#most of these artists this is the only song by them I've heard. that should tell you how vibes oriented my music taste is...

[notasdriedapricots]

Spell your url with song titles

thank you for the tag, @ariendiel! 💗

I tried to choose songs I haven't used in any previous music ask, AND I didn't allow the regular offenders like Jamie Cullum, Vulfpeck (and adjacent projects/related people), Sammy Rae & the Friends, Busty and the Bass, Gregory Porter, Lake Street Dive, Scary Pockets, Lous and the Yakuza... I and even with all that some were so hard.

ALSO Just in case, I'm a vibes girlie, not a lyrics girlie. I'm not responsible for how silly some of this songs' lyrics are, and to be honest I probably don't even know what half of them say because I never paid much attention lol Also also, my playlist is currently at 45 hours, I do not pay attention to most of the words in there. God bless the language barrier...

Nickel & Dime, by Nic Hanson

On The Back Foot, by Ryan Prewett and Tyler Flowers

Take It Up a Notch, by Lack Of Afro, Wax and Herbal T

Adelphia, by The Cat Empire

Solitude, by Lila Iké

Dr. Funk, by The Main Squeeze

Real Good, by Outasight

I'm Leavin' (The Na-Na Song), by Couch and Ella Galvin

Extra Extra, by Michael Shynes

downBAD, by Stop Light Observations

Arty Boy - Tennyson Remix, by Flight Facilities, Emma Louise, and Tennyson

Planet X, by Calimossa

Read Receipts, by Kyle Thornton & The Company

It's Your Voodoo Working, by Hugh Coltman

Cabaret, by Luiz Henrique and Walter Wanderley

Over It, by Dux and Raquel Rodriguez

The Thrill, by Yam Haus

Side Eyes, by Awfbeat (give me some credit for not putting September here, because you know I would have... But I only had two Ss and I wanted to mix things up a bit. Also this is great, I mean the bridge)

I'm late, as usual, but I'm tagging @definitelynotagentm @sailorpleiades @moderarato @justtuesdays and @mp3minded

[witchywcmans]

PLEASE, EAT. | LAIOS TOUDEN

synopsis ━━ after you've been bitten by a sea serpent, you know the consequences are either death or the possibility of turning into one yourself. thankfully for you, laios touden is the devourer of all things monster and he is dedicated to getting that venom out of you. (laios x f!reader.)

content warnings ━━ sex pollen-adjacent, cunnilingus + fingering, praise, breath play (kinda, if you squint), semi-public sex, multiple orgasms. nsfw (minors + ageless blogs dni).

word count ━━ 3k

song inspiration ━━ too sweet, hozier / more than friends, isabel larosa

author's note ━━ this is the first time I've ever written and posted an x reader one-shot on here, so please be gentle with me lol. I usually only write x oc fics bc I'm a yapper and I love creating characters. but alas...I was perusing the laios x reader tag and wanted to read something with this plot, couldn't find it, so I figured I'd just do it myself 🫡

🪽 part i: PLEASE, EAT. / part ii: FORBIDDEN FRUIT. / part iii: TOO SWEET.

This was definitely one of the worst situations you’d been in.

You had joined Laios’ adventuring party just a few months prior. They had found you on floor 3 of the dungeon, shivering and mourning the loss of your father. His body, dead in your arms, and beside him lay the lifeless body of a ghoul you had killed. At first, the party’s leader, Laios Touden, had only been interested in taking the ghoul's body so they could use its bones for utensils after the flesh rotted off. But it was Marcille who noticed the tears in your eyes, how you trembled from the cold, and suggested they take you in. You almost declined, not wanting to leave your father’s body, but knowing he’d soon turned into a monster left you with only one option. Your father had been with you for the past twenty-five years of your life, and now, you were leaving his dead body in a dungeon to travel with a group of strangers.

You soon came to appreciate your new party, though, and you felt your father’s spirit within each of them. Marcille had his kindness, Chilchuck had a comparable wit, Senshi was gifted with excellent cooking skills, and Laios … well, you were still figuring that out. And surprisingly, it was Laios who you began to connect with the most. His knowledge of monsters was unmatched, and he had a passion for learning how to prepare them while they traveled deeper into the dungeon. He was overtly blunt, much like you, and possessed similar advanced fighting skills due to both your fathers' teachings.

Sometimes … sometimes though, you found yourself staring at him more than you should have. His face was abnormally perfect, as if he’d been carved by an artist. His tousled ash-blonde hair reminded you of a lion, and his eyes … sometimes you could’ve sworn they were made out of gold, shimmering like molten lava. Each time you thought this way, you smacked yourself when no one else was looking. I mean, Laios was your friend, your party leader. Having a crush, especially in circumstances like these, was unethical. You had always been focused on one thing: helping your party and making it out of this dungeon alive, for your father. You wouldn’t let a little crush deter you.

Everything had been all well and good until today, when you and your party reached the end of floor 4. When Laios had struggled to fight off a sea serpent, you joined him in the lukewarm water, using your crossbow to shoot the creature in the head. Finally, Laios was able to step in to slice the serpent’s head off … but not before the creature could snap its jaw, tearing one fang down your hip. You jumped back, screaming as you felt the venom seep into you instantly. Some said sea serpent venom would kill you immediately, others said it turned you into one of them, cursing you to haunt the waters with them as penance. As soon as the head was cut, Laios carried you away from the water, and the last thing you heard was Marcille cursing him out before you were rendered unconscious. 

You were woken up – hours, maybe days later – by a drop of water hitting your face every few seconds. Lifting your head from the makeshift tunic pillow, you took in your surroundings. You were at the entrance of floor 5, in a damp corner of cobblestone, while water dripped down onto the floor every so often. There was a moist bandage covering your side where the serpent’s fang had cut into you, part of your tunic ripped to shreds. Hunger boiled in your stomach, making you groan and rub your head. Laios was sitting just a few feet away, a small fire in front of him to keep warm. Marcille had to have helped him with that; there was no way to craft a fire in an area this damp.

“Am I dead?” You asked softly. 

Laios immediately turned in your direction, his mouth lifting in a smile. “Of course not.”

Your stomach did flip flops as you took in his smile, hunger consuming you. You needed something to eat – bad. Your body felt hot and sweaty, and you wondered if it was just from the humidity, even though Laios didn’t look affected. Sitting up, you informed him, “Well, that was one of two options my father said would happen from a sea serpent bite. Which means …” You lifted the bandage up, noticing the gills that started to form on the healing wound. A turquoise hue surrounded the gills, almost like a bruise. “Oh, fuck,” you muttered.

Laios stood, looming over you while asking, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s the other option,” you replied, too hungry to cry. “The bite is –”

“– Turning you into a sea serpent,” Laios finished. “Honestly, I thought that was just a myth. But when the bite didn’t kill you …” His mouth twitched, tongue darting out to wet the corners of his lips. “We have to suck the venom out. That has to stop the mutation.”

Your head snapped up. “Huh?” 

But as soon as your eyes met his, you started to wondered if what you were experiencing was hunger after all. Perhaps … a different kind of hunger. Laios stared down at you, the sparkling gold replaced by a dark hazel. It was just you two in this little corner of the dungeon, but you suddenly felt exposed, so naked, under his gaze. Your body was hot all over, sweat sticking to uncomfortable places. And your thighs … a burning need emerged between them, soaking the thin linen of your undergarments. This had to be a symptom of the bite, but it suddenly didn’t matter anymore. Your worry had been replaced by an ache that only he could fix.

No – absolutely not. You couldn’t. You shouldn’t. You were turning into a sea serpent.

But the need between your legs still throbbed.

“It’s like when a snake bites you on the surface,” Laios said, crouching down to your eye level. His closeness made your heart rate pick up. You realized then that he had shed his armor, kneeling in front of you in just his gambeson, which clung to his muscles and wide frame. “A sea serpent is part snake. Sucking out the venom should stop the mutation. You’ll probably experience symptoms from the bite for a few more hours, but they’ll stop eventually.” 

He started to peel back the bandage, taking a look at the gills forming on your hip when you gripped his wrist. Immediately, his skin burned, making you even more hot. You ripped your hand away from him, and with sweat trickling down the side of your face, you said, “Don’t you think this is … weird? Maybe Marcille should do it.”

“Marcille and the others just went back to another part of the level to find dinner. They won’t return for an hour, at least. This can’t wait.” He inspected the turquoise gills with concern, before his eyes snapped back to yours, noticing the way your black pupils filled almost the entire iris. “Do you not trust me?”

“Of course, I trust you. It’s just …” What exactly was the reason again? Oh, yes, it was pulsating hunger dripping between your legs from the bite, and you were terrified how you’d react the second his lips wrapped around your wound. The symptoms would just get worse. But he was right – this was the only way. Fuck, this had to be the most embarrassing thing you’d ever experienced. 

“Fine,” you finally relented, lying back down on the cobblestone. You did your best to get comfortable, but the makeshift pillow hardly provided much cushion between you and the floor.  “What should I do?”

“Nothing, just lay back and let me take care of it.” Laios lifted your tunic a smidge, and just the tenor of his voice made your ache even worse. “We’re just gonna … get this out of the way. And then …” His fingers hooked on the waistband of your pants, and you immediately clutched his collar. If you touched his skin again, you were sure to moan.

Laios looked from where your hand was gripping him and back to your eyes. “Your pants need to be off so I can have better access to the mutation. It’s on your hip.” You swallowed hard, knowing he was right, and your hand started to slip off his collar. “We’re friends, right?” He asked.

You nodded weakly.

“Good,” he smiled again, and you struggled to hold back a plea for him to touch you. He pulled down your pants, tossing them to the side. For a moment, he paused, taking in your soaked underwear and running his fingers over the mutation on your hip. He licked his lips again, and then said in a rather blunt tone, “You’re so –”

“Don’t say it,” you cut in, snapping your eyes shut to prevent further embarrassment.  Though you had never minded Laois’ occasional lack of social cues, this was one of those moments you needed anything but. “Just get the venom out.”

Laios tugged your underwear down a little to see if the mutation had spread. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” he informed you, lowering his head to your hip. “I’ve read that these bites can have a multitude of internal symptoms. Nightmares ... sweating … fever …” He ran his tongue over the gills, making your breath hitch instantly. “… And especially, arousal. Neat, huh?” He chuckled, and just his warm breath on the gills made you even more wet. “Don’t worry, I got you,” he assured before finally wrapping his mouth on the wound.

