#spotify song repeat challenge

[misskattylashes]

I've been tagged by the lovely @paperlovesadness to shuffle my automatic Spotify On Repeat playlist (or Heavy Rotation mix on Apple Music apparently) and share the first 10 songs that come up 💛

Can I add some of mine might seem weird but they are for the purposes of writing

1. Dracula Teeth - TLSP

2. Little Illusion Machine - Miles Kane and the Death Ramps

3. Potion Approaching - AM

4. Generique ( de 'Bilitis) - Francis Lai

5. The Bourne Identity - TLSP

6. Liszt Nocturne No.3

7. The World's First Ever Monster Truck Front Flip - AM

8. Stranger to You Now - Tempesst

9. Standing Next to Me - TLSP

10. See Those Eyes - Altered Images

I nominate @lalaballa1977 @nicoscheer @joshus-lobster @homoirrealis @thetruthisfictional @standingnexttome2012 @daddylokisqueen

[themagical1sa]

Nawa'y mabura ng oras ang kupas na tagsibol.

May time erase the faded spring.

[afterglowsainz]

max verstappen and 58

you’re just a man, it’s just what you do | max verstappen

song; norman fucking rockwell - lana del rey

part of the spotify wrapped special

Being a woman in motorsports was tough. Being anything other than a rich white man was especially difficult in motorsports, but of course, you couldn’t complain at all—that’s what everyone expected from you. Still, you couldn’t hide how hard it was that no one took your opinions seriously. Everyone expected you to give up, and when you did, they’d say it was obvious because “this is a man’s world.” No one expected much from you, and the anxiety of making even the smallest mistake haunted you, fearing they’d find an excuse to blame you. Meanwhile, no matter how many mistakes your colleagues made, they were never judged the same way.

It was a blessing to be an engineer for a prestigious team like Red Bull, but it was also challenging. Even so, you could say one of the positives of working in Red Bull's garage was their star driver, Max Verstappen. Of course, your attraction to Max was personal; if anyone found out you liked him, the typical misogynistic comments your colleagues loved to make would surely follow, comments you chose to ignore for the sake of your peace of mind.

But Max wasn’t like that.

Max didn’t care that you liked him, because he liked you too. Away from the paddock, when no one was watching, he enjoyed being with you. He loved making you laugh with his dry humor, seeing your eyes light up when you talked about something you were passionate about, kissing you while holding your face in his hands, waking up next to you in the same bed.

Of course, it was all a secret. Besides the fact that you worked together, you were a woman working in his garage—it's pretty obvious why. But even though the request to keep the relationship a secret came from you, Max didn’t go out of his way to hide his affection for you in front of others. He brought you coffee every morning or hugged you before anyone else when he won a race and everyone crowded the podium to congratulate him. Small gestures like those began to stir rumors among the other engineers, but since no one confirmed anything, they remained just that—rumors.

You knew workplace gossip could be a little damaging for you, but as you always did with that type of comments, you simply ignored them and focused on working, letting the championship-winning car speak for itself.

It wasn’t until one evening, when you stayed late working and were heading to the hotel, that you passed by the break room and heard your colleagues talking and laughing. You didn’t stop to listen to them—you stopped because of Max, who was there with them.

“No, but seriously, Verstappen. All those hugs and looks between you and Y/N—you’ve already gotten something, haven’t you?” one of the engineers asked Max, making your breath hitch.

“Of course he has, mate,” another engineer replied. “How else do you think she’s gotten as far as she has?”

Max said nothing for a few seconds, and you hoped he might defend you, but then you heard him laugh.

“A big step for women in motorsports,” he said. His voice sounded a bit uneasy, as if he didn’t know how to respond, but he still said something. And it was the wrong thing to say.

It’s just a comment, you repeated to yourself mentally. It’s just a comment. It’s just a comment. Then why did it feel like your heart was breaking into a thousand pieces? Why did you feel ready to go to war and confront every man on the team for all the misogyny you’d endured in the garage? Why did you feel tears falling down your cheeks—not of sadness, but of rage? Why did you feel betrayed?

In the end, you didn’t do any of the things you’d imagined. You simply turned around and returned to your hotel room, just as you’d originally planned. That night, when Max knocked on your door, you ignored him completely, not even bothering to answer when he asked why you weren’t opening or if you were already asleep. You didn’t want to see his face or hear his voice.

In the end, you remembered that Max, as incredible as he might be, was still a man. That’s what they do.

[jamiepaige]

Constant Companions Closeup #3: ROT FOR CLOUT

(also on bandcamp and spotify!)

WHAT'S going on guys, welcome back to another Constant Companions Closeup, the show where we take a DEEP DIVE into what makes these tunes tick! Last episode, we went aaaaaall the way there on Not Quite There, and today, we're making that liggity-line go up up up up up with ROT FOR CLOUT featuring VISUALEYES!! Before we get started, remember to SMASH that like button, SLAM subscribe, and FUCK the bell icon. This week's community challenge: leave your credit card info in the comments! Bet you won't!

(*cough*)

---

I check my notifications way too fucking much. It's a habit I'm trying to curb, and to my credit, I am doing better lately, but being chemically predisposed to dopamine deficiencies has done a number on my ability to go five minutes without checking the funny glowing numbers on my phone. Naturally, I also very much seek more validation than I should from the opinions of strangers yadayadayada yeah that's what the song is about but none of that actually has to do with why I started writing this song in the first place.

Have you ever taken a flight with American Airlines?

This was after waking up at 4 in the morning to fly out of Houston thinking I'd be napping on a couch in Ohio by 2 pm at the latest.

I want to make one thing clear here, and that's that I made this bed for myself. Tucked the sheets in and all. You see, on the rare occasions I fly, I normally take Southwest. Southwest does not overbook flights like a lot of other airlines do, so it's a practice I am mostly unfamiliar with. So, when I received a notification on my phone promising genuinely ridiculous amounts of flight credit money in exchange for taking a slightly later flight, I thought - well, shit! That sounds nice!

This is how they trick you. I didn't really realize I'd been tricked until I was on my second flight of the day, sitting in a middle seat at the very back of the plane, heading from Dallas, a city I don't live in, to Washington, DC, a city I was not trying to get to, staring down the barrel of another flight I was destined to get on that had been delayed like two fucking hours.

I became the Joker. All I could do to remain sane was write a song about it. This is how ROT FOR CLOUT came to be.

I guess the moral of the story is this: Don't go to Ohio. And to answer your question,

Yes I am

Not really

No

---

This is a complete sidenote but I want to mention it here: I'm genuinely overjoyed at the amount of people excitedly talking about my songwriting or the intention behind my lyrics. For a long time, it really felt like lyricism was the last thing people cared about from me, while it was always the thing I wanted to take pride in the most... So genuinely, thank you everyone for caring!! Every single fire emoji people have put next to a line I've written has extended my lifespan by multiple years

There's a brief little moment where the song's chords leave the key, doing a really stereotypically jazzy 2-5 movement, and it's one of my favorite parts of the entire song. I'm not really a music theory buff or anything, and I'm certainly not formally trained, but I've always been very passionate about more complicated harmony in otherwise poppy and accessible contexts - bo en's album pale machine really rewrote my brain when I first heard it.

