#song: Blame by Bastille

[flayedintheusa]

Eventually, you give in to the things you want.

You fall, you take, you need,

You call and beg and plead.

You find that thing that feels like ease—

Don’t you dare pin this all on me.

Steve knew from the moment he saw him.

Billy knew from the moment he saw him.

There’s only one way this can go.

Searching Steve out for personal gain was only so fruitful— making him stagger. Making him blush. Making him need.

And it was cathartic, but eventually he snaps. The teasing, the taunting, it’s had undesired effects. It’s just as awful, leaving feeling like it was left unfinished.

He has to finish it.

And Steve— he’s thought about it. Thought about pushing Billy up against every surface of his room. Against the front door, the back door, the couch, the stairwell. It’s eating him alive, the imagining.

He indiscreetly makes a time and place. It’s now or never.

He has to finish it.

And it’s good. It’s more than good. It’s everything. He holds him down, just like he imagined. Breathes hot and heavy into his ear. Groans and pants and whispers dirty honesty like the thing that needed taming. Lights up his body like fireworks are just sparklers before the real deal.

And when he leaves, Steve thinks that’s it. It’s done. It shouldn’t feel so heavy. He has no reason to imagine, to need, anymore.

But when he comes back, he can only imagine all over again. And this time, it’s worse. He can remember.

The promise of it is dangerous. Of again. Of more. And they both know what it means, this time.

There’s no one to blame but themselves.

And something about that is important. It makes it easy, to ease. Makes it easier, to need. To call, and beg, and plead, when it’s a promise instead of a tease.

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Fic Titles: Song Edition

Part II

I can't steal you (like you stole me) - You, The Pretty Reckless

Spinning all these stories - Skinny Bitch, Lena Meyer-Landrut

It's just another rainy Sunday afternoon - Lemon Tree, Fool's Garden

When I watch the world burn (all I think about is you) - Doom Days, Bastille

Let's compare scars (I′ll tell you whose is worse) - Swing Life Away, Rise Against

Sunsets and silhouette dreams - You be the anchor [...], Mayday Parade

Who could deny these butterflies? - Remembering Sunday, All Time Low

As we say our long goodbyes - Run, Snow Patrol

Naked bodies look like porcelain - Love, Daughter

I wish you were a stranger - Over my head (Cable Car), The Fray

Send my regards to hell - Blame, Bastille

We do fall before we rise - Blood & Glitter, Lord of the Lost

Our hearts beat (control them) - In spirit golden, I Blame Coco

Admiring from afar - we fell in love in october, girl in red

The safest place to hide - MakeDamnSure, Taking Back Sunday

I am my own worst enemy - The Consequence, You Me At Six

My lover and my best friend - Rehab, Rihanna

It's a sign that someone loves you - Don't swallow the cap, The National

There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin - Take me to church, Hozier

The wonderful mess that we made - Flaws, Bastille

Drink the poison lightly - I'm not the one, 3OH!3

Saving life in the dark - Believe, Yellowcard

To warm the cold side of the pillow - Hunger of the Pine, alt-J

I'd probably still adore you - 505, Arctic Monkeys

You killed me with your smile - Tonight, Reamonn

Mistaken for strangers by your own friends - Mistaken for strangers, The National

Three whole words and eight letters late - Fireworks, You Me At Six

You say you love me and you roll your eyes - Everyway that I can, Sertab Erener

I'm so surprised you want to dance with me now - Pink Rabbits, The National

To distract our hearts from ever missing them - Youth, Daughter

More titles!

[soaking-wet-cat-punk]

ARCANE CHARACTERS AS BASTILLE: WILD WORLD SONGS

PART TWO

arcane spoilers below

part one:

11. Blame

so this song is. about being trans in an oppressive government. HOWEVER!! in this case it can represent the people of Zaun rebelling against the piltover law enforcement! or maybe the piltovans and the zaunites uniting against a greater enemy, Ambessa and Viktor.

12. Fake It

EKKO TRUTHERS IM SO SORRY HE WASNT IN PART ONE BUT HES HERE NOW!!! he’s here in love with jinx; seeing her as she could be in powder, but knowing that’s not her, not his jinx, even if she’s happier. he’s here in the references to time, infinite yet fleeting, forever and yet never enough. he’s here in the other universe, and ‘there’s no point reliving crimes to prove it’ are you for real??!?!!! he’s here in jinx’s room, begging her to stay alive over and over again, until he’s bleeding and battered, because he loves her and he knows she can help. he’s here. he’s here now.

13. Snakes

this song is Breakup Era Caitvi. without eachother they turn to violence, vi fighting low and cait fighting lower, turning to destruction and anger. feelings left unsaid as the world pivots towards its end. but their paths converge again, like a Weaver pulling them together with glowing claws, and they redirect their anger into the fight for the right, and the light.

14. Winter of Our Youth

ekko is back and better than ever!! everything he does is for the ones he loves. Whether it’s by leading, or by fighting, or by planning, in the back room, on the front lines, whatever he can do to help. and somewhere in there he lost a bit of himself. it’s lonely seeing the possibilities of what could have been. it’s lonely, bearing the weight of time.

15. Way Beyond

this song is so jinxpilled. imagine if she released this song. truly insane. the screaming. the guitar. truly. she is the calm AND the storm. the tsunami AND the volcano. I’m so tired I don’t have many words but you gotta trust me bro

16. Oil on Water

well. it’s kind of obvious. Vi and Caitlyn; breaking up, making up, making out. the yearnerrrrs. both carrying scars and ghosts from their pasts, both find solace in each others warmth. ambiguous ending to the song but I like to think the ending is a hopeful note to a new beginning, just like the ending of arcane. it’s over, for now.

