#some characters share songs because I think they fit them both. it's like their playlists are interacting in a way

[aecholapis]

Helios (Youtube | Spotify)

Aegis (Youtube | Spotify)

Proteus (Youtube | Spotify)

Sentinel (Spotify)

Zeta (Spotify)

OP (Spotify)

Megs & Leader-1 (Spotify)

[steddieunderdogfics]

This week’s writer spotlight feature is:  @hairstevington! With 38 Stranger Things works, they've published 25 in the Steve Harrington/Eddie Munson tag and counting!!

@marvel-ous-m recommends the following works by @hairstevington:

Deaf Steve AU

call me when you get this

i wanna cut to the feeling

They’re such a fantastic author!!! I love their fics so so much. They bring such joy and realism into their writing, and have a fantastic sense of humor. Sending so much love to @hairstevington for being such an inspiration, cheerleader, and for breaking my heart just to put it back together again whenever I read their writing. <3 -- @marvel-ous-m

Below the cut, @hairstevington answered some questions about their writing process and some of their recommended work!

Why do you write Steddie?

I got into Steddie completely by accident. I hadn’t written fanfiction prior to Stranger Things Volume 2, and I basically fast-tracked the learning curve lol. I think it just took a couple posts on Tumblr for me to see the vision, and then the brainrot just did its thing for 2+ years and counting. I like their dynamic, their banter, how they’re both idiots. Chef’s kiss!

What’s your favorite trope to READ?

I’m such a sucker for slow-burn romance, enemies to lovers, and fake-dating. 

What’s your favorite trope to WRITE?

I write what I like to read, mostly! But I tend to do a lot of “firsts.” First time falling in love, first kiss, etc. 

What’s your favorite Steddie fic?

That I’ve written? Oh, gosh. “Freaky Friday (Steddie’s Version)” or “i can’t tune you out.” I think those two inspired me the most while writing, so I have a soft spot for them. OF COURSE I also love and adore the Deaf Steve AU. Hard to choose! If it’s one I’ve read?? Oh man, too many to list. There are so many amazing writers out there <3

Is there a trope you’re excited to explore in a future work but haven’t yet?

Not really a trope, but maybe podfic?? It’s an interesting avenue I haven’t explored yet!

What is your writing process like?

I take a lot of notes on my phone throughout the day about what I want to add to my stories when I get home. For the Deaf Steve series I’ve got a playlist I listen to a LOT and that keeps me in the universe. I also map out the general plot. My current season 4 rewrite has the most extensive outline I’ve ever done (character and group arc breakdowns, motivations, etc). But most of the time, I just sit at my computer and go!

Do you have any writing quirks?

I HAVE to write in chronological order. If I write a future scene, I’ll fall in love with it, and by the time I get there it won’t fit anymore. Tragic!

Do you prefer posting when you’ve finished writing or on a schedule?

I don’t have a schedule. I would love to have one, because I like routine and it gives people something concrete to follow, but at this point I can’t commit to a schedule since I’m so busy. 

Which fic are you most proud of?

It has to be Deaf Steve, right??? Both parts of that have taken a LOT of brain power. Learning how to incorporate sign language into my writing was a huge challenge. It was interesting though to write Steve’s POV, because he often is left out of the conversation, which was frustrating for me to write and frustrating for him as a character. 

How did you get the idea for songs that voices never share?

Oh!! That was ENTIRELY a fluke. I am in the Stranger Things Writers Guild, and every day we have a “daily drabble.” One day, the prompt was “quiet.” For whatever reason, I wrote about a hundred or so words of Steve having gone deaf, then being introduced to Eddie, who knows ASL. A lot of people requested more, so I fleshed it out and made it a full fic!

When writing songs that voices never share, what was something you didn’t expect?

I didn’t expect so many people to resonate with it!! The amount of comments I got about how important the representation was motivated me to keep going, even when the project went above and beyond its roots. It started as a drabble, then was planned as a 7 chapter fic, which turned into a multi-part series. Wild!

What inspired call me when you get this?

That was another one from the Stranger Things Writers Guild! I wanted a writing exercise, and someone suggested a story through voicemails, and I thought that was so cool I ran with it. 

What was your favorite part to write from we can be heroes?

Oh, man!! I had never written suspense/horror before, so that was new territory for me. I wanted to capture the energy of season 1, and I tried to do that by diverting from canon and subverting expectations. I also loved being able to change all the things from canon I didn’t like lol. And, for the record - the part I’ve been MOST excited to write since the fic started hasn’t happened yet, so more good stuff to come!

How do/did you feel writing i wanna cut to the feeling?

Aww, this fic <3 I started writing it while I was sick with Covid the week of Christmas, 2022. It was my first long-form Steddie fic, and I had a blast, but it’s interesting now to look back and see how I’ve evolved as a writer. You can even see my writing skill develop over the course of the fic! Very cool. I also had so much audience engagement for that one. The Trish Takedown™ was extraordinary - I have NEVER had so many readers band together to hate a single character lol.

What was the most difficult part of writing i wanna cut to the feeling?

At the time, it was the most popular thing I’d ever written, and I felt a lot of pressure to get it right. I had a WHOLE inner conflict about whether I “needed” to include smut. I was so worried people would drop off if I didn’t include it, but ultimately decided to do what I was most comfortable with. I don’t think a single person complained, and now I don’t feel the pressure!

Do you have a favorite scene and/or line from any of your fics?

One that I have always adored is from i can’t tune you out. (That’s the one where Eddie and Steve are rivaling musicians who are fake-dating as a PR stunt to promote their new albums). Eddie listens to one of Steve’s new songs and goes on a whole rant about how all music nowadays is formulaic, soulless, and predictable with no fire in it. And he says, “but this? I felt it.” And Steve asks, “the fire?” and Eddie says, “No. You.” It’s a huge turning point in their relationship and things keep growing from there!  Oh, also, the entirety of Chapter 13 of songs that voices never share!

Do you have any upcoming projects or fics you’d like to share/promote?

I am currently writing a fic that is a modern day AU where Eddie, Steve, El, Max, Chrissy, and Argyle are in group therapy, led by Bob (it’s called “the hardest part is who we are”). If you like the thought of the characters processing their trauma together and Eddie and Steve falling in love with each other in the meantime, go check it out! It’s full of feels and at times heavy but also soft at the same time?? I’ve loved writing it so far. 

Outside of these questions, Is there anything YOU would like to add?

TO WHOEVER NOMINATED ME - thank you!!! I am genuinely so honored. These questions were awesome, this account is awesome, and so much of the joy and inspiration I feel while writing comes from the people reading who resonate with it. It makes me feel so connected to you all, and so seen. So, thank you’s all around, my friends! 

Thank you to our author, @hairstevington, and our nominator, @marvel-ous-m! See more of @hairstevington works featured on our page throughout the day!

Writer’s Spotlight is every Wednesday! Want to nominate an author? You can nominate them here!

[ranticore]

Helloo I have questions for you re: the author ask you reblogged recently!! If you'd like for Félix and Islin: 2, 3, 4, 12, 14, 19 (and 20 if you'd like!)

let's fucking GOOOOOOO!!!

2: How long was the process before the character reached its final version? (or a version that would be clearly recognizable as the character?)

F: day fucking one babey i knew his entire life story from the first second i drew him. the only things that changed are some minor appearance details. the FINAL final version has not arrived yet because i haven't finished writing the third book ;)

I: sure he looked different but in terms of personality and behaviour, the early him was very similar to what ended up in the books. what has changed is my understanding of him (<- that is to say, he always behaved the same, but i had to keep teasing out WHY he did that to reach what felt like a 'true' conclusion)

3: What was the first thing you decided on, the character's name, appearance, personality or their role in the story?

F: "oh I have to make a guy to be Jean's Twin Brother" so role in the story I guess

I: Absolutely the religiosity, there had to be a tension between his morals and what he did for a living (among the magpies). Personality I guess

4: And reverse, which one of the four things did you struggle with the most?

F: Name. I am TERRIBLE at naming

I: .... Name

12: Do you have a playlist for the character? What songs do you associate with them and why?

Both of them had separate playlists, but I hated how it crowded my spotify playlist window thingy to have so many, and there was a lot of overlap, so I consolidated their playlists into 1 big MVF draft one playlist with no rhyme or reason and no consistent anything

For songs, I can pick some random ones now just by hitting shuffle. It's a playlist I actually don't listen to much anymore (I made a new one for the rewrite) so this is a fun time capsule

Ok first Islin one i got was Devil Devil by MILCK, Point of Creation by Markéta Irglová, Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys OF COURSE, Judas by Lady Gaga... of course..., Los Ageless by St. Vincent, No Light No Light by Florence + The Machine, Without a Map by Markéta Irglová, and Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) by Florence + The Machine naturally

for Félix i got Heat Waves by Glass Animals, What's a Devil to Do by Harley Poe, A Mask of My Own Face by Lemon Demon hehe, Like a Prayer by Madonna, The Stolen Child - 2006 Remaster by the Waterboys (this is just. The Poem. yknow the one), Stalker's Tango by Autoheart, and finally Bad Believer by St. Vincent

14: Do you have any quotes tied to the character, either from the story itself or from another source that fit them?

Oh hmmm I don't think so? It would be hard to pick one line out of thousands except who am I kidding it's this line from the first draft of the book i'm writing right now

it's so dumb

19: What is your general favourite thing about the character? What is your least favourite?

F: who's to say

I: i like how mean-spirited he can be at times despite all illusions to the contrary. huge fan personally

20: Bonus question: share any additional thoughts, art, favourite scenes, anything you've been waiting for a chance to ramble about

i got nothing lol i tried going to random spots in the document but i'm not feeling any excerpts rn

[starlitprism]

Prepping for a Tabletop Game: Who Should Do It?

So some of you are probably reading the title and going "... the game master or whatever. They should prep. Obviously." And generally speaking, that's correct. Unless they are an absolutely kickass improv type who has enough confidence to set something important on fire because you "know what you are doing" you're probably going to want to prep!

Now, much like some of the other stuff I have written, I am not here to advocate for one thing over another but I do want to talk about my own habits that may or may almost certainly not be unique. If you want a quick and easy "what do you mean" check out this little post for an example. Plus it's funny

So yeah, I prep for games even as a player. Sometimes it means bringing music for specific scenes or making up mechanics for party games or more. Oftentimes it means sitting down with my character playlist before games, finding the song to fit my characters mood, and blasting it before session to get me in the zone. This is all prep in a way.

So how else do I prep when I am not GMing?

Oh that's simple!

I just... oh wait I had a whole post on this. Ok maybe not so simple.

You can consult your GM, talk through changes as your character develops. Keep them updated on where they are at (this is very important, btw, when you tell your GM to "make you bleed" as I have found out repeatedly). Other things you can do is talk about character direction, the character's mindset, and possible pitfalls due to that mindset. These are ALL a form of prep and you don't even necessarily need to tell your GM; especially if they aren't interested in engaging like that. Some aren't. Some are busy. Me though? GM or player, that's my jam.

I have been engaging in such a way because my most recent character is kind of extreme in her reactions. Her feelings are big both in a positive and a negative sense and they can tend to overwhelm her and her thought processes which means, sometimes, I consult with my GM to come up with ideas on how to steer her towards the rest of the group instead of away. Towards ummm... shall we say a productive outllet for that energy.

Now some of you might go "or you could just make the harmonious choice anyway regardless of what she would do" and to those who can do this, I applaud you. I cannot.

This might be an autistic thing where not being true to the character just makes me feel like I am not playing them anymore. By which I mean that is exactly what I feel and therefore such choices are actively unpleasant to make. I know I am getting caught up in the details and the specifics because that is just how I work. However, that doesn't mean my solution is just wallow in the "problem." Because I see this conflicts not as a problem but an opportunity.

It's the "yes and-" portion of the bit so to speak. And insofar, despite playing a character who started very abrasive and disconnected, it's ABSOLUTELY ROCKED to play her because of this attention to detail and conversations about the character. Thank you @trishyeves for your constant amazingness as my GM. Little shoutout. We've never come up on a problem that was so impossible that we couldn't come up with a solution. Not once. Problems and disconnects are opportunities for narrative!

