#these songs have been played so much on my Spotify they might have a chance as my most listened song

[meeks-just-wants-to-scroll]

when you get this, list 5 songs you like to listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers<3

Damn you and asking me to pick only 5 songs.

I have had a few I’ve been listening to repeatedly while at the gym / whenever.

[naomihatake]

In search of freedom (Ch. 6)

6. Where are you when I need you the most?

⠀⠀➺ fic masterlist

⠀⠀➺ Chapter 5 ; Chapter 6 ; Chapter 7

⠀⠀⠀⠀She's been searching for freedom her entire life and everytime she thought it was laying right in front of her eyes, she was mistaken. She was running around the East Blue, seeking herself and her dreams, meeting people she never forgot. No matter how much she traveled, she could only catch a glimpse of peace before realizing everything would crumble at her feet.

⠀⠀⠀⠀Maybe it was destiny that brought her on that ship with three strangers — foolishly, that's what she tried to believe when the moon shined beautifully and hope settled in her chest, squeezed by the same ribcage where feelings were blooming.

Pairing: female!reader x OPLA Zoro Roronoa

Warnings for this chapter: angst, graphic depictions of deaths and fatal wounds, vomiting, self-harm, brief suicidal mention, canon-typical violence. (proceed with caution since it's getting a tiny bit gore)

Word count: 9,1 k (I'm proud of myself tbh)

Theme song: fic spotify playlist (click on the link)

A/N: I'm sorry for appearing with a new chapter 9 days later and I hope the wait was worth it. I dropped more details about the Witch's past in this chapter and some interesting interactions with her other crewmates. The next week I'm free, which means there's a chance I might most two charters until next Sunday <3.

I'm always open for opinions and comments. Whatever you want to tell me, just do it, even all you feel like doing is leaving a heart in my comments or inbox. Every interaction is appreciated and thank you so much for sticking to this story till now <3

The reader is referred to as "Witch" because I have no intentions of using "Y/N".

A warm palm touched her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, but with no effect. The witch turned her head towards Luffy, her glassy eyes betraying her. It made their captain frown with worry. The sound of her real name slipping from between his lips stung worse than expected. 

"It'll be alright," he smiled. "Zoro is a strong swordsman."

With horror painting her features, she shook her head and placed her shaking hand over his, gripping gently. 

"You don't get it, Luffy, do you?" her voice came out like a whisper. "It's not just any dwell and that man isn't just any swordsman. I've seen plenty of people dying in front of my eyes, the crew I used to be part of, they didn't hold a chance against—"

She sank her teeth in her lower lip and looked up, blinking away the tears. Her breath was shaking and the grip on Luffy's hand got tighter. Slowly, she inhaled deeply, body trembling as her lungs swallowed the morning cold breeze. 

Both Usopp and Luffy were frowning, listening intently to her words. 

"This won't end well," she concluded. "He willingly got himself in danger. Zoro is nothing but some prey for Mihawk."

Luffy's sympathetic gaze didn't help her, it didn't ease her worries as he hoped. Her panic was fed by each single thought passing through her head, by each memory making a nest in the present. 

"I've met one single Warlord in my entire life and he destroyed half of the strongest crew I ever knew at that time. I know who they are, I know their tactics, I know they're not to play with."

Both of her hands were clasped around Luffy's shoulder, turbulent eyes meeting his. The tips of her nails dug lightly in his skin, but he didn't wince or move. 

"Yes, we are strong, but still not strong enough for them," the witch intentionally lowered her voice so it wouldn't crack into sobs. "Please tell me you know I didn't argue with him because I like to. Please tell me you get what I mean, Luffy. I'm scared."

She was barely aware of her admission, but it was hard to hold back. The witch wasn't a scaredy-cat, she didn't run away, pride filled her being all too well to ever lose a battle, be it against herself or others. That time, however, she was scared out of her mind for the swordsman. 

Luffy gave her the sweetest smile she's seen in ages and squeezed her shoulder again. "He will be alright." 

She let her head tilt forward, hands falling back to her sides. His faith was greater than her fears, but he couldn't erase the panic settling in her bones. 

"You have no clue how much I wish you were right." 

It hurt. Her chest hurt and something was crawling up her throat, differently than back in Syrup Village. It made her feel nauseous, it bubbled in her stomach and gripped at her neck, it constricted her lungs and air punctured their tissue. 

Zoro just walked out of the galley exactly when the sun could be barely seen rising up from the waters. The bandana was wrapped around his head and his earrings chimed like a melody, making her head turn towards him. 

The same horrified gaze from hours ago was stuck on him and yet he chose to ignore her, passing by without even casting a glance. 

She stood there when Usopp, Luffy and Zoro walked by, her back turned to them. The witch had to collect the pieces of her broken heart before daring to glance at a list fight on the swordsman's side. Mihawk was already waiting for them right in front of the restaurant. 

She couldn't watch another dear person die. Not again. 

Her fingers dug painfully into her palms, until her nails left crescent marks on the skin, until it hurt so badly the tears in her eyes couldn't fall. Their synchronized steps beat like drums, just like her heart. 

Everything was blurred out. She didn't dare look until she heard swords clashing. Like a snap, her head turned. 

Mihawk stopped Zoro's attack with one small knife. 

He had no chance against the warlord, just like she guessed. 

No, she thought. I can't be pessimistic now. Maybe at least he'll get out alive—

But pirates don't just let their dwell partners live, the other side of her conscience commented. 

Each one of Zoro's attacks were either stopped or dodged so easily by Mihawk, who seemed like he was playing rather than fighting. He was so light on his feet, body moving like a feather between Zoro's blades. 

The warlord sent her green-haired crewmate flying back with a mere push of his knife when he blocked yet another one of his attacks. When Zoro got back to his feet and rushed towards him, Mihawk continued dodging each one of his attacks. 

The witch could only hear a muffled conversation from a distance. She didn't even notice when Nami passed by her until she saw orange strands of hair bouncing in her vision. 

The navigator didn't come from the restaurant, as she should've since she searched for a drink — or that's what she said. She walked from the other side of the dock. Her hands trembled by her side and she walked slowly, fearfully, her body so stiff, until she stopped behind Luffy. 

The witch focused for so long on Nami, her gaze fell on Zoro only when the right side of his chest was penetrated by Mihawk's knife. 

Air got stuck in her throat and time stopped in its tracks. Her feet were stuck right where they were and she couldn't move an inch. 

Zoro, his name lingered in her thoughts, the sound of it along with the sweet chiming of his golden earrings. 

Time stretched like an elastic. Seconds passed by at an agonizingly slow pace, as if the Universe itself decided to torture her with that image. 

Swords. Corpses. Blood. Fear. 

The witch let out a shaky breath while she trembled like a leaf in the breeze. 

Zoro made a step back, the knife slipping away from his flesh. With a few other steps, he fell to his knees, with his swords digging into the wooden battens to keep himself steady. 

Mihawk curled his fingers around the hilt of the sword on his back. 

It seemed like he decided to end it all right then and there. 

The witch didn't know if it was her imagination when Zoro seemed to glance towards her for a brief moment. All she knew was that her heart sank into her stomach and she could hear the audible cracks of her soul. The green-haired man took his white sword, placing it in between his teeth. 

His gaze moved back to Mihawk so quickly she could barely register it. Her stomach turned upside down and her chest tightened when she saw Zoro rotating his other two swords faster than the brain was able to comprehend. 

Mihawk and Zoro jumped into the attack at the same time. She didn't know if their swords collided or not. 

Zoro fell to his knees again, panting. The swords in his hands crumbled into pieces all the way to the hilt, right in the middle of the runes the witch drew hours ago on the blades. His Wado Ichimoji fell from between his teeth. 

He didn't stop there. Of course that fucking idiot didn't stop. He used the white sword to get up, resting his weight into it until he finally stood straight again, turning to Mihawk. Carefully, he sheathed his Wado Ichimoji. 

With his arms held in the air and hands curled into fists, Zoro didn't let go of his word as he proudly admitted:

"Wounds on the back are a swordsman's greatest shame."

The warlord said one word the witch didn't hear and then, with a swift motion, his sword cut deeply through Zoro's chest. 

The green-haired man fell on his back, eliciting a shout of his name from Luffy. 

Zoro. 

His name was all the witch could hear while she rushed to his side, tears blurring her vision, tears she couldn't afford to show. 

Just like he did a few moments ago, the witch got to her knees, eyes focused on the t-shirt getting soaked in Zoro's blood. 

"Fucking dammit," she spoke in a hoarse voice, hands trembling. 

He was bleeding heavily, the dark blue nuance of his shirt replaced by dark crimson. The wound started from under his left clavicle and curved through his chest, all the way to the right side of his ribs. Without a second thought, the witch took off her unbuttoned shirt and folded it, just to press the material on his large wound. 

"Monkey D. Luffy," Mihawk said. "what's your goal?" 

"I'm going to become the King of the Pirates," Luffy responded through gritted teeth. 

The witch's burning gaze raised to the warlord who stood tall meters away, putting his sword back in place on his back. Her fingers ached to touch her revolvers and shoot holes through that man until she's satisfied, until the monster lurking in the depths of her soul had its blood thirst quenched. However, her hands remained pressed against her shirt, trying her best to stop Zoro's bleeding. 

She's always been revengeful when people dear to her heart were harmed. Revenge she never denied, a trait of hers she's accepted long ago. 

"That's a much more treacherous path than even defeating me. This world could use a few more wild cards."

"Go fuck yourself," the witch let out with wrath burning in her eyes. 

She clenched her jaw and her eyebrows knitted together into a deep frown. Anger filled each corner of her being, blinding her almost all the way up, filling her to the brim. 

One more drop and she would lash out. 

Zoro's safety was more important than her rage and she was completely aware of that. The wounded swordsman was the only reason why she stood still by his side. 

"It's too soon for him to die," and with that, Mihawk's gaze fell back on the green-haired man. "Roronoa Zoro, grow strong and come find me. I'll be waiting."

Fucker, the witch's thought wasn't voiced out that time while the warlord walked away. 

"Luffy," Zoro spoke in such a soft voice. 

The witch and Luffy immediately looked back at him. He was struggling to breathe properly, that mere motion probably making his entire body ache painfully. 

"If I fail to become the world's greatest swordsman," he faintly spoke, barely able to open up his eyes. After some greedy gulps of air, he continued: "you'll be disappointed. Right?" 

With a shaky breath, Luffy smiled at him as tears gathered in his eyes. 

"You could never fail me." 

The witch could feel her body shake when she realized the swordsman's life was hanging on a thread. 

"Never again. From now… until I beat him," Zoro continued talking in between panting. 

The witch wished she could tell him something, anything, but all she could do was continue pressing her shirt over his wound. Looking at him in that state made her heart squeeze in the cage made of ribs, wishing she could be in his place and take his pain away. 

With trembling hands, he somehow managed to draw his Wado Ichimoji out of its scabbard, holding it up as he looked up at the blue sky. 

"To become the greatest swordsman… I will never lose again!" he let out with a shaky breath, voice scratching at the witch's eardrums. 

One of her hands curled around his shoulder and squeezed firmly, intending to bring his attention to her only for a second. 

"I'm sorry about what I said, alright?" she gulped down hard, her voice cracking. "You need to live, yeah? I know you'll become the greatest. I'm sorry, Zoro, I'm sorry." 

She was sorry for lashing out at him. If they were to part ways in that moment, then she'd rather make sure he never believed she was mad at him, that she didn't hate him even for a second. It was a feeling her heart wasn't capable of harboring towards him — never him. She would've ripped her ribcage open and given him her heart if she could. 

The witch could only hope his tired and pained self heard her words, even as his eyes closed immediately after his arm dropped to his side along with the sword. 

"You better stay alive," she whispered while looking down at him. 

Her words became muffled from his perspective. All he heard was his name being spoken multiple times by Luffy and Usopp. 

•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•

The witch has been sitting on the floor of her shared room with Nami for a while now, ever since the navigator started reading. Zoro laid unconsciously on her bed, bandages wrapped around his torso. For a long time, she didn't even dare look at him. 

She will be eternally grateful for Zeff's help — the chef cook of Baratie who snitched Zoro up and told them to do whatever was necessary to keep him alive, be it telling stories or singing sea shanties. 

Despite the fact that Zoro's wound wasn't bleeding anymore, her heart still screamed at her. 

With knees pulled up to her chest and her forehead resting in between them, she wrapped her arms around her stomach, subconsciously protecting herself from God-knows-what. She couldn't sleep either, despite listening to Nami's alluring voice as she read from a book. 

The bandage on her upper arm was worn out and it's been longer than a day since Zoro wrapped it. It was dirty with blood from the time when she intentionally squeezed it before sobs could leave her lips. 

Nami stopped reading, but the witch didn't register the lack of sounds surrounding her until she heard a voice. She didn't bother to raise her head, keeping her eyes closed as she responded:

"Can you say that again? Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." 

"Pull yourself together," Nami whispered. 