17. Campus

this song is Viktor, trying and trying and trying again to make a difference in the world and always being pushed aside. this song is Jayce, seeing his work be destroyed and losing everything he’s worked so hard on. this song is viktor, discovering something new but his partner is enamored by councillor merdarda, and this song is jayce, staring in horror at the Thing that his partner has become after Jayce’s own invention.

18. Shame

oh jeez there are so many characters this could be. ekko about jinx. vi about caitlyn. jinx about vi. mel about ambessa. caitlyn about herself. Vi about herself. jayce about viktor, viktor about Jayce. mel about jayce. I’m giving this song to everybody as it embodies the true message of Wild World: there is something deeply wrong with the world, and I cant stop it. there is something wrong with me, and I can’t stop it. but worst of all there is something wrong with the one I love and that scares me more than anything. but I’m here with you and you’re with me and maybe we can come through this different, but together.

19. The Anchor

last one!! wowee! this song goes to…… VIKTOR!! congrats. everyone clap. but SPECIFICALLY viktor Bad Ending, alone with but a shell of jayce for years upon years, fading out of humanity in his plane of solitude, but holding on for one more chance to see jayce, any Jayce, maybe not his but that’s okay, if he can save one jayce then there is hope for all. he touches the face of the statue.

I’m sorry, my partner, my love.

the statue does not answer.

I HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BECAUE I DID THISNIS MY FAVORITE ALBUM EVER!!!! 100 NOTES AND I WILL DO THEIR ALBUM “BAD BLOOD��

if you disagree with me that’s wonderful and I would love to talk about it in the replies!!

[butchhamlet]

a scene-by-scene playlist for macbeth--one song for each scene. you know the drill by now. track list with rationale under the cut; special thanks to @blackcatarts for help with the selection :3 happy halloween season, y'all.

track list + rationale

act one

1.1 (the witches enter) - Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Lorde Cover) (feels self-explanatory, plus the vibe of it feels like panning in over a foggy battlefield)

1.2 (duncan finds out macbeth slayed) - Aneurysm by Nirvana (found this one on this macbeth playlist a while back and it has remained a macbeth song to me forever and ever; the manic energy fits the battlefield fervor here)

1.3 (macbeth and banquo meet the witches) - They by Jem (“and it’s ironic too // ‘cause what we tend to do // is act on what they say // and then it is that way… who are they? where are they? how can they possibly know all this?”)

1.4 (duncan names malcolm his successor) - Money Money Money by ABBA (he’s plotting! he’s planning! stars, hide your fires! look just trust me on this one)

1.5 (lady macbeth reads the letter & reunites with macbeth) - She’s Kerosene by the Interrupters (every lyric of this song is about lady macbeth.)

1.6 (lady macbeth welcomes duncan to her castle) - Silver Platters by Les Gold (“no need to be cordial // you could be immortal // if you take the risk // could you take the risk?” + “step out on the dance floor // this is what you asked for // such a pretty face // what was it underneath the mask for?”)

1.7 (the macbeths argue) - Fight For Me by AlicebanD (macbeths song of all time!!!)

act two

2.1 (dagger scene) - Disturbia by Rihanna (the supernatural begins to bleed into the world! will someone please direct a macbeth where this comes on during this scene) 

2.2 (post-murder argument) - Prowl Great Cain by The Mountain Goats (very macbeth song. placed here for “and i feel guilty, but i can’t feel ashamed!” & mention of sleepwalking & betrayal & prowling [cf. his line about tarquin in 2.1])

2.3 (porter scene, duncan’s death comes out) - Daniel in the Den by Bastille (“felled in the night by the ones you think you love // they will come for you” + “and for every king that died // they would crown another”)

2.4 (hey. don’t cry. duncan’s horses ate each other) - When He Died by Lemon Demon (literally a song about the world getting fucked up after a guy dies what can i say)

act three

3.1 (banquo gets suspicious) - Aha! by Imogen Heap (entire song about people pretending to be better than they are, including an actual serial killer. + “cost you to keep me quiet” with banquo…)

3.2 (the macbeths are fracturing) - The Horror of Our Love by Ludo (EXTREMELY MACBETHS SONG. here because this is the scene where they start to switch places, with him the one buying into violence as the answer & telling her not to worry about gory details)

3.3 (banquodeath) - Bury A Friend by Billie Eilish (rdj meme voice: he has murdered his friend)

3.4 (banquet scene) - Bird Song by Florence + the Machine (song about killing the witness and then being haunted by that witness and completely losing your shit trying to shut their ghost up…)

3.5 (hecate) - Hecate by Wendy Rule (i don’t give a shit about this scene i’m sorry. interpolation boooooo)

3.6 (lennox talks politics) - Dark Doo Wop by MS MR (foggy apocalyptic ones. “it’s all gone to shit // it’s out of our hands”)

act four

4.1 (double double toil & trouble) - Hot Knife by Fiona Apple (i’m a hot knife i’mmmm a hot knife i’m a hot knife he’s a pat of butter… you’re just gonna have to trust me on this one. my school’s macbeth had heavy drumming all through this scene and it’s associated with this song to me forever)

4.2 (macduff’s family is murdered) - Pretty Little Things by the Crane Wives (songs about pretty/fragile things being destroyed because of men’s betrayal… thinking about how lady macduff blames her husband for abandoning her to the wolves :( )