On that note, there are microtones in the vocal melody - During the chorus, some of the rapidly repeated words move up in quarter tones! Possibly the simplest way I could've included microtonality, but I'm genuinely afraid if I learn more than what I already know about it I'll be lost to the darkness.

Obviously, the work of Sasuke Haraguchi was a massive influence on this song, particularly the song Igaku. I think basically everyone on the entire planet has picked up on that at this point, but I do also wanna point out some other songs that were on my mind at the time! (two for three on these posts mentioning louis cole now)

I'd also like to take a moment to spotlight the vocal samples on this! They previously appeared on エビチャーハ���!, and they've honestly become some of my favorite samples to throw in things. They're also just a fucking goldmine sincerely

Finally, HUGE thanks to Visualeyes for the delightful synth solo on this!! I had put out a call on Twitter looking for instrumentalists, genuinely originally envisioning a super jazzy piano solo, but their synth playing genuinely brought the whole song together perfectly!

That's about it for this song - though again, if there are any more questions people have, I'd be happy to answer them in the replies to this post or elsewhere!! (*ahem*) THAT'S gonna do it for today's video, folks! Feel free to leave a like, comment, hit the subscribe button for more and click the bell so you don't miss any new videos. Tomorrow? I Wish That I Could Fall. it hurts.

[1425fivefive]

Hey ho! Challenge time - open your Spotify Daylist, find the 17th song on the list and write a quick drabble based on the 6th line of lyrics🎵

Send this to 5 friends and feel free to change the song or lyric number 🖋️ have fun!

(here’s a gracie abrams-inspired maxiel drabble set post-brazil gp this year)

Daniel wonders sometimes if it all went wrong when he left Red Bull. 

He doesn’t like to think like that normally, tries to repeat what his therapist always tells him—he made the best choice based on the information he had at the time. He has to give his past self some grace. It is what it is, as Lando would say.

But Daniel watches Max win in Brazil, an unreal drive from seventeenth to first, and Daniel’s not there. Daniel’s halfway across the world, sprawled out on his parents’ sofa in Perth, sipping a beer, one arm slung behind his head. Max climbs out of the car and punches his fists into the air, his race suit soaked with rain, and Daniel’s not there. Daniel watches Max hoist the trophy above his head, mouth open on a hoarse scream of victory, and Daniel’s not there.

Daniel’s mum wanders into the living room, carrying a load of washing. “How’d your boy do?” she asks.

Your boy. Daniel knows his mum doesn’t mean anything by it, but it makes something hot and possessive flare in his stomach. Makes him think of Max at eighteen after Max’s first win, blinking up at Daniel with wide, bright blue eyes, all his features too big for his face and still the most beautiful thing Daniel had ever seen.

Daniel forces himself to smile. “Yeah, good,” he says. “Really good.”

His mum wanders off to do the wash and Daniel stays where he is, watching the post-race press conference, watching Max practically glowing with victory.

He’s beautiful, Daniel thinks. Even now, after everything, he’s still the most beautiful thing Daniel’s ever seen.

—

Daniel spends the rest of the day busying himself around the farm. He stacks bales of hay and checks on the tomatoes he’s been growing in the back garden, goes to visit the alpacas. It’s good, being outside. Feeling the sun on his face and remembering that there’s a world beyond an F1 track.

But as Daniel scatters feed for the chickens, he can’t help but wonder if Max missed him. If Max was standing on the podium and looking out into the crowd, hoping to find Daniel there.

It’s a stupid fantasy. Max hasn’t missed Daniel in ages. Not the way Daniel misses him.

—

In bed that night, Daniel reckons the worst bit about it all is that he doesn’t have any right to miss Max. Daniel’s the one who left.

To be fair, Daniel hadn’t known he was leaving, exactly, when he’d signed with Renault. He’d known he was leaving Red Bull, but Max—Daniel let himself believe that there was a way he could keep Max.

But Daniel hadn’t understood what he was to Max. Or maybe he hadn’t let himself understand. Maybe he’d refused to look at it straight on, had tried to convince himself that the way Max looked at him—like he would do anything Daniel asked, like he would kill for Daniel if Daniel told him to—didn’t mean anything.

They’d been in Daniel’s bed in Monaco, Max’s face and chest flushed a brilliant pink, his hair sticking up every which way, his skin slick with sweat. He’d been unbearably, impossibly gorgeous, and he’d been Daniel’s.

Daniel fucked Max a second time and Max begged, in his hoarse, raspy voice that made Daniel insane, that made Daniel want to shove his phone in front of Max’s mouth and record it so he could listen to it all the time, listen to the way Max said please and Daniel and so deep, Daniel, fuck. Listen to the frantic, high noises Max made as he came.

After, Max had been soft and sweaty and pink, smiling up at Daniel lazily, his stomach still coated in come, and Daniel had said, “I’m going to Renault.”

Daniel wants to bang his head against a wall when he remembers the way Max’s body went stiff at Daniel’s words, his face shuttering. All the hard-earned softness, the gentleness Daniel had spent months trying to coax out of him, exiting him like a switch being flipped.

“You are going to Renault,” Max repeated, voice flat.

Daniel let out an awkward laugh, and it was so obviously the exact wrong thing to do, had Max shoving Daniel off him and scrambling off the bed, frantically wiping the come off his belly with a towel.

“Max, wait, we can still—”

Max looked up at him and Daniel could see the tears in Max’s eyes, the tremble of his bottom lip. It made Daniel want to tug Max back into bed, pull the sheets over them and keep Max there, fuck racing, fuck Red Bull, fuck Renault.

But when Daniel reached a hand toward him, Max flinched, letting out a high, hurt whimper, all the more devastating for how similar it sounded to the noise he made when he came.

“I would never have left, Daniel,” Max said, his voice throaty and fucked out, shaking with unshed tears. “I would never leave, you know this, and still you—”

But Max had left Daniel’s flat, then, the door slamming behind him on the way out. Daniel knows, though, that Max only left because Daniel left first.

—

Daniel spends the next day driving dirt bikes around the farm, doing stupid, reckless shit. His mum asks him if he’s doing alright and he gives her a big grin, saying, “All good, yeah.”

Racing down one of the long, endless roads near the farm, orange dust kicking up behind him, Daniel can’t stop picturing Max next to him, whooping as he speeds past Daniel, looking over at Daniel with one of his huge, crinkly-eyed smiles that show all his teeth. Maybe, if Daniel had stayed—

He made the best choice based on the information he had at the time. 