The witch knew that if she'd look up, she'd see a scolding or maybe a worried pair of blue eyes staring at her. 

"I will when the situation asks for it," plainly, she dismissed the navigator. "Until then, I couldn't give less of a fuck."

She was aware of her position, of how small she looked, curled like a ball against the wall, hugging herself and praying to every God she knew that the swordsman would wake up. It was pathetic, but there was no wiser way to hide her overwhelming pain. Wrapping around herself sounded like the most helpful option. 

"There are a few things you two should talk about when he wakes up," Nami closed the book with a small thud. 

"I'd tell anyone anything if I knew he'd wake up," this time, her voice trembled lightly. 

The witch swallowed the lump in her throat that's been sitting there uncomfortably for hours, with no positive effect. The only way to even her breathing was by holding the air in her lungs for a few seconds and letting it all go with a long exhale. 

"Nami."

Only then, the witch raised her head. She looked deplorable, with disheveled hair and sunken eyes, dark circles under them from the lack of sleep. Her chapped lips were red because she ripped the skin off with her nails again. There was no sign of life on her face. 

Obviously, she's had better days. Everyone did, probably. 

"Maybe it's because I'm sorrow-drunk and can't bring myself to hide it anymore, but I have to tell you something."

She's been debating on whether or not she shall tell Nami about her suspicions ever since she pulled out those two cards out of the tarot deck. 

"I know you're hiding something, but you can't hide it from me."

The truth has been spoken. With her heart beating loudly in her eardrums and threatening to break her ribs, she continued. 

"I know. You're planning betrayal."

The navigator's eyes widened as panic flooded in her soul. The orange haired woman had no clue where all this came from, didn't know how fuck she found out about that, when and why—

"I didn't tell anyone."

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" came out Nami's sharp response. 

"I never expected you to admit it, if I am to be honest."

The witch rubbed her palms over her face and sighed heavily, as if a weight was pressed on top of her body. 

"I also know there's more to the story. I don't know what or who you're protecting yourself from, I have no clue exactly why you're doing all this, but there's one thing I know for sure: the world is sitting on your shoulders, yet you refuse letting us help you carry it."

Nami stiffened in her chair. Her back straightened and her empty gaze pushed the witch out of her thoughts. 

"Are you jumping to conclusions because of some stupid cards?"

"They definitely know more than me."

"Did you read you should treat your paranoia in there too?"

"While I admit there are times when I have crippling anxiety," the witch calmly stated, "I'm one hundred percent sure this isn't just a fairy tale. It's your choice to tell me or continue to keep it for yourself."

"But?" her voice lowered dangerously close to snapping. 

"But we're not your enemies, Nami, and you know that well."

Not an answer the navigator expected, definitely. 

"Zoro is unconscious on the bed and you're talking in metaphors — have you all gotten insane on this ship?" 

"If I did, it was long before stepping on The Going Merry," the witch let out a stiffled laugh. 

She dropped her forehead on her knees again, squeezing herself tighter in the embrace. The witch wasn't any less panicked than Nami, since opening up such a discussion scared her deeply. It was better than hiding and lying, though, and it felt less guilty. 

"Why did you tell me this?" Nami asked with a whisper. "Be it right or wrong, why would you?" 

"You don't deserve to be lied to, Nami. It makes me feel bad — hiding this from you made me feel like garbage from the start."

Even then, a gram of her guilt vanished. 

"You're weirdly honest. You're aware this will haunt you one day, aren't you?" 

"It's been haunting me since I got born," a sour smile painted the witch's face. 

"The devil must've put some kind of curse on you." 

"I only believe in evil spirits, sorry."

She didn't know where that soft laugh came from. Maybe it was her way of copying with the anxiety, with the pain. All she knew was that she hoped Nami wouldn't hide from them forever. 

"Is there anything else you want to accuse me of?"

Faster than Usopp's snapping, Nami was once again serious, and the witch didn't have to look at her to figure it out. 

"I never accused you. I know I'm right, but I'm not aware of the entire truth. You, on the other side, are aware of your own reality and I believe in your judgment. I hope you'll make the wisest decision and I'm saying this from the bottom of my heart." 

"That's rich coming from someone so suspicious."

She's always been that way, the witch had to admit it. It wasn't only anxiety or tarot readings, there were times when she was straight up acting and thinking like a paranoid and it was cutting years off her life. Worrying and thinking over and over again, being hyper aware of everyone's actions, including her own. 

Nami resumed her reading, her voice strained this time, as if she forced herself to talk out loud. Each syllable sounded rougher than the other, but that didn't stop the navigator from telling that story. 

The witch wasn't paying attention, instead focusing on the moments spent with all of them, just like last night, when they were all eating and teasing each other. She needed to talk to Zoro, to tell him again that she's sorry. 

Maybe he didn't hear me clearly before he fell unconscious, she wondered. She moved one of her arms and curled her fingers around the wound on her bicep. It stung good. If it could stop the stream of tears threatening to fall, then it was good, no matter how much it hurt, how the pain sunk deep into her bones, making her flinch. 

There was something she wanted to clear out with Nami, but before the witch could speak, approaching steps made her mouth close shut. The presence felt light once her senses registered it, like a sparkling piece of hope — Luffy. She remained like a statue, breathing so slowly it was barely obvious she was still alive. 

"Why did the king have to kill him?" he asked innocently. 

He was referring to Nami's telling. 

Without even having to glance up at him, the witch knew he was feeling unwell. There was no light in his voice and he sounded unsure of himself, so disoriented. 

"Sometimes, when you are in charge, you have to make the tough decisions," she muttered between gritted teeth. 

The witch knew where this conversation was heading. 

"Why does everybody keep saying that?" 

Luffy's voice desperately tried to reach out to the orange-haired woman.

Judging from the creaking of the chair, Nami got up from her seat as she spoke:

"Because you could've saved Zoro. He didn't have to fight Mihawk, but you let it happen. "

A few seconds of silence filled the room with thick tension. 

"Look at her," Nami pointed with her chin towards the witch. "It looks like if he goes, she goes too. If one of us crumbles, everyone does. Look at us, at how we're handling it, at how Zoro does or, better said, how he doesn't handle it."

The witch couldn't understand why she was suddenly part of their conversation or why Nami took her side and tried to protect her from some unknown entity.  Probably, she really looked worse than she thought. A sense of relief patched up one of the countless wounds under her skin when she figured out the navigator said all those things because she cared.

At the very same time, she knew Nami's words must've made Luffy suffer greatly, pushing her to raise her head and give her friends her entire attention.

"Nami," the witch intervened gently. 

"You're in no place to talk," she cut her off quickly, her eyes like turbulent seas. "We're all a mess and it's all because of his stupid decision. But he could've been stopped," Nami turned her head to Luffy again. 

"Nami, stop it," the witch furrowed her eyebrows. "Fighting will do no good. We've argued enough last night, there's no need for that anymore."

Nami was panicked and stressed out of her mind as well. Everything gave her away: the trembling hands, the shaking voice, tone close to breaking in a million pieces with each word, even the tears that gathered in her eyes. However, no drop rolled down her cheek. 

"Tell me, Luffy," Nami vehemently continued with a tensed expression. "Would you see him like this? He might die."

Stop saying that, please, the witch thought as she took in another breath. He knows. Everyone knows. Please, stop saying he'll die because I might believe it too. I want to believe in him, not in whatever life changing lesson the universe gave me. 

"And I'd do anything to save him," Luffy whispered with a tender smile on his face. 

Me too. I'd rip my heart out of my chest and give it to him. I'd rip off my flesh and put it on his wounds. I'd die if I knew my life would be given to him. 

"Anything," Luffy continued. "Except stand in the way of his dream." 

God fucking dammit. 

"We all have dreams, but we outgrow them," Nami clenched her teeth after she spoke. 

"Is that really what you think?" Luffy's smile held so much hope. "Don't you have a dream?" 

"Yeah. Right now, is for Zoro to not die in my bed," the navigator let out in a strangled voice. 

"Isn't there something that you want? Something more," the straw hat whispered. "More than anything else in this world."

When the witch looked at Nami, it was obvious she was on the verge of tearing up, her nostrils flaring. Her eyes were already bloodshot. 

"Not everyone gets to follow their dreams."

Nami didn't wait for any of them to respond before she walked out of the room. The witch got to her feet and tried to catch the navigator's hand in hers, but she wasn't fast enough. All she could do was glance at Luffy and place both of her palms on his shoulders, just like he did at the crack of dawn. 

He looked at the witch with a hopeful and equally worried gaze. 

"I know you meant the best when you encouraged him to follow his dream, Luffy," the witch squeezed his shoulders. "It's alright. Nami knows that as well. She's worried, like all of us. We all said hurtful things to each other lately."

His lips trembled when he attempted to say something, but he didn't dare to anymore. Instead, he searched for reassurance. 

Was he in the wrong? Did Zoro get hurt because of him?

"It's not your fault," the witch continued with a tiny smile on her face. "I promise you. Everything led up to this. It couldn't have been avoided, unfortunately. No one could've stopped Zoro — you know he's a stubborn asshole."

Luffy scoffed. 

"You know I'm right."

"I do," the straw hat nodded shily. "I think…" he gulped down, looking at his feet. "Maybe I can clean his sword for when he'll wake up."

"I'm sure he would be grateful about it. I'll stay here a bit longer."

She didn't let go of Luffy's shoulders until he moved away. Just to ease her concern, he smiled faintly at her before leaving the room. 

Looking down at the unconscious pirate hunter, the witch couldn't believe her eyes. She gulped, not even daring to grasp at his hand, scared he'd break even because of a feather-like touch. She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a few seconds, opening them again only to see the same man in the exact same position. 

She was scared for him, for his life. She didn't want to be a nuisance and stop him from doing what he believed would bring him happiness. Or maybe that word was too much — but winning against Dracule Mihawk would've made him proud, it would've fulfilled a promise he made to someone long ago. She didn't know who was at the other end of the promise, but he seemed to be a man of his word, so trying to stop him turned her into a selfish person. 

Her eyes were locked on his face, brushing with the back of her hand some small droplets of sweat on his forehead. She was worried out of her mind, now regretting she didn't do more to stop him, to make him change his mind when he was maybe too drunk to think twice. 

"Be careful, Zoro," the witch told him back then, her gaze betraying the worry crippling through her entire being. 

She was right. He should've been more careful. He should've been less reckless, should've listened to Nami and her, even if Luffy encouraged him to chase his dream. Was it really worth it? 

Once again, she sighed. She was selfish, greedy, it was wrong to think that his dream wasn't worth the entire world. Heck, even she would do anything for him, just to see him open his eyes again, just to hear another bored or witty remark coming from between his lips.

Instead, he was silent and still, only the slow movement of his chest visible as he breathed. It was the only thing that managed to bring her an ounce of comfort.

At least he was alive, she continued telling herself. 

It was clawing at her heart, messing with it, her thoughts roaming around, jumping one on top of another. She was overthinking again, the worst habit she could've had — or that's what she silently believed for years. 

The witch should've fought with him to death back then, when he was stubborn enough to throw Nami's words at her while they argued. Maybe it would've made him change his mind. As she continued looking at him, she worthlessly tried to take some of the blame for what happened. 

Hidden under his bandages, the same wound made the woman standing by his side believe she saw the Death Reaper, even if he was the one unconscious on a bed. 

Carefully, she sat down next to him, without taking her eyes off of him even for a moment. 

"You're kind of worrying us all, y'know? Luffy is in denial of your possible death and Nami seems restless. Usopp is too silent for his usual self," she whispered. 

Her first instinct was to touch him, but her fingertips hovered above his hand. She didn't know if it would've been right to seek the warmth of his skin while he wasn't even awake. All the witch could do was hope that deep down in his soul, he felt and heard all of them. 

"I'm worried too. No. Worried is an understatement. I'm terrified," the words trembled as they left her lips, the same chopped lips she sank her teeth into. "I'd rather have you call me an idiot," she chuckled sourly. 

With slow and careful gestures, she gathered enough courage to caress his hand with her fingers, feeling small cuts here and there. He was still warm, which eased a few of her worries. 

She made a long pause, staring at the seemingly lifeless man she would give her life for.  

"Remember when we drank together on the deck, two nights ago?" 

A fragile smile appeared on her face at the reminder of that night. She stole the last drop of his bottle before he could finish it with a grin, playfully nudging at his ribs. He failed to threaten her about how she owes him something for that. He was handling his liquor better than her and yet, he couldn't hide his smirk or the sparkle in his eyes. 

That night, bottles later, the witch got dizzy and tipsy. At first, she almost fell into a sea of melancholy after she shared pieces of her with Zoro. She doesn't remember how, but he got her laughing way too easy with his remarks and some silly stories. 

"You're flushed already," he pointed out back then. 

"You're kinda rosy in the cheeks as well, swordsman." 