4.3 (malcolm and macduff) - All or Nothing by the Dream Masons (songs that are about both malcolm and macduff. the first verse especially is very malcolm, as a young prince stranded among enemies; the chorus is especially macduff-deciding-to-kill-macbeth-or-die-trying)

act five

5.1 (lady macbeth sleepwalks) - Tymps (The Sick in the Head Song) by Fiona Apple (LADY MACBETH GUILT SONG! “those boon times went bust // my feet of clay, they dried to dust // the red isn’t the red we painted, it’s just rust” w her imaginary bloodstains, + “i’m either so sick in the head i need to be bled dry to quit // or i just really used to love him // i sure hope that’s it”)

5.2 (the scots and english gather) - Marked Man by Mieka Pauley (songs i considered for 4.3 as well. they are coming to Get His Ass)

5.3 (macbeth preparing to fight) - For the Departed by Shayfer James (songs about knowing you’re about to get got but what does it matter when you’re already damned)

5.4 (the fucking wood is moving guys) - Kingdom Fall by Claire Wyndham (songs i almost put on the prior scene, for “i’d rather watch my kingdom fall // i want it all or not at all,” but eventually i placed it here because… well, we are watching the kingdom fall, my guy)

5.5 (tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow) - Drowning in the Sound by Amanda Palmer (okay, this is kind of because of “sound and fury,” but also it’s soooo macbeth act 5. “and the body is a temple but the temple is a prison and the prison’s overcrowded and the inmates know it’s flooded and the body politic is getting sicker by the second” + “do you ever feel like this should be officially the end? // and that you should be the one to do the ending, but you can’t?” + the inevitability…)

5.6 (scots + english arrive) - Lion’s Teeth by the Mountain Goats (song about trying to kill a powerful and tyrannical figure. also sounds like a fight scene)

5.7 (macduff and macbeth come face to face) - Bury Me Face Down by grandson (so obsessed with how firmly this guy would rather go down fighting than do literally anything easier)

5.8 (macbeth’s head presented, malcolm crowned) - King of the World by WAR*HALL (a new king is crowned after one dies by violence. fleance is still out there somewhere. the cycle of violence continues. this one doesn’t work unless you imagine the witches watching pityingly/sinisterly in the background)

[nocturnal-phantoms-fandoms]

Regulus Arcturus Black. in less than an hour:

for @pieceofshitregulus fest

a word, under the cut

Ive no idea if anyone will vibe to it, but alas, I made it, might as well share it. I wanted to focus on what we know about R.A.B: how he joined the Death Eaters so young, how he found out about the Horcruxes, and his journey to the cave.

Icarus - Bastille Natural - Imagine Dragons LOOKATME - Jann you should see me in a crown - Billie Eilish Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Lorde Emperor’s New Clothes - Jann Meet Me In The Woods - Lord Huron Battle Cry - Imagine Dragons We Have It All - Pim Stones What The Water Gave Me - Florence + The Machine The Drink Of Despair - Nicholas Hooper [HP6 Soundtrack] Deep End - Ruelle Goner - Twenty One Pilots In the End - Linking Park

below my interpretation of the songs

Icarus is great for an opening song. It encapsulates the whole of Regulus; his ambition - that led him to join the Death Eaters - was what brought his untimely death and he can blame no one but himself. I especially like the line "you'll drink yourself to death" because his death was, in part, due to the potion he drank. (Also here the part "you leave because you're certain of who you want to be" can be seen as Regulus making the final decision to betray Voldemort and steal his Horcrux, which was the choice that led directly to his death).

Natural is Regulus's internal dialogue, whenever he tries to rationalise the values he was raised with ("In this house of mine nothing ever comes without a consequence or cost"), the sacrifices he needs to make to fulfill the role he's supposed to play in the pureblood society ("That's the price you pay" "You gotta be so cold to make it in this world"), and the choice to join the DE ("rather be the hunter than the prey"). He may battle with himself, but at the end of the day he is a natural - a rightful heir - and he takes great pride in that.

LOOKATME is here because of the lines "I lived for validation I met your expectations Pushed down on my temptation That's not what I want". I see Regulus as a dutiful son, a perfect heir, but one that was craving even more power and raw violence than his parents. He was raised to represent the oldest, most noble pureblood family, in a modest and respectable way - instead his greed pushed him to join the extremist group trying to seize the power by force.

you should see me in a crown is self explanatory. (Though I will admit it fits Bellatrix rather than Regulus a smidge better.)

Everybody Wants To Rule The World is the exact moment Regulus learns about Voldemort’s Horcrux - after joining the Death Eaters (Verse 1) and before planning to go to the cave (Verse 2) to destroy it (Bridge and last Chorus). Here the lines “Turn your back on Mother Nature” and “Nothing ever lasts forever” have a double meaning: they refer both to Regulus (when he joins the Death Eaters; and when he decides to sacrifice his life) and to Voldemort from Regulus’s perspective (what Regulus believes making a Horcrux entails; and what he essentially says in his letter).

Emperor's New Clothes can be a Regulus song if you are delusional trying hard enough. The lines that are repeated for the second time is how Regulus is recalling them after he learns about Horcruxes. While at first he was happy to serve and obey and make sacrifices for his Lord, now he is bitter, thinking about the promises (of power) that turned out to be lies (because apparently Voldemort is trying to become immortal). Regulus betrays Voldemort because he feels betrayed by him in the first place, and the feeling of hurt is so strong, the need to do something about it - throw it all away - so overwhelming, he starts wondering if becoming a Death Eater was ever worth it; to the point of questioning his own hunger for power, even trying to convince himself he never craved it in the first place.

Meet Me In The Woods has some “Regulus learning the truth about Horcruxes and slowly realising what he has to do” vibes. And the lyrics of Battle Cry just scream “Regulus making the final decision to steal the Horcrux”.

We Have It All is another perfectly Regulus song. It’s from the perspective of someone who makes a pact with the devil knowing it was the wrong choice, doesn’t entirely regret it (or is only now starting to) and makes excuses for himself - but in the end calls out to someone who could save him.

