#one of the songs I can’t listen to because it reminds me of stuff came on in the classroom.

[mazzywazzy69]

I almost just had a heart attack

[moirasdolly]

hii! Hope your doing well ! Okay so I wanted to make a request that i had in my mind for a little while but..fem reader forbidden love with Arlecchino(sort of) -hear me out🥲

So this could begin with like, the reader being from the orphanage just like Arlecchino back then and like the reader got expelled from it or something realized to the reader being separated from her. And years go on where on a mission (somehow) Arlecchino had too much to drink and had a one night stand with another woman(the reader), Upon the realization and choosing the avoid and forget about the subject, the said subject(reader) stumbles upon the twins and somehow becomes friends with the two meaning the reader eventually gets introduced to Arlecchino and well, it becomes all awkward and stuff since reader could remember sort of glimpses of what had happened and that night.(so sorry, but as I was typing this I had been listening to the song "a little death" by the neighbourhood and got the Idea, but for the rest forgot what else to add so I leave this to you, you don't have to do this if you do not wish to, is just something I had in my mind for a while ♡)

˚ ⋆ﾟ୨୧ Language ୨୧ ˚ ⋆ﾟArlecchino x Fem Reader

Synopsis: Detailed in the request !!

Contains: NSFW (men and minors dni), hurt and comfort, Crucabena mention, one night stand, Arle can’t regulate her emotions…

Listening to ♪ ིྀ: Language - Alexis Munroe

Notes: Hi!! Thank you for requesting such an interesting prompt, I’ll admit i did struggle with this, but it sort of reminded me of the song Language by Alexis Munroe, so I kind of took inspo from that too. I tried to stay along the general lines of your request but I did switch up a few things, I hope you like it!

Tears ran down your cheeks as you were pulled away from Peruere. Your eyes searched her crimson-cross eyes for any form of help, but no matter how many times you had tried to reach for her hand, you were pulled back by the strong Fatui soldiers at your side. “Mother, why?” You struggled against those who were holding you back, by now you were a mess, but you didn’t care. You just needed to know why Mother had wanted to toss you out like nothing. “Because you’re useless to us now. Simple as that.” And with a wave of Crucabena’s hand you were taken away to God knows where.

As you struggled all Peruere could do was watch, paralyzed in fear. Her dear friend was being taken away from her and there was nothing she could do. Your screams of distress rang out in her ears, and it wasn’t until you had been removed from the room could she even register what happened. Silent tears streaked her cheeks as she met Crucabena’s cold gaze. “M-Mother…” Peruere’s voice was so shaky it barely came out as a whisper. “Where are you taking her?” 

It was as if the evil woman had no regard for the child she had just thrown out because when she spoke, she acted like she was talking about taking out the trash. “We shouldn’t keep things that don’t serve us. Don’t you agree.?” Her icy gaze told Peruere that there was no disagreeing with her, so all she could do was nod along. She didn’t feel that way though, she missed her best friend. She would do anything to see her again.

-

You were sat at a quaint little bar in your hometown in the Fontaine when the woman a few seats down threw a comment your way. “You might be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, you’re like a doll.” Your eyebrows raised at the familiar voice, you knew that tone from anywhere. Although you were almost 100% sure it was Peruere, you still turned to get a better look. There were those eyes again. Her crimson eyes stared right back at you and you felt your heart almost stop. You had to be sure it was her… “May I ask your name? You look familiar.” You ask, leaning in subtly after returning your own name to her as well.

There had been something you couldn’t quite pin down flash across her features after you said your name, but before you could notice, it was gone. “Arlecchino.” She says quickly. Huh? You thought to yourself. Maybe she had started going by something else, I mean it had been years since you last saw each other. You wondered if she was still working under Crucabena. It stung a little bit that she didn’t even remember you even though you had been so inseparable as children. She was your first friend, your first love. 

“Well Arlecchino, if you think I’m the prettiest woman you’ve ever seen, why don’t you show me?” Maybe it was the alcohol buzzing through your system, but it gave you an extra boost of confidence you wouldn’t have had otherwise. Arlecchino’s cheeks heat up at your words and you can tell she was equally as buzzed as you. “If you insist.” She said with a grin as she extended her gloved hand to you. You tried to hide a gasp when she stood up, but she was just so different from the last time you saw her. She was taller, more mature, but most of all she had a hidden strength to her that you only noticed when she tugged you out of your seat and snaked an arm around your waist.

Her hand rested at your hip and squeezed it firmly as the two of you made your way to her hotel room. You thanked the Archons that her hotel was just a block away from the bar because every moment that you weren’t being ravaged by her it felt like a year was being taken off of your lifespan. You needed her so badly that it was ridiculous, you were just so happy to see her again even if she didn’t seem to recognize you.

Once you had entered the elevator she smashed a finger down on her floor, the top floor you noticed. It seemed as if both of you were waiting for the elevator doors to shut because as soon as they did, Arlecchino’s hands were all over you. She had already begun to unbutton your crisp white shirt, revealing a skimpy black balconette bra that accentuated your breasts perfectly. Lipstick stains littered your chest as she left wet, messy kisses across every bit of exposed skin. She eventually worked her way up to your neck to suck little purple bruises into your delicate skin, and you had to slap a hand over your mouth to stop yourself from letting out a pathetic whine.

You were interrupted by the tell-tale ding of the elevator doors opening, and you two were so caught up with each other that you hadn’t even noticed at first. Once the other woman was able to rip herself away from you she enveloped your hand in her own and led you to her room. You two stumbled into the room like you were two fawns learning how to walk for the first time, and you had barely made it to her bedroom. 

She laid you on the bed as gently as a drunk woman could before trying to unbutton the rest of your shirt. Her usually deft fingers were failing her tonight because she couldn’t quite get the next button off. Instead of asking you for help, the next logical decision for her was to just rip your shirt open. You gasped as the buttons flew in different directions in her room and you mourned the loss of one of your favorite shirts. Your little pity party was cut short though because Arlecchino had wasted no time unclasping your bra and throwing it to the side. At the sight of your breasts she couldn’t control herself, and she took one of them into her mouth, letting her tongue swirl around your hardening nipple. She didn’t neglect the other one though and instead put her hand to work to knead your breast.

Little moans filled the room and you couldn’t help but think about how heavenly her mouth felt on you. “More please…” Your soft voice called out to her and she obliged. You whined at the loss of her mouth as she flipped you around to be on your stomach. Your face pressed into the soft pillows as she pushed up your little skirt, ripped your poor stockings into shreds, and slid your panties down to your knees. Your cheeks heated up at the compromised position you were in, but Arlecchino almost wished she could take a picture for later. She caressed your soft hips and her fingers sent shivers straight down your arched spine. 

“I won’t tease you, I want you too, darling.” Arlecchino’s deep voice whispered into your ear. She pressed a hand onto your back as her other hand rubbed small circles onto your hip. She lifted her hand slightly before letting it come crashing down onto your ass. Your lips parted into a little “O” shape at the sting of her hand on your skin. You weren’t expecting it, but you didn’t complain when it happened again. You were bracing yourself for another one, but instead you felt a finger running down your dripping slit. You mewled at her feather light touch and tried bucking your hips back to get a little more friction.

You didn’t have to wait much longer though because she had instantly slid a long digit into your aching cunt. Her pace was nice and slow at first, only picking up when she added another finger. “You take me so well, good girl.” She groaned as she pumped her fingers into you. She reached the deepest parts of you that no one else ever could and you felt like you would go insane as she added a third finger. You felt so incredibly full and you had begun moving your hips back to meet the thrusts of her fingers. Her free hand caressed your back gently and it was a direct contrast to how rough her fingers were inside of you.

She caged you in under her and it almost sent you over the edge how she was grunting in your ear as she fucked you open on her fingers. You tilted your head slightly to get a glimpse of her, and when you saw her bangs clinging to her sweaty forehead and the way her face was scrunched up in concentration, you felt heat pool in your stomach. “Don’t stop!” You whined out in desperation. You might have sounded pathetic, but you couldn’t control the noises spilling from your lips as her fingers curled into you, hitting that little bundle of nerves each time.

Pressure was building in your stomach and with a particularly harsh thrust of her fingers you came hard. Your hands gripped the sheets as you squirmed under Arlecchino, but she didn’t slow down for you. It was only the beginning of your night together.

-

The two of you were now fully naked and panting against each other as your actions caught up to you. Arlecchino collapsed onto the plush bed and pulled you close against her, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear as she planted a kiss on your lips. “You’re perfect…” She mumbled, and maybe it was selfish, but you wanted her to remember you so badly.

By now, the alcohol’s effects had long worn off and now that Arlecchino’s head was clear, she had been fully aware that the woman she had slept with was you. Her heart raced an abnormal amount and she was so torn on what to do. She had fucked up when she didn’t try to fight for you, but she was just a kid like you. What could she have done to stop Crucabena’s plans? She wanted to apologize so badly, but she felt like she had no right. You had to know it was her too, right? 

Arlecchino was so caught up in her own head that she hadn’t noticed you calling her name softly. “Sorry, doll. What was that again?” She murmurs gently, holding you closer to her.

“All I said was I’m sleepy.” You mumbled as you yawned. “Sleep then, I’ll be here.” The other woman ran her fingers through your hair, careful not to hurt you. Sleep was already taking over your body as your eyes fluttered shut. “I love you Peruere.” You whispered carelessly just before falling asleep. Arlecchino’s eyes widened and her body stiffened for a moment. Tears pooled in her eyes before she let them fall silently, just like on the night you were taken away from her. 

-

The morning after was a cold awakening to you when you woke up without her on your side. You felt tears well up in your eyes, but soon they turned into full sobs racking through your body. You couldn’t believe she truly didn’t remember you, your hopes that she did were crushed the moment you saw the note left on the bedside table. “Headed off to work. Left money for an Uber home, thanks for the good night. Call me sometime xxxxxxx” What a thoughtless note. You tried to gather what was left of your clothing so you could leave in a somewhat presentable manner. To your dismay you could only button the top of your shirt and your stockings were completely destroyed. You were able to tuck your shirt into your skirt to hide the fact that the bottom half of your buttons were missing, but you still felt like some type of whore as you left her room to return home. 

Your vision was still blurry with tears as you rushed out of the elevator that you didn’t even notice two people about to get in. You collided with the taller of the two and you both fell to the ground with a loud thump. Before you could register what had happened, the man apologized and offered you a hand. You took it wearily before apologies began tumbling out of your mouth profusely. “Don’t sweat it. I’m Lyney, and this is my sister Lynette.” He had introduced himself and his sister. You muttered your name, your tone laced with embarrassment at the state of yourself right now. “Pardon me for being intrusive, but what happened?” Lyney inquired once you had introduced yourself. You couldn’t just say, “Oh nothing, it's just that my first love who I hadn’t seen since we were children fucked me, didn’t recognize me, and left before I even woke up,” so instead you settled for, “It was a rough night.” The two nodded their heads before sharing glances. You oddly didn’t feel judged by them, but you did notice their empathetic gazes on you.

“It’s fine though!” You waved your hands around trying to get your point across without worrying them too much. “How about we take you out to eat, you look like you could use a couple of friends right now.” Lyney shot you a warm smile, and you couldn’t say no to a face like that. “Alright then… Thank you seriously.”

Your little trio was beginning to form very quickly, and you noticed that the atmosphere between the three of you had gotten very friendly and familiar in no time. Even Lynette’s usual quiet demeanor was left behind as she got to know you. Everyone was stuffed from the food and after a moment of just enjoying each other's presence, you thought it would be appropriate to pay. The waitress had dropped off everyone’s checks not too long ago, so you began reaching into your purse to retrieve your credit card. Before you could though, Lyney placed a gentle hand over yours and shook his head with a good natured laugh. “Don’t worry about it! It’s on us.” Confusion washed over your face as your eyes flickered to Lynette and she nodded her head.

“I couldn’t possibly let you guys pay for me! We only just met after all…” You protested, but they weren’t having any of it. As the waitress came back around Lyney gestured for her to lean down and once she did, he whispered something into her ear. She nodded curtly before waving us off with a, “Have a nice day!” and a polite smile. It seemed like the day just kept getting more weird by the second. “What was that about?” You questioned, and the two siblings shared a look– like they were exchanging words without actually speaking.

Lyney was the first to break the silence, “You see, we work for a large orphanage, so we have a tab at the restaurant.” You furrowed your brows, but accepted the explanation anyway. You had your suspicions on what orphanage it was, but you kept that to yourself. “I see… Well in any case I’d like to repay both of you sometime for the meal. If you want, can we all exchange numbers?” You suggest. Regardless of who they worked for, you wanted to become better friends with the siblings. They obliged happily and with that you bid each other goodbye until next time.

-

The three of you had grown close and their younger sibling Freminet had even begun making appearances. Since you were older than them, you did feel like a bit of an older sister, but it seemed as if they didn’t mind the dynamic at all, you found it cute, and you really enjoyed their presence. After your initial meeting, they had started coloring your world little by little, bringing you joy just at the thought of seeing them.

One night you had all agreed to go out for dinner again and to meet up at the hotel they stayed in before heading off. You were adorned in a mid length silk dress that draped off of your curves effortlessly and black heels that made a delicate clicking noise every time you took a step. It was odd dressing up so fancy, but the siblings insisted that their father was joining them, so they would be taking me somewhere more high end. You were honestly nervous to meet their father, he must have been someone of high status based on how the siblings praised him.

