#they have searched for the MOST specific lyrics and genres

[apollos-boyfriend]

the only character playlists i trust are ones that i can't recognize a single song or band from. if i find a character playlist and it just has the same 5 mother mother or marina or cavetown songs i know it's just the same generic umbrella statements that could apply to largely 90% of characters in media. if i find a playlist with shit i've never heard of like "i have never loved you (but i'll tell myself i have)" by people-eating oysters or "i killed my father with a hello kitty baseball bat that he gave me for my sixth birthday" by the ooglie booglies i know i'm in good hands.

[hwallazia]

BITE IT, LICK IT, SPIT IT – 최산

synopsis . in which san discovers a new fetish while you ride him.

pairing . choi san & fem! reader

genre . smut (mdni!), established relationship, non idol!au, married!au.

taglist . @bro-atz @purplenimsicle @vampzity @iykyunho @yyaurii | apply to join my taglist ♡

word count . 0,7k

DISCLAIMER! dom! san, sub! reader, sort of lactation (milk involved but not specifically sucking it from the source), nipple play, cow girl position, bulge kink, mocking, dirty talk, praise, pet names (baby, princess), too many moans and mewls, dacryphilia, basically san fucking the daylights out of reader (even though reader’s on top of him)

NIC’S NOTES yess, the title is based on billie’s lyric on “guess” how’d you know? <3 ;; also, i hate not having the time to write full-length stories so badly TT gotta survive with these little drabbles. so well, enjoy the meal babes !!

“put your back into it, yeah?”

his growl tingled your ear, hands reaching for his wide shoulders for support. you bounced up and down his length relentlessly, with no hesitation, no mercy. his hands found home in your hips which worked perfectly hard, fingers varying between lingering, fond touches and harsh grips on your flesh. your walls enveloped his cock in the most welcoming way, pulsating around him, giving him a taste of heaven.

“s-shut up,” your breathless whisper brushed his earlobe. “it’s hard when your husband has a fucking huge dick—“ you could almost continue your words. a strangled, loud moan intruding into your whiny complaint as he flattened his palm against your ass flesh, the sound of the harsh spank bouncing through the walls.

“just shut up and take it, baby.” he cooed at you mockingly, his recent action belying his honey-dripping voice, his lips finding their way up to your neck. cute love bites were spread all over the skin. “can’t be too hard now can it?”

your eyelashes swung the tears away by blinking once or twice, exhilarating pants rolled off your lips as beads of sweat were attached to your temple. you dropped your head back from the overwhelming feeling. eventually —when he grew far too impatient— he matched your pace, thrusting upwards and, therefore, reaching divine places.

“can’t do anything without my help.” his right found your bouncing breast and trapped it with his palm, his fingers immediately digging into the soft, almost pillowy flesh. “poor little princess.” he teased your nipple a little, sending to another wave of satisfaction as you melted into his touch. soon, a strange white liquid began to ooze out of the slit, resulting in san’s jaw dropping all the way down the floor, eyes wide open and dilated as he stared intently at the white essence, longing to get a taste of it oh-so-badly. the combination of his wife’s leaking tits bouncing right in front of him as his cock ramming into her insides formed a perfectly defined bulge was a sight for sore eyes. and he had the absolute pride to call it his, and only his to admire, to touch, to pleasure.

but you still were working hard on his dick, his hips still going up and down and providing him and you the most satisfying session. it wasn’t until you heard your husband speak that you realized what he was so immersed in. “fuck you’re leaking.”

“what do you mean—“ you questioned immediately and when you stared down at your sweaty body, your orbs twitched at the sight of your abdomen covered with drops of warm milk and san seemly falling in love with it. “oh my.”

you couldn’t understand why it happened right there and then, a swell of bashfulness drowning your senses and immediately stopping your movements to search for a towel or something to clean yourself up. but san paused your actions.

“what are you doing?”

“i’m sorry i’m just—looking for..” your sentence came out as fast as lightning and in parts, since you cut your words to reach for the nearest piece of fabric.

“i literally got you all covered with my cum yesterday and now you’re shy because of some milk drops?” he stated, leaving you frozen in your place. a strong blush inking your cheekbones cutely. he lifted your hips up a bit to immediately restart the game you left pending, his hard cock finding your tight, inviting hole. once again. where it belongs.

your immediate reaction was to scream, holding onto his abs to keep yourself from falling. the fast, restless pace your husband adopted pulled breathless gasps out of you, the loop of san’s name falling off your swollen lips like a mantra. his right hand abandoned your stuttering hip to meet your milk-covered nipple again, stimulating it by rubbing and pinching it. more essence and mewls poured out of you, walls compressing and pulsating frenetically around his cock as they swallowed the entire length almost sinfully. you were crying on his dick in less than a minute.

he chuckled, admiring the view. “what a shameless wife i have.”

| masterlist

[soysaucepastry]

SKY: COTL THEME LYRICS TRANSLATION.

Introduction

Sky: Children of the Light, just like most games, has its very own theme melody. A tune that is heard throughout the game in various events.

For those who aren't familiar with the theme, you may have heard it in the opening of Isle of Dawn or the Orbit scene after completing Eye of Eden.

(Search "Flight" on Vincent Diamente's music compositions, and you may recognise it!)

TGC collabed with famous singer Aurora. If you didn't know, Aurora has been the main vocals for the theme song. Besides the instrumental parts, she sings during Isle of Dawn and Orbit. The beginning and finishing lines of the game.

Relating to Auroras' participation, they released the full song of Sky's theme. Which was called "Constellation." Constellation was noticeably a lot longer, but also had its own lyrics.

Lyrics In a theme song usually relates itself to the subjects lore. This is an excellent opportunity for the Sky Theorist to formulate speculations to Sky's timeline using these lyrics. However, the only problem was...

THESE LYRICS ARE IN A MADE-UP LANGUAGE!

Translations

Sky has a fictional language used in the song. This was already a challenge for us because it required a lot of analysing. To our fortune, the lyrics were actually words taken from existing languages. Each syllable was from different languages, and some just had meaning.

Now, enough talking. Let's begin!

The first lines were: "Menori eno, foto fola."

Menori: Initially, I believed that "Menori" meant "Memory" since both words were somewhat similar. However, if you split the syllable into 2, it creates a different meaning.

It's difficult to find out what "men" means. Although, I decided that "men" just means person in general. "Ori" is interesting because it translates to "my light."

Mashing the words together, you get: "Person, my light." Otherwise known as "Child of Light"

Eno: "Eno" is the Latin verb of "swim out." However, not everything has to be accurate to its initial meaning. "Swim out" could be a metaphor for" "emerges", " "show," and "appear." I'll get to this later, but hopefully, you get the meaning.

Foto: Foto is an easy word to identify because it's "photo" with extra fancy spelling. In this case, like I've said before, not everything has to mean what it initially represents. Again, Foto could most likely be a kind of conjuction.

Fola: This word translates to "crazy, mad, and foolish." A word that best represents a person or individual. This highly relates itself to a specific character in the sky, too.

--

So let's squish together all the words.

"Child of light swims out, photograph foolish."

The sentence is grammatically incorrect. But that is OK! Since it's made-up language, we have the ability to imagine the sentence in a more grammatically correct and sky-related way. The way I interpret it is quite simple.

"A person of light appears, only to become a foolish king."

Clarifications:

Menori could be "Child of Light," or "Person of light." Synonyms are valid.

Eno doesn't necessarily mean "swim out." Again, it's basically like a metaphor for "emerge," "show," and "appear."

Foto could be a word that represents something. Like how a photograph represents something. It's not necessary to include it in the actual sentence!

The following line is: "Nisoro mahori eh lossora."

Nisoro: Typically, this word was the hardest to translate. It isn't as simple as searching "Nisoro" meaning. However, after a while of digging, I was able to conduct a translation.

"Ni" in Yoruba means "in." And "Soro" in Yoruba means "difficult."

Combining the words would be "In difficult." So, in short, it means: "Difficult times."

Mahori: Mahori is much more different than the rest of the words. In this case, Mahori is an existing word that takes part in human activity.

Mahori is a Thai classical music genre. Played by a group of musicians, performers, and actors for the genre. However, mahori is commonly played in royal courts or royal events. This is very related to Sky Lore. More on this later.

Eh: Most likely a conjuction like: "and."

Lossora: Similar to the previous words, it requires breaking down each syllable.

Los means "the" in Spanish. (According to translator heh..) However, Los also means "Path they took along"

Sora means sky. This word is the smoking gun of this translation. Confirming that we're at least on the right track.

Combining the two, you end up with "Path they took in The Sky" (The Sky= the Sky kingdom. Aka, the main setting in Sky.)

--

So let's combine the words.

"Difficult times, Royal music and path they took in the sky"

Again, correctly repositioning the words together creates: "It was difficult to play music for our King, so they decided to take another path in The Sky."

Clarifications:

Nisoro could also represent the difficulties during the current time.

I included "King" (Our beloved Eden Elder) because of Mahori. Mahori is music for royal subjects.

The third line is: "Neyo neyoterra, foto men"

(This section of my Translations is much shorter, mainly because I don't have too much to discuss.)

Neyo: An easy word to translate. It simply means "New"

Neyoterra: This word includes the previous word, "Neyo."

This word is still quite easy to understand. "Terra" means: "Earth," "Place," or "World."

So, new (Neyo) + place (Terra) translates to: "New world," "New place," etc!

Foto: As I mentioned before, it means photograph.

Men: The word is harder to crack. However, I concluded that men most likely mean people in general.

--

All the words together create: "New, new world. Picturing new people."

There isn't much to clarify for this one. It's very simple, but I'm open to any questions.

The last line is: "Nikolo, nikomo sora."

Nikolo: The word nikolo is a name that means "Victor of People" or "Peoples Champion." However, it could also be a metaphor for people proclaiming victory.

Nikomo: Another word that requires breaking down of syllables.

Niko means smile in Japanese. A friend of mine helped me discover the countless meanings, but I affirmed that this is most likely the best choice. "Smile."

Omo means "short period of time." It's very self-explanatory.

Combining the words, Nikomo translates to "Smile for a short period of time." That's pretty depressing!

Sora: As stated before, Sora translates to "Sky."

--

The words all together create:

"The people proclaim victory. They smile only for it to be gone in a short period of time. Then creating Sky."

(Slightly unrelated, but this is a major help for Sky Theorists! This is potentially the biggest clue for the Sky War (I'll make a blog about the war too.))

Clarification(s)

Despite Nikolo meaning "Peoples Champion," which is different from what I translated, please keep in mind that we have the ability to interpret these meanings into something that'll fit for the sake of it fitting.

----

SO! We have finally translated this bad boy! From what I could tell, this is a MAJOR help for understanding the Sky Lore. Even a major help for giving clues about the Sky War! I was happy to know that these translations mirrored the actual Sky Lore, which really made me excited.

Now, to make this all cinematic and exciting, I prepared a video ~

I am incredibly excited for the future of Sky. I really hope my first blog was understandable, I'm aware it might be a little too long or boring aaaa.

And if you're wondering, you may use this as inspiration for your new sky theories! I don't mind. It would be nice if you gave credit just in case you want to use my Translations word for word, haha.

PEACE OUT!!

[ckret2]

I believe that everyone's personal perfect favorite band is some weird obscure thing that will never have major commercial success or top the charts.

No one's personal unique idiosyncratic musical tastes will perfectly overlap; they'll meander across genres, resonate with specific individual chords, specific individual lyrics, particular voices, particular instruments, particular rhythms and song structures and keys etc. etc.

Super popular musical artists are really good at hitting a lot of elements that a lot of people like—they overlap with elements found in many people's musical tastes, which makes it easier for a whole lot of people to enjoy them—but i don't believe they hit most people's EXACT personal tastes. In order to have that mainstream success, they CAN'T be that particular.

This means that for a musical artist to hit any one person's tastes perfectly, its sound must be so particular that it leaves out most other people's particular tastes.

Somewhere out there is a band so unusual and distinct that it will never reach major mainstream success, just because it doesn't quite overlap enough with what other people want to hear—but for you, for you personally, it will do everything you've ever wanted music to do. It will be the most amazing thing you've ever heard. You might be the only one who thinks so, but that's okay. This band isn't for your friends. It's for YOU.

