#lyrics are from 'ok' by wallows

[eemamminy-art]

Can we get up and try to feel okay again?

[tomorrowxtogether]

The 10 best Tomorrow X Together songs

Ahead of the boyband’s 2024 ‘Act: Promise’ world tour, NME picks the best cuts from their enchanting back catalogue 

There’s always been something magical about Tomorrow X Together, even before they started adding elements of enchantment to their music in late-2019. Over their first five years together, the Big Hit Music boyband have been consistently spellbinding in their approach to sharing their experiences of youth, whether weaving colourful creations in their early days or dialling up the angst as they screeched into young adulthood.

Along with their penchant for genre-hopping, it all makes for a vibrant back catalogue that doesn’t always follow the expected path. TXT will always keep you guessing and never stay in one spot for too long. Ahead of their upcoming 2024 ‘Act: Promise’ world tour, which kicks off next month in Seoul, NME looks back on their enchanting catalogue.

Honourable mentions

‘Blue Spring’ (2023) ‘MOA Diary (Dubaddu Wari Wari)’ (2021) ‘Puma’ (2020) ‘Wishlist’ (2020) ‘LO$ER=LO♡ER’ (2021)

10. ‘Ghosting’ (2020)

The opening track of 2020’s ‘minisode 1: Blue Hour’ glistens in its gloominess. Through clouds of shoegaze-y guitars, the five-piece tell stories of friends who’ve become like spectres and the isolation that comes with growing apart from those you love. It’s a beautiful piece of songwriting that highlights TXT’s knack for taking trending lingo and using it to share their tales of youth.

9. ‘New Rules’ (2019)

Since their beginning, Tomorrow X Together have served as guides and companions through life and that’s no different on ‘New Rules’. The funky hip-hop track details rebellious phases sparked by the frustrations of life, piled on by social media, teachers and class. If you’re looking for a way to break free from it all, this addictive cut will help you.

8. ‘Can’t You See Me?’ (2020)

Even without watching the flame-filled music video for ‘Can’t You See Me?’, you can feel the scorching emotions that course through the song. Rather than showcasing them in the big rock anthemics that would come later in TXT’s journey, it’s the more seemingly subdued moments that sizzle here. “With resentment, my heart is heavy / ‘Cause you don’t understand me,” Beomgyu and Hueningkai murmur in the second verse, every ounce of that weight pouring through their words.

7. ‘Good Boy Gone Bad’ (2022)

On the lead track from 2022’s ‘minisode 2: Thursday’s Child’, TXT fully embrace the moment when it feels like you’ve hit an emotional rock bottom. Instead of wallowing in the misery, they make it their new super power – there’ll be no more “pathetic days” left on the calendar when you rise up with hearts “gone dead”. Set to searing rock, it’s become one of the most electrifying moments in the group’s concerts, not least Yeonjun’s bridge that ends in the laughter of someone truly cold-hearted and the declaration: “I like being bad.”

6. ‘Crown’ (2019)

The song that started it all. Tomorrow X Together’s debut single ushered in a boyband who sounded refreshingly bright but, beneath the bubbling synths, were dealing with the complicated growing pains of adolescence. Years on from its release, it still feels like a perfect snapshot of the dichotomy of youth – at once energetic, curious, self-doubting and concerned.

5. ‘Tinnitus (Wanna Be a Rock)’ (2023)

The boyband dabble in Afro-pop on this standout from ‘The Name Chapter: Temptation’. Despite its slinky rhythms that are practically a call to groove onto the dancefloor, lyrically it finds the group wanting to sink into a stillness caused by a crisis of confidence. “Rockstar minus the star / Just a rock, OK?” Taehyun sighs, preparing to descend.

4. ‘0X1=LOVESONG (You Know I Love You)’ (2021)

The moment TXT leaned all the way into the raw, serrated sensitivities of emo. With the help of featured singer Seori, ‘0X1=LOVESONG’ wears its feelings on its sleeve so viscerally it’s hard not to get swept up in its storm of emotion. Although the five-piece’s storyline would later disavow the need for connection, here it was still an essential, the group crying out for a loved one to “take my hand” and save them from being swallowed up by life.

3. ‘I’ll See You There Tomorrow’ (2024)

The concept of fate emerges on this sunkissed house jam, the beats forming a linking pattern between TXT and the person they believe is “meant to be”. ‘I’ll See You There Tomorrow’ is fresh and breezy, while its post-chorus refrain of “there’ll be no more sorrow, I’ll see you there tomorrow” could serve as a slogan for the comfort that spills out of the group’s catalogue.

2. ‘9 and Three Quarters (Run Away)’ (2019)

The title track of ‘The Dream Chapter: Magic’ more than lives up to the sorcery in the album’s title. Sprinkled with sparkling melodies that form the aural equivalent of the magic dust that accompanies wands casting spells in movies, the song captured the heart of much of TXT’s early storyline. It’s an ode to friendship and the feeling of finding people to run alongside you as you buckle up for the rollercoaster of life.

1. ‘Eternally’ (2020)

Tomorrow X Together have never been ones to shy away from trying something new, and that spirit quietly fuels ‘Eternally’, the stand-out track from ‘The Dream Chapter: Eternity’. What starts out as a gentle lullaby pleading soon morphs into something darker and prowling. The beat switch is tellingly signalled by a rapid-fire gunshot and the verse that follows feels like a villain origin story. That the group are able to pull off the revolving door of switch-ups on this track with such elegance is nothing short of impressively exhilarating.

[moonyasnow]

Junia character inspo

Mitsuri Kanroji (Demon Slayer) [fun fact: ok so I brainstormed up Junia bc I needed a protagonist for this one otome game I was playing, and I got the idea for the design first, before anything else. And I didn't realize it at the time...but the design was literally just Mitsuri. I straight up copied her design at first—]

Suzu (In This Corner Of The World) Charlotte (The Rose of Segunda) Rapunzel Felicia (Fire Emblem: Fates) Flayn (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)

Margarita Blankenheim (Evillious Chronicles) Ok I bet none of you are gonna know who this is [ except you of course, @beneathsakurashade 😌 ] But some of you MIGHT know the Vocaloid song 'gift from the princess who brought sleep'? (GO LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW) Either way, that song was a MASSIVE influence on Junia. I cannot state enough how much it inspired her. Here are the specific lyrics that were inspirations:

"It was a marriage decided by the result of politics Nevertheless I loved you You’re an incompetent playboy wallowing in desire But I loved you from before You’re only after the wealth of a doctor’s daughter Aside from that I’m happy, nonetheless You can also forget our promise when we were children If I can be by your side

Sleep with this gift, you will sleep well with this gift Yes I am the sleep princess, a woman who sought hope In those days where I was only used like a decorative doll I was already broken long ago, I wanted to destroy everything..."

...I'm actually gonna have to explain the last one. She's a character from Pokémon anime who shows up in one singular episode. But I happened to watch Pokémon growing up, but that specific episode got itself so stuck in my brain that I still remember the plot to this day, without having to look it up. So Team Rocket wanna try to steal Pikachu yadi yadda— and at some point Ash fights this girl, Marilyn. Her 'thing' is only having 'cute' Pokémon. But then at the end, she confesses something she was a bit embarrassed of— she thinks Shellder is THE cutest Pokémon in existence. She was a little embarrassed of it because Shellder isn't typically seen as 'cute', but to her, it really is the cutest

I think it might've stuck with me because, me being autistic, I was already used to people thinking that things I loved were strange. And anyway it went on to really influence Junia's love of all things monstrous and macabre

Other OCs: Artemisia Irina Veronica Victor Tomoe Lisle Spike

[noxx-33i]

MUSIC/ARTIST HCS FOR THE PHIGHTERS

i said id do it and so i will… im also picking these off of vibes alone.. FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS OR ADD MORE!!!!!

Sword

Faye Webster

Her's

Lamp

Kenshi Yonezu

The Vanished People

Rocket

Julie,, please listen to their songs…

Ado!!!!

Radiohead (zuka influenced him)

Clairo. Now. Please hear me out on this guys PLEASEE

Skate

JVB

Freddie Dredd

Machine Girl

ICP

Tyler, The Creator

Boombox (i cant choose 5 guys.)

JVB

No Vacation

Odetari. This is like so obvious,,

Gorilaz,, he would love this band a LOT

NewJeans, HE WOULD FW NEWJEANS BC THEIR SONGS R SUCH MODERN BOPS

9lives

Mac DeMarco for the soft and quiet vibes

Twice is something he would listen to like A LOT AS WELL

Tame Impala, cmon….

Slingshot

JVB

spellcasting

Wallows

D4vd

Nuvfr, he would get this from Boombox bc he introduced one of the songs to him

Hyperlaser

Canonically he used to like metal,,, so im giving him Sleep Token

MEMI (specifically Guitar Pick- please listeb…)

Deftones is so obvious (younger days at least)

LOWKEY. A few Hoizer songs he would like

He would like CAS for the vibes they give off

Ok now im struggling to think

Subspace

Hes just breakcore, the entire genre…

Possibly has some slipknot saved in his playlist

Maretu too… he likes the crazy songs

ok sometimes machine girl too

ong i almost forgot sb femtanyl, it really fits him the modt

Medkit

what do i even give this fucker…

motzart?? 🤨

okay but i think he would like slow jazz as 2nd to classical music

Possibly laufey if we ignore the lyrics…

bro would just search "soft jazz" and hit the play button on any playlist

Katana

????

what what do i do… what do i give this man…

ig hes the type to listen to anything but has no specific taste

canonically. Okay. Ok but what if i just give him spellcasting for fun… what if sling makes him listen to it and he ends up liking it..?? Like.