What The Water Gave Me: water themed suicide painted as a sacrifice for one’s loved ones. Need I say more? That, The Drink Of Despair from the Harry Potter soundtrack, and Deep End refer to the exact moment of Regulus’s sacrifice via the potion in the cave.

There is a lot of irony in Regulus’s sacrifice that accomplished next to nothing and I believe it makes him that much more tragic as a character. He was promptly forgotten by everyone but a house elf, did not help his cause in any way and Voldemort never even found out that it was him who discovered his secret. Hence the last two songs: Goner, which is another one of Regulus’s letters (begging to be known and remembered after his death) and In the End, because it didn’t even matter.

[sad-boys-book-club]

"&" Ampersand - A Literary Companion: Eve & Paradise Lost

Hey everyone!

Let’s continue feeding my unhealthy obsession with Bastille by diving into the literary companion I created for “&”. Today, we’re talking about the second track: Eve & Paradise Lost. (Now that the album is out, I can finally follow the tracklist properly!)

In case you missed it, here’s my post about Intros & Narrators.

Before we jump into the book picks for this song, I want to apologize for the delay in writing this. I’ve had some family stuff going on, moved houses and also wanted to make sure I had read both books before recommending them.

Actually, I plan to take some time to go over the whole list of stories I’ve picked—I want to read them all thoroughly so I know exactly what I’m recommending to you all (some of them, I've already read, but I want to revisit them as well).

Now, let’s talk about the song. I find it fascinating to see a male songwriter like Dan taking on a woman’s perspective for a project that explores different stories. The official statement about the song stood out to me: “This song is about the burdens of loving women cruelly made to feel blame and shame from the dawn of time.” It’s clear Dan’s an artist who engages with feminist writings, and that’s something I truly appreciate—especially given how rare it is in the music industry, particularly for someone who presents as a straight, white male.

Cat Bohannon — Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution

The title character from the song. Probably the most cited figure from the Bible. A staple in paintings and literature for the past two thousand years. The first sinner. Eve remains a pillar of the Western collective imagination, her meaning changing a lot throughout the decades. From the representation of female sexual desire, scapegoating her for condemning the entire human race to death by eating the forbidden fruit (can you tell I went to Catholic school?), to being seen as the first example of female rage in the face of oppression. She embodies the complexities of womanhood—temptation, sin, and defiance—all wrapped into a single character.

Cat Bohannon’s book couldn’t be further from this. With a PhD from Columbia in the evolution of narrative, Bohannon explores why, in an age when we often see medical and science knowledge as some sort of truth, we still somehow have a very male-centric view of the human body.

By reexamining all the different potential Eves we have in the history of human evolution—that’s how she chooses to call all the ‘hypothetical female ancestors’ in our shared Homo sapiens lineage—, Bohannon urges us to reconsider and reshape our understanding of how our knowledge of the human body has often ignored half the world’s population.

As someone who enjoys reading non-fiction books (happy to share a few of my all-time favorites in the comments to whoever is interested), I found this book a really insightful, at times infuriating, eye-opening view into how sad it is that, for much of documented history, women have been seen as just men with breasts and wombs bolted on. The author is especially conscious of how sex (influenced by chromosomes, physiology, and hormones) and gender (how we identify, behave in our environment, and interact with one another) are not the same thing. She often adds notes to point out how science ignoring the female body and all its narratives has even worse consequences for trans and nonbinary folks, which I found really well-done and necessary in today’s age.

I picked this book as a companion to the song mainly because of the “rolled your eyes at pain you'll never comprehend” line, but I think it is a solid read on its own. I certainly learned a lot about my own body during the 15 hours I listened to the audiobook.

John Milton — Paradise Lost

So, Paradise Lost—the epic poem that pops up on pretty much every English Lit syllabus. Quick and snappy plot summary before we dive in: It’s a 12-part epic that covers Satan’s dramatic fall from Heaven, the creation of Adam and Eve, their blissful (but short-lived) days in Eden, the infamous temptation, and their ultimate eviction from paradise. Along the way, there’s a war in Heaven (didn’t exactly keep me on the edge of my seat), plus some deep philosophical chats between Raphael and Adam about creation, God, and, well, everything. It’s basically theological fanfiction (I mean it in the most neutral way possible).

Milton, being the good Puritan he was, used these stories to dig into free will, predestination, and conscience. It’s hard not to see Satan as a rebel leader and God as the authority figure, especially when you remember Milton was writing during the English Civil War. 

The poem was widely known but highly controversial and criticized during Milton’s lifetime, however, during the Romantic period, poets like Shelley and Byron “reclaimed” Milton’s Satan as a tragic antihero figure.

Anyway, I had to dig out my old uni notes (and hit up some audiobooks) to brush up on Eve’s role in this whole mess. And let me tell you, there’s a lot to unpack. Mainly because: a) as is often the case with old poetry, there’s a lot to read between the lines; b) classics come with a million different interpretations, and c) there are a few different versions, depending on the edition you read, so it’s easy to get lost in the variations of text, footnotes, and commentaries. (And also d) I won’t lie, it’s a slow, heavy read. At times, I had to resort to the audiobook just to get through some of the passages!)

Here’s what stood out this time around: Eve’s role is seriously hard to pin down, as Milton's relation to gender politics has been scrutinized since, well, pretty much since it was published in the 17th century. (Yeah, I had to pull out good old Google Scholar, watch some lectures on YouTube, and, of course, dive into Muses: An Ampersand Podcast—thanks, Dan and, mostly, Emma.)

