious thing you've ever seen

"OH YEAH!!!!!! LET'S GO!!!!!!!!"

he's on cloud 9 when he listens to your music basically

MITSUYA:

is almost always on you with compliments, and he's so so attentive even you can't keep up with it

"y/n! you did amazing tonight, you must be tired though,"

"luna loved your outfit last night, she keeps telling me i should try to recreate it."

"baby have you taken a break yet? that interviewer was so insistent with the questions."

you're so taken aback by how much he pays attention, and it warms your heart so much

you know how much of an already-busy man he is, with school, his hobbies, his sisters, and the gang, you didn't want to add to his load of things to take care of

"what do you mean? isn't this just me being supportive of you?"

you cried, because he's so sweet

every time you see each other again, he can't help but give you a sweet kiss on the lips- you're both so hard working and he's so proud of you

mitsuya loves your group's songs- esp. the more slow calm tracks, they're all added to his downtime playlist

every now and then he'll feel a more upbeat song, and loves to hear your rap flow through his headphones

he'll unconsciously tap his foot or beat his head to your rhythm, completely captivated in your voice

RAN:

ohohho this cheeky fucker

he found himself 10x more attracted to you after finding out you were an idol

is so fucking smug to be your boyfriend because he knows just how many people on the internet are practically in love with you too

posts lowkey couple photos of the two of you with the caption "all mine" and giggles at the fact that your face can't be seen unlike his

(this is self indulgent but- photos where his hand is on your waist or stomach- <333 or like you're laying on his chest and he's stroking your back while you fall asleep on him)

(HOLLERING BECAUSE IM SO IN LOVE WITH HIM NANA X RAN CANON OK BYE)

ran might be prideful but he's careful too!! doesn't want to get you into any trouble, why would he?

likes to listen to your music while on late night rides through roppongi- even better if you're with him ;)

got into a fight once with your songs in the background LMAOO- he's literally beating people up with his baton while you're rapping in his airpod

deadass stops to sway and jam before getting back to it!

it's concerning really, how many times he texts you: "babe i killed someone to your verse"

"HUH."

anyways, i love him, i love this concept, i want to be sexy couple with ran haitani the end <3

taglist: @dai-tsukki-desu @faetarou @kazuhoya (send an ask or dm to be added!)

[junowritings]

Hi! I love your writing and saw that your requests were open so I figured why not give it a go? I'm not too sure you if accept specific characters or just dorm leaders/vices/other characters as a group so if I'm wrong, please let me know!

May I request Riddle, Floyd, Leona, and Idia walking in to find a gender neutral reader singing and dancing their heart out to a spanish love song? And when the reader sees them, they begin to sing to them?

(I know this is a bit of a specific ask and I understand if you don't do it! Either way, thank you so much! Keep up the amazing writing:D)

Dw hun you're not wrong at all I do all kinds of characters not just specific groups~! This ended up being a potluck of reactions and honestly were really fun to write I sure hope you like it~!

-------------

Riddle

♡ Riddle hears the soft croon of music filtering out from your room before he even enters. It’s not the first time that he’s heard this particular song, nor is it the first time that he’s heard you singing along to songs - it’s just that most of those instances have been behind closed doors, so he’s only had the chance in passing to hear your singing voice for himself. This time the door’s open however, and your voice is just soft enough alongside the music from your phone that he doesn’t quite hear it until he steps inside and sees you.

♡ Your arms are pulled close to your chest, hands resting over your heart and head tilted back as the lyrics flow from your lips in a soft tune; you sway along to the beat as though your very heart moves with every dip and crescendo - you know this song word for word and it shows in the way that you sing and dance around the room.

♡ He knows he should announce his presence, it’s the polite thing to do rather than just standing around gawking after all, but you’re so immersed in the moment that even Riddle is hesitant to break you from your reverie just yet. In the end he doesn’t need to, as the next time that you make a show of spinning around you catch sight of him standing in the doorway; your surprise morphs into a soft smile, and Riddle’s momentary embarrassment of being caught watching fades when you swivel to face him and motion him to come over.

♡ Still singing along to the music you beckon him over, watching him linger at the edge of your room for a few moments until your coaxing finally convinces him to move over and join you. He’s rather awkward approaching you, if only because he has no idea what to do when you’re standing face to face. It becomes apparent quickly that you’re not just singing to the air anymore; you don’t look away from his face as you sing, and when he’s close enough you move to brush a hand against his, not quite touching but the gesture is obvious enough.

♡ He does his best to keep his reaction in check, but there’s a tremble in his expression when you finally take one of his hands, holding it between both of your own and bringing it up between you as the song rounds onto the final chorus. Your voice softens just enough for him to still hear you sing by the time the last notes filter off, and beneath your gaze he fidgets, suddenly bashful with the attention that you’re directing his way. Riddle’s quite easy to fluster despite appearances, so having such undivided focus directed at him as you sing a love song directed towards him is flustering, to say the least.

♡ The song has long since finished by then. But you continue to hum the tune under your breath for a little while longer, and Riddle makes no move to shift away from you as you give the hand still clutched between yours a gentle squeeze, smiling at the sight of him flustered at the small act of affection.

Floyd

♡ Wherever there’s fun to be had, you’ll find Floyd; or, more accurately, Floyd seeks out anything that catches his interest. Something that peaks his attention requires investigation, and he’s more than happy to snoop a little if it means finding something interesting. It’s for precisely that reason that once he hears the sound of music coming from somewhere in the building he just can’t stop himself from wanting to find out exactly where it’s coming from.

♡ It’s not a song that he knows, but that only interests him further as he lets the noise lead him to an ajar door where the tune is coming from. If he wasn’t immediately going to peek inside and see what’s going on before, the sound of your voice coming from inside certainly seals the deal as his head peeks around the doorway. He spots you easily as you spin around the room, singing along to the lyrics of an upbeat melody that plays from the speakers, and Floyd immediately perks up at the sight of you practically beaming as you belt out the words.

♡ He doesn’t watch for very long, because he’s much more interested in joining in since you look like you’re having so much fun. So Floyd does exactly that, and you don’t even notice that he’s there until he calls out to you and crosses the space to reach you. Your voice falters when a hand grabs onto yours and spins you around, causing you to momentarily pause mid-song when you catch sight of Floyd. He gives you a toothy grin when he sees your surprise, but he eagerly encourages you to keep going - he loves the sound of your voice and you look so happy, he wants to see you smile even more!

♡ Whilst startled by the sudden audience, your voice slowly picks back up where the song left off, gradually working your confidence back into the words as the lyrics come back to you. It doesn’t take very long before you’re singing as you were before, a small smile coming back to your face when Floyd tries to match your movements until the two of you have settled on just swaying back and forth in tandem.

♡ Even though he doesn’t know a single word of the lyrics it doesn’t stop him in the slightest; instead, Floyd just plays it by ear and starts trying to sing along with you as best as he can. He butchers more than a few words but it’s the spirit that counts and he more than makes up for it by enthusiasm alone; he nails the chorus pretty well though, and takes any opportunity he can to get a laugh out of you. At one point you break mid-song when he dramatically pulls you into his side crooning out one of the lines, grinning triumphantly when you have to pause to snicker at the display.

♡ The moment the song ends Floyd whines about it being over too soon, and he’s quick to amble over to where your phone is to pick it up. You’re guessing that he’s going to find another song that peaks his interest, but you’re pleasantly surprised to hear the same song start up again from the speakers after a few moments of him messing around with your music library. You give him an inquisitive look, but the Octavinelle student only flashes you that same toothy grin you saw earlier in response as he hums that he wants to listen to it for a little longer - after all, why would he want to change it when he loves the way that you sing along with it~!

Leona

♡ Leona recognizes your voice over the music. He knows the song - you’ve hummed it under your breath when you think no-one can hear you more times than he can count so he knows that it’s you the moment that he hears your voice. Usually he wouldn’t be fussed and just leave you be; instead, he finds himself nudging the half-open door with his hip and stepping inside to see it for himself.

♡ Just like he suspects, he finds you in that room, swinging and swaying along with the vibrant melody of what Leona quickly realizes is some kind of love song. Your eyes are closed as you sing, simply enjoying the lyrics that flow in tandem with your voice - you look surprisingly peaceful, and the passion behind your voice is hard to miss. It’s a song from the heart, that much is clear to see, and it’s a surprisingly captivating tune that Leona spends longer than he would like to admit listening to as he folds his arms over his chest and stops by the door.