At that time she damned the alcohol for the soft gaze she had when she looked at him. Her eyes were sparkling with adoration when they danced on his face, peace sinking in her very bones in his presence. She shouldn't have drank. It was so obvious that she had a soft spot for him, that he had a special place in her heart not even a month after they met. 

And who was at fault for her drunken state that night? Roronoa Zoro, obviously. He was at fault when she giggled and talked too much about too many things at once, so much more passion in her words than usual — was that even possible? he thought to himself. She always had a light and warm way of talking, her voice many times giving away her feelings. 

A promise was a promise, even if she didn't wholeheartedly accept it from the beginning. She surrendered quickly and told him that yes, she owes him something, maybe a secret. 

The witch remembered everything the next day, but acted like her memory had faded. The realization hit her hard the next morning, when she figured out her irrational fear of sharing secrets. She shouldn't have made that promise, so she played dumb, as if the conversation they had was forgotten about. 

"Maybe it's not exactly a secret, but I like it when you call me by my name."

Maybe he hears me. 

"I didn't hear my name being spoken for a long time. It makes me emotional every time, with no exception."

You're a crybaby, he should've said. 

Her hand fully settled on top of his while the witch continued to slowly rub her fingertips into his skin, trying to bring herself back to earth even if her thoughts were sailing through unfortunate memories. 

"I wasn't called by my name for years after my father became a pirate," she continued the story that started during their drinking night. "He aimed to become an Admiral and he was part of the Navy Forces for half of his life. For a long time, he thought he could do better than his comrades and hoped he could change the corruption that took place in the Government and the Marines. Insane, right?" she let out a sour chuckle. "An Admiral becoming a pirate. Everyone called him insane."

Once again, she smiled at the faint memories of her father's warm smile. There were details she didn't mention that night on the deck, like the status of her father in the Navy. 

"I didn't reach ten yet when he left. He considered it would've been dangerous to stay with us and, if I am to be honest, mom would've kicked him out of their home."

Their home, because that place was never her home. 

"Calling me by my name would've meant he still has ties with me and someone might've taken advantage of that."

Nine years ago, the witch was a child who only learnt how to use a kitchen knife for cutting vegetables. That child has been stripped of her innocence a few years later. 

"A few times a year he would visit me. He would hide from the Marines, while I would hide from my mom. I still remember how he was so much happier. He looked younger, like he was living his teenage years and not his thirties. Except for a few days I'd stay with him and his crew, he was roaming around the seas. He never judged a single soul, believing it wasn't his job to do so, even if he would protect anyone who needed help. He changed the meaning of a pirate in a good way."

She turned her head towards the window, watching the blue sky mingling with the sea and the port of Baratie where people were walking on the wooden battens. 

"He was caught by the Marines while he visited me and killed in the center of the city," her voice lowered to a gentle whisper, just like the breeze coming from the open window and giving her goosebumps. 

She remembers that moment all too clearly, eyebrows knitting together as she squeezed Zoro's hand lightly, hoping it would bring some comfort to her shattered heart. 

A life that felt like an eternity already made her believe her name was like damnation for anyone who said it. A few syllables being spoken and you'd be cursed to die one way or another, since her mother refused to call by the name her father chose when she saw light for the first time. Her father and his crew were the only ones calling her name so dearly, with honey latched onto their voices, treating her like a daughter. 

She was someone's daughter when she was with them. And now, by Luffy's side, she was someone's friend. 

"I don't want to watch you die too," only then she looked at him again. "Don't die on me. Don't leave us alone."

There was determination in her tone, mingling with pain and sorrow. Half of her believed in him the same way she believed the sea was blue and that leaves were green. The other half drowned in anguish. 

Zoro seemed almost serene, despite the small frown that never left his face. She took in a deep breath and moved her hand away from his, only to lean over and rest her elbows on her knees. 

She needed some fresh air. 

The witch got up and left the room in a hurry, before tears would've slipped down her cheeks. She pushed it all aside, holding it in, since there was no time to weep at anyone's grave. Zoro was still breathing, even if half dead. 

He will get better. He had to. 

She walked into the galley. Standing up in front of the table was Sanji, wearing only his white and blue checkered shirt, the black jacket suit abandoned on the armrest of the couch. He was cutting some vegetables, skillfully holding the knife. 

On the cushions sat Luffy, cleaning Zoro's white sword, just like he said. Meanwhile, Usopp was the one to notice her first, leaning with his hands prompted onto the wooden table. Nami couldn't be spotted anywhere. 

The sound of her own name almost made her flinch. The witch blinked quickly, looking at Usopp. Both Sanji and Luffy looked at her then. The latter had some deep puppy eyes — her heart aches at that look alone. 

"How is he?" 

"Unconscious," she breathed out softly.

She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair, her eyebrows pulled together. 

"I suppose you haven't eaten anything since yesterday," Sanji smiled gently. "Anything I could make for you?" 

"I appreciate it, really, but I don't have an appetite," she dismissed him with a faint smile of her own. 

"You could use some energy, you know," Usopp mumbled. 

"You, Luffy? What would you like to eat?" Sanji got back to chopping the vegetables. 

"I'm not hungry right now. You could make something for Zoro. He'll surely be hungry when he wakes up!" 

Their captain still had hope bubbling in his chest and it was the only thing keeping them all afloat. 

However, the witch couldn't bear to think about it anymore. She spotted her shirt hanging on a nail in the wall, close to the couch. With a quick gesture, she grabbed at it, intending to put it on herself until the heavy scent of blood filled her senses the second time that day—

The shirt was soaked in Zoro's blood from the time when she used it to stop the bleeding of his wound. Nausea crawled up her throat and she unintentionally dropped the piece of cloth when she became aware of the sickness settling deeply in the pitch of her stomach. 

Fuck, fuck, fuck. 

With a hand covering her mouth, she rushed out of the galley, on the deck, the doors shutting harshly behind her. She leaned over the railing as the acidic taste made its way up her throat and on her tongue. 

A disgusting sensation, truly. 

She's seen blood before, she saw countless corpses laying at her feet, but nothing could compare with the vision of a dear person giving their last breath. She couldn't believe she vomited because of blood, such a normal occurrence in her life.

But it wasn't just any kind of blood — it was Zoro's and it sunk into the material of her own shirt. 

She will have to throw it away. There's no way in hell she would manage to ever wear that again, even if it would be clean and smelling like lavender.

Tears clung to her eyelashes when she opened her eyes again, looking down into the sea. She was breathing heavily and she regretted swallowing her own saliva, as the awful taste lingered in her mouth unpleasantly. 

Warm fingers touched her shoulder and before she saw whose hand it was, there was a glass of water being shoved towards her. When she glanced up, she saw the blonde waiter. 

"Thank you, Sanji," she took the glass from his hand, sipping slowly as the gentle weight on her shoulder disappeared. 

"If I knew such a beautiful lady was waiting for me to wake up, I would've opened my eyes much sooner."

The waiter — who could apparently also cook like a professional — said that in a somewhat flirtatious tone. Also, there was compassion lingering in his honeyed voice. 

"If Zoro would hear you, he would've thrown you overboard."

Nami. 

The witch didn't even notice her on the deck until that moment, her head snapping towards the navigator, her eyes sparkling with hope as she gripped at the glass in between her fingers. Nami was a few meters away from her, with her back facing the sea and her hands curled around the railing. 

The witch has seen Nami's expression countless times when she looked in the mirror after a crying fit. The same bloodshot eyes and puffy eyes, the red tip of her nose and the husky voice. 

"I don't remember you having sea sickness," Nami pried into her soul. 

The witch looked towards the water at the bottom of her glass, ashamed of her own reaction. 

"Because I don't have sea sickness," the witch whispered weakly, basically admitting her vulnerable state. 

She was more than just thankful Sanji chose not to elaborate on the reason behind her reaction. There was still acid sitting on her tongue, even after she gulped down the last droplets of water from her glass. 

"Where are you heading to?" 

The witch noticed when Nami straightened her back and walked away, towards the dock. 

"Maybe I can find another drink at the restaurant," Nami waved the back of her hand at the witch. 

That sounded very familiar to a lie for some reason, but was it the witch's place to comment? 

•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•

Familiar fear made its way through her body, scratching underneath the skin, whispering in her ear like a mantra the same phrase her mother has always told her: "there's nothing you can do about it, so accept it." 

Those words always unsettled the young witch deeply. She heard that voice everytime she hid in a room with the books her grandmother left behind, pages filled with tarot and palmistry, the promise of real magic, different from the fairy tales. It sounded and felt palpable, her eyes sparkling. Those books were her treasure, a future filled with freedom. 

The same words were being shouted in her ears by the ghosts when her body stiffened in its spot. She wanted to scream while the man who was her father was dragged away by Marines, this time on the port of Baratie, not in her hometown. 

The deafening yell she wanted to let out was silent. Her lips didn't even part and her awareness slipped away as she continued to see blood pooling at her father's feet, his signature royal blue coat painted in crimson. As if her vocal chords broke before she opened her mouth, no sound left her lips. 

"He deserved it," sounded so clear in her ear, as if her mother stood right beside her, watching the same scene unfolding over and over again.

No, no, I can't let him die! I need to do something! Please, dad, you can't—

The man who stood proudly was dying, his body decomposing right before her eyes. A sickening view, as the skin melted off the meat, leaving only bones and tendons behind, covered by heavy clothes, two empty holes in his cranium instead of beautiful sparkling eyes. Blood dried on the white bones and sunk into the material of his coat and it flowed towards her, to the tips of her boots—

"Luffy! Arlong is here and he's after you, we have to leave now!" 

The witch gasped loudly, her eyes snapping open. Nami, who just entered, was panting heavily, fingers gripping at the edge of the doorframe. 

Who's Arlong? 

She noticed Luffy who just got up from the chair he was sitting on, right by Zoro's side. Usopp had his fingers curled around one of the ropes holding the bed in the room hanging in the air. 

There were no dead corpses around. Gosh, that nightmare was scary as hell. Her heart still drummed in her eardrums, blood rushing through her veins at an alarming pace. 

She managed to get on her feet, her palm glued to the wall to support herself. 

"Where do you think you're going, Luffy?"

Nami was panicked. Her fear grew steadily, just like fire, and she was on the edge of cussing out that entire bunch of confident idiots. 

"We can't let Arlong hurt people just because of us. He might kill everyone if we don't step in."

Luffy was rarely so serious, but the situation asked for it. However, the navigator was anything but happy with his suicidal decision. 

The witch turned her head towards the unconscious swordsman. She took in a deep breath, calming the waters threatening to destroy her mind. Then, her warm gaze raised back to the navigator who squeezed the map in between her trembling fingers. 

"You'll stay here and protect the ship, Nami," Luffy smiled reassuringly. "I trust you."

The orange haired woman searched for a different reaction from the witch, but received the same determination. 

"Have you all grown insane?" she whispered in horror. 

The witch made slow steps towards her and engulfed her in a warm hug, wrapping her arms around the navigator's body. She squeezed her gently, resting her chin on Nami's shoulder. 

"Something is troubling you greatly. Don't lie to me," the witch whispered in her ear softly. "You've got something in your head and you're pushing all of us away. We trust you, even if it'll bring us our death."

That's what scared Nami the most. 

The witch parted just to look into Nami's troubled blue eyes. 

"We'll be alright. We have to be. We'll figure it out together."

She had no clue how much Nami wanted to believe her, but it was impossible to do so. The navigator knew better what danger awaits them in Baratie now that Arlong appeared, that monster—. 

Right. That's what pirates were: monsters. So why did the ones in front of her look like friends instead of demons stealing her life away? 

The witch squeezed her shoulders and smiled so warmly, so calmly, different from the agitation they would face. 

For one second only, Nami dared to believe. Then, it crumbled to her feet when Luffy and the witch left her room with one glance back at Zoro. 

•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•┈┈┈•

The witch found herself in the restaurant once again. Her fingers gripped tightly at the gun she held, finding comfort in the familiar weight settled in her hand. On purpose, she stood behind the other three men, sharp eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. They were lucky they chose to enter from the first floor, since she could easily hide. 

She wasn't hiding for the reasons some would think of. The witch intentionally stood on the side, analyzing the situation. First of all, she had to find the smallest opportunity to find a weak spot for that fishman. From her spot, still glued to the wall and hidden from everyone's eyes, she focuses on Luffy's conversation with Arlong. 

"I expected someone… bigger," Arlong commented with a wide grin, sharp teeth on full display. 

He could definitely be classified as scary, but the witch didn't want to admit that to herself. Was he dangerous? Of course. 

"Me too," Luffy commented. 

Alright, maybe Luffy had far more confidence than she thought, since he dared to make fun of that fishman, angering him. It wasn't enough that Luffy was hunted down by Arlong, he had to make him angry as well—

What was she scared of? 

She took in a deep breath and a few seconds were enough for her heartbeat to beat at a normal pace. The witch didn't have enough time to worry about consequences, she had to find their weakness quickly and act on it. 