What I really enjoyed was reading some modern articles that analyze Eve’s character through the lens of feminism which ties into the song’s exploration of blame and shame—no Wild World pun intended.

First of all, when Eve is introduced to Adam in Paradise Lost, Milton has her momentarily distracted by her own reflection in a pool of water, a subtle but significant parallel to the myth of Narcissus (hint hint). It’s an early indication of how susceptible to being misled she will be later on. But it also plays into this idea that her curiosity and desire—whether for knowledge or just, you know, herself—are somehow “dangerous.”

Now, Eve gets the blame for the Fall because she’s tempted by Satan to snack on the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Sure, she’s tricked, but let’s not pretend it’s all the serpent’s fault—once the idea is planted, it’s Eve who talks herself (and Adam) into it. That shows some sense of agency on her part, right? She wasn’t just a passive, helpless victim; she wanted to prove herself, to be tested, and she took action.

Milton is giving her a bit of credit for having a mind of her own, even if it’s wrapped up in this narrative of downfall. Eve’s curiosity and independence—qualities we might admire today—become her so-called "fatal flaws" here. So, yes, the story punishes female agency, but it’s undeniably there. And in a world where women were (and still are) often written as powerless, it’s refreshing to see Eve at least take some control, even if the outcome is a bit... unfortunate.

Now, let’s be real, this whole negative portrayal of Eve isn’t shocking. Milton was writing in a time where misogyny was baked into pretty much everything (which, sadly, isn’t all that different from now). Eve’s agency and sexuality are framed as the ultimate cautionary tale: women’s sexuality and agency are seen as inherently dangerous and something that inevitably leads to moral fallings.

But despite it all, towards the later part of Paradise Lost, Eve does get a kind of redemption arc. I came across one scholar who referred to the concept of felix culpa, a phrase in Catholic tradition meaning "happy fault" or "blessed fall." Eve might be responsible for humanity’s downfall, but her actions also set the stage for the coming of Christ, making her "mistake" a necessary part of the larger divine plan. It’s a bit of a paradox—how can something so disastrous lead to something so positive?—but the idea is that certain misfortunes can eventually lead to greater good.

Milton leans into this in Book 12, where Adam says:

"O goodness infinite, Goodness immense! That all this good of evil shall produce, And evil turn to good; more wonderful Than that which creation first brought forth, Light out of Darkness!"

So, in a roundabout way, Eve’s fall isn’t all doom and gloom—she’s the necessary catalyst that sets God's plan into motion. In fact, scholars have started to reframe Eve’s role in Paradise Lost as something more empowering than it initially appears. Traditionally, Eve’s been seen as the ultimate cautionary tale, blamed for humanity’s fall and cast as a symbol of female weakness and danger. But if you look closely, there’s something subversive in the way she’s actually the mover of the entire plot.

Eve isn’t just sitting around passively following orders—she actively makes the decision to eat the fruit, which, yes, brings about the fall, but it’s also what triggers the eventual coming of Christ and the possibility of redemption. Without her action, we’d all be hanging out in Eden, stuck in a static, sheltered existence. In a way, this is Eve taking control of her fate, making a choice, even if it’s framed as "wrong."

Plus, while Milton definitely punishes Eve, her agency is undeniable. Adam is kind of an afterthought in the whole thing—Eve is the one who steps outside the box, embraces curiosity, and disrupts the status quo. To modern feminist readers, that kind of defiance (even if it’s punished) reflects the strength of a woman asserting her independence. Raphael even calls her "the mother of humankind," acknowledging her dual role. She is both chaos and creation—a symbol of disruption but also the source of life. So, in a way, Eve’s choice is what makes humanity... well, human.

I like how in the song, there’s also a sense of Eve having an agency and a mind of her own. The chorus highlights Eve’s struggle with the idea of being “made for” Adam—“When they say I was made for you... made from you”—and the frustration of biting her tongue, which relates to how her love for Adam intertwines with her need for independence.

That’s it for this post! I’ll be back soon with more book picks for the next track. Let me know if you’ve read these or if you have any thoughts!

Feel free to share your thoughts and any other book suggestions as well!

With love,

Cat

[micechicken]

Eyes by Bastille

This is every use of the word "Eye" and variations in Bastille songs (and covers + Dan's solo work). I may be missing something but I tried my best.

It uses variations of the songs too, but not ALL of them cause that's just much lol. Ironically the song with a music video with a lot of eyes (Blame) doesn't have the word, but I used the picture of eyes from it lol. Naturally the easiest one to compile was Weight of Living Pt. I and the hardest was Starry Eyed with 12 😭

Here they are in order of apperence:

Poet 4x Family Ties 4x Haunt 1x Haunt (Dan's version) 1x Weight of Living Pt. I 8x The Draw 2x What Would you Do? 1x Skulls 1x Run for Trouble 1x Eight Hours 2x Pompeii 6x Irreverence 1x Starry Eyed 12x Bite Down 1x Thelma and Louise 4x Back to the Future 2x Give me the Future 1x Those Nights 2x Joy 1x Laura Palmer 1x Good Lesson 1x Basement 2x Drop it like it's Royal Mashup 1x Fake It 2x Good Grief 1x I don't want to miss a thing / It's the End of the world as we know it 3x Send Them Off! 1x Thinkin Ahead 1x Two Evils 1x Warmth 1x Would I Lie to You? 7x Falling 1x Forever Ever 1x Pompeii MMXXIII 6x Free 1x Love Don't Live Here 1x Requiem for Blue Jeans 1x Sweet Pompeii 3x Killing Me Softly with His Song 1x Beating Heart (Laura Palmer Demo) 1x Laura Palmer Simlish Version (Sims 3 Supernatural) 1x

[captainmullin]

Captain Mullin ~ Playlist

had the urge to compile a bunch of songs that reminded me of Mullin and their struggles with family and identity soooo. yeah. The Silly

listen [here] (spotify) or [here] (youtube) - list and specific lyrics under the cut!