If all your favorite bands and favorite songs are fairly popular, there's room for you to dig deeper. There's a band out there doing the things you love your current favorites for doing, but it's doing them even more, with fewer of the parts you don't care as much about, with elements you love from separate artists but have never seen a single artist doing at the same time.

Right now, your favorite musician has 400 listeners a month on spotify or 31 followers on youtube or a gig in a dive bar that eight people are listening to, and your favorite song has <1,000 streams, and you don't even know it yet. Go forth. Search for them. You'll find them someday.

[bitter-sw33t-colors]

my personal little headcanon of what they would listen to ! (my favorites included)

|~~~|

characters included: Mina Ashido, Ochaco Uraraka, Kyoka Jiro, Katsuki Bakugo, Fumikage Tokoyami, Himiko Toga, Rumi Usagiyama (Mirko), Touya Todoroki (Dabi), Keigo Takami (Hawks)

|~~~|

MINA ASHIDO

definitely imagine her listening to like... hot girl party music yk??? like she gives me 2010s Kesha vibes for sure. I think I could also def imagine her listening to like Doja Cat or Ayesha Erotica. i feel like she'd have a mix of different music and 10,000 playlists that she swears she listens to (she only searches a song and listens to the radio for it) for each mood she feels. it's either super hype ready to party or depressing ready to bawl your eyes out on her shoulder.

OCHACO URARAKA

Taylor Swift. 120% a swiftie you cannot change my mind. knows every. single. song. (same) and WILL force you to listen to her with her. want to get hyped up? lets listen to reputation. feeling upset? ok lemme turn on folklore. she's THAT person, and idrk if she'd listen to any others because like... i can ONLY imagine Taylor...

KYOKA JIRO

we all know already, alt 90s to 2010s shit. WILL ask you to name 5 Nirvana songs and WILL get mad when you can't. i feel like she'd also listen to Evanescence idk why. she's very serious about this and if you call her emo for it she might just MIGHT have to teach u a little lesson (forcing you to listen to her music with her until you like it). overall 20/10 music taste, would listen to music with her, would name 5 songs for her!

KATSUKI BAKUGO

omg. dad. rock. Metallica? he has the record, duh????? why wouldnt he????? Nickelback? uhm got that one too. Bon Jovi? already there. long story short he has fire music taste. i cant imagine him listening to like rap and stuff idk why that might just be me. but i've always imagined him to listen to at the very least 80s & 90s rock.

FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI

Twenty One Pilots. Panic! At The Disco.. and don't hate on me but like xxxtentacion. but not his really upbeat and hype music definitely his slower songs. like i feel like his music taste ranges but no where near as much as Mina. he has a very select taste but is open to listen to others genres (unlike Bakugo).

HIMIKO TOGA

Melanie Martinez. i KNOW she listens to her, especially Mad Hatter. i think toga is definitely very open to any music, as long as she likes it she doesnt care. i kind of get a Hyperpop kind of feeling for her. but idrk. if you gave her a music recommendation and she liked you, i think it'd be the only thing she listened to until she knew the artists every single song and every single lyric.

RUMI USAGIYAMA (MIRKO)

idk y i get very... like hype Bruno Mars. like 24k Magic typa vibe. but i also get a very rap type vibe from her. like i cant really explain it. like if she listens to rap it wont be no slow shit she is listening to the most upbeat and fast sound she can find and will sit there and listen to it like its fuckin classical music and tap her foot on the floor very gently like its a nice little tune.

TOUYA TODOROKI (DABI)

same for him, im not quite sure. cause like i feel like it wouldnt be completely alternative but it wouldnt be anything like pop either. i think when hes alone he listens to Adele ngl. but as for when he's with people? he just simply doesnt listen to music. i think i could imagine him listening to some Mother Mother songs or possibly The Cranberries lol.

KEIGO TAKAMI (HAWKS)

erm. its like a mix of Bruno Mars, but not hype Bruno like Mirko, sad Bruno like Grenade and like if there was a mix of Cigarettes After Sex and Hozier. i've always gotten that vibe from him weirdly enough. again, i dont think hes super open with music recommendations unless he liked you and you specifically told him it'd make you happy if he gave it a try.

|~~|

if i made spelling & grammatical errors.... oh well!

[wonryllis]

please give writing tips too

sure love! everyone’s different so in no way would the same things work for all but these are some tips that have helped me improve and just you know expand my horizons.

feel free to add your own points to this to help people more!!

001. READ READ AND READ (I CAN’T STRESS ENOUGH ON THIS BUT THIS IS THE MAIN KEY). be it fics, or novels or normal story books even non-fiction. reading will help in expanding your vocabulary and grammar, and give you an idea on how to build words in different kinds of scenarios. how to set the mood and what kind of details will have the most impact.

002. for expanding your vocabulary i would suggest searching up words you come across and don’t know the meaning of. don’t skip them, search them up and try understanding what they mean and look through what other words have similar meanings(synonyms)

003. CONSTANTLY PRACTICE WRITING. even if you’re not going to post it anywhere, just try writing a little bit on different themes. in that way you will be able to find out more about your writing style and flair as well as what points you need to work on.

004. STOP HESITATING TO REWRITE. there’s hardly anything one gets right at the first shot. and the same goes for writing. rewriting pieces will help you figure out what you should’ve added that you didn’t the first time and how changing the order of words or adding new literary devices(metaphors, similes, anecdotes etc) can make more of an impact.

005. DON’T BE AFRAID TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT GENRES. just 100 words can also help with experience. search up different genres that interest you and try coming up with a short scenario if you can.

13 points more under the cut!

006. TRIAL AND ERROR. don’t be let down if you fail to write a specific type of au, theme or trope. it takes certain amount of time and experience to be able to write different genres or anything as such. you need to have exposure to that topic to be able to create imagination on it.

007. with that being said, when you pick up a certain trope, au, theme or any topic you want/plan to write on: DO PROPER AND A LOT OF RESEARCH. trust me, it helps a lot.

008. as well in relation to the point above when writing a story, make sure to plan a rough outline. what kind of characters you’re going for, what events are going to define your story, how do you want the ending and the beginning to be. what your protagonist(s) is going for, what all they would be facing throughout and such.

009. SET A MORAL/POINT OF VIEW YOU WANT TO CONVEY through your writing. it helps you have a basis, a particular aim and drive behind what you wish to leave an impression through. it could be anything complex like dark themes of toxicity or even anything as simple as comfort. you just need to know what you’re writing for.

010. for inspiration i would suggest, LISTENING TO SONGS. any song you’re listening to, try thinking of a story behind it. for example let’s take taylor swift’s “no body no crime” go through the lyrics, the vibe and think what type of story could have this as background music. or what kind of a story could have that type of no body no crime summary?

011. KNOW WHEN TO SHOW THINGS RATHER THAT TELLING THEM. too much of anything is never good. when writing, it’s important to keep the balance between descriptions, narratives and dialogues. try thinking what are the things that would be better when described, for example the relationship between your characters: it’s something which is better shown than told. like how they treat each other, how they see each other, their dynamics in general is not something that can be told through a big lengthy dialogue or JUST one paragraph(short drabbles being an exception)

012. an additional point to the one above would be, try keeping yourself in the reader’s position and see what pulls you in more. what makes you feel the emotions better.

013. PICTURE THE SETTING YOU WANT TO WRITE ON. close your eyes and think of any type of place that you would like to write the story in. a suburb? or an abandoned city for an apocalypse? this will help in brainstorming for ideas.

014. INTO THE CHARACTER’S MIND. this is a very important point. explore the world within the mind of the character, something that defines them. THIS IS ANOTHER BIG KEY TO IMPROVE, pull your readers into the character(s)’ mind, show them the fears, the memories, the feelings, the thoughts, the hopes and dreams. it helps them understand the character and get into the story.

015. when using dialogues keep in mind that the DIALOGUES SHOULD ALWAYS BE MEANINGFUL AND REALISTIC. unnecessary talks aren’t often attractive so write what is necessary, needed. even with humor, excessive fun is not always impressive. and short but impactful dialogues always literally always leave the best impression.

016. CHALLENGE YOURSELF. try starting off strong since the very beginning. strong meaning starting off with words that leave a lasting impression. or words that pull you in with intrigue.

017. LEARN TO PACE YOURSELF. first of all it’s okay to take a break. actually its very important. pushing yourself beyond limits would never give positive results. know when you need to stop, cause being tired is not going to give better ideas or better word building. let yourself go into writer’s block, don’t fight it. you’ll come back better than when you’re forcing yourself to stay put and continue.

018. and last but not least. KNOW THAT IMPROVEMENT TAKES TIME. don’t be disappointed or discouraged if you are not good today. not being good today doesn’t mean you won’t ever be good. keep trying and with little to little progress over time, you will see yourself getting there. don’t lose hope🤗! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

[ariesjupiter]

Astro Notes: Degree Theory Part Three 🌟

part 1

part 2 

• Moon in a Taurus degree (2°, 14°, 26°) usually love spending time in nature and may have many plants and earth tones in their home

• Mercury in Gemini degree natives (3°, 15°, 27°) speak so fast and often switch from topic to topic quickly

• Scorpio degree placements 🤝 dropping hints for people to decipher and solve like puzzles

• Venus in a Gemini degree shows someone who has an eclectic taste in music and typically likes all genres of music

• Those with Mars in a Virgo degree (6°, 18°) may not be the biggest fan of hugs or being touched in general. Personal space is very important to them.

• The degree on the cusp of your 5th house can show you what you’re most proud of. For example:

Cancer degree (4°, 16°, 28°) : proud of your sensitivity, ability to nurture, your family, home, traditions, etc.

Leo degree (5°, 17°, 29°): you’re very proud of your children, hobbies, creativity, self-expression etc.

Virgo degree (6°, 18°): you’re proud of your your routines, job, pets, organization skills, etc. 

Aquarius degree (11°, 23°): proud of your hopes and dreams, community/community involvement, friends, and your ability to hope.

• The degree on the cusp of your 8th house can show you what motivates you. For example:

Aries degree (1°, 13°, 25°): independence, goals, your passions, appearance, new beginnings, your identity and outlook on life.

Taurus degree (2°, 14°, 26°): your values, earning money, stability, comfort, familiarity, priorities, routines, material desires.

Gemini degree (3°, 15°, 27°): your siblings, your ideas, writing, reading, learning new things/skills, solving a problem, short trips, school, local environment and surroundings, relationships with other people, talking and thinking, words of encouragement.

Sagittarius degree (9°, 21°): traveling, new experiences, the search for a higher meaning and bigger purpose, culture, long distance trips, religion and/or spirituality, beliefs, gaining knowledge, higher education, philosophy and sharing your wisdom.

• 11° degrees is such a powerful degree but especially when it’s in Libra. If you have this placement somewhere in your chart, people gravitate towards you and love you immediately. You’re very friendly and welcoming and have a charming aura that others admire. You may find that people come up and start talking to you in public and give you compliments. It makes you have an unforgettable impact on your community, and often times, society as a whole.

• This is so specific but I feel like Pisces Moon at 11° reminds me of the Mandela Effect. Moon rules over memory, Moon at 11° would rule over shared/collective memory, and Neptune’s influence over Pisces would cause confusion and illusion. If you have this placement, people may remember you doing or saying something that you didn’t. For example, Fred Rogers had this placement. A famous example of the Mandela Effect is the Mr. Roger’s theme song. Many people remember him singing “it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood” but the lyric actually goes, “it’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood.” The Moon is also associated with music too so this makes a lot of sense.

[icedmatchatae]

Glimpse of Us | KTH Chapter I: Finding Happiness

Pairing: Problematic Idol Taehyung x Grad Student Reader

Genre: Idol AU, Ex-Childhood Best Friends into—, Angst (Hello, welcome to my angst central), Fluff (mainly in the flashbacks), Slow Burn, Eventual Smut

Summary: BTS’s V has been living a lavished and successful lifestyle, but underneath all of that, Kim Taehyung is far from the perfect image the media and fans made him out to be. All he wants is to relive the feelings of happiness and purpose in his life, but how can he when he left behind those memories years ago? The same memories, he hopes to see a glimpse of.