♡ He’s not exactly quiet, but it still takes you a hot second to notice that you’re not the only one in the room anymore. Your eyes flutter open upon noticing, and when you spot Leona watching you dance and sing you flash him a smile, turning your focus upon the dorm leader as you begin sliding over to where he’s standing. He raises a brow at the action, but doesn’t immediately move away and instead settles for watching to see what you’re going to do.

♡ You reach out to him, urging him to come over with the joking wave of your hands and a cheeky grin on your face. Leona rolls his eyes at the display, though he doesn’t make any moves to pull back or shift away when you take the initiative and approach him anyway. You reach for his hand, and with a gentle tug he relents and allows you to guide him to follow along with you as you backtrack into your previous position in the center of the room.

♡ Leona’s not one for dancing though he does know how, so you settle for singing directly to him, shifting your grip on his hand until you can slide your fingers between his. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why you’re doing this, but he humors your performance and watches as you start swaying along with the music again, listening to the croon of your voice upon reaching the chorus of the song.

Idia

♡ Idia’s attention is buried in his phone already listening to music when he comes barging into the room, as if his mind wasn’t already occupied he would have heard the telltale melody from a mile away. He’d ended up coming to your room only because you’d borrowed something earlier in the day and he needed it back - usually you’d be happy to bring it back to him yourself, but with today being one of the few instances he’d willingly left his room he thought little of just dropping by, picking it up and being on his way back to the Ignihyde dorm. It would’ve been a quick trip, he’d thought, and didn’t even expect to run into you outside of asking for his stuff back.

♡ His own music drowns out most of the other noises he would’ve heard if he was paying attention, so he doesn’t realize exactly what he’s walked into until he’s stepped through the door and spotted you mid-chorus, running a hand through your hair as you spin around. The two of you come face to face, and neither one of you apparently expected the sight of the other, as you both freeze up with a shout of surprise and it’s only when Idia yanks off his headphones that he finally hears the gentle cues of a spanish love song filtering through the room.

♡ Immediately his first reaction is to assume that he’s intruding and he spins on his heel fully intending to walk back out the way he came and promptly forget ever walking in. However, at the sound of you calling out to him Idia freezes up again, and he just about ready to sputter through any apology he was going to say when you take hold of his arm, offering him a blinding smile and asking him to stay for a little while - how about a dance~?

♡ Idia goes to refuse at first, and yet in the second that he looks between the door and you looking imploringly at him the boy caves, agreeing before he even clocks onto what exactly he’s agreeing to. You beam and beckon him to step further into the room, humming along to the song as he follows your lead and awkwardly shuffles alongside you.

♡ He doesn’t recognize the lyrics, but he’s heard enough lovey-dovey music online to know a love song when he hears it. Idia tries not to read too much into it - you could just be singing along because you like it, there’s definitely no reason why you’d be singing a love song to him right? Right???

♡ But it doesn’t help that you’re still holding onto him as you shift and sway along with the melody that plays from the speakers, and your smile is so warm and bright each time you look at him to check if he’s okay Idia fears that he’s gonna burn up if you keep giving him your undivided attention. He tries to just focus on the music, and how practiced the words flow from your lips as you sing along with the melody - you look happy, and he’s trying to burn the image into his head as a special event even after the music has faded away.

[dreaming-of-assclass]

If you had to give the 3-E characters (plus maybe Asano) I Want Songs, what would they be about?

WAIT I LOVE THIS OMG

Note: an I Want song is like a character’s theme song, one that details their journey or plight or something they’re trying to overcome. Think Disney songs.

Karma: a rock theme for sure, super chaotic and all over the place. Sings about how he’s been let down and now doesn’t care for rules or authority since it’s all corrupt. Def could mention his parents too. And how he beats up bullies.

Isogai: lowkey thinking something a bit like “Almost There” from Princess and the Frog. An upbeat yet melancholic kind of vibe, showing his strength but his obvious fears for his family situation.

Okajima: this ones fun. A very jovial, nonsensical kind of beat. Lots of sarcastic interjections from other characters. Would likely be about him joking about porn being cool, but photography is his dream. And how he tries to really amend any class tension with humor.

Okano: MY BABY. Ok I’m thinking a Barbie song vibe. Pop-ish but emphasis on lyrics. Would be about her struggle to connect with her femininity, and how she has misplaced anger. The meaning of the song would contradict against the “girly” sound.

Okuda: something similar to “Waiting on a Miracle” from the Encanto soundtrack. A song about her social anxiety, fears, and how she’s just really misunderstood. Also definitely should highlight her love for science.

Kataoka: a song you would hear in one of those inspiring athlete movies haha. I imagine it playing in a montage of her swimming, doing work, student council stuff, training, etc. It would emphasize all her responsibilities and her strength. Think: Bea Miller type of vibe

Kayano: I genuinely don’t know lmao. Maybe a happy go lucky simple song about how much she loves sweets. Then after her reveal, she gets a much darker song 👀 maybe one about her relationship with Aguri and her grief.

Kanzaki: Mitski. That’s the exact vibe I get for her, nothing less or more. It’s the sad-girl vibe, but it’s just really poetic. I can also kind of see “Reflection” from Mulan sort of.

Kimura: LMAO WHY WAS MY FIRST THOUGHT THE ROCK SONG 😭 “it’s about drive, it’s about power- 👹” ok just kidding haha, for him I’m thinking either a really funny song or really emotional. No in between.

Kurahashi: a typical Disney Princess song, no exceptions. Very sweet-sounding, happy, etc. I can just imagine the animals and bugs singing with her lmaoooo. Specifically: Snow White vibes or maybe even Tangled

Nagisa: honestly I feel like he’d have a typical protagonist kind of song. About how he doesn’t believe in himself, but he wants to do his best for the class and the mission?

Sugaya: not sure about the sound of his song, but I can imagine the visuals to be exquisite while it plays. Like him singing about how he chooses art over academics, and it’s like the screen explodes in streaks of paint, bursts of color, etc.

Sugino: an athlete anthem, but more friendly sounding? If that makes sense? Like it’s inspiring and makes you feel good, happier.

Takebayashi: a really awesome anime-intro type of sound, and it’s almost kind of funny because it contrasts his image so much. Like rock is playing while he’s just in his uniform writing equations lmao.

Chiba: I’m gonna consult the Chiba expert on this one 💗 @fumiko-matsubara pls help me out haha. But I kind of get a rock/guitar sound? Maybe it’s about how his appearance gets judged a lot :(

Terasaka: a song about how much he loves his friends and the class :’) and how he has a lot of regrets about what he’s done and how he’s lived his life.

Nakamura: somehow I got the image of Meg from Hercules. I think her song would be kind of sardonic in a funny, relatable way. It has a really jazzy sound, and she almost sounds full of herself but if you pay close attention to the lyrics, you know she’s ashamed of herself.

Hazama: a spooky-sounding gothic type of vibe in the song. It has an eerie beginning, but is really catchy. And it would be about how she’s judged by others a lot, but still wants to just be herself.

Hayami: god I really can’t tell… it might be a song about how she’s hard on herself, but gets taken advantage of :( Like it’s hard for her to let her guard down maybe. I feel like it would be kind of soft-sounding.

Hara: a fun wacky chaotic song about her trying to do a million things at the same time because people are relying on her. Like she’s balancing a plate on her head while ironing something with a sewing needle between her teeth. Kind of more of a typical Disney sound.

Fuwa: a really wild, crazy anime song vibe where she sings about loving manga. She also breaks the fourth wall and talks about how she wishes she was the main character instead of Nagisa.

Maehara: it’s half-charming and nice to hear, half sleezy and makes you wanna roll your eyes. I’m thinking: “A Winter’s Ball” from Hamilton specifically the line “We’re reliable with the LADIES.”

Mimura: omg I feel like he’d have a cinematic but goofy sounding song? Like it’s almost ridiculous-sounding, and you don’t expect that from him since he’s very unassuming. Def would have interjections from Sugaya and Okajima.

Muramatsu: damn I’m really not sure for him… somehow I got a vision of Aladdin. So maybe a song like One Jump Ahead, showing his chaotic morning getting the ramen shop ready. But he loves it and still has pride in who he is.