Your body burned even hotter than before as soon as his lips touched your skin. He sucked the venom out of you, spitting out blue globs every other second. His hands gripped your side, digging into your flesh and leaving crescent shapes from his nails. As you felt the gills start to close up, you couldn’t help but moan and arch into nothing. This felt better than any time you masturbated … any time you imagined your party leader above you … Fuck, who would’ve thought sucking sea serpent venom out of you would feel this good? Thank the gods the rest of their party was off catching dinner. You couldn’t deal with them possibly hearing this.

It surprised you when your orgasm flooded through you like a crashing wave. As Laios finished sucking out the last of the venom and the mutation closed, your arousal came to a definite peak and you let out a whine. You grabbed his arm, cumming from absolutely no stimulation.

Laios didn’t seem to mind though. In fact, he was mostly preoccupied with inspecting the area. You opened your eyes, your cheeks tinged pink, and saw the globs of venom to the left dissipate to nothing but water. You pinched the bridge of your nose, “I’m sorry, I –”

“The mutation closed. I was right!” Laios looked down at you, a big grin covering his face. “How do you feel?”

“Well, I definitely don’t feel a second set of lungs on my hip anymore.” You lifted your hand when you noticed a trickle of blue staining his lip, wiping it away with your thumb. “But I … my body is still …” The ache inside you had simmered slightly, but it was still there, lingering underneath the surface. 

This was genuinely humiliating. Maybe you should’ve just decided to turn into a sea serpent after all.

Laios grabbed your wrist before you could pull away from his face. He leaned into your palm, running his long nose down to your inner wrist. “Your skin is so warm. I can still smell how aroused you are from the serpent bite.” His eyes burned into yours, keeping your hand close to his face. “I can help. Do you need another release?”

Your cheeks got even more red when he acknowledged your orgasm. Shaking your head, you said, “I couldn’t ask you to do that. I can just –”

“I’d be honored to,” he replied, quite gruffly and persistent. His fingers tugged your underwear down with precision and ease, despite the damp fabric clinging to you. He spread your legs wide and placed them on his shoulders. Lowering himself down, he inhaled the scent of your climax and hooked his arms around your inner thighs. He smiled up at you – your pretty face red with embarrassment – all dopey-eyed and grateful. “You lot like to call me the devourer of monsters. Perhaps I should devour the last bit of monster out of you.”

He inhaled again, groaning like he typically did when he was hungry. His hot breath against your achingly wet pussy made you whimper with desperation. “You smell so good down here,” he whispered. “I’d wager you taste even better.”

You gasped as soon as he dove between your legs, licking a stripe through your folds, tasting your recent orgasm. He flicked his tongue over your clit before sucking on it with feverish excitement. Slick gathered on his tongue and he whined, needing more. So much more. You were the most delicious meal he’d ever tasted. Better than any monster, better than anything on the surface. 

“So good,” he muttered into your pussy, lapping against your clit, doing anything that would get him more of your arousal. “You taste so, so good.”

You whimpered out his name and attempted to close your legs, but he held them opened with all his strength. His arms wrapped around your thighs went tight, bruising the sensitive flesh. Your jaw went slack while your own hands scrambled for purchase, eventually landing in his cropped hair. You tugged, hips bucking against his face, making him groan even more. This allowed him to hold your hips a little higher, and his tongue finally dipped into your leaking entrance. You heard him grunt the second he plunged his tongue deeper, his nose nuzzling your clit. 

He devoured you like a starved man. He devoured you like you were a boiled scorpion, or roast basilisk, or – even better – like sweet, delicious homemade cheesecake. 

“Laios,” you whined, feeling your fever dissolve with each lap of his tongue. “Laios, it’s … fuck – it’s okay, I feel –”

“Need more,” he muttered, his voice low and laced with need. He was practically humping the stone floor as he buried his tongue as far as it could go inside you. Your hips couldn’t stop bucking forward, riding his face as you felt your orgasm building at the base of your stomach. Laios was completely transfixed. He wanted to be here, nestled between your thighs, for every meal. He’d take you away from the rest of the group before dinner, lapping away to the sounds of your pleas and whimpers, so help him gods. He’d do this every day, every night, whenever you wanted, for as long as he was alive. Fuck monsters. He could survive off the taste of you for the rest of his life.

Slipping his tongue out of your hole, he went back to sucking on your throbbing clit and feeling your legs start to tremble. You had to be close to another release, and he was desperate to taste it. He paid all his attention on your clit, snaking one hand up and sinking two fingers knuckle-deep into your entrance in tandem. “Fuck,” you moaned, tugging on his hair once again, “fuck – gods, Laios. I – I’m s-so close –”

“Please,” he begged, smearing your slick all over his mouth. “Please, you’re so good. Need to see how you taste when you release on my tongue.” His own hips continued to buck against the floor.

You choked on a cry when you finally came all over his tongue. He groaned, loud and drawn out, when he finally got a taste of your sweet climax, knowing that it was him that brought you to this point. The orgasm felt long, like the ocean bringing you in and out, and your whole body trembled. He continued lapping at your clit as it pulsed under his tongue, his fingers curling inside you through your orgasm. When you finally breathed out and started to come down from the high of it all, Laios stayed between your thighs, allowing his tongue to gently swirl your clit. Maybe if he continued, he could taste a little more of you …

You found your voice, hoarse from overstimulation. “Laios, please, you have to stop,” you begged, yanking his head up from between your legs. His mouth was covered in your slick, and then he was giving you that dopey expression again, making your heart clench. Your body was no longer hot and sweaty. Laios had completely cured you of the sea serpent bite with that expert mouth of his. He unwound his arms from your thighs, bringing his fingers that were still covered with your wetness to his mouth, tasting the last of your orgasm. You watched him, eyes wide and cheeks blushing, until he was looking at you again with those golden doe eyes.

“That was amazing,” he said, like he was in a haze. When your eyes flickered down, you realized he was hard in his pants, but it wasn’t like he even noticed himself with the way he was staring at you. “We should do that again sometime.”

He stood up, and you scrambled to pull your clothes back on before the group came back. You stammered, “It’s okay, uh – we don’t have to. Especially if you don’t want to. We could just –”

“I want to,” he cut in, a determined look in his eyes. “What are friends for, right?” 

[devsgames]

HOT GAMEDEVS DON'T GATEKEEP

Inspired by this post by @midwinterhunt, here's a compilation of all the game dev resources I have come across, most of which I use fairly frequently. Most of these are free, some are paid but fairly cheap. Feel free to add your own resources. ✌️

Important reminder: When using basically any works or programs someone else created in your games, make sure you thoroughly understand the licenses and terms it has been shared with. If you don't know what the terms are, reach out to the resource and ask. Don't be lazy about this; it's not only dishonest but it can come back to bite you.

Engines

Unity - Best suited for mobile and multi-platform.

Unreal - Tailored for shooters and high-fidelity experiences.

PICO-8 - Virtual console for simple games

Godot - Open source and free!

GameMaker - Good for 2D games

Bitsy - Great little engine for making simple games and experiences

Construct - Never used but have heard nice things

Scratch - If you've never coded before, this is the best place to start. Great for young devs and those who want to get their feet wet.

Adventure Game Studio - Best suited for adventure games

RPG Maker - Best suited for top-down classic JRPG style games

Twine - Text-centric games like Interactive Fiction

Assets

OpenGameArt - Many assets, various licenses, and plenty of CC0 content.

Unity Store - For Unity only. Some free.

Unreal Store - For Unreal only. Some free.

Godot Asset Library

Jean Moreno's Toon Effects - Some of the best effects available on the Unity store. Unity only but I've used them in basically every project.

Steamworks.net C# Wrapper For Unity - Unity only C# wrapper for integrating Steam compatibility to your game

Itch.io - Plenty of free art assets and game dev resources

Kenney - Kenney makes tons of open-source assets for devs to use.

Art

Mixamo - Generates rigs for your humanoid models and lets you apply a library of free humanoid animations to them. Super helpful for prototyping. Adobe.

Blender - Free, open source and fully featured 3D program.

XNormal - Free offline normal map generator

Normal Map Online - Free online normal map generator

Crocotile - Cheap tool for building 3D models from sprite sheets

MagicaVoxel - Free voxel modelling tool

Piskel - Free online sprite drawing tool

Aesprite - Paid sprite drawing tool

TurboSquid - Not always great quality, but can be good source of free placeholders.

Textures.com - Limited texture downloads per day but free for personal use.

Pexels - Free stock photo resource. Most are free for commercial use. Check licenses.

Clipstudio - Good for illustration or graphic design. One time payment.

GIMP - Image editing program a-la Photoshop. Free.

Audio

Audacity - Free and fully-featured DAW/audio editor.

sfx.me - Free 8-bit synth-style sound effect generator for games.

CastingCallClub - Easy forum to find amateur voice talent for your project (p.s.: you should pay them).

FreeSound.org - Free sounds, searchable by license. A go-to for my audio needs.

Incompetech - Royalty-free music by Kevin McLeod.

Scott Buckley Music - Royalty free with conditions. Generally more on the cinematic side of things but very good stuff!

SoundCloud - 'Search -> By Track -> Filter: Use Commercially' leads to songs posted with allowance of commercial use. Always reach out to the artist to understand their terms and confirm that it's okay to use with your project.

Project Planning

Keymailer - Handy for mailing keys to influencers (don't expect a lot of traction unless you're paying for some of the features though).

Trello - Kanban board. Great for organizing tasks, managing bugs, etc. Free.

Notion - Private text and wiki page editor. Good for project organization, note taking, and fleshing out ideas. Free.

Obsidian - Alternative to Notion, with similar features.

Miro - Free whiteboard for organizing thoughts, images, brainstorming, etc.

Wave - Free Bookkeeping site. Great for keeping finances organized.

[thelilylav]

Y'know what? Fuck it (gives u guys a list of poc artists to listen to cause the white ppl on the music side of tumblr have been embarassing me)

List is under the cut, and warning bc I made it very long

Rock:

Los Abuelos De La Nada

Gesu No Kiwami Otobe

Chuck Berry

Ben E. King

Los Prisoneros

Ahmed Fakroun (ok this one's french art rock but in my book it still counts)

Burnout Syndromes (been fucking w them since I got into Haikyuu lmao)

Infinity Song (their hater song genuinely gets me every time LMAO)

People in the Box

N.E.R.D (my god if u don't know them.. idk dude my brother has been obsessed w them for forever so i just was not getting away regardless lol)

Punk/Punk Rock (& other punk subgenres):

Nova Twins (u must listen to them it's just the way it's gotta be guys)

Rina Sawayama (her hatred of Matty Healy is so attractive. i cannot believe i found her two years ago cause i still remember i would not shut up when i first heard her music it was so good)

BABYMETAL (the way their band name just straight up screams at people gets me every time lmaooo)

Indie:

The Younger Lovers

Mashrou Leila

Stella Jang

Shak SYrn (Jenni is on repeat in my room at any given moment)

Steve Lacy (if u listen to more than just Bad Habit u will find an actuall amazing discography)

Jenny Nuo (i have been OBSESSED w her music since like 2021 ish and it is a crime she hasn't blown up more imo)

Nujabes

Hemlocke Springs (oooo i hate that she does not get more love!!! synth pop and alt indie is such a fun niche like!!!)