You arrived outside of the hotel and you observed the scenery around you as you waited for them to greet you. You heard the distant chatter of their voices as they made your way to you, and when you looked up you froze. Trailing behind them was the woman you had longed for your whole life, the woman who left you without a word the day after you hooked up. Her eyes widened momentarily, before leveling her expression. Lyney’s bright voice piped up and he introduced her as their Father and you were infinitely more confused. If she was the Father of the orphanage then the only way that could have happened was if Crucabena had been killed.

You looked to her wishing she’d explain, but all she offered was a curt bow of her head as she introduced herself as Father of the House of Hearth. It was clear to you she recognized you now and had only been acting as if she didn’t before. You were sure your face was giving your confusion away so you tried to reel yourself in before you made things anymore awkward tonight. 

You stayed in step with Lyney as he guided the party to the restaurant of choice, and you tried to keep up with the conversation, but your mind drifted to Arlecchino more often than not. You felt her piercing gaze on the back of your head, and no matter how much you tried to ignore her, you just couldn’t shake her off. 

Finally arriving at the restaurant, you were ushered in by a kind hostess and you were led to a solitary room with a large table in the middle of it. “Welcome in Lady Arlecchino and her guests.” The hostess showed everyone to their seats and brought out menus before leaving everyone to decide their orders in peace. Conversation was beginning to flow a little better now that you had adjusted to her presence. Although you wish she’d stop staring you down from across the table, averting her gaze every time you looked back.

“So, Arlecchino, you’re their Father? Why not mother?” You prodded and the other woman stiffened up at the question. You knew you had hit a nerve, but you had every right to considering what your “mother” had done to you. The siblings must have noticed the tense atmosphere shift because they were sharing glances with each other at the mention of Arlecchino’s title. They didn’t jump in just yet though because Arlecchino answered swiftly. “I have an ill association with the old mother of the orphanage, I’m sure you’ve heard tales. After all, Crucabena was known even outside of the orphanage.” A frown painted your features at the subtle jab being made. You glared at her across the table with a new found hurt building in your chest, and you excused yourself abruptly.

You made your way to the restroom and the dam broke. Sobs racked your body as every emotion you had been harboring since the night started just became so overwhelming. The door creaked slightly signaling someone would be entering shortly and you tried to pull yourself together, but it had been too late. The same woman who had caused your tears made herself known as she cleared her throat. You could tell she felt regretful for letting that slick comment even leave her mouth. Your expulsion from the orphanage was traumatic for her, but even more so for you, and she knew that. She knew, but still made a jab at you because she couldn’t regulate her feelings.

“I…” She started and you cut her off before she could get any further. “You what?” You snapped. “You came in here to fuck with me some more?  Make me feel special and like you remember me, only to rip my heart out again and act like I’m nobody to you?” Your words stung her, but she had no right to feel hurt after what she had done. “No. No, never that. I want to apologize for how I handled this situation.” You could feel the sincerity in her voice, so you decided to hear her out.

“The day Crucabena had you dragged out,  I never had a night of peaceful sleep again. I was tired of how she treated us children and my every night was spent plotting her death.” A gasp left your lips and your eyes widened at her confession. You didn’t say anything quite yet though, urging Arlecchino to continue. “On the night of my 17th birthday I finally went through with my plan and killed her. I killed her for you, in the hopes that one day I would be able to find you again, but when I did meet you I was incredibly intoxicated.” She pinched the bridge of her nose with her lithe, gloved fingers for a moment before meeting your eyes again. “I’m ashamed at how I acted, I recognized you almost immediately and just got carried away. I missed you terribly.” By now your tears had almost dried completely, but you were feeling so many things it was ridiculous.

“I just don’t get it. Why take me back to your place, fuck me, and then just leave without explanation. Do you know how used I felt?” You sniffled slightly. “I felt like you recognized me, to then only get my hopes shattered all because you felt ashamed of yourself? Is that it?” You were beginning to get worked up again and before you could say something you really regretted, Arlecchino spoke up again. “I don’t get it either, and I’m sorry. I should apologize for as long as I live for hurting you. I want you to be back in my life, just as you should have been this whole time.” She murmurs before pulling you in for a tight hug. Initially you fought against her, tears streaming down your cheeks again, but eventually you gave in. You just stayed in her embrace for what felt like an eternity, your face pressed against her chest. Your sobs soon subsided into little hiccups and sniffles as she rubbed soothing circles over your back to calm you down.

“I missed you so much, Peruere.” You whisper into her chest. “I missed you too, my sweetheart. I never stopped thinking about you for even one day. Thank you for coming back into my life again.” Her words were sprinkled in between feather light kisses to the top of your head. You nodded gently, it was going to take a while to get used to this again, and you would struggle with understanding why she went about the situation like this, but you couldn’t bear to be apart from her again. “You’re going to have to work to get me back, you know?” You joked with her, maybe it was only partially a joke though. You wanted to be pampered and doted on by her for all the years you missed out on it, and she would happily oblige. She would do anything to see that beautiful smile of yours for the rest of her life. “You know I’d do anything.” Arlecchino mumbles into you. “Now we should probably get back out there, the kids must be wondering what's taking so long.” You giggle softly before wiping the mascara streaks off of your cheeks. “Should we explain to them? Or…” You trail off unsure of how to move forward. You get a hum in confirmation from Arlecchino, and you nod. They would have to find out your history one way or another, so why not tonight? You still looked a bit rough, but they would understand. “After you.” Arlecchino had gestured to the door before opening it or you first. You took a shaky breath before she had grabbed your hand and squeezed it for reassurance that everything would be okay.

You might have been hurt for a long time, and it might take time to recover, but as long as you had your beloved Peruere beside you, things would be alright.

[dumb-ghost-child]

Humans are weird: Music

Ok so y’all seemed to like the one about intrusive thoughts, so I figured I’d do one about music too because it’s a super interesting topic to me!

The “Guide to Handling Humans” was ever-increasing, but one particular article seemed to confuse many. Spacefaring civilizations had dealt with adrenaline, extroverts, introverts, those who had a compulsive need to pat everything they saw and those who wrote stories of worlds that never existed (called “fantasy”). But one thing they never thought of was music.

Sure, other species had music. But none had focused so much of their civilization around it.

Clara was chatting with Indigo one day, and the topic of celebrations came up. The woman smiled, a gesture Indigo had learned meant that she was either about to do something utterly wild or share an entirely insane story, and started- “Oh! That reminds me, a few years ago I went to this one music festival, right? And there I saw the most amazing bands! I mean, I did lose my voice for a week after but it was totally worth it.”

Indigo was shocked; “Human-Clara what do you mean you ‘lost your voice’? How does one do that?”

“Well basically when someone yells- or does some other stuff- too much for too long, your voice can get messed up. Sometimes you can’t speak, sometimes it’s just super quiet, but it goes away after a bit,” she grinned as she spoke as if this horrifying experience was a positive one. “Have you got music on your home planet?”

Xe thought for a few moments before responding, “Well, yes… but it does not result in losing one’s ability to speak!”

Clara laughed, another positive expression that Indigo had learned about, “Eh, that’s just sometimes. And it just happened because I was singing along really loudly.”

The more Clara explained, the more confused Indigo was. Humans gathered together in crowds that could rival the sizes of some armies in order to celebrate the music of one individual? And sometimes they would be too loud that they would lose their speech? It was shocking to xem.

“Plus,” Clara continued, “some people use music to help them focus or deal with sensory overload. I know a few people on other ships that do it- if you ever go to the Sarina-XI crew, you’ll see a few other humans walking around listening to music, it helps them keep their focus.”

“So.. who creates this music?” Indigo was now more curious than ever, xir quills raising somewhat in curiosity.

“Oh, loads of people! It really depends on what genre it is. But some of the most popular are musicians like Taylor Swift.. her fans are a little scary,” Clara laughed again, “you diss her in front of them and they’ll actually tear you apart.” Indigo’s quills raised more, changing to a color of concern, so Clara clarified- “No, they won’t actually hurt you. They’re just really dedicated.”

To Indigo, this culture was.. odd. Humanity confused xem once again with their obsession with music. Treating ‘idols’ like practically gods, worshipping them and their songs.

The Qu’ral were a people who enjoyed music. The humans were a people who worshipped it.

[moonteaa]

your dad teba stuff has me frothing at the mouth like a squirrel that needs to be put down. You got any head cannons to share?

AGH!! Thank you!! Hehe 🤍🏹

AND OH BOY DO I EVER!! Let’s see..

1. Teba literally sees every single member as his own, but definitely imprinted immediately when it came to Zelda and Riju. Teba now has 2 teenage daughters and he loves them. They banter and tease each other and Teba sometimes has to deal with typical teenage girl angst and it’s both hilarious and endearing 😭

2. If someone made Zelda cry, well Teba is gonna take that PERSONALLY. You’ll be dead where you stand if a single tear falls from Zelda’s eyes.

3. Teba is FULL of puns and terrible dad jokes. And he’s very nonchalant about it too 😭 the others will absolutely eat it up LMFAO but Zelda will literally look at him like “WHY” (he loves to annoy her like that.)

4. Teba has this paternal instinct to wrap his wings or place his wings over the others when there’s danger. It does not matter if they can handle themselves, he’ll just shield them instinctively.

5. That goes for weathers too, if it’s raining or the sun is too hot, he’ll place his wing over any of the others as means to shield them.

6. If Kass is performing a song and each member is joining in on a dance, Zelda will constantly want him to join in. Though he refuses at first, Sidon will push him towards the others and practically force him to join with a wide smile on his face, much to Teba’s dismay HAHA but he’ll have fun and if it makes Zelda happy then he’ll accept.

7. When they’re all done traveling and camping out, Teba will either (not sleep at all) or wake up in the middle of the night to do a run down and check on everyone as they sleep just to make sure they’re doing okay and not in danger or having any nightmares.

8. If one of them has nightmares, Teba is immediately there for them and stays up with them until they fall back asleep.

9. He’s protective. Like FEROCIOUSLY PROTECTIVE. You touch a single hair on their head? You’re dead.

10. If someone even dares to try to be mean to Zelda, or blame her for the events of the calamity or Hylia forbid, CALL HER A FAILURE? Oooof..you will be taken care of before those words can even leave your MOUTH.

11. Teba nicknames Zelda Sparrow/Linnet. The first time he did, it made Zelda cry because it reminded her of Urbosa and her mom (little bird) ☹️ Teba didn’t even realize he had nicknamed her something so close to Zelda’s moms. He felt so bad about it and thought he had done something bad by calling her that, but Zelda reassures him that it just means a lot to her. 🥹😭 🤍

12. The reason Teba calls Zelda sparrow is because she small and it literally translates to “little bird” and as to why he calls her linnet, is because Zelda has a pretty singing voice like a linnet bird. (I headcanon that Zelda has a hidden talent for singing 🤍)

13. If Riju asks Teba to look after one of her sand seal plushies, yeah he’s guarding that plush with his LIFE.

14. Teba taught Zelda archery

15. Teba and Zelda often go on little trips together and when Zelda begins to happily chat and geek out about ancient history and sheikah tech or what not, Teba happily listens and indulges with her. He even actually enjoys learning about it and discovering things with her.

16. If Teba finds some ancient looking artifact he’ll immediately tell Zelda or give it to her because he knows how much she loves to study it.

17. He constantly makes sure they’re all appropriately dressed for the colder weathers

18. Can and WILL intervene on a creep that’s trying to hit on Zelda or Riju. He will go feral and probably shoot any creeps with a bundle of bomb arrows. LOL

19. Absolutely helps Link try to get with Zelda (but he still also feels a little protective? Like?? Duh, it’s link. Ofc they’re gonna be together but he’s a dad, he can’t help feeling a little protective of Zelda at times even if it’s Link HAHA)

20. Each of them have all accidentally called him dad and he just accepts it at this point.

21. Teba wants to throw hands (wings?) with King Rhoam.

23. despite how close they are, in the beginning Zelda actually had a hard time trying to get comfortable with Teba for a short time. Because her experience with her dad wasn’t BEST, it was absolutely bewildering to see Teba be such a supportive and good father figure to everyone, she’s not used to that. She would watch them all interacting and analyze it, trying to understand but couldn’t. Teba however, was always very good to her and they quickly got really close and bonded.