[aurienneirua]

trying to think about how aurien would take castor’s death since i haven’t really articulated it quite yet . .

i think ill be using how blue diamond from steven universe take’s pink’s death as a bit of an projection onto aurien and inspiration !

well, ill start on how aurien was with solei’s disappearance . since me and @billwasnot actually discussed this before, i feel like i can articulate and word this much more then i usually do . ill also limit how long this is since that’s probably for a whole nother post .

( edit after finishing : wow im a really bad liar )

to put it into simple and hopefully straightforward words, aurien did not process solei’s disappearance at first, and her feelings about it in extension .

when they finally started to bubble up, she shoved them down . they poison parts of her in response, and she’s stuck in a cage and cycle of grief, slowly shutting down mentally and emotionally . even when she and solei reunite, she still has them shoved down .

now, finally onto cas !

for him mainly, id say she feels empty after his death .

she falls into a prolonged period of time where she either feels just . . empty, or all she can feel is pain and grief .

although she openly expresses her emotions now and doesn’t shove them away, she instead wallows in them, refusing to move on because she just doesn’t want to .

the words im referring to starting at 1 : 07 and ending on 1 : 16 being :

“ im sorry . im so sorry . i should have done more . ————— says it will all be over soon . i wonder what you would think . “

also think blue’s tone matches her exactly as well lol . quiet and low .

the words “ im sorry . im so sorry . “ transferring onto aurien in the way of how she knows she failed to save him, and “ i should have done more . “ being how she wishes that she could have, and regrets greatly how in the end, she did not .

also gonna put down some lyrics from what’s the use of feeling blue as well since that can also fit auri . .

“ why would you want to be here ? / what do you ever see here ? / that doesn’t make you feel worse then you do ? / and tell me, what’s the use of feeling, ( blue ) ? /

oh, how can you stand to be here with it all ? ( here with it all ) / drowning in all this regret ? / wouldn’t you rather forget ( him ) ? /

start looking forward and stop looking back, oh “

( formatting style originally by @sotogalmo ! )

ok, first, “ why would you want to be here ? / what do you ever see here ? / that doesn’t make you feel worse then you do ? / and tell me, what’s the use of feeling, ( blue ) ? / “ would probably be about her extreme unwillingness to move on ? and maybe also how as a result, she only feels worse and worse, inflicting pain upon herself because she feels she deserves it .

secondly and lastly, “ oh, how can you stand to be here with it all ? ( here with it all ) / drowning in all this regret ? / “ this one’s a more clear one for me . . she definitely is drowning in regret . another possible thing would be that the lyrics “ how can you stand to be here with it all ? “ can maybe be her actually asking herself that . .

how can she still stand here— why is she still here with everything that’s been going on ? she’s not special . so many people matter so much more then her . why does she live ?

anyways, i wrap it up here . . partly because i don’t think i have anything else to say, this post is already getting long, and im pretty disappointed about how this came out .

i came in with a clear mindset, ( which normally helps a lot when im trying to write things like this ) but it got muddled pretty easily . although i want to take more time on this, im not really patient with myself, and ive been having a lot of trouble wording things lately .

i don’t know how long it’ll take to “ word this right “, but i know it’ll be long combined with some other factors . I think I’ll maybe come back to update or expand on this though . . anyways, any thoughts about my depressed pookie aurien ?

( castor : @bluemoonscape )

( side note : lolol id love to hear your and possibly cas’s ( if he were still alive COUGH ) on this ! also i already have a little au in my head where auri and solei save cas . . and auri shoots and shatters a screen displaying kyo that was distracting cas mizi all in style . . may i know how he would react to this and hold up if they did save him . .

[steddio]

steddie vegas au part 5

part 1; part 2; part 3; part 4; ao3

(throws angst at you and runs)

-

Eddie wakes languidly, comfortable and sated. Last night had been far more than he’d let himself dream of when he’d handed Steve those tickets. Performing for Steve had felt like performing for the first time again, every lyric more meaningful, every guitar chord more sensual. Steve was magnetic, beautiful, addicting. Not to mention incredibly hot in bed. This train of thought brings Eddie’s awareness to his morning wood, and he turns, reaching for Steve. Only to find the other side of the bed cold and empty. 

His stomach sinks with a jolt, and he sits up, looking around for Steve in the bathroom, listening for him anywhere else in the suite. It’s empty, and Steve’s clothes are gone from the floor. Eddie tries not to panic. Maybe Steve is a morning person, maybe he went for a run. But there’s no note anywhere, and when Eddie checks his phone there’s no text from Steve. 

He feels tears well and tries to force them away. This is fine. He’s woken up alone before. There could be a thousand explanations. It doesn’t mean that he wasn’t good enough, that Steve suddenly hates him, that he got what he wanted and left, that–. He interrupts his own catastrophizing, anchors himself in his breath (Sharon should be proud of him for using that CBT shit). He briefly debates letting himself wallow in bed but decides that will serve no one and goes to take a shower. As much as he doesn’t want to wash the traces of Steve off his body, he’s a little bit (ok a lot) gross from performing and sex. 

When he emerges from the bathroom, wrapped in a delightfully fluffy hotel robe, he can hear rustling in the living room. He dashes out of the bedroom with a breathless, “Ste-” before he stops in his tracks, realizing that it’s Chrissy instead. She’s in her same clothes from last night and she looks at him with concern and worse, pity. 

“Steve’s gone,” he tells her brusquely. She nods, like she already knows this, and touches his arm gently. 

“Eddie, honey, there’s something you need to see.”

He tries not to react as his body fills with dread. Chrissy holds her phone out to him and he takes it. It’s opened to a tabloid site, and Eddie wants to scoff, because there’s no way the tabloids could do anything worse than how they covered every step of his addiction, his recovery journey, his messy breakup, and his relapse. He’s basically immune to it by now, just the counterweight to fame. But as he skips past the headline and straight to the photo, his soul leaves his body. Because sure, that’s him, whatever. But in front of Eddie, with his back to the camera, is unmistakably Steve. Dorky dad with a great ass, concierge, regular person Steve. Who never asked for all the shit that Eddie’s lifestyle brings with it. 

“Jesus H Christ,” Eddie groans. “Did he see this?”

Chrissy just looks at him. Of course. Of course Steve had seen this. No wonder he’d run, why would he want this, no sex is good enough to be worth losing your privacy. 

“I was, um, with Robin last night,” Chrissy tells him. He tries to paste on a smile, to congratulate her, and then realizes she’s not bragging. 

“And?” Eddie prompts. “Chris, I can handle it. Just tell me.”

“Well,” Chrissy hedges. “Robin saw the photo and kind of freaked out. I tried to explain that this is normal, that the tabloids always do things like this, but she kept trying to call Steve. I think–” she trails off.

Eddie is on edge, but tries to keep breathing, to give her space. Finally, she continues, “I think Steve’s daughter saw the photo and recognized him. Robin wouldn’t say much, but she was freaking out about that specifically, said that Steve couldn’t afford another, um.”

“Another what?!” Eddie is full-on freaking out at this point. 

“Well, fuck-up. Is the word she used.”

Eddie finally gives in and lets the tears that have been building fall. Of course Steve would think of him as a fuck-up. A mistake. Steve was so good, so clean. And it was Eddie who had pushed and pushed, trying to get Steve to drop the professionalism, to let go, to play with him. Of course he had pushed too far. It’s what he does, he can’t leave things alone. 

Chrissy stands on the couch, wraps her arms around his neck, and tucks his head against her chest, making soothing noises. He can’t even muster the strength to hug her back, just stands there crying, probably ruining her shirt like he ruins everything. They stay like that for a long moment, Chrissy rocking him gently.

When the tears finally subside, Eddie feels raw and swollen, like an open wound. He wordlessly climbs back into bed and throws a pillow over his face, wanting to lose himself in the obliviousness of sleep. But of course, sleep doesn’t come easily. Instead he lies awake replaying every moment from the night before. The way Steve’s eyes had gone from huge in awe to half-lidded in bliss. The way the sweat on his neck had tasted. The hair on his belly, his large hands in Eddie’s hair, his toothy smile. By the time he finally drifts to sleep, he’s half-hard and more than half-hating himself. 

He wakes up to Chrissy sitting on the side of his bed, handing him a chilled bottle of water. He forces himself to sit upright and drinks it all down in one go. His stomach rumbles in response and he realizes he hasn’t eaten since dinner last night.

“What time is it?” he mumbles to Chrissy. 

“It’s nearly three,” she tells him. “I ordered you lunch, it should be here soon.” 

“Have I ever told you I love you,” he says solemnly. Her soft smile sends a pang through his heart. What would he do without her? He reaches for his phone, hardly letting himself hope, but there’s no text from Steve. 

“Do you think I should–” he starts to ask, then stops. Looks at Chrissy with pleading eyes. She shakes her head.

“I don’t know, hon. I texted Robin once I got back this morning, and she says that Steve might just need time.”