Lyn Lapid (in my head she's huge but i have recently learned that artists i think r super popular may be unknown to an entire genre of ppl soo)

Megagonefree (found them on ig and omg!! PLS go check them out genuinely)

boa (i am once again shaming u if u don't know them)

Wallice

JAZZ (in all caps bc I fucking LOVE jazz no it's not dead go listen to jazz rn motherfuckers):

Idris Muhammad

Esperanza Spalding

Joanna Wang (ok she does pop and folk music too but idk she felt most appropriate here)

SAMARA JOY (put. some. respect. on. her. name. i would actually go to war for her i am not kidding. also this is in all caps bc MY MOM GOT TO SEE HER LIVE??? AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO SHE WAS PLS I WAS SO MAD OMGGG but i've been promised tickets next time so we're good)

Sade (my og one and only)

Funk:

Fadoul

George Clinton (i mean he's just a classic yknow)

Parliament (Give Up the Funk can make me dance like no other i swear)

Stevie Wonder (i mean.. like if we're on the topic of classics anyway then...)

Michael Jackson/The Jackson 5 (moreso his earlier stuff if my memory isn't lying to me.. look it's been a second since i listened to mj IM SORRY i am a busy person ok TT)

R&B:

Valerie June

Maxine Nightingale (if u don't listen to her... how do u have fun? actual question i put her on every time i need to feel happy atp)

Boney. M (technically they're reggae but they also count as R&B so idk.. i'm just putting them here if anyone wants me to move them later i will)

Amahla (Ca Suffit was so good and got me to check out the rest of her music, YOU SHOULD TOO!!)

Mary J Blige (not to judge but like... if u don't know THE queen then idk how to help you tbh)

SZA (wouldn't be a list without her in it tbh. i'm in love w her not even joking abt that)

Kali Uchis (to this day i cannot believe i saw her live i'm truly never getting a better moment than that omggg i have such a big crush on her anyway)

Aupinard (if ever u need to just vibe, this is the man u go to.)

Wejdene (TU PARLES AVEC UNE ANISSA MA MOI J'APPELLE WEJDENE- she's been my day 1 since i was like thirteen i can't even lie)

Annisse (just found out she only has like ~500 listeners on spotify??? apparently i'm one of them tho lmao so yeah go get that number up guys i love her too much for this disrespect)

Sister Sledge

Cheryl Lynn

Reggae:

Daddy Yankee (he's an honourable mention cause i couldn't not lmao)

Skindred (they're a reggae/metal fusion band and i will shut up abt them when i'm dead bc Nobody rewired my brain chemistry!!)

Manu Chao

Toquinho (i was so convinced this man was bossa nova but apparently he is reggae and i need to do some music theory review)

Folk:

Sushi Soucy (oh the things I Deserve to Bleed had me going thru in 2020/2021)

Miriam Makeba (Pata Pata should be enough to get anyone listening to her, just saying)

Lead Belly (do urself a favour and do some research on this man, i'm not kidding even if u don't like folk music u should know abt him- ESPECIALLY if u like Nirvana that'll make sense later trust)

Pop:

Corinne Bailey Rae (she has so much good music that gets ignored bc of Put Your Records On so.. yeah go listen to Black Rainbows she's only gotten better as time goes on lol)

Dru (he is for any person who likes ke$ha. i'm so serious he is early 2000s in a bottle and i love his music ur rlly missing out if u ignore him)

Monique Hasbun (found her recently! she's a Palestinian, Mexican and Salvadorian artist who plays around with Latin pop and does a lot of fusion music. she's dope go listen to her fr)

Mohammad Assaf (he made the Palestine song that's been going around ig a lot, but his other stuff is great as well. he's another Palestinian artist, so once again, go check him out!!)

Pinkpanthress (i LOVE her she's so much fun to just vibe to and idk how anyone couldn't have heard of her atp but then again this is the sight that didn't know who drake was so... sigh. go listen to her if u don't already!!)

Aliyah's Interlude (BROOO if u haven't heard of her actually go listen rn i'm so serious she is so good i can'ttttt ok bye)

Veondre (had a collab w Aliyah on It Girl and is gonna be releasing her own music very soon! she's trans too so go give her some love)

Shalco (wasn't sure whether to put him here or in hip hop, but his stuff is very very good either way)

Ado (she's j-pop but it's a form of pop so into the pop category she goes)

Moon (she's got two songs out rn, Moonlight and Seoul City Drift, and both r going on loop in my head at all times)

Jay Chou (call me a basic bitch idc he's good ok)

Atarashii Gakko! (i wouldn't say they're j-pop, but google did, so i'm just going w it lol)

flowerovlove (just trust me on this one)

El Tio Gamboin (Los Gatitos is such a cute song)

Grace Chang (see note for Jay Chou)

King Gnu (for all my j-pop lovers... come get ur man)

Salsa:

Lalo Rodriguez (included this genre specifically so i could mention him)

Adalberto Santiago

Roberto Roena (he's a classic i can't lie)

Hector Lavoe (i think he might be the most popular one in this genre lol)

City Pop (this is its own genre bc i literally did a presentation in high school abt it and i'll be damned if i don't flex my knowledge now):

Mariya Takeuchi

Miki Matsubara (my QUEEN my everything my-)

Anri

Taeko Onuki (one of my most listened to artists last yr for a Reason)

Kaoru Akimoto

Kingo Hamada

Jun Togawa

Bossa Nova:

Joao Gilberto (ooo he gets me every time i fucking love this man)

Elizeth Cardoso

Johnny Alf (forgot this man the first time around my bad BUT he's called the father of bossa nova for a reason so)

Hip Hop:

Flyana Boss (they're sooooo good i actually can't gush enough i have never felt so girlypop listening to music before go listen to them!! found the duo through ig so yeah if u want go follow them on there too to show support)

Lil Uzi Vert (for any emo lovers, go check out his song Werewolf with Bring Me the Horizon it is SO GOOD)

Samyra (she's slowly curing my body dysmorphia lol)

Yame (there's an accent on the e but idk how to do that on tumblr. anyway my ass loves french rap and before him i was stuck with klub des loosers so he saved my faith in the genre i can't even lie)

Lay Bankz (u cannot be chronically online and not have heard Ick yet, but i'm repping her regardless bc SHE'S SO GOOD)

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie (HEAR ME OUT-)

Kaliii (Area Codes was one of my most listened to songs last year... as it should be tbh)

Miguel (he does R&B too i just first listened to him bc of his collab w J.Cole sooo)

Tyler the Creator (putting him on here just to brag abt getting to see him in concert lmao)

XXXTentacion (he has been mourned and talked abt an insane amount, but he deserves it i'm not even gonna joke on this one. his artistry is insane and he deserves some love if u haven't listened to him yet)

Kendrick Lamar (i mean i've been reblogging stuff abt him enough. Mr. Morale was actually the album that made me start Listening listening to him and i'm honestly glad it was bc that album is still my favourite to this day if i'm being totally honest)

Renaissauce (criminally and i do mean CRIMINALLY underrated)

[mackeydoodledoo]

She Wears Short Skirts, I wear T-shirts: Chapter 4

Pairing: Bridget (Cheerleader AU) x (Fem!)Reader

Chapter Summary: Winterbreak has come. The both of you hang out whenever you can. Even inviting each other to your family's holiday gatherings. The both of you begin talking about what'll come at the end of the year for the both of you.

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, Light NSFW

Chapter Key: Italics = Thoughts, +*+ = Time Skip, F/n = Friend's name, B/n = Band Name, Bold/Italic = Flashback

Chapter Theme: Lover - Taylor Swift

A/n: Might be a little bit of a short read :) But, cooking date with Bridget? Big Plus!

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

*Y/n's POV* You finish setting up extra Christmas decor in your living room.

Halfway through Senior year... Finally...

But, you had no idea where you want to take your life. Certainly you wanted to go to college like the traditional high-school graduate. But then there was your life being a musician.

You really enjoyed it... But your parents worried that you wouldn't be able to make a living solely being a musician, especially the fact that your band was still attempting to make it out onto the bigger stages.

You hear a knock on the door and you go to answer it.

"Bridget!" You smile

"Hey! Where's your parents?" Bridget asks

"After Christmas, they went up north for a secluded new years," You answer, "I'm kinda doing the same thing."

She comes in and sheds her warm, outerwear. The both of you sit on the couch as the both of you munch on holiday cookies.

"What are you planning to do once the year is over?" You ask

"Go to college, join their cheer team there," Bridget says, "I might study culinary."

"I knew you had a knack for baking, but cooking. I have yet to see you do it," You say

"Well then, come on, let's cook dinner together," She says, "Have you eaten yet?"

"As a matter of fact, not yet," You answer

You get up and follow her into the kitchen.

"Just, please don't burn my house down," You chuckle, grabbing some pans

"Are you already doubting my cooking skills?" She asks, smirking

"Not at all," You reply, reaching over and connecting your speaker to your phone, "Just tell me what to do chef."

She grabs some pasta and begins searching your pantry for any other food related ingredients.

"Get us started by cutting up onions please," She says

You reach over and grab an onion and begin cutting it up.

"Any song requests?" You ask

"Anything but hard rock, or whatever," She answers, "Only because it doesn't fit the mood."

You chuckle as you put on the first artist you see that's recommended.

We could leave the Christmas lights up 'til January And this is our place, we make the rules

"Oh I love Taylor Swift!" Bridget sighs into your shoulder, "I'm lucky enough to see her before she decided to take a break."

"She isn't my cup of tea, but there are a small handful of songs I'm game to listen to," You confess, "Albeit majority of them you've heard on the radio..."

And I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you I've loved you three summers now, honey, but I want 'em all

"Even though your parents instantly welcomed me into your house, it still feels awkward," You confess

"Are my parents doing too much?" She asks, "I can let them know and-"

"No it's not that," You say, beginning to cut up some onions, "It's just I've never been accepted by non-band parents. Majority of my life, most parents have been band parents. You parents are cheer parents. Yet, they've accepted somebody like me."