So for those of you who read this I am most curious to hear how you all prep either as a GM but especially as a player. HELL, if you got some fun stories involving the same please share that as well!

But anyway, who should prep? My personal favorite answer is anyone who feels up for it and wants to. Creating is very rewarding and every time we do it, it's a step towards bettering our own understanding of our process. PLUS, it make sit ways easier on the GM if they working with you. Every step of this refines it, sharpens it, and allows you to better figure out how to create something amazing. And not to harp on an old point, but when you work with your GM or your players, you start refining your ability to understand what others are thinking and where they are coming from.

And for me? Favorite part of collaborative storytelling

[kristencsummerlin]

Soul Eater Head cannons lol

1: Maka is a role-player. (This is mostly because Laura Bailey her voice actress is a major role-player) oddly enough her characters tend to be magic users because playing a heroic witch just fills her.

2: Maka drinks Dr Pepper mainly because she happened to randomly leave Tsugumi one at the top of the stairs in Soul Eater Not. Which fills my day because I fucking love Dr Pepper.

3: Soul loves and hates Billy Joel. He loves the guy's music and everything but he knows for a fact that everyone sees him as their Piano Man and it annoys him.

4: Kid has both OCD and OCPD because he shows signs of both disabilities.

5: I've stated this before but I'm 99 percent sure that Excalibur plays everything he does up because he doesn't want anyone to wield him. Hiro passed everything and when it was basically long enough for the sword to know enough of the kid he suddenly was dealing with a sneeze fit.

6: Blair ships Maka and Soul which is why she goes out of her way to flirt with Soul just to make Maka angry. She thinks it's proof that Maka has feelings.

7: Ragnarök is overprotective of Crona like an older sibling. The whole "I'm allowed to pick on them as long as I want. But if someone else does it I'm going for their heads."

8: Blackstar is the glue to the group. He has formed a bond with at least everyone in some way. If he got hurt their will be an army of angry people wanting to revenge him.

9: Kid and Monica from Friends are soul siblings and you can't tell me otherwise. Like I see Kid having a vacuum for his vacuum in case he needed to vacuum his vacuum.

10: The Group watch bad horror movies together to play their own home version of Mystery Science Theater. However Kid mostly gets annoyed and fumes over the movies while everyone else makes jokes.

11: Soul and Liz share music playlists and songs on Spotify. Or the Soul Eater version of it. Like Skullify.

12: Sid plays father figure to all the orphans that join the DWMA. Possibly because he was one and knows how it feels to not have a parent in one's life.

13: Kid has a list of mother figures. Which he's honored and annoyed by.

14: Hiro had a weapon partner but they got injured and or went home which is why he's looked at as the worst meister because he hasn't done any missions sense joining the E.A.T. classes.

[pigeon-smidge]

✦✩ Crowley & Aziraphale (Taylor’s Version) ✩✦

So for the past couple of months I’ve been pouring my heart and soul into an analysis masterpost of this playlist, a Crowley and Aziraphale playlist comprised purely of Taylor Swift songs. I had been curating this playlist for a little while over the latter half of last year, and around November or so I decided to write up an analysis for why I’ve included each song! Some are about a specific character, some about their relationship, and many are about both! Five-ish months and eighteen pages of analysis later, here we are. It’s been so awesome to combine probably my two biggest interests, and even if you’re not a swiftie, I encourage you to read some of this if you’d like to!! You might find some songs you really like the sound of. If you like it, please support :) I spent so long on this

The track list is as follows:

All You Had to Do Was Stay

Say Don’t Go

How You Get the Girl

You are in Love

Wildest Dreams

hoax

peace

mirrorball

Come Back … Be Here

The Very First Night

All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

The Archer

Death by a Thousand Cuts

Cruel Summer

tolerate it

champagne problems

ivy

Back to December

The Great War

Midnight Rain

Tied Together With A Smile

Don’t Blame Me

Dancing With Our Hands Tied

✩✩✩✩

Notes: song titles are in the same order as the track list. they're numbered and colour-coded by album (1989 and midnights share the same colour, as do folklore and rep because Tumblr has limited options) so it’s easier for people to find specific songs they want. They’re not in any particular meaningful order, just grouped by album. If you want to read specific song analysis, please scroll to that point, or open this post in its own window and do a page search (on mac it’s command+f , but I’m not sure about other operating systems.) Obligatory disclaimer that this is all my subjective analysis, both of Taylor’s songs and Crowley and Aziraphale’s characters. I am not making any assumptions about the creative intentions behind them, these are purely what they mean in my view. What I think is not necessarily what the creators intended. If you disagree with anything, that’s fine!! Just please don’t be rude about it. I’d love to hear what you have to say about it!! If you’ve got any thoughts or additions, please add them in a reply or reblog, and we can make it a discussion :D Check back in the future if you want, because I might be adding more depending on if I have some new ideas! ✩✩✩✩

Alright, with that stuff said, here we are!! Grab a snack and get cozy if you want, this is a long one. You can read as much or as little as you want!! I hope you enjoy :)

✦✩ Crowley & Aziraphale (Taylor’s Version) ✩✦

All You Had to Do Was Stay

Title is self-explanatory. However it fits both perspectives; Crowley begging Aziraphale to stay with him and to not leave for Heaven, and Aziraphale begging Crowley to stay with him. They both view the other as being opposed to their own plight because their failure to communicate leads to misunderstandings. Specifically the choruses are most relevant. The verses don’t really feel like they fit; they’re very, very angry and bitter, and describe a relationship that the narrator has pretty much moved on from (‘and people like me are gone forever when you say goodbye’ & ‘now you say you want it back, now that it’s just too late’ to name a few lyrics). I don’t think this is accurate to them as I don’t think they’re going to be able to move on in this way. I also don’t think they’re this angry with each other. The narrator, in the verses specifically, describes their partner in a very reductive way. ‘People like you [..]’ etc, is a very insulting way of talking. Not that either party isn’t upset with the other; I think they’re both very confused and hurt. But I don’t think they’re at the stage where they can be this vitriolic. Partially due to character reasons, and also because obviously the story isn’t going to end with them in the exact positions they’re in now (otherwise there wouldn’t be a third season and the show would be very unsatisfactory). They’re upset, but they’re resigned and bitter, as opposed to outwardly aggressive about the other. ✦ Notable lyrics: ‘You were all I wanted, but not like this’ Because Crowley wants Aziraphale but only if they can stay the same, not both angels in Heaven.  ‘Had me in the palm of your hand, why’d you have to go and lock me out when I let you in?’ Because Crowley poured his heart out and from his perspective Aziraphale didn’t think him enough to leave Heaven behind for. 2. Say Don’t Go

This is THE Aziracrow song. I had a 1989 (Taylor’s Version) listening party with my friends and when this played I went WAIT … especially the second verse and the bridge. The entire song is about begging someone to say that they want you to stay. Even though they both did tell the other they wanted to stay together, neither of them actually realised that’s what they were saying. ✦ Notable lyrics:

‘Cause you kiss me and it stops time, and I’m yours, but you’re not mine.’ The first half of the sentence being from Aziraphale’s perspective in reference to the kiss, and the second from Crowley’s, in reference to how Crowley’s much more accepting of his romantic feelings. 

‘I’m standing on the sidewalk, alone. I wait for you to drive by. I’m trying to see the cards that you won’t show.’ Because of those shots in the Final Fifteen with both of them ‘standing on the sidewalk’ watching each other from opposite sides of the road. Also, any lyrics with references to cars or driving makes me think of these two. ‘Cards that you won’t show’ is very interesting lyric, because it’s a reference to Aziraphale’s love for human magic tricks, and also to their inability to actually properly express and explain their thoughts to each other. ‘I said ‘I love you’, you say nothing back.’ Crowley’s perspective. 3. How You Get the Girl

This song is about how to apologise to someone after breaking their heart … while the breakup was not entirely Aziraphale’s fault (they BOTH need to learn to communicate and properly confront their feelings), some of the lyrics do have some similarities to their relationship.

✦Notable lyrics: ‘That you were too afraid to tell her what you want.’ He was just scared about what his feelings for Crowley mean :( 4. You are in Love

The single happy song on this playlist. Honestly, it’s a song which isn’t that specific to them and I feel like it’s applicable to every ship ever; you know, the Love Song. However, there are some lyrics in this song that have some of their vibes. The whole song is about how love is constant and yet unable to be put into words or exactly understood, which perfectly describes them. ✦ Notable lyrics: ‘He says ‘look up’, and your shoulders brush’ reminds me of someone telling someone else to look up at the stars !!! because Crowley made the stars and he was so happy about them :( and Aziraphale remembered that AHHHHHH

‘and why I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words’ it’s ineffable <3

5. Wildest Dreams This song is about falling in love with someone while knowing that it can never last.The relationship in this song is one that is magnetic and beautiful and messy, and the protagonist enters it while knowing it’s going to end but wanting to stay anyway. This describes their relationship perfectly. They both have a tendency to repress their feelings because they both feel like they can never be acted upon. Even them being friends is something that is constantly fraught with danger, something that they actively need to fight for if they want to keep it (See The Great War). To Aziraphale, indeed to both of them before their shared realisation of ‘this is possible’ because of Gabriel and Beelzebub’s confession, their relationship only ever existed in their ‘wildest dreams.’

✦Notable lyrics:

‘He said, “Let's get out of this town, drive out of the city, away from the crowds.” I thought, “Heaven can't help me now” Nothing lasts forever, but this is gonna take me down.’ All of Crowley’s invitations to run away; invitations that are always declined, even if Aziraphale wants so badly to go with him. There’s always a duty that pulls him away, something he feels he needs to fix before things can be how he wants them to be.

‘Nothing lasts forever’ HAHAHAHA … ‘I said, “No one has to know what we do.”’ A relationship that’s kept hidden. “He’s so tall, and handsome as hell. He’s so bad, but he does it so well.”Beauty and love that pulls you in, but feels wicked and frightening. See Cruel Summer.

6. hoax 

THE Crowley song. About loving someone who exposes your vulnerabilities; they feel like part of who you are, so they’re also your biggest weakness. ✦Notable lyrics: ‘Stood on the cliff side screaming ‘give me a reason’’ is very much ‘show me a Great Plan.’ ‘My best laid plan, your sleight of hand.’ References to magic!! Crowley prepared and tried to gain enough confidence to confess to Aziraphale and ask for them to run away together, but Aziraphale’s ‘sleight of hand’ and the Metatron’s influence messed with that. It looked like he was actually going to confess and they maybe had a chance, but then that all fell apart because he didn’t foresee any reason why Aziraphale would go back to Heaven . ‘You knew it still hurts underneath my scars from when they pulled me apart, but what you did was just as dark. Darling, this was just as hard as when they pulled me apart.’ Aziraphale ‘abandoning’ him hurt him greatly, as it felt like such a core part of him was being torn away. This is akin to what Falling would likely have been like, obviously not the same, but in both instances his sense of normal, his identity, and everything that he held dear to him was destroyed.  

‘You know I left a part of me back in New York.’Crowley and Aziraphale can both never truly leave the other without leaving ‘a part’ of themselves behind, because they’re so intertwined in each other's existences. 

7. peace

Describes how they could never find peace with each other because ‘hereditary enemies’ etc etc etc. They can’t be safe together; for a long time they couldn’t even admit their friendship because it would mean danger. We can still see this in Aziraphale; he’s constantly afraid of doing the wrong thing when he should be a good angel.

8. mirrorball

THE Aziraphale song. Perhaps one of the most Aziraphale songs of all time I'm genuinely not joking or exaggerating it's SO GOOD. About a people pleaser who revolves their life around others. Their existence and value is determined by their role in relation to someone else and how well they serve said role. The image of a mirrorball, shining high above the dancefloor, providing light and a shiny jewel for everyone to look at, yet being all alone (that Taylor Swift described was the inspiration for the song), is very fitting. ✦ Notable lyrics:

‘I’ll show you every version of yourself tonight.’ For so much of his life, Az’s purpose has been to serve Heaven. This lyric reflects that. His character growth throughout the show largely focuses on him coming to terms with their lies and abuse, and forming moral codes of his own.