24. Teba shows parental affection by placing his forehead against the others

25. Tulin now has 5 older siblings 🤍

(I HAVE SO MANY MORE ID BE HAPPY TO SHARE MORE IF THATS WHAT YOU ALL WOULD LIKE LOL)

[ermesskiss]

what music I think jjk adults would listen to

✧ ft: satoru, suguru, nanami, shoko, choso, higuruma, toji, sukuna, and kenjaku ✧ a/n: been thinking about this for a minute, and I decided to write out my opinions/hcs

jjk student version here + jjk character playlist works here

· �� ───────────── 𖥸 ────────────── · ·

✦ gojo

➥ Gojo is a very laid-back and fun guy, so I think he would listen to music that has that same energy

➥ He kinda reminds me of those moms who listen to the overplayed songs on the radio and always sing them, I don’t know to explain it, but that's him

➥ I think that he gets his song recs from his students in a attempt to bond with them

songs

♪ Heaven To Me: Tyler, The Creator ♪ Chanel: Frank Ocean ♪ Died and Came Back: Lil Uzi Vert ♪ Pop Style: Drake ♪ Wake Up in the Sky: Gucci Mane ft. Bruno Mars

───────────────────────────────

✦ geto

➥ I think Geto listens to a little bit of everything, alternative, rock, rap, R&B,  and hip-hop. I can’t really picture him strictly listening to rock and alt. It doesn’t feel right

➥ As Geto got older, I think his music taste changed. He still likes everything, but he leaned towards one genre rather than several

➥ When Mimi and Nana show Geto their favorite music, he adds the one he likes to his own playlist, and vice versa

songs

♪ Sextape: Deftones ♪ Passion Fruit: Drake ♪ Rental: Brockhampton ♪ 3005: Childish Gambino ♪ Even Flow: Pearl Jam

───────────────────────────────

✦ shoko

➥ I think the music that she listens to is very mellow and relaxing but might have some sad undertone to it from time to time

➥ She gives me older music vibes from the 70s to the 90s. Like Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, and Sade. I can’t see her listening to newer music

➥ I think she listens to more female artists than men; it’s not intentional. She does enjoy songs from men, but it’s a pattern. I also think that Shoko is a big fan of The Cranberries; I am a soul believer in this

songs

♪ Sunday: The Cranberries ♪ Bette Davis Eyes: Kim Carnes ♪ Fade Into You: Mazzy Star ♪ Landslide: Fleetwood Mac ♪ So Far Away: Carole King

───────────────────────────────

✦ nanami

��� Student Nanami was emo, so he definitely listened to My Chemical Romance

➥ He started listening to more rock when he grew out of his emo phase. He prefers light rock rather than heavy

➥ When he gets sick of music, he puts on a podcast about business/the economy, or world events OR OR audiobooks

songs

♪ Helena: My Chemical Romance ♪ I Miss You: blink-182 ♪ Dust in the Wind: Kansas ♪ Dancing In the Dark: Bruce Springsteen ♪ Rocket Man: Elton John

───────────────────────────────

✦ choso

➥ He’s giving off rock and metal vibes, also like sub-genres of those

➥ His go-to music is rock, but I definitely think he listens to other music, something like R&B and hip-hop

➥ Like the great sibling, he is, he always gives Yuji the aux and listens to his song recs

songs

♪ Granite: Sleep Token ♪ Generation Dead: Five Finger Death Punch ♪ Enter Sandman: Metallica ♪ Chop Suey!: System Of A Down ♪ War Inside My Head: Suicidal Tendencies

───────────────────────────────

✦ higuruma

➥ Similar to Shoko, I think he also listens to older music rather than newer stuff, but it’s not because he doesn’t enjoy new music; he is just too busy and stressed to figure out what artist he likes and just stays to what he knows

➥ He’s a big Radiohead fan, and maybe The Smiths, too? Music that's kind of sad and angst, yk?

➥ Genre-wise, I think he would like a little of everything if he could sit down and enjoy music.

songs

♪ Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now: The Smiths ♪ Karama Police: Radiohead ♪ Wild Sex (In The Working Class): Oingo Boingo ♪ Eyes Without A Face: Billy Idol ♪ What’s Up?: 4 Non Blondes

───────────────────────────────

✦ toji

➥ Definitely listens to divorce dad music

➥ Drinks a nice cold beer while listening to Nickelback

➥ I think because Toji doesn't think highly of himself, I can see him listening to self-loathing music and music that relates to anger or internal turmoil

songs

♪ How You Remind Me: Nickelback ♪ Pancake Land: Element Eighty ♪ The Man Who Sold the World: Nirvana ♪ It’s Been Awhile: Stained ♪ Crawling: Linkin Park

───────────────────────────────

✦ sukuna

➥ So, at first, I was sure he would listen to heavy metal and rock because he has such an aggressive personality, but after I gave it some more thought canon, Sukuna would hate it. Music or noise that loud and obnoxious would annoy him.

➥ Acknowledging the fact that he was born in the Heian era and during that time, they listened to Gagaku (court music), which is either instrumental or vocal. It’s calming and relaxing in contrast to his persona

➥ Or he hates music altogether, idk; he's a grumpy old man. Everything pisses him off

songs

♪ Menace: Five Finger Death Punch ♪ Monster: Skillet ♪ Bullet With Butterfly Wings: The Smashing Pumpkins ♪ Push: Matchbox Twenty ♪ Geisha: Anthony Davilio

───────────────────────────────

✦ kenjaku

➥ Since he's over a thousand years old, imma say he has a very diverse taste of music and probably listens to a little bit of everything. If I were to choose what genre he likes most, I would say rock, both light and heavy

➥ Kenjaku enjoys listening to Marilyn Mason and Oingo Bingo. Marilyn Mason because he’s Marilyn Mason (derogatory) and Oingo Bingo because of their surrealist music, which I think Kenjaku would find them entertaining

➥ Listens to music that feeds into his delusions, motivating him to continue with his vision of the world he wants

songs

♪ Weird science: Oingo Boingo ♪ Aerials: System Of A Down ♪ Break My Stride: Matthew Wilder ♪ The Beautiful People: Marilyn Mason ♪ Everybody Wants To Rule The World: Tears For Fears

───────────────────────────────

✧ I currently have over 1.9k liked songs, so hopefully, there is enough diversity in songs and artists. i was going to do yuki, but it was stressing me out. Maybe in the future, I'll add hers. There is definitely more I wanted to add but my mind can only contain so many thoughts, unfortunately. ✧ Anyway, I want to hear other people's opinions and/or if people agree or disagree!!

[crazylittlejester]

If Wars did have noise cancelling headphones, would he have music playing on them or just use them for the noise cancelling? If he did have music, what would he be listening to? I like having music on, and I find that I listen to Zelda soundtracks more often than not.

(My favorite one has to be the Lorule Castle Theme.)

Now that I think about it, what type of music would the others listen to? Just on a daily basis or for special occasions

hmmm… I think for him it would depend on the day. I think music could overwhelm him sometimes so he’d just use the headphones to muffle the noise, but other times he’d listen to music

I actually think a lot about what their music tastes would be alskdkkd and most of the playlists I have for them include the type of music I personally think they’d listen to

Time: 70s/80s rock and shit. I’m talkin’ Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Metallica, Bon Jovi, AC/DC, etc.

Warriors: that 2000s-early 2010s pop era. He’d fuck so heavily with Brittney Spears’s music, but I can also see him liking other things like Arctic Monkeys. I just think that 2000s-early 2010s music era he’d enjoy. Plus Queen, Chappell Roan, and David Bowie

Twilight: Do I even have to say it… But also I can see him enjoying 50s music. He just has that vibe to him. and Laufey

Sky: He’s either the motherfucker that listens to exclusively instrumentals or Mitski, or some lethal combination of both. You listen to one of his playlists and it’ll punch you so hard in the feels you WILL cry. God he’d also love Hozier-

Hyrule: He listens to musicians you have never heard of before in your life, but it’s always alternative sounding mysterious and whimsical music. His music taste makes you feel like a little guy going on an adventure. He’s also the one who would have 15 songs on a playlist that are NOT in a language he speaks but not realize he can’t understand what they’re saying until someone listens to said song with him and goes “What language is this??” I also think he’d like TV Girl and The Oh Hellos

Legend: Fall Out Boy, Will Wood (and all the groups Will Wood has worked with), had a P!ATD phase and denies it to this day, MCR, stuff he can scream to in the car. But ALSO: Mitski. And this JUST came to me in a vision but Michael Jackson and ABBA. He definitely has the broadest music taste out of all of em

Wild: He just puts on the fucking radio. He doesn’t like groups/artists specifically, he collects little songs that he likes, or that get stuck in his head

Four: Alternative but like… softer (?) music? The kind of music that’s like calming and soothing but also very layered in the sense that a lot of ‘waves’ of instruments like swoop in. An example would be like, Runaway by Aurora. Stuff like that

Wind: Whatever genre Puppy Princess by Hot Freaks, Everyone Talks by Neon Trees, and Hot To Go by Chappell Roan is, because he’d fuck so heavily with up beat shit like that. Or just songs that have a lot of energy and remind you of driving in the summer heat with the windows down surrounded by friends, that kinda shit

if anyone else has headcanons about what their music tastes would be id absolutely love to hear it alskdmkd

[gamerbearmira]

Mermaid AU, except that the entire Madrigal family used to be humans that got turned into mermaids due to some kind of family curse

VERY COOL I LOVE IT...maybe a lil too much. Went crazy with the drawings and ideas BUT YEAHHHHHHH. Uh before I start ranting. I seriously recommend listening to Hole Dwelling by Kikuo (the english version or just look up the english lyrics) because that song reminds me a lot of this au. Like. A lot. I WANNA GO TO THE KIKUO CONCERT IN MY CITY SO BAAAADDDD

Anyway, most of, if not all the mer aus on this blog are sorta just viewed as a plus to the magic but this would be pretty much the first (that I can think of) where it's an actual curse.

Anywayyyy uh, the candle magic came from Pedro's side, so maybe the family curse came from Alma's side?? Maybe the magic and the curse sorta clashed in a way.

Anyway that leads into my other idea, maybe after the first ceremonies the clash got too much and. Boom catastrophic stuff, idk. Maybe a sinkhole formed beneath Casita and after a few months, it finally collapses into the hole. And a storm fills it with water. Whether it's caused by Pepa or not, I'm not sure, but maybe not? Because I sorta like the idea of there being a perpetual cloud above it, and anytime the smallest amount of water is taken out, whether manually or by natural causes, I think it immediately rains to fill it back up.

If it happens early on, I think it's considered a myth by a lot, except for those old enough to remember Alma and the triplets at the time, and it's told to children mostly to scare them into staying away from the sinkhole and getting them to stay safe around water.

They like to tell the kids that if you look into the sinkhole (which seems infinite and VERY dark), you can see one of them. But you can never see their faces for some reason. Idk

UHHHHH. I like the idea of them not being entirely normal merfolk. Like the girls are all jellyfish merfolk, and the guys manta rays. That ides came later tho, that's why lil Antonio sort looks like a baby jellyfish (or Ponyo in a way), and then in the last one I was debating between the two. Leaning towards manta ray.

Reason why they have clothes is because some people genuinely believe that the Madrigals are down there and feel bad, so they sorta just. Throw clothes down there. And other miscellaneous. Sometimes something else will pop back up, almost as a thank you.

Uhh Antonio is very curious about the surface, but he's not allowed up there. Doesn't necessarily stop him. He usually harasses Camilo or Mirabel to go up there with him, usually only for a few minutes. I also had an idea where part of there curse is they can’t leave the water, even breaking the surface. Or at least, they can’t stay above surface for long. They can get pretty close though. Might scrap it idk

Mostly Antonio tbh 😭

I like this idea way too much tbh

[filmbyjy]

TWITTER SUCKS! > twenty-four! is that ENHYPEN?

synopsis > who knew you could become famous overnight for paying $8 for a single blue checkmark? however, it does come with consequences…what happens when the actual BELIFT Lab comes knocking at your door. all because you simply impersonated your bias.

masterlist | previous | next

a/n: this is a small filler written chapter but it’s as important for the story bc this has y/n’s background story and stuff so yeah👍🏻

ENHYPEN were like saviours of your life you’d say. you found them at the lowest point of your life. you started college when ENHYPEN first debuted. you also so happen to have broken up with your ex-boyfriend, who was also your childhood sweetheart.

— placing this so the read more doesn’t mess up —

you caught him cheating on you after dating for a total of 4 years. you thought he would be the one. clearly that was a joke. who knew he was capable of cheating on you? to explain, your ex-boyfriend was a typical nerdy guy with glasses. you gave him a chance because you knew guys like this wouldn’t hurt you. clearly, you thought wrong.

subin was the first to know about this since you didn’t get to know Mae when you were still a freshman. she had comforted you a lot, seen you at your worst as you cried on her shoulder. complained about how you shouldn’t have given the nerd a chance. to which subin just said that ‘not all nerds are like this, rather the idiot you dated got too cocky thinking he could get with anyone he wanted.’

subin knew you needed a distraction so she decided to introduce you to ENHYPEN. she watched I-LAND so she knew them before. she thought that maybe they were the best group you could be introduced to.

“here, these are the k-pop boys I listen to. this is jay, jake, sunghoon. oh and that’s-”

“who is that?” your eyes caught with a particular doe eyes. it reminded you a lot of your ex but he was way prettier and definitely way more hotter.

“that’s heeseung. oh! unnie, he is the same age as you.”

“heeseung…”

“wanna listen to their debut album? oh right and did you know they are vampires?”

you were thankful for subin for introducing ENHYPEN. their songs helped you get over your ex. their content always made you smile and laugh and you eventually started to call yourself an ENGENE because you wanted to support them.

one day, you bumped into Mae. she was intimidating at first but when her earpiece accidentally unplugged and you heard a familiar song play, you uttered…

“is that ENHYPEN?”

the rest was history between you and mae.

to bring it back to current situation with heeseung…

you knew dating an idol wasn’t the best ideal situation. moreover, it’s an idol you admire. you thought you were insane to think you’ve fallen for him because what if you were delusional. what if heeseung just flirted with you the way he did with other fans. it was probably just fan service.

when mae said you were in love with heeseung, your whole world came crashing down. no, there was no way you were in love with him. you had to back off, you can’t fall for him. not when you were a broken record. you can’t let heeseung’s reputation get tainted by some girl who got cheated on.

his fans would’ve loved for him to date someone pure, beautiful and amazing. you weren’t any of those. you were bawling your eyes out. hands shaking to pick up your ringing phone.

your voice quivered, “mae, can you come over?”

mae came over in a heartbeat, she sent subin a text too letting her know. she comforted you as subin makes her way over. subin bursts through your dorm door, a worried look all over her face.

“hey, what’s wrong?” she says.

“(name) hasn’t told me anything yet.” mae says as she rubs your shoulder. you were in tears, weeping next to her.

“did ‘he who shall not be named’ text you?” subin asks.

you shook your head.

“(name), you need to tell us. I know it hurts to say it out loud but I promise we can help more if you tell us.” mae softly says.

“I-”

they nod and egged you further so you could finish your sentence.