Warning: Angst (from the start mwahahaha), mentions of alcohol consumption, violence, stalking, faulty media, descriptions of therapy sessions

Word Count: 7.2k

Chapter I: Finding Happiness || Series Masterlist

“BTS is the highly musically acclaimed boy band from South Korea, sweeping the charts across the globe with their wide diversity genres of music. Their lyrics consisted of personal and social commentary that moves those who listen, especially with their fanbase, ARMY. Each member of BTS have their own individual style to their work, yet still continue to play an important role to the group’s success.”

“BTS’s V shook the world, being recognized for his alluring baritone voice and exquisite “duality” and emotions on stage, as well as being coined “The Idol’s Idol” within the Kpop industry. His facial expressions, his motions, his voice, it shows it all.”

“V ranked first on the charts of being the number one most searched keyword for the past five years in South Korea.”

“V was always the first to attract those who don’t know BTS by his unique visuals, strong aura, and his intimidating gaze.”

“V is also part of Wooga Squad, a highly achieving group of men consisted of actors Park Seojoon, Choi Wooshik, Park Hyungsik, and artist Peakboy (Kwon Sunghwan). Their friendship is widely known on their platforms while supporting one another.”

“V caught the attention of many famous fashion brands, as everything he wears turns into gold, including Celine, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Prada.”

“V was ranked number one as the world’s most handsome and beautiful man in the world.”

“Among the members, V has the most followers on Instagram as well as the fastest growing account on the platform.”

“V is well-loved by ARMY and is supported of his endeavors. They hope to see a solo album in the near future.”

“BTS’s V gets followed by sasaeng at the park.”

“BTS’s V attacked by an influx crowd at the airport. Videos of him holding onto j-hope.”

“Kim Taehyung was seen hanging out with Park Seojoon and mystery girl?? Potential new lover?”

“Kim Taehyung (V of BTS) caught smoking before award show! Is he becoming an addict?”

“BTS V gets embroiled in attitude controversy for not greeting fans and journalists.”

“V of BTS: dating rumors with Tzuyu of Twice? JYP denies but HYBE ignores.”

“Taehyung was secretly recorded at night on the streets, drinking more than he can handle.”

“Kim Taehyung fighting in a club?? Reports of getting drunk and the idol throwing punches.”

“Are BTS’s V and Lisa from Blackpink dating??”

The cycle repeated itself as the ever-growing success of BTS continues, with Kim Taehyung being one of the members. Success, scandal, success, scandal. At this point, it was practically the same thing. Though with the achievements, popularity, and passionate fanbase, it, unfortunately, came with a price, specifically with Taehyung.

His life turned into something he didn’t expect, whether good or bad, but it could be safe to say it has been leaning towards bad. During his years as an idol, as V, his life was heavily scrutinized by the media and the fans. Through the hate comments online, unwanted paparazzi photos, and delusional headlines on topics that he didn’t even know about, it was never-ending that sadly took a toll on him.

Taehyung faced straight forward, not wanting to make eye contact with the man across from him, leaning slightly to the left. Blankness overcame his expression with the deep-set dark circles and hollowness of his cheeks. His lips peeled and swollen from the many occurrences of biting the skin off. His hair was messily styled into his “fluffy Tae bear” image as what ARMY loved to say, but he couldn’t care less about his appearance.

The ticking sound of the clock echoed within the tiny room as Taehyung hoped time only went faster. Despite the tight space, the environment was relatively comfortable. The warm fluorescent lights hanging above the two, a brown velvet couch occupied by yours truly, and a rust-toned loveseat also occupied by the professional. The walnut surface of the desk stacked with files and books by a wall and extended shelves on the opposite was in his peripheral vision.

Taehyung could sense the attentive stare the man was giving him, which had no effect on the idol. It wasn’t harsh gazing, almost curious and kind, but Taehyung wasn’t really ready to give his all. He was trying his best but didn’t know what to do. The idol almost felt bad for him, having been assigned to the professional for nearly a year with little to no progress. But the man had some steel grit and was determined for Taehyung to speak about something.

A particular question made Taehyung fidget in his seat and bounce his leg. It wasn’t too personal because everyone knew, but it still gave him chills thinking about it.

Recently, at BTS’s Festa Dinner Party, the boys announced a temporary pause on group activities except for their variety show, Run BTS, to focus on their solo projects and other activities they wished to pursue without the constant clash in the group’s schedule. Each member was currently doing their own thing, whether promotions or taking a short break. In Taehyung’s instance, the company and his fellow members thought it was a fantastic idea for Taehyung to continue focusing on himself.

Through the years and over time, Taehyung has been dealing with the pressure of the idol life and fearing that his privacy would be taken away at any minute. The heavy load caused a strain on him, a concoction of emotions, as well as changes in behavior. He got sad, he got angry, and he drank. He rarely remembered anything the morning after. He got nervous, he got stressed, and he smoked, which led to online hysteria. He got into fights with strangers, friends, and his members. Countless articles on him from a fight dated back months ago. Despite rarely interacting, he got caught up in scandals with various female idols that were obviously not true. The recent one was another Blackpink member. It has been his fourth one in the past year.

Somehow it was Taehyung getting the bitter end of the fruit, having to deal with it alone. He never comprehended how his name got caught in the tongues of the people when there were hundreds of thousands of celebrities they could choose from. Though not wanting to wish it on others, new up-and-coming idol groups were entering this industry. Idols who were quite naive don’t even know half the bullshit he and BTS faced.

Of course, there was ARMY support. But they interrupted the news differently, assuming that he’s trying to be a normal human and that he does indeed make mistakes. Others commented on Taehyung’s behavior as highly inappropriate as younger fans looked up to him. All responses are partially correct but also, in a way, incorrect in Taehyung’s eyes.

The boys’ support was incredibly different, and they understood him until a couple of years back. Now there has been a faint tension between Taehyung and some of the members after a disagreement right before the group’s announcement. Nevertheless, they were there for him, especially now.

But it was a little too much for his liking.

He has been in and out of therapy, having one session every month due to the rigorous scheduling of the group. But now, since that was on hold, it gave Taehyung the perfect time to engage with himself as frequently as possible.

Taehyung eventually gave up and told his therapist what had happened the past two weeks. The professional knew who he was and what happened with the group—having gone through a well-detailed contract of privacy—but it was appropriate for Taehyung to mention it on his own because sitting before the therapist wasn’t V of BTS but simply Kim Taehyung.

“How do you feel about all of that?” Dr. Im continued thoroughly, jotting down notes in his notebook.

Taehyung scrunched his nose, thinking what to say, “Bittersweet, I guess? You know we’ve been doing this for so long. It’s kinda like we don’t know how to act or do without the group.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, everything I’ve done for almost a decade has been in the group, for the group, with the group.” Taehyung shrugged, playing with his fingers. “Now we have this time to ourselves…almost lost I guess.”

“Can you elaborate on when you speak about “lost”?”

Being in a mood, Taehyung felt a little talkative this session. That’s what usually happened. One session, he’s a blabbermouth, the next, silent as a ghost. There was a reason why his progress was so inconsistent. “The group strived for a goal together, we worked hard and had success which made us happy, but…I don’t know. Me, I guess? I’m feeling lost where now it’s just me, and my goals, my happiness?”

“What would be your goals?”

“I don’t know. I just have my schedule.” Taehyung muttered, slowly getting disinterested in the topic. He hated that he didn’t know anything in his life. “Maybe write and do my solo album, but nothing is ever good for me. That’s why I’m probably the last member to do that.”

“I see, all that’s understandable. I can’t imagine your line of work, but I can sense that the craft takes time.” Dr. Im reassured his client with a warm smile. “You worked hard to get where you’re at. Hard work comes success and of course, at times, success can lead to happiness. Yet at the same time, there will always be struggles.” Taehyung barely responded, only with a nod of acknowledgment.

Lightly segwaying into another topic, Dr. Im wondered out loud, “You’ve mentioned your happiness. Could you describe a bit more to me?”

“There’s really nothing.” The idol bluntly replied. “I don’t feel happy. Like with the group, yeah I guess so, but just me? No.”

“So with the group, what is your happiness?”

“Maybe like, our bond?” Taehyung stated frankly. “We sacrificed things for the band and we only ever had each other. We had good times, good laughs, cries and fights. We, of course, had our fans who’ve done so much. Together, we were always so strong and understood one another, until recently…”

“What do you mean?” His therapist inquired, but Taehyung stayed silent and stoic. Though the professional attempted his best to let Taehyung open gradually, there was still a concrete wall up. That also led Taehyung into spacing out and ignoring anything Dr. Im said. But that didn’t mean he didn’t understand his non-verbal communications. He knew that Taehyung would eventually talk about it, but as of right now, it was too much for him.

So Dr. Im simply hummed and nodded before saying, “It’s okay to not say anything about that. Whenever you’re ready.”

Taehyung peered at the profession, mentally applauding how well he was with him. If Taehyung was in his shoes, he’d slap himself.

“However, I hope you don’t mind talking more so about your happiness.” When Taehyung didn’t protest and shrugged, it was a good sign to continue. “So the happiness by yourself? How is that?”

“Again, I’m not happy, or I don’t feel it at all. I never thought about it until now actually.” The idol reiterated.

“How long have you felt that way?”

Taehyung blew his cheeks out as his breath came out of his drying lips. “Probably years...maybe even the whole time since debut.”

“That’s a long time to not feel happy. How is happiness, is it important to you?” Dr. Im pointed out.

“I guess, yeah…I mean look at where I am. Fucking emotions always changing and ruining my life.”

“Emotions are never changing, you know.” His therapist explained. “But how you use it can. How were you able to cope?”

“Well, we were more restricted in the beginning since we were rookies and I used to hide it well with all the bullshit I did.” The idol responded thoroughly. “I guess over time, it got worse and I couldn’t take it anymore hence all the scandals. So yeah, I’m not happy. Life is just there. I’m just here.”

“So, when was the last time you felt happy?” His therapist questioned, sparking a new discussion up.

“Uhhh, I’m guessing before debut, the group, fans? If it’s been years.”

“So imagine the last time you felt it, and I want you to describe to me what your happiness is. What are the thoughts that came up, the emotions?” Dr. Im sought it out in hopes that it could unlock a new memory about his past.

“That sounds pretty loaded…” Taehyung tilted his head as he stared at the window.

Soft tangerine brightness leaked through the reflection. The sun settled down as he was the last client of the day, mainly due to his schedule. It was also perfect so that other clients wouldn’t be sitting and waiting and suddenly looking up to find the V of BTS coming out of his therapy session. He knew for sure that it would spread like wildfire. He wasn’t ashamed, but it was somewhat taboo, and people could warp the story to make it worse.

“Let me reword it.” Dr. Im suggested. “Before the group, before the fans, before you were V, you were simply Kim Taehyung so what was your happiness as Kim Taehyung?”

“Wow, you’re bringing me way back.” Taehyung chuckled lightly, glancing at the man nodding and waiting patiently.

The idol pondered on the question. What was his happiness as just Taehyung? Taehyung mentioned his happiness in previous sessions, but this was the first time it was discussed. Only because it has been a while since Taehyung looked at his past before BTS and as an idol. BTS and being an idol was his life. He didn’t realize that the last time he was happy went way back. It was likely when he lived in Geochang, his childhood days before leaving and going to Seoul to train. It seemed so long ago, being in his mid to late twenties, that it was all blur.

There was his family and school friends, school days, specifically recess and lunch, the farm, the countryside, and the distinct street food you could only get there. God, it felt like a fable. His life went from low-income farmer boy to this international pop star, the whole rags to riches spiel. But these memories didn’t feel real, almost make-believe, maybe even nonexistent. His mind couldn’t replay those memories right now, feeling too shy to reveal it all to his trusting therapist that all the people and their faces were erased.

Well, not all faces.

He remembered one face as clear as day, but he knew that face would forever be a lost longing memory.

-

It was like everyone Taehyung knew had the sixth sense of knowing when he finished his session because calls and messages bombarded his phone. The tones bounced off his eardrums, grimacing at who was raiding the device.

Sure, his group chats with the members and his friends separately. The name of his sweet, sweet girlfriend popped on the screen with texts asking “how are you” or “let me know when you get home so I could cook dinner <3.” Anyone in the world would think these gestures were supportive and caring as a girlfriend should to their partner, but now, Taehyung did not want to deal with her and eventually ignored it, putting his phone on vibrate. He thanked his therapist before leaving the office and heading down to the elevators. 