‘You are not like the regulars, the masquerade revellers, drunk as they watch my shattered edges glisten.’ ‘Masquerade revellers’ referring to the angels, watching Aziraphale ‘break in a million pieces’ to serve Heaven, without understanding that he has limits and he’s his own person.

‘Hush, when no one is around, my dear, you'll find me on my tallest tiptoes, spinning in my highest heels, love, shining just for you. Hush, I know they said the end is near. But I'm still on my tallest tiptoes, spinning in my highest heels, love, shining just for you.’ Aziraphale only really acts himself when it’s just him and Crowley and they’re free of Heaven and Hell’s observing forces. Also ‘I know they said the end is near’ ; reference to Armageddon!! ‘I’m still a believer, but I don’t know why, I’ve never been a natural, all I do is try try try’ He’s trying to be good but his warped understanding of what good is hindering that. He has such a low self-esteem especially in regards to his own ‘goodness’, hence he tries so hard :( he’s just trying to do the right thing but he doesn’t realise what he believes to be right is far from it ahhhhhh

‘I’m still on that tightrope, still trying everything to keep you looking at me.’ Remember the ‘I’m standing on a tightrope, alone.’ Lyric from Say Don’t Go? He’s positioned above everyone else, on a completely different level to them, representing his isolation and unique status as really one of the only angels who’s simultaneously trying to do the right thing to help people while following the will of Heaven, things which often contradict each other.

9. Come Back …. Be Here

Long distance anthem!!!!! Them pining after each other after the s2 finale when they’re separated; it mostly feels like Crowley’s pov. 

✦ Notable lyrics: ‘taxi cabs and busy streets that never bring you back to me’ London is busy, but to Crowley, it feels empty because one of the things he loved the most is gone. ‘If I'd known what I know now, I never would have played so nonchalant.’ Because their own constant inability to confront their feelings and dancing around their relationship is what lead to their misunderstanding and then them being separated. If they had actually talked about things together, maybe they’d have a better understanding of their relationship and what the other wants.

10. The Very First Night.Nostalgia and looking back on what was. Very fitting for a show with immortal beings that features their histories together all throughout time. ‘I knew the angel you used to be.’ ‘The angel you knew is not me.’ ✦ Notable lyrics:

‘I wish I could fly, I’d pick you up and we’d go back in time, I’d write this in the sky, I miss you like it was the very first night.’ opening scene of season two, CROWLEY MADE THE STARS DKAJNS They both want things between them to be normal and safe. Aziraphale thinks that them being together in Heaven, like things used to be, would ensure this, but Crowley of course wouldn’t touch it with a ten foot pole. ‘I wish I could fly’ is interesting. Falling being akin to clipping a bird’s wings; removing them of their power. Obviously Heaven would think taking away an Angel’s Heavenly status is a terrible punishment. It’s interesting because Crowley doesn’t actually wish he could fly because he doesn’t want to be an angel again. This lyric could be representative of both of their wishes for more power to be able to change things. They both want to be able to make things better for the two of them and for everyone else, Aziraphale just thinks he has to become a better angel and embrace his Heavenly duties even more in order to make things how he wants them (‘If I’m in charge, I can make a difference.’)

11. All Too Well (10 Minute Version)

One of her most iconic breakup songs …. but this song, and the 10 minute version specifically, has lots of lyrics that remind me of them. Notable lyrics: ‘Something ‘bout it felt like home, somehow’ Aziraphale was home to Crowley, when neither Heaven nor Hell ever treated Crowley like he had a place. One of my favourite metaphors in this show is the use of Crowley’s glasses to represent his vulnerability. The bookshop is one of the only places he ever takes them off because it’s the only place he feels really safe. Him taking them off during his confession only to put them back on again when he realises Aziraphale isn’t going to follow him, and then being on during the kiss is just so symbolic!!!! AJSNBSKDNSBSK ‘You almost ran the red cause you were looking over at me’ obligatory driving lyric ‘you used to be a little kid with glasses in a twin sized bed’ Crowley used to be so happy about making the stars :( ‘Oh, your sweet disposition, And my wide-eyed gaze’ THEM !!!! More vibes of them as angels though. ‘And I was thinkin' on the drive down: Any time now, he's gonna say it's love. You never called it what it was. ‘til we were dead and gone and buried, check the pulse and come back swearing, it's the same after three months in the grave. And then you wondered where it went to as I reached for you but all I felt was shame, and you held my lifeless frame’ This entire section is them. Aziraphale could never admit their friendship or his own feelings because of his relationship with heaven. He feels ‘shame’ because it’s not what he should be doing as an angel. ‘And there we are again when nobody had to know. You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath. Sacred prayer, and we'd swear to remember it all too well, yeah’ Hiding their relationship because az is afraid and it puts both of them in danger. However Crowley doesn’t have the same loyalty to heaven or hell so he keeps aziraphale like an ‘oath’ because it’s an important vow as opposed to something you have to keep hidden. Also any references to prayer is yeah !!!! ‘Well, maybe we got lost in translation, maybe I asked for too much.’ Because they never talk about their feelings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ‘They say all's well that ends well, but I'm in a new hell every time you double-cross my mind. You said ‘if we had been closer in age maybe it would've been fine’ and that made me want to die’ References to hell. Crowley thinks Az will only love him if they’re both angels (but this isn’t true, while Aziraphale does still have biases against Hell because of Heaven’s abuse -’You’re the bad guys!, etc-, he just wants them to be happy :( ) Also ‘every time you double-cross my mind’ is such a clever piece of lyricism. I’ve got nothing too deep to comment on with that one, it’s just plain clever. ‘The idea you had of me, who was she? A never-needy, ever-lovely jewel, whose shine reflects on you’ Again, Crowley thinks Az will only love him if they’re both angels. Aziraphale also deeply failed to understand that Crowley doesn’t want to go back to heaven; this section is from Crowley’s view that aziraphale only cares about him as an angel, which is partly true but he remembers how happy and safe they both were as angels, and he just wants that feeling back. ‘I'm a soldier who's returning half her weight’ fighting for a broken cause; applicable mostly to Aziraphale’s loyalty to Heaven, but could also have meaning in regards to him and Crowley (See The Great War). ‘I still remember the first fall of snow and how it glistened as it fell. I remember it all too well’ because they were together for the very first fall of rain EVER !!!1

12. The Archer This is perhaps one of Taylor’s most Crowley songs ever. His anxiety and paranoia. He’s constantly on edge, constantly worried. He’s lived consistently exposed to danger and lies in every single direction with Aziraphale being the only one he could really trust, and even then, the two of them weren’t ever fully honest with each other. ‘The archer’ is someone who is consistently ‘ready for combat’ and thus sabotages their relationships because of this and feels guilt for it. ✦Notable lyrics: ‘I jump from the train, I ride off alone.’ Crowley’s way of dealing with stressful things is to run away from them. He consistently abandons situations he isn’t prepared to deal with because he ‘never grew up’ and gained the ability to properly communicate his feelings. Him walking out the bookshop door and driving away could be a representation of him running away from his feelings for Aziraphale because the fragile hope he’d gained in the previous scene had been torn down.

‘I’ve got a hundred thrown out speeches I almost said to you.’ Because they never actually talk to each other:

‘Because you and Mr. Fell don’t ever talk to each other.’

‘We talk all the time, trust me. We’ve been talking for millions of years. Blah, blah, blah, blah. I say something brilliant, he says something unintentionally funny back, it’s great.’

‘You never say what you’re really thinking.’

‘I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost, the room is on fire, invisible smoke.’ Bookshop fire ….. also just general restlessness and inability to sleep; to rest, because he always feels like he needs to be fighting for what he has and wants otherwise he’ll lose it. 

‘All of my enemies started out friends, help me hold on to you’ Crowley’s whole life and sense of self was torn away from him and burned, and any relationships he managed to have before he Fell would have gone up in flames as well. His desperately self-sustaining and combative attitude towards existence was likely borne from this; being unsteady in anything he ever gained. Aziraphale obviously was the only relationship he really was able to ‘hold on to’,  but even the angel was never able to fully feel like he could be himself … and also, this lyric:

‘screaming who could ever leave me, darling? But who could stay? [….] you could stay.’ Except ‘he’ didn’t stay, did ‘he’?

13. Death by a Thousand Cuts

A breakup song about a relationship that you can’t move on from because it formed such a key part of you for so many years. It was ‘a great love; one for the ages’ yet you’re ‘still writing pages.’

✦ Notable lyrics: ‘I ask the traffic lights if it’ll be alright, they say ‘I don’t know’’ very much Crowley driving around aimlessly trying to fill up the space Aziraphale left behind.

‘I get drunk but it’s not enough because the morning comes and you’re not my baby.’ Because that’s also how Crowley copes with his feelings when they get too overwhelming; running away and drowning himself with drink.

‘Gave up on me like I was a bad drug, now I’m searching for signs in a haunted club.’Aziraphale doesn’t really feel comfortable admitting his relationship with Crowley. We can see that Crowley doesn’t like this through, for example, their dialogue when Crowley first asks for holy water (‘fraternising’ etc). To Crowley, Aziraphale leaving must have felt like Crowley wasn’t enough to stay for, and that Aziraphale never really loved him as much as he loved Aziraphale. Also bears similarity to Don’t Blame Me (‘Lord save me, my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life, oh.’) which gives the impression of love that was addicting and powerful, but it became too much. ‘Our songs, our films, united, we stand, our country, guess it was a lawless land.’Get ready because this line is so much more meaningful than I ever realised when I added it to this post. ‘Our songs’ something something nightingales.

But the real meat of this lyric lies in the second half. The phrase ‘united, we stand, divided, we fall’  is often used in mottos of organisations and countries in order to inspire collaboration and patriotism for them. It preaches the importance of staying loyal to a certain side, for if division sows among them, then they will ‘fall.’ Historically, it has been frequently used as war propaganda in WWII, and the American Revolutionary War. It has also been used in the struggle for Indian independence, by Ulster loyalists in Ireland, and by many political leaders, for example. Similar phrases can be found in the Bible, for example in in Mark 3:25 (If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand),  Matthew 12:25 (Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand), and Luke 11:17 (Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls).

In this song it describes the relationship between the singer and their former lover, which further animates their love as a physical nation or state (as well as a house with the lyrics ‘I look through the windows of this love, even though we boarded them up, chandelier’s still flickering here ‘cause I can’t pretend it’s okay when it’s not).

This animation and the use of this specific phrase which has been used to garner a sense of loyalty towards a cause shows their love to have been a deeply personal thing, something you pledge your devotion to. However, in this song it’s contrasted with the lyric ‘Guess it was a lawless land’ which shows that the nation and love was hollow. It fell apart due to division.

Remind you of anything? Loyalty conflicts is a big part of this show, particularly with Aziraphale’s character, who is still shown to be attached to Heaven as late in his character arc as the Armageddon storyline in season one:

‘Even if I did, why would I tell you? We’re on opposite sides!’

‘We’re on our side!’

‘There is no ‘our side’, Crowley!’

Aziraphale’s turmoil between his Heavenly duties and his feelings for Crowley (not just romantic, even their friendship) is a large part of his unwillingness to admit their closeness, but he’s also just afraid that they’ll get punished. He’s just afraid.

 ‘we could’ve been …. us.’ 

‘our side.’ 

‘a group of the two of us.’

etc , etc

Their relationship is repeatedly treated like it’s its own ‘side’ or ‘group’ that can be pledged allegiance to or deserted. This perfectly sets up Az’s character conflict and growth. It’s so GOOD!!!!!!

It also has a double meaning with Heaven’s patriotism, which has a façade of goodness but is really very corrupt and ‘lawless.’

‘But it wasn’t enough, it wasn’t enough, no, no.’Crowley tried so hard to convince Aziraphale to go with him, he did everything he could, but it didn’t work. That’s what the kiss was; not a moment of love, but a moment of desperation. A final attempt to lay everything out. But it wasn’t enough.