“I think I love heeseung.”

both subin and mae stared at each other. they knew they had to do something. something to get you to realise maybe it isn’t so bad to date an idol. they needed help.

and maybe mae knew just the right people for it.

series taglist[open]: @lovers-szn @shiguresohmas @moonshoon @byunappetit @strvlveera @rikisly @4lythe @lalalalawon @beansworldsstuff @enhastolemyheart @jaehaki @shinsou-rii @jeanbob @sxftiell @renchai @nyfwyeonjun @invusblog @lhees01 @donghyckl @enhafika @dimplewonie @foxsunoo @luv2lia @lvrjjun @curly-fr13s @bubblytaetae @raikea10 @ce1ight @luvlee1313 @hafsa-hoofsa-heefs @soobisrealgfnotfake @justkatehere @l0tisflower @jseobsky @haerinism @liliansun @kyanmeai @nobodyshallenter @faeryhee @pkjay @mlink64 @luxurystark-jackson @aleombre @yenqa @heestrawberries @soaen @ckline35 @http-gyu @climbingmandevillas @stopeatread @y4wnjunz @aetherlol @whippedforbeomgyu @elisabeth-02

(to be added please send an ask or click here)

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Kim Taehyung Perspective Reading

Okay, now to a requested reading of Kim Taehyung. I am not sure what he will give me. I sense he is a bit more stable and level-headed from what I got from Jimin. The song that came to me was Feeling Good. I am not sure who the original singer of this classic song was, but this gives me he is an old soul. I know he tends to listen to older music and likes vintage stuff. It gives me he may feel like he isn’t from this time, or feels out of place, like he should have lived during a different period. Not sure why this all came up, but let’s get into the cards.

This one may be rough from the cards that popped up. So, we start with forgetting oneself, along with the addicted card, so there could be addictive patterns he may have. He may use things for escapism. He kind of loses himself. I am not sure he can freely be himself. He may feel a bit trapped, which is why he may lose himself to the machine. With the triumph of lies. I just get lies win over. He can’t truly reveal himself. There could be lies that surround him as well. It is like everything around him could be a lie, the environment, the people. He may fall into lying, because that is what he knows. There could be somebody after him, felt like I got this before in his reading, or he is seeking revenge for lies told about him, or lies someone made about him. There is a sense he might feel betrayed and lied to. He is not ashamed of what he knows or done. There is a sense of pride he does have. A need to win, a strong confidence he does have. It does feel like he indulges in things, not sure what that is, but there seems to be no shame in it. I get a sense there is some entitlement he does have, a sense he can get what he wants. I am getting a sense of dissociation as well with him, but not as intense as Jimin.

This may be a time for him to ground himself. To be out in nature and stabilize himself. He should learn to take practical steps forward. There is a sense that he needs to nourish himself. To take care of his body and the physical environment he is in. I am getting that he may not make the best choices with people and what he does, because he isn’t fully present at times. There could be a sense he is controlled, or he is controlling to others or his environment. There is a need for control in a sense. This one card is calling him to let go and let things be, to not control the narrative too much, or maybe what is said about him. He’s got to work on taking the right steps to get his desired outcome. So, this one card reminds me of the 5 of swords, due to the number reducing to 5 and the 6 of swords, because the tub on the card reminds me of the boat in the 6 of swords, so there could be some sort of disagreement with someone, bad news about him. He might need to take legal action about it. I think I hear about something like this with him, but I could be making this up. I keep getting cards of him aligning with people who do not have the best intentions for him, or who are just not good people. He could make bad business decisions because of this. I feel he may put himself in bad situations. 

There seems like there could be a situation that happens for him that could create a bit of chaos and a mess for him. I am also getting he shouldn’t step into sh**. This situation will help him build strength and character. I am also getting he needs to let go and let things fall as they may, because it will show he has the strength to move past it. He has spiritual guidance and support that can help him if he is willing to listen and he should follow his intuition more. I feel he gets a sense that maybe he shouldn’t align with certain people, but because of obligation or loyalty he sticks with them. This puts him in a moral gray area. All of this can help him restore balance in his life. He also needs a bit of balance, he may go into extremes a bit too much. I am not sure what these extremes are, but to find peace in his life, he needs to restore balance. He could be struggling with his health at the moment. He could be a bit of sorts, a bit stressed about things. It is like being in bed with the wrong people could lead him astray or in trouble. It is hard for him to think clearly to figure things out. He has to work on clearing his mind. 

It seems there is a lot for him to offer to others that others seem to gravitate towards him, but he doesn’t always seem to attract the best people. I will say he stays true to his partnerships and has a difficult time letting them go or hanging them dry. He can be way too giving. He can also easily be propositioned to do things or make business deals with people. I am just getting he benefits them, but what do they do for him. I am not sure why he is so loyal to these people to be honest. It is like he loses his authenticity and himself with these people. He should follow his gut instinct and move swiftly. This is a time for him to make moves. He may need to be sneaky about it. The veil may be starting to break for him. He may be starting to see things in a new light, a new revelation. Good things will happen to him if he aligns with the right things. It seems like a cycle will be completed for him. He’s got to choose the right path for this to work. 

He is a pretty complex individual with many faces, not sure he has set ideas, or he can be easily persuaded. He can also adapt well to many different environments. He fits in well with wherever he goes. It is like you may not know what you get from him. He can get overly emotional and sentimental about things. I can see him being a sensitive soul with this card. He may struggle to let things be and let go of control as we have seen. It is like things are aligning with him. Things are happening how it is supposed to be, but he seems to be resisting it. 

Lastly, to the Tarot. I got the 2 of Swords, so he feels stuck, unable to make a decision, having difficulty splitting with someone, or splitting ties. He is kind of blinded, not willing to see things for what it is. There is a stubborn energy here too, an unwillingness to see opposing opinions. On to the Tower, it does seem some chaos or some big changes could happen to him, seeing some cards of some big change happening for him. I am getting some unexpected events happening. Seeing this and that storm warning, it does seem, something coming out of nowhere for him. This will all lead to a needed change for him. Now with the 8 of Cups, this is about leaving something behind, this will be a time for him to reflect and look over things. He might be in some isolation as well. This will be a time for him to work through his emotions and do some spiritual work, not sure why that came out, but rolling with it.

I see this reading heavily focused on some alignments he has and changes happening. And this need to let go and let things be. He didn’t give me much insight to all this, lots of this was surface level for me. I kind of felt it would be this way, since his energy was resistant in the reading I did for him prior to this. This is all I can get from him. But this boy definitely needs to remove some people out of his life.

[anhonest-puck]

mk this is lots but theyre all lovely. im gonna start u out with music videos and we'll go from there.

when in rome mv

lighthouse's tale mv

this side mv

speak mv

tinydesk

live on aol

the current (performance + interview)

cmt's on the verge (suuuuch a cute video.. babies)

i need to watch the punch brothers tinydesk eventually but black mirror is calling my name i think

giving u. live reactionz!!!! apologies this is gonna be long

when in rome mv: such a nice looking video…. i liked watching it because it just looked very very nice!!!! the monochrome made me happy :3 also someone in comments said: “Chris having a mandolin-induced seizure in a puddle is one of my favorite Nickel Creek moments” and i couldn’t agree more

lighthouse’s tale mv: OH MU GAAAHHHH!!!!!!!! i love this one so much. the colors shifting from bright and happy at the start to more mute and greyscale with the story of the song???? i can’t it’s such a yummy detail! also. ocean mentioned. it looked very pretty very late 200Wait this mv was made nine days after i was born.

this side mv: okay because i love this one too it’s so funny to me. they’re preforming to a wall. peak mv. but the second half of it for some reason reminds me of that one labyrinth movie that david bowies in. watched it with meekies and it was really good :3

speak mv: MOVIE!!!! i would watch a movie with only nickel creek music if that would exist ever… also i love chris’ funky ass outfit… play that mandolin white boy!!

tinydesk: YESYESYEZ I LOVE IT!! destination woke ester up and she came and snuggled me. my Cat is a creeker too! also listening to this working on homework 👍 silly guy got braces aahhhhh….. 21ST OF MAY!!! i love this song (also… seven days after my birthday…..) BITCH! there was an ad. interrupted my creeking. any way this might have been the best 20 minute video i could have ever watched

live @ aol: this video is very 2002 i love it so much. also they never fail to absolutely devour anything they’ve ever done i fear

the current: scrolling through pinterest listening to this one my computer died…… SARA IS SO GORG THOUGH! also why are kjp brand sweaters nd stuff so expensive. anyway they all sing so well together it’s genuineOH MY GOD WHERE THE LONG LINE LEADS TBIS ONESS MY FAVORITE it sounds so good live aaaaaahhhhhhHOLDING PATTERN!!!!! the snaps oh my god they’re so AAGHHHHYUUMMMMUY also “i have a special guest, nickel creek!” “wheeeeeewww :D!!” they’re so silly to me

cmt’s on the verge: i genuinely love how positive they are it’s such a huge inspiration for other aspiring artists!! also getting to hear their backstory is so cool :3!!!!!!!! hearing their parents stories too, soso cool!! also woah chris played with dolly parton? i had to rewind to make sure i was hearing that right that’s so cool

THANK YOU FOR THESE MONANA THESE WERE SO FUN TO WATCH/LISTEN TO!!!!!

[emotionallychargedtowel]

shuffled (sort of)

I was tagged for this by @lurkingshan and it looked like fun, so I made up a way to participate even though I don't listen to music on any of those services that people tend to use for these things. The closest I get is listening to things on youtube so I made a list of songs the YT algorithm suggested to me. That list was a bit long so I used a random number generator to pick ten. Well, I really hit paydirt. I couldn't have come up with a better list if I had chosen it all myself.

And then weeks went by and I sat on this nearly-finished post for no good reason! Now I'm dusting it off and getting it out of my drafts.

I'm never big on tagging people on these things, it makes me incredibly anxious. But after this much time has passed, I really can't imagine doing it. That said, if anyone reads this and feels inspired to do it too, please consider yourself tagged.

Orange Juice - I Can’t Help Myself

One of the best tracks on my favorite Orange Juice album. This is a really good distillation of their sound that shows their influences really clearly (postpunk, classic soul, the Velvet Underground, Chic, the Buzzcocks, etc. etc.) while showing how they did something with them that's completely their own. It doesn't hurt that no one sounds quite like Edwyn Collins.

SZA - Ghost in the Machine

For a couple of years now I've been trading song recommendations with a close friend of mine. In other words, we take turns giving each other a song to listen to. It's been great, in part because our tastes are pretty danged different (though with enough overlap to have common ground). I've found out about a lot of amazing stuff through her but I don't think there's a song that has stuck with me more from this project than Ghost in the Machine. This song just keeps giving me goosebumps after...it's been a year and change, I think.

Taemin - Criminal

Years ago I asked my old internet friend Kate (who I've been interacting with since our livejournal days) about kpop. She has always been better than I am at keeping up with new music and I knew she knew a thing or two about it. She gave me a short list of songs to check out and Criminal was on it. It didn't quite click at first but it stuck in my brain somehow. I came back to it later and boom. It clicked big time. It reminds me of a few things. The la-la-la part definitely has a debt to Kylie Minogue's Can't Get You Out of My Head and the lead-up to the chorus reminds me of Roy Orbison's I Drove All Night. It has a retro quality that probably makes it more palatable to a middle-aged listener like myself but when I hear the synthpop tones of my childhood through a contemporary filter I don't get nostalgia so much as a distorted time-warp feeling (in a nice way).

Brave Girls - We Ride

A while back I was emailing back and forth with another friend of mine who I talk to about music a lot--wow, I didn't know that was going to be such a theme here, but I love it--and we were talking about new and old East Asian pop genres. He made me a list of a few recent kpop and jpop songs that he thought were reminiscent of city pop, an 80s genre out of Japan that's a favorite of his. There were quite a few winners on that list but this song is the one I've listened to the most. There's another theme: sounds from my formative years filtered through a contemporary lens. I can see why my friend associated it with city pop. The combination of disco/funk elements (like that choppy Nile Rodgers guitar part) and soft pop (the harmonies, the synth strings) fits right into that category. These elements were everywhere when I was a kid but they didn't get put together in this way.

Tsunami - Be Like That

This song about a has-been ex-boyfriend is more relatable to me in my 40s than it was when I first heard it in my 20s, but that's how old Jenny Toomey was when she wrote it. I've never gotten super into Tsunami despite liking a couple of their songs quite a lot (this one, and Valentine, from their album Deep End). I should probably revisit them. They always had a way with washy guitars and interesting chords, and Jenny Toomey's voice is legendary for a reason. (The version of I Only Have Eyes for You that she recorded with Grenadine, her side project with Mark Robinson from Unrest and the drummer from the Eggs, makes really good use of that voice. It's fucking exquisite and literally gives me goosebumps.)

Spoon - Me and the Bean

This one's a bit personal. I was active in the indie rock scene in Austin in the early 'aughts when Spoon was transitioning from their status as a cautionary tale of major label abandonment* into the period where they reached greater heights on an indie than that major label ever would have allowed. That scene wasn't very big so it's not surprising that in addition to Girls Can Tell-era Spoon being nearly omnipresent for a period of my life, I also have some personal connections there. Anyway, people seldom notice that this song is a cover. I never saw the Sidehackers, the band who originally performed the song (I'm not sure if they even managed to record it). But if this song ends up being what people remember most about them, it would make a respectable legacy. I don't know the later Spoon stuff as well as this era, but back then, there weren't a lot of Spoon originals that were as overtly emotional as this one. (You didn't typically hear a line like "I have your blood inside my heart" in an original Spoon song.) Britt Daniel may not have written this, but he doesn't hold back in his performance. So I always appreciated how it balanced out the more emotionally reserved style of the other songs on Girls Can Tell.