As he entered the platform, his phone vibrated continuously. He groaned and rolled his eyes, thinking it was her again. But lo and behold, it was his best friend, Park Jimin. Though hesitant, Taehyung accepted the call and answered.

“Hello,” The idol greeted monotonously.

“Why, hello, my lovely giggling bear!” Jimin’s voice sounded too ecstatic for his best friend’s liking, but he didn’t comment on it as it was usually like him. “And how was your time in therapy?”

“You know you don’t have to call after every session I attend.” Taehyung commented when he stepped out of the elevator and then the building. “You’re only gonna get the same answer—less shitty than before.” He spotted one of his company cars waiting in the parking lot and walked towards it.

“I’m just worried about you. You should know that.” Jimin huffed, and Taehyung could almost see the pout evident on his best friend’s face. “Better me than Yoongi Hyung or Namjoon Hyung.”

The mentioning of their names puts a frown on him. He knew that though supportive of his path to improvement and soul searching, the way they spoke to him felt somewhat demeaning and scolding him for every little thing. Do this, not that. You should have stopped yourself before the mess gets bigger. Why are you doing that when you clearly know you shouldn’t do that? I think this is best for you. Blah, blah, blah.

Though he didn’t mention it with Dr. Im, right before everyone split to do their own thing, Taehyung fought with his hyungs, leading to Taehyung walking out of the company building frustrated and getting wasted until the following morning and not talking to them for almost two weeks. Things were said, insults were exchanged; it didn’t matter if they were right or wrong. Taehyung didn’t want to hear what’s been repeated countless times.

“I also miss you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”Jimin announced, hoping to lighten the mood. “When I call, I wanna know how’s life for you.”

“I appreciate the gesture, but Jimin, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry about me.” Taehyung replied as he rubbed his tired eyes.

“I know you’re not fine, Tae. That’s why I’m worried.”

The idol sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to calm himself. “Anyways, how’s your family? How’s Busan?” He wanted to switch the discussion over to Jimin, hoping he would get the notion that Taehyung didn’t want to talk about that.

Jimin paused and respired, understanding what he was doing, so he gave in and updated his best friend on his life. While Jimin was talking and he traveled through the city to go home, Taehyung’s mind wandered off, thinking back about his session. What popped into his mind was not spoken, but he explained that those memories were gone as those in it were gone, his environment changed, and the hold on his attachment was slowly loosening.

But then, his therapist said something that got him thinking.

“It’s a pain to not be able to have those things right now, especially when you know they made you happy. But having those memories are key to unlocking more ways of potential bringing yourself closer to your own happiness. Putting words into action.” Dr. Im responded, writing down more scribbles in his book yet staring at Taehyung. “You’ll know the types of people you want, you know where you should be, and understand how much you want it.”

Taehyung understood his therapist, giving him some hope but not as much as the professional intended. “You mentioned people, the types of people I wanted.” Dr. Im hummed. “What if it’s not the type of people, but just…the people?”

“What do you mean, Taehyung?”

Taehyung scratched the back of his head, gradually feeling his nerves tingling. He tried laughing it off as the man before he stared attentively. “It wasn’t the types of people I was with, but the people I was with. Actually, a person, specifically.”

“Are you willing to talk about this person?”

His therapist had no clue what or who he was talking about, but it brought out many mixed thoughts and emotions. The reference to it sent an aching twist in Taehyung’s heart. He didn’t like the feeling. It only reminded him that it was over and nothing had been the best since.

“Not, right now. No.”

-

Taehyung went into his house, located at the edge of the city, to avoid any disturbances yet be within the vicinity of his work. After a sasaeng threat, he moved out of his luxurious condo in the heart of Seoul and found a comfortable and lovely two-story house in a quiet yet secured neighborhood. It helped with his living situation, but not necessarily his life.

As he closed the front door, he heard feet padding down the hallway and a soft voice speaking whimsically, “You’re home!” Skinny limbs wrapped around his torso, making him tense up, but he ultimately eased himself to the touch.

He pushed out a grin and wrapped an arm around her, kissing the crown of her head. “Hi, babe.” She raised her head with her sparkling almond eyes, smiling only for and at the sight of her boyfriend returning home. He stared back and nodded, biting the inside of his mouth.

There she was—in her raw and glorified self—Na Clara, his girlfriend of five years. Clara came from an affluent family, the Na Group conglomerate, which became a stakeholder for Big Hit back in 2016. That was where the two met—at a stakeholder’s event as Clara was there for her family and Taehyung was there as part of the band to show respect and gratuity for the support the Na family has given. That very night was where everyone said, “Tae and Clara hit it off so well.” 

As the rise of Big Hit increased, the CEO at that time, Bang Sihyuk, and Na Seong-jin, Clara’s father, made a mutual agreement to part ways but still own part of the stocks. But the departure didn’t stop the blossoming relationship between the two. After countless flirting and dates, the two made it officially the following year and have been together ever since. They got Yeontan together and moved in with one another, so Clara left her family home to stay with her boyfriend.

Of course, due to Taehyung’s idol status, they agreed to keep their relationship a secret. Clara was indeed a socialite but also had an image to maintain for the sake of her family. Still, it wasn’t as harsh to keep up as Taehyung’s. The company insisted on annual NDA renewal contracts to ensure the idol’s safety. There were no disagreements as Clara happily signed the papers because, in her words, “As long as I have my Tae, then I’m happy.”

Clara was kind and caring, even to the members and others around her, and it was easy to gain the support of their relationship. She was also a philanthropist and animal lover, donating to charities and helping rescue endangered species. She was a real golden goddess, the visual of South Korea. Her shining long, ebony locks, pale glassy skin, glittering eyes, a body many women referenced for surgery, and a heart that melted and attracted many citizens. Men wanted her. Women wanted to be her. But she didn’t care about any of that.

Because Kim Taehyung had her heart and only looked his way.

Those who did know deemed their relationship as perfect in every way. Perfect connection, perfect communication, perfect attraction, perfect visuals, perfect, perfect, perfect.

But it was anything but.

“How was therapy?” She asked as she lets go of him to run back towards the kitchen. Taehyung took his shoes off before dragging his feet to follow his girlfriend. He rolled his eyes at the same old question everyone’s been asking him, and Clara wasn’t any different.

“Less shitty than before.” He mumbled loud enough for her to hear. Then softer taps to the floor amplified before a sharp squeaking bark of fluff came towards Taehyung. He crouched down to carry his pet before standing back on his feet.

“You know you should try to be a bit more enthusiastic about this.” She said as she stirred some kind of soup. Taehyung glanced over at the pot and scowled when he caught a waft of it.

“But I’m not.” He shrugged, caressing Yeontan in his arms.

“Tae, do you even try?” With an annoyed face, she looked up to her unbothered boyfriend.

“Yes, I try. But I don’t know. There’s some shit I’m not ready to talk about.”

“Therapy is supposed to help you open up.” She started out the obvious, which made Taehyung roll his eyes. “If not with your therapist, then with me or the boys.”

“You guys won’t understand if I told you.” He scoffed after settling his dog down. Clara tried to grab him next, but the Pomeranian ran away to his kettle. “You would think I’m psychopath with all my fucked up thoughts and behaviors.”

“Tae, stop calling yourself that! I don’t like it when you say those things.” She scolded as she turned off the stove.

“What, I thought you loved my weird expressions.” He cocked an eyebrow as he sat on the counter table stool. An outsider would look at them and assume that he was only teasing, but in actuality, he was pushing her temper.

“Not when you say shit like that!” Clara shook her head before sighing. “You’re not psychopath, I never thought of you like that.”

“Bet you thought a lot of things of me.” 

Ignoring his insufferable commentary, she said sincerely, “This is to help you understand yourself better, and understand we’re here to support you. You know…”

He didn’t even bother listening to her as his messages went off. His group chat, Wooga Squad, had all his hyungs, and they discussed late-night eating plans. Taehyung checked the time, and it was already close to eight on a Tuesday night. Nightlife wasn’t as busy compared to the weekends, so it was possible that Taehyung could hang out with them too.

“Tae! Are you even listening to me?” Clara shouted, snapping her fingers in front of his face and then shaking his shoulder.

The idol blinked rapidly, almost tunneling his vision with the phone conversation. It was a tendency he did as well as spacing out. “What?”

“Ugh, I hate when you do that.” The socialite sneered. “I was just talking to you too.”

“Can you chill? What you were saying wasn’t even that important. Jimin even said the same damn thing.” Taehyung snapped as he typed his reservation for the Wooga outing.

“Who are you texting?” Clara’s eyes attempted to leer at his phone, but she was a little too far, and it was angled in a way she couldn’t see anything.

Taehyung rolled his eyes heavily at her implicit interrogation. “It’s Seojoon Hyung. They wanted to have dinner outside in like an hour.”

“Tae, I’m already done making our dinner.” She pouted as she pushed the pot in his direction. “I made kimchi jjigae.”

“Oh, that’s what it is.” Taehyung gasped sarcastically. “Yeah, I still don’t want it.”

“Hey, I’m trying to cook more, okay?” Clara frowned. With her socialite status, Clara was attended to and pampered by maids and butlers from the day she was born. Ever since she moved in with Taehyung three years ago, she had to learn how to cook and clean without any help. Taehyung had to help her at some points, and he wasn’t the best either. Actual cooking wasn’t done until a couple of months ago as the food was always take-out. But when the idol mentioned how much he missed home-cooked meals in this therapy, Clara tried her best to learn some dishes.

“You are.” He agreed as he stood up, heading towards the door. “But I’m going.”

“Don’t you want to spend time with me?” The socialite followed Taehyung like Yeontan would. She watched him put on his shoes. “I’ve missed you the whole day.”

Taehyung exhaled before standing up straight, “I guess I can spend time with you tomorrow. I have somewhat of a free day. We’ll have breakfast together.” He kissed her head and patted her hair. He held her face in his hands. “But we’ll order in.”

Her pout shifted into a suppressing smile as she pulled his hands off her. She tugged his arms to encircle her waist, then wrapped her arms around his nape. “We better.” She tiptoed to peck his lips, transmitting shivers down his spine with mixed feelings. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

It was at the ringing of his phone that rescued him off of his girlfriend to take the call. He quickly bid farewell to Clara, who waved hopelessly before he closed the door behind him.

He answered, “Hyung! What’s up?”

“Tae, are you home?” Seojoon exclaimed through the speakers.

“I was, but I’m leaving now.”

“Stay there, Wooshik and I will be there in ten minutes. We’re dropping off Joohyuk home, said he’s got a family birthday to attend.”

There has been a somewhat unofficial addition to the group—Nam Joohyuk. Some may have seen him from Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo, Start-Up, or Twenty-Five Twenty-One. He has been slowly breaking the acting industry and stealing the hearts of fans worldwide, in addition to his modeling career. The group met him through Seojoon and eventually made his way into Wooga, coming to outings and trips.

However, Taehyung was weary of him. Sure, Joohyuk was pleasant and respectful towards the others and met the group’s criteria of being “too handsome,” but it was a bit off. Still, his hyungs loved spending time with him, and it can be assumed that Taehyung could be civil.

But he also kept his distance from him.

A sour face morphed onto the idol’s face, but his voice was poisonously friendly when he responded, “Aw, Hyung isn’t coming?”

“He said he’ll come next time, but not this time.”

“Yeah, unfortunate…” Taehyung rolled his eyes. “But yeah, I’ll wait for you.”

-

Walking through empty streets would seem eerie and dangerous, but it was basically heaven in Taehyung’s eyes. Wooshik suggested a place his cousin told him about, but he never looked it up until the group went. When Seojoon parked the car behind a nearby lot and got out, they realized it was completely barren.

They found out they were in a rundown part of Seoul where it was sketchy as fuck. Streetlights flickered, stray animals running, and a few individuals here and there, but they weren’t as approachable. They concluded that they were either a sex worker, a drug dealer, or someone interested in obtaining either or both. That was the one of the only reasons for anyone to be there, but it wasn’t the group’s reason.

“Wooshik, what the fuck is this place?” Seojoon scowled as they walked down the pavement. Eyes were on them, but it wasn’t the typical staring of celebrities. It was more so the eyes trying to hunt prey or wondering why the individual who clearly doesn’t fit in would come to an atypical location.