Yada: lowkey I get a Moana vibe for her song, like something about how she’s persisting to be a strong career woman someday. And how men like to underestimate her, but jokes on them. Think “How Far I’ll Go.”

Yoshida: a fun retro vibe in his song, and some rock instrumentals. It has a lot of motorcycle and “bad boy” imagery, but the lyrics empathize how he’s a softie haha.

Ritsu: it sounds like a Vocaloid song. A Hatsune Miku song…since they have the same VA lmao. It’s about her trying to be more human, and how much she loves the world and her class.

Itona: oh lord. Definitely a song where he’s hard on himself and has conflicting feelings about his life. It would def talk about his past and what he went through with his parents. The song itself sounds very tense and heartbreaking.

Gakushuu: a song about his pressure and excellence in every area of his life, but it’s still not enough. Def would mention how he’s competing against his dad. I feel like the middle of the song would have an incredible guitar riff.

[pepethehobbit]

Take the sadness out of Saturday nights

VDS Week 2021

Day 2: Enemies/Friends to Lovers/ Meet-Cute

Word Count: 6015

(Title from Stop making this hurt by the Bleachers)

Ao3

Lucas heads straight to the bar as he enters the pub. He doesn't really want to be here but he also doesn't want to be at home, where his ex-boyfriend is currently picking up his stuff. Thankfully, he lives with Kes, who stayed there so he can kick him out when he's done. It's been two days since Lucas has broken things off with him and they weren't even together that long. It's not like Lucas was seriously in love with him, which is why he doesn't understand why he's so sad. He orders a vodka soda straight away because he intends to drink until he forgets about this empty feeling in his chest. The bartender sets the glass down in front of him and Lucas takes in his surroundings for the first time since he sat down as he begins sipping on his drink.

At the back of the pub he notices a makeshift stage with a microphone and a guitar already set up. The bar itself is only moderately crowded so Lucas figures whoever is going to perform on there tonight won't be very known. He notices a group of guys directly in front of the stage sitting at one of the bigger tables. Lucas can't make out what they are saying but it's clear that they are excited to be here, so they must know who's going to perform. The sadness in his heart grows heavier as he watches how the guy with the platinum blonde hair leans over to the guy with the curly brown hair to give him a kiss on the cheek and to place a comforting hand is curls. It's the easy familiarity and comfort that even a stranger like Lucas can so clearly see that makes his heart ache for the same thing.

He is about to stand up and leave, suddenly feeling pathetic for getting drunk in a bar all alone on a Saturday night, when he sees someone getting on stage and hanging the guitar around his shoulders. The guy starts tuning his guitar and Lucas is fascinated how the skilled and fast fingers are playing over the strings. He steps up to the microphone, taps it once to see if it's on and only then does he look up for the first time since he entered the stage. Lucas would try and suppress the memory later but he can't deny the fact that his heart skipped a beat when he looked into those eyes for the first time. He knows it's ridiculous but the guy feels familiar. His eyes are emanating a warmth and kindness that makes it hard for Lucas to tear his gaze away.

“Hi everyone. I'm Jens Stoffels and if you don't mind I'm going to sing a few of my songs for you tonight. I hope you enjoy.” Lucas hears excited whoops coming from the table at the front and the rest of the crowd joins in with their clapping. The guy, Jens, smiles at his friends and shakes his head in a way that Lucas can only describe as fond. And when Jens begins to sing Lucas' last shreds of wanting to leave have disintegrated completely. His voice is soft and powerful at once, calming like a comforting blanket and Lucas is in awe at how effortlessly beautiful Jens is when he sings.

During the song Jens lets his eyes wander over the crowd, probably taking in their reaction when he gets to the bar and his gaze stops at Lucas. Lucas feels his heartbeat quicken as a small seemingly surprised smile spreads on Jens' face while he is still singing. He can feel his own smile spreading, albeit much shyer and less open then Jens'. He holds his gaze a few seconds longer before the moment gets too much for Lucas and he drops his gaze towards his drink. Taking a sip from his vodka soda he wonders how such a short moment of eye contact can make him feel so jittery and vulnerably exposed.

Lucas lets Jens' voice and beautiful lyrics fill his ears and mind. His songs are beautiful, from melodic and slow to upbeat and happy and Lucas can't help but chancing a glance towards the man on stage every now and then. He is surprised when at some of those glimpses Jens is already looking back at him. And even though Lucas couldn't rationally explain why, Jens somehow feels significant.

When Jens announces his last song for tonight an unreasonable disappointment overcomes Lucas, not wanting Jens to stop singing. “My last song for tonight is called 'Hoping'. I hope you enjoy and thank you for a beautiful night.” Jens' words are directed at the whole crowd but his gaze is solely on Lucas as he says them. There is a shy smile playing at his mouth and Lucas feels himself blush, but this time he is unable to look away from Jens' warm eyes. Jens begins to play and as Lucas lets the song and the beautiful melody wash over him as he realizes it's about a boy hoping to find love.

It's impossible. Lucas shouldn't feel this affected by someone he hasn't even talked to and yet somehow he knows that Jens is already under his skin. The song ends and Jens sends another thank you out to the crowd and finds Lucas gaze once again, sending him a determined smile. Jens gets off the stage, disappears somewhere backstage and Lucas releases an unbelieving little laugh at the whole situation. He takes the chance to look at his phone and when he sees the message, reality comes crashing down on him like a ton of bricks.

Kes

He's gone now. It's safe to come home.

All at once, the sadness is back and Lucas is reminded of the situation that brought him here in the first place. He is going to go home and he's going to be alone again, because apparently Lucas isn't able to find someone to love. He knows he sounds ridiculous, he's only 21 but with his track record of shitty boyfriends it's hard to believe that he will find someone who will not only accept his love but also return it.

When he walks to the door he chances one last look over his shoulder towards the stage. He sees Jens surrounded by his friends, laughing and smiling and generally happy. And as if Jens can feel the eyes on him he looks up and meets Lucas' gaze, just like he did for the rest of the night. Jens' smile drops when he sees that Lucas is on his way out, disappointment flashing across his face. Lucas falters for a moment, unsure if he's really the cause for such a look. But his insecurities take the upper hand and with one last sad smile at Jens he steps out of the bar and into the coldness of the streets of Amsterdam.

~0~

Jens can't stop thinking about the boy from the bar with the beautiful but sad eyes. It was three weeks ago but somehow this boy, whose name he doesn't even know has planted roots in his mind and Jens can't bring himself to tear them out. The first thing he noticed about him, when he saw him sitting down at the bar, was that he looked sad and Jens was confused about the strong urge to find out why and make it better. When their eyes met during his first song, Jens had to seriously concentrate not to mess up the chords and keep singing. Though he couldn't stop the smile from spreading around his moving mouth when he saw the boy smile for the first time since he entered the bar. Jens was so intrigued by him, wanted to hold his gaze and find out everything there is to know about the boy with the ocean eyes and the artfully tousled blond curls.

But then he just left and Jens felt more disappointed than he rationally should have. Because all they did was exchange shy smiles and hesitating glances, but he can't shake the feeling that it meant more, something significant. He catches himself before his thoughts wander off in that direction again, because in the end they all lead down to the hopeless impossibility of ever seeing that boy again. In a city like Amsterdam he can't expect that he will simply pass him in the streets. And even if he does, the boy left. Maybe he interpreted it all wrong and the boy wasn't interested in him at all, he wouldn't even have the courage to speak with him should he ever run in to him.

His job at the cafe on campus works as a good way to distract him. He only started a little over a month ago, wanting to help his parents pay his college fees and rent. With him studying music he already makes his parents worry about their son's future and he doesn't want them to worry about the money as well. His music also helps, even if just a little. He sells a few CDs but it's mostly over streaming services that he gets a few royalties. It's not enough to make a living out of but Jens hopes that one day he can live off of what he really wants to do.

Jens hears the jingle of the bell when the door of the cafe opens and he snaps out of his thoughts, ready to greet the customer. Only he can't get any words out and freezes on the spot when he sees the man who just walked in. His attention is on his phone, head turned down but Jens  recognize him anyway. The boy from the bar steps up to the counter and Jens is unsure about how he should handle this. Should he tell him? Does that come of as creepy? Would he even recognize Jens? It's the last thought makes Jens decide to hide the fact that he remembers him and he simply does his job. “Hi, what can get you today?”