And maybe he always would’ve ended up here, alone, eventually. Maybe there was nothing he could’ve done. Maybe he was always going to leave Max, somehow, always going to disappoint him. Maybe he would’ve crashed out at Red Bull, maybe he would’ve left and it wouldn’t have been his choice. Maybe he was always going to end up racing down a dirt road, alone, with no one around for miles, in love with nothing except going as fast as he possibly can.

—

There’s a car parked in front of the house when Daniel gets back. An innocuous-looking Toyota Prius, green paint covered in a film of dust. Daniel assumes it belongs to one of his parents’ friends.

He pulls off his helmet and shakes the dust out of his hair, knocking the dirt off his boots as he climbs the stairs.

“Daniel.” A throaty, raspy voice.

Daniel’s head whips to the side and Max is there, sitting in a rocking chair on Daniel’s porch in khaki shorts and a white t-shirt, blinking up at Daniel with wide eyes.

Daniel blinks back, opening and closing his mouth several times, but no words come out. Finally, Daniel manages, “What’re you—Max, what?”

“I came to see you,” Max says simply.

“How did you—the race,” Daniel says, because the race ended maybe twenty hours ago, and it’s not a short flight.

“I got on the plane right after the race, of course,” Max says. He pushes to his feet and stands there, hands shoved deep in his pockets. “I wanted—” He trails off, bringing a hand up to rub at the back of his neck. When I was in the paddock after, I tried to find you, and then I remembered that you were not there, and it was—” Max swallows and drops his hand, meeting Daniel’s eyes. “I missed you.”

Daniel makes a wounded noise, heart stuttering in his chest.

Max sounds devastatingly, impossibly young as he asks, “Did you miss me?”

Daniel considers lying, for a moment. Giving Max a broad smile and telling Max that he doesn’t miss him, that he doesn’t miss any of it. Doesn’t miss racing or Red Bull or having Max in his bed.

But he says, voice rough, “Yeah. Yeah, I fucking—” His throat goes tight and he has to look at a spot above Max’s head. “I’ve missed you for six fucking years, Max.”

Max’s eyes go even wider, lips parting. “Oh.”

Daniel still isn’t sure what Max wants out of this, isn’t sure whether Max has missed Daniel the way Daniel’s missed Max, but he needs to find out. If there’s a chance—

Daniel nods toward the door. “Want to come in?”

“Yes,” Max says, nodding. “Yes, I—always.”

As Daniel holds the door open for Max, feeling the heat of Max sliding past him into the house, Max smelling of the same body wash he used back when they were together at Red Bull, Daniel can’t resist brushing a hand against the small of Max’s back. Max’s breath hitches and his cheeks go pink, eyes flicking to Daniel’s.

When Daniel walks into the house and sees Max waiting for him right inside the door, feels Max push him against the wall, Max’s plush lips brushing against his, Daniel wonders if that’s the thing about leaving. Sometimes, if it’s right, you can always come back.

[airybcby]

heyyy if your still doing your spotify wraps event, what do you think of melanie martinez as my top artist? Or for a specific song, queencard by g-idle?

i am still doing the wrapped event! i don't really like Melanie sorry :( , but i can write for the song!

if your most listened to song was queencard by g-idle, i'd pair you with...

michael kaiser

જ⁀♡⊹｡° even when i see it

♡ a/n — for my spotify wrapped event! - masterlist -

♡ content — michael kaiser x gn! reader, gn! reader, interviewer! reader, set after a game, flirty! kaiser

♡ synopsis — michael kaiser, the man everyone wanted an interview with...couldn't keep his eyes off the cute reporter at his press conference

The room is packed with reporters, cameras flashing and microphones held up as if they’re waiting for him to say something legendary. Kaiser Michael walks in with the usual air of superiority, perfectly aware that every eye in the room is trained on him. His steps are confident, and there’s that trademark smirk playing on his lips, the one that makes everyone wonder what he’s thinking—if they’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

You’re sitting at the table, papers neatly stacked in front of you, but you can’t help but notice the way he’s scanning the room, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. He locks eyes with you for a split second, and you feel an unexpected jolt of electricity shoot through you.

It’s so brief, so subtle, but you can’t shake it. And just like that, the charming, cocky smile spreads across his face, the one he knows drives everyone wild.

"Ah, it’s you," he says casually, his voice smooth like silk as he takes a seat at the podium, ignoring the reporters scrambling to get closer. His eyes linger on you for a moment longer than necessary, and you feel the weight of his attention. "I was wondering if you’d be here."

You do your best to remain professional, but you can’t help the slight flush rising to your cheeks. He knows what he’s doing. You’ve been in the industry long enough to recognize it. He’s playing the game, and right now, you’re the center of his attention.

A few other reporters ask questions, but Kaiser doesn’t seem all that interested. His answers are as smooth and rehearsed as ever, but there’s an air of boredom to it. He’s the king, and the rest of the world is just there to acknowledge it. But then it’s your turn.

You lean forward, the microphone in front of you steady as you look straight into his eyes. "Kaiser," you begin, your voice steady despite the slight flutter in your chest, "you’ve been a dominant force on the field, but we’ve seen you struggling a bit in some of the recent games. What do you think is holding you back from truly being unbeatable?"

He tilts his head, considering you with that sharp, intense gaze. "Struggling?" He chuckles, almost to himself, before leaning in slightly, lowering his voice just enough that it feels personal. "I’m not struggling, sweetheart. Just waiting for the perfect moment to strike. You don’t get to the top without knowing when to hold back, after all."

You force yourself to maintain composure, but it’s hard when he’s looking at you like that, his words laced with confidence—and something else. "And what about the pressure?" you press, playing your role as the interviewer, even if his attention feels like a direct challenge to your professionalism. "There’s a lot riding on you being ‘the best.’ Does it ever feel like too much?"

Kaiser’s smile widens, and there’s a glimmer of something in his eyes—something dangerous, yet captivating. "The pressure?" he repeats, almost as if amused. "It’s nothing. People expect a lot from me, but I’m used to it. I thrive under it. Besides," he leans forward slightly, his tone dropping just a little lower, "I always make sure I deliver. You know how it goes. Can’t have people forgetting the name Kaiser."

You swallow, trying to maintain the calm facade you’ve built. But you’re not sure if it’s the game of words or the way he’s looking at you—like you’re both the prize and the challenger—that’s throwing you off. It’s all part of his act, right? Just another facet of the public persona he’s so good at maintaining.

Another reporter calls out a question, pulling his attention away, but Kaiser doesn’t seem to fully shift his focus. His gaze flicks back to you briefly, that smirk never leaving his face, and you can’t help but wonder if he’s still playing with you.

As the press conference continues, you feel the weight of his presence more than ever. He knows exactly what he’s doing, and you’re not sure if you’re just another part of the game or if there’s something more behind those eyes. You can’t decide if he’s trying to get under your skin or if, for once, he’s genuinely intrigued by you.