While her focus slipped from them, Luffy was already walking down one of the two pairs of stairs meeting up at the first floor of the restaurant. Arlong threatened the straw hat about something and the first thing she heard was the deafening sound of a shotgun. 

The same sound was followed by a soft chiming filling the silence. 

Her chest tightened since no groan of pain could be heard from anyone. When she glanced at the people downstairs, she saw Zeff — the cook who stitched Zoro up — with a gun pointed at Arlong. However, the fishman only turned his head back and cocked an eyebrow at the cook. 

The bullet was most probably what caused that chiming sound. It seemed like fishmen's scales were bulletproof. 

Fucking great. Her long range fighting style wasn't to her advantage. 

An ounce of fear uncomfortably gnawed at her courage. The witch hated that helpless sensation, as if there was no escape, as if that was her dead end. 

Her fingers gripped tighter around her gun, until the skin turned yellow. 

I can't chicken out now. I don't have the luxury of turning my back against a fight in such a critical situation. 

She swallowed the lump in her throat after she bit so hard onto her lower lip she tasted copper on her tongue. 

Everyone has a weakness, right? Fishmen must have one as well. 

On the floor below, Luffy threw his stretchy arms at Arlong, with his hands curled into fists. Zeff was harshly thrown into a table that broke down, making Sanji jump into action as well. Usopp was the only one that remained upstairs, uselessly hiding behind the decorative wrought iron railing — he could be easily seen. 

Crouching down to Usopp's level, the witch slowly walked towards him with the gun still in her hand. When his eyes fell on her, he blinked like a confused owl. 

"Guns don't work!" he whisper-shouted at her, horror painting his features. 

With a sigh, she grinned cheekily. 

"Are you running, scaredy-cat?" she taunted him with an arched eyebrow. 

"Are you insane?" he frowned when she was a few inches away from him. "You can't seriously believe your gun is gonna do any damage to those monsters." 

Glancing down between the iron bars of the railing, the witch spotted other two fishmen getting up from their table. So there were three in total. 

With an unusually serious tone, she stared into Usopp's eyes, determination oozing out of her. 

"You can't run now, Usopp. I hope you're aware of that."

"Even you hesitated for a second!" 

His nervous demeanor and his over-thinking habits got the best of him at that moment. He was equally scared and amazed by the witch's courage. 

"That was before I realized there's no going back. Usopp," she lowered her tone, fingers gripping at his shirt to bring him down from the clouds. "If you choose to run away, you will never become a brave warrior of the seas. Do you hear yourself? We're not running anywhere. We have to fight if we don't want to leave Luffy and Sanji to deal with the fishmen on their own." 

She wasn't exactly good at motivational speeches, but that seemed to shake his soul well enough. 

"Now help me find out their soft spots so we can bring those idiots down before they destroy this entire restaurant and eat us alive." 

Bullets couldn't penetrate their scales. She didn't know if blades could work any better either. Also, Arlong alone had the highest bounty in the East Blue, not his friends. He was most probably much stronger than them. 

If she could bring down at least one of the other two fishman, it was also a win. 

Then, an idea popped into her head. 

Their eyes. 

They didn't have anything protecting their eyes except for the fact that they were sunk into their faces. With her aim, she had a chance to shoot one of them. She had to take advantage of the fact that no one knew she was there and making a plan. 

Taking in a deep breath, the witch placed the gun between the iron bars and aimed at the fishman with ridiculously big lips. She wasn't exactly that far away, but she had to concentrate. One single miss and everything would go down, since her presence would be obvious and her hand to hand fighting skills weren't that well developed against raw strength. 

She waited patiently, Usopp still by her side. Once the fishman stood still, turned towards her, she pulled the trigger of her gun. 

The bullet struck his eye and he groaned in pain, receiving a proud smile from the witch who quickly hid behind a table from upstairs, dragging Usopp with her. Her heartbeat was so fast in her ears it could leave her deaf. 

She had to pull herself together. 

"You've got good aim," Usopp's voice trembled. 

"Thanks," she breathed out heavily, eyes closing for a second. 

There was an entire tornado in her soul. The witch knew there was no place for running away, but she was equally aware of her disadvantage against fishmen who fight with their fists. 

Zoro would've loved the thrill of this fight. 

But he wasn't there to joke about her being a scared little lady. 

And Nami wasn't there to yell into her face and tell her to wake the fuck up and help her find a better plan. 

Before she had a chance to notice, Usopp was crawling down the stairs on the left once an idea popped into his head, or that was what the witch thought. 

She felt a certain presence walking up the stairs on her right and her eyes widened. The other fishman spotted her.

"Here you were, wench," he spoke with a growl. 

She didn't have enough time to scramble to her feet before a rough hand wrapped around her neck and lifted her up in the air, pushing her against the wall. She could barely even groan when her breathing was restricted by the awfully strong grip the fishman had on her throat. 

Her gun fell from her hand and hit the floor with a weak sound. 

Uselessly, her fingers grabbed at the muscled blue arm holding her up, feet a few inches away from the floor. Compared to him, her grip was weak, insignificant. 

The witch was never the type to necessarily wish to live, but she certainly didn't want to die in that moment, when others' lives were hanging on a thread. 

Also, she didn't want that ugly fucking fishman with big lips to be the last sight before she closed her eyes forever. 

Dammit. 

Tag list: @emelia07 @dimplewonie @tfamidoingwithmylife @murnsondock @the-skys-musical-echo @conspiracy-crows @hallow33nz @ramae17 @gaslysainz @bunntsu @katt58 @katiemrty @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @freyademartel @boofy1998 @ponyboys-sunsets @melsunshine @loveyluv7 @waddlingwanderer @jesssssmaybankk @nadlx33333 @yoong1c0re @untoldshortsofthefandoms @mizzy-pop

[nyarlathotep-thecrawlingchaos]

Oh look more headcanons

Who'd have guessed

Not me for sure

Okay sorry I'll shut up.

I'm highly music-driven and have been for many many years of my life.

And I'm presently unreasonably obsessed with The Fratellis after suddenly remembering they exist after like fifteen years of not hearing a single one of their songs. Don't ask me, it just happened a couple months ago and I decided not to question it.

So this is really stupidly niche of me, but these are their songs/lyrics that I associate with the Best Boys™, in a Character X Reader sense. The songs that are typically playing halfway on repeat when I'm writing any of them lately.

The song-links go to Spotify. It's not necessary to listen to them, the lyrics here are the main catalyst, but if you want to listen I'm not going to complain.

no but please I hope you like the music that I like I have no one to talk to about it and as a half-assed musician it's literally killing me and

Anywho.

Zoro

Living in the Dark

I was nothing less than torn, crying out to be reborn

Come back, baby, you could make me happy,

Maybe you could prove me wrong

You're the only one who could ever save me,

Maybe you could prove me wrong

I've been living in the dark down here too long

The song itself is far more upbeat than I'd generally associate with Zoro, but the lyrics speak to me on his behalf. The upbeat tempo is the equivalent of what you do to his heart when you're near him; it's strange and unfamiliar, but it's nice. He's iffy about being close with anyone, and he won't admit it out loud but he wants to be.

He's been alone for years, for damned near all of his life, and you're like the light at the end of that tunnel. He might try to push you away or be aloof and impersonal at first because the thought of being vulnerable frightens him a little, but he wants to be proven wrong. He wants to let you in, and he's willing to try.

Sanji

Sugartown

I get the strangest sense we were lovers past-tense

Like a dog in heat I just can't be indiscreet

And when I see you there, I whisper my prayer, so sweet

I'm getting shakey on my feet, I'm incomplete

And if you just can't do me right

Then, honey, please, do me wrong

I'll be your one man band, I'll be at your command

Just say the word and I'll be your Renaissance man

This entire damned song is the anthem of Sanji. It's like a 1950's bop, the type of song that you can't help but smile at. It's sweet and cute and pining, just like our favorite chef. He's just utterly obsessed and hoplessly devoted to you and every single thing you do. He can't keep his eyes or his mind off of you at any given time.

Just the sight of you entering the room takes his breath away, puts stars in his eyes. He would do or give absolutely anything to have you and to keep you forever, and he's going to make sure you know it.

Shanks

Babydoll

Babydoll, do you believe they'll catch you when you fall?

And when morning comes, the sun is gonna shine

Don't forget, your minor keys your half-lit cigarette

'Cause when morning comes, I know that you'll be mine

So let me in

I'm ready to beg and to sing for my sins

Not leave it to chance and sweet coincidence

I don't know. The soft yet slightly playful tone of the song in general just screams Shanks to me for no reason I can completely put in words. This particular portion of the lyrics is what I associate most with him.

He knows he wants you, and he wants to make sure you know it. Not to beat around the bush about it, but not pressure you either. Just make sure you know how much he cares about you and be as gentle and sweet as possible to prove it...and he knows it's going to work, and that you're already his whether you know it or not. But jfc also imagine that goddamned voice of his calling you babydoll please excuse me I need to go touch grass now

Mihawk

Medusa In Chains

I'm not your miracle man, I'm not your spirit guide

Before this whole thing began I had some sense of pride

Just one more night with your lips, your company is hard to eclipse

Weak-kneed, yes indeed, guardanteed, make my heart bleed

Give me a reason to breathe, don't let my sun go down

I'll make you stand and recieve, I'll be your sacred ground

Be my Medusa in chains, petrified

Only your beauty remains

The entire song. The ENTIRE SONG screams Mihawk to me. Slow-burn and seductive from start to finish. I get the same exact chills from this song that I get when he delivers that "Magnificent" line.

Lyrically relevant too. Falling for you in spite of his pride (and he has a LOT of pride to get past). You're like nothing he has ever experienced and he's utterly and hopelessly addicted to you. As much as he wants to fight it, he can't. In the same breath that he's trying to push you away and retain some grip on himself he's also pulling you back for more. He hardly even knows who he is anymore when you're near.

[k8kaa]

PG8 : SEXUAL TENSION

content : nsfw , 17+ , mdni , afab reader , your pedris friend ,, but also a popular singer. since you were both popular youngsters , you were invited by barca for a youtube video with pedri , things go well , the outcome was better then expected ;) pedri is so whipped here ladies, enjoy.

a/n : atp , i cant find pwp and iiii HATE pwp. but enjoy this ig. ALSOO I CANT DRITY TALK IN SPANISH ITS HARD TO TRANSLATE. - silva

camp nou was so pretty, but the only thing you wanted to see was that sexy spainard. you admired his body alot .. i mean who wouldnt? he was taller then you , nice and bulit .. a dream guy. you dressed yourself in the cutest pink mini skirt and white corset, white tights and pink shoes . you arrived at the studio and smile at the sight of pedri, he was wearing all blue in his barca clothes . but there was no time for small talk ,, as the crew was in a rush . you both look at each other and laugh , you stand next to him and it starts rolling .

“hola youtube , hola culers , soy pedri” hello youtube hello culers , im pedri . “¡hola amores, hola culers, soy y/n!” hello loves, hello culers, I'm y/n . you waved . “hoy estaremos adivinando la canción, con nuestra adivina especial ..¡ y/n ! podría decir que te ves muy linda” today we'll be guessing the song , with a our special guess miss y/n! might i say you are looking very pretty . pedri complements your outfits . you blushed at the remark. he was pulling the first move. “me halagas pedrito, te ves bastante guapo también ...” you flatter me pedrito , you look quite handsome as well .. you giggle.

but the wait was over for the intro and they gave you both your first song. the first one to guess had to press a button . 1 point if your right, and none if you didnt get it right. the first song was something english so you had a bit of an advantage. since pedri listened to more reggaton then english . it was a popular song so you got it right. “smooth operator sade!” you click the button , and the point was given to you . you danced to the song a little as it was still playing. “eso no es justo. ¡apenas escucho música en inglés!” thats unfair. i barely listen to english music ! . pedri yelled to the staff. “hes so stupid, when will he learn that theres english music playing in the stadium ..” you mumbled in english as the staff , the whole studio was laughing . “¿qué dijo ella?” what did she say? pedri said looking all confused. you did nothing but just laugh ..

you were now at 2 - 2 . theres been too much sexual tension between you two.. anyway , the fourth song played and you both guessed it right. you both click the button at the same time. you sang the song together, it was chantaje by shakira. you both danced together, which was probably the thing that turned pedri on the most. the way you singing to HIM and dancing with HIM made him even more turned on. the last round made him win , you sighed as you lost. “¡es todo por hoy! gracias a spotify y a barcelona por tenerme aquí, bye bye!” thats it for today! thank you to spotify and barcel for having me here , thats all byebye! . you smiled as the camera stopped filming. you took a picture for the thumbnail, his hand on your waist . as the cameras turned off you take it as a chance to whisper something to pedri. “pedrito, los baños abiertos” pedrito , the bathrooms are open . you smirked “me lees la mente, cariño” you read my mind , sweetheart .

pedri pinned you to the wall . he’d has just finished eating you out. “that pussy.. it does something to me.” he laughed . wiping his mouth with his arm. “please pedri.. just.. fuck me—!” you were cut off a kiss from pedri. it was a steamy hot kiss . he was all sweaty and hot,, his chest being naked and him groaning in your ears. you removed his boxers. “impatient whore” he mumbled. you jumped at the way he shoved his long veiny cock inside you. “it— it wont fit!” you yelled “you shouldve said that before taking it out, cariño.”gripping your waists as pedri starts to move. his thrusts were like heavan , moving in all the places you wanted . you put your hand over your mouth to not moan too loud. “too much!” you cried , as pedris thrusts got faster. “ ‘m gonna fill you up so well.” pedri whispered. you were crying because of how good he was fucking you . “c-cumming..” you said . you felt the not in your stomach, reaching your climax. he filled you up with his liquid. you eveb cleaned him up. you couldnt feel your legs.. you were groaning . “fuck,, i love you” pedri kissed your forehead. “hm, i love you too pedrito” you giggled.