The boys head snaps up finally and Jens really wasn't prepared to see those blue eyes again. He isn't sure how to interpret the look on his face, a mixture of disbelief and shock, in fact for a moment it looks like he's ready to bolt again. Does he recognize him? The longer the boy stares at him the surer Jens is that he does and a weird fluttering feeling is spreading in his stomach.

“One large caramel macchiato, please,” is all he says in the end, face turning away from Jens. He isn't sure but Jens thinks it's to hide the blush spreading on his cheeks. Jens is about to turn around to start working on his coffee when he remembers he still doesn't know the boy's name.

“Can I have a name for the order?” Jens tries to put on his most charming smile and hopes that the boy won't take notice of the fact that they don't really ask for the names anymore, only if it's super busy, which it isn't for a Tuesday afternoon. The boy looks up again, then around the mostly empty coffee shop and it's Jens turn to blush when he smiles at him, as if he knows. “Lucas. My name is Lucas.”

Lucas. His name is Lucas. Jens can't stop the happy smile from spreading as he turns around to work on his order. He feels Lucas' eyes follow him as he prepares the coffee and it makes his pulse quicken in excitement. Jens contemplates if he should write his number on the cup or if that's maybe a bit too much. In the end, he chickens out and simply tells him his total. “That makes 3,50€, Lucas,” Jens says as he places the cup in front of him, wanting to know how the name would feel falling from his lips. Lucas smiles at him again as he pays for his drink and the fluttery feeling in his stomach comes back in full force.

“Thanks you, Jens,” Lucas says with a slight blush but confidently meeting Jens' stunned gaze. Jens can't do anything but watch Lucas leave once again, but when he turns around at the door to look at him over his shoulder, Lucas doesn't look sad this time. As soon as Lucas leaves, Jens looks down at his apron. A feeling of hope flowing through him and for the millionth time today, he can't stop the smile from spreading on his face.

He isn't wearing his name tag.

~0~

Lucas can't believe his luck. He must have done some serious good deeds in his past life to deserve this second chance. Almost as soon as he left that bar three weeks ago he regretted his decision. This regret only got worse as soon as he told Kes and Jayden about that evening, both agreeing that he is an idiot for leaving. He couldn't stop thinking about Jens, the way he smiled at Lucas and the way his music made him feel. Lucas admitted to Kes that through a little bit of online stalking he was able to find his Spotify and it's all he's listened to in the first week and then deciding that it felt like a little bit too much. He even found Jens' Instagram but wasn't brave enough to press the follow button, scared of the attention that would bring. Because even though Jens has considerably more followers than Lucas, he hasn't gotten enough that he wouldn't notice a new person following him.

He tried not to think too much about him, instead focusing his attention on his current art project he needs to do for his contemporary art lecture. But it's harder than Lucas thought it would be, not thinking about Jens. He comes across so many things that remind him of that night: Jayden got it in his head to learn how to play guitar, Kes is actively torturing him by playing Jens' music on Spotify every time Lucas enters his room and Lucas isn't sure but he thought he saw the guy with the platinum blonde hair in his art history lecture.

Despite this, he thinks that he deals fairly well with the fact that he missed his opportunity with Jens and simply wants to move on with his life. He can't keep wondering what would've happened if he had stayed. And because his life is simultaneously the best and the worst he meets Jens again when he expects him the least. He wasn't sure if Jens remembered him, couldn't really get a read on his expression but when he not so subtly tried to find out his name and when he smiled at Lucas when he gave it to him, the hope of having gotten a second chance to get to know Jens spread a comforting warmth around Lucas' heart.

Lucas wants to go back the next day, hoping Jens will be there again but he also doesn't want him to think he is a stalker or something. So he waits a few more days and then goes to the coffee shop around the same time of day he caught Jens the last time. A giddy feeling makes his way into his stomach when he sees Jens cleaning a table at the window of the cafe. The jingle alerts Jens to his presence as he opens the door and when he meets Lucas' gaze a wide smile spreads on his face. Lucas ducks his head and smiles to himself as he walks up to the counter. There is another barista behind the counter ready to take his order but before she can do so Jens is there to say: “I'll take his order.” She looks at him confused but when her gaze turns towards Lucas and back towards Jens, she just nods once, smiles knowingly at Jens and nudges his elbow as she takes over Jens' task of cleaning the tables. Lucas watches the exchange with an amused smile and then Jens turns his attention towards him. “Large caramel macchiato?” Jens asks him with a hint of pride in his voice for having remembered Lucas' order.

“Yes, please. I want to drink it here though,” Lucas says and he notices how Jens smile grows even deeper. “Okay, I'll bring it to you when it's done. That makes 3,50€ again.” Lucas pays for his drink and chooses a table where he'll be able to subtly watch Jens behind the counter. He gets out his sketchbook and begins drawing random little sketches while he waits. He doesn't notice Jens approaching and looks up startled when he places down the coffee and a blueberry muffin he didn't order. Lucas looks down at the muffin and back up at Jens who answers his question before he can even ask it.

“For you, Lucas. On the house,” he says with a sure smile and a wink, just as Lucas thought Jens couldn't fluster him any more than he already does. Hearing his name falling from Jens lips makes his heart beat faster. He tries to collect his last shreds of composure, smiles up at him and asks: “Do you want to share?”

With a glance to his watch and his eyes shining with excitement he answers: “I'm on break in 30 minutes. Will you wait?”

“Yeah, okay, I'll wait,” Lucas says easily, the thrill of finally getting to spend time with Jens making him giddy. Jens lingers for a moment, returning Lucas' smile before making his way back to the counter. Lucas watches him as he goes and he wonders when the last time was that he was this excited about something.

Lucas tries not watch him all the time, but Jens catches him looking every once in a while and he smiles at Lucas every single time, so Lucas figures he can't be too bothered by it. He turns his attention back to his sketchbook, letting his hand wander across the paper and before he even realized he was doing it, he'd drawn a sketch of Jens, albeit rough but undeniably him. Before he can even think about hiding it, Jens suddenly slips into the chair opposite of Lucas and takes a look at the drawing of him.

“Is that me?” Jens' voice sounds awed and the anxiety in Lucas stomach eases a bit, glad that Jens isn't creeped out by Lucas drawing him.

“Yeah, that's supposed to be you. Do you like it?” Lucas asks with barely concealed hope. Jens turns his attention from the drawing back to Lucas and looks at him with the same awed expression that was mirrored in his voice. “Yes, Lucas this is incredible! How long did that take you?”

Lucas blushes at the compliment and Jens gaze turns fond. “I don't know? Like twenty minutes?”

“You drew this in 20 minutes?” Jens asks disbelieving. Lucas tries his best not to laugh at the shocked expression on his face. “Yes, honestly Jens. It's just a rough sketch, it's really not that good.” Jens scoffs as he turns his attention back to the drawing. His voice is soft when he asks: “Can I keep it?”

Lucas throat suddenly feels tight and he has to clear his throat before he answers so his voice doesn't come out hoarse, an inexplicable feeling overcoming him over Jens wanting to keep his drawing. “Yeah, if you want to, it's yours.”

Jens' answering “Thanks, Luc” is so soft and awed and the smile he sends Lucas causes every butterfly in his stomach to start flying all at once. They look at each other for a few moments longer, something significant passing through their gaze before Jens breaks the eye contact and asks: “So, you're an artist?”

“I want to be. I study art at the academy.” Jens' head snaps back up again and he asks: “Really? A friend of mine studies there as well. Maybe you know him? Sander Driesen? He has this, like, platinum blonde hair, always wears Doc Martins?”

Lucas thinks back to his art history class and yeah, he's seen him a couple of times, but he never knew his name. He remembers seeing him at Jens' performance first though and he contemplates whether he should tell Jens this. They still haven't really acknowledged the fact that they both recognize each other from that night, apart from Lucas calling Jens by his name the last time. So Lucas decides to jump in at the deep end.

“Wasn't he also at your concert?” Lucas asks hesitantly, but carefully watching Jens' reaction. He turns to him surprised but then a small smile is tugging at the corners of his lips and he nods. “Yeah, he was there, with a few of my other friends. Sander's boyfriend is my best friend, Robbe.”

“I noticed them. They were really loud in their support for you.” Lucas lets out a little laugh at the memory and Jens raises his eyebrows daringly when he asks: “Shouldn't they have been?”