“Do you think he’s… okay?” Even hurting like he is, Eddie can’t help but worry. Chrissy is stopped from answering the question by a knock on the door. She goes to open it, then brings Eddie’s lunch to him so he can eat it in bed. 

“I’ll be right back,” she tells him. “Eat.”

So he does. He swears a burrito bowl has never tasted so good, and he demolishes it in seconds, delighted when he realizes that Chrissy had also ordered him a churro for dessert. He’s just licking the cinnamon sugar off his fingers when Chrissy returns. Her brow is furrowed and he’s about to ask her what’s wrong when she blurts out, “Steve’s fine.”

He’s about to ask her how she knows when she says in a rush, “He’s at the concierge desk. He’s fine.”

The food he’d just eaten turns to lead in Eddie’s stomach. Steve is… at work. He’s fine, and at work, and he hasn’t texted Eddie. Because Eddie was a fuck-up. He wants to cry again but he feels numb, empty.

–

The numbness follows him through the next week. Through three video calls with Sharon, where they talk through breathing exercises and affirmations and mindfulness techniques. He’s numb through Saturday’s performance, through the massage appointment Chrissy set up for him on Sunday morning, and through five AA meetings. 

He’s numb until he checks his phone on Tuesday night after their show and sees a text from Adrian, and is flooded with feeling, as if the dam holding back all the hurt and betrayal and anger and sadness finally broke. Adrian, his last boyfriend of nine months, who’d wanted so badly to be a fashion influencer, and who’d used Eddie as free exposure. Adrian, who three months ago, had gotten a contract with Dior and had promptly broken up with Eddie, telling him that Eddie was holding him back, that he wanted to follow his career, that he didn’t need Eddie anymore. Adrian, who had triggered Eddie’s relapse into drinking after eight years sober.

He almost deletes the text without opening it, but the masochist in him lets curiosity win.

Adrian: I see you’ve downgraded to someone who thinks light wash jeans are still cool. Pathetic. 

Eddie hurls his phone across his dressing room. He feels pathetic, because the first thought that comes to mind is about how good Steve’s ass looked in those jeans. The second is a wave of self-loathing because Steve is anything but a downgrade. Steve is too good for Eddie, better than he deserves, a shooting star in the night that he was lucky to have seen. 

It’s self-loathing that has Eddie jumping up, sliding into his shoes, and bending to scoop up his phone from the floor, relieved that it’s only cracked a little. He’s marinating in it as he leaves the room, steadfastly not thinking about when he had Steve pressed against the door, and he’s relishing in it when he starts making his way over to the lobby bar. 

–

Steve opens and then closes his draft resignation letter for the fifth time in the last hour. He’d written it in a drunken blur on his day off yesterday, punctuated by crying bouts and skinny girl margarita straight out of the bottle. He loves his job, but if he has to spend one more day standing at a desk across from the elevator where he ruined his life he’s going to lose it. 

He tries to mentally backtrack. It wasn’t the elevator incident that had ruined his life. Despite his initial panic about his family seeing the photo, they had been wholly accepting if not slightly amused that after so many years in Vegas, Steve had finally been caught in a mild celebrity scandal. No, the elevator incident had been a high point, an undeserved moment of bliss. What had ruined his life was Steve’s stupid fucking overreaction. 

After leaving Eddie’s hotel room last week, he’d managed to drive himself home while dissociating and immediately called Nancy to apologize. She hadn’t picked up, and the longer he waited for her to call him back, the more he became convinced that the event that had driven him to Vegas, that had lost him his chance at a nuclear family, was happening all over again. 

By the time his phone finally rang, Steve was curled in the fetal position on the floor. It had taken Nancy an hour to convince him he had nothing to apologize for and to coax him into bed, and she must have texted Robin, because he woke up in the early afternoon to Robin in bed next to him, stroking his hair. They’d facetimed Max, who, in her classic teenage way, had spent only a minute teasing Steve for the photo before rattling on about high school drama, reminding Steve that sometimes what feels like the end of the world is actually a minor, solvable issue. 

He’d gone into work that evening determined to make things right with Eddie, but when Eddie finally came down to the lobby, he didn’t even look in Steve’s direction. When it happened again the next day, and then the next, Steve had resigned himself to the fact that Eddie wanted nothing to do with him. Maybe he’d even been glad that Steve had left in the morning, that he’d saved Eddie the trouble of asking Steve to leave. Who wouldn’t be embarrassed about their dirty little hotel secret getting out to the public?

He opens his resignation letter again. Changes the signature from Regretfully to Sincerely and then back again. He’s about to send it to the printer when the desk phone rings.

“Caesars Palace concierge, this is Steve, how can I help you?”

On the other end of the line, there’s a slight gasp and then silence. Steve waits a polite amount of time before repeating himself. When there’s still no answer, he breaks form and whispers, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

The only response is a hitch of breath. Maybe he’s delusionally hopeful, but Steve takes a chance. “Eddie?”

He hears a broken whisper in response. “Hi sugar.” 

“Eddie, hi, sweetheart, are you okay? I’m so sorry I left, I freaked out, and then I wanted to talk to you, but I couldn’t get your attention, and–”

Eddie cuts him off with a pained “Stevie” that has every one of Steve’s parental instincts on edge. 

“Eddie, what’s wrong?”

He hears Eddie take a deep breath. “I’m at the bar.” 

Steve’s stomach drops. “Oh. Okay. Did you– Did you order a drink?”

There’s a long silence. Then, “I did. But. I didn’t drink it. I think–” Eddie stops. Steve wants to scream into the phone, to run to the bar and grab the glass, throw it on the floor. But he forces himself to wait, to let Eddie take the lead. 

“I think I need to go to a meeting,” Eddie finally mumbles, and Steve is launching into action, pulling up the AA meeting list, the document that had started it all.  

“Okay, absolutely, I got you.” He scrolls frantically to the meetings on Tuesday and miraculously finds one starting soon. “Okay, Eddie, there’s a meeting in half an hour. We’re going to get you there.” When there’s nothing but silence and background chatter on the other end, Steve asks, “Are you there, sweetheart?”

“I’m here,” Eddie says weakly.

“Okay, Eds, do you want me to walk you to the meeting? We can go together.”

“No! No, I can’t–” Eddie hesitates. Steve wants to smack himself in the face. Why would Eddie want to be seen with him? After all the embarrassment he’d caused already.

“Okay, that’s fine, no problem. I’m going to give you directions over the phone, is that okay?” Steve barely catches a quiet “yes” in response. 

“Alright, Eddie, I need you to stand up. I need you to walk away from the bar. Can you do that for me?” Steve hears rustling on the other end, and then Eddie’s voice comes through clearly. “I’m walking out.”

“Great, sweetheart, that’s great. You’re doing so well, that was the hardest part.” Out of the corner of his eye, Steve sees a black-clad, curly-haired figure enter the lobby. He watches as Eddie makes his way slowly toward the front door of the hotel, looking determined, eyes never straying from his goal. His heart clenches in his chest like it does every time he’s seen Eddie from afar over the past few days, and it takes all his willpower to not run over to him.

“Okay keep going, Eddie, you’re going to go out the front door and turn left, and then walk two blocks.” Steve watches as Eddie follows his directions, listens to his quiet breathing over the phone.

“I’m outside,” Eddie tells him.

“How is it out there?” Steve asks to keep him talking. “Is it still hot as hell like earlier?”

Eddie tells him about the weather, about the slight breeze that’s picked up between the buildings now that the sun has gone down. For a moment his voice is drowned out by a siren, but when the noise fades Steve can hear his steady breathing and footsteps.

“Tell me where you are, Eds,” Steve probes gently. When Eddie tells him the cross street, Steve asks him about his surroundings, makes Eddie describe what he’s seeing to keep him grounded. 

“Almost there, I need you to cross to the opposite corner and then turn right.” Steve can practically feel Eddie rocking nervously as he waits for each light, but he dutifully follows Steve’s directions, tells him about the older couple dressed like they’d walked out of the 1960s, about the mom pushing her crying baby in a stroller, about the glimpse of the moon he can see as he looks down a side street. 

“You’re doing great, now we’re just looking for the rec center. It should be three blocks down on the left.” Eddie goes radio silent for a few minutes and Steve tries not to panic, listening to Eddie’s breathing to reassure himself.

Eventually he hears a quiet, “Steve? Are you there?” Steve tries to keep his relief out of his voice when he answers, “Yes, Eddie, I’m here. I’ll be here as long as you need me.” And he’s struck by how true that is, how he wants to be the person Eddie calls when he doesn’t want to be alone. 

On the line, Steve hears a squeaky door open and then echoing footsteps. “I’m at the rec center,” Eddie says. “I see signs for the meeting, I’m going to follow them.”

“That’s, that’s good, sweetheart.” A moment later, Steve hears someone greet Eddie and usher him inside. He’s about to hang up, thinking Eddie no longer needs him, when he hears a sharp inhale. 

“Sugar?” Eddie whispers into the phone. Before Steve can answer, he continues: “Thank you. Thank you so much.” And then hangs up. 

Steve takes a moment to just stand there, still clutching the phone and holding back tears. Eventually he comes back into himself. Takes a deep breath. And drags his resignation letter into the trash.

--

continue to part 6.

read on ao3.