© lec8rcs . do not, plagarize, copy, or translate any of my works .

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

So since I'm working on getting a playlist together that got my mind spinning, as it likes to nonsensically do whenever it wants, and now I need to know -

9000 RPM Peeta definitely had an elite "pining playlist" for his long drives from Panem to Seam each Sunday. And he doesn't seem like the Spotify or even the Pandora sort. I feel like he still burns mixed CDs.

What would that drive playlist have been for Peeta?

Oh it definitely would’ve been burned cd’s or skipping through radio stations for 9000 rpm Peeta, mainly because he wouldn’t have even had a smartphone or access to services like Pandora or Spotify until much later in the story, especially not in his truck. Also that vehicle is totally pre-mp3 player. The cd player was added in by him lmao and he even twitched at that, searched high and low for an after market cd player that looked like an old school radio so as not to ruin the aesthetic of the truck's interior. It was one of his few splurges.

Sooooo... a lot of these songs aren’t perfect fits, and some of them are more funny additions than angsty ones because they give me a giggle imagingin Peeta singing along to them.... which he totally would. Anywho.

I see this Peeta as hopping around radio stations to find something he likes but when he stumbles across one of these, he pauses and lets it finish. Or when these are played after the song he really stopped to listen to, he stays on that station and gets all lost in his feelings and cranks it up. Then he burns it to a cd later if it’s not already on one lol. Let him have a few moments of drama before he pulls it together and puts on a happy "I’m FINE I’M DEFINITELY NOT PINING" front for Katniss and Raven. Only Aunt Laverne isn’t fooled, partly because she’s heard what’s playing when he pulls up in front of their house 🤣

There's also a few songs on here that are maybe a little angrier than you might think? Mainly because I feel like this Peeta in particular would get out his frustration through listening to pissed off, frustrated music, too. Not just hyper dramatic pining music. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Also there’s a weird crossover between 9000 rpm and Outside Chance Peeta’s taste in music??? When I was building this playlist, I kept finding songs where I was like oooooh OC Peeta would like this one too. Savannah and Graham are the right age to totally intorduce Peeta to this era of music so ooooop. *adds song to both playlists*

But here you go. I present 9000 rpm Peeta’s Pining and Driving Playlist. <<< Link to Spotify. Preview here:

[hangmanbradshaw]

guess this is the first time I send you an ask so HIIIII STEPH!

gonna go for the song 52 on your spotify wrapped for hangster 🩷

p.s.: your christmas stories are giving christmas movie-watching tradition vibes! still gotta read them but my heart always gets warm when a new notification arrives on my email

xoxo

Omg HI!!!!! Welcome, welcome :D

(omg I hope you love them when you read. they're definitely warming my heart writing them....enjoying it way too much)

Oooh 52 omg excellent choice. It's Don't Blame Me by Taylor Swift soooo this was too much fun.

“Seresin.”

Jake froze where he was leaning against the bar as a warm body pressed against his side. He didn’t have to look to know who the voice belonged to- it was a sound that haunted his every thought, both waking and dreamed. He didn’t bother turning, hardly even flinched a muscle on the outside even as his heart pounded hard in his chest, turning his ears to cotton.

“Mickey, I’ll have another.” He said to the bartender, signaling at his empty glass. “Top shelf, on him.”

Mickey nodded and swiped the most expensive bottle from the shelf, pouring the amber liquid into his glass and sliding it over. Bradley didn’t argue it, he never did.

“Heard you were back in town. Take care of that business in LA?”

Jake hummed as he ran his finger over the edge of the glass. He kept his eyes focused there as he replied, “You know I did.”

“Hope you didn’t miss me too much.”

“I didn’t.”

It was a lie. They both knew it.

Bradley didn’t signal for a drink, but that wasn’t surprising. He liked to be in control, hyper aware of everything despite how cool he always played it. He leaned his elbows back against the bar and looked out at the crowd as he said, “Rumor is something big is going down. FBI’s been raiding your places. They’re saying your dad’s lost his touch.”

“Are they now?”

“Sure are. A couple of your people have come to us, asked to pledge new loyalty.”

He finally turned and faced him, leaning on his own elbow as he stared at the deep brown that was focused on him. Bradley looked the same as he always did- short curls pushed back, dressed down in jeans and a ridiculous Hawaiian shirt compared to Jake’s perfectly pressed three piece suit. Two sides of the same coin, he’d always thought. The son of power always dressed like it verses the son who dressed it in his own way. If anyone else had tried to wear an outfit like that, they’d be laughed at. Bradley was revered. 

“Any chance you’re gonna tell me those names?”

Bradley smirked, those eyes warming. “No way in hell, Hangman.”

“Mm. I’ll find them my own way.”

“Oh, I’m sure you will.” Bradley replied, lips curling smugly. “They’re scared, you know.”

“We’re dealing with it. You might as well hold off on dancing on our graves, cuz we ain’t dead yet. We still run this city.”

“Half of it. For now.”

He hummed again and shot his drink back in one go. Mickey raised the bottle in question, but he shook his head and tapped the bar as he stepped away. The crowd was thick, but they parted as easily as the red sea as he walked, waving his men off. He didn’t have to look back to know Bradley was throwing some bills on the bar and following, the sea staying clear for him as well, his own men hanging back.

The cold air of the city winter burned his skin as he pushed out the back door into the alleyway. He barely had two seconds to feel it before he was being turned and pushed back against the brick wall. A hand cupped the back of his head, protective and possessive as lips pressed against his. He let Bradley kiss him, let him have his fill just enough to quench his thirst before he pulled back. Bradley blinked at him, eyes wide and dark and still so thirsty, those massive hands of his scalding on his hips. 

“How bad are things, really?” 

“I told you, we’re handling it.”

One of Bradley’s hands moved to cup his cheek instead. He ran his thumb over his lip and said, “I’m not gonna let anything happen to you. If the infamous James Seresin finally falls, I’m getting you out.”

“Good luck with that.”

“We’ve already crossed every other line, what’s one more?”

He pulled back a bit and studied him for a moment. He was sure the surprise had to show when he said, “You’re serious. Fucking around with your rival’s one thing, you can’t seriously think-“

“My dad’s offered yours a deal.”

It stopped him dead in his tracks. Bradley’s words were rushed, serious. “What deal?”

“The bureau’s on your asses. What’s to say we won’t be next? You have half the city, we have the other…it’s time we remind them who’s in charge here.”

“You’re talking about joining forces?” He asked with a blink. “They’re never gonna go for that. No way in hell is he gonna trust that, not when you didn’t ask for anything.”

“We did though, and he agreed.”

“And what’s that?”

“You.” Bradley replied as he kissed him again. He pulled back and whispered against his lips. “The youngest son of James Seresin for the heir in waiting of the Bradshaw empire.”

His heart damn near froze in his chest. He pushed him back so he could look into his eyes when he said, “You traded for me.”

“I did. It’s you and me, baby.” Bradley said as he cupped his cheeks and ran his thumbs over the skin there. “We’re gonna run this fucking city."

[badwolfwho1]

It's halfway through the year? Got any favorite albums/books/tv shows/whatever to recommend?

So for the first time I have actually been keeping a spreadsheet with the intent of ranking all the things this year to keep track of what I've read/watched etc and not rely on my memory so in theory this should be easy but in truth I've only been updating it for movies and books so I will have to rely on my memory after all.

Albums

I do not keep track of the albums I've been listening but I have been listening to Avantasia's discography lately and it's all been hitting for me, I think the Wicked Symphony especially was my favourite of their work.

I also listened to The Moody Blues' 'Days of Future Passed' just today so I'll mention that as well, I enjoyed it. (I fully intended to come back here and write some more later but I guess I didn't, it's neat I guess)

Judging based off my liked songs on Spotify I really liked most of Deep Purple's album 'House of Blue Light' and both of Savage Garden's albums.

For a perennial I still love The Bangles' third album "Everything", my first listen I had a few standouts like "In Your Room", "Be With You", "Something to Believe In" but I currently adore pretty much every track on there.

Have I listened to much modern this year? Alas no I am cursed by most of my current listening habits coming from deciding to check out whatever is being referenced in the current episode of Jojo that I'm rewatching and since I just reached Part 5 that means at best they'll be 25 years old.

Books

I've actually kept track of my books so this should be easy, 'Catch 22'; It's a classic for a reason, it's just really really good.

The Adrian Tchaikovsky zone; I read 'City of Last Chances', its sequel 'House of Open Wounds' and the final part of the Final Architecture trilogy 'Lords of Uncreation' this year, all phenomenal (2, 3 and 4 on my books of the year list), City of Last Chances slightly pips the others (and as the opener to a series is the easiest rec). You get a huge and diverse range of points of view all over a city under imperial occupation, great worldbuilding as I always expect from him. There's even a giant centipede what more can you ask for? (I'm also reading his Alien Clay right now, that's a stand alone novel starring a scientist exiled to a work camp on another planet because of his political activism, real good so far, love all the weird alien life it has. It'll probably be joining the Tchaikovsky zone unsure where at though yet)

Oh I've just noticed Bret Hart's biography isn't on my list so I gotta say "Hitman", incredible. The life of a wrestler is wild and Bret Hart especially has had quite the life. So much I didn't know about. The best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be (but not the best on my list).

The rest of my top ten, CL Clarke's 'The Unbroken' and 'The Faithless', Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone's 'This is How You Lose the Time War', AK Larkwood's 'The Ten Thousand Eyes' and Garth Marenghi's Terrortome

Games

I feel like I've barely played any games this year. Slay the Spire is still the only Roguelike you'll ever need. I'll be replaying Slay the Princess when Pristine Cut comes out later this year so I'll throw that in here, that's an incredible horror visual novel, tons of branching paths, all voice acted to perfection. I'm in the middle of a Freedom Planet replay, so if you like classic 2D Sonic games this is a really good Soniclike

(Me from after I wrote all this) Oh yeah Hades II exists and I somehow forgot about it I have no idea how that happened. Yeah Supergiant (I always have to double check that in case I write Supermassive) always hits, every single one of their games is gold, Hades II continues that trend. It might still be Early Access but it quite comfortably surpasses release Hades I in content so I am incredibly excited to see how it grows.

Movies

Number 1 at my list is Godzilla Minus One, it's so good, I watched it last year, I watched it this year I'll probably watch it again in the Minus Colour version. I'm a Godzilla mark (I still have at least some objectivity Godzilla x Kong sitting at 12 hasn't even broken into my top 10, wait Oppenheimer isn't on here probably 13 then) and while I've definitely not even nearly seen of all Godzilla's filmography I think this is him comfortably at his best. As in all of his best films as a metaphor as well as a giant radioactive dinosaur.

I watched Rashomon the other day and it feels like a real basic thing to say but yeah Rashomon's really good, as with Catch-22 it's a classic for a reason. Not good enough to surpass a radioactive dinosaur apparently but what can?

And my number three on my list, Asteroid City, great framing device, great set design. Just a genuinely fascinating movie, had complete hold of my interest at all times.

The rest of my top ten in order The Banshees of Inisherin, Monster, Speed, The Menu, Happy Death Day, Scream, Scream 2 (Maybe Happy Death Day should be lower than the Screams actually) Oppenheimer is probably going to land somewhere in that top 10 as well.

TV

Delicious in Dungeon is good, everyone knows Delicious in Dungeon is good, everyone's watching it. World building, funny, great cast its all there, I should read the manga some time. I should definitely read more manga in general.

I've also watched The 8 Show, a Korean Drama show. Eight strangers are offered a chance to participate in a psuedo game show where they live on eight seperate floors and are paid money for the length of time the show goes on. The ones living on the lower floors earn less money and the ones on the higher ones earn more. (Shockingly it's a metaphor for capitalism). Things fairly rapidly degenerate. You'll obviously think of Squid Game watching this and its not as good as Squid Game but its still pretty good.

And obvs you know I'm still on that Buffy watch, on the cusp of finishing Series 6 of Buffy, the most frustrating so far in that it has some good ideas dragged down by a number of terrible decisions; magic becoming a metaphor for drugs, having to see those three nerds on screen frequently, that death etc etc.