“Fishing for compliments?” Lucas asks in return and laughs at the way Jens rolls his eyes. When Jens doesn't say anything in back, Lucas rips of a little piece of the muffin and then nudges it in Jens' direction, silently telling him that he can do the same.

“I really liked your music,” Lucas admits after a while, breaking the companionable silence.

“Really?” Jens asks and his voice sounds hopeful, as if Lucas opinion matters to him.

“Yeah,” Lucas admits before he ducks his head and continues. “I found you on Spotify and listened to your songs for a week straight.” Jens doesn't say anything for a while and Lucas is scared that he said too much, but when he finally looks back up at Jens he watches him with an expression that makes his heart beat faster and his hope grow even more. Lucas feels vulnerable and exposed with the way Jens is looking at him, but he somehow isn't scared.

Jens clears his throat and nervously fidgets with the muffin before he asks: “There is this bar that I'm playing at next Saturday. Do you, I mean, do you want to come with me? As my date?”

Lucas' grin is impossibly wide when Jens looks at him again and he nods excitedly as he gives his answer. “Yes. Yes, I would love to.” Lucas doesn't even try to conceal the obvious happiness in his voice and Jens' eyes light up at his answer.

“Okay. Give me your number, then I can text you the details.” Jens pulls out his phone and hands it over so Lucas can put his number in. Their fingers brush as Lucas takes it out of Jens' hand, the feeling of Jens' skin on his flowing through him like electricity. As Lucas hands back the phone when he is done, he does it on purpose, caressing the back of Jens' hand with his index finger. Jens' smile is blinding and Lucas can only think, once again, how beautiful Jens is.

“I need to get back to work now,” Jens says, but he doesn't move away from Lucas' table or even takes his hand away. “Okay,” Lucas answers but doesn't release Jens' hand either. Jens looks at him and lets out a happy, disbelieving laugh as he eventually stands up to leave, taking the sketch Lucas drew of him. “I'll see you on Saturday, then.” Lucas simply nods his head, even though it wasn't a question.

Jens gets back to work and Lucas finishes his coffee and muffin. When he gets up to leave, he catches Jens gaze once again and gives a small wave as he walks to the door. He is already out of the cafe when someone gently grabs his elbow and turns him around. Jens is in front of him and Lucas' heart begins to beat impossibly fast as he leans down to press a gentle but lingering kiss to Lucas' cheek. “See you on Saturday, I'll text you,” Jens repeats in a soft voice and then he is gone again. Lucas barely resists the urge to lift his hand to his cheek like a freaking cliché but he can't stop smiling on his way home.

~0~

Jens is a bundle of nerves on Saturday. He texted Lucas as soon as his shift ended and they basically never stopped. It's ridiculous how much he already likes him and if he's being honest, he's a little scared that he's gonna mess this up and they haven't even got past their first date. Which is tonight and Jens can't for the life of him find his usual ever present chill.

He texted Lucas that he should meet him at the bar, Jens wanted to pick him up but he had to be here a little earlier to set everything up. He's nervous to perform in front of Lucas again, even though he already told him he liked his music. The bar he performs at tonight is a little bit smaller than the last one, it feels more intimate and cozier, which doesn't help to settle his nerves. There are already several people sitting at the tables and a few at the bar, but tonight there's really only one guest he wants to impress.

He tries concentrating on setting up his guitar and already starts tuning it. The familiarity and routine of the task does manage to calm him down a bit but there is still this permanent undercurrent of excitement and nervousness flowing through him. Checking his watch, he's startled to realizes that Lucas should be here any minute. He finishes the last little tasks of setting up and goes to the bar to order a beer. It's a soft spoken “Hey” that alerts Jens to his presence.

He turns around and tries not to be so obvious in his admiration as he takes in Lucas. His hair is curlier than usual, as if he put extra care into it today. Jens wants to pull his hands through it to find out if it's as soft as it looks. “Hey,” Jens replies and is surprised about himself how steady his voice sounds. “Do you want a drink?”

“Sure, I'll take a beer,” says Lucas and sits down next to Jens at the bar, hands on top of the counter, close to Jens' own.

“I'm really happy that you're here,” Jens admits with a hesitant glance towards Lucas who smiles softly in response.

“Me too. I can't wait to hear you play again. I'm pretty sure I could sing along to all the songs now.” Lucas says with a little laugh and his fingers move hesitantly towards Jens', overlapping their pinkies.

“Yeah, I noticed my Spotify streams growing a bit in the last weeks,” Jens say with a teasing smile but he turns his hand around so he can tangle his fingers with Lucas' properly. Lucas looks down at their joined hands and then points his gaze back towards Jens, raising his eyebrows in a challenge. “What kind of groupie would I be if I didn't even know your songs?”

Jens lets out a surprised laugh and Lucas expression turns amused. “Well, I guess I should be honored to have you as my first groupie, then.”

Lucas' grin turns smug as he says: “You definitely should be.” Jens hasn't noticed how close they actually sit together but then he feels Lucas' knee pressing into his thigh and he's pretty sure he doesn't imagine the pleased smile on his face when Jens pushes back.

“So, what do you do when you aren't working at the cafe or collecting groupies?” Lucas asks after a while and Jens has to laugh again but this time because he thinks he can hear a hint of worry in Lucas' voice, as if there was someone else.

“I think you're seriously overestimating my charm here, Luc. So far I only have one groupie and I hope it stays that way.” Jens hopes he doesn't give away too much but so far Lucas seems to have appreciated his boldness. “That's good to know,” Lucas says and squeezes Jens' hand once.

“And you? Isn't there any kind of muse who's waiting to be drawn by you?” Lucas seems to fight a smile that wants to work its way onto his face and he bites his bottom lip to fight it down. He looks up at Jens and holds his gaze for an excruciatingly long time before he says: “That depends. Do you want another portrait of you?”

Jens heart beats faster at the implication and he has to break the eye contact, feeling flustered at the words. As soon as he got home that day he put the drawing on his dresser and Robbe had teased him mercilessly for it, but Jens didn't care. Lucas' drawing of him was so completely different from how he sees himself. Of course, it was obviously Jens, but there was this expression in his eyes that Jens didn't recognize on himself and he was intrigued to find out more about how Lucas sees him.

When he looks up again, Lucas is much closer than he was before and his eyes have dropped down to his mouth. Jens licks his lips, unconsciously leaning closer when–

“Jens, you're up,” says the bartender and Lucas jumps back startled as if he was as lost in their own little space as Jens was. Jens is surprised how easy it is to get lost in a world of Lucas, he nearly forgot that he is supposed to perform tonight. Jens draws back reluctantly and the bartender shoots him an apologetic smile.

He gets up from his stool but not letting go of Luc's hand yet. Jens turns to him, squeezes his hand once and says: “I'll see you later then.”

Lucas' voice is a little breathless when he says: “Yeah, I'll be here.”

Jens sends him one last smile before he steps back and makes his way towards the stage. He grabs his guitar, checks once again if it's tuned correctly and steps up to the microphone to introduce himself to the crowd. “Hello everyone. I'm Jens Stoffels and I'm gonna be playing a few of my songs tonight. I hope you enjoy.”

He lets his eyes wander over the people in the bar but his eyes finds Lucas' quickly and he begins to play.

~0~

Lucas couldn't think it possible but Jens' performance leaves him even more mesmerized than the first one. Probably because Jens' gaze doesn't sway from Lucas' eyes all that often and Lucas is equally as unable to look away as Jens seems to be. And every time Jens catches him singing along to one of his songs the smile that spreads on his face settles something inside Lucas' heart. He remembers the feeling of getting lost in Jens' music and voice only this time it isn't tinged with Lucas' sadness. His pulse quickens every time Jens looks at him and this time Lucas holds is gaze, isn't afraid anymore to get pulled in by Jens' gravity.

Lucas has said it as a joke, but sitting here, being one of the only ones who actually knows the songs and knows Jens, it actually feels like he is his groupie. And when Lucas lets his eyes wander over the other people in the room, taking in their reaction to Jens he knows Jens was wrong. Lucas didn't overestimate his charm one bit. Everyone's attention is solely on Jens as he captivates them with his easy smile, beautiful voice and melodic tunes. He jokes during songs, engages with his audience and when he announces his last song Lucas can actually see some disappointed faces.