--

tag list (let me know if you want to be added or removed! and sorry as always if tumblr eats your tag): @knightofthieves @exhibit-no-restraint @zerokrox-blog @nelotegreitic @samthemissfit @impeachy @mentallyundone @n0-1-important @xxbottlecapx @ameliajwho1993 @abstractnaturaldisaster @hellomynameismoo @epiclazershark @dogswithforks @i-less-than-three-you @aveys6 @anaibis @sofadofax @sunswathe @paperbackribs @questionablequeeries @scarletzgo @mad-h-w @sherrylyn628 @the-redthread @harringrovefansblog @wearelosersyoudumbfuck @throwbackthrowaway @oxidantdreamboat @grtwdsmwhr @jamieweasley13 @raisedbylibrarians @bleach-the-kitten @estrellami-1 @lifeisnotsobadonceyoustopcaring @introvert-even-on-the-internet @awkwardgravity1 @mads-clarkson @huskysarelife @beckkthewreck @trikigirl271 @bejeweledbaby

[humanpurposes]

Okay, INDULGE ME! Is there a literary quote for KIAG that in your opinion would describe the fic so far? Do you have a photo that'd fit the It Will Come Back AU aesthetic you'd be willing to share? AND if you were to make a playlist for August what songs would you include in it? I've been thinking about these three fics lately and need to be fed yk 🫣 Love you Gee, thanks for writing and giving us such well-written and addicting fics 😘

Hi baby 🥹 These asks are amazing, thank YOU for being awesome <3

Ok, Karma is a God. I love the quote from Wuthering Heights,

“You said I killed you-haunt me, then! [...] Be with me always-take any form-drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!”

It’s so perfect to me because that is soooo Aemond wallowing in guilt in Harrenhal!! Lucerra herself embodies so much to Aemond, she’s the one he lost his eye to, the reason why he dedicated himself to being perfect. Then he ‘kills’ her and her supposed death completely unravels him. The fact that she’s alive means he has a chance at redemption, either dying at her hands and allowing her that justice, or to be forgiven by her. He hates her but he’s incomplete without her.

rest under the cut because this is gonna get too long 😭

IT WILL COME BACK 🖤 Asking me to pick just one image is insane, but I was scrolling through my Pinterest board and I remembered there’s one picture that appears in all the headers for the chapters, The Rape of Proserpina:

It's a horrific image right? This young woman is being taken from her home and her family by the god of the underworld. I think it spoke to me for this fic as an expression of Aemond's possessiveness. His love for Jaya is tied to the idea that he can control her and influence her. In his mind, it is other people that separate them. The animosity between Rhaenyra and Alicent bleeding into their children, the competition between the factions of Dragon Bank, the fact that she defended Jace over Aemond. He wants a hold over her like no one else has. Aesthetically as well, I love the look of marble statues, I love how immersive and expressive they can be. And they have a sense of grandeur and ancientness (is that even a word?) which means they look perfect in a fic header or a moodboard hehe.

Can you believe I don’t have a playlist for August?? If I did, the first song would be Slowly by Susanne Sundfør. The working title for this fic was ‘I Know You’re Lonely Too’ which is a lyric from this song. There are so many lines I love in this but the chorus just really encapsulates the vibe I wanted for this,

“And you say it’s gonna last forever // We have different heartbeats // But all the same heartbreak // And I can feel it in the way you hold me… I know you’re lonely too.”

To me, this song feels like yearning and wanting to live in the moment even as you feel it slipping away.

Some other songs I would include would be:

Summer's Over by Jordana and TV Girl

Linger by The Cranberries (+ the remix by Iain Cook)

To Wish Impossible Things by the Cure

It's Not Living (If It's Not With You) by the 1975

Supernatural by Ariana Grande

August by Taylor Swift

[pessimisticgh0st]

Do you have any song recommendations? I am running out of music to listen to and I trust your judgement.

You have no idea how much this means to me haha and yeah I do, but I don't really know what you're looking for, so here's some sort of a variety:

(Disclaimer: the descriptions of the songs are just my opinions and I'm not trying to force them upon anyone, or anything like that).

THE LONELIEST by Måneskin - Great whilst wallowing in feelings of loneliness and self-pity but it's like you're screaming into the void about it. (Genres according to google: pop rock, alternative rock, glam rock)

There She Goes by The La's - Autumn/fall vibes and just reminds me of the colour orange for some inexplicable reason. (Genres according to google: indie pop, brit pop, alternative rock)

Not really a song, but Duster is a great band for just staring into the abyss at 3am and disassociating. (Genres according to google: slowcore, indie rock, lo-fi, space rock revival)

Again not really a song, but Radiohead's OK Computer album is just amazing and definitely worth listening too if you haven't already, and to be honest Radiohead is just a great band in general. (Genres according to google: alternative, rock, indie)

Summer Child by Conan Gray - To me it is the equivalent of someone finally paying attention to you because they genuinely care, and then they give you a hug and comfort you whilst you just cry into their arms. (Genres according to google: indie, bedroom pop, acoustic pop)

No Sound But The Wind by Editors (specifically the 2019 deluxe album one) - Feels like if the depths of complete and utter melancholy was a song. (Genres according to google: post-punk revival - not completely accurate because it was originally for a different version of the song)

Fade into you by Mazzy Star - Feels like you're slow dancing in the rain whilst the world slips away slowly. (Genres according to google: slowcore, dream pop)

July by Sir Chloe - Eeminds me of a monologue that someone is just yelling into the empty sky and is just a freeing song for me I guess (Genre according to google: indie pop)

Where is my mind by Pixies - I don't know how to describe it but it's such a good song and reminds me of a pandemonium in slow motion. (Genres according to google: rock, permanent wave, alternative rock)

Rock 'n' Roll Suicide by David Bowie and any song from him really, especially the songs from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders from Mars album - great to just lose yourself to and forget about the world. (Genres according to google: rock, permanent wave, glam rock, classic rock)

Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division - "Let's dance to Joy Division and celebrate the irony" (lyric from Let's dance to Joy Division by the Wombats) just sums it up to be honest. (Genres according to google: rock, punk, post-punk, new wave, gothic rock, alternative rock)

Not a song, but Mother Mother are really good to listen to but sort of indescribable, sorry. (Genres according to google: indie rock, alternative rock)

@far-beyond-saving I hope this was helpful haha and sorry if it was too much or not what you were looking for. Please let me know if you want any more. Also do you have any recommendations? I am also in need of new music to listen to, and I also trust your judgement. :)

[k-white]

hello peeps!

I am finally making my personal interpretation of the songs in the playlist Jojo made for OF and how I think they relate to the characters

So I put on my investigation glasses and listened to the songs wile reading the lyrics to be sure of the meaning of the song(I did this for now only for the english songs cuz spotify doesn't give you a translation but only the lyrics written in the characters for that language like a thai songs lyrics are in thai and a english one in english so I would have to look up a translation wich I will try to do but for now only english)

Mind you this relates to the trailer and as we know mock trailers are just an overall presentation for the series and might change! and also this is subjective to me!

The order in wich I am doing this is the order in wich I listened to them

Here they come:

-Memories by Conan Gray- Listening to this I got the feelings it relate the most to Mew and Top, it doesn't fit the other characters and how their relationships where presented, Mew loving top but having to let go of him because of the hurt Top put him trough and Top being selfish and clinging to Mew making him unable to move on, could relate to San and Ray in a way but San feels more strongwilled and less prone to wallow in sadness and self pity!

-Who'd have known Lily Allen- this could relate to Mew, San and even Nick so here the reason: the first one is kinda obvious but the others less so, for San the "are you mine?" could be he asking himself and I say this thinking back on San and Ray and how he says he doesn't want to be one of the choices, for Nick it looks like he has feelings for Boston but the relationship they have is more of the just phisical type but he wants more, and in a way both San and Nick pararrel eachother tho it is debatable that this is a much more softer and sweeter song and it would suite Mew and his more idealistic and naive views on love and sex and how he wants a "real" relationship

-Can you love me tonight? KAIRO- this one was trikier, I felt like it could refer to both Top and Ray, but by the end it felt more like Ray than Top, and it felt like it could be meant to both Mew and San, like in 2 different stages of Rays life: at the beginning It was meant for Mew even if the song implies a past relationship it still a song about being loved by smeone that seems to not want to tho as time passes it shift to San, and specifically in a period where they are not together cuz Ray couldn't realize his feelings and San left but he realize after loosing him that he is in love but it's too late but he still wants San to love him but it's too late, I wrote this a wile back and I do still stand by the idea that this could be very much so be Ray but it does fit a lot for Top as well cuz we know he is gonna screw up with Mew so him wondering if Mew can love him still after he screwd up can fit the song

-Somebody that I used to know Gotye Kimba- NOT THIS SONG🤣 the most overplayed song ever! I still like it tho... ok so! This is a dialogue between 2 people that used to date and had a major fallout and I don't think it refers to none of the couples(no RaySan and MewTop tho they could in a way fit as well but to me the sock doesn't fit that well) we see in the trailer other than Boston and Top: Boston relates to the Gotye part and Top relates to the Kimba part, and I feel like this is after Top starts dating Mew and Boston gets jelous and bitter about loosing someone he had a pull over, so Boston playing kind of the victim and still being hung up on Top but Top just wanting out from it; but It could also fit with relationships that wheren't shown in the trailer, but thaks to Jojo we got a relationships chart for the characters and got shown that San is more connected to the other characters than we originally thought, so this song could refer to San and Nick or San ans Top tho I cam only speculate who each characters relate to on the duet Gotye or Kimba? I feel like San could be the one still holding on the the others and that influences how he feels about being "just one of the choices"

-Be my Mistake 1975- Ok this is a BostonTop song! like come on! what else could it be? "you make me hard but she makes me week"? This literally fit the narrative of Top hooking up with Boston wile he is dating Mew, falling in love with the second but still sleeping with the first! nobody else fit this come on!