And when the press conference finally wraps up, Kaiser stands, sending another playful, almost teasing glance your way. "See you around, sweetheart," he says, that same confident smirk still dancing on his lips. "I expect nothing less than a perfect question next time."

You try to brush it off, but the way he’s left you feeling unsettled, intrigued, and a little bit flustered lingers long after he’s gone. You know you’ll be thinking about it—about him—long after this interview is over.

i thought this would kinda fit? it was hard to decide what i wanted to do with this song

i hope you liked it!

likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated!

[utopiastri]

Hey ho! Challenge time - open your Spotify Daylist, find the 11th song on the list and write a quick drabble based on the 1st line of lyrics🎵

Send this to 5 friends and feel free to change the song or lyric number 🖋️ have fun!

(i need everyone to know i was SO determined to write angst for this. and then. spotify gave me footloose. anyway have some lestappen)

i’m punching my card

“Have you heard?” is the first thing Pierre says to him when he sees Charles on media day.

“Heard what? Oh! About Lewis’ new girlfriend?” From the look on Pierre’s face, Charles is guessing he hasn’t heard about Lewis’ new girlfriend. “Never mind, what have I not heard?”

“No, I want to hear about Lew—” Pierre cuts himself when Charles gives him a look. “Alright, fine, I’ll go first. It’s about Max.”

“Max?” Charles says sharply.

“Apparently he’s retiring.”

Charles blinks.

And then immediately starts heading towards Red Bull hospitality.

“Wait!” Pierre calls after him. “You still have to tell me about Lewis’ girlfriend!

———————

“You cannot retire.”

Max, who already looked a little surprised to see Charles in the door of his driver’s room, now looks fairly baffled.

“Retire?” he repeats.

“Yes! Retire! You cannot retire!”

Max’s eyebrows are still furrowed in confusion, but his mouth pulls into a small smirk.

“Why are you so worried about me retiring?”

“Because—because I still need to beat you!” Charles stammers, before adding, “Stop laughing at me!” when Max starts giggling a little.

“Sorry, sorry,” he laughs, “Just…that’s all? Nothing else?”

“That’s all,” Charles says firmly.

“Ah, so it wouldn’t be because you’d miss having me on the grid?”

Charles’ brain screeches to a halt.

“No! Actually, I have thought about it and I think you should retire. Retire today. Right now.”

“Right now?” Max asks, voice light with humour.

“Yes.”

“Tragically, Charles, I’m not retiring at all.”

Charles freezes again. “You’re not.”

“I’m not.”

“Good,” Charles says, before quickly adding, “I mean, bad. Terrible. I am devastated to hear you won’t be retiring.”

“Charles?”

“Yes?”

“Would it help if I said I’d miss you on the grid if you retired?”

Charles feels his face flush bright red and decides to leave before he embarrasses himself further. The last thing he hears before he escapes is Max’s loud laughter echoing around his driver’s room.

Charles supposes, if he had to be completely honest, he’d maybe miss that sound if Max were to retire.

[live-love-be-unique]

Weekend Away

Summary: A weekend away camping with your friend Soap leads to the start of a new relationship.

My submission for @glitterypirateduck #CoDVacationMode challenge. The prompts I used were:

12. Camping

32. Friends to lovers

34. First time seeing each other naked

Parings: Soap x f reader

Warnings: MDNI, smut

It had been a rare weekend of downtime after you had finished the last mission and after an offhand comment that you were going to do absolutely nothing except crash into your bed and move only just enough so that people didn’t mistake you for being dead, Soap had declared you to be his camping partner. When you agreed to join Soap on a camping trip you didn’t realize how thorough his preparation was. It started with his sending you a joint Spotify playlist “we’ll be needing good road trip music bonnie” along with a detailed list of your favorite road trip and camping snacks as well as a list of “things you need to pack to survive”.

The day the two of you set off, Gaz left you with some of his words of wisdom: “If you hear banjos, clench your buttcheeks!”

“Really Gaz? You’re referencing Deliverance now? If I get killed in some back woods somewhere I hope you fall out of another helicopter” You snap as Gaz smirks. That little shit.

You jumped as a deep Scottish accent sounded from behind you “Relax bonnie, if I wanted to kill you I wouldn’t tell anyone where we were going” Soap smirked as you got into his jeep.

“Not comforting MacTavish!” He laughed and pulled out of the parking spot “you haven’t told me where you’re dragging me yet”

“Relax, would you! You’re going to love it”

For the next three hours of driving you had been treated to Soap belting out his favorite songs, which mostly seemed like The Proclaimers on repeat and drumming on the steering wheel, both he and the radio at full volume.

“…When I wake up, well, I know I’m gonna be

I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you…”

You were almost ready to kick him out of the moving vehicle and head back to base when Soap pulled onto a dirt track. He stopped the car near the small forest and jumped out.

“We made it? Finally!”

“Not quite lass”

“What do you mean ‘not quite’? We’ve been driving for hours”

“Little bit of a hike to get there but I promise it’s worth it”

He’d of course been lying when he called it a ‘little bit of a hike’. You’d been walking for ages, enjoying the scenery of the area, you did have to admit it was a beautiful spot. You watched a flock of birds fly over the lake, not watching where you were walking and crashed straight into Soap’s back.

“Careful there bonnie” he chuckled as his arms braced you from falling flat on your face.

“Thanks” you muttered. Blushing, you extracted yourself from Soap’s arms and brushed yourself off.

“We’re here!” He announced with a flourish, throwing his arms out with a giant grin on his face. You look around and see what Soap is gesturing towards. You look in awe at the ruins of a castle, the crumbling stone walls overgrown with vines as nature slowly took over throughout the years “I found it when I was out here last and you were the first person I knew who I had to show this too”

“Me?” You ask, tearing your eyes away from the ruins.

“You love all those stories set in castles with ladies and knights and stuff so I just thought you might want to explore it and…” Soap rambled, suddenly nervous.

“I love it!..Wait, we’re camping here?!” You interrupted him, almost squealing with excitement.

“That was the plan, I thought we could set up the tent over by that wall there” he spotted you taking your camera out of your bag “I can set up the tent if you want to take a look around” he chuckled as you started admiring the sights through the lense of your camera.

You’d been exploring and photographing everything you could set your eyes on when you turned back to thank Soap for bringing you here but the words died in your mouth when you spotted Soap setting up the tent you’d be sleeping in tonight.

Dressed in a t-shirt and cargos, you watched as his arms flexed and moved as he pulled a support rope taut. You knew he was attractive, and might have been sporting a little bit of a crush, but as he lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe sweat off his face you’re pretty sure he could ask you to run away with him and you’d happily go.

“Why don’t you take a picture” he smirked childishly “it’ll last longer”

“Maybe I can take a picture of you like one of my French girls” you laugh back.

“Come on you numpty, we need firewood” he bumped your shoulder with his as he passed by.