*They channeled the experience into songwriting to good effect. "The Agony of Lafitte," about the A&R guy that signed them to Elektra before the label screwed them over, is probably my favorite Spoon song.

the Chills - Pink Frost

I feel like so much has been written about this song that there isn't much point trying to say anything about it. It has a truly important place in the history of New Zealand indie music, and the events surrounding it are pretty interesting. But mostly it's just a really well-crafted piece of dark, sneakily poppy post-postpunk. Among people my age with similar tastes to mine, I can't think of a song that ended up on more mixtapes. (Though a friend of mine always used to say he regretted that he couldn't really put it on mixtapes for girls he was interested in because of the whole murdered girlfriend aspect of it.)

Veronica Falls - Misery

This song is obscenely catchy. It only takes one listen to get me singing it to myself in the kitchen for months. It's pretty fun to sing to oneself, in the kitchen or otherwise, but I'm sure it would be a million times more so if you could reproduce the harmonies with a partner. Veronica Falls really are unparalleled in the harmony department, and it's even more enjoyable because they usually use those pretty harmonies to sing about morbid, depressing things. And that juxtaposition never feels like a schtick to me, which it easily could in the wrong hands.

Bolbbalgan4 - Dream

I've gotten into quite a few songs because they were featured on kdramas, but this is the only song where it happened the other way around—I liked it first, then watched Hwarang because of it. There was a video for it on youtube with clips from the series and the song made the show seem more interesting. Not to imply anything negative about the series, I think there's a lot to be said for it. But it was this song that made me want to watch it. I love this kind of super emotional kpop song that's so plentiful in kdramas. Maybe it's because during the decades when rock music was de facto banned in South Korea the country's dominant genre was the ballad. Maybe it's because of that particular brand of despair that kdramas excel at so much, coming up in a slightly different setting. This type of song is just more emotional in a certain way that any other genre I've run across. And this particularly example is, to my mind, the pièce de résistance.

Shearwater - Breaking the Yearlings

This is one of the highlights of Animal Life, which is my favorite Shearwater album. It took me a while to warm up to Shearwater. The thing that really sold me on them was going on a whim to see Jonathan Meiburg play a solo acoustic set in front of a tiny audience at the Cactus Cafe. I think maybe some friends of mine opened for him or something, because something must have gotten me in the door. I ended up being really glad I went. Meiburg's set was downright mesmerizing, and I was sold on Shearwater from that point on. This particular song gets in my head a lot because the washing machine in my building puts out this one repetitive tone when you're starting a load of clothes that is really close to the opening notes of this song.

[bloomingforerza]

Echos — levi x reader one-shot/lyric-shot.

notes from bloom: hi!!!! its been quite some time since i’ve written a one shot. no smut in this one!!! just jerk cheater ex boyfriend eren in a hurt/comfort levi x reader. this song is one of my all time favorite songs (my goal is to write a song fic for my 3 all time favorite songs). i originally wrote a (much shorter and cringier) one-shot back in 2015 to this song but i loved it so much i felt like i should rewrite it. pLEASE give me feedback? its always welcome :) i’m gonna link the song below in case you’d like to listen. happy reading!!!!

word count: 4,791

character count (excluding spaces): 20,600

masterlist

my mind’s at erase

and my thoughts are done

i’ve been meaning to tell you this

since my lies begun

Things were taking a turn for the worse in your life these days. You’d just gotten out of a relationship with your long-term boyfriend, Eren. He hadn’t always been this way. Things started getting bad after you found out from your best friend, Hanji, that he was cheating on you.

You had been together since high-school, everyone knew you two because you were always attached at the hip. You were voted most likely to get married in superlatives, and you were at every football game he had. 6 years isn’t something you can just throw away the way he did.

He used to be sweet. He would invite your friends out with you guys on occasion, and he’d dote on you at all times. You remember first words to him after Hanji told you were, “How could you Eren? After all this time?” You remember the sharp piercing feeling in your chest, tears running down your cheeks, and he had the nerve to start an argument with you. Gaslight, tell you Hanji’s lying, tell you it’s your fault, how you weren’t satisfying him enough. But when you’d tried to leave, he’d tried to forbid it. “You can’t leave, (Y/n), please, I won’t let you, I won’t do it again.”

Even past dating, you’ve known Eren since middle school. But he needed to go, and you were not even ready to think about forgiveness. You didn’t think if you’d ever forgive him.

Hanji on the other hand, Hanji kept telling you you cannot forgive him. You have no reason to forgive him. But you just couldn’t help yourself for wanting to.

the way i feel inside

reflects of the souls in your eyes

i’ve been meaning to tell you this

all my life

You’d taken some time off work, told your boss you had a family emergency. Hanji, being the angel that she is, came to comfort you. You were not ready to go into work yet, you didn’t know how to handle yourself right now.

She mentioned introducing you to a coworker of hers who’d been going through a similar experience. She said talking to him might help you find closure within yourself. She set up an afternoon for both of you to meet up with him this weekend at a coffee shop you used to love.

That was the problem. You lost yourself in Eren. The hardest part about coping is that everything you like reminds you of him, and you can’t remember what you liked before him. Sometimes you remember, times like this. You associate that coffee shop with good friends and good memories. He never liked this coffee shop, he said their coffee tasted like tap water and mud. Ever since you’d moved out with him, you had stopped going.

Maybe meeting with this ‘Levi’ would be a good thing for you.

But you still had other short comings to manage, like the fact that you couldn’t refuse Eren when he asked you to let him get his stuff the Friday after. Your gut knew he’d try to convince you to take him back. But you needed answers before you could even consider it an option.

Friday morning comes, and you ask Hanji to hold off coming over for a few hours. You wanted to let Eren share his thoughts, but you didn’t want to say a word to him. So the moment he arrived, everything was awkward and silent and dreadful. You sat in the kitchen after letting him in, just letting him collect his things in peace.

But you knew it in the back of your mind, the thought ‘he’s going to try to convince you to let him back in’ screaming in the back of your mind. And you still gave him the benefit of the doubt, with hope in your heart, that he wouldn’t try to lie or manipulate his way out of it this time.

But boy was your mind right, and that fact did not aid your heart as it shattered once more. “I promise, Mikasa didn’t mean anything to me Y/n. Just listen.” he cried when you were telling him to leave after he’d packed everything.

“No. I won’t listen. How long have you been seeing Mikasa, Eren?” Your response is cold, dripping venom. You were doing everything to keep your guard up.

“I can’t tell you.” He began to cry again, not knowing how to win you back. It killed him, and it hurt you to see him crying at your feet like this.

“Yes, you can. How long have you been seeing Mikasa?” You ask again, and he grips his hair and looks at the floor, not being able to meet your gaze when he whispers out, “3 years.”

“THREE YEARS?” You’re yelling. You never yell, but why are you yelling? Why are you letting him see how hard this hurts you?

“(Y/n), I—“ He’s sobbing, but just as he’s about to try and spew out more ridiculous shit, Hanji’s car pulls up to your apartment. You can see the hurt and emotions you’re displaying reflecting off of his beautiful green eyes, and it makes it so much harder for you to send him away.

“I’ve heard enough, you need to leave. Hanji’s about to come inside and she’s going to murder you if you’re here.” You don’t even look at him, giving him the warning that you would let Hanji beat him up.

Eren grabs the rest of his bags and walks out as Hanji’s getting out of her car. The death glare you watch her give him is insane. It was 2:01, and to be fair, you told Hanji it should only take him an hour and a half. For everything that Hanji is and everything that she lacks, at least she’s here when you need her to be here.

You’re sobbing when she finally walks in, the composure you held breaking as he left. You couldn’t fight it anymore, and Hanji ran over to you instantly to let you know how much she loves you and how proud of you she is. The way that you carried yourself and held your self respect showed strength.

to think of who i am

shows much of what you were too

slowly i realize

i’ll be fine without you

Hanji took you out the day after for that for coffee with her coworker. She was good friends with this person, but she didn’t tell you much about them. She did however tell you to ‘not dress homeless’ and to dress ‘how you would on a good day.’ If that was meant to be a compliment, it feels more like a ridiculous insult to your already sensitive heart.

She was very excited, for reasons unbeknownst to you. She was doing a poor job at hiding her giddiness as well, twitching and smiling to herself. Looking back on it now you can understand why, but back then it seemed like she was just being her normal, weird-self.

When you walk in, there’s a nice jazzy coffeehouse vibe. The smell of grinding arabica coffee beans and dripping espresso slaps you in the face, but Hanji’s instantly darting over to her friend. A man, Hanji failed to mention, but he was pretty. It was a thought you had to shove out of your mind.

He had long, soft black hair with an undercut below. His jaw was well cut, and his face seemed almost fixed into a frown. He had a nice earring in one ear, and some tattoos here and there. He was dressed nicely in some casual jeans and a t-shirt. “This is Levi,” She introduces. You glance at Hanji after trying to not make it obvious you were inspecting him, but she had her arm locked over his shoulders. Hanji was pretty tall, but you were always on the short side, but Levi was short too.

You wanted to trust Hanji’s intuition though, and just sat across from him. Hanji finished bothering the unnamed man, and sat beside you. After ordering some drinksb to the table, you couldn’t help but feel awkward as Levi and Hanji began to talk about work related stuff.

You wanted to trust Hanji, you really did, but you couldn’t understand what she wanted out of this. You instead opt to wait for your coffee quietly. Unfortunately the plan isn’t ever gonna go the way you want it if Hanji is around.

And she started to tell Levi about your job, which Levi seemed really interested in and asked you all kinds of questions. He was fascinated about some things, and genuinely seemed like he wanted to hear more from you. You quickly bonded over similar interests like tea and fine art, but you’ve learned that he just appreciates art rather than enjoys making it himself.

After you three finished your drinks, you talked for another three hours before you all left. Hanji put you and Levi into a group chat before he left, making him aware she was going to be pestering the both of you often. Levi and Hanji started working together around the same time, also around the same time you started college and met Hanji.

Hanji was a teacher’s assistant and a junior in your chemistry class freshman year, and she helped you a lot with coming out of your shell after entering college.

But when you’re remembering that, you can’t help yourself but remember that Eren and you had just started living in an apartment together as well. And now its been 4 years since then, and you still can’t find closure or comfort in your thoughts. Where did everything go wrong for the two of you? It will take so much time to heal, but you know that you’ll get there on your own eventually.

i gave you your chances

and just put them aside

to find out too late

of who i am inside

Regretful isn’t a good word to describe how you’re feeling. You loved Eren so much, but when you realize how much time and effort you put into your relationship with him just to be cheated on for half of it makes you feel so disconnected with yourself. You’re remorseful, and you feel like you’ve betrayed yourself at the end of the day.

You’ll never forget the night last year that he didn’t show up for a date he had planned for you after class. He said it’d be a surprise, and he told you to wait outside of your campus. He was going to come pick you up. But 5 minutes of waiting had eventually turned into an hour and five minutes of waiting, and you eventually went home. Eren wasn’t even at the apartment.

His excuse was that he got held up at school because he had been assigned some group project and his partners made him stay to help start it. Of course you believed him. However, when memories like this come to mind, all you can think about now was, ‘Was he seeing Mikasa?’

Not trying to let thoughts like this bring your progress to a halt, you ask Hanji to arrange another hangout with Levi. He was really nice, and you appreciated his company the first time around. Of course she over-excitedly screamed out an, “OF COURSE I CAN MAKE PLANS FOR US AGAIN!” Before immediately grabbing her phone and texting him.

You really were so thankful to have someone like Hanji here beside you to help you through this, but sometimes you felt like you were losing yourself. You couldn’t remember what you enjoyed before Eren, so how were you going to find yourself again?

And when she asked if there was anything you wanted to do before she just picked something, you felt so ashamed of yourself for not knowing what to say. What did you enjoy doing? It felt like every answer to that question had always been associated with Eren. “Fuck you, Eren.” You mumbled to yourself.

“Where did that come from?” Hanji laughs. “Not that I disagree, but we can’t exactly pick that for a hangout activity.” She giggles, You give her a raised brow, but you smile at her idiocy none the less. Eventually, given that it’s apple picking season, she suggests the three of you go apple picking. You have no objections, and you tell her to not force Levi into it if he’s not up for the idea. Of course though, in true Hanji fashion, her response is, “Levi never has choices when it comes to me.” with her classic devilish grin.

show me yourself, come show me who you are

these are the times we wish it never went this far

hidden by your words, oh god please let me see

how someone plays with feelings oh so carelessly

You’ve only been apple picking once and it was with Eren. The saddest after thought, it was 4 years ago. In your head, that meant he’d given up after he started seeing Mikasa in secret.

But you can’t think about that. You asked Hanji for this, you wanted to have a good day. But your intrusive thoughts weren’t being nice today in particular, and you knew at some point you were probably going to spiral out.

Once you arrived at the orchard, your stomach felt uneasy. You didn’t know what was making you feel this way. Hanji had sensed that you were off, so she kept trying to redirect your mind without asking you if you were ‘okay.’ She knew what the answer to that would be.

As you’re walking up to meet Levi with Hanji, you feel like things might just be okay. You continue on with your day, the three of you walked around and you got to know Levi a bit better. He was really nice to you, even though he spoke so harshly to Hanji. It made you laugh when he’d immediately change his tone after speaking with you.

But all good things always seem to have to come to an end for you. After picking the apples, Hanji really wanted an apple cider donut. She dragged you and Levi into the small shop the orchard had on the property, trailing behind the two. But the minute you stepped inside, you saw him. Eren, standing in line at the counter with Mikasa. He had his arm around her waist while she ordered what she wanted.