The last song Lucas doesn't know and that alone catches him off guard. It's beautiful though and Lucas is enthralled by the tenderness of the lyrics. From what he can tell it's about meeting someone and knowing they're gonna be significant, important to you in a way others weren't until now. Lucas wonders when Jens wrote this song because it feels eerily familiar to what he's been feeling since he met Jens.

When the last notes are slowly fading out there is a moment of complete silence until the whole bar erupts into applause. Lucas is the loudest one of all, cheering for Jens vigorously and shooting him an elated smile when he finds his eyes. Jens looks a little overwhelmed with the reception but returns Lucas' smile with an even brighter one. He thanks his audience once again, places his guitar back in the stand and heads straight towards Lucas. On his way he gets stopped a few times, people complementing him on his performance, but when he is finally close enough he steps right in between Lucas' legs, takes his head in between both hands and gently rests his forehead onto Lucas'.

“Hi,” is all Jens says, his voice sounding giddy and happy and a little breathless. Lucas can feel a few eyes on them but he ignores them for now, letting his hands settle on Jens' waist. He looks up into his eyes and his voice is just as affected when he replies with a “Hi” of his own.

“Wanna get out of here?”

“Yes.”

Jens steps back and tells the bartender that he will pick up his stuff tomorrow, who gives him a knowing smile and throws in a teasing “Have fun.” Lucas absolutely does not blush at that but Jens simply laughs and pulls Lucas out of the bar.

As soon as they are outside Lucas can't hold in his excitement anymore. “Jens, that was absolutely incredible! Honestly, you are amazing!” Jens blushes at the compliment but there is a smile dancing across his face, his eyes alive with wonder. “Thank you, Luc.”

They begin walking down the street and Lucas reaches for Jens' hand and tangles their fingers together. Jens looks at him from the side and his eyes roam over Lucas' face as if searching for something. He looks away again and says quietly: “That last song was for you.”

Lucas stops dead in his tracks and it makes Jens turn around to face him. The reached one of the many bridges of Amsterdam, the lights of the city reflected in the river and for a Saturday night it's pleasantly void of any people. Lucas turns the words over in his head but there's no way he heard them wrong. His voice is breathless as he asks: “You wrote a song for me?”

Jens blushes again but he meets Lucas' gaze head on, eyes soft and hopeful. “Yeah. Did you like it?” Lucas is momentarily rendered speechless but then he steps into Jens' space, lets one hand slide through Jens' hair and settles it at his neck. He moves in slowly to give Jens the chance to move away, leaning his forehead against Jens', noses bumping together gently and before he closes the final distance between their lips he whispers: “Is this okay?”

Jens doesn't answer but Lucas feels his eyes fluttering shut when Jens brushes his lips against his own. He melts against Jens, moving his lips softly and letting his hands brush through Jens' hair. When Jens' hands settle on Lucas' waist to pull him closer Lucas deepens the kiss and he feels more than he hears it, the contented little hum that Jens lets out.

Lucas has never felt like this before. Jens feels so familiar and easy and just so right. Before he met Jens he didn't believe in soulmates. But what else could he be if not exactly that? From the first moment he saw him, stepping onto that stage, Lucas knew that Jens was gonna be important. He was scared about it at first, wasn't ready for what this means, but then the universe gave him a second chance and this time, Lucas lets himself be pulled into Jens' orbit willingly, ready for what ever the universe has in store for them.

[imagine-loki]

What About Trust, Chapter 4

TITLE: What About Trust CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 4 AUTHOR: fanficshiddles ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine Loki owns a bookshop on Midgard. He had to do something there to try and avoid getting any attention. But he’s not fond of having customers, is rather grumpy and guarded. But then he meets a bright, bubbly and trusting young woman who doesn’t recognise him. To his dismay, he finds himself becoming rather fond of the mortal.  RATING: M

  Loki stopped outside the record shop and raised an eyebrow as he looked at the window display. It was nicely presented, showing a variety of records. From jazz right through to rock, with everything from pop and country in-between. Old and new.

When he quietly stepped inside, he was impressed. It was larger than it looked from the outside.

There was some kind of upbeat country type music playing, and his eyes were instantly drawn to the far-left side. Where he spotted a familiar mortal. She was re-stocking some of the record displays while dancing and singing along to the song that was playing.

Smiling widely to himself, he crept closer to her, hands behind his back as he enjoyed the little show. He couldn’t stop himself from looking at her ass as she danced around enthusiastically while singing her heart out, letting the music flow through her. She had no idea that she had an audience.

Loki leaned against one of the stands, watching with great amusement for a while. When the song ended, he couldn’t resist and started clapping. ‘Well, that was quite the show.’

‘FUUUUCK!’ Cleo jumped out of her skin and almost hit the roof as she spun around. The fear was gone within a second when she saw who it was and was replaced with embarrassment. Her face turned bright red and she just gawped at him for a moment.

‘Luke! You really need to stop sneaking up on people!’ She playfully hit his chest, amusing him further.

‘Not my fault that your shop isn’t as fancy as mine and doesn’t have a bell above the door.’ He grinned wickedly.

She cursed again under her breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her heart was only just starting to calm down after getting such a fright.

‘I guess it could’ve been worse, you might’ve been someone important, after all.’ She stuck her tongue out at him, making him chuckle.

‘Such a childish gesture…’ He scolded. ‘I’ll stick your hand in water when you’re sleeping if you do it again.’

Cleo laughed and shook her head. ‘I guess you’ve come in by for your record player?’ She headed towards the counter.

Loki nodded and followed her. ‘I have indeed. And to annoy you at your place of work for a change.’ His eyes were twinkling rather mischievously, something that Cleo rather liked to see. It suited him, weirdly.

Rolling her eyes but smiling, she disappeared momentarily through the back. Loki chuckled to himself and looked around the shop again, it was well kept and tidy. Just like his book shop was.

‘Do you run the place alone, for your friend?’ He called through to her, he could hear boxes shuffling around in the back.

‘Pretty much. I work full time and we are closed Sundays and Mondays. We do have someone part time that fills in when I’m on holiday, ill or if we have busy periods during any events that’s on in the city. She’s on call, so to speak. Often does a few hours here and there each week to give me some extra time. But usually, it’s manageable on my own. My friend that owns it owns a few businesses, so is happy to leave me to it so she can concentrate on her others.’ She called back through.

When she emerged, she had a large box in her hand. Loki rushed over to help her with it, taking it from her. He narrowed his eyes at her when he saw what was written on the top.

The book shop’s owner that looks like a wizard’s record player.

‘You could have just used my name.’ He drawled.

She shrugged with a grin. ‘Where’s the fun in that?’

It was Loki’s turn to roll his eyes at her. He placed the box down on the counter then had a nosey at the records, flicking through them.

‘What records do you recommend I play first on my new player?’ He enquired.

Cleo’s face lit up at being asked that question. This was her time to shine!

She rushed over to him and grabbed his arm, dragging him to another stand and looking for something specific.

‘Well, I think you’d like this. It has incredible lyrics, and music too, of course. It’s slightly pop but leaning more towards synth pop. But trust me, give it a try.’ She handed him a record, he barely had time to look at it properly before she was handing him another one. ‘Oh, and there’s this one. No lyrics, the melodies are quite something. I thought of you when I came across it yesterday.’ She smiled.

He quirked an eyebrow at her and nodded. ‘Thank you. I will let you know my review after listening to them… What was the name of the artist you were listening to when I walked in?’

‘That was Mumford & Sons… did you like the song?’ She was a little surprised, not thinking he would’ve been into that kind of music.

‘I did.’ He nodded.

‘Well, the song is called I Will Wait. I think we have the single, if you’d like? Or we should have their full albums somewhere.’ She pondered, finger on her lips as she looked around the shop for where it would be.

‘The single would be great.’ Loki smiled.

Cleo soon fished out the record for him, he was impressed that she seemed to know where everything was. But then, he knew she was passionate about music, so it was no surprise really. Like he knew every single book in his shop, where you would find each one, too.

‘So did you just close up your shop in the middle of the day to come here, or do you have staff?’ Cleo asked.

‘I just closed.’ Loki shrugged. ‘I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my shop.’

‘I figured as much.’ Cleo laughed.

‘How much am I due you?’ Loki asked as he went over to the counter and put the records down, then pulled his wallet out of his jeans pocket.