"Just because the student body doesn't favor the band kids, doesn't meant the parents don't," She says

"Oh I'm aware of that," You say, "You of all people should know I don't care what the other students think of the band. I'm not going to remember them well enough."

"That's true," She says, "But, you really only interacted with your band people."

"Yeah, because they understand my sense of humor," You chuckle, "Even if someone were to plan the 10-year reunion, I'd skip it."

"Why?" She asks

"I may be on tour," You answer, "Or elsewhere."

She nods.

"Are you going to miss me?" You ask, with a little playful tone

"I miss you when you're in the band room during lunch," She confesses, "I know you hate it but it would be nice for you to stay in the cafeteria..."

"you can always drop by the band room though, it's right next door," You say, placing the onions in the pan as Bridget begins to sauté it

"Yeah but the assistant principal cracks down people leaving the lunchroom early..." She sighs

"Well, he's an ass," You say, "Just head to the band room before you hit the cafeteria. That way, he won't catch you."

"I'll try to remember that when we go back," She says

Can I go where you go? Can we always be this close forever and ever? And ah, take me out, and take me home (forever and ever) You're my, my, my, my Lover

You finish washing up all of the utensils that both you and Bridget used as she adds the finishing touches to the pasta.

"Ah! It's done. Y/n come sit!" Bridget calls you over

You heed her call and sit in the chair right next to her.

You take a bite of the food... Your eyes light up.

"Holy shit! Where has this been all my life?!" You ask, digging into the meal like a slop

Bridget only looks on as you indulge in the meal.

"You made the sauce yourself?" You ask

She nods.

"Man, any high-end kitchen would be lucky to have you," You say

"Actually, this might sound stupid coming from a cheerleader, but I might want to open up my own cafe..." She says

"Really?" You ask, "Well, keep me informed. I might just be your first customer."

+*+

Bridget lays against your side as the both of you lay in dark silence, attempting to spend the last few moments together.

"When are you leaving for your indoor camp thing?" Bridget asks, breaking the silence

"Tomorrow afternoon," You answer, "I'm going to be staying there past new years to hang out with my friends that are down there. My friend is going to look after my cat while we're all out."

"Hmm," Bridget sighs

"Something wrong?" You ask

"I kinda wish I was going with you," She says

"Then why don't you?" You suggest, "Despite you'd be chilling on the sideline most of the time, you'd get to meet all of my out-of-state friends. They're a really chill group of people. You'd also get a first look at our show. Only thing is you can't speak of it until after the first performance: secrecy purposes."

"I trust your word but my family is going up north for new years as well," She says, "I should be getting a text from my mom soon for her to tell me to come home... So, I've been trying to milk out whatever time we have left."

"Well, you can always text me," You suggest, "It isn't that hard."

"It isn't the same as seeing you in person," She says, "I have something for you."

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything," You say

"Oh, but I wanted to," She says, sitting up

You sit up after her. She immediately holds up mistletoe above your heads. Your body stiffens and your mouth hangs agape as Bridget slowly brings the gap between your faces to a close.

"If... If you don't want to... I'll leave right now," She states

You didn't want her to leave, in the moment anyway: you wanted every moment you could get with her. Your brain couldn't process the fact that Bridget could have talked to anyone in the entire school... Here she is, with you.

She gasps as you lurch forward, kissing her first. Your arm wraps around her hips as the both of you continue to kiss.

The both of you pull away when Bridget's phone goes off. She sighs in frustration.

"I gotta go..." She sighs, "I'm leaving with my family for our new years trip..."

you nearly groan in frustration as she gets up off of your lap. You get up and follow her out of the door.

"Do you want me to walk you?" You offer

"That'd be nice actually," She smiles

You quickly throw on some warm clothing and follow her out the door. However gives you one last quick kiss before the both of you walk back to her house.

Chapter 5

[drowninginredink]

Favorite Albums: choose 9 and then tag 9 people!

For my own sanity, I didn't include musicals because I could fill up a whole other 3x3 grid with them, and comparing musicals to non-musical theater albums is weird.

Those last 4 that you definitely don't recognize are by Old Earth who you should definitely listen to if you want artsy ambient indie folk with really intricate guitar. My absolute favorite artist by far, and also the most obscure artist I listen to by far.

Electric by The Pet Shop Boys — I think this is my favorite album period. I am still pissed off that Tom Scott called it "not that great" in the old Technical Difficulties podcast. Maybe I'm biased because it was my favorite album when I was 14 and because it's where I really fell in love with the Pet Shop Boys. God I love them. So much. I'm way too excited for the new album and I worship geowayne's website where he analyzes all their songs. I probably should have put another PSB album on here, but there isn't another where I'm in love with every track. Plus honestly so many of my favorite tracks of theirs are B sides. They still release B sides with their singles, and this album cycle, the B sides are honestly better than the actual singles. Anyway electric is pure synthy electropop and I adore it in that way you can only love something you first heard at 14.

Pure Heroine by Lorde — I read a quote somewhere where Lorde said she tried to really put all of being a teenager into the album, so much so that once she became an adult, she probably wouldn't understand or like it anymore. I can definitely say that I'm not nearly as attached to it anymore now that I'm an adult, but God, it was my life when I was 13. She really did capture the unique ennui of being a teenager. I wrote a novel in eighth grade, and I wrote at least half of it to tracks from this album. Also, hot take: Royals is my least favorite track by a lot. Buzzcut Season is my favorite.

My Head is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men — God, this one was my life when I was like, 12. I fell in love with folk there, and I'm still in love nearly a decade later. Another album where I still love every track.

Strange Trails by Lord Huron — hey look, an album I actually discovered and came to love as an adult! The fact that I love Lord Huron's brand of folky horror/fantasy/western music that tell stories with characters should not surprise anyone. Also, if I had to describe my experience with schizophrenia in one song, I'd choose Meet Me in the Woods.

The Tragic Treasury by The Gothic Archies — Look. Hear me out. Is it a album based purely on A Series of Unfortunate Events? Yes. But. Is it also an album where I genuinely love every track and have genuinely been known to just throw it on shuffle? Yes. I mean I think of one lyric from this album, like, weekly. I swear it's not just ASOUE brainrot that makes me like it so much. If it'd ever gotten a vinyl release, I'd absolutely own it. I wish it had gotten one.

a low place at The Old Place by Old Earth — honestly this is probably only my favorite Old Earth album because it's the one that I was able to actually get on vinyl and being able to play that vinyl is so lovely. I mean, it's good, but so is everything by Old Earth. Then again, Less Words is my favorite single track by them and it is on this album. Look. All the Old Earth albums I've listed here are, at most, 20 minutes long. If you like ambient artsy indie folk with lyrics that are there more for the way they sound than their meaning, try one.

light shaped by Old Earth — god the lyrics to this one. Normally I don't like Old Earth for the lyrics but. "It gets old/then it's done" and "what if it's just some song that gets you home" and especially "I'm holding your arms/and you're holding my eyes/and I lie like the right thing to do" are all just so great. And so is the middle track with no lyrics.

... until they're called by Old Earth — have you ever heard an album so good that you a) just played the whole thing and danced to it in your basement nonstop for the full 12 minutes, and then b) wrote a poem about the experience? People talk about finding God, but dancing to that album was the moment I found athiesm. The beauty of us all being here for no reason, just feeling things and living and doing our best to make something beautiful out of it.

Two Torches, at a Place Where Three Roads Meet by Old Earth — I'll be honest, I don't have much to say about this one. They're just a really solid three tracks.

... Yeah okay I really like Old Earth. Don't judge me.

Thank you @cygninae and @thehistoryone for tagging me! I'll tag @ven10 (I'm surprised neither of the people who tagged me tagged you), @weirdthoughtsandideas (ditto), @70snasagay (hmmmm i wonder what you'll put), @cat-boy-tom, @thetreetzar, @buncoreclown, @notthatalex, @unfortunate-sapphic-disaster, and @roach-in-the-kitchen. No pressure, obviously!

[vyl3tpwny]

You inspired me to get back into Bangarang era Skrillex without shame in my heart and to embrace the (harmless) cringe in my soul. As well as seek out other lesser known artists who keep up that sound. So, thanks!

real talk i have been making music for almost two decades now. when i first heard skrillex's music i instantly knew it was amazing. but i couldn't really express why. as i've gotten older, spent lots and lots of time making music and learning about music and researching, a lot of things i used to adore don't impress me like when i first heard them. but even all this time later, skrillex's music — past and present — is incredible and untouchable. i think a lot of casual listeners do not realize just how flawless, complex, and perfectly executed his sound design and ideas are across the board. the best thing you can do when listening to skrillex's music is just pick out ONE single sound and ask yourself "how did he create this sound? how do you go about creating this sound from scratch". the casual listener rarely considers a question like this, but when you ask this about nearly anything skrillex makes, even if you can fathom an answer it's still the most mindblowing thing in the world.

but sound design is not everything either. i got sucked into the soundcloud community around 2016 or so. to any of my soundcloud classmates, peers, and alumni, hey how are you doing <3 but the soundcloud scene of 2016-2019 was a VERY specific beast. a lot of the music that emerged during the scene's height was this idea that sound design is always more important than anything else. so you would have tons and tons and tons of songs that came out that had crazy sound design ... but not much else. this goes back to skrillex's music. skrillex's sound design isn't just complex, but it's also executed with amazing songwriting. it isn't just a tech fest, he's making amazing songs, perfectly accessible, with incredible sound design as the foundation rather than the only thing the music has to offer. for a while i think i had been so swept up by the soundcloud scene that i rlly ignored songwriting in favour of sound design, like i had to choose.

that is to say, skrillex's music has been and will always be a pinnacle of what "festival EDM" should be evaluated as in standard. i've already done my share of criticizing skrillex for how he butchered "dubstep", and i'm not going to ever pretend that such criticism does not exist. but regardless, EDM is an extremely saturated genre which has caused lots of people to hate or misunderstand it. i think if people focused more on making strong songs and not tunnelvisioning on one aspect of the music, EDM would be more compelling to more people, beyond just 'sounding good' or 'being a banger'.

scary monsters and nice sprites, the song, is a really good song. it has a pretty standard arrangement and flow, but moment to moment it's always interesting and full. the production is so ridiculously clean and dynamic but does not skimp out on making shit sound beefy and deep as well. but what a lot of people don't realize is that the sound design on that song is so incredible, that in a lot of music spaces, it's considered a holy grail to whoever fully reverse engineers the growls in scary monsters. for over 10 years now, there have been dedicated skype groups, discord servers, youtube streams, and forum threads on people literally dedicating portions of their music making lives to trying to understand JUST the scary monsters growls alone. what makes it so elusive is that it's likely done with the FM8 synth and trying to reverse engineer more than 2-3 operators on an FM synth is literally a death sentence. skrillex himself probably couldn't remake it from scratch, only create something similar doing the moves he would do in FM8. but the scary monsters growls are literally a holy grail and people are STILL working in small community pockets to figure out how it was done, 14 years after the album came out.