Icarus - Bastille - Icarus is flying too close to the sun/And Icarus' life, it has only just begun/This is how it feels to take a fall/Icarus is flying towards an early grave Bodies - Bryce Fox - I got bodies in my closet, can't remember all their names/I could tell you it's the last time but you know I'll never change Captain - Derina Harvey Band - It was a stormy sea that made a Captain out of me/It was a rolling rogue and a wild ocean Ship in a Bottle - fin - You set sail alone, there is no crew/No one on the deck who can help you/This is all your own battle to win/This is your ship and you are the captain DEBT COLLECTOR - Jhariah - Here comes the debt collector/Seems you owe him again/Dollars and coins can't cut your cheque/This time around Don't You Dare (Make Me Fall in Love With You) - Kaden MacKay - Don't you dare make me fall in love with you/Don't you dare do something so cliché/Just get out of my daydreams, you're an unwelcome guest Masterpiece Theater I - Marianas Trench - All these practiced poses/I could wreck it if I had to/But I'm the wreck so what would that do? Perfect - Marianas Trench - What you want, what you need has been killing me/Try to be everything that you want me to be/I'll say yes, I'll undress, I've done more for less/And I will change everything till it's perfect again Promiseland - MIKA - Already played my part/I kept my promise, man/Show me the promiseland Firebird (Alt. Version) - Owl City - Tell me why I look back and I wanna cry/Sometimes I feel like we grew up too fast/You and I had the time of our younger lives Black Dirt - Sea Wolf - Black dirt will stain your feet/And when you walk, you'll leave black dirt in the street Visions - Sea Wolf - Everything's the same/But it's all changed/The pieces still make the same picture/Even though they've been rearranged Dear Fellow Traveler - Sea Wolf - Dear fellow traveler under the moon/I think I'm growing weary and I'm hoping you'll come soon/And if I see you in clean new clothes/I hope you hold the mirror up to show me what I chose Mayday! - Sparkbird - The captain lives by the sword/And the captain loves by the sword/When the captain dies by the sword Clean Slated State - The Altogether - Do you need someone, do you need a new me?/'Cause I've got two or three/And they'll only be here until/My clean slated state Welly Boots - The Amazing Devil - And when you scream that it's not fair/It's like I've gone off to the coast/Left you behind just standing there/Pretending not to see your ghost Dig Your Own Grave - The Dear Hunter - Burn what you need of me/I'll give you a fire to light your soul/To be your coal when you need it/Then burn all that's left of me/Then leave me to die/The fire's grown out of control, out of control Blood of the Rose - The Dear Hunter - Dance, dance your decay/All the while unknowing that you're led astray/Sleep, sleep through your woe/While your voice slowly withers and melts away Is There Anybody Here? - The Dear Hunter - I left my soul exposed to frail hands who hold/My fate up in the air/And through their fingers fall the meaning of it all/Down to the floor it goes Old Demons - The Dear Hunter - I won't be satisfied 'til the saccharine faces fade/Making a mockery of mythologies and tried traditions/For I was blind, now I can see/Every obstacle through soliloquy clears its path in front of me The Inheritance - The Dear Hunter - My job is done/You're old enough, it's time to leave/This home and go on your own/I know it's hard, but it's not my problem anymore/Not anymore Leader of the Landslide - The Lumineers - You blamed it all on your kids/We were young, we were innocent/You told me a lie, fuck you for that/Fuck all your pride and fuck all your prayers/And all this time, I waited like a fool, and for the first time/Finally, I can see you as the leader of the landslide

[drivinmeinsane]

In case you're not tired of them yet- I've got some character asks :]

For Holland; 8, 16 and 27

For Julian; 15, 17 and 28 (Driver)

For K; 2, 17 and 47

Thank you for the message! I appreciated the opportunity to talk about these guys some more!!! <3

Holland

8. Unpopular opinion about them.

Holland loved his wife dearly, but Jackson Healy is the unexpected love of his life.

16. Deepest darkest secret they won’t even admit to themselves.

Holland is worried that Holly hates him. He thinks he genuinely might be a bad father. He couldn’t fault his daughter if she blames him for the death of her mom, he certainly does.

27. Their guilty pleasure.

It would be easy to say alcohol, smoking, or self-flagellation, but really? Holland likes all those cheesy family activities (this includes Jackson of course). He didn’t get to spend enough time with Holly and her mom together, so he tries to put in the extra effort these days for family game nights, dinners, movie trips, anything they can do together. He also gets the bonus satisfaction of seeing Healy’s face flush every time he’s included as part of the March family.

Julian

15. Worst thing they’ve ever done.

Julian has done plenty of terrible things in his life. He is a product of his upbringing. As gently as I can put this with the understanding that he was victimized, the worst thing he did was not love himself enough to save himself by cutting ties with his mother and his brother. Without them in the picture, he very likely would not have been engaging in the destructive (both to himself and to other people) behaviors to the extent that he was. Crystal truly was an epicenter of bad.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them.

Off the top of my head, here are some of the songs that remind of Julian » I Bet on Losing Dogs - Mitski » God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash » Afraid - The Neighborhood » Knives Out - Radiohead » Grip - Seeb x Bastille

28. How they feel about Driver.

I feel like Julian would find common ground with Driver. Neither of them had a stable childhood, however Driver was able to come out of his experiences being able to connect with others, to love, despite everything. Julian might be able to let him in. Perhaps he could heal.