14. Cruel Summer

Secret relationship that makes you feel whole but destroys you at the same time. ‘Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes.’ Religious language. The inability for Heaven and Hell to understand love, and even just friendship, between angels and demons is possible. Hell, and the demons, ‘roll[s] the dice’, the language featuring references to gambling shows their more opportunistic nature and need to trick every situation into benefiting them, because otherwise they’re stuck at the bottom of the pile. They can risk everything on a bet that could see them losing all their money, but they don’t really have anything to lose, which makes them very dangerous (like Furfur). Heaven is more judgemental, ‘roll[ing] their eyes.’ This judgement is what Aziraphale is afraid of (and, of course, the physical retribution that follows). It’s rather akin to an abusive relationship such as between a parent and a child, with an unhealthy power dynamic and Heaven always having more control. The child is always trying to do what’s right, but their view of what is right is often in relation to what their parent has raised them to believe is right, or simply in relation to whatever will make the parent happy. This is an analogy that perfectly describes Aziraphale and his internal conflict. ‘and if I bleed you’ll be the last to know’ Az hides his distress and doesn’t like people seeing him cry. See Tied Together with a Smile (second to last song). 

‘and I scream for whatever it’s worth; ‘I love you, ain’t that the worst thing you ever heard?’’ From Crowley’s perspective, Aziraphale loves Heaven more than him, and loving him is something that is shocking and unthinkable. Aziraphale is aware and okay with his feelings for Crowley, he’s only okay with them on a very, very surface level. He’s only sort of okay with their friendship, but doesn’t want to acknowledge anything more than that. So even if a confession of love is something Aziraphale wants from Crowley, he also doesn’t want to hear because he knows that they could never work. AHHHHHHH 15. tolerate it Largely about Aziraphale’s relationship with Heaven. He gives them everything and works so hard to be a good angel but they never fully value him.  ✦ Notable lyrics: The bridge also is in reference to his and Crowley’s relationship: ‘While you were out building other worlds, where was I?’ Because they made the stars!!!!! 

‘Where’s that man who threw blankets over my barbed wire? I made you my temple, my mural, my sky … now I’m begging for footnotes in the story of your life.’ CROWLEY CROWLEY!!! Also religious imagery is just *chef's kiss*.

16. champagne problems

About a proposal that’s refused … I feel like I do not need to elaborate much on this, however it does apply to both of them, because they BOTH were offering something that the other refused. ✦ Notable lyrics: ‘this dorm was once a mad-house, I made a joke, ‘well it’s made for me’’ Crowley vibes. ‘I never was ready so I watched you go.’  Aziraphale wasn’t ready to fully turn away from Heaven, so he had to watch Crowley leave. ‘You had a speech, you’re speechless, love slipped beyond your reaches.’ Crowley tried so hard to convince Aziraphale; he knew he had to start talking first because if not he’d ‘never start talking. He knew what he was going to say, he ‘had a speech’ but it ‘wasn’t enough’ and Aziraphale ‘slipped’ away.  

17. ivy

This song is about an affair, and it’s also a very, very queercoded song. To Aziraphale, his relationship with Crowley feels like figuratively cheating on Heaven, ignoring his duties and shunning his responsibility and role as a ‘good angel’. Notable lyrics: ‘He’s in the room, but your opal eyes are all I wish to see.’ “But it’s pretty!” 💛💛 ‘So tell me to run, or dare to sit and watch what will become.’ Aziraphale’s relationship with Heaven is very mentally abusive. He will only be free of their influence if he ‘runs’ from them. He can’t stay connected to Heaven and be truly free and happy. 

‘So yeah, it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it, you started it. So yeah, it’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life, and you started it, you started it.’ Both of their, but especially Aziraphale’s, internal conflict symbolised through fire and war. ‘Spring breaks loose, but so does fear’ Their bond and love has remained throughout history, and with Gabriel and Beelzebub revealing their relationship, the spark of hope was lit in both of them. ‘Spring [broke] loose’ but the Metatron’s offer subsequently pulled Aziraphale away from Crowley and reignited some of the ‘fear’ that he’s spent the show trying to grow away from. 

‘He’s going to burn this house to the ground.’ Speaking of Aziraphale’s fear; he’s worried about what admitting his feelings for Crowley, romantic or even just their friendship, will mean. The danger that it will draw. This lyric also has an interesting double meaning, referencing the literal burning of Aziraphale’s bookshop.

18. Back to December.

Another song about apologising to someone for breaking their heart. ✦ Notable lyrics: 

‘You gave me all your love and all I gave you was goodbye.’ The first part of this lyric is only really relative to Crowley’s confession in the Final Fifteen, because their relationship has never really been stable; they never gave the other ‘all [their] love’ because their fear stopped them. Crowley only ever showed his love to Aziraphale because he felt like he didn’t have a choice and it was the only thing that could save them. But Aziraphale 

‘But then the cold came, dark days when fear crept into my mind.’ I initially added this lyric because it reminded me of Aziraphale, but it also now reminds me of both of them. Their own fears interfered with their abilities to accept the other’s confession and to be happy. They need to both grow and learn before they can actually have a healthier romantic relationship.

19. The Great War

The metaphor of relationship troubles and trauma being connected to war.

There are some references to said relationship troubles relating to the inability to properly confront feelings and issues, instead turning away and using silence as a punishment to avoid really having to change your relationship.

Also relevant because their relationship isn’t just a metaphorical war; there is the imminent threat of literal war between Heaven and Hell, and literal physical negative repercussions to each of them due to their love being known. The motif of soldiers is also connected to the line of ‘I’m a soldier who’s returning half her weight.’ from ATW10MV.

✦ Notable lyrics:

‘It turned into something bigger, somewhere in the haze, got a sense I'd been betrayed. Your finger on my hair pin triggers …. soldier down on that icy ground, looked up at me with honour and truth, broken and blue, so I called off the troops. That was the night I nearly lost you. I really thought I lost you.’

They are each other’s weaknesses; see hoax. Their inability to communicate their feelings lead to the breakdown of their relationship. They ‘really thought [they] lost’ each other. ‘And maybe it's the past that's talkin’, screamin' from the crypt. Telling me to punish you for things you never did. So I justified it.’

A bit part of Aziraphale’s character is his journey of developing his own sense of morality independent of Heaven’s. This is especially delved into in season two through, for example, the Job storyline and the Edinburgh storyline. However, we can see that he’s still very much under the influence of Heaven’s abuse during episode six through the way he still believes what they say about right and wrong and about the nature of Hell (‘Of course you said no to Hell, you’re the bad guys’ as opposed to ‘they’re the bad guys’). He doesn’t want to do anything malicious, and he doesn’t want to leave to Heaven, with his conflict about staying or going being quite obvious (as numerous points in the Final Fifteen he appears very tortured, frequently hesitating and trying to say things other than wanting to go back to Heaven). But he feels like it’s what he had to do, ‘So [he] justified it.’

20. Midnight Rain

This song is actually on their official playlist!!! About moving on from someone who wanted something different out of your relationship; a sentence which almost perfectly describes the way they view their relationship (of course, their misunderstanding led them both to believe the other wants something different, when in actuality they both want the same thing; to be safe together).

‘My town was a wasteland, full of cages, full of fences, pageant queens and big pretenders, but for some it was paradise’ 

&

‘It came like a postcard, picture-perfect, shiny family, holidays, peppermint candy, but for him it’s every day.’Heaven… I don’t think I really need to elaborate on this.

‘He wanted it comfortable, I wanted that pain. He wanted a bride, I was making my own name, chasing that fame, he stayed the same, all of me changed like midnight rain.’

Crowley wants them, he wants them to be ‘comfortable’ and safe, and he thinks that’ll only come if they distance themselves from both Heaven and Hell. Aziraphale also wants this, but he also can’t leave Heaven behind to the extent Crowley wants him to. He wants the ‘pain’ of belonging to Heaven’s institution and having high value there, because it’s familiar to him. It might be incredibly abusive, but it’s home to him. 

He wants to do the right thing, and he thinks that the only way to do that is to stay there. Ahhh ..

21. Tied Together With A Smile

Aziraphale song :( another one about his massive insecurities, folks. 

✦ Notable lyrics:

‘you walk around here thinking you’re not pretty’ Aziraphale always doubts how good of an angel he is and how well he’s doing what’s expected of him.

‘That you cry, but you don’t tell anyone, that you might not be the golden one, and you’re tied together with a smile but you’re coming undone.’Aziraphale doesn’t like letting anyone see him cry. He always turns away and tries to pretend he’s the ‘golden one’, trying to pretend everything is fine and he’s always doing exactly what Heaven wants, yet he is so insecure about his goodness. 

The entire second verse about him wanting love and praise from Heaven: ‘I guess it’s true that love was all you wanted […] but he leaves you out like a penny in the rain’ he’s tossed aside and talked down to by the people he works so hard to do the right thing for.

22. Don’t Blame Me Mainly this song is included because of its heavy religious motifs. It’s very reminiscent of a gospel song, also connections to Cruel Summer; ‘love made me crazy’. Of course a lot of this song is very ironic because it describes a love so strong and intense that it ‘made [me] crazy’, that you disregard everything ‘true’ and ‘right’, only doing what you feel is right in connection to your lover, nothing else mattering. However, this is absolutely NOT what happened in this show, in fact the exact reverse. I think this song describes how Crowley feels; not feeling connected to the institutions of Heaven and Hell and being willing to leave them completely behind. Perhaps it also describes a hypothetical future in which Aziraphale has grown and reached the point he can comfortably leave Heaven completely.

✦ Notable lyrics: ‘Baby I would fall from Grace, just to touch your face. If you’d walk away, I’d beg you on my knees to stay.’ Because .. because that’s what happened. They begged eachother to stay :( Also religious language. ‘I get so high, oh, every time you’re, every time you’re loving me, you’re loving me.’ Their relationship is so powerful (especially how they were able to perform the really large miracle ACCIDENTALLY). ‘Something happened for the first time in the darkest little Paradise.’ Religious language. Them being together is their own ‘little Paradise’, because, due to them being forced to hide the nature of their relationship, their relationship becomes very intimate and personal. ‘Halo, hiding my obsession, I once was poison ivy but now I’m your daisy.’ Religious language. Aziraphale helps Crowley be able to relax and to rest, letting down his guard. Crowley’s not fully able to do this, and he’s not fully willing to embrace the fact he is indeed ‘nice’, but he’s getting there. He’s still The Archer, but he can put down his bow slightly easier (but of course, the one time he fully put it down and opened up his heart, he was burned, so I don’t think he’ll be doing it again any time soon). ‘Lord save me, my drug is my baby, I’ll be using for the rest of my life, oh, oh.’ This lyric is particularly meaningful when parallelled to Death by a Thousand Cuts; ‘Gave up on me like I was a bad drug.’

23. Dancing With Our Hands Tied This song describes a love that you desperately want to be hidden yet you know that it’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out and the danger starts.To have one’s hands tied is to be unable to affect something, representing how their relationship and their own lives were always out of their control because they could never live how they wanted to without fear of retribution (an excellent metaphor for queerness). Additionally, the motif of dancing, which in this context is an intimate and notably private act between the two lovers, is happening while the lovers’ hands are tied, representing the division and conflict that intrudes even while they’re alone together (‘Something happened for the first time in a darkest little Paradise’ from Don’t Blame Me). 

✦ Noteable lyrics: ‘I, I loved you in secret.’ ‘Yeah, we were dancing, dancing with our hands tied, hands tied.’ See above for analysis of the title lyric!! This song also reminds me of them because thy did actually dance together in season 2 episode 5, which is one of my all time favourite GO episodes. ‘I, I loved you in spite of deep fears that the world would divide us. So, baby, can we dance, oh, through an avalanche?’ They couldn’t live how they wanted because of ‘deep fears’ that outside forces would ‘divide’ them, which in the end is what happened. Feeling like the world is against them (‘angels and demons, they can’t just-’)

Honourable mentions!!

Lyrics that make me think of them but there’s not enough content in the overall song to justify it being put on the playlist. They don’t have much, if any, elaboration, but if you want to hear my thoughts on any of these, let me know!! Of course I’ll add analysis to these if anyone wants them. This will probably be the section of the post that’ll be updated the most frequently, and feel free to reply or reblog with any of your additions :D 

~~

‘Just a shot, just a shot in the dark, oh oh.’ - Sweeter than Fiction, 1989 (remember the ‘I’ve known it from the very start, we’re a shot in the darkest dark’ from Say Don’t Go?)