The two of you worked quietly setting up the remainder of your little camping spot, the setting sun casting shadows through the stone window frame that would have once held a beautiful stained glass.

Soap lit the campfire while you started preparing your food, pleasantly surprised Soap had packed everything to make hamburgers, he laughed at your little happy smile “couldn’t drag you somewhere and not pack your favorite food”

You leaned back against your rucksack, relaxing into the quiet night air, you could get used to this you realize, beautiful scenery, no technology, sharing burgers and beers with Soap as you told each other funny stories about your friends and family and the rest of your team.

Soap stopped his current story and glanced up at the sky “come here” he gestured for you to sit next to him. You made your way over to his side as he dragged you down to lay next to him, both of your heads resting on a fallen log “look up”

You turned your eyes towards the night sky and gasped in awe, the entire sky was full of stars, you could see every single constellation.

“It’s beautiful” you whisper “I wish I could stay here forever”

“Told you you’d love it here” you glance over and meet Soap’s eye.

You stared into his eyes for what seemed like hours before you felt him shuffling closer until he was nose to nose with you. You’re not sure who made the first move, perhaps you both did, but Soap’s lips found yours as his hand moved from his beer to the back of your head, holding you closer to him.

You yelped in surprise against his lips as his other arm wound around your waist and pulled you onto his lap “I’ve got you bonnie” he smirked as he left open mouth kisses along your jaw and down your neck, his hand resting underneath you jaw, tilting your head to allow him more access to your neck. You throw your head back as a giggle erupts from your throat as Soap’s lips find a ticklish spot on your neck, you feel him smile against your skin as he continues his journey down your throat.

You reach down and take hold of Soap’s shirt and pull it over his head, his lips leaving your skin for the briefest moment as the shirt is pulled over his face. He leans forward and rests his forehead against yours as you catch your breath, blue eyes shining in the light of the campfire.

Soap curses as the boom of thunder breaks through the air, looking up at the sky as the first large raindrops land on your skin, he maneuvers you in his arms and carries you to the tent.

Setting you down in front of him, he wraps his fingers in your hair and pulls you against his lips, kissing you. His hands find the buttons of your shirt and makes quick work of them before he slides the fabric down over your arms and throws it over his shoulder.

The wind howled outside the shelter of your tent as you slowly undress each other, eyes and fingers tracing over each newly exposed area of skin, committing every single thing to memory “fuck lass, are you trying to kill me?” Soap smirked as his eyes practically devoured you. Standing in front of each other, dressed only in your underwear, both suddenly overwhelmed by the thought of being naked in front of each other for the first time.

Soap laid you down on the mattress he’d brought for the base of the tent “Do you want me to stop?” He asked as he positioned himself between your legs, resting on his forearms as he hovered over you.

“No” you whisper, fingers trailing through the coarse hair covering his chest. Soap shivered as your nails drag their way down his chest towards the waistband of his boxers “do you want me to, stop I mean?”

“If you stop I think might die” he claimed dramatically.

“Is that so?” You grin.

“I’d perish” Soap grins playfully back down at you “slowly and painfully in fact”

“Well, we can’t have that”

He leans back and kneels between your legs as lean forward, hands dragging his boxers down over his hips, Soap’s hands cover yours helping to remove the boxers down off his legs as your eyes wander over the length of his body, you unconsciously lick your lips as your eyes roam over his cock and he grins as your eyes meet his again “see something you like?” that cocky little shit.

Soap wraps his arms around you and lifts you up onto his lap as skilled hands make quick work of undoing your bra and throwing it to the other side of the tent. As he lays you back down you raise your hands to cover yourself, suddenly shy under the heat of his gaze.

“Come on now” he smiles softly “don’t tell me you’re going shy on me” You find yourself smiling back as you slowly lower your hands. His lips find yours “lift your hips for me love” he mutters against your lips.

“Christ” he mutters under his breath as his eyes roam over you “can’t tell you how many times if imagined you like this”

“You have?”

“Mhmm, seeing you now, definitely didn’t do justice to the real thing” you feel yourself blushing as you reach between your bodies to guide him towards your pussy.

“Soap…please” you grind yourself against the head of his cock.

“Please what love?” Soap grins, knowing he has you exactly where he wants you.

“Are you going to fuck me or what?” You sass.

He finally pushes into you with a single thrust “there she is” he smirks as you gasp. His forehead rests against yours as his crystalline blue eyes watch over every emotion that crosses your face. He hikes your thighs over his hips as his thrusts become more forceful, hands scrambling to feel every inch of exposed skin they can.

He lays kisses across your chest, blindly finding your nipple as his fingers graze your clit. Your thrust grow more frantic as you both begin to approach your climax. You cling to his shoulders, crying out his name Johnny as you as you come. Soap follows soon after, his own orgasm hitting him with a final thrust. He comes with a grunt as he collapses on top of you, you hold him tightly as you catch your breath. You hear yourself whimper as he pulls out of you, he wraps his arms around you tightly as he buries his face against your neck.

The next morning you find yourself curled into Soap’s chest as he lays on his back, one leg thrown over his and your head resting on his chest. Your stomach rumbling with hunger “What do you want to eat?” He asks, his morning voice made thicker by his accent.

You pretend to think, resting your chin in your arms over his chest “bacon and eggs”

“Oh aye, my girl wants bacon and eggs?” His arms tighten around you, holding you close. My girl, he calls you like it’s the most natural thing in the world “and what do I get in return?” His eyes glint as he smiles.

“Round two?”

Soap rolls the two of you over, laughing as he starts to lay kisses all over your face and neck “works for me”

[linghxr]

My 2023 in Mandopop/Chinese music (update & recs)

It’s been too long since I last shared some music recommendations/updates on what I’m listening to! Admittedly, I haven’t been discovering as many new artists because I’m busy listening to 薛之谦 on repeat. But we'll focus on the new.

You can check out my Spotify playlist featuring these songs (plus bonus ones). In addition, I’ve included YouTube links below.

五月天 / Mayday 五月天 is a legendary band, so of course I knew of them and had heard a few of their songs over the years. But I never proactively sought out their music until recently. I still haven’t had time to dive into their back catalog, but I’ve already found some songs I really love.

《我又初恋了》 I actually really didn’t like this song the first time I heard it, but it wormed its way into my brain. It’s just a lot of fun! Non-serious songs can be good too.

《转眼》 My favorite 五月天 song <3. I’m probably too young to fully appreciate the lyrics, but they make me feel so nostalgic and bittersweet, like transitioning to a new chapter of life and leaving the old behind.

《因为你 所以我》 This song didn’t stand out to me at first, but it grew on me! I caught myself humming it a lot. It‘s kind of corny, but it sounds so full of hope.

陈奕迅 / Eason Chan I first started listening to 陈奕迅 a couple years ago after my Album a Day August challenge, but I’ve found that his music has grown on me over time. I believe I’ve only mentioned him once before, so I thought now was a good time to highlight my favorite of his songs.