-You know I am no good Amy Winehouse- this could be Boston to Nick, they have something going on between them but he still sleps with other people and they both know it, cuz I don't feel like this fit with Mew And Top cuz clearly the fact that Top was still having sex with Boston was a secret, and for San and Ray... San does seem to be involved with others either romantically or sexually but we still don't know if it's a past thing or present and if we go with what he says to Ray about not wanting to be one of the choices... I don't know if he would go and hook up with others and be open about it but he could be a huge hipocrite for what we know, anyway my best bet is BostonNick

-Traitor Olovia Rodrigo- this one I feel like is the one song that is up to the most interpretations! The obvious one San about Ray and his feelings for Mew even if Ray and Mew never start something cuz the line between them is onesided, or Boston about Top starting a relationship with Mew and Boston being bitter about it, Mew fit the least this song cuz it is about your lover leaving you for a friend and less about Cheating so his storyline with Top doesn't fit that well cuz we know Top is probably gonna cheat on him with Boston and Mew is gonna dicover probably the hard way...Tho I do have a little treat tho it is a stretch but hear me out! Ray about San leaving him for Nick! Ray wasn't able to admit his feelings for San so this decided to ask Nick to pretend to be his new lover to make Ray jelous and realize he loves San! And make Boston jelous as well! This are probably catles in the sky but it is fun to imagine!

-Take me Home Jess Glynne- Always liked this song a lot! it's a sad and beautiful song about vulnerability and a person relying on someone else in the moment of need when they are at their lowest... so the only ones that resonate to me with this song are Ray and San to be honest... I don't know but they feel like they are the most lost and broken in the group and they just need to find their confort and maybe they will help eachother in that sense, being there for each other during their worst moments taking confort in oneanother, the others don't really fit here maybe the only other one is Top refering to Mew

-Anti-Hero Taylor Swift-(finally learned where the "I'm the problem it's me" audio came from! in my defense I don't listen to Tswift!) Ok this to me is both Ray and Boston, if I think about it Mew is probably the only genuine person in this whole shit show of a friend group and he snaps only when he reache dhis limit, San feels like he is headstrong and take no shit but isn't the nicest person, Top and Nick live their lives for themselves tho not really making up a front to please others so Ray and Boston I feel fit the AntiHero vibe! For Ray it's about how he lives his life but also how his relationship with San develops, and how he goes about life masking his actions as genuine wile he has ulteriors motives, like with Mew, he acknoledge his flaws and but basically does nothing to get better, and Boston as well he plays the part of the good helping friend for Mew but on the sides still sleeps with Top and he also does nothing to be a better person, tho I feel at the end Ray could came out of this whole story as a better person tho Boston on the other hand I feel could end up burning himself.

-Kill Bill SZA- I don't wanna even think about the implication this song could have lol! like I hope it is taken in a more metaphorical sense and a character has so much unbrideld hate and rage torwards his ex that he imaging killing him but never really doing it... I hope... tho it would be a cool twist, we saw violence and killing in bls before but the context was VERY different!

-abcdefu Gayle- well this could basically be any character like: Mew, San, Nick even Boston! refering respectively to: Top, Ray, Boston and Top again! it is such a fun song! I can imagine the betrayed ones singing it to the betrayers! It could be a fun scene if the wunded ones sang it wile drunk to the others!

Drunk Text I am pretty sure people on twitter said something regarding this song and how it applied to Ray if I am not mistaken I have no way to check so we'll never know🤷🏻‍♀️ so here my interpretation: This for me represent both Ray and San! Ray and his feelings for Mew how he is safe and confortable in their friendship but he's in love with Mew and he hopes Mew cpuld feel the same that maybe if he was braver and risked it he could be with him, for San it's about Ray and how he is starting to have feelings for him but they are still just sex friends and he knows Ray loves Mew but he started to be more boyfrendy with San blurring the lines, bonus points if this also could be a drunk Ray crushing at Sans appartament after a night out and spit out all his feelings for Mew to San too drunk to realize!

-Drunk Ed Sheeran- Mmm I am uncertain about this song🤔 this could be Ray about Mew but before he meets San, or San about past relationships before he meets Ray, it could also refer to drugs and not just alchool cuz from the trailer we know drugs are involved in the boys lifes, tho it could also refer to Top if he and Mew have a fight and they split up he could be drawning his sorrows in alchool and drugs cuz he feels guilty for being the reason of their break up but it's hard to be a better person(also Top is the only character that we actually see take pills pointing to a possible addiction)

Ok I am gonna stop here for now cuz this is already waaaay too long and I had already did them and I still have half of the playlist to do so I will do a part 2!

[moonrisecoeur]

🐕 ok baby im so sorry for this literal. giant list. BABY YOU SAID YOU WERE WEIRD ABOUT MUSIC, THAT YOU WERE ANNOYING ABOUT MUSIC, ECT ECT WHATEVER I FUCKING CHALLENGE YOU BECAUSE I AM NOT FUCKING!!!!! NORMAL ABOUT MUSIC !!!!!!!!!!!!! I AM DISGUSTING ABOUT MUSIC!!!!!

babe i even CATEGORIZED them bc theres so FUCKING MANY !!

also i did do cws on some songs i had concerns ab? the ones w !s are ones im super unsure ab. also aaaa u dont have to listen to any of these but,. u awaked the demon,, BEAST in me.

i have also fdhgkjdsfg listened to most of the songs in ur post but my brain is also mushy after listening to all of these and making this list so i shall. give thoughts Later. xoxo (its also late hehe)

my top faves <3 (if u like these i am skipping the making out part and going straight to fucking u)

this is your night - amber

no one ever really dies - mystery skulls

magic original demo - mystery skulls

these dont rlly have lyrics but i literally listened to them on repeat when i was writing the novel length asks to u so if u want ur brain to melt like mine while i was writing those...,, <3<3

(cw: a bit loud/high pitched and really weird music? ravey)

desktopbuddy - nanoray

dogwalk2000 - nanoray

dog bus (ft telemist) - metaroom

worm rave - metaroom

songs i feel ud like based on ur music taste ive seen (plsss tell me if u like them bc i will happily rec more i just feel bad w how long this list FUCKING IS)

until we get there - lucius

don't just sit there - lucius

wasting time - hoax

western medicine - hoax

into the blackhole - hoax

winter - daughter

the only exception - paramore

are you bored yet? - the wallows

don't you wonder? - jagged jaw

tonight is - jagged jaw

the comedienne - parenthetical girls

who'd have known - lily allen

somewhere only we would know - lily allen (this is a cover but god its my fav version so)

come to me - goo goo dolls (baby im ngl i think leon would love this song)

true love - coldplay

juliet - cavetown

lemon boy - cavetown (cavetown is a trans king please support his music <3 mwah mwah)

relax, take it easy - mika (ngl this one is a bit more of a shot in the dark buttt)

together - mystery skulls (same as above tbh)

these r from like 1 artist i rlly like but bby i am sure u will NOT like their music,, kinda like the nanoray and metaroom ones but like worse. !!WILL!! make ur brain melt. (trust me when i say i HANDPICKED thru their music,,,,)

kill screen - machine girl (!!!!cw: yelling! im only including this bc its one of my top FAVES. it goes so hard holy shit. if ur comfy with it listen from 2:55-end cus theres no yelling, its just such fucking GOOD buildup to the BEST part of the fucking song [3:18] i9ts literally. AHH)

post rave maximalist - machine girl (cw: has some sirens and airhorns? theyre not loud tho.)

freewill - machine girl

nine minutes and forty three seconds - machine girl (bro this album is like straight up not your alley this is the only song without screaming in it LOL)

cloud99 (as above mix) - machine girl

lilith - machine girl

cyan hardcore - machine girl

sin to win! - machine girl

IM OBSESSED W THESE AND THEY NEED MORE LOVE

my favorite color is you - revenegeinkyoto (!!!!cw: yelling--mostly exclamatories and parts of the bridge, the ending is a bit heavy w it tho--, yandere song, heavy metal)

don't go insane - dpr ian (THEREVE BEEN SO MANYT LEON EDITS TO IT AND GGGRRRRRR GRHHHH RHHHH that one part GURLL iykyk but ITS A GOOD SONG REGARLESS AHHHGGGHHHH)

the memory viewer - sugary sweet machines

talkative revolver city slicker (/or/) resume song - sugary sweet machines (these are 2 songs that (at their core) are essentially the same but are different enough that i pick them based on which im just feelin more,) (OK SO ALSO these r from the ost of an indie game and IDK if i can rec the game personally (i found it during a very dark part of my life) but the ost and esp these songs are hella banger and i really want the artist to get more love for them)

megatronic - powerman 5000 (cw: not yelling but heavily synthetic sounding? hard music xP)

benzie box - danger doom (THIS. GOES. SO. HARD.)