“Hyung, calm down.” Wooshik checked the maps to ensure they were going in the right direction. “It’s only the path. After that, there’ll be more activity and running places.”

“I just hope it’s not the same place as these watchers stay in.” The eldest of the bunch hoped. Let’s just say many of the sex workers had googly eyes with him the most. Worship was too busy navigating, and Taehyung felt somewhat relieved.

The idol didn’t need to hide his face or get recorded in this part of the city. Though it was a bit high-risk, there was a perk for him. Of course, he was still in constant fear of getting caught but mentally reassured himself. 

All he wanted to do was get away from all these problems, but it seemed to keep following him no matter where he went. He fucked up all that time ago, leading him to where he was: sad, enraged, and nervous. He really had no hope in things and went on dragging with what little life he had in him.

To Seojoon’s relief, they reached a pretty lit area. There were convenience stores, bars, low-rated clubs, and a small community. Most people walking and passing by were elderly, but it was safe enough.

“Jesus, this restaurant better be worth it after passing by mini Hell.” Seojoon breathed out with ease.

“You’re literally the tallest, strongest, and eldest among us.” Wooshik bluntly scoffed. “Be tough like a leopard.”

“So what? You know what can kill leopards? Lions! And you know what can kill Lions? Hyenas!” Seojoon countered at his younger. “We were surrounded by hyenas, Wooshik.”

Taehyung was grateful for his friends. Yes, he loved his members to death, but something about his friend group gave him solace, especially in these rough times. They helped him out, taking him out of the fights, limiting his alcohol and smoking, and keeping various eyes on their surroundings. This time was one of them, despite the high severity of it.

“We’re here!” Wooshik disregarded his rant, presenting the restaurant. It was small and rundown, having an entrance made by a bright blue tarp. Trash cans were filled to the brim with waste and other junk inside. Taehyung could have sworn a rat passed by. There were graffiti markings on the side, but it was still the cleanest everywhere.

Out of nowhere, two clearly-drunk large-set men stumbled out of the cloth holding onto one another. They exchanged rambling and laughing so loudly to make the bunch flinch. But out came a gentle-looking old grandmother, ensuring they were leaving safely.

“You two get home safe, okay? I called a cab for you. They’re coming soon.” The lady smiled and patted their back.

“Ohhhh, Halmeoni! Thank you so much!” One of them managed to say. “Always taking care!”

“Of course, for my loyal customers!” She laughed joyfully as she was about to go back inside, but the three extremely handsome men in front of her caught her very eyes. “Oh, welcome! Welcome to DanDan! Please come in!” She lifted the tarp open for them to enter first.

Though they were hesitant, they warmed up to her kind aura, thus going inside the restaurant. Their eyes scanned the place. It was utterly different from the outside. It held a cozier and comforting atmosphere, more intimate as compared to traditional restaurants in Seoul. It had a “family-owned” vibe, despite the customers being middle-aged men or elderly couples enjoying a night out. A male server came out from the back and handed plates, followed by busing the tables and wiping them down. Potted plants surrounded the corner, a TV in the middle, and the succulent aroma of food touched their noses.

“I’ve never seen handsome gentlemen before!” She cheered. Judging by her sentence, she knew nothing about who they were, which was a good sign.

“Oh, Halmeoni! I had a cousin come here and said your yukgaejang was out of this world!” Wooshik complimented, to which the old lady clapped in glee.

“Ahh, he’s too kind. Come, come, sit wherever you want.” She motioned towards the vacant seats. As they settled down, she handed them menus before walking away. They engaged in the list of foods to even realize she was gone.

She headed towards the back kitchen, squealing like a school girl, where she found her husband cooking and one of the only two servers fixing the plates. She eyed the particular worker before she called out their name.

“___!” Your boss whispered loudly in hopes the men didn’t hear from outside.

“Yes, Halmeoni?” You smiled, looking up from the orders that were ready to go.

“Sweetie, there’s a couple of guys out there.” She grinned, hinting at you to serve them.

You squinted your eyes at her and scrunched your nose at the thought, “Please, no more. I know you mean well, but I don’t want to talk to some creep. The last man turned out to be a scum.”

“And my apologies for that. But, this time is serious!” Your boss voiced out. “They’re super handsome, like a mother’s dream son-in-law!”

“Are you talking about me?” Your fellow coworker, Kenji, who was three years younger than you and the actual grandson of your bosses, stepped into the backroom and the conversation without permission.

“She said mother’s dream son-in-law, not Quasimodo’s twin.” You retorted, to which he stuck his tongue out to you.

“Nice one, ___!” Harabeoji laughed at his grandson.

“Kenny, please tell ___ about the handsome men out there.” Though it was bothersome at times that Halmeoni was being persistent, you enjoyed it. It reminded you of how your grandmother was to you.

“Oh, yeah. They’re super hot.” Your coworker joined in on the persuasion. “But you’re probably not their type, maybe even bottom tier that it’s last resort kind of thing.” Meanwhile, Kenji was the irritated brother you never wanted.

“First of all, that was rude, and it’s the reason why you’re still single, and second, whether they’re handsome or hot or not, I’m not looking.” You reasoned, putting up a feigned smile. 

“So what, you’re gonna die alone?” Kenji snorted, to which he received glaring eyes from you and his grandmother. He quickly shut his mouth and muttered an apology.

“It’s complicated, okay? I’m just trying to work and earn money.” You said before lifting your tray.

“Just have a look, kinda like window shop.” Halmeoni insinuated before concluding her suggestion. You sighed, giving in to making her happy, so you nodded before leaving the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the bunch wanted to order a whole receipt of the appetizing dishes, completely in awe of the prices and how good they sounded. The range of soups, meats, sides, and drinks was all too alluring.

“Looking at all of this made me hungry. I’m ready to order.” Wooshik bounced in his chair before putting the menu down. “Tae, you good enough to eat a lot?”

“Yeah, yeah.” The youngest one simply said. Though he looked at the dishes, his mind was preoccupied with everything. He thought the food would cheer him up, but it still didn’t meet his expectations.

“Don’t think about it right now. Just have some dinner with your lovely hyungs, and if you want to drink, we’ll buy some.” Seojoon proposed as he smiled reassuringly at the idol. “Also, dinner is on Wooshik.”

Worship was about to protest, but the eldest used his power card to make him shut up. “Yeah, it’s on me.”

During their conversation, you came out with the heavy trey and yelled, “Coming through!” You carefully paced towards another table and laid the food before dispersing it to the customers. All without knowing, you passed by him. 

“I’m going to the bathroom!” Taehyung announced as he stood up. The youngest had his back facing the kitchen and passageway. “Do you know where it is?”

“I think it’s just right down the hallway over there.” Seojoon pointed, making Taehyung turn his head in the direction and find the signs leading to the bathroom. All without knowing he passed by you.

“Cute waitress.” Wooshik nudged Seojoon as he caught sight of you.

Seojoon peered towards you, smiling at the elderly couple you were serving, “Looks young though, but agreed, she’s cute.” It was easier for them to spot you as they had a view of the back.

“Let’s get her attention.” Wooshik prompted before raising his hand and hollered, “Excuse me, Miss! We’d like to order.” Once you gave that table’s food, your eyes sought for your following table to attend to until you saw a hand held up. Your eyes widened at your discovery.

Not only were they attractive, but you knew who they were. Park Seojoon and Choi Wooshik were big-time actors in the country and potentially the world. Also, as an avid drama junkie who watched every drama and movie they were in, you could say you were a fan.

But obviously, you hid the fan in you away. As of now, they were somehow customers of the family-owned restaurant in a dangerous part of the city. You were good at hiding your emotions, which was fairly easy when you walked toward them with your customer service smile and gentle approach.

“Hi, welcome to DanDan. I’m ___. I’ll be serving you today.” You greeted to their liking, and you knew this because they smiled so beautifully back. “What can I get for you?” As they ordered, you wrote it down in detail as some orders were modified. They wanted dishes that weren’t spicy, no added coconut shavings, and no lemon on one. It was very particular, but you went with it. You’ve experienced picky eaters in the past, as a waitress and in life in general. 

You repeated their order, just in case you misheard, but they agreed to all. “Oh, before I forget, any drinks besides two cups of water?”

“Can we get three bottles of soju, and one coke.” Wooshik asked politely. “Oh, also three cups of water. Our other friend is in the bathroom right now.”

Hmm, another friend, they say. You wondered who it may be, Hyungsik? You knew some actors were friends with them, so it could be. You didn’t want to get your hopes high, but you couldn’t help but think if the other guy exceeded your expectations. 

You nodded mindlessly, “Okay, got your orders. I will be back with your drinks.” You turned your back as you walked towards the kitchen but stopped when Kenji came out with no task.

“Oh my God, Ken. Those men!” You whispered at your coworker so no one would hear. “Do you know who they are?”

“No? Am I supposed to know?” He denied it, taking a glimpse of the men talking to one another.

“That’s Park Seojoon and Choi Wooshik!” You beamed.

“Oh my God,” Kenji gasped. “I still don’t give a fuck.” Your mouth dropped as you scorned him.

Taehyung finally left the bathroom, walking down the hallway. While he did his business, he also thought about his happiness. The topic seemed to be under the spotlight in his brain, wanting to be recognized. He wanted happiness, like, who doesn’t? He loved when he was happy. Everything felt safe, comforting, and relaxing in his life. But it felt physically and mentally impossible for him now when those memories of when he was happy had a person in them, a specific person. Someone who truly made him feel alive and shined hope into his life.

But alas, she was no more after events that were too shameful for his liking.

All these thoughts weren’t getting him anywhere. Maybe he should give up on therapy. It was all Clara’s idea, and he just went with it to stop her pestering. It had its pros and cons, but he doesn’t know where he stood with it but him going was something? Like what was said, there was now no hope, and life dragged him. Walls seemed to cave in on him, testing how far he could go.

Then he paused at the end of the passageway with dilated pupils.

He felt his body freeze up, unable to take control of his limbs. His breath stopped for a second to gaze. His growling stomach rumbled with his anxiousness. He had to blink twice to see if it wasn’t his imagination. 

It couldn’t be; this was impossible; there was no way. The disbelief was vivid on his face but slowly made his jaw drop in shock as he processed the reality of it all. The door of lost longing memories opened with a flood as it crashed into his mind. Years of joy washed before his very eyes, years of hope sparked his nerves, years of happiness flashed on his face, and the years of the childhood friend he once had were right in front of him back after almost a decade apart.

“___?”

Tagged: @manuosorioh @kaal-ee

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

John Lennon Tribute Songs – Musings and Impressions

I decided this morning to look into what John Lennon tribute songs (+songs about John's death) are out there and found the results quite mixed but interesting. So here's some of my thoughts on them.

Includes songs by: Bob Dylan, The Cranberries, David Gilmour, Elton John, George Harrison, Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Queen.

All Those Years Ago – George Harrison (1981)

Roll On John – Bob Dylan (2012)

Probably the most classic tribute song on this list, which is why I'm mentioning it first. I think it's somewhat misunderstood, because in my opinion it is far more personal than it's sometimes given credit for, even though it does fall into some clichés with how it references John's songs. It's overall positive, focusing on the good aspects of John and George's relationship as well as of John's legacy as a whole, with a few problematizing nuggets peppered in ("Living with good and bad"; "You had control of our smiles and our tears"). I see how the religious edge might be off-putting to some, but it feels incredibly earnest to me. The rock n' roll guitar riff is a lovely tribute to John's unabashed love for that genre.

(Also, I wrote a bit more in depth about the song and how I think it relates to George's view of John here.)

This is not a song I can justify the existence of. If it had been released shortly after John's murder maybe, but I don't see what it brought to the table 30+ years after the fact. It feels extremely gimmicky, dropping simplistic lyrical references and Wikipedia-page facts, and otherwise doesn't seem like it has anything substantial to say. I don't think these types of songs have to be written by someone who had a deep personal connection with the subject, but none of this feels natural, earned, or remotely insightful and the emotions are rather vapid.

Murder – David Gilmour (1984)

This song is musically interesting and the lyrics are quite compelling, but the centering of MDC's point of view is somewhat uncomfortable, given the actual context of his motivations. I feel this song works better as a reflection on murder as a concept, rather than a specific murder.