‘Ten thousand pounds.’ Cleo joked, earning an unamused look from Loki. ‘No, it’s on the house.’ She said seriously.

Loki frowned. ‘I am not getting you into trouble for giving out freebies.’

‘You’re not. I’m allowed a free record once a month, I will take them off that. And I will just say one of the record players was slightly damaged on delivery, it happens all the time. So we just give them away.’ She shrugged.

Loki tsked. ‘Naughty. See, this is why I couldn’t trust anyone else, they’d be giving away my books for free.’

‘Well, you gave me freebies. So let’s just say we’re even now. I don’t do this for just anyone, you know. In-fact, not even my own brother gets freebies like this. So I’d take them while you’ve got me on a good day.’

‘You have a brother?’

‘I do. Annoying little shit.’ She sighed.

‘Brothers are annoying indeed.’ Loki agreed, chuckling.

‘You have a brother too?’

Loki nodded. ‘Unfortunately, yes. An older brother.’

‘I feel your pain, my brother is older than me as well.’ Cleo said as she wrapped up the records for Loki. ‘And he lives in the city, so I have to see his ugly mug on the regular.’

‘Ah, that’s where I am a bit luckier. Mine lives in Norway.’

‘Wow, different country. Do you ever miss him?’ Cleo asked.

Loki shrugged. ‘Not really. He visits on occasion, I know I can contact him whenever I want. Which is a rarity. Perhaps once every century, though even that’s too much.

Cleo laughed, thinking he was joking.

‘Well, that’s you all sorted.’ Cleo said as she put the records on top of the record player box.

‘Thank you, Cleo. This is very kind of you… But I absolutely won’t take not paying you.’

‘No, seriously, Luke. It’s all good, please.’ Cleo pleaded.

‘Let me take you out for coffee on Sunday then.’ Loki suddenly blurted out, unable to stop himself before it was too late. But then, he found he didn’t exactly regret asking. ‘Then I can give you my review of the music.’ He added.

Cleo was a little stunned, but nodded eagerly. ‘That would be great.’

Loki nodded once. ‘Excellent… How about we say, eleven? Meet outside my shop?’

‘That sounds perfect.’ Cleo agreed.

‘Till Sunday.’ Loki bowed his head a bit, making her laugh.

‘See you Sunday.’ She beamed happily.

-

That night, before going to bed, Loki listened to the records he got from Cleo. But he found himself playing I Will Wait on repeat for a while as he lay on the sofa, just staring at the ceiling. While he rather enjoyed the music and the lyrics, he couldn’t stop thinking about Cleo and her dancing along to it so care free, belting the lyrics out too. He felt a fondness within him that he had never felt before.

Without properly realising it, his heart felt like it was bursting just from thinking about her.

[discyours]

What are some songs (any language!) that perk up your mood?

My taste in music is immaculate but if you hand me the aux I need to skip 5 songs at a time to get to one that doesn't sound depressing. I went looking because of this anon and oh man it's not good.

I like Hey Steve and I think all of his songs are pretty upbeat compared to some of the other arists I listen to (Fuck a bomb, Miss Prince and Jody are my favourites).

I listen to a lot of Mother Mother, their music isn't really known for being happy but they have a few like I Got Love, Let's Fall In Love, Arms Tonite and Burning Pile.

I also like Rainbow Kitten Surprise (Cocaine Jesus, Lady Lie, Devil Like Me) but their songs are 50/50 on getting me hyped or being good to cry to depending on my mood.

I should note I'm borderline incapable of paying attention to lyrics so if I recommend any songs please know there's a 90% chance I have no fucking clue what they're actually about.

[obeymebabes]

Hi! Do you mind if you can do the brothers reacting to an MC who sings when they’re sad to feel better? Like they start with sad songs then they move up to the happier-sounding songs. And also how would how the brothers react when the MC can hit all of them high notes? Hope it’s not too much! ❤️😅

I've gotten quite a few musical requests lately. Makes me wish I had any musical talent. All of you musically gifted are so lucky!

Lucifer

Honestly? He wasn't paying much attention to you or your singing.

He was busy with paperwork from Diavolo.

Though taking a momentary break, he heard you, and he would admit he was impressed by the sound of your voice.

He noticed the song you had been singing was a bit sad though, and felt discouraged.

As time went on he realized that you had been singing happier songs.

And when you hit the high note of a song, he would give you a pleased smirk.

Being alive for as many years as he has, he was hard to impress, and you managed to do such, so good job.

Mammon

He was lured to your room by your singing.

Not wanting to interrupt you, and being too embarrassed to actually face you, he stood by the door to listen.

Not having the slightest idea of what you were singing, he didn't even notice the songs seemed sad.

He wad pretty clueless, and too lost in your voice to notice.

It was Beel who snapped him out of his daze, wondering why he was standing outside of your door.

Brushing it off, he walked in casually, interrupting you and becoming a blushing mess.

"You sound really good MC, you didn't have to stop."

Levi

He heard you singing once, and he didn't even realize it was you singing.

Honestly? He thought he had his headphones plugged in and assumed it was part of the background music of the game he was super invested in.

Though he quickly realized it was you when he didn't recognize any of the songs.

Too shy to look up and see you singing, he enjoyed your voice by tuning out of his game and tuning into you.

Taking a moment to recognize your sad tunes, he asked if you wanted to play the game with him, and your melody quickly changed.

Upon hitting the high note, he was shocked a normie could even sing that well. He couldn't help but smile, which he obviously tried to hide.

Satan

As you both were sitting by the fireplace doing some studying, he could hear you singing softly.

Your pleasing voice sounded sad, upsetting the usually emotionless demon.

"Is everything okay? You seem sad? We can take a break if it is needed."

With a mental break from studying, your vocals turned around, hitting high notes and singing happier lyrics.

Satan was quite shocked by your voice. He didn't know you could sing such high notes.

Asmo

Despite him not being able to charm you with his powers, man did you charm him.

Your voice was like a siren's, hypnotizing even the Avatar of Lust.

He was a bit sad to hear you singing such sad songs, but he perked up when your songs gradually became more cheerful and positive.

He kept cheering you on, hoping to help cheer you up.

"You sound amazing MC! Can I please post you singing to DevilTube!? You'd get so many views! You'd go viral!"

Asmo was always your biggest supporter.

Beel

Like his brothers, he was too captivated by your stunning vocals to realize that you were actually sad.

He did notice that when he offered you a snack your songs had changed into something more upbeat.

Only then did he realize you were singing bevause you were sad.

He was happy to hear your voice become more positive however.

Encouraging you to sing more, while he sat, eating his snack, enjoying every moment of it.

When you hit one of the really high notes he couldn't help but smile wider, and even clapped at your feat.

Belphie

He was half asleep when he woke up to your voice.

In all honesty he thought he was dreaming of being back in the Celestial Realm with a voice as pure as yours.

The sad melody lulled him to sleep more.

When he woke up again to your voice, you sounded happier, which made him smile.

He wasn't sure if you knew he was listening, but he knew that he was pleased to hear your voice sing such gracious sounds.

He was quite shocked when you hit such a high note, and couldn't help but imagine getting used to you singing to him to sleep at night. Or any time he wanted to nap.

[kodzukenscorner]

Sakusa, Ushijima, Bokuto, and Akaashi’s S/O singing Into the Unknown

anastasiasthings asked: Can I request Sakusa, Ushijima, Bokuto, and Akaashi s/o randomly singing into the unknown and hit its perfectly? 😂😂❤️

a/n: asdfhjk i’m gonna kms-- i wrote this whole thing out on mobile and hit ‘save draft’ and tumblr rlly said “oopsie, something went wrong” and deleted the WHOLE THING so yea i wrote this twice lol

wc: 1,526

✶   ✶   ✶   ✶   ✶

Sakusa

You’re used to Sakusa being out a lot, he’s usually at practice so you have learned to let go when he’s not around

Honestly, you’re usually cleaning the place because Sakusa loves to come home to a clean home

So you have an entire playlist dedicated to when you need to tidy up

It’s full of songs that you like to sing and dance to so you can have fun while you’re doing your chores

And Disney songs are PERFECT for that

You had made Saksua watch a couple Disney movies with you but that was never really his thing so he didn’t pay much attention

You gushed about how excited you were for Frozen II and when you saw it together you were immediately obsessed with Into the Unknown

But Sakusa seemed...indifferent

Either way, it was easily your favorite song in your playlist and you always sang along to it

While you were busy cleaning you didn’t hear the door opening, Sakusa coming home earlier than usual to try and spend some more time with you since he had been so busy lately

He heard you in the kitchen and headed over there to greet you

Instead he saw and heard you belting out the climax of Into the Unknown while mopping

He was about to laugh at how cute you were but you actually hit the note very well and he was shocked

When the song ended you turned to continue mopping and saw your boyfriend in the doorway watching you

You removed your earbuds and sheepishly smiled at him

“I didn’t know you were coming home so early!”