‘Now you hang from my lips like the Gardens of Babylon. Your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con.’ - cowboy like me, evermore

‘Eyes full of stars, hustling for the good life […].’ - cowboy like me, evermore

‘And you asked me to dance, but I said ‘Dancing is a dangerous game.’ - cowboy like me, evermore

‘I knew it from the first, old-fashioned, we were cursed, we never had a shotgun, shot in the dark.’ - Getaway Car, reputation (again, the ‘shot in the dark’ lyric! Also this was my suprise song WHAT THE FUCK?!??!!?!?!?!?!?!?)

‘We were jet-set, Bonnie and Clyde, oh yeah, ‘till I switched to the other side, to the other side.’ - Getaway Car, reputation (‘We’re on our side!’ … ‘There is no ‘our side’, Crowley!’).

‘Cause lately I don’t even know what page you’re on.’ -The Story of Us, Speak Now

‘Oh, simple complication, miscommunication leads to fallout. So many things that I wish you knew, so many walls up I can’t break through.’ -The Story of Us, Speak Now 

'But I liked it better when you were on my side.' -The Story of Us, Speak Now

‘And I wouldn’t marry me either, a pathological people pleaser, who only wanted you to see her.’ -You’re Losing Me, Midnights

‘Loving him was like driving a new Massarati down a dead end street; faster than the wind, passionate as sin, ended so suddenly.’ - Red, Red

'You dream of my mouth before it called you a 'lying traitor.' - Is It Over Now? , 1989 (Taylor's Version)

'When your impressionist paintings of Heaven turned out to be fake, well, you took me to Hell too.' - loml, The Tortured Poets Department

thanks for getting to the bottom!! it means so much to me that you wanted to read this in any amount, you truly have no idea. here's a cookie 🍪 !!!!!

bye :D

[coffeemakerwriter]

GhostSoap playlist

TW’s: suicide, SA, death, depression, grief, abuse mentions, heavy angst with little to no fluff, may be ooc!! Heavy on soaps death!! Please proceed with caution and let me know if I miss any tags!

A/N: I prefer light and fluffy stuff for ghost and soap but :)) I thought this would be fun! I don’t really have any angsty headcanons for them but I kinda just wrote out my thoughts for this :) this is probs super out of character but that’s okay!

Wc: 1k woords!

Reckless driving by Lizzy mcalpaine and Ben Kessler:

I don’t exactly know why this fits, but it makes sense to me in a way, I think in the way that ghost and soap are both reckless, but ghost is reckless in the way he doesn’t care if he died, but I think in a way, he doesn’t want to take soap with him, and I think that’s frustrate soap, that ghost is so willing to risk his life for him that he’d go as far as to kill himself if it was needed. As long as it keeps soap alive.

The Gold - Phobe Bridgers version:

I think of this in the way after the soap's death ghost is different, ‘I don’t think I love you anymore, that gold mine changed you’? That feels like after Soap's death ghost someone says how different he is, closed off, ‘I don’t wanna be me anymore’ could be ghost agonizing on how he feels because of ghosts death and feels guilty about how he’s been acting since and fears it’s damaging his remaining relationships.

Cherry wine - live by Hozier:

Soap to ghost is a spitfire, loud and wild, hard to contain, harsh barks of laughter and his eyes light up at an ability to fight, but he loves when he’s calm too. “Her fight and fury is fiery Oh but she loves Like sleep to the freezing

Sweet and right and merciful I'm all but washed In the tide of her breathing” can be how soft soap is with ghost, how sweet he can be regardless of his bright and fiery personality. He would love him regardless if he was soft or harsh.

Born to die by Lana del rey:

Regardless of whatever timeline you look at, both of them are born to die, never actually destined to be together forever. Either they both die or one is ripped away. Neither get a happy ending.

Johnny boy by Twenty One pilots:

‘Get up Johnny boy’ can be ghost begging soap to get up, getting more and more distraught as he repeats it, the sickening realization that his pride and joy isn’t getting up, because his pride and joy is dead. ‘I will carry all your names, and I will carry all your shame’ can be ghost vowing in some way that even after his death he will make sure he means something, that his death didn’t go in vain and even with his faults and mistakes he will make sure Johnny will be carried on.

Army dreamers by Kate bush:

The entire song can be played on the fact that soap's body is being brought home, that his coffin is being home to his mother and sisters, how they wish he had chosen something else to do instead of being a soldier, an army dreamer. How he died so young, and how he’ll never make it past his 20’s. But even then, he’ll always be his mammy’s hero.

Not strong enough by boygenius:

I think this kinda deals with more so, ghosts grief with soaps death, how he feels empty and doesn’t know why he is the way he is after he dies. ‘Do you see us getting scraped off the pavement?’ Could be in allusion to the fact he thought about killing himself after soap's death, that in some way he felt like it was his fault soap died. And maybe the emptiness he feels going home to shared space, knowing that soap won’t be there anymore, knowing that he’s alone now. Knowing that he’s never coming home.

I bet on losing dogs by mitski

Ghost holding soaps body, cradling his head in his lap, his baby, he’s watching him die, holding his cold, lifeless body. He knew he wasn’t gonna live, how do you survive something like that? That’s a bet you can’t win. He knew he wouldn’t survive, so all he can do is hold him in his last moments and offer comfort in his last moments. Because either way he’s watching him die.

Savior complex by Phobe bridgers:

I think soap wants to help ghost get better, offer him a place of comfort, save him, but ghost isn’t all that open about things. Not his childhood, not roba, and sure as hell not his family. But soap wants to be there for him, show me yours show you mine? He’s willing to be vulnerable with him if only he’d be vulnerable too, soap thinks he will be, with time at least.

Sarah by Alex g:

I don’t really know how to explain this one either, just the fact I feel like ghost would feel like he’s in a dream, constantly seeing Johnny, seeing his face, hearing his voice, running to him, only for him to be woken up just before he can reach him. I feel like ghost would wait for him like a dog, despite knowing he’s gone, he’s not coming back, he still waits. Or atleast waits till he can join him.

All for us by labyrinth:

I feel like Johnny and ghost would do anything for eachother, they love each other so much that they would die for the other. They would risk their careers for each other if it came down to it. Genuinely I think they’d kill for the other if they had to, without a thought.

Feel better by Penelope Scott:

I think ghost found comfort in his unwellness after soap's death, a routine maybe, I think ghost agonized over it not only becaUse of just how close they were in general but because someone had actually loved him, loved him despite his flaws, his issues, despite everything they loved him. I think in a way, he thinks he’s incapable of being loved. But soap disproved that, and the fact that he loved him despite everything made it hurt even more.

Funeral by Phobe bridgers:

Imagine ghost talking at soap's funeral, going to the funeral of someone he cared so deeply about that he didn’t think would die so soon. Imagine him having to talk to his mother, comfort her and tell her how much her son meant to him. And how sometimes he wakes up from nightmares of johnny's death, only weeks after it happened, and how he just has this deep feeling of sadness and emptiness and he can’t help but wonder if it’ll always be like this.

I love you so by the Walter’s:

Imagine ghost seeing soap in a dream, begging soap to stay only for him to tell him he needs to let go, but he’s not ready to yet. He doesn’t want to let him go, he doesn’t want to forget him. He loves him. Why does he want him to forget? He doesn’t want to forget his smile, or the way his eyes crinkle when he laughs. He doesn’t want to forget any of it.

Freaks by Surf Curse:

I feel like ghost dreams about soap a lot after his death. And everytime he dreams of him he hopes he doesn’t wake up, either because he wants to stay with him just a little longer or because he hopes somehow he’ll die in his sleep, so he can finally be at peace.

We’ll never have sex by leith ross:

I feel like ghost has a fear of sexual intimacy or at least some anxiety around it. And he’s afraid that soap will want to initiate that sort of stuff with him, and he’s worried that soap will leave him when he finds out that he doesn’t like sex all that much, or that can make him uncomfortable at times. He's in therapy for sure, but that doesn’t make it completely go away. But I think Johnny would be understanding, willing to listen to him when he explains how sometimes it makes him uncomfortable. I don’t think Johnny would do anything to make ghost uncomfortable on purpose. I do think he’d make sure ghost is comfortable with anything sexual.

Mr. Loverman by Ricky Montgomery:

I think this is just mainly ghost missing Johnny, maybe drinking too much one night, agonizing on how much he misses him, what he could’ve done differently, and if he got there sooner, could he have saved him? Would he be sitting here beside him instead of in an urn?

Like real people do by Hozier:

I think this is just them learning to love, being soft with each other, about how they met, I don’t think soap would ask very many questions about ghosts' childhood, I think he’d figure out pretty early on that it wasn’t a good one. I think he’d let him speak about it when he was ready, when he felt safe to do so. I think in a way he’d feel a sad bitterness when he sees ghost exhibit behaviors he learned from his childhood, like walking quietly, doing things to please him when he got upset, things to make him happy. I think that’s when Johnny would connect the dots, that he didn’t have a good childhood. I think regardless of that though, Johnny would treat him with the care he deserves, and I think ghost would do the same too.

Nothings new by Rio Romeo:

I think ghost would settle in this emptiness that he felt like he could never get out of, this never ending feeling that nothing will ever change, that he will always feel empty now that soap is dead.

Sunlight by Hozier:

I think soap and ghost do make eachother happy, that they work well together as a couple, that they have boundaries that are good and they communicate well. Soap his ghosts sunlight and he’d die on that hill. Soap means everything to ghost and soap is the same way with him. I feel like they make eachother better as people and learn to better themselves for the other. Because they WANT to make their relationship work.

J’s lullaby (darlin’ I’d wait for you) by Delaney Bailey:

I think in a way, ghost will always wait for soap to come back, he’s always gonna hope for him to come through their front door after a deployment, and curl himself into his side and rest their for the rest of the night. Logically he knows that won’t happen, but he’d give anything for it to. Because he’d do anything for his Johnny.

[emerald-truth]

Remington Steele playlist

At long last my Remington Steele playlist is finished! I've spent a long time collecting songs that remind me of both Laura and Remington and their relationship (there's nothing about the other characters really though sorry). The link is here and there's an explanation of the significance of all the songs and my usual lengthy rs analysis below the cut:

Bravado - Lorde: For some reason I think of this as more of a Laura song even though most of the references to her past imply that she's been extroverted for at least most of her adulthood. Both Laura and Remington however have had to "find my own bravado" in order to con people and overcome their circumstances (mostly misogyny for Laura and poverty for Remington). They've both gotten to a point in their careers where they're motivated by the admiration of others ("the applause the approval the things that make me go"). They both have to put on a certain persona to appear successful and be respected. This is maybe more obvious on Remington's side where he's actively pretending to be different people to fake competence, but Laura has had to change herself quite a bit from a free wheeling girl to a professional and some of that is acquiring confidence in herself.

Tales From The Riverbank - The Jam: This song always makes me think of how Pierce Brosnan talks about his actual childhood, but as we don't know a lot about Remington's upbringing before he went to London I'm gonna bring this in. So much of the Remington lore is inspired by Pierce's actual life anyway so I think it works. He always talks very fondly of growing up on the banks of the River Boyne. I think it resonates in a different way for Remington who is always looking for his parents, hoping to reclaim his lost childhood. I especially like the line "Now life is so critical, life is too cynical. We lose our innocence, we lose our very soul." Remington was forced to live on the streets and become a criminal by the cruelties of the world and it's meant he's had to give up some of his natural good nature by the time Laura meets him. I also just love The Jam and I think they're fitting to young Remington as a popular British punk band of the late 70s and early 80s.

Dark Streets of London - The Pogues: Ok now Remington has come to London. There's not really a particular part of this song I think is especially relevant, but overall it's fitting for Remington being a poor Irish immigrant and struggling to get by on the streets of London. The Pogues are also another one of my favorite bands who line up in terms of time, place, and spirit. I tried to include a number of songs on here that I could imagine the characters listening and reacting to and this is one of those.