I Just Shot John Lennon – The Cranberries (1996)

The title of this one worried me but actually it sounds like it could be on Some Time in New York City if you threw a few saxes onto it; John wrote about tragedies in a very similar way (like the Troubles, which The Cranberries – of course – also wrote about). Despite the directness, this works and feels poignant rather than edgy.

Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny) – Elton John (1982)

I like the way this song opens with the metaphor of a gardener, giving the song a degree of universality, not just in the sense that John "belonged to the world" but also that it could be related to any loss. This is contrasted with the bridge ("And I've been knockin', but no one answers…"), where John is finally name-dropped, which adds such a personal touch to the song. It's masterful and heartbreaking, especially given the fact that Elton was having trouble getting through to John during his lifetime as well. A wonderful, heartfelt tribute.

The Late Great Johnny Ace – Paul Simon (1983)

This feels less like a tribute and more like a reflection on history. John's death in 1980 is contrasted with Johnny Ace's death in 1954, as well as John F. Kennedy's in 1963. The music is harrowing and intriguing, which really underlines the senselessness of all these deaths. I enjoy the observed parallelisms and the way Paul manages to make the song personal despite not having a close rapport with John. In that way it kind of reminds me of A Day In The Life.

I Don't Know Why – Yoko Ono (1981)

Life Is Real (Song for Lennon) – Queen (1982)

Like Here Today mentioned below, this is more of an anti-tribute song in my view. Ultimately it seems that to Yoko, the search for meaning in John's death is fruitless. Musically, the song is a bit long and repetitive, but as she sings: "You left me, you left me, you left me without words."

Also, the story the album cover tells is poignant, possibly more so than any song on it: a glass, which could be half empty or half full; the fog like an uncertain future, clouding the New York skyline; a pair of glasses, the ghost of a lost loved one; and vision itself, forever obstructed by the murder Yoko was forced to witness.

Musically, I find this one to be quite wonderful and I think I can see how it was influenced by John's sound to an extent. But it also appears to be so personal to Freddie Mercury as well as rather cryptic that it feels odd as a tribute, per se. That's not really a problem in my opinion, but it's notable that without the name-drop it wouldn't even be obvious this song was about someone – let alone John Lennon – having died. This makes the "(Song For Lennon)" part of the title feel a tad performative.

Here Today – Paul McCartney (1982)

It was thinking about this song this morning that prompted me to go listen to the other entries. While "All Those Years Ago" is a song in which George seems to proclaim that he understands John better than most people, on "Here Today", Paul discredits himself as a source on John basically immediately; within the first few lines of the song, he asserts that John would laugh in response to Paul claiming he really knew John. He's in a sense shooting down the idea of writing a straightforward tribute like George's because he does not appear to trust himself to make absolute statements on who John was. Instead, he shifts the focus to his own experience of their relationship, declaring that he loves John and is thankful, despite their possible lack of mutual understanding.

The song is fiercely personal and does not leave space for someone to relate to it as an uninvolved fan of John's, or even as one of John's loved ones who is not Paul, like Empty Garden and All Those Years Ago do. And yet Paul plays this song every night in concert as a tribute. It fascinates me deeply, not to mention it is lyrically one of his standout pieces as well as immensely moving musically.

[maydayissleepy]

With the semester ending I've got more free time but not more free energy,,, so I've been thinking about music again can't you tell

Anyway. Here's that Starset lyrics I relate to the twins post I promised like a month ago. Most of it is based on my own thoughts about them and my au tbh

And these won't include Every song in each album obviously but I do reccomend listening to them all anyway if rock is your genre

ALBUM- Transmissions

Down with the fallen- (listen recommended)

- includes guttural scream

No particular lyrics I'd like to point out, however because the lyrics suggest the singer is seeking some sort of support for uncertainty, has fallen to a low point in life, has themes of identity in war/death, I will deem it Acronix core

Halo-

While majority of the song is not stuff I'd totally associate with either of the twins, I do enjoy a few sets of lyrics for Acronix

[If it means the death of me, I won't let go]

[If you just say the word

I'll be there by your side]

Carnivore-

. Morro song actually

It has begun-

YEAH!! TWINS LORE CORE!!

[But everyone knows by now

Fairy tales are not found

They're written in the walls]

[But nothing could ever stop us

From stealing our own place in the sun

We will face the odds against us

And run into the fear we run from]

My demons-

Acronix core just by the name. I mean c'mon.

Antigravity-

Krux core just a touch, mainly because of the beginning  verse

[The more I fight, the more I work

The more I dig into the dirt

To be fed up, to be let down

To somehow turn it all around

But then fate knocks me to my knees

And sets new heights beyond my reach]

The future is now-

Just this one lyric for Krux. As a treat

[I have half a life to rewrite]

Point of no Return- (listen reccommended)

!! Acronix core fr !! A song about being drawn to fight? Absolutely

[There's a memory of how we used to be

That I can see through the flames]

[Embracing the fear, chasing the fight

The glow of the fire will light up the night

The bridges are burning, the heat's on my face

Making the past an unreachable place

Pouring the fuel, fanning the flames

I know, this is the point of no return

It's uncontrollable

Such a beautiful desire

There's something sinister about the way it hurts

When I watch it burn

Because I can't go back

The ashes call my name]

Not included in what I relate to the twins, but I still highly reccomend listening to- Let it die & Telescope

ALBUM- Vessels

Satellite- (listen reccommended)

Okay for this one I'll drag my ocs into the mix, because for these specific lyrics I'd associate with Krux/Roya

[Far across the emptiness I walk the night

And search the silence in the dark you left behind]

[And I won't suppose to know why you walked away]

And. These lyrics I don't relate to anything but they're some of my favorite ever so perceive them anyway

[I seek the stars above the world to be the guides

But they all pale against the light in your eyes]

Frequency- (listen reccommended)

-Includes guttural scream

Actually. More Krux/Roya stuff

[I was scanning through the skies

And missed the static in your eyes]

[And now the silence screams that you are gone

You've tuned me out, I've lost your frequency]

[These memories

They never leave]

Into the unknown-

-includes guttural scream

The beginning verse is actually Acronix in the time vortex guys

[Dislocated

Self is fading

Falling back from what I was

Flying through existence

Tumbling towards a burning sun

Something screaming in the distance

Telling me to come

It's calling me]

Gravity of you- (! LISTEN RECCOMMENDED !)

HOLY SHITTT

Intro verse? Time twins and the iron doom.

[There's a silencing

As the machine arrives here

I feel it pulling me

I feel the past that's died here

I hear it calling me

"You can come alive here"

I hear it beckoning

Until I am inside]

[A new world is breaking]

Noww the rest of this is Acronix and Cyrus stuff for my au. Because Ow

[I feel you here with me

When all the hope has died here

It's boring holes in me

Enough to get inside]

[To fall in the star is to be nothingness

To escape is to be empty

Fall into the star and then we won't exist

Or escape into the nothing

Your sky

The beauty alone is worth it

I will risk it all to own it]

Back to the Earth-

Not much here because its mainly a song for the instrumentals, but I always associated it with Acronix in the time vortex. The end is so GOOD though. Goddamn can Starset can make a cinematic song

Last to fall-

Krux lryics? Krux lyrics.

[This world is changing

But I'm still the same]

Bringing it down- (listen reccommended)

-includes guttural scream

Ooh okay so Roya lyrics. About Krux

[There's something inside you that isn't right

There's something that haunts your dreams at night

There's something that you have lost

And you're bringing it down

You're bringing it down

On top of us]

Monster-

In a shocking turn of events, song named Monster has. Krux associated lyrics??

[I've made an art of digging shallow holes

I'll drop the darkness in and watch it grow

My heart's an artifice, a decoy soul

Who knew the emptiness could be so cold?

I've lost the parts of me that make me whole]

Telepathic- (Listen Reccommended)

Pov Acronix has a crush on Cyrus but he doesn't know what the hell that feeling IS and he thinks he just wants to be Really Good Friends with Cyrus because he's Smart

[You had me under spell right from the start

I don't have a telepathic heart]

[But I don't ever know just what we are

I don't have a telepathic heart]

[Give me the words to say to make it enough]

[Should've never felt this way

Cause you're the sun and I'm just a moon

I'm in the dark 'till you light the way]

Everglow- (you already KNOW listen reccommended)

-30. Second. Long. Scream. What more can I say

I dont even relate the lyrics to either of the twins but the scream holy hell. Immediately Acronix core

Not included in what I relate to the twins, but I still highly reccomend listening to- RICOCHET!!!!!

ALBUM- DIVISIONS

(Btw this is when they started giving each of their songs individual symbols. GOOD SOUP)

Echo-

I'm finding many more sets of lyrics for Krux rather than than whole songs like with Acronix. Probably because Starset is more themed with futuristic/Space stuff. Anyway. Specific lyrics for Krux again. And Roya. They've been on my mind alot recently ok

[I know life is a journey

So what happened to me?]

[I know life is a journey

But you gave up on me early

Tell me, why were you in such a hurry?

I don't know, I don't know]

*skips basically the entire album*

Diving Bell- (! Listen Reccommended !)

Oooooh ow wait okay Actually. Actually. Krux core. Breaking news this hits closer to how I imagine him dealing with his problems more than I ever imagined

Just. The entire song ok (except for versions with the "wake me when the new day comes" bit at the end. Ignore that)

Songs I don't particularly relate to the twins but I still recommend listening to- Other worlds than these, Faultline, Telekinetic

ALBUM- HORIZONS

Devolution- (listen reccommended :) )

-includes guttural scream

Krux lyrics yippee!

[We've been burying the pages

We've been trying to erase this

Built a wall between the truth and us

And it's not enough]

Symbiotic- (listen reccommended)

I have no good reason to call this one Acronix core but I will and you can't stop me

Dreamcatcher- (listen reccommended)

Cyrus song Actually. I relate it to how the Overlord stuff in season 3 effected him, it likely making him much more cautious about how he's developing his technology and keeping it out of the wrong hands, likely feeling a sort of duty or obligation to do so and work even harder because of the trouble it had already caused ninjago.

[I know I can't fix what's broken

If I just pretend to try

I'll follow the path I've chosen

Searching in the endless night]

Something Wicked-

-includes guttural scream

For Krux, It was mostly here for some stuff for an early draft of my au but there's still alot about it that I love

[I've been digging through the dirt that was left behind

I've been dredging through the mud for it]

[How can I tell if the sky is falling?

How can I fix what there is no mending?

How can I tell if I am not well?

I've lost myself

I have come undone]

[And all of the horses

And all of the men

Won't put it back in place

Or bury it where it had been

When all of the forces

Have been overrun

You'll whisper, serpent tongue

What you fear you have become]

Songs I don't relate to the twins but still reccommend listening to- Icarus, Infected, The Breach, and Otherworldly.

And a NOTE about Otherworldly, Has one of the song bits ever, 2:57 to 4:10. Good Soup.

I'm not gonna go into their singles or MNQN for now but perhaps in the future

[fuck-you-upmusicbracket]

Searching for A Former Clarity (Against Me!)

And in the journal you kept by the side of your bed/You wrote nightly an aspiration of developing as an author/Confessing childhood secrets of dressing up in women's clothes/Compulsions you never knew the reasons to/Will everyone you ever meet or love/Be just a relationship based on a false presumption?/Despite everyone you ever meet or ever love/In the end, will you be all alone?