K

2. A canon or headcanon hill I will die on.

I firmly believe that Deckard would have left that upgrade center with two kids, Ana and K, if he had truly known what was going on from the start. By all rights, they were siblings. K had found his family. He just would not -could not- consider himself human enough to deserve it. By the time Deckard realized, likely when Ana explained the circumstances of K visiting, it would have been too late for him to claim K in life. In a happier story, he would have pried K off those steps before he succumbed to his wounds and the thought that he wanted to die. Maybe he could have been saved. Deckard had loved a replicant as a partner, he could have easily loved a replicant as a son.

17. Quotes, songs, poems, etc. that I associate with them.

Here's just some of the songs I associate with K. We'll go ahead ignore that I'm pulling some of these off my Six/K playlist... » Like Real People Do - Hozier » Star Hopping Lover - Chance Peña » Take me to Church - Hozier » Achilles Come Down - Gang of Youths » Way Down We Go - KALEO

47. Their dream job.

I think that in another life, K would have really liked to do something involving agriculture. As we see in both the script and in the movie, he has a genuine interest in Sapper’s occupation. He wants to know what he farms. He wants to know what’s bubbling on the stove. He’s intrigued by the cowslip he finds on the ground. Anything involving the creation of life and the tactile use of his hands seems right up his alley. Personally, I specifically see him as keeping bees if he were not… leashed by the LAPD (if he were to survive defection or were allowed to openly have his own interests). They captivated him from the moment on landed on his hand. As he is, they’re part of a system working for the betterment of a colony. I also think that in keeping bees, he would feel closer to Deckard given that he has his own. It might feel almost as if it were a family business, and we all know how desperately K wants to belong to a family. I’ve included some of my notes on the script and some shots of K finding the hives. I have too many feelings. :(

[rlainarin]

strike me down, crusader a Daeran Arendae playlist

tracklist + links to lyrics + highlights under the cut

Welcome to the Black Parade by My Chemical Romance I'm just a man, I'm not a hero Just a boy, who had to sing this song

Don't Stop Me Now by Queen I'm out of control I'm a sex machine ready to reload Like an atom bomb about to-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh explode

Walking Contradiction by Green Day I have no belief But I believe I'm a walking contradiction And I ain't got no right

West Coast Smoker by Fall Out Boy Don't feel bad for the suicidal cats Gotta kill themselves nine times before they get it right

GASOLINE by Måneskin Your ego is dangerous Your own blood is losing trust Neighbors left in the dust

Troubled Times by Green Day We run for cover Like a skyscraper's falling down Then I wonder like a troubled mind

Killer In The Mirror by Set It Off Let weakness disappear There's nobody but me here The killer in the mirror

Choke by I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME If I could burn this town I wouldn't hesitate To smile while you suffocate and die

The Sound of Silence by Disturbed And the vision that was planted in my brain Still remains Within the sound of silence

Kill All Your Friends by My Chemical Romance It's been ten fucking years since I've been seeing your Face round here And you're walking away and I will drown in the fear

Goodnight Demonslayer by Aurelio Voltaire Tell the devil its time you gave him his due He should go back to hell, he should shake in his shoes Cause the mightiest, scariest, creature is you

crusader by Stevie Howie You cast judgment on the ones who choose thought They pandered to the devil so they've already lost

Bouncing off the Wall by Green Day Cause it's all that I want And I want to be free I got Satan riding next to me

Suzerainty by Polite Fiction And masturbation's just not as fun If you can't cry when you're done

Are You Satisfied? by Marina & the Diamonds People like to tell you what you're gonna be It's not my problem if you don't see what I see And I do not give a damn if you don't believe

BABY SAID by Måneskin Baby said When you're talking I go dead Shut your mouth, give me your head

Who's In Control by Set It Off Living in fear, living afraid Hysterical every day All because I let your poison paralyze me

Honey, This Mirror Isn't Big Enough for the Two of Us by My Chemical Romance And it's hard to say I'm shaken By the choices that I make And well, I find it hard to stay

Sirens by Bear Ghost They say you oughta dance like no one's watching They're a telepathic chorus in my mind

Blood On My Name by The Brothers Bright Not a spell gonna be broken with a potion or a priest When you're cursed, you're always hopin' that a prophet would be grieved

Blame by Bastille Fall upon your knees, sing: "This is my body and soul here" Crawl and beg and plead, sing: "You've got the power to control here"

Tell Me It's Okay by Paramore And maybe it's been years since I wanted to be a part of anything But lately I've been good You know, I've actually been great

[seth-shitposts]

Songs that make me think intensely about Alexsandr Kallus

Blame by Bastille

Warmth by Bastille

Weight Of Living, Pt. I by Bastille

An Act Of Kindness by Bastille

Draw by Bastille

I'll Be Good by Jaymes Young

Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy, Foxes

Little Lion Man by Mumford & Sons

Bleeding Out by Imagine Dragons

I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

The Forsaken Waltz by Joshua Kyan Aalampour

Voices Off Camera - Ghost Note Symphonies by Rise Against

[haveyoulistenedtothisalbum-poll]

Tracklist:

Good Grief • The Currents • An Act Of Kindness • Warmth • Glory • Power • Two Evils • Send Them Off! • Lethargy • Four Walls (The Ballad Of Perry Smith) • Blame • Fake It • Snakes • Winter Of Our Youth • Way Beyond • Oil On Water • Campus • Shame • The Anchor

Spotify ♪ Youtube

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Fic Titles: Song Edition

Part I

Softly we tremble tonight - Cat and Mouse, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