You're Gonna Go Far, Kid - The Offspring: Ok this one is definitely from the wrong time period. But it's pretty much about Daniel Chalmers teaching Remington to become a great con man. Also the source of the playlist title "with a thousand lies and a good disguise," which I think is the most fitting line. I think it's interesting how this song could also apply to Laura. The way that she cons people too even though she doesn't think of herself as a criminal or untrustworthy like Remington is a really interesting aspect of their dynamic to me. They've both gone far on deception.

Homemade Dynamite - Lorde: This is a song about the two of them meeting. They immediately see something in each other and admire the ingenuity and determination they share. "I'll give you my best side, tell you all my best lies" is the most relevant line here because at this point they're both showing each other their professional side and hiding things from each other. However, they both admire each other's skills in deception. "I think that you might be the same as me, Behave abnormally" is also really interesting because as much as they're opposed in the show, they do have a lot in common and they come to understand each other's idiosyncracies better than anyone else can. They are also "showing someone else love" early in their relationship to make each other jealous.

How Soon Is Now? - The Smiths: Song for lonely single people (both our main characters). As much as they put up a front, underneath it they're both messy people who need love. They're also both told that they "go about things the wrong way" and that's why they can't have a happy relationship. Laura is told she is supposed to get married and stop working like her sister, but she wants a loving relationship where she can keep her career and independence. Remington is I think a little less aware of why people dislike him, but other characters are often put off by his affected speech patterns and movie references. Laura also holds his past over his head and insists that he has a duplicitous nature.

Strut - Sheena Easton: I really wanted to include a Sheena Easton song but a lot of them I feel don't fit Laura's sensibilities and fear of romance. This one works though! The kind of 80s feminism that Laura espouses is a really interesting part of the show as a representation of its time, so I had to include something to do with that. In addition to her convictions about her own worth, this also represents the problems Laura has with Remington at first when he's still acting out his front of Old Hollywood masculinity.

Animal - Miike Snow: This is a song I really relate too and I think Remington would too (projection maybe haha) specifically in the experience of autistic masking. I feel like Remington's ability to play a wide range of roles in his cons is an extension of the way he's always playing the role of the person he thinks people want him to be. The chorus especially captures the feeling of always hiding something to try to fit in ("I change shapes just to hide in this place. . . Nobody knows it but me when I slip.") The parts about having a hole in yourself and not knowing how to fill it, and failing to fill it with money, also speak to how lonely Remington (and Laura!) is without close relationships. "And now I'm pulling your disguise up. Are you free or are you tied up?" could also apply in both directions as they try to determine who each other really are and if they're too tied down by their past or not to have a relationship.

It's My Life - Talk Talk: This is a quintessential Laura song to me. She's a little annoyed with herself for falling in love with Remington, but enjoying it in spite of herself. Whether they're in a relationship or not however, she isn't willing to give up her own life and dreams. She doubts how much Remington really loves her ("I've asked myself how much do you commit yourself") but is willing to give him chance after chance to prove himself. Also it's a classic 80s bop.

Mary - Alex G: Apparently this song is actually about weed but it's mostly in here for the line "she says I am real and you are not" because Laura does say that and it's kind of insane. But overall it also represents Remington's single minded devotion to Laura no matter how many times she rejects him.

I'm From Nowhere - Neko Case: I think this song is interesting to contrast with Strut because it's also feminist in Neko Case's signature complex and vaguely transgender way but also explicitly mentions the 80s in relation to not wanting to be a "lady." I think the reference is to a gender neutral ideology which briefly came out of second wave feminism and has since died back again. The line at the end of that verse "Then maybe you can take this over and I'll gladly wear the pants into the next century" goes along with Laura's feminist determination but also relates to the gender swapped tropes of the show where Remington fills the femme fatale role. Also somewhat relates to my as yet underdeveloped gendery theories about Laura and Remington being one person. But I think the line "Perhaps it's best if I continue starring me as you" still resonates in both directions without that. Remington is starring as Laura by acting as the face of her intellect. However, Laura is playing the role of the detective which would typically go to a man like Remington. "You say I'm lucky to be here, but I've been driving for 21 days" also goes along with the dismissal of her hard work Laura faces as a woman throughout the show. I think this song also represents success through deception with the line "welcome to this dirty business" near the beginning which could reflect either Remington introducing Laura to the criminal underworld or her including him in her own scheme. The song ends with decrying a lavish and famous life and conceding that "I'm from nowhere." This feels like revealing Remington Steele's non existence as a character for whose fame Laura and Remington as real people "die a little."

Secret Garden - Spiritbox: Spiritbox lyrics are always so complex . . . But I see it as a song about how carefully Laura guards her achievements and emotions to the point that she "disregard my heart" because she's afraid of getting hurt or losing her independence. "Nobody takes from me what I grow" because she has worked so hard to become a successful detective and won't give that up for anything. But because she can't find a relationship she can balance with her career that also means "nobody waits for me." Nevertheless, her love compels her to keep coming back to Remington ("it's you that I came for").

Jackie and Wilson - Hozier: I think this is one of the most perfectly fitting songs on the playlist about their relationship from Remington's perspective. With Laura he feels he doesn't have to put on a disguise or a "better version of me." He thinks maybe she'll "save" him because she sees through his "feeble disguise" and still loves him and all his strange quirks. She's pretty much the only person who understands and doesn't mind his constant movie references ("she'll know me crazy . . . she wouldn't care"). He hopes that with her he can stop pretending and be one person, leaving behind his alter egos "every version of me dead and buried in the yard outside." She rejects him so many times however that for most of the show this ending is just the dream referenced in the last verse. Also obviously. They're detectives.

The Perfect Pair - beabadoobee: Another song that references the similarities of the couple right off the bat! It's about a couple who can't understand "why we have all this doubt" when they seem so suited to each other. I think this is definitely fitting for later in their relationship when they've been trying to make it work for years and are "so tired of fighting" but can't quite get there. They know that they're breaking each other's hearts but they "end up like always" in the same place of conflict which they are "used to." Laura also wants Remington to have more serious conversations with her and "show me that you could say it to my face" that he loves her.

Break The Sky - The Hush Sound: First of two breakup songs I put near the end of the album because Laura and Remington do kind of break up before they really get together. As the song says they "kiss goodbye a dozen times before we get there." I mostly conceive of this song as about how Laura feels she shouldn't get with anyone because she can "break the sky myself" and her fear that a relationship will stifle her dreams which she "won't be haunted by."

Whatever's Written in Your Heart - Gerry Rafferty: Second break up song. Excellent song from an excellent album and soooo representative of these two. No matter how much they talk to each other they've still "left it all unsaid." Nevertheless, by this point in their relationship they care greatly for "whatever's written in your heart." They still have both "got your secrets," even though they've "played this game now for a long long time" dancing around commitment. This is because especially Laura "don't lean on anyone" but they both have trust issues that meant they "never wanted me to get too close." I find almost all of this song applicable but I've just mentioned my favorite parts.

I Wanna Be Adored - The Stone Roses: This song is pretty simple, both our main characters desperately want to be loved and keep holding on to each other through all the ups and downs of their relationship because they recognize that the other's love for them is greater than anything they've had before. In terms of selling their soul, they've both accumulated a number of mistakes, flaws, and crimes that especially by the end of the show there's nothing they wouldn't do for their love because they've done it all already.

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler: I had to do include this. But it's true they've been wanting and needing each other for so long and eventually they have to give in to that fact. They rely on each other in their darkest moments to always be there, whether it's Remington comforting Laura in Red Holt Steele or Laura following Remington to London in Steele Searching. "I know you'll never be the boy you always wanted to be but I know you'll always be the only boy who wanted me the way that I am" is also like. yeah. Remington never became the perfect man he wanted to be for Laura, but he loved her without asking her to change like her ex and her family did, and she also loved him as his real self without him having to become her perfect man.

As Time Goes By - Dooley Wilson: Another song I obviously had to include. I included it more because of all the Casablanca references in the show rather than anything in the lyrics, but it's still a nice love song. The references to the same love stories always being popular also goes along with the many old tropes, especially from noir, used in the show which are still compelling in a new context.

[princesstarfire1234]

Scavengers playlist

Made this way back and have just been adding stuff as I listen to em but thought I'd share it here because why not, possibly maybe even get song recs from some of you guys ahaaa

Random thoughts and stuff about which songs are for who or why I put em there below the cut ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Alone Together by Fallout Boy - saw someone on tumblr say this song was "literally the Scavengers anthem" and they're so fucking real for that; "I don't know where you're going but do you got room for one more troubled soul" is literally them.... mann... Also that Fallout Boy album just bangs hard in general

Dare to Be Stupid by "Weird Al" Yankovic - they DO dare to be fuckin stuuuuupiiddd, i love these idiots

Dare by Stan Bush - This and Dare to be Stupid were both in the Transformers '86 movie so that's how I thought about em, aside that though I was listening to em once and just went "oh damn this is kinda them i think"

Bang Bang by K'NAAN - Shoot Shoot Bang Bang core, so much in fact that I've been wanting and still want to do a Scavs animation with this song

21 Guns by Green Day - its a lot more heavy in tone and serious compared to most of the stuff in the playlist, but I put it here cuz it sort of feels like an anthem for just the general rank and file of either faction?? like idk if that makes sense, it just kinda fit the post-war "what are we gonna do now if there's no more fighting" kinda vibe

NOT ENTIRELY ALONE by The Narcissist Cookbook - found this through someone else's Scavs playlist and while it's not a song I'd regularly listen to (it's more of a grand monologue really), I really like it and it's literally about a bunch of supposed outcasts finding each other and sticking together amidst it all

For some character centric ones I've got:

Me and The Boys by the Living Tombstone - Krok!! This one's from In Sound Mind, beautiful fuckin game, it's a lot about therapy and mental health and stuff so damn that's fitting; not only that though, but this specific soundtrack is for a character in that game that's a veteran who experienced a lot of trauma and lost all his friends in the time of the war... so yeahhh

Make A Move by Icon For Hire - love rock, it makes up most of my playlists but maybe you couldn't tell from this; anyways I just feel like it encapsulated Spinister well in vibe and it sort of being like Spin waiting for others to make a move and choosing to just blend in the background or take a back seat from what's usually happening idk how else to explain it really ahaha

need to go real quick since im typing this late so im gonna speedrun the rest lol

Cheer Up by Big Reel Fish - It's literally Crankcase, thats literally HIS song, just take a listen to it!

Bubbly by Good Kid - something about the chorus ("I never sleep, I never eat; I never leave my house alone; another evening in between what I believe and what I know") is just very Fulcrum to me, combined with the vibes

United States of Whatever & Talk Too Much - both very Misfire core to me, Talk Too Much is obvious from the title lol even if the song is about something else entirely aha and United States of Whatever is just... sillyy in a Misfire-y way yknow?

For the rest I didn't mention specifically, they're all just kinda there for vibes and I had no specific thoughts about em lolz

[rise-my-angel]

The playlist is here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/49BnRRrThpq6t0MeJ7RdUv?si=22DEbs6nSTmWEP3Qoavu9w&pi=u-Trx7yQKbRoKN

It’s been in the works since I started reading the HOTGW series, and I think I’ll probably keep adding songs. But I wanted to share it with you before it becomes even bigger. Music plays a huge role in how I interpret a book. It helps me fully immerse myself in the story. I only make playlists for series that I really like—and that are long enough to deserve one

The playlist is arranged in a way that tells the story. I tried to capture the feelings and create a loose timeline. Of course, if I went part by part, the playlist would probably be a week long lmao. I’m not sure if you like instrumental music, but I love soundtracks, so most of it is about two hours of instrumental “backroads” music, with about 30 minutes of songs that have lyrics.

I arranged it to match my musical taste and what felt right while I was reading. There are also songs I added because of TikTok edits I came across. Shoutout to those edits—they’re beautiful and had me thinking for days! Not all of them are Game of Thrones related (some are from HOTD) but sometimes I find parallels between the women in the shows and Reader in the series—though only in some aspects because season 2 of HOTD was a mess. I'm putting the links of the edits at the end.