"Searching for a Former Clarity is about the process of dying. It's the closing track to the album, and it shares a theme with the opening track, but while Miami uses disease and dying as a way to talk about the city metaphorically, Searching for a Former Clarity is much more personal. It's also partly autobiographical. Laura Jane Grace wouldn't come out for another seven years, although if I'm remembering right she was convinced that this song would immediately out her to everyone. (I could be thinking of a different song from the same era. It's kind of a running theme in her music.) A while back I saw an old video of her performing this song, when it was still new and she still wasn't out. It felt wrong to see that version of her, honestly (I'm old enough that I should have been a fan in the 2000s but I'd never heard of Against Me until a couple years ago), but it also amazes me just how much *better* she looks now. She looked so much older then, and unbelievably more miserable, than she does now. I hate that she had to live like that for so long, but I think about that contrast every time I hear the song now. Honestly, with that in mind, I never want to hear anyone saying shit about how they are glad someone suffered so that they could Make Art(TM) about it. Fuck that. Don't get me wrong, I love this song and most of Against Me's discography, but I'd willingly give all of it up if it could somehow retroactively mean that Laura Jane Grace didn't have to have the shitty life experiences that led to it. Yes, a lot of art comes from suffering, but people shouldn't have to fucking suffer for art. I've had some experiences lately that forced me to think about my mortality a bit more seriously than usual. If I died today, there would be an extensive record of my gender, and my complex feelings about gender, on various mostly anonymous twitter and tumblr and reddit accounts. If I died today, nobody who knows me would know the name I chose for myself. Not that I'm a historical figure (I'd probably be entirely forgotten in a decade tbh) but speculation about my gender would be *at most* someone's conspiracy theory based on poorly-sourced and badly-interpreted speculation. I'd be buried as a man, I'd be remembered as a man, I'd be forgotten as a man. That was my choice. I have my reasons for making it. I don't know if it is right or wrong or even if the concepts of "right" and "wrong" are the right ones to use when thinking about it. I'm still going to have feelings about it every chance I get. Searching for a Former Clarity is a pretty good way to get them. Emma. That is the name that I chose."

No Rain (Blind Melon)

And I don't understand why I sleep all day/And I start to complain when there's no rain

"Okay, I know this is not the usual song genre vibe of a fuck you up song BUT THE LYRICS and the fact that the song is so soothing and a little up-beat just fucks me up. Like this is the song of my life- literally. My brother thinks of me everytime he hears this song which I think shows how much I relate to this song. It fucks me up specifically because I RELATE so hard to it. The overwhelming loneliness is the theme of this song, and the idea that days just pass with no passion or enjoyment and we do what we can just to stay awake and keep going despite the monotony of it all. And how all of this can be solved if that one person will just stay with you."

No Rain submitted by @ghostlystrangers

[abyssembraced]

Headcanon Generator Meme

((Except that some are reacted to ooc and others are in character))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghost:

"If Ghost likes someone, they will give them a pretty rock."

((Yeah, I could see that! Headcanon accepted. Their mindset is along the lines of: they know that Giving Gifts is a Good Thing that People Like. But they don't know what actually constitutes a good gift. They know that many people like receiving flowers and that Ze'mer's flowers are especially precious, but they don't know why that is. They also know that most bugs like Geo, which are basically shiny fossils and rocks. So maybe this other rock is also a Good Gift? Here you go, Friend!))

"If the source media was a musical, Ghost would be the one character that asks why everyone is singing."

((I think that'd fit them really well actually, yeah! Not a verbal question, of course, but just a silent wondering! It fits in with them slowly becoming more conscious and 'alive' throughout their journey in Hallownest. They're not familiar with their own genre, so they wonder why everyone's singing! But over time they eventually come to understand or at least accept that That's How Things Work.))

"Ghost does not know what sleep is."

((Mmm. While it's true that they wouldn't really Need sleep after obtaining Void Heart, on account of becoming fully Void, they are familiar with what sleep is! And they're also sort of capable of it in at least some capacity.))

"Ghost will go feral. Watch out."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meta Knight:

"Meta Knight speaks only in meme references."

((I mean Honestly if we're talking about Kirby Right Back At Ya's Meta Knight, I could absolutely see a YTP featuring that. But! My Meta Knight is Not That, save for a couple details I took from it, so Nope asgshfhf. I could see Magolor doing that for like a day or something though just to annoy the others.))

"Meta Knight can hug you, but won't."

"Correct." Save for a select few people who might be able to force one out of him, anyway.

"Meta Knight is awful with kids."

"I am inclined to say so, yes, but... Kirby seems to insist otherwise." Surely he was just an outlier, however. A unique exception, solely due to the fact that they were each the only other member of their species that either of them had ever met. ...Why are you pointing at Sailor Waddle Dee. Stop That.

"It would not take much for Meta Knight to turn evil."

"I believe the strength of my will is powerful enough to resist such corruptive forces." Though as much as he might like to, he couldn't deny that the stray Dark Heart had gotten the better of him some time ago. Not to mention whatever it was that had happened to his mirror counterpart...

"Meta Knight likes to eat straight coffee beans."

"Though I do prefer my coffee black, I... Fear the raw beans may be too bitter, even for me."

...He was lying about even drinking his coffee black. He would always dump tons of sugar into his drinks. Straight coffee beans would be a definite 'no' for him.

"Meta Knight had an emo phase."

((Absolutely hilarious mental image that I will neither confirm nor deny, lmao))

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GLaDOS:

"GLaDOS knows the lyrics to every Hatsune Miku song by heart."

((Technically correct, but only because she's a robot and can just search for all the lyrics and download them if she desired. But I don't think she'd even know who Miku is unless she was prompted to research her.))

"GLaDOS will remind others in the midst of chaos how good *she's* being."

((. Yeah I could totally see this ashsdgwgdvf. But it'd have to be something specifically said to Chell while other people are Causing Problems and not her ((for once)). I don't think I could see her saying it to anyone else.))

"GLaDOS is in your house."

((If you live in the Aperture building then she is your house lmao))

"GLaDOS is a very good singer."

((So Very True <3))

"GLaDOS is going to hell."

"We would once again like to remind you that here at the Aperture Enrichment Center, Android Hell is a real place where rogue androids will be sent at the slightest hint of dissent."

"Unless you can turn on the neurotoxin emitters quickly enough. Which you don't have."

"GLaDOS is awful with kids."

"I don't know, I would consider my performance at the Aperture Science Bring Your Daughter to Work Day to be a great success. Though I do work better with cats."

"GLaDOS is constantly singing for no reason."

"And you are constantly bumbling around like a useless idiot for no reason. What do you think of that?"

"GLaDOS can't make the voices go away."

"I did, actually. But it involved me being betrayed and murdered by a friend that I trusted, so I can't say I recommend my method."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tagged by: @bladesfromthedark (thank you!)

Tagging: @distrxst , @tazmilyxfamily , @musescfmusic , @quillheel , @hopeful-hugz , @pri-rp , @legalbrats , @galacticnova3 (I know you've already done it for your Lor blog, so. Maybe one of your other ones if you feel like it?). Just. Tags Everyone again so no one can feel left out dgsgsgf. And once again, feel free to do it for any blog(s) and muse(s), not necessarily the specific one I tagged!

[seaglassandeelgrass]

In which I trip over 30 seconds'-worth of incidental instrumental music, fall very very far down a mudcat research hole, and emerge with a compiled playlist an hour and a half long of every song I can find using the same tune.

In my usual magpie-manner, I've been stricken with the urge to note down every identifiable bit of folksong scattered throughout the Sharpe series (thank you, John Tams, et al.), so during my most recent re-watch I kept notes as I watched- most I knew, the few others I could reverse search by phrases of lyrics, and the only real stumbling blocks were any un-named instrumental ones since I have a terrible ear for tunes I can't attach the mnemonic of lyrics to.

[If you only care for the playlists, scroll to the ✨️ at the bottom; if you want to look at my brain under a microscope, keep reading] [7 Feb, 2023 eta: the playlist has now more than doubled in length, both in # of songs and run-time]

In Siege though, starting at about 29:15, there's a brief bit of plaintive fiddle I did recognise as being the tune used by Judy Collins and others for 'Farewell to Tarwathie'. Which led, when I came to transferring my notes to playlist-form, to searching up the name of the tune itself so I could find an instrumental rendition, with my first port-of-call being the ever-faithful mainlynorfolk index, which quoted A.L. Lloyd as calling the tune 'an old favourite, best known in connection with the song called 'Green Bushes'. Which, being Bert Lloyd, we take with a substantial grain of salt.

So off to the mainlynorfolk index entry for 'Green Bushes'; not a lot of additional info there, so thus-armed, over we go to the Fresno State Trad Ballad Index entries, and their cross-references and then...

From which, the chain looked something like this: Mainlynorfolk -> Trad Ballad Index -> Scots Language Centre -> Trad Tune Archive -> Mudcat forums(1)

And then, through a marvelous stroke of serendipity, and the sole reason you're not currently reading the dissertation-length essay I was writing in my head; I stumbled across this article which is the exact manifestation of that incipient train of thought/red-string corkboard:

Song Archeology: From "Earl Douglas' Lament" To "Farewell Angelina"; The Long And Twisted History Of An Old Tune Family by Jürgen Kloss

So I could then simply get on with the playlist-making. Thank goodness for equally pedantic people in this world doing the hard work for me. (definitely do go read Kloss's article tho)

[(1) Which is fairly well what my usual oddly-specific folk playlist forays look like, only scanning for breadth rather than depth in their case. Mainlynorfolk is excellent for finding recordings of songs; the Trad Ballad Index for figuring links between songs/tunes themselves; and Mudcat, my beloved, for decades-old forum threads on particular themes and genres. Add to those the other *mumble*-dozen sites and books in my 'Folk Music Resources' bookmarks folder, such as the VWML Roud Index, and I can get real granular in my playlist-themes.]

(incidentally, 'Wild Rover' also scans near-perfectly to the tune and vice-versa 'Tarwathie''s lyrics to 'Wild Rover', though I don't think the tunes are actually that similar; I also keep slipping into 'Sweet Betsy From Pike/Vilikens and His Dinah' whilst humming it, though the metre there is entirely different; and i could halfway believe an evolutionary relation to the classic come-all-ye tune such as 'Blow-ye-winds-westerly/Fish in the Sea')

So anyway, the upshot of this is I now have two new playlists to show for it: the intended Sharpe's Soundtrack one [here] and the subsidiary hour-and-a-half 3-hours+ tune family compilation [here] ✨️

Sources:

DigiTrad: https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=8972

Kloss's site: https://www.justanothertune.com/html/tarwathie.html

Mainlynorfolk: https://mainlynorfolk.info/lloyd/songs/farewelltotarwathie.html ; https://mainlynorfolk.info/joseph.taylor/songs/greenbushes.html

Mudcat forum threads: https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=40025 ; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=93528

Scots Language Centre: https://www.scotslanguage.com/articles/node/id/400

Trad Ballad Index: https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/DTtarwat.html ; https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R061.html ; https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/LP02.html ; https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/FJ180.html ; https://www.fresnostate.edu/folklore/ballads/R740.html

Trad Tune Archive: https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Kennet%27s_Dream ; https://tunearch.org/wiki/Annotation:Johnny_Armstrong

[If any links cease to work, I've added them all to the Internet Archive Wayback Machine as well]

[aneenasevla]

Red Velvet - Chapter 2 (part 1)

MasterList / Akane’s profile / Last chapter here Art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 2 - Shake It! (part 1)

"Hey, babe, I found a good place!," Okubo says, while  Tomori gets into the car.

"Great! What's the name?," she asks as she sits next to him, in the passenger seat, and puts on the seat belt. "So I can send her the address."

"Put it on Google: Brazuca’s Bar, in Romaji because you won’t find it in kanji. I've already sent the address to Iron Fingers, privately," he starts the car, heading down the main road. "It's a Brazilian bar that Himuro recommended to me, he said the music is great and so is the food. There's a lot of other stuff there too. I'm kinda curious, I've never listened to Brazilian music much. It's gonna be something new for me, and I think it'll be new for you too."

"Brazilian, huh?," Tomori smiles at this. "Good choice! She has loved these places since high school. She'll feel at home there," She searches for the address on Google. "And it will be fun for us too! Brazilian establishments are very cozy."

"So you've been to one?," he asks, curious. "What is it like? Do you have a song reference so I don't feel lost? Put one on the stereo for us to hear."

"Only once, when I was eighteen and Kane was nineteen. Teenage girls, recently graduated from high school and with more hormones than common sense, you know the drill," She blushes a little, playing with a strand of hair, giggling. "But that wasn't the place you chose, so I'm very curious! Anyway, the music that plays most in these places are very famous genres in Brazil. Pagode and funk. And no, it's not American funk. It's another type," She looks for a song to use as an example.

"Pagode? Isn't it Samba?," he raises an eyebrow. Then he listens to the song when it starts playing. "Hmmm… the rhythm is quite romantic, isn't ir…? Which one is this?"