The sight had your stomach dropping entirely. You finally understood where all the anxiety was coming from. Your gut knew he was here. You looked at Hanji immediately, who hadn’t noticed the pair, and slightly motioned your head in Eren’s direction. Right after, you look over at Eren once more, but this time your eyes lock with his. You turn around and run out, not having any strength left to put up with him.

You stand outside, and from the other side of the door you can hear the voices of Levi and Hanji arguing with Eren.

You eventually just walk away. You walk back towards the apple trees, wanting some peace of mind. Only two minutes later, you could hear someone running up behind you, and you turned to see Levi. He had ran outside to look for you.

“Hey.” He said casually when he stood beside you. “Hanji’s still arguing with him, she can go at it all day.” He informs you, to which you smile a bit. Hanji was a great friend, and you knew she’d drag Eren to Hell with her if she had the opportunity to.

“Why’d you come out here?” You ask curiously, not looking at him after you said it. You didn’t want him to think you he wasn’t wanted there, but you also were still unsure of his reasons.

“To check on my friend.” He glances at you out of the side of his eye while the two of you walk through the orchard together. “I want you to know (Y/n), you aren’t alone in this. For starters, your weird friend is inside ready to square up with your shithead ex-boyfriend.” You laugh loudly at his statement, and you catch him smiling a little at you through your peripheral vision. “There’s also me, who wants to in any way I can. I was in your position a few weeks ago.”

You and Levi hadn’t had the chance to talk one on one yet, but the conversation lasted for so long you had almost forgotten about Hanji. But to little surprise, as you two had turned to walk back to the shop, there she was trying to stealthily hide behind an apple tree.

“Hey four eyes, I wouldn’t exactly call that a hiding spot.” Levi calls.

“No one said I was trying to hide Levi.” She lightly punches his arm, and you smile.

Although you had a minor (alright, personally huge) bump in the road, these two really came through for you today.

give me your heart to come and be in one

vulnerable i was, please come and steal and run

just as we laughed, kissed,i looked deep in your eyes

to tell you how i felt, came one without reply

A few months later, you and Levi had started dating. The trauma and trust issues you have now make things really hard for you sometimes, but Levi is always ever so patient with you.

When he said I love you for the first time almost a year in, you almost had a panic attack. When you told Eren you loved him, he didn’t answer you right away. He told you he couldn’t say it back yet. The saddest part was you can’t remember if there was a time he ever said it back.

You didn’t understand the feeling of someone loving you. Eren neglected you so horribly in your relationship, and Levi tries to give you all of the attention you need to make up for it. All of the kisses that you’d missed, all the snuggles that had you shaking from being touch starved, all of the dates you’d never been on until Levi.

Levi makes everything better. He made you feel so secure and so safe, like you were the most precious person on the Earth. He needed to show you how worthy you were, because he knew exactly how unworthy you felt. He told you that helping you helps him find his worth, relieves him of his traumas from Petra.

He shared with you one day that as a result of Petra’s cheating, he felt like he wasn’t keeping her safe enough, wasn’t making her feel loved enough. Even if it wasn’t the case, he needs you to feel loved enough, especially knowing you were lacking so much of it for almost 6 years.

But after some more months of working together, you’ve grown to see 18 months as a couple. When you hit milestones like this, you always love to take time for you and Levi to self reflect. If Hanji hadn’t introduced you to Levi when she did, you’d have no idea where you’d be in this moment.

Just because you hadn’t met him wouldn’t have changed the fact Eren still cheated on you. You don’t think you’ll ever be able to change the dull ache you feel when you think of your childhood with him, but there’s no grief left for the love you had. But years of birthday’s, christmas’, thanksgiving’s and even valentine’s day memories can’t just be erased so quickly.

But time works in funny ways.

And after 4 years, Levi decided you had to be his forever. He wanted you to know how much you meant to him, and he knew you felt the same as he did.

You still thought of Eren at times, but there were still no regrets. Even years after, you wish him the best. But you can’t imagine marrying anyone other than Levi. Levi’s been the main source of your happiness.

He drags you out one night to a small lake in a park. The lake was kind of hidden, trees surrounding it and only one open crawl space. There were fireflies illuminating over the pond, and you could hear the chorus of cicadas echoing through the warm, humid air around you.

He’s helped you through most of it. The nights he held you because you couldn’t stop your intrusive thoughts, when you’d cry to yourself sometimes after saying a certain word or phrase, how you couldn’t bring yourself to watch your favorite television shows anymore. “Were they ever my favorites, or were they Eren’s favorites?” You’d ask yourself, questioning everything and bringing yourself to the point of an existential crisis. But Levi would always find a way to ground you.

Even on the other end, there would be times Levi would seem withdrawn and distant from his own intrusive thoughts. You knew he didn’t want any bullshit comforting words, so your go to form of care was to make him his favorite tea. When you first slept over his apartment after a few months into dating him, he’d tried to hide his silent cries from you. You turned over and held him though, and you’d promised yourself right then and there that you would always be there to hold him.

echoes is all i hear

i’m running, i’m running, i’m running

let go is all i fear

i’m running, i’m running, i’m running

After almost three solid years of dating Levi, it had almost felt like a whisper in the back if your mind. But you would never forget, and unfortunately Levi had the same trauma. But he took extra good care of you on your three year anniversary together.

In fact, Hanji had dragged you to the park that afternoon. “What’s wrong with taking a walk with your best friend?” She argued with you, and you couldn’t help rolling your eyes at her.

“Hanji, how many years have we been friends and when have you ever dragged me to the park for a WALK?” Your eyebrow is raised and the tone you use sounds almost motherly. “Are you a dog?” You add some banter, and the side eye you received had you cackling.

“No, you idiot, I’m not a dog. I needed some fresh air is all.” She’s looking around almost suspiciously as she says this though, and you just know something’s up. “Hey, there’s this new art display at the pier over here, we should pop by and see it.” She suggests, and you nod slowly. What is she up to?

“Yeaaaaahhhh, sure.” You’re reluctant, but follow anyway. You honestly had no idea what Hanji was doing right now, she’s not the type to go for random walks.

But as you walk closer to the pier, you could see lights in the distance. Not flashy ones, but it seemed pretty bright over there. You grew excited to see whatever silly art display she was talking about, but you weren’t going to tell her that.

“We’re almost there, you have to close your eyes!” She yells, and you release a groan.

“Hanji, how am I going to walk? Why am I closing my eyes for an art display?” You do so nonetheless, and she grabs your shoulders.

“I got’chya. Come on!” She’s guiding you the rest of the way while you cover your eyes. After walking a few more feet, she gives you the cue to open. But what you saw nearly brought you to tears.

This wasn’t just an art display. There was an arch, fairy lights glowing different shades of white, while they had wisteria to accentuate them. Beautiful white orchids and daisies to accent long strands of ivy. Near the center of the arch was Levi waiting, looking out at the ocean. He was as handsome as he always was, but he dressed himself in a nice white button down with some black jeans tonight. The sight of all of it made your eyes swell up.

And that was how he proposed. Hanji hid your friend Sasha in the bushes, wanting her to get amazing photos of it all. And when you look back at them now with him years later, you can’t help but almost feel like you’ve fallen in love all over again. Not like you could ever grow tired of him of course.

He took extra care to make sure that you understood how loved and important he was to you. After 3 years of being married, he had told you that he’d chosen to propose after your three year anniversary so you would never have a doubt about his faith or loyalty to you. He loved you so much, he knew you were going to be the one he needed for the rest of his life. He’d remind himself of that every time you came through for him.

The thought that Levi had put into your relationship with him was so meaningful to you. Sometimes you’d laugh over the way he’s speak to you and the way he’d speak to anyone else. You feel like Hanji gets the worst of it, but you know she can be much at times.

You were so thankful for the both of them. Hanji was already your maid of honor before you’d even decided anything else. She wasn’t just the reason you and Levi met, but she was also the bestest friend you’d truly ever had.

let go, i can’t let go

Sometimes, Eren creeps back into your mind. After so many years, sometimes it feel like you still have a hole in your heart. The childhood you’d spent with him, all the way up to school where you’d been in the same class every year. Prom, two graduations, moving out, college, all of it.

But then you’d remember how full your heart was when you’d found out you were pregnant. Pregnant with Levi’s baby.

You loved Levi so much. He made you feel safe, loved and protected. You may never fully heal from Eren, it feels like your childhood blanket was ripped out of your hands. But even so, the love you receive from your husband fills that grief up and scares away your demons. And in the end, it’s always going to be Levi.

Levi saved you when he’d met you, and he saves you every time you find yourself spiraling out about something that reminded you of Eren. But you always remember that Levi is good, it’s almost like he purposely tries to prove himself to you every day. Hanji says you deserve it after forgetting what real love felt like.

He never missed a beat when it came to holidays, birthdays, or special occasions. He loved to dress up with you, even if he’d complain about it the entire day. you knew he loved to match outfits with you because you eventually started to get his input on them as well. At weddings, he’d love to just hold you on the dance floor. He always shows up, even after you’d started your own family with him. He’s promised himself that he would always show up for your kids. Your oldest, your son Emile, was very much like you. Kind-hearted with tons of energy. He loved to play sports, especially soccer. Your daughter, Vydia, loved to figure skate. Levi showed up to every soccer match and every skate competition, he would always make time for his kids.

You’ll never be able to let go of Eren entirely, he’ll always take the title of first love. He took almost every first he could, and he holds a portion of your heart and remains in your memories. But Levi was the first person to pull you out. He helped make everything better, and then you fell in love with him. He was your first (and last!) fiancé and husband, which he took so much pride in. He was the first person to promise you forever, and a forever he gave.

Because the love you have for Levi, the way you feel, is much more important and serious than the childish fantasy Eren gave you. You’ve always verbally and physically told him how grateful you were, but you never felt like it was enough. And at the end of the day, every single night since you got married, you always just had to settle for;

“Thank you, Levi. I love you so much.”

so fall away is what i’ll do

it’s what i’ll do

it’s what i’ll do

it’s what i’ll do

it’s what i’ll do

it’s what i’ll do

[buttercupjosh]

Opinion/Rant: To start, I’m bringing up something that occurred back in 2020 but myself and some others didn’t see the actual video until 2021. This post is a bit long but please bear with me. Anyways, I’m bringing this up now because I’ve noticed throughout 2023 and throughout part of 2024, there’s been a big resurgence of Vince content on here (yeah, I already know he’s cute and a talented player, I used to hold space for him on my blog and post about him in the past) but a part of me feels like people have either forgotten about what he did or they just don’t know what occurred so this post serves as an educational post for those who may not know (or a reminder for those who may have forgotten) and is not intended by any means to cause any drama. I also do share some of my opinion on what happened in this post as well.

For those who don’t know or remember, back in 2020, Vince used to do live streams of him playing video games on Twitch during COVID lockdown and during these streams, he would play music while he played games. On one of these game streams (I don’t know which specific one it was from), Vince was singing along to some song and the n-word came out of his mouth (the video of the incident is at the very end of this post). Yeah, I know he listens to a lot of rap and R&B and I’ve seen some people say that he was drunk when it happened and that the song was choppy but that doesn’t excuse him saying it. According to others who watched the stream when it was fully available, Vince allegedly didn’t apologize for using the word and when he was called out for it in the stream chat, he allegedly got a bunch of people to harass the person who called him out.

As someone who’s Black, it hurt me a lot to hear Vince say the n-word, even if it was for a second. For those of y’all who defend him and act like what he did wasn’t wrong or trying to come up with excuses for him, you don’t fully understand how painful and harmful his actions were. Just because I’m Black (I personally choose not to use it) and other Black people say it freely, that does not mean the word is okay for just anyone, regardless of race, to use in any context. Just because Vince didn’t say it to me or anyone directly, that doesn’t mean what he did is acceptable. To me, hearing a non-black person use the N-word any capacity is extremely personal because it’s been used towards me in a negative way by non-black people throughout my life. It also bothered me that Vince allegedly didn’t have the decency to even say “whoops, sorry I said/did that” when he was called out for it on the game stream and allegedly resorted to downplaying the situation and having people harass the person who called him out. I am not trying to play the victim but I am trying to educate y’all on his actions and to also let y’all know why some people don’t like him.

Another thing I’m going to note is that you cannot always automatically assume that someone you don’t know personally has put in the work privately over something they were exposed for publicly if they haven’t shown any public sort of proof of some growth. That means you can’t come to me and say “he may have learned from using that word” when there’s no public evidence anywhere that he has. If you choose to believe he has, then that’s your opinion. To me, Vince could have publicly shown some sort of growth by doing something as small as posting a blackout Tuesday post during the height of Black Lives Matter movement in June 2020 or liking a tweet of support from that time or maybe even participating in some of the Kraken’s Black history related stuff (like how Grubauer and Blackwell talked about Black hockey history with J.T. Brown and Everett Fitzhugh) (I know February is right around the corner with Black History Month and if Vince does something then, maybe my viewpoint on him may shift a bit). Yes, I did see a video of Vince talking about his thoughts on BLM and he did make valid points about how not everyone has to be posting online to protest injustice. However, Vince didn’t clearly say anything that showed he did something about it offline besides using an example of how if a rapper goes to a protest, everyone knows who the rapper is and if he were to go, no one would know who Vince is and also saying “who’s to say I’m not going to protests or donating to certain charities”, without saying he actually did those things. (A good example of a player being called out/exposed for something but fixing what they did is when Quinn Hughes didn’t use Pride tape once but later on, he used the tape and even made inclusive comments during the NHL pride tape controversy last season).