Oh yeah I'm watching the Acolyte, I'm not gonna say its great but like its shockingly decent. Falls far short of Andor but aside from that its probably one of the best Star Wars shows they've made. If you like Star Wars this is one of the better shows to check out.

(Somehow I forgot I watched all of Hacks this year!?!?!?!) Great stuff, love those two. Hope they continue to be weird about each other forever.

Other

I'd love to rec a manga but I cantinue to only read two manga which are Hajime no Ippo and Jojo and they're both over 30 years old and still going and I cannot recommend something that long. Last time I mentioned Ippo was like at least six months ago I think I said it was slowly moving towards a conclusion it has moved no closer to a conclusion since then I think it's gonna be another decade. I still love it my favourite character is probably going to have his character arc finished by the end of the current arc, Mashiba's is going to become world champion, he is going to be respected rather than just feared, he's going to have friends, he is going to defeat the personification of the dirty boxing style that carried him through most of his career and he's going to stop being so overprotective over his sister. Either that or he'll get injured and have to retire from boxing forever in a karmic callback to his original sin in boxing when he broke Miyata's foot like thirtyodd years ago. Hopefully the first one.

[stonyponyofficial]

oh shit? whats that skanking this way? are those some more summer songs? are those some summer songs spliced seamlessly alongside some ska since Skaugust started? seems interesting, maybe u should pick em up and take a listen if u get the chance... might be the rudest sounds of the SKAmmer...

🎺spotify link ⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜ yt link🎺

notes on each ⬜⬛⬜⬛⬜⬛ below the cut :3

Remember Summer Days - Anri: my city pop kick has not ended as you will continue to see. its the kinda shit that makes me wanna be taken on a warm evening drive. yeahh bitch i control the music and im not even driving >:3 sorry. umm also the horns make the song fit our skankin tone this time around so very well. they are like sisters <3

Car Song - Danny L Harle, MC Boing - speaking of drives! if, say, you are ever driving in a car, or perhaps playing music in a car this would be the track to signal to those around u that u are doing those things. i just love mc boing also. so much dumb hype that i cant help but follow his lead and bounce along. check out his like three other songs if u get the changce soun

Death Grips is Online - Death Grips: i was looking at my 'summer rewind' on spotify and this was apparently a death grips song i had listened to a lot a few years ago just without getting into any more death grips after that? it makes sense tho i was listening to a lot of igor of tyler the creator fame around that time. i was probably like ooooh this has that hard cunchy igor bass i like. and was like 😂 what the heck is the rest of their stuff tho seriously tihs is craazy 😂. probably is how i was like back then. tch. fool.

Flaunt It/Cheap - Rae Sremmurd: amen break waveform tattooed on my forehead running up to u voice HEY U SHOULD LISTEN TO THIS SONG THEY. HEY> THEY RAP OVER AN AMEN BREAK ITS GOOD. okay thats misleading they only do that for a bit but after that the flow is very amen break inspired..but then beat switch thats still very good i love a good beat switch and all.... i just wish he kept spitting over that pure amen break sample. paws in pockets kicking the dirt as i walk away.....

Helium - Ecco2k (Drain Gang Archives): comes back excitedly to talk about draing gang ^w^. this time around our drain gang entrance is actually a bootleg posted by a drain gang leak aggregator on spotify. in case u were wonering this is probably the best of those unreleased/leaked songs ........... ecco's voice fits this song so well with all his falsetto stuff (get it it's like helihey it's like a helium balloon get it his voice it's hifh) but he also does that on his other songs bc he's a beautiful angel. GOd and his pouty fucking sighs in the chorus god i just wann[

Merlin's Staff - Ski Mask The Slump God: as i posted about before i love me some ski mask :) i hadnt listened to a lot of his new stuff until i watched his most recent interview with nardwuar. it is from here that i found this song bc ski mask references nardy on the track. HOWEVER. i would be remiss if i did not talk about my favorite lyric from this song that ive refrained from just posting as is. makes me GIGGLE every goddamn time.

"On the go like Mario, drive in a kart

Lisa Simpson, her head sharp"

now he does bring this back around to be a joke about her "giving brain" but just that line alone with the cadence gets stuck in my head. Li. sa. Simp. son. Her. Head. Sharp.

Morning Bell - Radiohead: speaking of... head? been catching up with ol mr. head recently on account of people i know whose music opinions i trust liking his tunes a lot (hai :3) this is My preferred morning bell btw.... for u music perverts out there who wanna know (hai :3) .... the drum groove is irresistible and the piano feels so cooold. cmon its in 5/4.... like im sorry to those whom i may have disappointed i do like amnesiac morning bell it feels a lot eerier.. yet brighter with all the bells? and the 'release me's in that one are very pretty but. kid a morning bell 👍

your clothes - Jane Remover: still havent listened to new jane BUT i have gone back to revisit old stuff i hadnt listened to in a while. upon listening to this one i was reminded Wow! Jane just doesn't miss! so congrats to Jane the Remover on being the only artist to have never left some songs thus far. may ur reign be long.

Last Summer Whisper - Anri: i leave you with this. the last whisper of summer. the last whisper of my city pop kick. the last whisper of some songs until fall right guys? do u guys hear a train?

⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️

⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️⬜️⬛️

Train to Skaville (Live) - The Selecter: ALLLLLLLLL ABOOOOOOOAAAARRRD. THIS TRAIN. IS BOUND. FOR. SKAVILLE!!!!!!!!! wait oh shit i can't leave yet i have a train to catch 😳someone made a joke to me last year about this song (i believe it was in September they said 'the train to skaville has left the station') and i straight up didnt get it at the time bc i was kind of a poser skahead when i made my skaugust post eheh nervous laughs bc i pretended to know it in that post ehehe ^^ . i do believe in ska fans beliefs (that ska is good, and anticapitalism probably) i just didnt know much about it besides like stupid horse did it that one time and that post about a kid getting an extra mozz stick.. anyway fast forward one year this fucking song is the idle music in my head. i pretend to be that funky ass bass on this song a lot too hehe. there are MANT live versions of this song on yt so i chose the most fitting one for the playlist but the one ive been listening to is the spotify one -w-

Superman - Goldfinger - this is the archetypal ska song to me. and u know why. that fucking post about that kid getting an extra mozzarella stick and ska plays in his head. from uo there ^. this is the song on that post. this is like capital s Ska to me. u know how people associate dnb with really slick games u grind on rails and skate/snowboard in. make the main character 12 and sucking ass on his first shitty skateboard rolling around his neighborhood and the soundtrack is now ska. only this song actually. it is good tho is the important thing

Never Meant - Skatune Network, JER:

.

I'm Not Okay (I Promise) - Skatune Network, JER:

.

Come on Eileen - Save Ferris:

.

Take On Me - Reel Big Fish: what can i say im a sucker for a ska cover? SKA-ver. heh so true

Old SKrAp - Jeff Rosenstock: i believe jeff rosenstock has done other things which i will get to eventually like all things but i know him specifically for having made an album called No Dream (that i... havent listened to :/) which released in 2020 (05/20 specifically). and then.. on 04/20 of 2021 (!!!!!!!!!!! WEEED WEED ITS WEED) he released Ska Dream, which, of course, is a complete reworking of No Dream but to be Ska instead. the original title of this song is Old Crap which they still sing in the song i just love how they put SKA into the title. all of them are like this btw.

stupid horse - 100 gecs: the OG. also s/o aimkid amv. s/o all aimkid amvs but thats beside the point. there was a point in 100 gecstory that there were maybe only a few interviews they did after 1000 gecs and ofc not many live performance videos besides minecraft festival screen recordings and maybe one video of a show from the secret tour. but there was an interview from skullcandy of all places with an accompanying live performance of stupid horse that i rewatched sevreal times :) ......... i thought the neon green and yellow set pieces and outfits were cool ok??? anyway fucking stupid horse yeah a swordfish dancer spend my money on a fishnet carousel go go go go goin so fast now go go go go goin so fast now.

Frog On The Floor - 100 gecs: and then they did it again :)

I Got My Tooth Removed - 100 gecs: and did it again :)

Two-By-Four-And-A-Half - Thee Goblins: as i said before ive been narding it up recently with some nardwuar interviews. my favorite thing about him is his elusiveness as like. a guy who does things besides being nardwuar. and my favorite story about him doing other things is that on his quest to interviewing kurt cobain, he tried talking to dave grohl and somehow dave recognized nardwuar from a band he's in (this band Thee Goblins :3). but the band wears masks when they perform so u cant see its nardwuar. and he still knew it was him without the mask and i guess felt enough respect for nardwuar in that moment to decide to get him an in with kurt, which did come to fruition BTW. anyway this song is a SKA SONG by NARDWUAR himself.... this isn't on the yt playlist unfortch but there is a good video of the nardman himself and others as thee goblins.

Ska Sucks - Big D and the Kids Table: found this one while just ska-ouring ska-tify for more ska. and idk theres just something in a good subversive title (and lyrics if u venture to take a listen >w< ).anyway this ska doesn't suck its quite good actually :) this is a theme in ska if u could not tell. being quite good not sucking. sorry if that was unclear.

yyyaWWWn ummmmmmmn.. okay This is ewher i leave u.. with all the skanking ive been doing i believe ive kicked up a month long ska storm... but i hear there are some pretty rude winds forecasted to come in later today so oerhaps keep ur ears to the wind on that front 😳... um anyway peels off in my car i am sooooo licensed to operate leaving u behind with this helpful guidento steer your path. and this, thjs last SKA-mmer whisper, is how ill leave u until fall music fans :3 <3

[didnt-hear-cold-as-you-live]

in 2019 in one of my finest Peak Depression moments, I was stalking his Spotify history - in my mind it would make me feel something. Put me inside the brain of a person who was inevitably going to forget me. It might make the moment last forever if I could find new ways to dwell on it.

In the midst of that, I found a band whose songs I recognized. Who must have been played on that road trip more than a few times. I mentally bookmarked it when I first heard it; it was the kind of indie with a lot of distortion and I couldn't figure out any of the lyrics and it wasn't music I could cry to, and I knew it'd take a while for it to grow on me. About a month later, I'd cycled through ruminating over everything else. I spent a day sitting in bed staring at the ceiling, and then sitting on the floor staring at the wall, with an album called In My Own Pool Of Light by Holy Holy playing on a loop. It came out the week before I'd landed. Somehow that connected me to it more, as if anything that had EVER seen Australia in August of 2019 had an air of magic to it: they were there, too. It had to have been real.

Flight was the song I'd recognized. I played it over and over and over. Burned it and burned it and BURNED it into my mind. Maybe if I played it I'd remember something else, something I needed when I'd already remembered every detail to death. I never did remember something else. But I was right, the album was a grower. And slowly, but surely, it became my favorite album of all time. A fantastical moment in time. That album is a work of art as much as a piece of indie music can be. It's been 5 years and I still am discovering new meanings to it and depth to the lyrics. It's complex and it's catchy and it's perfect. It has the greatest 3 song run of any album I have ever heard (so much so that every show they play all 3 songs live in succession / attached to one another, because everyone else knows it, too). Portions of this album touched on my sadness, portions of it touched on my hope, portions of it touch on the concept of the most casually perfect person you'd ever met having no idea how good they are. There's also a song about immigrants and book burning and also a song about Frieda Kahlo and also a song about a city that's been burned to the ground so it really has got it ALL. There was a piece of every emotion I felt that entire year embedded in that album, and it never got old. I listen to it all the time. The whole album has been on every playlist I've ever made since 2019. No one, not even Taylor, is immune from me having to retire some of their music because it's gotten old. This album is embedded in my brain and it's everything to me, it's never stopped being everything to me. But no one in America had ever even heard of them, or ever would: they're very much an Australia only band, and not a chance in hell would they ever try to tour the US. Everyone I played their song Faces to loved it. But no one had heard of them. They were just mine. They existed only within Spotify. I held them as tightly to my heart and my mind as anyone could hold anything. I love that album, and that album and its closeness to me and no one else I've ever met AND that situation makes it as sacred a thing to me as anything can be. That album is the memento of that situation in my heart: the old t-shirt I still wear, the only faded photo that has not come off the wall. That album is an old friend that's seen me at my worst but is still there for a good night dancing or a roadtrip or a walk down memory lane. Because independent of it all, I just LOVE it.

Well. Tonight I saw Holy Holy, and most of that album, live, and it was the most out of body experience of my fucking life. I started pretty much hyperventilating with happiness when they played the first song from In My Own Pool Of Light - the one about the most casually perfect person you'd ever met having no idea how good they are. Screaming along to his song, in his city. Except it's my song, and it's my city. And suddenly everything felt like it was in place: closure like wings I could fly away on. I came back. And I saw him. And I saw the Taylor Swift album that sounded like driving across Australia thinking of him. And, finally, I saw the sad, the aftermath, the lonely January New York City bedroom, full depression takeover, full rumination mode, full self destruction, peak hopelessness, begging for music to teleport me back to Australia in the form of this album. I saw every drive I’ve taken since and I saw healing and I watched a piece of me that only existed in my mind and in my car alone come to life. Live, in Australia. Front row. For me, with a smile on my face. Thinking of him, but not Thinking Of Him. Letting it go. Everything zoomed in and back out again within a fraction of a second, and it meant everything and nothing and everything again. And now, somehow, every phase of the whole thing has closure. I never want to forget how happy I was at that show and in that moment. I felt like air. Their songs felt like air. Like life.