“I didn’t know you could sing Into the Unknown that well”

You perked up at that

“You remember the song?”

“Of course I do, you loved the movie so much how could I forget”

You didn’t realize how much attention he paid to you and the things you liked

It was his way of saying he loved and cared about you since he didn’t say it much

And that made your heart swell

You dropped the mop and jumped into his arms, he was surprised but caught you nonetheless 

“I love you Omi”

You leaned in to kiss him and when you pulled away you leaned your forehead on his

“I love you too” He whispered

Now it was your turn to be shocked

Ushijima

It is very hard to surprise this man, seriously you’ve never even seen him raise his eyebrows in surprise before

You made it your personal mission to try and get a reaction out of him

You tried everything: hiding somewhere and then jumping out to scare him, spicy foods, even taking him out to karaoke to try and get him to laugh

But it was mostly you, Tendo, and Semi singing while Ushijima just watched you all

Nothing fazes this man!

You wanted to take him out to karaoke more often because you love singing along to your favorite songs but he didn’t seem to really enjoy it

So you just made do with playing instrumental versions of songs at home and singing along to them there

One day you were making dinner for the both of you and Ushijima had gone out to get you some missing ingredients

In the background you had some songs playing and Into the Unknown came on

You loved singing this song but whenever your boyfriend or other people were around you got self conscious about how your voice sounded

But this time you knew you were alone so you decided to really let go

When the song hit the chorus you flawlessly hit the difficult notes like they were nothing

Honestly, you were more focused on cooking

The door opened after that and you quickly ceased your singing to greet your boyfriend

He came next to you and put the plastic bag down and you could see from the corner of your eye that he was staring at you

You looked at him and he had this strange look in his eye that you couldn’t quite place

“Is something wrong Toshi?”

“I didn’t know you could sing so well”

You froze

“Huh?? You heard me??”

“The walls aren’t very thick”

You could’ve died from embarrassment but you were more focused on the quizzical look on his face 

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I’m just surprised”

Wait

WHAT??

This is what he looks like when he’s surprised???

You were so giddy from knowing you finally surprised and got a reaction out of him that you completely forgot the embarrassment you were feeling only a moment ago

When he saw you beaming with excitement he couldn��t help but flash a rare smile back at you

“We should go to karaoke more often”

Bokuto

Oh this baby boy LOVES to sing random songs with you all the time

Whenever the two of you are just spending time together, doing your own thing, one of you is usually playing some music

It never takes long before Bokuto starts singing along softly and then it quickly builds to him scream-singing every lyric

His energy is so contagious that you can’t help but sing along with him

Although you definitely aren’t able to match his volume and he is usually the one to steal the show

Not that you mind at all

Today was no different, you both were focused on your own thing when Into the Unknown suddenly came on

Bokuto always loves singing along to Disney songs because he liked to act out the scenes when he does

So as soon as the song started, he was up on his feet singing and walking around like he was Elsa

His voice quickly grew louder and it was getting harder for you to contain your giggles 

He was moving and jumping around so much that he had to stop and catch his breath right in the middle of the song

You picked up where he left off and sang the difficult notes in the chorus with ease

You started singing the next part of the song but stopped when you realized your voice was the only one you heard

You looked over to see Bokuto staring at you with big eyes

“Kou? What’s wrong? Still out of breath?”

Suddenly he tackled you down into a bear hug

“BAAAABE!!! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME YOU HAD THE VOICE OF AN ANGEL”

Bokuto was busy peppering your face with kisses and all you could do was laugh and try and break out of his iron grip

Bokuto finally took a break from kissing you to look at you with his puppy dog eyes

“I’m sorry I never noticed before, don’t be mad!”

You placed a light kiss on his nose

“Of course I’m not mad”

He flashed his signature smile and pulled you to your feet

He continued playing more songs but this time he let you shine

And he was heart eyes the entire time he listened to you sing

Akaashi

So Akaashi is a more laid back person

Honestly speaking, most of the music he listens to is instrumental or lo-fi stuff because it helps him concentrate 

But he knows you like to listen to more upbeat stuff

Sometimes when you two are working together he can hear you softly singing along to some songs and it really makes his heart flutter 

He thrives on those moments but you always seem to notice that he’s listening to you so you quickly stop out of embarrassment

But one place you always feel free to sing your heart out is in the shower

Usually the bathroom door is enough to block out most sounds so Akaashi can only hear bits and pieces of you singing no matter how hard he tries

Because god he loves your voice 

Once he came home and heard the shower running so he obviously knew you were in there

The closer he got to the bathroom, the louder and more clear your voice got

Then he noticed that you didn’t close the door all the way

He nearly jumped out of sheer joy!!

This meant he could hear your beautiful voice clearly for once

He sat on the ground next to the bathroom and listened to you sing and hum along to random songs

Then you started singing Into the Unknown

He’d only ever heard you hum along to this one so he was on the edge of his seat

When you hit those notes perfectly his heart melted right on the spot

He was so happy he stayed right where he was until you came out of the shower in nothing but a towel

You squealed in surprise when you saw Akaashi sitting on the floor with the most serene smile on his face

“Keiji! When did you get here? And why are you sitting on the floor??”

He stood up and turned towards you, pulling you flush against him as you clung to your towel 

“You sound so beautiful when you’re singing, you have no reason to be shy”

And before you could stutter out a response he already claimed your lips with his

[bubbelpop2]

"there's some songs where there's only one line that's good and the rest of it is garbage. Wish I could steal it and make an actually good song with It."

Okay well stick around this is gonna be a long post but it's worth it I promise.

Two words: Make. Breakcore.

What is breakcore, you ask? Well, it's a genre of music that only has ONE thing in common. Not melody, not tone, style, or lyrics, but a single iconic type of drum solo. There's a drum solo in the background of the Powerpuff girls theme song that is featured in every single breakcore song.

"But what does this have to do with the original statement, bubbz?" Be patient I'm getting there.

Breakcore is a genre of music that is FOUNDED on piracy. The original drum solo is from an African artist, and technically you're not allowed to use that specific drum solo in anything at all. Even PPG straight up stole it.

But the thing is: breakcore changes up both that specific drum solo, and every single asset that each song uses so much that it's not anything like the original. It's so different from the source material that it's no longer considered piracy, but more like a very large remix of a lot of different things.

Breakcore is such a huge diverse genre of music with such room for expression and commentary that listening to it is almost like speaking to the artist directly. There's ADHD breakcore, which is loud, fast, features many memes and audio assets from anime and video games, is often jarring and has little to no lyrics or rhythm/melody besides the drums, and also usually features commentary or jokes from the artist in a way that doesn't disrupt the pace at all. It can be chaotic, jarring, with little to no Melody, it can be nothing but remixed screams, but on the OTHER end of that, there's the happy breakcore, which features cutesy sound effects, upbeat melodies, soothing and interesting tones, and engaging use of various instruments.

You don't even HAVE to have a melody of any sort. By stealing a bunch of clips from your favorite anime/show/video game, stealing your favorite quotes, and stealing your "one good line" from an otherwise bad song, you already have everything you need to make an excellent, expressive, and engaging breakcore song in a free sound editing program.

Okay so on a personal note, I think breakcore has great potential to be the front of the liberation from copyright and the right to have anything be public domain as soon as it's published. You can't make money from it, and you shouldn't, actually, but the sheer amount of possibilities from breakcore as a whole is really breathtaking and I think we should pay more attention to it.

(psst, if you want a great beginners introduction to breakcore, this is it. Warning for triggering imagery in the thumbnail and video, but this is an album of a lot of milder breakcore songs. For those who are a little more adventurous, this and this are both great if you want to just jump right into it.)