Also, I’m a big fan of The Last of Us and the themes of family, revenge, and regret are so intertwined that I often associate GOT and TLOU together. I see a lot of parallels between their stories, which is why the playlist reflects both influences.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwBWnNx/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwBnNcs/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwSJony/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwSaKdt/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwSQnYc/

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwSxcrg/

THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY UGGHH it crushes my heart i love it https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMhwShLSv/

It's insane how much time i take on this type of stuff but i have no regrets, hope you like it mimi, love you!

Okay I’m writing this as I’m making my way through it, so excuse how scattered it might end up sounding.

So far, I love it! I’ve been trying to guess where and what each song so far is describing or representing and I think I have it down what you have in mind. I was wondering if I had the timeline right, but right when I second guessed myself with King by Florence & The Machine, but then right after Victory Does Not Make us Conquerers came on and I was like “Yes I was so on point!” then you hit me with the whammy of Greiving coming after which nearly made me tear up, then King in the North just hitting me with perfect combinations.

Then you took me for suprise by including right after, When The Sun Rises In The West. I hadn’t considered that being included, because I think its easy to just chalk it up to Daenerys’s theme but in that exact spot it works so well. It captures a lot of the mystical stuff going on in multiple povs, and too being part of Dany’s track it also fits so well because its both of them, reader and Dany already being paralleling type characters, becoming their respective Queens at the same time but the circumstances contrast as much as their stories also connect, and its the introduction to readers more magically tied story line which begins around there too. Either way, so far, I am absolutely loving every second of this!

Okay I have no one to blame but myself, but the Rains of Castamere caught me so off guard that I physically stopped on the sidewalk in a moment of shock. I was so immersed in the music before that was so beautifully Robb and Reader that I forgot what was coming. And the music after has been hit after hit to my heart. I’ve been having fun trying to see what I think the music connects to, and how it might differ to what you thought of but not a single song so far has missed they are all perfect.

I just love all of this so far, I literally am taking pauses in writing this afternoon just to go for a walk to listen to more of this, I am genuinely in love with this playlist. Also I really like that you captured the tragedy and pain in post Red Wedding as opposed to the horror. That my intention wasn’t to be shocking and horrific, but the pain wanted to be the focus and I love that thats what you picked music to focus on, it makes me feel like I did something right in that section of the story that my intentions were picked up on.

Also just fyi I want to release soon my Robb and Reader flashback bonus chapter, because their section just gave me that itch for their marriage again. I love Jon and Reader, but there was something so pure about her and Robb that we’ll never get back.

I have no idea how accurate I am, but The Night We Met feels like a song for The Winter Rose chapter. The mourning at the beach for Robb and little Ned, but a hopeful romantic tinge of a love with Jon to walk towards too. It just feels like such a perfect song to blend the two romance’s together without putting any emphasis on either as more important.

Okay, so I just finished it. I know this all sounds like ramblings that make no sense but I was writing my reactions as I listened throughout the day since it was a lot to take in.

I love the differences between the two eras you can hear. How Robb and Reader is more sweet and romantic, then after everything in between when you get finally to Jon and Reader, its more beautiful but melancholy and sorrowful. There’s a pureness in the first and a pain in the second that is so different from each other. How you can hear the transition of the story in tone as it goes along.

With Love Song at the end being a perfect fit, just describing the whole story’s main theme at its core is love and how it can be applied to any of the relationships in it no matter what, love is the biggest throughline.

I love the edits too, I rarely listen to things that give me a chance to think of hotgw in edit form since im always listening to music in outline or scene planning mode, so to step back and get to imagine it in a different way was actuallly a lot of fun.

You really nailed it with associating my series with TLOU, it wasn’t intentional, but that story has so much influence on how I approach personal stories. It relates to something Grrm said once, that most fantasy stories approach things from a moral good and evil, but he prefers to tackle the sense of self within the human heart and what that means for the individual. And thats what TLOU does well, it takes all these elements that could paint a black and white story but is told in shades of grey and that I feel like carried over a lot to my work. So I’m so glad that it resonates with you in the way that it was an influence for the story itself and how I approached it.

Uh basically, this is amazing and I cant beleive you put this much time and effort into putting this together and I genuinly dont even know what to say so I hope this all sort of says in way too many words how awesome this was.

Anyone who likes story playlist music stuff and likes hotgw, listen to this, its long but totally worth the time.

[cnroth]

Fanfic Q&A

I was tagged a long time ago by @curator-on-ao3 and meant to do this later when I had time, but then I forgot. More recently, I was tagged by @strkamand, which has prompted me to actually do it this time haha. So thank you both!! 🩵 😘

1. Why do you write fanfic?

Short answer: Cuz it’s fun!

Long answer: I started writing fanfic in 2016 because I had spent the last year and a half clawing my way back to some semblance of sanity after a really shitty time in my life. We got Netflix for the first time and I found my favorite childhood show—Star Trek: Voyager. It was like a warm blanket in the cold.

I still remember playing Star Trek on the playground with school friends, inventing stories of ourselves as original characters on Voyager, and suddenly I had the thought—what if I actually did it? Made an OC that was actually complex and fleshed out and stirred her into the mix? Added more representation of mental health issues to the show? I also applied for grad school around this time with the goal of eventually working in the mental health field.

So I dusted off my old creative writing skills and began making fanfic as a way to share my ideas with other fans, explore ships and characters I thought were interesting and/or underdeveloped, or just enjoy playing with my favorite dolls while processing my own experiences, as well.

And here I am now, eight years later, still doing just that.

2. Which of your posted stories do you think about the most, even though the story is “finished”?

This is a complicated question, because the answer is and has always been the very first story I joined the fandom to share, and one that took me years to tell—the Far From Their Bones series. Technically, it is finished.

That being said, I may-or-may-not currently be working on something closely related to that… 👀

3. If you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

I honestly can’t think of anything I’d say. I think that my fanfic journey, bumpy as it may have been, was what I needed to go through to become the writer I am today.

4. What’s your relationship to fic stats?

I rarely check them. Honestly, I post so rarely and a fair amount of my stuff is niche stories few people are interested in reading, my stats are probably shit anyway.

5. Is there a pairing or scenario or friendship you miss writing? If so, why? If not, why not?

The closest thing to an answer for this question is I suppose J/C. I used to be fairly prolific in that ship, but the community for that ship was eventually taken over by a few toxic people who manipulated other participants (especially newer ones) into a very narrow idea of what was acceptable as a J/C fan and shit-talked people who fell outside of that, and I ended up deeply burned. It took out my ability to read or write J/C for a long time. I’ve dipped my toe back in here and there since then, and I won’t say I’m done with that ship forever, but it definitely was a major pain having to grieve the loss of a ship that had brought me so much joy.

6. What motivates you to write?

Usually random story ideas that pop into my head when I’m trying to fall asleep at night.

Also, comments can sometimes prompt me to write more.

7. Why do you write for the fandom(s) that you write for?

I think that’s mostly explained above already. Someday, I might finally write the Hunger Games fic I’ve had in my head for many years, as that series of books/movies was also instrumental in my trauma recovery, but for now Star Trek: Voyager (and occasionally other Trek shows) is where I’m comfortable and inspired.

8. If you’re stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

There are two strategies I use most often to deal with this:

One, making playlists of songs that fit the story in some way, whether through the lyrics or even just the vibe. Then I listen to that on repeat to help drive me into my other strategy, which is…

Two, I use imagery to develop compelling scenes in my head, mentally watching them and shaping them until I feel like I can write them down—even if they’re incomplete. In the end, I may end up dumping the scene, or changing it, or writing the most inspiring scenes first and filling in the gaps between them later, but ultimately the goal is just to get myself moving again.

9. What do you wish people knew about comments?

Comments prompt my brain to make more dopamine and serotonin. As a mentally ill person with a neurodivergent brain, that is HUGE.

I do my best remind myself that I’m writing fic I want to read, and that can often mean not many other people will want it like I do (or have the time to actually read it), but in the end getting comments lets me know I’m not alone and that my exhaustive efforts in creating fic are appreciated.

It’s also just like fucking Christmas morning when I see that email from AO3. Like, massive mood booster.

I also would like people to know that comments have, more than once, given me ideas and/or energy to write more.

10. Maybe there’s a question you wish had been on here. What’s that question (and answer)?

Not that I can think of 😊

I have no idea who has already done this, and most people I know who write have been tagged by the ladies who tagged me. If you have already done this, tag me in a comment on your post or something so I can read it!

And if you haven’t done this yet, consider yourself tagged!!

Let’s see ummmm @gijane-7702 @seema-unbound @cheile @caladeniablue @theredheadedcaptain @70thousandlightyearsfromhome anyone else who wants to join 🩵

[bologna-whale]

The brain rot is real, here are Kendrick Lamar songs that I think Dragon Age Characters (mainly DA:O tbh) would bump at max volume and why:

PRIDE - Solas (obviously, I mean common it’s in the name). Not just the opening line of “Loves Gonna get you killed but pride is gonna to be the death of you and you and me.” But there are some lines that stick out. “In another life I was surely there; Me I wasn’t taught to share, but care; I care, I care; maybe I wasn’t there (x4)” - the self awareness of the song, the regret, the themes of resentment and mentions of broken promises. Great addition to any Solas playlist especially for freaks like me who romanced the egg. “I wouldn’t blame you for the mistakes I made or the bed I laid” also stands out lyrically.

Father Time - Morrigan (hear me out, ignore gender for a second) and Alistair as well. This is one of two songs that make me think of him so I won’t talk about him to much, just know the line “My Life is a Plot, twisted from directions I cannot see” fits both of them SO WELL. For her, I can’t help but replace Kendricks father in this song with Flemmeth. The themes of expectations placed on someone by the parent of the same gender is a tale as old as time, both Morrigans story and this song highlight this beautifully. Kendrick mentioning his father calling him weak for crying, dedicating oneself to work (or duty) instead of healing, yourself, and family, all make me think of her and make me want to hug her. Also the lyrics: “What’s the difference when your heart is made of stone; and your mind is made of gold; and your tongue is made of sword, but I may weaken your soul?” Chefs Mother fucking kiss

Count Me Out - Alistair, and arguably the warden and other protags (they’re getting two songs here so I’m going to focus on Alistair but know these apply to them too). This is def a post DAO song for him though. Especially if you romanced him, even more so if your ass is dead. A song about righting wrongs, trying better and forgive oneself, facing regrets, how love for the woman in his life is part of wanting to change. One of many songs on this list where I could go line for line, but I think that’s because this is one of my favorite Kendrick songs and one of my fave characters. “I love when you count me out” is such a lyric for any character in general. Here are some other stand outs since this song is why I’m making this post to begin with: “I care too much, wanna share too much; in my head too much, I shut down too” - “This time I trust myself; please everybody else but myself; All else fails I was myself; out done fear outdone myself” - “You made me worry; I wanted my best version but you ignored me; then changed the story” - and finally “Somethings I can’t forget; Lord knows I tried my best; you said it’s not my best; I came up out my flesh; somethings I must confess; spoke my truth, paid my debt; Can’t you see I’m a wreck; Let me loose I digress; This is me and I’m blessed (x4); Anybody else fighting through the stress?” ❤️

United in Grief - The protags, but especially Warden and Hawke. I didn’t play 2 but have seen a lot of content with it, so I won’t speak to much on that end. I just feel it would fit from what I have seen. But the warden??? The line “I grieve different” is reaching a part of their soul otherwise untouchable. Especially Cousland and City Elf origins imo. Also how the song is half bragging and half self criticism? The wee of throwing yourself into work to ignore the pain you’re in? Chefs kiss. Very good protagonist song i general, even outside of dragon age.

Crown - Another protagonist song, for no particular reason I really think do the inquisitor with this one. The mentions of control and responsibility, the age old notion that heavy is the head that wears the crown. Most notably the repeating line of “I can’t please everybody.” There’s also the opening “You walk around like everything is in control; favors come with favors, you can’t say no” I quite literally RPGs in a nut shell LMAO

Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe - Lelianna all day. I think she would resonate with the repetition “I am a sinner; Who’s probably going to sin again; Lord forgive me (x2); Things I don’t Understand; Sometimes I need to be Alone;” Also, mentions of change due to fame/power, of how some contemporaries feel soulless, making mistakes and wearing one’s heart on their sleeve. Lyrically and sonically this song is so beautiful, and has always made me think of her since I heard it during one of my replays. Also, bitch please don’t kill her vibe thanks.