[fleshsigil]

the sky may be - review

//content warning: discussion of depression/dysphoria/mental illness

"The sky may be Behind all the clouds; But there are only clouds And there will only be clouds - forever"

the sky may be might be one of the most utterly harrowing, powerful and beautiful things i've ever listened to. i don't rate music with numbers because that's stupid, but this is solidly one of the most impactful pieces of music i've heard in years. the sky may be is an 8-song album from renowned noise artist xandra metcalfe, a.k.a uboa, self-released in 2018.

i wondered if it was even worth reviewing this album in the first place. the anger and desperation and agony present in its ~30min runtime is almost hard to put into words, and the content is so raw and personal, but it had so much of an impact on me that i really wanted to give it credit where credit was due. the majority of the album contains these breakdowns of crackling, deafening digital and mechanical harsh noise interspersed with choirs and gorgeous, rich ambience. in terms of vocals, they range from gut-punching, deadpan spoken word deliveries to nearly incomprehensible screaming.

listening to the sky may be is incredibly cathartic for me, as someone who really struggles with a lot of the same things xandra touches on, and there's no doubt that nothing can be compared to the pure, unrelenting anguish present on this album. i don't think any music i've ever heard has even come close to portraying this kind of feeling. i don't think this can be lumped in as "sad music" when it's undoubtedly in a class of its own. nothing can compare to the display of raw emotion that happens here. it is deafening, unrelentingly bleak, euphorically crushing. the lyrical content details self-hatred, isolation, deep depression, and the anger that stems from mental illness in a way that only someone who has experienced them can write and perform. i don't know if what i've experienced and am experiencing is on the same level as xandra's experiences, but i feel like i can empathize with this kind of music on a deeper level than anything else. the frantic screaming, the explosions of digital glitching and cacophonic noise, the soul-crushing depth, the moments of quiet, pained soliloquy convey these specific emotions in such an immediate and boundlessly effective way; i've listened to this album countless times, purely because nothing else is able to match the intensity and type of emotions i'm feeling. it's beautiful. it hurts. it oozes overwhelming darkness with brief glimmers of hope. it feels like how depression feels. i love it dearly and hate it with my whole heart at the same time.

despite how personal this album is, i'm infinitely grateful that xandra released it so that people in a similar situation had a source of catharsis and something to relate to, to cling to, in a sea of otherwise unrelenting darkness. this album has had such an impact on my life, and i hope that the people who need it will find this album somehow, through this review or otherwise.

thank you, uboa.

LINKS TO ALBUM ON SPOTIFY AND BANDCAMP BELOW

(i post music recommendations sometimes, if you want more of that kind of thing, you should follow me)

(PS: i will try to do a happier album that's not about crushing depression for the next review)

[thegratefulsouth]

Alright I have just finished Season 1 of TWD DD and I have thoughts and questions and feelings. And energy!

I am very new to this fandom, and while I've done some searches in places, I'll still just apologise in advance for being repetitive and missing stuff. I will miss stuff every time.

I'll get Laurent out of the way, and even though it's all connected for me, the rest is Caryl.

#1 So Laurent. I have questions about his ability to see into the future. He was convinced Daryl would survive the Gladiator battle, he knew they'd all end up back together. Is this a real thing? Is it coincidence in faith? The drawing I don't care about, I'm not sure how involved he is with the manipulations, but he should definitely be able to feel that this is happening with Isabelle, given his empathic nature. So in that case, does he sense there is a reason to go along with her ways, for a future purpose we don't know about yet.

The empathic thing:

Episode 1, he says to Daryl "You're homesick. I see it in your eyes. I feel things. In my stomach. I feel your sadness." Episode 5, he tells Madame Genet that she isn't angry; her heart is broken.

He can distinguish sadness between heartbreak and homesickness- these are very specific feelings. Are there more examples? Not sure when I'll be able to watch it back. Is this significant? Is there a point to this? Is he going to make the match? Is he going to be overwhelmed by Carol's grief and guilt, though hopefully she'll just be happy and relieved when he meets her (hopefully!!).

"Daryl why don't you just kiss Carol like she wants you to?"

What are the rules around this? I don't know how it works.

#2 Second up! The boats. Is there any evidence that any of the boats have any significance? I know they probably just make sense with the location and the storyline, etc. But when Laurent cuts the boat loose, Daryl is losing his most immediate TANGIBLE lifeline to Carol and that is because a BOAT has drifted. A boat.

Okay, and also, I was thinking about this on my long drive to work this morning and I swear to the husks of dust on my Jim Shore Dorothy and Glinda figurine, Spotify threw THIS song I've never heard before at me. Yes, PIRATE song. Pirate song by mehro. But dear god the lyrics.

"Are you ready to let me in?"

"I've been trying to believe what I said is what I need."

This is such a haunting, beautiful song. I'm so thrilled to discover this artist. I'm not immune to dissolving into a puddle on the side of the road when I hear a new song that spins me out. I feel things so intensely. I'm going to do a post just for this song. This song is Caryl to me.

#3 Daryl's longing for Carol in a ramble:

I like the connection between Daryl saying "I have family back home," and Carol in the teaser clip saying Daryl is the only family she has left. It feels like a string, tying them together. Feels like they're on the same damn boat. Emotionally.

I just want to touch on the name dropping Who Are Your Friends scene with Laurent. Even though I have no idea whether this scene is supposed to have any significance or if it's just supposed to be a simple moment of connection for these two. Regardless, it is significant. Every second beyond about a week just is. So to touch on Laurent again, I'm just wondering is it possible that Daryl's a little guarded here, because he knows the kid's intuitive? Does he feel like he needs to be more careful with his emotions? He's already elevated. But he says Connie's name really easily. It's easy for him to say her name and I think that says a lot. He's trying to connect with the kid, so of course Judith and RJ pop up. Daryl got himself started, and there's a very slight gap, while he's thinking before he offers up Ezekiel. That's where he should say Rosita but she's gone, or Aaron (but too much missage? Their bond), Michonne's not there! Oh, Ezekiel! They were starting to get along? They had a hug and everything? I don't know. I like the link between Connie and Ezekiel though. Anyway Daryl has to say Carol because she is his heartbeat, so he manages to get that out and then he stops. No more names.

Laurent says they sound nice and is Daryl's response a little defensive? Even though Laurent's just a kid, he's a little intense. Daryl says, "Yeah, how do you know?"

I think that's interesting. Like he's shared as much as he's comfortable sharing and then he wants to bundle his family back up again. It's painful to talk about Carol because he misses her and he promised her and she cried when he left and she is his soulmate. She's a little too precious and valuable to be spoken about by someone who hasn't even met her.

Alrighty now I need to go find some gifs for that song post.

[lovesongbracket]

Reminder: Vote based on the song, not the artist or specific recording! The tracks referenced are the original artist, aside from a few rare cases where a cover is the most widely known.

Lyrics, videos, info, and notable covers under the cut. (Spotify playlist available in pinned post)

Lay All Your Love On Me

Written By: Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson

Artist: ABBA

Released: 1981

Cover included: Amanda Seyfried & Dominic Cooper for Mamma Mia!, 2008

“Lay All Your Love On Me” explores the high emotions and passions that can emerge when falling in love, and documents one woman’s shift into erratic behaviors as she falls under the spell of her new lover. The song hit number one in the US dance charts in 1981, but has lasted in popularity over the years, becoming an ABBA staple. It was featured in the band’s jukebox musical (and its movie adaption), Mamma Mia, and in 2006 was named the 60th greatest dance song of all time by Slant magazine.

[Verse 1] I wasn't jealous before we met Now every woman I see is a potential threat And I'm possessive, it isn't nice You've heard me saying that smoking was my only vice [Pre-Chorus] But now it isn't true Now everything is new And all I've learned has overturned I beg of you [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me [Verse 2] It was like shooting a sitting duck A little small talk, a smile, and baby, I was stuck I still don't know what you've done with me A grown-up woman should never fall so easily [Pre-Chorus] I feel a kind of fear When I don't have you near Unsatisfied, I skip my pride I beg you, dear [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me [Verse 3] I've had a few little love affairs They didn't last very long and they've been pretty scarce I used to think that was sensible It makes the truth even more incomprehensible [Pre-Chorus] 'Cause everything is new And everything is you And all I've learned has overturned What can I do? [Chorus] Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me Don't go sharing your devotion Lay all your love on me Don't go wasting your emotion Lay all your love on me

Demolition Lovers

Written By: Matt Pelissier, Mikey Way, Ray Toro & Gerard Way

Artist: My Chemical Romance

Released: 2002

The Demolition Lovers are the couple seen on the cover for MCR’s next album, Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge. This song, along with much of the album, is a prequel to the story of Three Cheers… in which a man makes a deal with the devil to get his dead lover back by killing 1,000 evil men and giving the devil their souls in exchange for her. This song is most likely where the lover dies. The two “Demolition Lovers” are featured on the cover of the album.

[Verse 1] Hand in mine, into your icy blues And then I'd say to you, "We could take to the highway With this trunk of ammunition, too" I'd end my days with you, in a hail of bullets [Chorus] I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know just how much you mean to me And after all the things We put each other through and [Verse 2] I would drive on to the end with you A liquor store or two keeps the gas tank full And I feel like there's nothing left to do But prove myself to you, and we'll keep it running [Chorus] But this time, I mean it I'll let you know just how much you mean to me As snow falls on desert sky Until the end of everything I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know how much you mean As days fade and nights grow And we grow cold [Post-Chorus] Until the end, until this pool of blood Until this, I mean this, I mean this, until the end of [Chorus] I'm trying, I'm trying To let you know how much you mean As days fade and nights grow And we grow cold But this time, we'll show them We'll show them all how much we mean As snow falls on desert sky Until the end of every… [Interlude] All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this All we are, all we are is bullets, I mean this [Guitar Solo] [Bridge] As lead rains will pass on through Our phantoms forever, forever Like scarecrows that fuel this flame We're burning forever and ever Know how much I want to show you You're the only one Like a bed of roses There's a dozen reasons in this gun [Outro] And as we're falling down, and in this pool of blood And as we're touching hands, and as we're falling down And in this pool of blood, and as we're falling down I'll see your eyes, and in this pool of blood I'll meet your eyes, I mean this forever!