《之外》 This is probably my favorite 陈奕迅 song. The lyrics convey a sense of hopelessness, but the overall song has a smooth, light sound.

《娱乐天空》 You know a song is good when it’s over 6 minutes long but feels like it flies by! It makes me want to get up, get moving, and be productive.

《烟味》 This song is dramatic, and I love it for that. Also has a hint of orchestral flavor.

《淘汰》 One of 陈奕迅’s most well-known songs—for a good reason. It has big Cpop ballad vibes but is definitely livelier.

白举纲 / Bai Jugang You’re going to notice several mentions of 披荆斩棘 in this post. That’s where I “met” 白举纲. I instantly liked his voice and loved seeing him with his “brother” 高瀚宇 and “dad” 张晋! You may also see his music under his English name, Pax Congo.

《被动失控》 This is the only song on the list you could headbang to.

《Shy Boy》 I love this song because it’s cute and includes a children’s rhyme that I learned as a kid: 找啊找啊找朋友 找到一个好朋友.

苏诗丁 / Su Shiding At some point last year I did a one-month free trial of Apple Music. It was an interesting experience because the recommendations were very different from what Spotify tends to show me. I’m glad Apple Music led me to 苏诗丁!

《LUCIFER（傲慢宗罪）》 All I can say is that this song exudes coolness and confidence. It also has a fair bit of English, but honestly I had to look up the lyrics to tell what some of it was.

《梦幻病》 This song is from the same album. It’s dreamlike but gets more frantic as it builds. Overall, it’s just a bit…unsettling.

队长 / Young Captain I learned about 队长 from a random post on Instagram about his concert in Malaysia. I think these songs might have gone viral on 抖音 or something. I was surprised I liked them so much because they both have some rap (I’m not a rap fan), but it was love at first listen.

《11》 I love how this song builds towards the end. I spend the whole song waiting for the crescendo, and it’s great payoff.

《楼顶上的小斑鸠》 This song is like the slightly mellower sibling of the one above. But I ended up liking this one even more.

金志文 / Jin Zhiwen 金志文 was another artist who Apple Music recommended to me. I definitely need to explore his discography more but haven’t had the chance to do so yet. But he has some good stuff so far!

《自娱自乐》 Smooth and relaxing but in a fun way. Simple and no-frills but will put a smile on your face!

《远走高飞》 This one feels like enjoying the breeze on a beautiful sunny day. I also enjoy the duet with 徐佳莹 version.

163braces 163braces started out as a YouTuber posting song covers. I have watched a couple of her covers, but they didn’t leave much of an impression on me. I was pleasantly surprised by her foray into original music. I look forward to hearing what she does next!

《控制》 The song I would want as my “soundtrack” if I were a video game character. It’s energetic and loud.

《murmur》 Honestly this song is pretty similar to the first one. Sometimes I have trouble distinguishing them. But hey, if ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

小鬼 / Lil Ghost 小鬼 did what I can best describe as “pulling an MGK” by going from more rap to kinda pop-punk? That MGK album was my guilty pleasure when in came out, so I’m all for 小鬼’s new direction.

《Last Day》 This song really gave me MGK vibes. It’s about half in English, but I often don't even notice when he switches between languages.

《不良少年》 I just know I would have loved this song so much in high school. It’s an angsty teen anthem. 

《为明天写封信》 I can totally imagine this song playing at the end of a 2000s teen movie! Maybe while showing a montage of the main characters graduating.

《无所求必满载而归》 by 陈粒 / Chen Li This is technically cheating because I have recommended 陈粒 songs before, but it was at least a couple years ago. I heard this song covered on 披荆斩棘的哥哥 and immediately looked up the original. Honestly I should have known it was a 陈粒 song because you can totally tell it’s her style.

《轻红》 by 曹杨 / Young I keep coming back to this song! It’s from a drama soundtrack. I was super surprised the first time I listened to it because I thought it was going to be a typical ballad based on the first ~45 seconds or so—it wasn’t. There is also another version by 陈雪燃 (the king of cdrama OSTs). But I actually prefer the 曹杨 version.

《时光机》 by 吴克群 / Kenji Wu I was introduced to 吴克群 via 披荆斩棘2. He was instantly one of my favorite contestants after his team’s amazing 《新地球》 performance (check it out). This song is bouncy and a little dreamy. I kinda want to hear a remix with Harry Styles’ As It Was. I just wish it were longer than 3 minutes!

My Spotify Wrapped

I have a tradition of sharing my Spotify Wrapped, and I wanted to continue the streak in some form. So here's a quick rundown.

Top genre: 华语流行音乐 Representative city: Taipei Minutes: 21,750

Top artists

薛之谦 / Xue Zhiqian

林宥嘉 / Yoga Lin

五月天 / Mayday

李荣浩 / Li Ronghao

陈奕迅 / Eason Chan 

Top songs

《木偶人》 - 薛之谦

《狐狸》 - 薛之谦

《骆驼》 - 薛之谦

《转眼》 - 五月天

《后来的我们》 - 五月天

Also, fellow Mandopop fans should check out the Mando Gap newsletter. I stumbled upon it this year, and I know it’s going to be a great resource for discovering new artists in 2024!

[theyellowotter]

I was tagged by @infamouslydorky in a fun music challenge—thanks for the tag!

Rule: put your On Repeat playlist on shuffle and list the first 10 songs.

I usually play my Liked Spotify songs and as I go about doing housework, working out, or commuting. I'll put one song on repeat and just won't change it. Usually, it's a peppy, easy-to-listen-to tune, so these probably aren't going to be obscure at all. 😅 Edit: nope lol

1. Tiny Dancer - covered by Florence+The Machine

2. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C&C Music Factory, Freedom Williams

3. Taking What's Not Yours - TV Girl

4. Red Wine Supernova - Chappel Roan

5. Take It On The Run - REO Speedwagon

6. Eyes Closed - Ed Sheeran

7. End of Beginning - DJO

8. Underneath My Skin - The Band CAMINO

9. Left Right Left - Charlie Puth

10. SOS - cover by SOAP

This was fun! I tag: @friendly-jester , @jtownraindancer , @sparklehoard , @technicallyoneofakind @silentmistynight

If I didn't tag you but you wanna play, please do!!