We're so happy (we could die) - Blood & Glitter, Lord of the Lost

There′s no remedy for memory - Dark Paradise, Lana del Rey

Love is the warmest colour - Nara, alt-J

We gotta stop pretending who we are - Don't speak, No Doubt

A force more powerful than gravity - Satellite, Lena Meyer-Landrut

They turned to dust (all that I adored) - Things we lost in the fire, Bastille

Lose all sense of time - Coastline, Hollow Caves

Sometimes quiet is violent - Car Radio, Twenty One Pilots

I′ll show you mine (if you show me yours first) - Swing Life Away, Rise Against

So beautiful and wild - Tonight, Reamonn

See your face lit by starlight - Colorado Sunrise, 3OH!3

Misunderstandings and words unspoken - Don't waste my time, Victor Lundberg

When we stole the night - Another heart calls, The All-American Rejects

The way that we love (like it's forever) - Happy Ending, Mika

But it's home to me - Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Green Day

Like memories of dying days - Savior, Rise Against

Electricity between both of us - Landfill, Daughter

I slept in last night's clothes and tomorrow′s dreams - Uma Thurman, Fall Out Boy

There'll be a riot (cause I know you) - Robbers, The 1975

All of your flaws and all of my flaws - Flaws, Bastille

Crossing all the lines - Girls Like Girls, Hayley Kiyoko

Misery's your master - She's the blade, Sugarcult

But we go where we want to - Lane Boy, Twenty One Pilots

Between the lines of fear and blame - How to save a life, The Fray

There's a heavy cloud inside my head - Lemon Tree, Fool's Garden

A very common crisis - Fluorescent Adolescent, Arctic Monkeys

Turn the light out, say goodnight - Fake Empire, The National

Let′s write a song that we can dance to - Jersey, Mayday Parade

There′s strangers everywhere - This isn't everything you are, Snow Patrol

More titles!

[adlamu]

get to know me meme | 5 favourite bands | 2/5: bastille

Bastille are one of my favourite bands of all time. I've seen them five times (so far) and I've made several friends - including my three closest mates - through them. They're absolutely fantastic live and I've met 3/4 (3/5 if we're including Charlie), and they're really nice guys. I like the often bittersweetness of Dan's lyrics matched up with the atmospheric production - it's the juxtaposition of the tender bittersweetness of the lyrics and the dance-y/uplifting instrumentals that I'm most drawn to and what drew me to them in the first place, not gonna lie to you. A lot of their songs mean a lot to me but GMTF is probably where my heart's priorities lie because it's everything I could want in an album (especially a concept album). They're just generally a great band and deserve to be heard. Favourite Member(s): Dan Smith Favourite Album(s): Give Me The Future & Doom Days Favourite Song(s): Blame, Things We Lost In The Fire, World Gone Mad, Icarus, Doom Days, When I Watch The World Burn All I Think About Is You, Back To The Future, Club 57, What You Gonna Do???, & Plug In... Favourite Era(s): Doom Days & Give Me The Future

[apparition-pluto]

I JUST CANT GET OVER THIS SONG WITH IT BEING ABOUT ILLARI SHARING HER PAST WITH VENTURE FINALLY.

"I never wanted to be main character. Pretty fucked up there in the light." I mean take that as literally as you want. Illari was a prodigy, a child of the sun who showed potential like no other! And yet, through the years, the guilt of PTSD and solely surviving what happened twisted Illari's thoughts, making her hate herself, her past, the promising future she was foresighted to have. "Take a walk with me through these lives." Illari, with Venture, standing in the ruins of Runasapi. Standing on the sacred grounds where bodies had withered into the ground, fertilising the soil and rotting into the concrete that laid sturdy in history. "Take a walk with me through my mind, But I'm an unreliable narrator." Illari is taking Venture through her past, telling the archaeologist how she recalls the events of that day. But survivors guilt takes over, twisting the memories and taking all the blame for events that she could never control. Her recalls of memories were unreliable, not to make her seem a good guy, but to make her out as the only villain, to make it out to the archaeologist that it was Illari all on her own that took out her village. "When I should sit down, shut up. Listen, just listen!" Yet it's the both of them. It's Illari telling Venture to shut up, to stop trying to convince her that it wasn't her fault, that accidents happen and Illari isn't able to save everyone. Yet it's Venture telling Illari to listen, to take in what they are saying. Yet Venture also telling themselves to just listen, because sometimes people wont listen, and sometimes it helps just for them to vent it out.

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Spotify wrapped number . . . 8!! :D

Eve & Paradise Lost, Bastille

first of all god I love this song i cannot put into words how obsessed i am with it (song 8 on my spotify wrapped and i only started listening in august i've been obsessed)

second of all, this is both very easy and very hard. The challenge is that the context of the song is Eve's perspective on leaving the Garden of Eden and the whole theme is really focused on the woman taking the blame for the man's actions/mistakes so I feel like I should be using it for a female oc. The easy part is that I know who this song is perfect for:

Aelys Targaryen (ft Aegon)

I took the fall for us, babe Never saw it as a debt I got this gut feeling that somehow Only I will pay for it We gave into temptation Shame came, we pulled on some clothes I got this gut feeling I'll shoulder This fiction for us both I will always take the fall for us Though we both ate the fruit, my love Though we both ate the fruit

One of Aelys' main themes is consistently taking the fall and taking the blame to protect Aegon, sacrificing himself in countless ways to protect Aegon from the same fate, never regretting that choice or resenting Aegon but still sometimes struggling with the implications of his own choices

also with a side of Aelys being the younger twin, Targaryens and twin flames, and if Aelys had been born a woman he would have been Aegon's wife. He knows (and everyone says) that he was really born for Aegon, his life has always belonged to Aegon, and trying to reconcile if he can be Aegon's and still belong to himself too

When they say I was made for you I love you so, but still, it's hard to get my head around it