boys & girls - will.i.am (BI SONG? BI SONG?)

gekka no yasoukyoku - malice mizer (cw: not english) (THIS GOES SOOOO HARD its literally. so good. i try to avoid reccing songs not in english but this is too good to not)

cipher peon battle - pokemon colosseum (it makes me feel epic lol)

overrated but i love them

little dark age - mgmt (i literally make amvs in my head about re2 leon in my car while listening to this song i am obsessed. Obsessed.)

wasted summers - juju<3 (fuck ppl who hate on this honestly like can ppl not have fun with music? let indie musicians have fun !! hes literally making a song with his sister thats the sweetest shit ever!!!!!!!!!! also honestly this song kinda hurts if u relate ngl pookie)

rhinestone eyes - gorillaz (iykyk,, that edit introduced me to this song but it FUCKS !!)

take me to church - hozier (look. -foams at mouth- thats all.)

mary on a cross - ghost

idk where to categorize these :v

the wolf - siames (I LOVE THIS THE EVERYTHING THE ANIMATION THE DOGGIE !!! woof woof)

can't get you out of my head - kylie minogue

better off alone - alice deejay

hypnocurrency - deadmau5

gyrate - rezz

j-boy - phoenix

credits song for my death - vivivivivi

i would do anything for you - foster the people (i ALMOST put this in faves bc god i am,, obsessed w this song but, i feel like its bully material so.)

sit next to me - foster the people

the sweet escape - gwen stefani (look i always loved this song, but i have a leon edit of this song saved to my phone and i watch it Daily)

my love - justin timberlake (me and leon. i also have a leon edit to this i watch daily.)

bloody mary - lady gaga

you like early 2000s type music? cringe? this is for u bbg

(cw: cringe, ravey)

pretty rave girl - s3rl (PLSLSSSS I LOVE THIS SONG SO MUCHH GRRHHRGRRHHGHHDHDGSGDFSDFGGFHSD)

blame you - romanceplanet

bleed (runaway) - romanceplanet

lollipop (candyman) - aqua

ok this is stupid but im ngl im putting songs that make me think of leon in some way here (considering making my own playlist of stuff for him lmk if my taste is good enough boo ;* /j)

with you - linkin park (!!!!cw: yelling. (im including this bc i just want to say leon would fucking love this song. id make out with and grind on him at a house party to this song,, that is all). the yelling isnt super loud but the music is screechy during the parts so it might make u uncomfy? be safe if u listen boo, its alil on the harder side of songs)

cure for the itch - linkin park (cw: the beginning has a brief moment where theres a loud announcer? other than that this fucks, goes HARD.)

under the bridge - red hot chili peppers (WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR,,, ROCK AND GRUNGE TO LISTEN TO bc i am obsessed with leon ehehe THIS SONG LATCHED ONTO MY BRAINSTEM,,,,,,thinking ab holding his hand while this plays on our mixtape while we drive to our coffeeshop date in raccoon city,,.,,,,u//w//u)

smells like teen spirit - nirvana (!!cw: screamy? i think? i cant tell if im desensitized to screaming in music or sm LMFAO its a song i scream when i sing it tho so) (also i KNOW this is a generic pick but it goes so hard!!!!!!!!!!!! leon Literally listens to this like its just canon)

talking in your sleep - the romantics (baby im so sorry i cant explain this one i also want to fuck michael afton and thats bleeding into my lust for leon)

no friend of mine - aimless device (THIS IS SO GOOD I WISH IT WAS MORE POPULAR)

hyena - aimless device

nobody's real - powerman 5000 (cw: its a lil bit hard of a song) (i cant explain this honestly leon would just listen to powerman and this would be his fave)

i'm not in love - 10cc (look look here ok listen to my vision. leon trying to convince himself hes not actually head over heels for you. i think its cuter with re2 leon hehe hes so cutie pookie BUT. [im not personally into aeon But..] PLEASE imagine him just laying in bed listening to this because hes still hurt over ada but hes falling so hard and fast for you. and hes scared. TERRIFIED even, <3 dont worry babyboy ill treat you so well)

yellow - coldplay

the scientist - coldplay

always in my head - coldplay (ok look i tried really hard to not put in so many coldplay songs but, listen. coldplay just feels so fucking aeon for you aeon enjoyers)

sweetest goodbye - maroon 5

sunday morning - maroon 5

my console - eiffle 65 (look. its Funny.)

separate ways (worlds apart) - journey

away from the sun - 3 doors down

here without you - 3 doors down

my precious - lifehouse

hanging by a moment - lifehouse

last child - aerosmith

jaded - aerosmith

turn up the radio - autograph

lullaby - the cure

last kiss - pearl jam (cw: kinda descriptive singing about the scenario of a loved one dying, brief mentions of religion) (he wouldnt relate to this song at all but i KNOW mans would cry to it)

(i could dig up more for this section but baby i do not wanna bore you with retro songs)

actually fuck i could put so many more songs period but this is probably already a 5 hr playlist atp eheh sorry

if u want i could make an actual playlist if u ACTUALLY wanna listen to ts so its not such a pain going thru dhjksdfhgsdkg (tho theres a few songs that arent on spotty bc its stinky :( )

🐕

the most hilarious part about this is that the only song on this gigantic list that i recognize is don’t go insane BUT NOT EVEN BECAUSE OF LEON i just like dpr ian he’s so pretty :3

also i think ill be able to put them into a playlist myself !! dw i don’t wanna make u go through the effort!! i shall attempt to listen to everything!!

[thatbanditqueen]

When the year is all over, and Spotify shames me with the evidence that I have listened to Elvis for one hundred billion hours, I imagine that there are going to be a bunch from the 1950s. I Was the One has already come up for me on a few of your other challenges, probably in my top ten of all Elvis songs. There are so many in heavy rotation for me.That's Alright Mama, Blue Moon, Earth Angel, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Good Rockin Tonight, So Glad You're Mine, One Night With You. All the soundtracks. Too many to list. I am being very disobedient and going way above the three song limit. Sorry, @be-my-ally listed six, and, ahem, a few others did not follow directions, so I took my cues from them.

Shake, Rattle & Roll Top form proto punk where Elvis is almost growling/yelling, and the lyrics are so dirty. It means a lot to me because it was his first TV song, and he just bursts through the screen into the consciousness of the country. BAM.

Don't Be Cruel There are a few versions of this, and I love them all. All 500 from the Million Dollar Quartet. The polished upbeat studio version, with clapping pitter patter of his hands (or someone's) keeping time. The way he says "hmmmmmmm" ? I also get sentimental about this one, it is one I remember listening to and dancing around to as a kid, and then it was Gladys' favorite song.

Is it So Strange On of my favorite Elvis ballads. Maybe my top one. His voice is so deep at the beginning, and then it becomes more earnest and high, and you just hear his range and emotionality. It is so heartbreaking, and I feel it, it is about a lover trying to win back his love and not having eyes for any other girl. June asked him to record this song, and then the album came out after she broke it off. Ugh, the angsty angst. I might just wallow in it for a while.

I Need Your Love Tonight OK, I think his voice is peak dork cute on this, the way he hiccups "wowee" and "pow pow" and then croons "I got the hi-fi high and the light down low," oh god. Be still my quivering quim. And I think the guitar solo is fun too.

Now and Then (There's a Fool Such as I) Can I just group this with Need Your Love? it was the B side on the single. There was a period of about three months when I had to play this song first thing in the morning everyday and it living in my head. That opening guitar riff might be the reason. But then it is the way he croons/slurs the lyrics in a low voice. Then there is the way he grows Then - a when he sings "Now and Then." Ugh. Listen to Hank Snow's version and then listen to this one.

I Asked the Lord Earnest, slow Elvis singing gospel as he plays the piano with a soft deep voice. It is so operatic and sentimental as it crescendos, yet seems so intimate because it's a home recording. I think of him in Germany, a far off look in his eyes, feeling all alone and unsure about his future, singing this, and I can feel the melancholy and I am right there in the same emotional state and I feel connected to him intricately. The melody hits a melodramatic sweet spot for me.

Santa Claus is Back in Town Pretty sure I am one of two Jews in this subsection of the fandom, so I am surprised that I am the first to list this. Or maybe not. I think most American Jewish girls are at least Christmas curious if not full out Santa sluts. Our whole culture becomes Christmas for two months, can you blame us? Plus I grew up celebrating it with friends and family who were not married to Jews. And Elvis' Christmas music is just fucking balls. Anyway, oh man, I love this song. The bluesy melody, the naughty lyrics, his voice, from a growly snark to sexy croon. Brrr. My favorite xmas song.

Elvis Top Three - 1950s Songs

Hello my sweet Elvis friends! The question this week is…what are your top 3 Elvis songs from the 50s? (This to me would include anything recorded in the 50s, even if it wasn’t released until later). This one was SO much harder than I thought it would be. As I looked through The Complete 50s Masters to help me decide on my top three, I was just astounded at the sheer number of great songs he recorded in such a short time span. This man was truly legendary (as if you all didn’t know).