[hausofanya]

“i think i might need to bleach my ears…”

cléo gives the camera a brief but playful grimace. “what goes on in the world of jung yoonah… let’s find our next star and hope their search history isn’t about someone i see on the regular.”

weaving between staff members rushing on their respective tasks, she finds a certain soloist off to the side, already peering curiously at the equipment lugged behind her. when they lock eyes cléo grins, making her way over.

“state your name and reason for being on the premises, please.”

“i am... hero,” he answers dramatically, looking off in the distance before breaking character. cléo snorts quietly. “don't want to be all up in my head, but i think at this point pretty much everyone should know who i am! but i'm the brightest and prettiest star that came from mighty devil! no, really, look at my eyes and you'll see actual stars!"

cléo finally laughs as he got closer to the camera, widening his eyes as much as possible. “it’s good to finally get to meet you! huge fan of your work, truly. what are you wearing?”

with one leg in front of the other one, hero puts his hands in the pockets as he holds the post for a few seconds as cléo looks thrilled, clearly a fan of the dramatics. “i'm actually wearing acne studios! as the official ambassador, i knew that i'd get the best possible from that brand, as i've been admiring their stuff for quite a while. i'm wearing something from one of their recent men's collection!”

“you look great! it’s definitely a style i think only you could pull off—and i say that as a compliment. at least the shoes are keeping you warm!” the camera zooms in on his shoes before righting itself. “now we gotta know the top three things you absolutely couldn’t live without.”

“definitely my laptop, but not for the reasons you'd think! i have all of my songs, both released and unreleased, saved there and i’d fall apart if i happened to misplace it.”

cléo nods in agreement, her eyes widening at the camera. those watching knew how important her own laptop was to her as well, so it was no surprise to see her agree so quickly.

biting his lip, hero thinks of two others. “i want to say my cats, because i have two but i'm also thinking of getting more—”

“pick your cats!” cléo interrupts suddenly, offering a smile at startling those around her. “sorry. i have a cat as well, and she’s quite literally my mini me. i’d pick her namely for my own sanity.”

he shakes his head, “ok for now, definitely picking my cats, but if you mean in the future, then i'll change it to the eternal album by taemin, because i need to have some music there too. plus i'm definitely not leaving that album's photocard collection for anyone else! and if i'm stuck on an island, maybe those ear muffs because i'd hate for sand or something else to end up in my ears. yuck!” he yaps uncontrollably, and finally snaps out of it after two minutes. it’s a wonder no one interrupted him—but she didn’t mind.

“anything monumental happen to you this year?”

“would it be cheesy to say being the host for ficfest awards?” cléo laughs as he cheekily smiles, “i got to meet so many artists and i had the opportunity to talk to some of them. hopefully we'll be able to collab in the nearest future, but it all depends on their labels and if they're keen to it!”

he then hums, as if he remembered something, “also, it hasn't happened yet, but the most insane thing that will happen is my first ever world tour! can you believe that i haven't gone around the world since my debut? that is the most insane thing!”

“make sure you get your tickets, ‘cause i definitely will. and i’m not above boxing a fifteen year old for a good spot.” cléo points two fingers at the camera as hero laughs. “but anyway… how do you feel about any of the nominees? i heard you were nominated! congrats!”

tilting his head, he took a moment to think about the answer, “honestly there's probably one group that i feel like they didn't deserve the nomination but they're gone now, so... oops!” he laughed mischievously as cléo peers at him curiously, “but i mean, other than them, everyone else deserved all the nominations they got. i know i did!”

“now what could you possibly mean by that…” cléo tries her best to pry for answers, but he remains stubbornly calm with a smile on his face. “nothing? nothing? booo… okay. how about the weirdest thing a fan has ever done to get your attention?”

“well... one time a fan swung their bra in the air to get my attention.” cléo grimaces as his look turns conflicted, divided between feeling weirded out or impressed. “in the end it turned out that she just brought an additional bra and still had hers holding... her girls in place, so luckily no flashing happened!”

“the epidemic of fans throwing undergarments need to be studied in a lab.” she points at the camera, “you guys need to be lobotomized.” she then pauses before adding, “you might need one too if your search history is alarming. what’s the weirdest things you’ve ever googled?”

“usually i'm very nosy and like searching other people’s net worths or scandals they've been in.” cléo’s brows raise as he continues, “weirdly enough, sometimes i get an inspiration and it might help me write a song or two. i bet you didn't expect that answer, did you?” he winked with a smirk present on his face.

“….yeah. someone schedule that lobotomy. quickly.” cléo feigns a scared look at the camera before settling back to an easygoing smile. “maybe with your new and improved brain you can write even more pretty songs—and memorize even more lines. and speaking of lines… have you ever dreamed of taking up acting? if so, what’s your dream role?”

“well, i've always wanted to act.. pretty much in any kind of genre—i'm not that picky! but i'm not sure if i have the talent for it, you know? the best i can do is act out for my music videos and stuff, but an actual movie role? i think i'll need practice for that. lots and lots of it.”

he then continues, “i wish i had a range that ralph fiennes or christian bale have. i loved the american psycho...” he randomly said the last sentence as he trailed off in thoughts.

“would it be a compliment if i said you’d make an excellent patrick bateman? you’ve got such an unnerving quality to you—and i mean that in a good way, i promise!” cléo rushes to explain as the staff behind the camera laughs. “you seem the type to be very particular about fonts and etchings. can we recreate the business card scene? i just want to see something—”

cléo looks up as someone motions for her to get back on track, the noirette offering an apologetic smile in response. “maybe later. one final question and we can find a chainsaw—is there anyone special in your life you’d like for us to know?”

“oh god now. well, there used to be someone, but i don't see myself going forward with it. for now there's only place for my cats in my heart.” cléo offers a silent nod in agreement. that she could definitely get behind.

“maybe taemin or seungyoun-hyung, because he is my darling after all~” he sends a cheeky finger heart to the cameras as cléo laughs. “hopefully you're watching this from the military, buzzcut-seungie!”

cléo snorts as she ends the interview and says her goodbyes, offering a mini salute to the camera.

“thank you for your service!”

you can find hero at @anqelblccm ! thanks for joining the event !

[m4l0sattic]

Music ask game

A song you liked as a child

A song that features an element (earth/fire/water/air)

A song you’d choose to introduce someone to your favorite genre

A song you’d put on a playlist for a character you love

A song you think most of your followers won’t have heard before

A song that makes you think of a family member

A song you know every word to

A song from a soundtrack

A song in a language you don’t speak

A song that makes you feel relaxed

A song that makes you dance

A song from the 90s

A song by a performer you’ve seen live

A song you love to sing along to

A song you’d play for a toddler

A song that makes you think of an old (or current) crush

A cover song

A song you’d play to set the mood on a date

A song that makes you emotional

A song you’d put on a playlist for the person who sent you this ask

ok lets gooo

1. Na Na Na - My Chemical Romance

2. Fire Fire - Steam Powered Giraffe

3. Assuming my favorite genre is rock/metal.. anything by Slipknot will do, I guess.

4. For the Jon : Fresh Concrete - Bears In Trees

5. Congratulations Smack + Katie - Reggie and the Full Effect. (it's reeeaalllyyyy good, trust me)

6. The Key - Ou Est Le Swimming Pool. Makes me think of my dad <3

7. Honeybee - Steam Powered Giraffe. No hesitation.

8. Hunter's Moon - Ghost, from the Halloween Kills soundtrack. My favorite Ghost song in my favorite Halloween movie. Perfect.

9. Wem die Stunde schlägt - OOMPH!

10. On Top of the Universe - Steam Powered Giraffe

11. Dance Macabre - Ghost

12. Around The World - Daft Punk

13. Guys, all of the live shows I saw were french artists.. And I don't even LIKE those artists. But if I really have to do it, then Grand Petit Con - M

14. Cirice - Ghost

15. Ready to Go Steady - The Go! Team (I actually played it for my niece, and she loved it.)

16. Taroko - August Greenwood (we used to go on aquarium dates..)

17. Harder Better Faster Stronger - Steam Powered Giraffe (I love the OG and the cover!)

18. Something About Us - Daft Punk

19. Wired Wrong - Steam Powered Giraffe

20. DEFINITELY Congratulations Smack + Katie - Reggie and the Full Effect. I know I've already put in on the list, but this band is so underrated– I feel like I'm the only person on earth who knows them ! You should definitely give it a try. Their entire album "Under the Tray" is soooo good !!

[borisbubbles]

Eurovision 2024: #27

27. FRANCE Slimane - "Mon amour" 4th place

Decade ranking: 103/153 [Above The Black Mamba, below Marco Mengoni]

Slimane has a very powerrful voice. 🙂

THE RANKING

Okay, FINE. I suppose I can't leave it like that. 🙄 Although I'd much rather would.

So *SLIME*-MANE. There's a lot to unpack and a lot I know most people will disagree with my takes, but oh well. I've ranked Joost low, and Mustii low, so it's only fair the Slimane fans get some scalding hot truth tea splashed in the face from this deluded overthinker. Disliking men is a much more productive way to run away from my problems than simpling them is.

So remember how I spoke about songs designed to Make People Cry? You know I hold emotional extortion in contempt. "Pity" is just a slightly more charitable way of looking down at others, and shouldn't be strived for. These anthems are inherently designed to manipulate the undiscerning into uglycrying while offering very little sustainance. Yep, we're here yet again. Another song that doesn't pass even a tiny bit of scrutiny, except in a language most viewers do not speak.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that "Mon Amour"'s francophoneness is what made many people sleep on the fact that it's not exactly narratively sound. Most people that I've spoken about ESC to that understand French haven't responded well to "Mon Amour" (lol one of my French friends bursting into chat all "SLIMANE REPS US? EW. HIS MUSIC IS SO BORING AND CORNY 😣" hours after Mon Amour's release passed without comment from any of us ♥).

The indifference makes sense when you read the lyrics. It's filled with cliche's that scream "I YEM ZE FR0NCH~", a little bit too much on the nose. If I thought "Évidemment" was bad, this is worse. Lines such as "reviens à Paris" and ''Es-ce-que tu-m'aimes où pas?" are such clichés they feel thoughtless and expected, like someone writing out the monologue on autopilot.