5 years. Mission completed. Case closed. Book published.

I did it.

[youmeshii]

han yujin × reader

warning ; she/her pronouns used, the f word is said ONCE, intentional lowercase, not proof read (i wrote this in 40 mins 💀), im younger than yujin i have the right to write this

tags ; no beta we die like real men, friends to (possible) lovers, tooth-rotting-ish fluff, yujin is a living and breathing staring contest bc hes awkward n i love him

a/n ; unfortunately, i will be delaying the publishing of my gunwook fic cause i'd like for it to be the best of the bestest but i wanted to spice up my page a lil bit and coincidentally, i have an awful yujin brainrot. so yujin drabble!!!!!

wc ; 0.6k

hold me close and say you care, 'cause i'm in love with your black hair ♪

"fuck, my headphones died." you groaned in annoyance, yujin's stare bearing into your skull. it would've been okay if it died back at home but on a road trip in the middle of nowhere, you don't have a lot of options.

your eyes travel to his, finally snapping him out of the spell you put on him. "yes?" your head tilts as you ask. he thinks it's the cutest thing he ever saw.

now feeling a little awkward, he looks down onto his bag and starts rummaging through his things. confusion still displays on your face yet you continue to watch his doings.

he pulls out a badly tangled bundle of earphones. "you can use this...?" he hesitated, you almost couldn't tell if it was a statement or not.

you let out a small laugh and his guard finally drops, laughing along with you. sure, he was all awkward and shy around you, but he still cared enough to offer a way for you to continue listening to your music.

"if it wasn't so tangled, i might be able to." you said, remnants of your laugh left on your face and made itself into a wide smile.

his cheeks started glowing with a rosy color as he pauses for a second before trying to untangle his earphones. why is it so tangled? why can't he get it out? this is his only chance!

"need some help there?" he jolts up at your voice and just blanks out. he looked like a child who just got caught eating too many candies. panicked on the inside, completely still on the outside.

you laugh at his still figure. his awkwardness from this whole situation made this so much funnier for you. grabbing his earphones, you test your luck and attempt to untangle it yourself.

"i think you tangled it even more." you joked, swiftly untangling the wires and putting them in their respective places. due to the gods' luck and pure will power, you successfully untangled the earphones.

out of a sudden, yujin suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. you turned to look at him and his flushed face. you weren't very close, but it's nice to know he isn't just shy smiles and awkward laughs.

connecting the earphones to your phone, you open spotify and tapped on your most used playlist. on shuffle, you heard one of your favorite love songs.

"oh! yujin!" you called his name, his eyes automatically locking themselves onto you like he has so many times. he always looks at you with so much intent, it was honestly really cute.

"wanna share? one of my favorite songs' playing." you extended your arm to give him one of the earphones, him politely accepting.

he looked at the title, "1999" by beabadoobee. he mentally noted that it's one of your favorites and to listen to it again, of course.

"hold me close and say you care, cause i'm in love with your black hair~" you sang absentmindedly. little did you know, the boy next to you was stunned. he didn't know if it was because of your singing, or the fact that you changed the lyrics.

why did she say black hair? the song clearly said brown hair. he was confused. was it really for him?

the song continues playing as yujin's emotions only grew stronger. somehow, he felt like he was feeling everything all at once. he couldn't explain it, it was too complex.

nearing the end of the song, you hummed the lyrics joyfully. his eyes still boring into you, just as it was so many times before.

you turned to face him, "the lyrics are really pretty, right?" he stared right back into your eyes, a new feeling erupting in him and seeping into the way he stared at you.

"yeah, they're really pretty."

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck Week 2024

Day 7 - A Song You Associate with UU: This Is Your Sign by Citizen Soldier

I said that Favorite Arc was the hardest and cruelest choice among these prompts, but that was shortsighted of me. This is the hardest choice I've had to make this entire week. My Undead Unluck playlist on Spotify is over 140 tracks of songs that in some way made me think of UU, either thematically with the series as a whole, with specific characters, with specific events, etc.

However, I was able to make that decision about 90% easier by narrowing it down to a single band: anyone who's been following me for a while should be unsurprised that I knew from the beginning I'd be going with a Citizen Soldier song, but I've got 14 of them on that list, and they're all great as UU songs. Despite how much I've talked about it, though, I don't think I've ever explicitly shared what about them works so well

Citizen Soldier's lead singer, Jake Segura, is a clinical therapist, and views his music as a form of group therapy. Many of his songs deal with themes of depression and suicide, either from the perspective of someone crying out for help or the one responding to the call

UU literally starts with Fuuko attempting suicide, and the overarching goal of the story is Andy's elaborate assisted suicide. Tatiana's request for Billy to send her to see her parents, Chikara's wrestling with whether his parents would want him to atone for their deaths, Rip permanently wounding his eye during his botched suicide attempt; nearly every character contemplates, desires, or attempts suicide at some point or another

But they are all also saved from their lowest moments. Andy appears as Fuuko stands on the ledge, Billy gives Tatiana a homemade treat, Fuuko showed Chikara that his life had purpose, and Latla stopped Rip just before the blade hit his neck. Even Andy's desire for death has clearly faded since meeting Fuuko, learning that his real desire is to live surrounded by people that he loves

If you're standin' on the ledge and you hear this song play I'm tellin' you, this is the evidence If these words find you alive and it's still not too late I'm tellin' you, it's no coincidence

This Is Your Sign is about those chance meetings, that feeling that the world is against you and that you might as well give up only for something to suddenly change and give you the push that you need to hang on a little longer

This is your sign, a shootin' star, a satellite in space That who you are is so much more than all your darkest days This is your sign, it's just the start, and everythin' could change This is the moment you'll remember you decided to stay (you decided to stay)

The people, the sights, the experiences that make life worth living are the privilege of the living. Choosing death means giving up on possibility, trading everything that could be to escape what is. If Fuuko had successfully committed suicide, she never would have befriended Tatiana or Mui or Chikara. She never would have had her whirlwind romance with Andy, she never would have gotten to wear beautiful dresses, she never would have gotten a second chance at attending high school, and the world itself would have been destroyed. Juiz would have failed to loop, and the Union wouldn't have made it to the final world. UU takes the concept to its logical extreme, but the ending of Fuuko's world would have literally been the end of the world

If you're wishin' you were dead and hear my voice, this is fate 'Cause this is meant for you, yeah, every single word If it seems nobody cares and you're alone in your pain No matter where you are, this is the miracle that you deserve

Citizen Soldier's songs want you to know that something better is coming, that if you keep going you'll eventually find something to make it all worth it. Sometimes it takes a miracle to remind us of that, but ultimately it's our decision to fight on. Someone or something can come into our life, but we have to be the ones to save our lives

Barely holdin' on and scared to death There's a reason that you're hearin' this and you're not dead yet If you're waitin' on a reason why (the reason why) This is your sign to save your life

Andy was Fuuko's inspiration, but she was the one to embrace her Unluck for Andy's sake. She was the one who decided she didn't want to die anymore. She was the one who decided to loop to do for everyone else what Andy did for her

Undead Unluck and Citizen Soldier both helped me through hard times. They both equipped me with tools to cope when I was down, with weapons to keep fighting for the life I want

There are so many other songs I wanted to talk about today. Irreplaceable, Through Hell, Stronger than My Storm, Hallelujah (I'm Not Dead), and many more. If you need a soundtrack for Undead Unluck, you really can't pick a better band than Citizen Soldier

If I've convinced you to give them a listen, I hope you'll find at least one song that helps you the way they've helped me. I hope whatever you're going through right now, that this will make it easier. I hope that anything I've said in this post, this week, or even the last four years has helped you in some way. If you yourself have been waiting on a reason why, then please let this be your sign

Thank you to everyone who participated in Undead Unluck Week. Thank you to everyone who helped show me that my current favorite is as well-loved as I always knew it could be. Thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed my posts this week. You've all helped me to enjoy life, and I hope I've done the same for you

As I said yesterday, and in every chapter review for the last several months: until next time, let's enjoy life

[dearmrsawyer]

hello! it has been a long time since i've talked through my day! this one had such a big turnaround that i needed to document it, mostly for myself.

i had an appointment with a 'root canal specialist' today bc i had my first app with my new dentist a couple of weeks ago and his xray revealed an abscess wow how fun :) i couldn't feel it bc that tooth has a decade old root canal so there are no nerves to reveal there is anything going on!! fun!!!! he's a super nice dentist, i like him but he made me very panicked lol he was showing me how close it is to my sinuses on the xray. so he was like 'go see this guy asap' bc he wanted to know whether there was a chance my old root canal could be redone or if i'd have to get the whole tooth removed/an implant, all for the low low price of $5-6000 🙃 but obviously you can never see specialists asap!!! so i've been walking around for 2.5 weeks with dread/phantom pains that by the time i saw him the infection would've spread and idk had catastrophic consequences??? and then today when i went there was CONSTRUCTION at the turn i needed to make and the road was closed and i was like i don't know how to get there from another street??!?!?!??! i spent 10 minutes driving through suburban streets and my navigation kept trying to take me back to the original route with the closed road, and its the middle of town so there was nowhere i could just temporarily stop and look at the map, and i called them almost crying to let them know i'm coming but i might be late bc i just can't navigate these streets jegjkdgkjdkg

anyway i MADE it, i think i parked in another business's parking lot and just hoped they didn't care lol and then the lady at the desk was like 'our other specialist will have to see you bc the guy you're here for isn't here' so i was feeling uhhhh not good after my dentist talked him up so much. AND my dentist didn't send over my electronic referral and i had LITERALLY been stressed that he would forget to do exactly that for the whole 2.5 weeks oh my god, thankfully they didnt even seem to care. but then as i was filling out the paperwork in the waiting room 'no judgment' came on, and then 'wolves' right after??? and i was like this seems deliberate to try and calm me down 😂 and when the substitute specialist called me in he was so extremely calming and talked me through my options, one of which is indeed to try and redo the root canal bc he's confident he can, it would still cost a lot but wayyyyy less. he also said i could 'do nothing' (which is obv risky, and i would never do nothing, but that made me realise my infection is not about to bust through and spread across my sinuses any second, one fear down!). he was just softly spoken and super relaxed and he made me feel like this was not in fact a crisis and said i could go and think about what i wanted to do, and just call for an appointment when i decided. and then when i went out to pay 'i want to write you a song' was playing 😭 i asked the receptionists if there was a 1d fan in the house and one of them said it must just be a random playlist on spotify, so this was all a complete coincidence????? i told them i was enjoying it very much.

anyway long story short i had already taken the rest of the afternoon off work to go work in the garden, but figured there was a good chance i'd be so down about an unexpected and immiment $5000 hit that i wouldn't want to do anything, but i drove home feeling extremely reassured that i had options and i was not on the clock to decide, and also very relaxed by 1d playing in the background the entire time. i have also been extremely stressed that i would need to take the next step asap and this would be such a bad time as mum is working 50 hour weeks right now bc of the referendum, so i am on caring duty with nonna/nonno anytime we don't have carers here. but there's time! i had a v good afternoon in the garden after all!

[kindnessinsilver]

your answer to my wrapped ask made me curious: what is the most summer sons/andrew blur song you have on your wrapped?

I don't think I could possibly limit this to 1, so I'll give you a couple! Apparently none of the actual musical vibe of Summer Sons made my Wrapped, but some lyrical stuff did.

this is me trying - Taylor Swift

Andrew going to Sam post-canon, after Eddie has been laid to rest.

And it's hard to be at a party when I feel like an open wound It's hard to be anywhere these days when all I want is you You're a flashback in a film reel on the one screen in my town And I just wanted you to know That this is me trying (And maybe I don't quite know what to say) I just wanted you to know That this is me trying At least I'm trying

God in Jeans - Ryan Beatty

Okay once again this is Sam/Andrew, I can't help myself. Andrew is really fucking gay.

God is real, he was sleeping in my bed last night We were naked with the radio on Played him favorite song My love, he caught me crying Freedom can die so hard When you have a broken heart Tears of joy I pray to the open sky This is the one I wanted This is everything

Body Terror Song - AJJ

Ahahahaha I just thought of this one tbh, but I stand by it.

I'm so sorry that you have to have a body I'm so sorry that you have to have a body, oh yeah I'm very sorry that you have to have a body One that will hurt you, and be the subject of so much of your fear It will betray you, be used against you, then it'll fail on you my dear

Second Chances - Gregory Alan Isakov

I've definitely made a post about how this is an Andreil song, but it's also deeeeeply an Andrew Blur song. Love of my life.