As always, this list could change tomorrow (or in an hour), but here are my top three in this moment:

One Night – Elvis gives such a soulful, sexy rendition of this song; I can’t even tell you how much I love his vocals on this. I also love the story behind the song. The record label felt the original lyrics were too suggestive, but Elvis loved the song so much he played around with it and came up with new lyrics that allowed him to release it as a single. When he performed it at the Comeback Special, you can see how he sort of surprised himself by slipping back into the original lyrics. This is one of those songs you could tell he really enjoyed performing. His passion when he sings this just makes me feel some kind of way.

Heartbreak Hotel – This one is just classic. It was definitely his breakthrough song for a reason. The haunting, hiccup-y vocal, the bluesy piano riff, the lyrics…this to me was just so different from other rock n’ roll stuff. I think it really set him apart. And I love his really bluesy live versions of this later on.

Don’t – I’ve just been kind of obsessed with this one lately. I think the lyrics are sweet (“This you can believe, I will never leave you” – swoon), and this man could just sing a ballad like no one else. His voice makes me feel safe. It is really just perfection.

Runner-ups: It was just painful how many I could not include. Some others up for consideration were Just Because, That’s All Right, Shake Rattle and Roll, Any Way You Want Me, Tomorrow Night, Trying To Get To You, Anyplace is Paradise, Milkcow Blues Boogie…I could go on forever! ❤️

Please share your favorite Elvis songs from the 50s! Anyone join in the fun! 😘

@whositmcwhatsit @be-my-ally @thatbanditqueen @ellie-24 @vintagepresley @lookingforrainbows @prompted-wordsmith @flwrs4aust @iloveelvis @argeriant18 @loving-elvis @alienelvisobsession @ab4eva @manebioniclegali @deke-rivers-1957 @rjmartin11 @elvisalltheway101 @satninroses @doll-elvis @devilsflowerr @missmaywemeetagain @troubleinapinksuit @cryingabtab @generoustreemystic @samfangirls @animalloverthingsss @velvetelvis @everythingelvispresley @arrolyn1114 @claire-elvisgirl @kendralavon7 @vintage-leisure @blighted-star @queenncreole @basicpresleygirl @lllsaslll @elvissbabygirl @powerofelvis @ashtag6887 @sissylittlefeather @dkayfixates @peskybedtime @lettersfromvenus @burnthheparaphilia @thetaoofzoe

[sorry-mom-ive-sinned]

I LISTENED to the songs you recommended on the playlist. I was a big fan of suffering by Amélie Farren and OK by Wallows. Speaking of, I got the vibe OK could be a song from Hikaru's perspective. Just the sort of vibe it gives off...a lot more reckless and indulgent I guess. Also my blood is your blood by Kwvin is SUCH a hikakao song, every line of it, ur so right. A lot of very good music choices...I'm a big fan of the general Vibe of the playlist, it's sooo good.

And, also, I forgot to mention this in my og response, but i think dogdog is (sort of in a weird way) a Kaoru song....esp 2:55 - 4:15 with the mentioned "you" being Hikaru.

Okay so suffering is like, my Main hikakao song i listen to just on repeat, so im so glad you liked that one! And i was definitely thinking of OK as from Hikaru's perspective, because its more reckless and indulgent like you said, and I tend to think of it as Hikaru trying to figure out what to do when Kaoru has a depressive episode ya know? Like he knows exactly what Kaoru is thinking beacuse he Knows him, but that doesnt mean he necessarily knows what to do or how to react to it.

My blood is your blood is to its core a them song, like the romantized codependency is just so perfect for hikakao.

And just listened to dogdog and I really like it, I love how like theres almost some kind of resentment? present in the song. Like with the lyrics 'Its not like I want you to kill me but I just hope that you'll feel guilty'. I feel resentment is something nearly unavoidable in codependent relationships, with the cycle going loving the other to the point of it being at your own expense, but having some resentment that its at your expensive, then feeling guilty for feeling that way since after all it was you who put them on the pedestal in the first place. I may be reading that wrong lmao but i find that dynamic very interesting and something id wanna see the two of them work through.

But yeah! Thanks for listening to it and for all of your recommendations! I have a separate JP hikakao playlist now made up of some of them haha

[magicpotatoobsession]

GIVEN | Bassists & whacking people on the head

Apparently giving other people a good whack on the head is a thing that 🎸bassists🎸 do in Given 😂😂😂

LOL it's funny but it's a good way to snap people out of wallowing in their guilt/trauma.

Chapter 9/Ep 8, Mafuyu started to wallow in his guilt for blaming Hiiragi and for running away from his issues,

and Hiiragi snapped Mafuyu out of it.

It’s good that Mafuyu was coming to terms with why he momentarily lost his temper at Hiiragi. But Mafuyu started to stew in the guilt of his actions a little too much, which was unhealthy and unproductive. Hiiragi immediately lightened the situation and asked Mafuyu to call him sometime, in other words, COMMUNICATE MORE with him.

Trust me, I truly believe it was right after this chat that Mafuyu actually finished writing the lyrics for Fuyu no Hanashi but just couldn't quite sing yet. Clues:

1. In the anime, right after Hiiragi leaves, Mafuyu had a flashback of him meeting Yuki for the first time and the whole "My dad hits me when I talk" and "I'm not your dad" memory. This could suggest that Mafuyu was coming to terms with the fact that it's ok for him to attempt to communicate his feelings in the form of a song.

2. In the manga, this flashback between Mafuyu and Yuki occurs at a different point. But after the Hiiragi and Mafuyu convo, we get a montage panel. Within that, we get a small ~Mafuyu may have been writing lyrics in class~(I have my FBI hat on)

This conversation was INCREDIBLY important for Mafuyu's healing and repairment of his bond with Hiiragi.

---

Chapter 27/Given Movie, Akihiko started to dissociate and wallow in his own negative feelings and doubts right before the CAC live,

and Haruki snapped him out of it.

Pay attention to what Akihiko's saying, he was so depressed that he was on the verge of giving up on music completely, and because to Akihiko music is his life passion, he was basically about to give up on himself completely.

But remember to Haruki, music is all about COMMUNICATION.

In that moment, Haruki didn't need to say it out loud but Haruki's essentially evoking to Akihiko, "come on, snap out of it! Communicate with me through this CAC live, through music. You believe that telling me using words won't solve anything? Ok fine. Tell me and express it to me then through music."

Akihiko dissociating was unhealthy and also unproductive as they were just about to start performing but Haruki helped ground him again.

While Mafuyu's song did the ~magic~, Haruki's "whack" helped unleash all the PASSION that was previously fogged up by Akihiko's depression. Akihiko was truly able to immerse himself and enjoy playing the drums in Yoru Ga Akeru thanks to Haruki's "whack".

---

Both Hiiragi and Haruki seek validation by wanting to be the centre of the social system they operate in.

Hiiragi wants all the spotlight and dazzling attention from the members of his childhood squad and gaining fans by being involved in music.

Haruki wants to be the one that everyone relies upon to feel a sense of self worth.

But Hiiragi and Haruki love their respective squads so so so much. As the bassists and as the home “base” of their squad, they stop their loved ones from overthinking and running away. They bring their loved ones back to reality and remind them that

The “bass”is to a solid relationship is COMMUNICATION.

Also

The bass line of a song is usually how we are able to tell the key 🔑 of a song.

And guess what?

COMMUNICATION IS KEY.

*Badum tsssss mic drop*

Masterlist of my Given Metas

If you like what you read, all I post is basically Given analysis content! Give my blog a follow to be notified of future posts! #metapotato

[ivyruins]

hello again ivy!

it would be totally rad if you have your thoughts on xyx’s relationship with music. favourite artists and bands, genres, whether he would play an instrument, all the good stuff.

also how he’d react to a s/o that plays piano? it’s my one flex and i like to think he’d like it 🙉 dksjsbkabak

- 🦎

HELLO BELOVED 🦎 ANON I'M GLAD YOU ASKED!!!

okok so this is hard because not everyone has the same music taste BUTTTT robo did say that they want people to interpret the characters in their own way, so this is my take on xyx's relationship w music!!! ((++ if anyone else has any other opinion/wanna add something feel free to tell me your thoughts!!))

first off I read this in the car omw home n the first think I thought of was Arctic Monkeys. IMAGINE HIM PLAYING THAT WHILE YOU RIDE ON HIS BIKE (safely). I wanna be yours or do I wanna know playing as you hug his waist, resting your cheek against his back, the cool air contradicting the warmth coming from xyx. xyx- focused on the road for once, not wanting to end you both up in hospital. your goofy, troll boy xyx who was always teasing you, looking straight to the road, face dignified. serious. LIKE. MMMMM GO XYX

this next one I can see both nightowl and xyx like . but consider: lemon demon. I feel like xyx would have touch tone telephone in the background while he trolls the server or something. and maybe play two trucks on call for the lols.

I feel like he'd like alternative indie, but then again it probably depends on what his mood was or what he was using the song for (if it was plain listening or as a background for something)!

he probably doesn't have a favorite artist, just listens to whatever was on his playlist and what you'd reccomend him (hc that xyx would dedicate songs to you so when he hears them he'd think of you :])

XYX WOULD LOVE AN S/O WHO PLAYS PIANO!!! according to robo he plays guitar/uke (I think omg why can I Not Find The Post D:) , so imagine playing with him for fun one night together, beloved cat on the piano listening to the tunes you two make. you're not even following anything, just playing randomly as he tries to strum to it.

xyx would ask you to play it sometimes >:)) he probably wouldnt ask you directly to play it but do something silly like make a bet you'd obviously lose and say if you lose you'd have to play something for him (spoiler: you lose). xyx loves seeing you play passionately he'd just stand there smiling, listening and go fuck I'm so in love.