But what sets me off is the overal narrative. Slimane and France have attempted to retcon "Mon amour" as "the story of an artist reaching out to his fans, seeking validation" but that is not what the lyrics read out. Instead, speak of the aftermath of a broken romance, where SHE has had her heart shattered to a degree that she LEFT THE PROTAGONIST'S HOMETOWN FOR AN UNKNOWN DESTINATION AND BROKE OFF ALL CONTACT. Instead of giving her, you know, personal space or time to reflect, or even lick his wounds, he keeps desperately asking her whether she still loves him or not. Dude, I don't know her, and I know the answer is "no". Give it a rest, and move on. Sadly, Slimane didn't move on and spends a full three minutes wailing on about it. "I want her, I need her only her, why doesn't she love me". We know where this ends - with a restraining order and either her or him dead and dismembered inside a dumpster six months later. (Australia's jury of snarky yet emotionally intelligent gays picking up on this and ranking him dead last ♥ bless them ♥)

As you can perhaps tell, the above realizations completely KILL the romantic aspect of the song for me. I cannot, and WILL NOT get into its grief and sadness. All the parties involved should be GLAD it's over.

Instrumentally, the song's just... generic piano ballad, nothing new or innovative here. Dime a dozen, we've heard it before, bla bla bla. "Mon amour" is a nothingburger, an empty vessel for Slimane's vocal chops.

Which brings me to another problem I have with it - I personally don't really care much about technical skill? Eurovision is an audio-visual SONG contest, not a SINGING contest. It is cool that you can nail those masturbatory vocal projections. You're a singer who can sing. "Loud" however is a pitch, not an emotion. It would have been more impressive if you've also discovered the cure of cancer alongside it. (Curing tumors with vocal vibrations. Medical students reading this, get on it so I can be impressed by Slimane.)

Focusing exclusively on that though, is annoying to me. Good Eurovision entrants start with a SONG. "Mon amour" barely classifies as one. End off.

That isn't to say I cannot respect Slimane's vocal for what it was. I mean THIS:

is a feat only a few vocalists can successfully pull off. It is MORE impressive the first time you witness it before the laws of Diminishing Returns kicks in. But it was immensely clever to trial it at Dora and then include it into the song itself - it gives the performance stakes and gravitas, so why not?

However that brought the song's weakness even more to the forefront to me. My logic is the following: if you can pull off such a stunt, then why aren't you the immediate fave to win? Eurovision 2024 was the most open year perhaps of all times, and I'm supposed to believe a voice THIS strong cannot win it by itself? There are enough examples of strong vocals POWERING through merely decent songs (Céline and Corinne Hermès for instance) into a first place. If you can pull that off and still lose doesn't that prove your song is fucking shite?

Going into the contest I was HOPING to get something out of the live besides Big Vocals and also that France wouldn't morph into a direct contender to win (You would HOPE that 2024's varied and exciting line-up was competitive enough as to not crown a vocal projection exercise as its winner), and ultimately, I got both of my wishes because Eurovision 2024 was BORISVISION. I was the meta this year, bitches, and I think fourth place is a perfectly reasonable result for a vocal that strong on a song that nonexistent.

But more importantly, Slimane managed to inject his performance with EMOTIONS and good god I really needed that.

It took a LOT of effort from Slimane for me to recognize that yes, this man is cooking with gas, and his expertise elevates the whole package. "Seductive" is the incorrect emotion for the subject matter but whatever. Ignoring the subject matter is the only way you can enjoy the song, so if that's what one must to do end the night on a high note, so be it. I let it pass, with few regrets.

Like Nutsa, he served enough for me to respect him ~as a performer~ who deserved the result he got. Like "Firefighter", I still have some contempt for the song itself, and there's a strict limit for how Im i'm willing to place it.

Turns out that boundary lies at Marco Mengoni. "Mon amour" always felt like a lazy, soulless answer to "Due vite" for me, and I'm not willing put it ahead, nor to re-examine my stance on DV so quickly after my 2023 ranking. "Due vite" was a song that ultimately wasn't my cup of tea, but it was the superior composition, and deserves a higher mark.

So ultimately, I end with Slimane a bittersweet note. A man with the capability to win the Eurovision Song Contest, yes and who manifested his impending loss with below average penmanship. If the French are looking for someone to blame for not winning once since 1977, they can start with their failure to recognize their 2024 song needed a revamp.

THE RANKING (again)

[likeadevils]

I've seen people say she has a habit of choosing the wrong singles for albums. Aside from Lover, i think she's done pretty well in that area? What are your thoughts?

i dont think she's bad? but i think her single choice did lead people to view her as a worse songwriter than she actually is. especially lead singles were consistently the most frivolous songs on the album from 2012-2019. like for the general public that will only hear the lead and maaaybe second single, unless a later single blows up, it's just. financially lucrative but not gaining widespread artistic respect.

which i think is a big reason why she's blown up once a) she put all her songs on streaming and b) tiktok came on the scene. like, you're adding structures to throw fan favorite songs into the general public's face-- stuff that wouldn't have worked on radio, like enchanted or all too well, or stuff that just never got it's day in the sun like don't blame me or cruel summer. like, folklore and red tv where also massive turning points, but giving the general public actual, physical evidence of how good her deep cuts where across all her albums goes a long way, too.

(specific album thoughts under the cut)

i think debut and fearless have excellent single selection. speak now is a tricky album to pick singles for and i think she did the best that she could but was also just kinda cursed for that album.

red is weirder-- wanegbt is a perfect lead single, but i think it set off a pattern of like, frivolous lead singles that didn't end up in a good place. but on its own, wanegbt is perfect and i wouldn't give it up. i think begin again is a fascinating second single and i'm not sure i would make the same choice but i understand why she did it. in general the country singles off the album are a bit weak, to me, but then i wasn't immersed in country radio in 2012/2013 so i don't know what was popping off in the market. BUT i do think i bet you think about me would make a good touch back song, which is one of many reasons why i think it should have made the album. or hell, even throw in all too well, once you know you're leaving the genre in a couple months. just a big swing with a lot of artistic merit and nothing to lose. also holy ground should've been a single.

1989 is where i think the pattern starts-- at least for the lead single, not the rest of them, it's hard to go wrong with picking a single for 1989. but in terms of what to start with, shake it off is an interesting choice. like, i think shake it off is a necessary part of the story she's telling on 1989, but it doesn't gel with the rest of the production as smoothly, so establishing it as like, "yeah, shake it off, we've all heard it" goes a long way to smoothing over any little mental speed bumps. that being said, it's not the best song on the album, and blank space and style are, i think, the more natural lead single choices-- blank space especially establishes the "i don't care about my reputation" element of shake it off, but from a more cynical place that could be fun to build off of. also it proves that she's serious about the album being 80s pop

reputation is tough one. there's no song on that album can't be clowned on to hell and back, and there's no way the next taylor swift single wouldn't have been clowned to hell and back after 2016. i guess you could make a big swing and go new year's day, which isn't as meme-able, at least, but that's not what taylor was going for and it would have been false advertising. so like, i don't know. maybe don't blame me or i did something bad instead of end game. but i do like the story lwymmd -> ready for it -> end game -> delicate tells, i think it's neat. and even though it kinda ruins that story, you gotta go getaway car for the closer. like i get that negotiations with bmr had likely broken down and she didnt want to make them a bunch more money, but getaway car -> cruel summer is a once in a career album handoff. sonically, story wise, just. it all clicks

every swiftie on earth knows their opinion on the lover singles and i'm not going to change anyone's minds, but i think anyone can admit that this was the album that really set in stone her reputation of bad single selection.

folklore is just a fun thought exercise, like you basically get one single. definitely one music video, and the cardigan music video is general enough that you can kinda click it into another song, so you can go as far as to say you get this music video, find the song for it. cardigan is very understandable and obviously not a Bad Idea, but with the benefit of knowing the fan favorites, august is just, kinda perfect? i think seven would've also really worked. but also its an Album, not a single, and i don't think a song could've ruined that

evermore is similarly fascinating. i think willow is just kinda meandering and hard to grab onto as a song, but it lends itself well to that music video she made and the music video is a good overview of the full album. that being said, i would've gone no body no crime-- i think you can make a really engaging mv of it without having two people in the same room together, which flows with covid regulations pretty well. or tis the damn season, but i admit that personal bias clouding things (but like? it functions as a christmas song, so you could get airplay in december! and it sets up the main storyline of the album!). but similarly to folklore, hard to drive down public opinion of this album with one single.

midnights solidly breaks the curse, to me. like there were songs on this album that would've set it off on the wrong foot, and then anti hero was the perfect song on every level. as for other singles, they shouldn't have done that to ice spice's verse. that was so mean why did they do that just have it be the beat that's on the rest of the song it works so much better

[mikeysbride]

Welcome Back to Trench

When our kids introduced us to the world of the twenty one pilots fandom a couple of years ago, we were initially full of corny parent jokes:

Why are they called twenty one pilots when there are only two of them?

That's way too many pilots.

They're gonna need a bigger cockpit.

Why, for the love of God, don't they capitalize their name!?

That's not to say we don't still say those things sometimes (thank goodness our teens generally find us amusing), but it's also wild to see how big a part of our family dynamic this duo has become over these couple of years...so much so that I've even suggested that when we finally get a dog, he should be named Clancy. [T.O.P. fans will understand.] They are in regular rotation in our home and in our cars. Last year, they were one of my top 5 most listened to artists on Spotify! And last night, at last, we all went to see them perform live on the aptly-named Clancy Tour. It was the first time seeing them for all 5 of us - our family of 4, along with my 16yo's...um, favorite boy, we'll call him. I don't think she's been quite this happy since maybe when we first surprised her with AJR tickets. But as much as she loves AJR (we all do now!), twenty one pilots is HER band as Living Colour is mine, and Genesis is her dad's. Now we are all along for the ride.

And last night, much of Orlando was also along for that ride, having sold out the Kia Center pretty much immediately when the tickets went on sale months ago. I had a feeling their show would be high energy and that the crowd would be super hyped, and I was not wrong about that. But after being as impressed as I was by AJR (twice!) this year, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. Tyler and Josh did not disappoint, though, and I have to say I am also quite impressed with THEM...not that I didn't think I would be. We've watched enough of their music videos and live performance clips (full concerts, even) on YouTube for me to know this, too, wasn't going to be just an ordinary concert.

To the point, Tyler and Josh have a way of immersing themselves into the crowd (literally) that makes them feel like they are right there with you - because they are - spending quite a bit of time out amongst their fans instead of on the stage. They are seemingly everywhere at once, making it feel like an intimate performance even with thousands of people in the audience. And the fire. There was a lot of fire, which I rather appreciated because, being prone to being cold, I was chilly in the arena, and it was nice to sometimes be able to feel a bit of warmth from the flames, all the way up our cushy club level seats!