[robinstome]

my sister @smeeb05 tagged me in this challenge where i shuffle my on repeat playlist on spotify and post the first 10 songs and then tag 10 people so let's do this <3

Mozaik Role - Reloaded by DECO*27

Another Believer by Rufus Wainwright

Nights on Broadway by The Bee Gees

APT. by Rose and Bruno Mars

Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant by Billy Joel

Monitoring by DECO*27

Girls on Film by Duran Duran

Uptown Girl by Billy Joel

BOOGIE by Brockhampton

I am going to tag @enbytoon, @lookforanewangle, @simplycaboose, @moonbeamlevels, @thetacoman84, @okasan, @tagoras, @binary-suunset, @the-queen-of-today

have fun gamers

[cheeryknots]

saw someone say we don’t talk about evan rosier enough so here are some of my thoughts/headcanons bc he’s always on my mind

that boy sleeps like the dead and he gives you murder eyes if you wake him up

he’s quieter in group settings and will murmur funny things to barty only for barty to repeat the same thing louder and everyone laughs and thinks he’s the funny one

he’s the friend who listens to you as you tell a story even if everyone else has stopped paying attention

he giggles a lot when he’s drunk and it’s really endearing

he’s effortlessly cool. like he’ll throw on the most ridiculous outfit combination bc he hasn’t done laundry in a week but his friends would think it’s this new fashion trend and they try to replicate it themselves (they can never pull it off like evan can)

he wears glasses/contacts. his glasses are always dirty and smudged and pandora will steal them off of his face to clean them bc he never does

he protects his alone time. if he’s feeling overwhelmed one day, he’ll bail last minute on the plans he had with friends and just sit alone in his room happily and listen to music

he’s a lyrics over melody guy (which also plays into how cool he is) he’ll stumble upon new artists on spotify and listen to their entire discography to understand the meaning of every song. his playlists go hard but also may lead to questioning your existence

he’s a really good cook because he’s patient and enjoys the routine/challenge of making something, but he doesn’t do it very often. it’s usually random recipes he wants to try, or he’ll make a nice home cooked meal for barty. otherwise, it’s frozen meals or take out all the time

like regulus, he has the biggest RBF. everyone thinks he hates them when they first meet him, but (unlike with regulus) they’re *usually* wrong (some exceptions ofc)

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

So, here's the thing. Back in the day, RM would get snarky when reporters asked him about recording an album in English. Did we all just forget that? There are so many examples where BTS demonstrated their determination to stay true to their artistic integrity and Korean roots. Once upon a time, that was a point of pride for Army.

And here's Jimin. Has an album that is a critical and commercial success--one that is almost entirely in Korean, created and produced in Korea by Koreans. Gets a Billboard #1 with a Korean song by a Korean artist. And now his 1 Billion Spotify streams. Not the first Korean of course, nor the first Asian, but, from what I've read, the first to achieve this milestone in his native language.

This was always the BTS dream, so why isn't Army celebrating? This isn't a solo victory, it's a BTS victory!

Jimin breaking this particular glass ceiling doesn't take anything away from the immensely talented Jungkook, the other equally gifted BTS members, or the K-Pop industry as a whole. Unless they have their knickers in a twist because it's little Mochi paving the way and showing them how it can be done.

I'm going to be charitable here and interpret this sudden campaign to get all BTS members into the Billion Club as an acknowledgement of Jimin's amazing achievement.

Also, #DiversityWins.

The fandom dynamic and landscape has gone through some really big changes. Same as the group and the members. It's just a fact, I'm not agreeing or pointing judgement at it.

Face was a milestone and an achievement, particularly as it was a fully Korean album that was released to all markets targeted by K-Pop now, not just South Korea. Indeed, it wasn't pushed for the American market as much as what came later for Jungkook, but I guess that wasn't their plan.

I also think it was a critical success particularly because it was a cohesive album with an identity. It's not about the language or having only Korean producers. It's about having a vision that makes sense and works for the artist. Jimin decided to start his solo career with a personal album which showed all these facets of himself, not just as a performer, but also as a songwriter and producer. He proved all he had to prove from the beginning.

My guess is that this second album will be a bit more traditional, as in it will show more of Jimin as an idol and it could lean more toward commercial pop. As K-Pop usually is. It's not a bad thing. I don't think he will repeat the Face formula and he will challenge himself.

I said this before when Jungkook released Golden. It's not the language or the foreign producers. The problem is when the music is completely disconnected from the artist. I always have Key or Taemin in mind because they work like that, but they have their own identity. I expect Jimin to follow a similar path and surprise us in the near future.

[whatacaitastrophe]

Everything Has Changed - Prologue

Song Inspo for this Fic: “Everything Has Changed” by Taylor Swift

Spotify Playlist: Here

THIS IS THE SEQUEL TO MY FIRST FIC - This story will make a lot more sense if you read Is It Over Now? first.

Chapter Warnings: Mystra

Prologue

“There’s no coming back from that for you. Not as my lover, and until you realize the absolute selfishness of your actions, not as my friend either”

Fallon’s words rang in Gale’s head his entire journey to Elysium. It would have been easy for the demi-god to just conjure a portal to take him there immediately, but Gale didn’t want to go back right away. Not back to The Outer Plane, not back to Elysium, and certainly not back to Mystra. He knew what awaited him upon his return. Mystra was very clear in her instructions: go back to the mortal realm, keep Fallon from making the mistake of falling in love with Astarion, then come back to Elysium with a renewed sense of adoration for the goddess of magic.

Nothing Mystra did was ever solely for Gale’s benefit; and thus far, his��repeated experience was that the goddess looked out for her own interests alone. It was Mystra’s jealousy of Gale’s love for Fallon that brought on her ultimatum when Gale delivered the crown:

Accept her offer to become a demi-god, a god in training and live with her in Elysium as her chosen lover until he is ready for full godhood, or lose his connection to Mystra, The Weave, and magic entirely. It was an impossible choice and, in the moment, Gale did what he thought was the best possible outcome of the two. 

As it turned out, Gale chose poorly. For instead of becoming a god with the ability to give Fallon everything that he had promised her and more, he became trapped in Elysium, unable to contact the elven rogue, and it nearly killed her. Not only that, but it pushed her right into Astarion’s arms. 

“You chose your pride, and your ambition, and your goddess , and you left me here to fucking rot.” The words Fallon spat at him when the whole truth came out were made of purest venom, and when she’d put it the way she did, it made Gale feel even worse about his decision. 

That was the beginning of the end. 

When Fallon kicked him out and all but said she never wanted to see him again, Gale decided to take his time returning to Mystra. After all, he’d never given the goddess an exact timeframe on how long he would be gone, so there was no hurry. 

He went to Waterdeep. Fallon was not the only person Gale abandoned when choosing to seek the Crown of Karsus, he had abandoned his mother as well. In another life, Waterdeep would have been his first stop. In another life, Fallon would have been at his side as his fiancée. Gale knew for a fact that Tara kept in touch with Morena, but Gale knew his mother. Not hearing from her son in over two years was going to come at a great cost to Gale—  namely, that she would never let him forget it for as long as she lived. 

It was just another addition to the ever growing list of people Gale hurt when he made his choice, his true folly, that day on the docks after the Netherbrain was defeated. How different his life would be if he’d just listened to Fallon and simply returned the pieces of the crown to Mystra instead of challenging her. 