Mother I Sober - Cullen. For one the mentions of faith. Easy way to relate to him. But also, this songs story of how Kendrick’s mothers trauma led to false accusations against a family member, how Kendrick was used as pawn in those accusations, how this continued to haunt him into adulthood, I could see this really resonating with a character like him. A song about generational trauma for a man who’s trauma has deeply effected him in catastrophic ways, cussing him to hurt others. I could see him relating to the lines “I wish I was somebody, anybody but myself” to a heart breaking degree.

m.A.A.d City - Zeveran. I know for a fact he’s actually going ape shit to this song. I mean I think everyone would be but especially him. He knows all the lyrics. He’s freaking his shit every time at the “Yawk, Yawk, Yawk, Yawk!” Part in the opening verse and I know the opening line hooked him instantly. “If Pirus and Crips all got along; they’d probably gun me down by the end of the song,” You’re telling me this doesn’t make you think of the Crows? Wild. Also dumb head cannon, Zeveran would introduce Kendrick to Alistair, Alistair would then become the biggest surprise fan of Kendrick in all of Theda’s if they had Spotify. This is a more silly one but I gotta show love to Zeveran.

[luniviravosshipper]

TDP Inspired Songs

So, uh, hi.

Ever since season 6 came out, I’ve been working on several playlists inspired by TDP. And I just have some songs I really, really want to share with the fandom because I feel like they perfectly represent certain characters, relationships, and themes in the series. And I would absolutely make animatics with these songs if I could, but I haven’t picked up a pencil to draw in like 5 years. So I’m just going to share them here today.

I used to listen to this band quite a bit when I first was figuring out my taste in music, so I’ve known this song for a long time. And to my surprise, when it was revealed that Aaravos had a daughter who he lost, I found this song to be incredibly fitting for his experience of grief over her loss.

I can’t go into all the lyrics for any of these songs and how they’re fitting because that would make this post far too long, but I can’t think of another song that perfectly encapsulates them as this song. Like, it’s just them. This is what I think Aaravos’ grief feels like.

It’s literally titled two coffins, and while in the song it’s referring to the idea that they’ll both die in the end regardless, I can’t help but to connect to the fact that Aaravos had to spend his days rotting away imprisoned in her literal corpse and in a way they were both laying in the same sort of tomb, and just, ugh, this song is so perfect for them.

Please give the song a listen. It’s a sad but beautiful song and just reminds me so much of them.

Now I’m sure more people have probably heard of Elliot Smith, so maybe this song might be more familiar to some.

I definitely imagine this song being told from Aaravos’ perspective where his rage is directed towards Sol Regem or Anak Arow for being the one to cause the pain and death of Leola. And, like, just the whole fire motif representing rage and Aaravos mirroring the rage Sol Regem so often hypocritically expresses towards others back towards him, it works so well. And just the raw emotion sung in this song. I think the lyrics are so applicable towards what happened and Aaravos’ feelings regarding Sol Regem.

So, I started a playlist inspired by Viren and his “redemption arc” the second the last season released. I don’t remember what specifically, but I remember searching up for songs with certain meanings and saw this suggested so I added this song by random because I thought it was kind of fitting. Then I actually gave it a listen and was blown away by how the lyrics perfectly aligned with his arc.

I don’t know what else to say, but this is just Viren’s song. Like, that’s it. It is his song.

Take a listen, pay close attention to the lyrics and how they’re sung. At the very least on a literal sense, I think the lyrics represent the entirety of his arc up to his very death so well.

Alright, last one.

This one’s kind of an odd one because it isn’t really based on anything canon from the series and merely speculation.

But I’ve always had this song in mind whenever the disappearance of Luna Tenebris came up in the series because I always speculated that it was actually Kim’dael who took her life, not Aaravos (or at least he only orchestrated her death from afar).

I don’t know how fitting this song will turn out after what we learn in season 7, but I’ve always imagined this song retelling some sort of conversation Kim’dael and Luna Tenebris had leading up to her demise where Luna confronts her about Kim’dael’s greed for immortality.

But, yeah. This song is probably more suitable for an idea of an amv or animatic rather then something I think we can connect back to what’s actually canon in the series… But I’m just throwing it out there anyways. Just in case, you know, anyone wants to do anything with it.

But that’s all. I might post the actual playlists I’ve come up with soon, or later. We’ll just have to see.

[literallyjustanerd]

Could you do Cody or Fox for the music thing? Thank you 💖

Thanks for the ask!! And for the two excellent choices. I ended up doing both :) I'll list the songs first then share some details below the cut:

Cody:

Holy Grail - Hunters and Collectors

Shelter - Porter Robsinson

Way Out There - Lord Huron

Fox:

Typhoons - Royal Blood

Uprising - Muse

Normalisation Blues - AJJ

Anyone else who wants a 3 song playlist on a character of their choice, please feel free to drop a name in my inbox!

My favourite lyrics from each song and some character rambling below:

Cody:

I love Cody so goddamn much okay he's such a good character for the little we see of him. He's strong but gentle and so scarily competent but he doesn't ask for glory. He's absolutely lethal in a fight but he still tries to end conflict with peace and negotiation wherever he can. He falls so easily into the "big brother" role and gives so much of himself to his brothers without hesitation.

He knows the clones' lot in life and instead of fighting against the inevitable, he puts his strength into fighting for his brothers. The songs I chose (it wasn't an easy choice lol) ended up having a common thread of fighting on despite knowing you'll never have a place in history or be remembered like you should. Because I love to make myself sad about Cody.

Holy Grail - Hunters and Collectors

Started out seeking fortune and glory It's a short song, but it's a hell of a story When you spend your lifetime Trying to get your hands on the holy grail ... I followed orders, God knows where I’ve been But I woke up alone, all my wounds were clean I’m still here I’m still a fool for the holy grail

Shelter - Porter Robinson

When I'm older, I'll be silent beside you I know words won't be enough And they won't need to know our names or our faces But they will carry on for us ... And it's a long way forward, so trust in me I'll give them shelter, like you've done for me

Way Out There - Lord Huron

I'm a long way from the land that I left I've been running through life and cruising toward death If you think that I'm scared, you've got me wrong If you don't know my name, you know it now I belong bodily to the earth I’m just wearing old bones from those who came first There are many more flames when mine is gone They will build me no shrines and sing me no songs

Fox:

Okay I've never really been a Fox girlie but the more I think about him the more I do love exploring his whole deal with being closest to the Chancellor during the war.

Typhoons - Royal Blood

These songs ended up being incredibly angsty and mostly about having your own mind turned against you, inspired by the idea that Fox always had his inhibitor chip slightly active to keep him compliant with Palpatine's orders. Especially when Fox's own free will ran explicitly counter to what he was ordered to do - i.e. shooting down his own brother. I still haven't forgiven him for Fives

The last song is actually about the US, it was released in 2020 about Trump's presidency, but oddly enough I think it fits pretty well in this scenario too lol...

Flashbacks, I’m not letting go Tear me up, cast a shadow I got game face, but it’s all for show Can’t give it up, blow my cover ... My thoughts becoming parasites They live to keep me terrified I tell myself I’ll be alright Typhoons keep on raging, and I don’t know why

Uprising - Muse

Paranoia is in bloom The PR transmissions will resume They’ll try to push drugs that keep us all dumbed down And hope that we will never see the truth around Another promise, another scene Another packaged lie to keep us trapped in greed And all the green belts wrapped around our minds And endless red tape to keep the truth confined

Normalisation Blues - AJJ

I can feel my brain a-changin’, acclimating to the madness I can feel my ourrage shifting into a dull, despondent sadness I can feel a crust growing over my eyes like a falcon hood I’ve got the normalisation blues This isn’t normal, this isn’t good I’m detached and I’m distracted, all keyed up but unproductive Vacillating between being all excited and disgusted And then dozing lackadaisically in this bubble where I’ve made my mental home Connection’s more important now than it ever was, but I’d rather be alone

[kishibedefender]

okay so all the Playlists for the fics are done, and imma share the songs that made the characters 😈

Christine Meyers:

I found Sophie Hunter from her song Mic Check on Tik Tok, and this was released right after, and I feel like the song really helped me build Christine's collected and calculating way of thinking, even when she starts losing her cool she keeps trying to figure out ways to get out of the situation.

Plus the end is a little manipulative, and Christine is a little manipulative as well. It just fits her development through the story the more aggressive it gets.

Jade Sato-Stephens:

Just the overall vibe of the song suits Jade so well, that the second I went back and listened to it I had her character pinned down. She's pretty volatile because she's young, and she tends to drop headfirst into situations before she plans out how to handle them.

But she's a pretty fearless person, and she's not afraid of a confrontation or a challenge. Not to mention that to handle someone like Rohan, she needs to be assertive.

Melanie Meyers:

Melanie is very different to the other Meyers girls, falling into a totally different genre too. While eventually both Christine and Jade become more assertive, Melanie is assertive from the start, but in secret. Quite frequently she's not doing her own dirty work, but she isn't afraid to roll around in the mud if it's a means to an end.

She's a criminal syndicate leader. So she's rich, connected, and of course on the outside she presents a version of herself that appeals to the broad majority. However, when she needs to, she's very cold, very harsh, and in some cases downright evil.

Isadora Meyers:

Okay hear me out: Isadora has no payoff in the romance department. Literally none. So this isn't about another girl. It's about herself.

She runs the Steel Ball Run as her brother's dying wish. In her character development, she figures out how to balance her family's expectations and her own motivations. It's about the girl who started the Steel Ball Run, sung by the girl who finished it, because they're two very different people.

Literally I heard this while I was reading SBR and immediately she was locked in.

I think I'll share the songs that built the main rivalries / conflicts in the fics next, because those are literally just as compelling

[m34gs]

For the fic writing ask meme: 1, 8, 11, 13, and 21!

Hi friend! Thank you for the ask, sorry it took me a little bit to get to it! I was very excited to answer, though!!!! (from this post)

For this ask, I will be using my wip Inconvenience Store; a BonRin Blue Exorcist fic set in an alternate universe where several characters work at a haunted convenience store!

Give a 5-word summary of this chapter/fic.

I'll do both:

Fic: BonRin at a haunted store.

Chapter: Bon and Rin date night.

8. What is the last scene you’ve written?

I'm currently working on the lead-up to Bon and Rin's movie date! Basically, Bon cleaning Lewin's house some more (it never ends). And thinking about Rin, because he is head over heels for his new boyfriend, ehehehehe.

11. What scene are you most hyped for this chapter/fic?

Honestly, while I love all the parts I write for this fic, my favourite parts are always the "mystery shopper", aka the horror movie character cameos. I love describing them, and I like to see if people know what they are and get my little references. And, I absolutely love when people comment that my descriptions of them are creepy because that is the exact vibe I'm going for!

13. What common trope(s) do you feel are used in this chapter/fic?

I think the most common one in this fic is misunderstanding/miscommunication. I use it for the comedic purposes, rather than for drama, but I do use it a lot. I think it makes sense, though, because in the fic Bon is coming into the town of True Cross without a single clue about the supernatural world, so of course he'll misunderstand things or be left in the dark. And I think Rin is the type of person who could easily create comedic misunderstandings. Also, I fully believe that Lewin can be absentminded at times, and other times thrives off the chaos. So, I think it fits in the story and it doesn't feel forced in my opinion :)

21. Share 3 songs that would belong on a playlist for this chapter/fic.

I wanna do both again, so:

Fic: the original Ghostbusters theme song by Ray Parker Jr. (it's literally perfect for this fic), Gun's & Roses (Baccano! op) by Paradise Lunch (it gives such good upbeat vibes), This is Halloween from The Nightmare Before Christmas (again. literally perfect vibes for this fic, lol)

Chapter: I'm Yours by Jason Mraz, Just the Way You Are by Bruno Mars, Under the Stars by John Legend (yes, these are all love songs/sappy songs. Listen. Bon is Down Bad. And he is on a date with Rin. There's nothing but love songs in his heart rn.)

Thanks again for this ask, friend! I hope you enjoyed my answers💜