AAAAND I'm gonna add the others music taste as well >:)) I know you asked for xyx but I hope it's ok!!

like I said, I think nightowl listens to lemon demon. he is an Indie Kid™. beach bunny, the strokes, wallows, cavetown n alec benjamin!! songs like alien blues and looking out for you. I think he fits those vibes. very bright and cheery, but also has some meaning. (also hc that he listens to kpop and/or anime ops/vocaloid occasionallyasionlly)

quest probably likes old music, ones that reminds him of the times before his life had changed forever. I am quite unfamiliar with this type of music, so any quest enjoyer out there feel free to tell me your ideas !!

controversial, but I think toasty would enjoy music from games! chiptune like toby fox, or music from lena raine (basically the ones that provide good bgm with no lyrics). but I'd like to think he secretly listens to jack stauber. or bo burnham (I see xyx and owl as bo burnham enjoyer as well, they probably watched his movie together)!!

[lnights]

I hope you feel better ! if you're still looking for fluffy prompt, what about something with Joel/joonas/Aleksi where Joel has been in love with joonas for a while, but he's convinced his feelings could never be returned, and now joonas and Aleksi get together he thinks nothing will ever happen between them but suddenly joonas and Aleksi do their best to show him they have room in their hearts for him?

*Looks up from my vampire fic where that is the pairing and squints*

Ok so as I was writing this it's giving me multi-chapter brainworms (not a big one, maybe just like 3 chapters?) I feel like this idea requires more thought and time then I put into these mini fics

...

Joel was chain smoking and he didn't care who knew.

They had been playing truth or dare, all of them drinking and relaxing at Niko's place, when Joonas had been asked if he was seeing someone.

He had known in the deepest part of his heart, what the answer would be.

You would have to be deaf and blind to miss the sweet conversations, the small touches, the look of pure love between them...

Hell, they had done a video with Aleksi in Joonas's lap!

So Joonas telling the band they were officially together really wasn't a shock.

But it HURT.

He had been in love with Joonas since they had first met in high school, had reveled in every moment they spent together.

He knew his best friend, his twin, didn't feel the same about him. There's no way he could, being so vibrant and full of life and rarely angry while Joel's head like to mess with him and make him crabby and grumpy.

But Joonas didn't have a whole lot of relationships, despite what people thought of them when he committed to someone he committed with his whole heart and he didn't do it that often.

And now his heart was committed to Aleksi.

Joel took a deep drag, he knew he would have to go back in soon or risk someone coming out to get him, but he knew right now he would either cry or shout.

He couldn't blame the DJ for falling for Joonas, and he couldn't blame Joonas for falling for him either. He was funny, calming, and if Joel was willing to admit it to himself... very attractive.

He hadn't know Aleksi nearly as long, but he had found a way into his heart as well.

And it felt torn to pieces.

They would be a good match, he despaired, trying to make himself happy for his friends rather then wallow in his own misery.

Maybe some good lyrics will at least come out of this, he thought, Niko might be willing to help him get it out.

The door opened behind him and two sets of footsteps approached him.

He closed his eyes as he got a glimpse of familiar golden curls on one side of him and soft black hair on the other.

He heard Joonas light his own cigarette and take a drag before talking.

"You alright?" He asked quietly.

Joel nodded, not opening his eyes "maybe drank a bit too much, I'm getting old."

The both laughed a bit at his comment, but then they lapsed back into silence.

Joel almost jumped out of his skin when he felt an arm go around his waist, another rubbing his back.

"We weren't planning to tell anyone yet." Aleksi said quietly, "we wanted to talk to you first."

Joel opened his eyes in shock, turning to the younger man. "Why?"

Surely they hadn't realized how he felt about Joonas? He had done his best to hide it, treat him like anyone else-

"It's ok." Joonas said softly, "If you aren't interested in this at all, we can just forget about it..."

"We're both interested in you." Aleksi finished, "if you would want, we'd like to take you out."

His cigarette forgotten he looked between the two of them wildly, Joonas's face soft and open, Aleksi's with a small smile and an encouraging look.

Joel couldn't comprehend what was being said to him.

"Why?" He asked, "you two have each other? I don't understand..."

Joonas took a deep breath, "I've loved you since the first time we jammed in high school," gave a shaky laugh, "I didn't think you felt the same..."

"I finally pointed it out to him about a month ago." Aleksi added, "as for me... I started falling for both of you when we met at the BMTH concert."

"We ended up talking a lot." Joonas took over, "we realized we cared for each other as well as you. If you're not interested that's ok, it won't change anything-"

Joel stubbed out his cigarette and turned to Joonas, pulling him into a close hug, burying his face in his neck.

He couldn't believe it, it wasn't possible that not just one, but both of them were wanting him with them...

He felt a very tentive touch to his side and he pulled an arm away from Joonas to wrap Aleksi close, sighing at the feeling of both of them holding him.

He didn't know how long it would last, but he would take the opportunity as long as he could.

[jelliezellie]

Haikyuu Boys as Cheesy Love Songs that I Adore

I've been in a bit of a writer's block lately, so I'm doing a little blurb about this. I saw a post like this earlier but I couldn't find it so if anyone finds the original credit, feel free to comment it :)

a/n: I'll put lyrics of the songs in the descriptions. They probably won't won't in order, so if you see them and you're confused then it's because I put lyrics that I thought would match with the boys. <3

Tendou - She Chose Me by Bruno Major

With a past like his, you can imagine that his self-confidence wasn't perfect. "I'm not much to talk to and I know how I look" Living a lonely life for the most part wasn't easy. "Whatever I did, I did it alone," But you were so different. To you, he was beautiful. He was handsome. He was everything you'd ever hoped for. And he thought the same of you. "And then she came alone, now I'm not alone, Since she chose me," God, he was really lucky, wasn't he? He'd shower you with affection and you'd do it back with no hesitation. Satori often keeps you close, just to be grateful for your presence. "Every night I thank the lucky stars above me, that someone as beautiful as she could really love me."

Kuroo - OK by Wallows

Whether you've known him since you were kids or you just met a month ago, if he loves you, he can tell when something is wrong with you. "I know you so well, you know that I can tell the slightest difference in your facial expression," He's fallen in love with you and he always wants to know whats wrong. If you're not willing to tell him, he'll comfort you with soft kisses to the top of your head and he'll hold you and let you cry in his arms. "I should sit back and give you a break, let you close your perfect eyes," Even if you don't tell Kuroo how to make you feel better, he'll figure it out. He'll try many things, ranging from telling horrible jokes to making you comfort food to giving you space. But after all is said and done, he's going to try to help you feel okay again, because he knows that you'll do the same for him. "There's no need to explain, I know that we can relate. Can we get up and try to feel okay again?"

Atsumu - Angel by FINNEAS

Atsumu is truly convinced that you're an angel. How do you put up with him? Even after every petty argument, every prank, every time he forgets to make the bed, you still love him the same. "Congratulations, you've been pretending to be human so well," Atsumu tries. He really does try to be a good boyfriend to you and a lot of times, he succeeds! He's not a bad person at all, but he's often afraid of losing you because he might mess up. Every morning and night, he'll show he loves you. Giving you kisses and cuddling you. "After you fall asleep, I'll kiss both your eyes and cheeks," But even when it all goes to hell and Atsumu is covering his tear-stained face because he thinks that this time, he's really lost you, you simply cup his face and kiss him, calling him an idiot and forgiving him. "You're an angel in disguise. You're an angel in my eyes."

Iwaizumi - Dandelions by Ruth B

Iwaizumi is often afraid of hurting you. His natural instict is to protect you in every way possible, and he is a big, buff guy. He's nearly madly in love with you, so much so that you catch him staring at you like you've just hung the stars in the sky even if you're doing the simplest things. "Maybe it's the way you say my name. Maybe it's the way you play your game. But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you," He's infatuated with you, truly. He had dreamt of a love so beautiful such as yours before, but he had never come across it. "And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime, and I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine," Iwaizumi thinks of you as a flower; to be admired, for if you touch something as beautiful and fragile as that, it will surely break. But you assured him in every way possible that you'd never break under his touch. "'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions, wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine." So, he shows you how much he loves you, giving you bear hugs, little affirmations throughout the day, and lots of time together - just you and him.

Suga - Sunkissed by Khai Dreams

Sugawara loves waking up with you. "So slowly a sunlit dream pulls me out of sleep," He loves the way the morning sun shines ever so gently on your face, the way you'll snuggle closer to him when he sits up, and the way you softly snore against your pillow or his chest. He's absolutely infatuated with you. "I get to thinking 'bout your sunkissed face and a quite place where I could give you all my time," You're so gentle in this moment, and he feels as though your slow breathing is lulling him back to sleep, like a siren calling a sailor out to sea. "You know I wanna be your rock, my love. You know I wanna be your light," However, he gently wakes you up with a kiss or two, and you wash your faces together. He pulls your hair back when you brush your teeth and you cook breakfast together. Sunkissed mornings with Suga are lovely. "You're so lovely, you're so lovely I can't help but fall for you, love."

Also here's a Spotify playlist of some lovely cheesy songs~!