All of my heroes sit up straight They stare at the ground They radiate Me, I'm mumbling in the kitchen for the sun to pay up Lonely is a ring on a cold coffee cup I'm some sick hound Digging for bones If it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone My hands they were strangers lost in the night They're waving around in the dusty light I'm waiting in the wings while the trees undress Cupping my ear to hear the wind confess I'm a ghost in the garden Scaring the crows If it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone I'm running from nothing, no thoughts in my mind Oh my heart was all black But I saw something shine Thought that part was yours, but it might just be mine I could share it with you, if you gave me the time I'm all bloody knuckles, longing for home If it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone I'm a shot through the dark I'm a black sinkhole If it weren't for second chances, we'd all be alone

Thanks for asking!!!

There's also a really good Summer Sons playlist on Spotify.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2yLVLOgocPb7BlGLwxX33n?si=KilTdQRoRKyqZW8xhqYYYw&pi=u-RcE0saOPSJKW

[harlowhockeystick]

princess and nolan as taylor songs :

my qualifications: femme lesbian who loves nolan. at the age of 8 i had brain surgery, now i only make decisions with my tayfrontal cortex.

-Picture to Burn. she sings this at every minor inconvenience

-I’m Only Me When I’m With You.

-Tell Me Why.

-The Way I Loved You.

-Mr Perfectly Fine. she sings this to him all the time.

-Mine.

-Story of Us.

-Stay Stay Stay.

-The Moment I Knew. he missed their dogs bday party. by party it was her the dog, doggie treats and doggie movie marathon.

-Come Back…Be Here. missing her man on a roadie :(

-Blank Space boys only want love if it’s torture. don’t say i didn’t warn ya.

-Wildest Dreams. their song. period. this is playing her her head at all times.

-I Know Places. his fans are taylor swift level stalker.

-Ready for it…? KNEW HE WAS A KILLER FORST TIME THAT I SAW HIM WONDER HOW MANY GIRLS HE HAD LOVED AND LEFT HAUNTED. all of us princes. every girl gay they them on tumblr wondered this when they saw this man.

-End Game. every wag claims end game is theirs because it’s about wanting to be on the first roster. so many sports references.

-Gorgeous.

-King of My Heart. their story.

-Dress. contrary to the rumours it’s not black, it’s pink.

-Call It What You Want. MY BABYS FIT LIKE A DAYDREAM WALKING WITH HIS HEAD DOWN IM THE ONE HES WALKING TOOOOOOOOO.

-I Forgot That You Existed. not them, just nolan. @ Ron Hextall @ Bobby Clarke @ the entire flyers organization.

-Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince. need i say more.

-NO THEY ARE NOT PAPER RINGS. it is a very cute sentiment but not for them. she’s not asking for the most expensive, but defs good quality. her ring is solid and no chance of their union breaking.

-False God. idk if they’re religious but if they are they’re going to hell cause they might as well set up deity alters for one another since they’re obsssssessssed obsessed. like it’s sacrilegious and we should call the Vatican.

-Afterglow.

-peace.

-the lakes.

-gold rush.

-no body no crime. they are criminals in love. these two are defs hiding a body together then fucking in the bed of his truck under the stars.

-ivy.

-Midnight Rain. nolan vibing to this one. she is sunshine i am midnight RAIN.

-Bejeweled. her. he lets her be bejeweled.

-Karma.

-Mastermind.

allow me to elaborate?

picture to burn - "there's nothing stopping me from going out with all of your best friends" she screams that line whenever they have the tiniest of fights. like she just puts in her airpods and blasts this song. he looks on spotify and sees what she's playing and he's like "dear fucking god it was a joke"

i'm only me when i'm with you - "and i know everything about you" yeah nolan knows everything about her and she knows everything about him. to everyone else it's kind of creepy how well they know each other, it's like they can read each others minds. and they're not afraid to be themselves around each other, no matter how opposite they are of each other.

tell me why - "and i need you like a heartbeat, but you know you got a mean streak" is so them cause like they literally need each other, can't live without each other, but both of them have the biggest attitudes in their own way. they'll snap and pop off on each other, but they just can't seem to live without each other.

the way i loved you - needs no explanation. this is them.

mr. perfectly fine - no comment, she just sings this very loud and nolan likes it when she sings

mine - "you are the best thing, that's ever been mine" nolan puts that in his wedding vows cause he KNOWS how much she likes that song :,)

the story of us - "i would lay the armor down if you say you'd rather love than fight" cause at the end of the day, both of them hate picking at each other and getting on their nerves, and all they wanna do is just love each other.

stay stay stay - "nobody else is gonna love me when i get mad mad mad" it's true. even when she's mad, even when he's been ignoring her all day, they still love each other even at their worst.

the moment i knew - this is her song when he is on a road game during her birthday early on in their relationship and she realizes that if she's gonna stick with this relationship, she is gonna have to realize he can't be there for her during every single thing, and that sucks.

come back...be here - "i don't want to need you this way" if you've heard the story behind this song, the way taylor wrote it, you KNOW this is so them. she didn't want to get attached to him right away, she didn't want to get so invested when he was gone five days out of seven.

blank space - "i get drunk on jealousy" she hates when other girls slip into his dm's, approach him in public, try and flirt with him. she cannot stand another woman even looking in his direction. she doesn't intend on getting mad at him, but it comes out that way. if he wasn't just so......hot this wouldn't happen.

wildest dreams - "he's so bad but he does it so well" she knows about hockey players, the stereotype's about them cause after all she is cousins with nate isn't she? she knows what she is about to get herself into, but she can't help it. she falls deeply in love with a bad boy.

i know places - she hates that everyone is always trying to see what he's up to, seeing if he's active, so she loves and appreciates that he always keeps things so private, only posting once in a blue moon.

ready for it - "every lover known in comparison is a failure" nothing compares to their love; their raw, angsty, dirty, gritty, incredible love. past relationships combined are all specs of dirt compared to him, for her.

end game - "i don't wanna miss you like the other girls do" she knows that his exes miss him, and she doesn't ever want to experience that. she'll do anything in her power to make sure she never misses him like anyone else does.

gorgeous - "you've ruined my life, by not being mine" is her thoughts when she is forced to go home alone after seeing him for the fifth time at the suit store she worked at, and not even getting his number. she's forced to think about him day and night...until he comes in the store...not for a suit, but for her number.

king of my heart - "your love is a secret i'm hoping, dreaming, dying to keep" she wants to keep his love, his words, his touch, his everything to herself for the rest of her life. the moment they first kiss she owns him, she's his forever from the very first touch.

dress - "i only bought this dress so you could take it off" is actually true for her. when they're first dating, like only a couple of months in, she wears the hottest dress he's ever seen in his life in hopes that he takes it off of her later that night...which he does.

call it what you want - "i want to wear his initial on a chain round my neck" the first gift he ever got her was a necklace with the letter N on it, and she wore it until it literally fell apart. which she got very emotional over.

i forgot that you existed - she gets with him once he moves to vegas, obv, and as he starts to open about how he was hurt by philly she listens to everything he says.

miss americana & the heartbreak prince - he is her heartbreak prince, her handsome, her loving, her angsty, her mysterious heartbreak prince that she'll do anything to keep to herself.

false god - "hell is when i fight with you" she hates fighting with him. even though she is so stubborn, even though he is so hard headed, she hates fighting and arguing with him. and even in the middle of it, she would still worship the love they have for each other.

afterglow - "tell me that i'm all you want, even when i break your heart" when she overreacts, when she gets mad over the littlest things, when she gets frustrated, she still needs to know that he still loves her. and he does, he's convinced that there is nothing she can do that will make him stop loving her.

peace - "give you my wild, give you a child" even though it's a big debate for years between the two, she wants to give him a child, but until then, she'll give him the wildest days of his life.

the lakes - she just wants to escape with him, and every summer they do. each summer they escape to manitoba for the time being, just being by one anothers side and not being bothered by anybody else.

gold rush - they love going around their families and hometowns together, because they are such polar opposites everyone is so shocked. the hippie, mountain man that nolan is with real life barbie hanging on his arm, nobody believes it.

no body no crime - listen....if it really came down to it....they would kill for each other. but she also knows that if she were to ever catch him with another woman, both him and the woman would be killed dead.

ivy - "my house of stone, your ivy grows, and now i'm covered in you" nolan was a cold, frozen up, shut-off to the world man, and now he's covered in the warm life of his princess that he's so incapsulated to be in.

midnight rain - except, she is sunshine and he is midnight rain

karma - he knew, when he had the listening party with her (he wanted to sleep, but she forced him to stay up and listen) that when this song came on it was gonna be her song for a very long time. and he was right.

mastermind - "the first night that you saw me i knew i wanted your body" this goes both ways; the first time she saw him, made eye contact with his crystal blues, she knew that she was going to be screwed for a while. he knew that from the very first time he saw her, he knew that he had to have her.

hits different - "each bar plays our song, nothin has ever felt so wrong" that first time they break up/take a break they both know that they're meant from each other. the first couple of days they spend away from each other and not because he's across the country, they know that they're meant for each other. the first time he hears their song, he is using the only pink key that he has on his keychain to go over to her place, to make it right.

[zoueriemandzijnopmars]

The Top2000 voting week has started so that means it's time for my yearly call to vote for Oya Lélé by K3 in the Top2000, Spotify might ignore K3 in their wrapped lists but that doesn't mean the Top2000 should too!

Because I hope people will spread this around (and I decided to blaze it), some further clarification below the cut:

Questions I can imagine people are asking:

What is the Top2000?

The Top2000 is a list of the 2000 best songs ever according to the Dutch public/listeners of NPO radio 2/anyone who wants to vote. It has been going since this millennium and is always broadcast from Christmas to New Year's Eve, with the top song being played just before midnight. (The top song has been Bohemian Rhapsody in 18 of the 23 editions). See Wikipedia for more information

What is K3?

K3 is a Belgian(/part Dutch since 2009) girl band aimed at children, they have some very good songs in my opinion, but they have never been in the Top2000 which I think is a crime, because some songs are definitely better or at least as good than some songs that have made the list (looking at Normaal and the Pokemon theme song). Also I'm pretty sure most Dutch (and Flemish) people will be able to sing along to at least 1 K3 song.

Why Oya Lélé?

Because we need to all vote for one song to make a chance, and I think Oya Lélé might be the most `K3' song of all. Other songs I considered are Alle Kleuren and Heyah Mama, but in the end I think Oya Lélé makes a bigger chance. It's also the K3 song that stayed in the Dutch top 40 the longest. (Though the Alle Kleuren album was a bigger success tbh) In the end it's mainly because I can only campaign for one song, and Oya Lélé just screams K3 to me. (And newer 'very much K3' songs like 10000 luchtballonnen and Mamasé make less chance because people have less nostalgia for them.

What is this thing about Spotify?

For 2 years in a row now Spotify has not shown any K3 song in my wrapped playlist, even though I requested my data last year and K3 was by far my most popular artist. I am not the only person this happened to (see this tweet for example) even this year after I contacted customer service about it last year (it was a whole project). They did not seem to understand my problem, so I will have to do it again once I got my data from this year.

Okay so how do I vote?

You can vote here! It's all in Dutch obviously but you do not have to be Dutch in order to vote and I think it's all pretty clear. You must vote for 5 songs minimum and 35 maximum. Oya Lélé is not a preset option in the list, but you can manually add it after you searched for it. Fill in K3 in the first field and Oya Lélé in the second field. If you need further inspiration for what to vote for Heyah Mama is somehow a preset option, and you can just browse the list.

[charlieeedieded]

This will be a very chaotic post (and it turned out very robotic for some reason??)

Hello Tumblr I've decided to post something since of the pride month. And because of that, I wanna show you a cool artist, because who would I be if I didn't promote underground Polish artists to non-Polish ppl on my socials???

Anyways, this is Aljas, a very cool Polish queer rapper who has only about 6k listeners on Spotify rn, if you're Polish you might know them from their tiktok cuz they post a lot of memes there

They make a lot of nice music and mix different rap genres (I think so, I'm not really into rap music besides them). A lot of their songs are about their girlfriend and being a lesbian, which is a great alternative for the sapphics who dont really like indie pop that much, and one of their songs, "Scarchest" also talks about being trans. They only make music in Polish and ik stuff like that is mainly interesting for queer Poles, since we don't have much representation in media, especially in rap (and music in general), but I'd love it if you gave their music a chance even if you don't speak our language. Oh and did I mention they're also a tattoo artist??

I'm writing about this stuff mainly because Aljas is a queer hero to me and my favourite Polish rapper of all time, they need a bigger community fr +they will be releasing a new EP on 5th June, which is like tomorrow and playing a concert in Warsaw on 7th June, so come on, show them some love <3

And for now thats it I'm going back to studying and leaving their socials here +a shitty meme in Polish I made bye y'all

(took the photo from their ig)