I AM NOT SAYING OR IMPLYING VINCE SHOULD BE CANCELED OR THAT HE IS A RACIST OR A HORRIBLE PERSON BUT HE SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE BY HOCKEY FANS. Holding him accountable means that if you want to, you can still like him for the benefit that he has on your team or recognizing his talent or some of his community work but you can also remember what he did in the back of your mind. (Think about/keep that in mind when you post about him too).

I know that it’s not always easy to hold someone that’s on a team you like or someone you liked beforehand accountable (there are several players on teams that I like who help my team succeed and players that I’ve admired before but I don’t like or agree with certain, questionable things that they’ve done) but if accountability looks like no longer holding space for them on your blog through posts or putting them up on such a high pedestal in your life or to stop thinking they can no wrong, that’s fine too. Holding a player accountable looks different for everyone and there’s no set formula/guidelines for that.

If you still want to support him after seeing this post and watching the video below, then that’s on you. If you choose to not support him anymore or at all, that’s on you. However you choose to feel about it is valid and I respect that (even if I see it differently). I know that he’s never going to address or acknowledge this and I understand that it happened back in 2020 but his silence on the matter nor should the amount of time that has passed shouldn’t stop fans at all from holding him accountable.

(Again, this post is me sharing my opinion on something Vince did, educating those who may not have known about it and also reminding those who may have forgotten this happened. Again, I’m not saying or implying that he is a racist or should be canceled. All I’m trying to say is that he should be/start to be held accountable by hockey fans. We all hold our own bias when it comes to things and I’m not using this post to try to push anyone towards a certain side either. Again, I’m also not saying he’s a horrible person either. Interpret all of this information however you want/choose to.

Also, if you’re even thinking about sending me a hate anon for this, go touch grass or get better hobbies. Better yet, if you send me a hate anon, just know it’ll go into the trash with your garbage words.

Lastly, I am also going to say that I do not tolerate nor support/agree with anyone going after anyone who still chooses to support Vince or chooses not to support him and if you do that to someone, you’re a very scummy person. Also, I am not going to send anyone anything about this either because I got all of my thoughts out here and respect others’ opinions so if you somehow get a hate anon about it, it’s not from me because I dislike the feeling of getting one and wouldn’t want to put someone else through that).

Video Info:

Twitter/X Link to Video

Actual Video from Twitter/X for those who don’t use Twitter/X

[hearts-hunger]

home for the holidays — chapter two

Read on AO3 | Masterlist

Series Summary: The Cabin Fever gang spends Christmas in Frankenmuth. ||  Companion series in the Cabin Fever universe

⮡ part one

Chapter Summary: The gang explores a very festive Frankenmuth. (Danny's POV)

Pairings: Sam Kiszka x Danny Wagner, Josh Kiszka x Reader, Jake Kiszka x Reader | Genre: holiday fluff | Word Count: 3.5k | Chapter Warnings: spicy remarks, talk of sexuality, mention of the devil's lettuce

A/N: My first time writing Danny and Sam from their perspective! Also, fair warning, everything I know about Frankenmuth is from the internet, so forgive me if it's not accurate hehe. I hope you like it! ♡

Sam dropped their bags just inside his bedroom, giving a theatrical, contented sigh as he stepped in.

“Home sweet home.”

Danny chuckled as his boyfriend flopped unceremoniously on the bed, a display he’d seen many times in their youth when they came home tired from soccer games or gigs or long nights finding trouble to get into. Not that there was much trouble to be had in quiet little Frankenmuth — they’d mostly gotten their kicks from a dime bag and one of Sam’s records. This bedroom had seen countless hours of the two of them playing music, helping each other with homework, talking about everything and nothing. To Danny, the Kiszka house was a second home, and Sam’s bedroom had been the safest and most wonderful place in the world for many years.

He moved their duffle bags out of the way and perused Sam’s record collection, small as it was with most of it moved to their apartment in Nashville.

“I've been wondering where this was,” Danny said, pulling out a Cat Stevens record. He put it on the old, beat-up turntable and let Teaser and the Firecat play.

Sam rolled to his back. “We should take all those back home when we leave,” he said. “We left a lot of random stuff here.”

“That’s because you were in charge of packing up your room,” Danny reminded him. “And you're terrible at packing.”

Sam grinned as Danny sat in the edge of the bed. “Yeah, but you still love me.”

Danny gave a soft laugh. “Lucky you.”

Sam nudged his knee against Danny’s back. “Hey, you love this song.”

Danny smiled. “I know.”

“I listen to my words, but they fall far below,” Sam sang along absently. “I let my music take me where my heart wants to go.”

He sat up and stretched. “Where does your heart want to go, Dan?”

Danny moved Sam’s legs out of the way and laid back on the bed, his feet still on the floor. “Right now? My heart wants to go to sleep.” 

Their pre-dawn flight had sounded like a great idea when they’d planned it, but he was exhausted now and they hadn't even gotten started on all they planned to squeeze into one day.

Sam laughed and sat cross-legged at Danny's side. “You can’t sleep now. We just got here. We still have lots of stuff to do.”

Danny groaned and draped an arm over his eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

Sam ran a hand over Danny’s chest in a soothing motion. “You’re really tired, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“You want more coffee?” He got off the bed without waiting for an answer. “I’ll go make you some.”

Danny propped himself up. “You don’t have to.”

Sam smiled. “I want to. Maybe mom has some of that fancy creamer you like.”

Sam was only gone for a minute, and Danny gratefully accepted the mug of coffee with sugar cookie creamer when he returned.

“Thank you,” he said with a contented sigh.

Sam smacked a kiss to his cheek with a goofy muah, making Danny laugh.

“You’re welcome, honey.”

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, Sam rifling through his things and showing Danny any interesting discoveries as Danny drank his coffee. He looked up at the posters haphazardly taped to Sam’s ceiling; they were all male rock bands and musicians, some in various states of undress like the Mick Rock photo of Queen that was almost a boudoir shoot. Danny chuckled.

“What's so funny?” Sam asked with an affectionate smile.

Danny shook his head. “I can’t believe it took you so long to figure out you were into guys.”

Sam gave him a wry smile. “Yeah, well, not all of us were born self-aware bisexuals, Daniel. Some of us had to go through gay trauma.”

Danny looked over at him. “What do you mean?” He’d known it had been a little harder for Sam to come to terms with his sexuality than it had been for Danny, but he didn’t remember anything close to trauma. 

Sam gave him a reassuring smile. “I’m kidding. There was very little trauma involved, if any. Aside from realizing I was hopelessly in love with you and not being able to tell you.”

Danny sighed. “Sweetheart, I think that was just you being dumb,” he teased. “You could have told me any of those million times we were in here goofing off and trying to act straight and I would have told you I felt the same way.”

“Not if you were making out with girls all the time,” Sam needled.

“Minor detours,” he said. He finished his coffee and set the mug on the nightstand. “I was always on the road to you, Sammy.”

“Now you sound like a Rascal Flats song.”

Danny laughed until he was out of breath, and Sam wore a lovesick smile as he watched him.

“You know I spend every waking minute trying to make you laugh?” Sam said, coming to sit beside him on the bed. “It’s my favorite sound in the whole world.”

“Aw, love. You’re secretly a romantic, aren’t you?”

“I am not,” Sam said. “Take that back.”

Danny smirked. “What are you gonna do if I don’t? Make swoony romantic love to me?”

With a quickness that made Danny blush, Sam straddled his lap and pulled his arms behind his back.

“Does this feel swoony and romantic to you?” Sam asked.

Danny smirked. “Kind of.”

Sam immediately took down the facade and released Danny’s hands to cradle his face and kiss him gently. That suited Danny better; usually he was the one giving the business to Sam, and he liked it just fine.

“I love you,” Danny said, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend. Sam smiled and buried his face in Danny’s neck.

“I love you too,” he said. “You know, it’s been a while since we fooled around in this bed.”

Danny snorted. “It’s barely eight in the morning, Sam.”

Sam gave him a serious look. “You know you can do the deed even when it’s not dark outside.”

Danny laughed. “You’re funny.”

Sam was pleased with the compliment and rewarded him with a kiss. Despite what he’d said, Danny felt himself warming to the idea of “fooling around,” and he broke the kiss before it got too hot and heavy.

“Hey,” Sam protested. “Be nice.”

“Don’t tempt me. You’re the one who said we have all this stuff to do.”

“Forget I said that. We can stay in bed all day.”

Sam kissed him again, and Danny had almost agreed to stay in bed when a knock sounded on the door.

“Let’s go, lovebirds,” came Jake’s voice. “It’s too early for all that.”

Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s impeccable timing. Danny chuckled and gently eased Sam off of him.

“Come on,” he said sweetly. “Let’s go look at Christmas lights or something.”

Sam softened. “You sure you’re not too tired? You can crash for a while if you want.”

Danny shook his head. “I’m feeling better after having some coffee. In fact, I’m rarin’ to go.”

Sam grinned and took his hand as they went to meet the rest of their friends at the door.

“Are you coming with us, mom?” Sam called, pulling on his jacket.

“No, you kids go have fun. You girls take nice pictures, because I know none of these boys can.”

Sparrow and Baby laughed.

“Yes ma’am,” they chorused. 

Bundled up in scarves and hats and big jackets they hadn’t had to use since they moved, the six of them crunched through the few inches of snow that had already accumulated on the ground. Danny took the driver’s seat again, reaching his hand back to find Sam’s.

“I’m assuming you don’t want to hold my hand,” Josh teased, slapping his palm against Danny’s.

Danny took Josh’s hand and squeezed it. “Who says?”

Josh laughed and returned the affectionate squeeze before Sam batted his hand away. 

“Hey now,” Sam said. “Hands off my man.”

Danny felt Sam’s wiry hand in his own and ran his thumb over Sam’s knuckles.

“You’re gonna freeze with no gloves, Sam.”

“I do have one glove,” Sam said. “I guess you’ll just have to hold my other hand to keep me from getting frostbite.”

The drive to town was quick, but it took ages to find parking. Even with the light snowfall, people were out and about, enjoying the snow-capped and colorfully lit Little Bavaria of downtown Frankenmuth. Danny was happy to be back; he’d missed the sights and sounds of his hometown at Christmas, and he was glad they’d decided to come home for the holidays.

They all cheered when they finally found a parking space, and Baby pointed out that they were right near one of the “Stop and Snap” picture spots. 

“Get in,” she ordered with all the seriousness of a general directing her army, gesturing to a giant ornament with a wide seat in the middle. “We’re doing all fifteen stops so we can get our collector’s edition ornament at the Visitor's Center.”

They did as she asked, squishing together, sitting on each other’s laps to fit.

“Put those long arms to use for a selfie, Daniel,” Sparrow said, just as dedicated to the cause as her best friend. 

Danny smiled and did as she said, fitting everyone into the picture and taking millions so the girls could pick out the one they liked the best. As they walked around town, they stopped and took more pictures, each one more ridiculous than the last, and Danny felt the infectious joy of good company as they explored the town they knew like the back of their hand.

“We ought to stop in and say hi to Mr. Miller,” Sam said as they rounded the corner near where the record shop stood. 

“Hey, we should!” Josh agreed. He nudged his shoulder against his girlfriend’s. “And maybe Santa can get me that John Denver record I’ve been looking for. What do you think, baby?”

She gave him an innocent smile. “I don't know, honey. Have you been a good boy this year?”

He whispered something to her that made her blush. “Joshua,” she protested, but her smile gave her away.

They came into the record store and basked in the warmth for a moment before spreading out to flip through rows and rows of second-hand vinyls. All of them had spent countless hours there searching for good finds growing up, and the owner, Mr. Miller had always been a kind friend and musical mentor to them. They went to say hello to Mr. Miller, and he was delighted to have them back; he gestured to the boxes of records he hadn’t yet put out and told them have at them.

“I know you kids like to hunt for hidden treasure,” he said with a twinkling smile. “Knock yourselves out.”

They did, and they found several records they asked Mr. Miller to keep for them behind the counter until they were headed home. He did, saying he was “always happy to see young folks interested in good music.”

Danny and Sam looked together through the jazz section. The smell of old records brought back a flood of memories for Danny, and he gently tapped his boot against Sam’s.

“You know, Sam, I think I fell in love with you in this store.”

His boyfriend gave him a heart-tilting smile. “You did? You never told me.”

“I mean, I'd been in love with you forever,” Danny, a little bashful as he remembered the years of fumbling, hesitant flirtation with his best friend. “But I do remember one time when we were in here, a few weeks before we went to the cabin. You found a copy of Teaser and the Firecat — the copy we were listening to earlier, actually, because you ended up buying it — and started singing ‘Rubylove’ loud enough for the whole store to hear. But you changed ‘Ruby’ to ‘Danny’.”

Danny was surprised to see Sam blush bright red.

“Oh, god, I remember that,” Sam said with an embarrassed laugh. 

Danny himself felt a little embarrassed at the thought that Sam didn’t remember that day with as much fondness as he did.

“I thought you were flirting with me,” Danny said, hedging. “I guess I was wrong.”

Sam looked surprised. “I was!” He came close and eased Danny’s embarrassment with a lopsided smile, tucking his hand into the crook of Danny’s arm.

“I was definitely flirting with you, honey,” he said, kind and affectionate. “I mean, I sang you a love song from your favorite album of all time. I was one hundred percent wearing my heart on my sleeve and making a complete fool of myself.”

Danny softened and gave him a chaste kiss. “I don’t think you made a fool of yourself, love.”

Sam raised a brow. “No? What if I did it again right now?”

Without waiting for Danny’s answer, he pressed his clasped hands to his chest in a dramatic gesture.