We heard so many favorite songs of theirs last night, including my newest favorite from them, the super catchy "Lavish," but I have not stopped playfully pouting yet that they didn't do my O.G. favorite of theirs - the one that really stuck out to me when I first heard them, and that is "Lane Boy." I love that one so much that I have a bit of a reputation for it at this point. With a catalog as extensive as theirs is, they can't be expected to play everything, but man, hearing that one live would've made the night absolutely, undeniably perfect for me. Here's hoping they'll add it back in on a future tour.

Also on the subject of their music, I couldn't help but giggle thinking that Tyler doesn't really even need to know his own lyrics because that arena full of fans was more than happy to sing every line for him. From the first notes of every song, they were READY. If anyone knows the assignment, it's T.O.P. fans. Apparently, my kids aren't the only ones who can recite their songs like the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a thing I know now.

And finally, a huge thank you to Tyler for actually telling those of us in reserved seats to sit and rest for a few songs. Not to be the old lady in the room, but I'm long past the age of wanting to stand for an entire show, in most cases preferring to sit and truly hear the music and watch what is happening on the stage - or in this case (also) in the middle of the crowd somewhere. It was a bit of a reprieve when he said that.

Eh, so maybe I'll let that "Lane Boy" thing slide after all.

[achaotichuman]

*Slides in asks* okay but like Modern!AU but like Lucien as a Hot Motorcycle guy riding down the coast with his hot artist boyfriend Tamlin.

Sorry but I'm a motorcycle lover and imagining Lucien riding A Harley, wearing all those leather and gears is making me 🥴🥴🥴 and the gloves, don't get me started on the gloves 😭😭😭

Ngl I have never written a Modern!Au before, and I know nothing about motorcycles, but first time for everything right? One hot man with motorcycle and hot boyfriend coming right up!

"Do you need a ride home?" Tarquin asked. Tamlin looked up from his music sheets to see the younger man packing up his guitar, preparing to head back to his place.

Tamlin glanced around at the others, Kallias was sitting on the couch up against the wall with Viviane beside him. Both knee-deep in papers and books. Eris and Cresseida were sprawled over an armchair, practically covering each other as they jotted down notes. They were at the recording studio, today they were supposed to be recording some vocals for a song they had been working on for six months now. But it seemed most of Tamlin's friends were taking the opportunity to cram in extra study time. Considering exam seasons were coming up it was now wonder why everyone could only think about their courses.

It still made an irrational part of Tamlin angry. They had started this group to record and eventually put out music, not to study.

Tamlin himself was pursuing a bachelor's degree in environmental science. He desperately wanted to help with the protection of their natural world. It was dying, slowly but surely, dying. He was pursuing this path out a need to do something. To help. To do his part.

Still, he was trying to juggle what he really, truly wanted to make his life. Music called to him at every given opportunity. Never in a million years would he give up his hope to one day help restore at least some of the earth they had lost, but he still hated that his friends were just... seemingly no longer interested.

Even Tarquin who had picked up his things and was preparing to walk out the door, had only played a few chords today before burying himself in notes and studies.

"No, I'm fine, thanks for the offer though. I might take you up on it next week." Tamlin said, returning his eyes to his music sheets.

"You sure? Everyone's staying here for the night, you'll have to catch a taxi if you want to get home." Tarquin pressed.

Tamlin sucked in a breath. Everyone was staying here tonight, because their recording studio, was also technically classified as Eris' basement that he let them use from time to time. Eris mostly came down to listen and watch the show when they were using the studio. Every now and again Tamlin could convince him to play a melody, but those were rare occasions.

Their entire band wasn't here at the moment. Thesan and his soon-to-be husband were buried in their own life. Bron and Hart were on a back-packing trip around Europe. And the second eldest Vanserra brother Silas was on vacation with his girlfriend. So at least most of the time they were busy when they were at the studio.

Still, it felt like they had stopped playing for the most part. Maybe he was being a little dramatic, but he loved playing in this group. The idea of losing it broke him more than he cared to admit.

"Yeah, I've already got a ride, he'll be here in a couple of minutes." Tamlin snatched up his phone and quickly checked the time, already 5, he should start packing up his things as well.

"Who's picking you up?" Kallias asked, not looking up from his notes.

"Lucien." Tamlin said, beginning to pack up his sheets.

"Ooohhh" Cresseida whistled from her seat beside Eris, "Hear that Eris, Lucien's picking him up."

"Yes I heard Cress." Eris hummed, "Believe it or not they have been dating for some time now."

Viviane huffed, "Dating since they met more like it."

"Hey!" Tamlin said, "We were good friends, its just... recently it became more."

"As if," Kallias said, "I remember when I first saw you two at a party together. Lucie practically had his hands all over you, and you glared at anyone who dared to try and get his number."

Eris let out a loud 'hah'. And Tamlin's face couldn't have been hotter.

He couldn't deny the truth in their words though. Tamlin had always felt strangely possessive over Lucien, and Lucien had never held back from touching Tamlin like he owned him. That had just always been their relationship, they stuck so closely together one might think they were joined at the hip.

It was also Lucien who warned Tamlin against dating Rhysand. Tamlin hadn't listened, too charmed by Rhysand's flirtatious personality that he never saw how the man gaslighted and manipulated him. Nearly talking Tamlin out of thinking Rhysand had cheated on him.

Six months, that's how long it took for Tamlin to leave bed without sobbing every time he passed a place that reminded him of the bastard he once called his lover. A year it took for him to look at Lucien, the man who had stuck by him the entire time and finally realize what had been beside him all along.

And how he was teased for not realizing it sooner.

A message popped up on Tamlin's phone. Lucien. It read 'Outside, ready when you are.'

Tamlin quickly grabbed his bag and threw it over his shoulder, "Alright, I'm going now."

"Have fun with Lucie!" Viviane called out, the rest of his group laughed. Tamlin walked outside with Tarquin. The younger man knocked his shoulder against Tamlin as they headed out of Eris' house and out onto the street.

"You have to admit, it took you ten years to realize Lucien was right there, you're lucky he didn't get taken before you could have him.

"Yeah, I know, I don't deserve him." Tamlin hummed.

"No one does, its Lucien for the Gods sakes." Tarquin said, a wistful look appearing in his eyes, "You scored with him."

"Don't even think about him like that Tarquin." Tamlin snarled. Tarquin rolled his eyes, then turned towards his car parked on the curve.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Tam." He said as he unlocked and opened his car door, "You head off with your precious lover."

Tamlin rolled his eyes, but waved as Tarquin started his car and drove off.

What a prick. A what a bunch of pricks his friends were.

Well, they were his pricks so he couldn't really complain.

As Tamlin watched Tarquin drive off down the road. The sounds of another engine filled his ears, he turned to see Lucien heading down the road towards him. On that damned motorcycle.

Lucien stopped abruptly in front of him, sending dust flying in his wake. He swung his leg off the motorcycle as he pulled his helmet off.

Head to toe in leather, gloves covering his hands and red pouring out down his shoulders, Lucien stood before him. Tamlin felt his breath get caught in his throat as he watched Lucien's chest expand with his breathing, forcing that tight jacket to stretch around his ribs, accentuating every muscle he had.

"Hello beautiful." Lucien purred as he walked towards Tamlin and pressed a kiss to his cheek. Tamlin blushed so hard he felt dizzy. He bit his lip and pressed his forehead to Lucien's.

"You brought your motorcycle," Tamlin murmured, remembering one to many times Lucien had done terrifying tricks while Tamlin had watched, scared out of his mind.

"You love it." Lucien accused. Tamlin laughed.

"I like the leather." Tamlin whispered, tracing a circle over Lucien's sternum. Barely able to take his eyes off the gorgeous body before him.

"Everyone does." Lucien said as he pressed his lips to Tamlin's. Tamlin entertained his kiss for a second, before he pulled away with an eyebrow raised.

"Who is everyone?" Tamlin asked.

Lucien laughed and wrapped an arm around Tamlin's waist, holding him close, "Anyone that passes me."

Playfully, Tamlin shoved Lucien's shoulder, "You've got too big an ego for your own good."

"You say that like you don't."

"I deserve to be egotistical." Tamlin said.

"Whatever you say, my love." Lucien said, pulling him in for a proper kiss. Tamlin complied, pressing their bodies right up against each other.

After Tamlin finally remembered they were in fact, in public, he pulled away from Lucien and pulled out his helmet from his bag. Quickly strapping it on, he let Lucien get on the bike first before his slid in behind him.

Tamlin wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's middle. Tamlin wouldn't admit it aloud but being on the motorcycle tended to terrify him at times. Considering he had no clue how it worked, and Lucien often went faster than he should just to 'impress him'.

It was impressive, or it would be if Tamlin wasn't on the bike with him. At least Lucien always slowed down whenever Tamlin asked.

They took off. Speeding down the highway so fast everything in Tamlin's vision became a blur. He held tightly onto Lucien and laughed. Watching the blurry view beside them.

The wind whipped around him. A welcome coolness against the hot sun. They passed cars and sped through the city. Tamlin felt every part the girl on her bad boy boyfriend's bike from the Hollywood movies, and he loved it so much.

They eventually found the coastal road. Lucien slowed as they went through the scenic route. Passing the glorious sea spread out over miles and miles, glittering in what was now the sunset light. Oranges, red and purples danced on the horizon, a beautiful painting that adorned the sky.

Tamlin let out a content hum as he hugged his boyfriend a little tighter.

Eventually they slowed to a stop outside of their favorite restaurant. Tamlin furrowed his brow as Lucien shut off then engine. Taking off his helmet Tamlin asked, "What are we doing?"

"I'm taking you out to dinner of course." Lucien said, taking off his helmet, and pulling off his gloves. Tamlin nearly licked his lips as he watched those bronzed hands slowly be revealed.

Standing up, Tamlin placed his helmet on the bike, then turned to Lucien. He wrapped his arms around Lucien's neck, then stood up on the tips of his toes.

He pressed his lips to Lucien's. The Vanserra paused for amoment, seemingly surprised, but then he gripped Tamlin's waist and pulled him close. His tongue gently prying Tamlin's mouth open and slipping inside. Tamlin moaned and pulled him as close as he was physically allowed.

The sun set over their heads. A brilliant end to the day.

In Lucien's arms. Covered in that skintight leather. Kissing him senseless. Tamlin didn't think he could ever be happier.

I may add more to this at a later date, just because I really like it. Thanks for the prompt! I loved writing this!