Gale spent more nights than he cared to admit crying to his mother and to Tara about all the mistakes he’d made, and how he didn’t know how to fix them. Well, that wasn’t entirely true; Gale knew that the moment he told Mystra he’d rather be human and free of her than a demi-god shackled to her for eternity that Mystra would take away his magic, his connection to The Weave and to her, with a snap of her fingers. Much like the early days of having the orb in his chest, Gale and Tara spent hours upon hours in his tower in Waterdeep, trying to find some sort of loophole, only to come up short. Most nights when Gale cried to Tara and his mother, it was because he already knew what he had to do. What he had to give up. 

Even before they were ever romantically involved, Fallon quickly became one of his closest friends. Gale would even argue that Fallon was one of the first true friends he’d ever had period . Gale would eventually get over the fact that Fallon moved on romantically, but seeing the look of disappointment on her face and hearing the disgust in her voice when she renounced their friendship, too? It was too much, and he never wanted Fallon to look at him or speak to him that way ever again. 

Taking away his magic as a punishment for breaking up with Mystra felt almost unnecessarily cruel, even for the goddess; but after everything Gale had put others through in the last year, it was a punishment that, perhaps, to him at least, was very nearly, if not entirely, deserved. 

Knowing what was coming doesn’t make it easier, though. Returning to Elysium felt like a bad dream. Just as she had done when Gale came to deliver the crown, Mystra met him at the gates. 

She knew. 

“Gale of Waterdeep, you have finally returned to me.” She greets him with a fake saccharine smile. “Was your trip successful? Did you convince the elf not to be with the vampire?”

Her tone is haughty and condescending, and Gale frowned. “Why ask if you know the answer?” 

Mystra only smirked. 

Of course, Gale knew the answer to his own question as much as Mystra already knew the answer to hers. The goddess enjoyed being right, and she liked hearing it out loud. In the same vein, Mystra wasn’t just going to take away his connection to her and The Weave simply because she already knew what Gale was planning to do. No, she was most certainly going to make Gale say the words himself. 

“This did not go in your favor, and, once again, you have come back to me with the intention of not doing as I commanded,” Mystra dared him to deny it with a piercing look. “Is being my chosen, loving me, and being loved by me truly such a burden?”

“It is when everything you ask of me suits no one but yourself!” Gale exclaimed . “I dedicated my entire life to serving you, in more ways than one,  I might add, and it was never enough to be worthy. I am well aware that I’ve made many mistakes in my thirty-five years of living, enormous ones, but not a single one of those mistakes deserved punishment such as sacrificing myself 'for the greater good', or being told who I can and cannot love without suffering additional retribution! Nothing good has ever come to me by being your servant, and I’m embarrassed to say that it took me this long to realize it’s not worth it.”

Mystra stared at him in silence for several long, painfully long, moments. She knows this is the chance she will ever have to make him squirm, so Gale really shouldn’t have been surprised she made him wait. “Then what is it that you desire, Gale of Waterdeep? Tell me, and I will make it so.” 

This is it, the moment of truth. His final chance at making things right with the people he’d come to care for most, or with the goddess before him. “If being a god means being tethered to you for eternity, and living a life that none of my loved ones or I can be proud of, then I don’t want it. I’m done. With you, with being a god, with The Weave, all of it. I’d rather be plain old Gale Dekarios, loved by the people who matter to me , than the great Gale of Waterdeep, a false god used by you to be made an example of.”

Mystra exhaled sharply. “Very well.” 

It happened with a simple snap of her fingers. Within seconds, Gale felt different. Gone was the faint glow of divine light encompassing his body, gone was the sensation of being enveloped in The Weave’s embrace, that feeling of magic that always seemed to linger on his skin his whole life. All replaced by the same hollow sensation he had only felt once before, when he’d stood near Fallon in the Underdark while she had the flower from the Sussur tree in her pocket. 

Except now, the emptiness was permanent, and he knew it. Immediately, Gale started to panic. Time slowed down, and he couldn’t remember how to breathe properly. He felt the loss of The Weave and his magic in a grief so immense it could fill the sea from here to Velrea. Gale dropped to his knees in tears. What does he do now? How did he move on from here? 

The answer, it seemed, was something else Mystra had already planned for. A portal opened nearby, and she stepped through it. Seconds later, Gale was transported through space and time as Mystra dropped him on the plush rug in a familiar suite at a familiar tavern. He was disoriented at first, too lost in his grief to realize there were conversations happening or that someone was in front of him, pulling him close. That was when he heard Fallon’s voice. 

“What have you done to him, you wretched bitch ?!” Fallon screamed at his goddess. His former goddess. 

“I have not done anything Gale Dekarios has not asked for,” Mystra said coldly. “He knew the consequences should he chose to defy me, to turn his back on me, and yet, he chose you anyway. And so, I bring him to you, Fallon of Baldur’s Gate, for he is your problem now, in all his imperfect, entirely ordinary and human disgrace .” 

Mystra says nothing else before stepping back through her portal, and Gale vaguely registers the looks on Fallon and Astarion’s faces as shock.

“She– she took my magic. Fallon– it’s gone. I can’t feel The Weave anymore. Oh gods. It’s gone!” Gale cried, inconsolable. 

There was no other sound in the suite besides Gale’s own panicked sobs. “It’s gone.” he repeats, dejected and hopeless. 

Astarion heaved a heavy sigh. “Well,” Astarion said as he reached for Fallon’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “I guess I’d better make sure we’ve got enough food for three, then.” There was no hesitancy in his voice and Fallon nodded in agreement: Gale Dekarios of Waterdeep, mortal, non-magical, and human, is coming with them to Velrea, whether he liked it or not.

Chapter List

[avantguardisme]

@obeetlebeetle tagged me in a challenge to put your spotify on repeat on shuffle & share the first 10 songs! so here we go:

NUEVAYoL - Bad Bunny

PERFuMITO NUEVO - Bad Bunny

VOY A LLeVARTE PA PR -Bad Bunny

Clean - Noah Floersch

Ojos Del Sol - Y La Bamba

True Blue - boygenius

Sasurai - Hako Yamasaki

Moves - Suki Waterhouse

Andromeda - Weyes Blood

No One Noticed - The Marías

i'll tag @prasidice @bourgeoix @cirrusin @kindfruit @freya-faust and @ihateyukanda! and anyone else who wants in feel free to do it!

[hyunlixsbbygirl]

2024 Music Rewind

With December coming to an end, Apple has blessed me with my music rewind for 2024. BEFORE I show the photo, does anyone have any guesses as to who my top artist was?

Hint: my blog is literally dedicated to them 😅

If you guessed Stray Kids - you were correct! I’m actually surprised that my top song was Hellevator though as I thought I played Thunderous more but I could be wrong.

The ATE album being my top album for sure checks: I played it on repeat all day long for like two weeks straight 😂

I think my listening minutes ended up not being too bad, I could have done better but next year will be my ultimate challenge on that one!

I wanna see your Spotify wrapped or Apple Rewinds!