“Danny my love, you’ll be my love. You’ll be my sky above, Danny my love.”

Danny laughed and shushed him with a hand to his mouth as they gained troubled glances from other customers and a wolf whistle from one of Sam’s brothers.

Mr. Miller called to them from behind the counter. “Haven’t you boys quit flirting and actually gotten together yet?”

All of them laughed, and Jake wryly assured the older man that the two singing idiots had indeed gotten together.

Mr. Miller shook his head. “About time.”

Sam looked up at Danny with a beaming grin. “I was flirting with you this time, too, just so you know.”

Danny chuckled and gave him a quick kiss. “I figured.”

After a while, Danny found Baby flipping through the John Denver section with a look of concentration.

“Don’t you have most of these?” he asked. She and Josh had adopted John Denver as “their” artist, and from what he could remember of their collection at home, they had almost all of his albums.

“Yeah,” she said, a little distracted. “But we don’t have Rocky Mountain Christmas yet, and I wanted to get it for Josh this year.”

He helped her look, and after a few moments, he pulled out a blue and white album with painted mountains on the cover. “This one?”

She gave him a sweet, joyful smile he couldn't help but return.

“Yes!” she said happily, taking it when he offered it to her. “Thank you, Danny. That's exactly what I was looking for.”

She looked up at him. “Did you find anything for Sam?”

He shrugged. “I can’t think of a record he wants that he doesn't already have,” he said. “He’s hard to buy for, you know that.”

“Tell me about it,” she agreed as they walked to the counter together. “Josh and I got him a Polaroid, so I hope he’ll like it.”

“He’ll love it,” Danny assured her. “That’s a great gift for him. Did you have it shipped here?” Since they’d decided on the trip, they’d been sending their packages to the Kiszkas' for Kelly to hide, and they had a lot of wrapping to do that night to get everything ready.

She nodded. “Kelly said it got there yesterday, so it was just in the nick of time.”

She handed the record to Mr. Miller and asked him to keep it with the rest of their picks, and Danny blocked Josh’s way when he tried to come close.

“What are you, her bodyguard?” Josh laughed.

Danny shook a stern finger at him. “Christmas is no time for snooping, Mr. Kiszka.”

Josh grinned. “Fine. We’re ready to go when you guys are.”

They rejoined the group when they’d said their goodbyes to Mr. Miller, a little relieved to find it had stopped snowing while they were shopping. Sam took Danny’s hand as they walked, and Danny laughed when he found that Sam actually did only have one singular glove.

“Here,” he said, making to take off his own and give them to him.

“Aw, Dan, you don't have to give me your gloves,” Sam said, surprised but touched that he would offer. “Just hold my hand and I’ll be fine.”

Danny gladly did as he said. The feel of Sam’s hand in his still sent a thrill through him like the first time he’d felt it, and he knew he’d never tire of the little ways Sam came up with to be close to him. 

“Alright, boys, strap in,” Sparrow said, rubbing her mittened hands together in gleeful anticipation as they came up to Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland. The gigantic building was festooned top to bottom in garlands and lights, and even from the outside it lived up to its billing as the world's largest Christmas store. Danny smiled as he watched Jake join in his girlfriend’s excitement and saw Josh snap a picture of the sign with the disposable camera Baby had brought.

“You ready?” Danny asked, looking to his boyfriend with a grin.

Sam shrugged. “Oh, sure.”

Danny chuckled. “You promise you won’t hate it?” he teased. Though Sam would never admit it, fearing to tarnish his rockstar reputation, he loved going to Bronner’s and looked forward to it every year.

Sam gave him a grudging smile. “I think I’ll survive.”

They wove through life-size nativity scenes and towering nutcrackers until they came to the door, entering into a sprawling display of festivity. The girls gave delighted giggles and dragged their boyfriends off to look at the huge Christmas village exhibits and hundreds upon hundreds of ornaments that sparkled and shone from every corner. Sam and Danny took a moment to take it all in, looking over the waterfalls of twinkling lights, giant baubles suspended from the ceiling, and many-tiered displays of Santas, presents, and brightly-lit trees.

Danny snuck a glance at his boyfriend and softened at the look of boyish wonder and excitement of Sam’s face. Spurred by affectionate impulse, he kissed Sam’s cheek. 

“Merry Christmas, love.”

Sam pinked and gave him a bashful grin.

“Merry Christmas, Dan.”

They whiled away the morning at Bronner’s, spending a long time in leisurely enjoyment of the sights and sounds of Christmas. When they’d seen all there was to see and successfully dissuaded the girls from buying the entire store, they had lunch at the Christmas Town Pub at the farmer’s market and talked over mugs of mulled wine.

“You’re not doing this whole vegan thing with Sammy, right?” Josh asked, snagging one of the fries that had come with Danny’s bratwurst. Baby batted his hand away and pushed her fries towards him.

“I don’t mind sharing,” Danny said, giving her a smile. “And to answer your question, Josh, I think I’d qualify myself as a selective vegan.”

Sparrow laughed. “So not really a vegan.”

“Well, we’ve been doing it at home,” Sam said. “Danny’s been a real champ so far.”

“I’m not going vegan for you, Sparrow,” Jake said. “I mean, I love you, but I really, really like meat.”

“Yes, honey, I know. You and your steaks.”

Jake put a hand to his chest. “You don't like my steaks?”

She rolled her eyes but smiled all the same. “Of course I like them, Jakey. I like anything you cook. You know what else I like?”

He smirked. “My world-famous kisses?”

She laughed. “Those too. I was going to say mulled wine, but if you would be so kind as to get me some more, I’ll let you give me one of those world-famous kisses.”

Josh and Baby asked for more too, and Sam offered to help Jake carry them.

“You want another one?” he asked Danny.

Danny finished his drink and raised his mug. “Sure, why not.”

They lingered for a while over their drinks, and Danny started to feel the pull of exhaustion again as the wine and warm food worked their magic. Sam’s hand running up and down his back, though a welcome touch, wasn’t helping him in his losing battle. Sparrow and Josh, too, were looking ready for a nap, and their partners were happy to have them rest their heads on their shoulders. 

“We’re losing them, Jake,” Sam said with a laugh. He looked over at Danny. “My big guy's about ready to crash, huh?”

Danny gave him a drowsy smile. “I like it when you call me that.”

Sam chuckled. “I'm glad. You are my big guy.” He brushed Danny's hair over his shoulder. “You ready to head home?”

Danny stifled a yawn behind his hand. “Probably. If everybody else is.”

“I think we should call it before Sparrow falls asleep at the table,” Jake said, kissing her cheek. “We can take a power nap and come back for ice skating later.”

Jake offered to drive home, and Danny leaned against Sam as they rode. With a bit of persuasion, Sam got him out of the car and into bed.

“Just one more minute, sweetheart,” Sam said, kneeling down to take off Danny’s boots for him. Danny felt his heart squeeze at the selfless gesture and rested his head against Sam’s for a moment.

Sam breathed a laugh. “You alright?”

Danny hummed in agreement. “I love you a lot, Sam.”

Sam set Danny's boots to the side and tipped his face up for a kiss, which Danny gladly gave.

“I love you a lot too, big guy.”

Danny snuggled close to Sam when they were both under the covers, and Sam brushed Danny's hair back from his face.

“I’m glad I get to spend Christmas with you now, Sam.”

Sam's laugh was soft. “We’ve always spent Christmas together, love,” he said. “Even when we were kids.”

Danny cuddled closer. “You know what I mean. I’m glad I get to spend Christmas with you like this.”

Sam relaxed with a contented sigh and gave Danny a gentle kiss.

“Yeah,” he agreed, and Danny could hear the smile in his voice. “You’re right. This kind of Christmas is way better.”

if you’d like to be tagged in this fic, please send me an ask! ♡

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sorry if tumblr didn’t tag you — it’s stupid sometimes. but i’m real thankful for you, sweet peaches! and if you’re a new bestie and would like to be added to my taglist, check out the form right here!

[yourlocalmissingtexture]

There’s this thing my mom, grandma, me, and some of my great aunts so that I’m sure is pretty common but honestly I don’t see that often (might have something to do with the fact that I don’t get out much but eh). Idk but I really like it because it’s so silly.

Unless the subject is like deathly serious, if people are talking and someone says something just right, we’ll get reminded of a song and can’t help but sing.

Some hypotheticals that I could absolutely see happening because I can’t think of any specific examples:

“Wait you guys aren’t talking about me are you?”

“You’re so vain, you probably think this song is about you, you’re so vain (You’re So Vaaaaain), I bet you think this song is ABOUT YOU, DON’T YOU, DON’T YOOOOOOOU?”

“Show me where you found that.”

“SHOW ME HOW TO LIE YOU’RE GETTING BETTER ALL THE TIME AND TURNING ALL AGAINST THE ONE IS AN ART THAT’S HARD TO TEACH”

[talking about a movie] “It came out in 1985.”

“Debbie just hit the wall, she never had it all, one Prozac a day, husband’s a CPA, her dreams went out the door! When she turned 24. Only been with one man, what happened to her plan?”

“I can’t get this thing to go back together.”

“I know the pieces fit ‘cause I watched them fall away mildewed and smoldering, fundamental differing-”

Then of course there’s the random unrelated singing. Mostly Mom and I do that. Often it’s stuff stuck in ours heads but sometimes I’ll just randomly remember a song and have to sing it. We annoy the shit out of each other with those because she listens to tons of slow songs (which are fine! Just most aren’t my thing) and I usually have Insane Clown Posse or Rammstein stuck in mine.

Idk. Family bonding lmao.

[thisaintascenereviews]

SeeYouSpaceCowboy - Coup De Grace

Nostalgia is often cyclical, as certain decades will become the aesthetic trend in the zeitgeist for a certain time, whether it was the 80s a decade ago, the 90s a few years ago, and the 00s now. That nostalgia doesn’t just include fashion, but it includes all facets of pop culture, especially music. A lot of 00s influences are being incorporated into all types of genres, especially metalcore. Over the past five years, a lot of younger bands are popping up that have been influenced by bands that came before them, especially when they grew up during the 00s and early 2010s. Many folks consider the 00s to be the crux of the metalcore scene, and a lot of bands getting big now are around my age (late 20s and early 30s) that listened to a lot of the “veterans,” so to speak. Some of these bands want to merely emulate that sound, but others want to deconstruct it and re-examine it. That’s what the band SeeYouSpaceCowboy does, especially on their new album, Coup De Grace, and it makes for one of the most interesting and visceral albums of the year.

Let’s back up a second, though, as there is some context to understand before going into this album. SeeYouSpaceCowboy dropped their debut album in 2019, after putting out a compilation EP beforehand that took their first couple of EPs and combined them together. They started off as a mathcore and metalcore band that was very rooted in the 00s, but their sound wasn’t anything I hadn’t heard before. It was done well, but it felt like it was trying to emulate that sound, versus do anything new with it. Since then, they’ve put out two albums, their debut in 2019, and their sophomore in 2021. I never reviewed either album, because I wasn’t writing about music at the time, but if I had to sum them up, I’d say they’re good albums, but short of great.

Their sophomore album, especially, really felt like they were just trying to sound like their influences, despite how they were adding some clean choruses and more melodic elements into the mix. It was interesting, so I was curious about where the band would go from there, because where can you go after making a couple of albums that are pretty generic (yet still quite good)? Turns out, you can go in a really cool direction, because Coup De Grace really surprised me by deconstructing a lot of sounds from the 00s, and doing something really cool with them. This album really sounds like it would have come out in the 00s, whether it’s due to the album cover itself, its myriad of sounds from the era, or its over the top concept that works insanely well.

This album is such a fascinating look at how you can try to both emulate your influences and re-examine them. I can’t blame someone if they listen to this, and think it copies a bunch of stuff from the 00s, because it kind of does. There are elements of metalcore, mathcore, post-hardcore, emo, pop-punk, and even some dance-punk from that era, and it all reminds me of something else, but it’s done so well that it doesn’t matter. That’s especially because SeeYouSpaceCowboy is still able to put their own spin on these ideas, and this still sounds like a SYSC record, regardless. They just want to show off more influences, especially melodic ones, and this album is a blast from start to finish. It’s one of my favorites of the year, and it really surprised me on my first listen.

I had no idea what to expect, but this album has a cool concept that is framed as a play with a jazzy and baroque introduction, interlude, and ending song that tells a loose story. This album is supposed to be less about personal struggles from vocalist Connie Sgarbossa, and more about characters, which is very 00s coded. It reminds me a lot of Panic! At The Disco’s A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out, but with more of a metalcore and post-hardcore sound. The lyrics on this thing are absolutely wonderful, but so is Sgarbossa. Her vocals are still just as great as they have been, whether it’s her brutal screams or those whiny yelps that she does, which were very common in the 00s. Guitarist Taylor Allen contributes a lot of clean vocals on this record, even more than on any other of their albums, but he sounds great. He even takes lead on a handful of songs, but the clean choruses on this album are so much fun, and never feel shoehorned in.

Musically, as I said beforehand, this album takes a lot of influences and distills them into a single package, but it’s a very off the wall, unpredictable, and insane album that switches up between every song (or sometimes within the same song). It never feels jarring, either, but it keeps you on your toes. I haven’t heard an album like this in a long time, maybe since The Callous Daoboys dropped their debut in 2019, because this album truly threw me for a loop, and it takes sounds I already really liked and re-examines them. If you want a really heavy, catchy, and unpredictable record that takes on a lot of sounds from the 00s, check out this new SeeYouSpacwCowboy album. It’s easily my favorite album of theirs, and one of my favorite albums of the year so far.