"Pagode. Music to dance close to, skin to skin," She giggles. "Everything is very physical in these places. I think it's the perfect place for Rihito, and for Akane too. But only if he knows how to behave. But we can both dance too, I'm available for you, hehe."

"I'm a terrible dancer," he blushes a little. "But for you, I can twerk like I'm the master of gigolos, so you can laugh in my face."

She laughs loudly right there, her shoulders shaking. "Laughter is what keeps a relationship alive and well, love! I laugh now, but I'll give you all the treats later to make up for it."

"Anything you want to give me," he smiles, and then laughs softly. "Wow, the music is really putting me in the mood! Show me some Funk, so I know what to wait for."

Tomori's smile is now a little more embarrassed. "Okay... but don't judge...," She chooses a specific one, putting the music on. And the rhythmic and intense beat startles him a little.

"Wow," he blinks. "Okay, I kinda like the beat, ahahahhaha... holy crap...," He starts laughing like an idiot. "I don't even know what this girl is singing but it seems very vulgar..."

"And it is! Akane loves these things, seriously," She laughs again, scratching the back of her head. "It's really fun to dance to, but if you read the translation of the lyrics, you'll blush like a virgin girl, hahaha!"

"Sorry, but now I'm curious to see this friend of yours in flesh and blood, and I think I hit the nail on the head, again. I'm getting scared with my luck..."

"I told you that day, Naoh. Rihito has no idea what he's gotten himself into," She gives a sharp, dangerous smile again. "But seriously, this could work out really well. She has the ideal energy to be on the same wavelength as him. Someone who won't be intimidated."

"I still have doubts, that dumbass only gets along with nut jobs and sex workers, 'cause they're paid to put up with him. So I dunno...," he then looks at her. "Are you in the mood for a bet?"

"A bet? What kind?," She arches an eyebrow, interested.

"What do you want from me?," he waggles his eyebrows.

"An autograph from Kaolan Wongsawat!," She says immediately, her eyes shining with excitement. "I only need his for the trinity of my biggest idols to be complete!"

He makes a face, as if he had sucked on a lemon. Of all the famous fighters he knew, it has to be the Thai God of War… "Okaaaaaay… if I win I want to take you on a tour on Osaka for a month. Give your boss a heads up because you're going with me after Christmas and you won't be back until the middle of February. Got it? Oh... one more thing," he looks at her, in an intimidating but lascivious tone. "You won't be able to walk for a while after that."

"Oh my God, you...!," She blushes a lot, giving a nasal laugh followed by a snore. "You're terrible, Okubo Naoya...!," She holds her face in her hands with an adorable smile. "Now I feel like losing on purpose, ahaha... even though taking a month off from the bakery would make Kanny's life difficult. But okay, I'm in! I'll see what I can do..."

"Alright! And it's gonna be good timming 'cause if he doesn't get this girl he'll cry in my fucking ear for weeks, and I want to be far away when that happens."

"Tell me about it…," She sighs. And then she looks up at him, her expression serious. "And I saw that face you made, y'know? I already told you that you don't need to be jealous of Kaolan Wongsawat, silly. I wouldn't trade my human mountain for anyone..."

"I know, it's just that you're too pretty and he's too…," he stops himself. "Well! I want my girl to only care about me, and to look at me, and only me, with star in her eyes," he looks at her with a smiles. "Just like you're doing now."

She pats his shoulder, and then snuggles her head there, closing her eyes. "I won't call you cocky only because I've caught you looking at me the same way manny times. ‘We’re even."

He laughs a little, before changing gears in the car.

…

Panther: 

honey, I’m already here!

wya?

Wolfie:

we're almost there! 

just one more block away

we'll be in a blue suv

are you at the entrance?

Panther: 

yep

and I'm enjoying the music already

a brazilian bar, eh

you know me so well

hey, I'm gonna get a table for four

it'll be easy to spot me

but just to be sure, I'm wearing my favorite coat, you know which one

Wolfie:

I'd recognize that coat from a mile away lol

ok we'll park and then meet you inside

brings back some memories, right?

both of us, sneaking into that pub to get shitfaced lmao

Panther: 

it sure does lol 

we'll talk more at the bar, it's cold as hell outside

And her icon went offline.

Akane goes inside the bar, looking for a table big enough for four people. She found one on a good spot, sitting down and taking off her coat, letting it fall to her waist. She was never ashamed of showing her tattoos off, but she still adjusted her cleavage to keep her breasts in place. This caught the attention of a waiter, and she ordered a juice. If that Rihito guy was like Tomori told her, she wanted to be sober to face whatever he threw at her.

The atmosphere was already buzzing, despite it still being relatively early. She could only imagine what it would be like later, at nightfall, when the music was at its peak and the alcohol had risen in the blood of all those people. The buzz of random conversations gradually increased in volume, making it difficult to hear her own thoughts, which might be a good thing, all things considered.

It doesn't take long for her to see the waiter further ahead, bringing the juice she ordered, walking a little slowly so as not to bump into the customers.

"There you go, miss..."

"Send the menu, sweetheart," she smiles. "I’ll look at it for now. I don’t even know how much the juice costs, I ended up ordering it on impulse…"

"Of course. And no need to worry about that, miss," The waiter places the menu on to the table and the tray under his arm. "Your juice has already been paid for."

"Huh? Really? By who?," She raises an eyebrow. Was there some busybody who wanted to ruin her date? She gets worried, pushing the juice away lightly so as not to give this annoying stranger any ideas.

"That gentleman over there," The waiter indicates with a discreet nod of the head the long counter facing the bar, where some people were sitting. "He said you know him..."

And she sees him there, sitting on one of the stools with his back to the bar, his arms resting on the counter. He wore a dark green shirt that molded to his muscles in such a way that it could only have been planned. He lifts his head a little and smiles, his expressive green eyes looking at her with obvious, warm interest, a few strands of unruly bleached hair falling over them.

Oh yes, she knew him. From photos, but there was no way to get confused. And apparently he wasn't confused either. She felt relieved that it wasn't some other cocky man and then smiled, taking the glass.

"Thanks, darling," she nods to the waiter and drinks some of the juice, looking directly at him. She knew her look was spot on, so she put it to good use.

No sooner said than done. The interest on his face was so obvious it was funny, a second before he managed to compose himself. He himself was already drinking, picking up a glass and slowly turning it into his mouth without taking his eyes off hers. He almost seemed to be waiting for something...

"Akane!"

The excited scream steals her attention, and as she turns around, she comes across her friend, Tomori, coming towards her with a huge smile, and right behind her, the almost seven-foot gorilla she recognized as her new boyfriend.

"Girl, I missed you! Still the biggest clotheshorse in the whole town, eh!"

"Go big or go home, isn't that what they say, Peahen?," she gets up and hugs her friend, laughing. Then she look at Okubo. "Holy smokes, did they build a freakin' wall in front of me and I didn't see it 'till now? Is that your pet gorilla, Tomori?"

Tomori returns the hug with a loud laugh, before turning around and saying, "In the flesh, honey! Kane, this is Okubo Naoya. Champion of Ultimate Fight and of my heart," She coos playfully. She had always been an helpless romantic, even in her days as a crazy delinquent, and she knew how hilarious her friend found it. "Naoh, this is Agata Akane, the crazy girl I told you about."

"Hey, nice to meet ya," he bows a little, hugging Tomori by the shoulder. "Tomori talks about you a lot. She really likes you, y’know."

"And who doesn’t?," she jokes, laughing afterwards. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Okubo. So… that blonde bull over there is your friend, right? Is he shy? Why don't you introduce him to me?," she points with one of her well-painted claw-shaped nails.

"Big bull- jeez, has Rihito arrived yet?," Tomori looks where Akane was pointing. And sure enough, there was Lihito, sitting with his back to the bar. He widens his eyes a little before looking away, mumbling to himself for a second before seeming to make up his mind and standing up from the bench. "Yes, it's him! Wasn't he going to arrive just half an hour later?"

"He must've tried to lose us," Okubo murmurs to his girlfriend. "Welp, sucks for him, but we arrived...," he says out loud, pulling a chair for Tomori to sit down, then taking his place, while the other man comes closer. "This is my friend, Rihito…"

Rihito approaches, looking momentarily embarrassed. Apparently, the cute couple ended messing up his plans of wooing her with his mysterious charm... well, at least paying for her juice had worked. And the look of embarrassed annoyance, even though it only lasted a second before being suppressed with a confident smile, had been strangely cute.

"Hey. Is this the lady I've heard so much about, Tomori?"

"Yep! Rihito, this is Agata Akane. Akane, this is Nakata Ichiro, but he prefers to be called by his nom de guerre. It's something you have in common," Tomori smiles, and Rihito a little to the side, his eyes narrowing a little as he smiles crookedly.

"Seems like it. Noms de guerre and the fascination with big cats...," He deliberately lets his eyes roam over her shoulders, focusing for a second longer on her set of tattoos "Nice to meet you, Miss Agata."

"Likewise, Rihito," she smiles sharply, extending a hand to him, as if waiting for a kiss. "I saw you from afar, but up close... it's more interesting this way."

"Yeah, same to you," He takes her hand, and Okubo and Tomori are secretly relieved to see that he had managed to contain himself, not pulling her towards him with that wild excitement that they knew well. He just brought her delicate hand to his lips and kissed it, his eyes fixed on hers. "You were already beautiful in the photos, in person… 'Panther' couldn’t be a more appropriate definition hahaha…"

"My spirit animal, my dear," she winks and then looks at the other two at the table. "So, shall we start with an appetizer to warm up? I started with a glass of juice because I didn't want to get hammered before you guys got here, so I'll stick with that for now. Here's the menu," she sits back down and hands it to them.

"Thanks", Okubo takes the menu. "Oh, nice, this one looks tasty," he points to some cheese cubs. Akane looks at him as she sits down, crossing her legs elegantly. Rihito immediately looks at her. She was wearing a short dress with a side slit… that was open almost all the way down to her hips. No sign of panties there. Or a bra; that red dress and those stockings were the only thing that prevented him from seeing everything. And that thing covering her entire thigh... was that the same tattoo she had on her shoulder?!

He swallows discreetly. Holy shit, how the fuck was he supposed to hold back? None of those two saps prepared him for that! He knew from her Instagram profile that she was the confident, "likes to leave nothing to the imagination" type; he didn't mind at all, he even liked that type of woman, because they were the most likely to accept his advances. But that? Walking around in such a revealing dress and without any sign of underwear, with all the confidence in that hot, tattooed body that she was displaying? She was basically asking him to fuck her right there in the pub's bathroom! He couldn't believe how lucky he was!

He forces himself to keep his thoughts in order and his blood away from the lower half of his body. He had made a promise, and he was a man of his word. He was going to take things calmly, test the waters and tame that wild cat until she was all soft and eager to get busy with him. The juice scheme had only been partially successful thanks to the interference of those two, but that was okay. They still had all night.

"Hehe, of course," He nods, making a point of sitting right next to her, hands together on the table to contain the urge to take a good grip on her exposed thigh. "You can order more of them, if you want. There may be more where that came from, after all...," He arches an eyebrow.

"How generous," she laughs softly. The invisible clothing tactic never failed, he had his eyes on her and only her. It was exactly what she wanted. "But for now the juice is enough... help yourself, an empty bag won't stand, and if you fall, you'll take one or two poor bastards with you," she laughs softly, drinking some more.

Rihito was so taken with her that he even began to notice details in her face: the vibrant red lipstick on her full lips didn't stain the glass, it was so well applied. Even her makeup looked flawless; he had no idea how much she'd applied on her face, but her blue eyes seemed to want to hide shyly, beneath her thick, dark lashes. Her vibrant blonde hair had some well-hidden colored streaks. He had to concentrate on responding to her appropriately and not look down to look at her cleavage, which happened to be very evident in his point of view.

"Haha, lady, I can knock down a lot more bastards than that," He manages to say, forcing himself to keep his eyes fixed on hers; he discovered it wasn't that difficult, because those blue irises were quite impressive. Contact lenses? Or was it natural? It was hard to say, and if it was the second option, he wondered if that meant she was mixed race, like Kanami. "But no need to worry. I can be quite gentle when I get the right encouragement, hehe..."

"A stuffed gorilla, as I said," Tomori jokes with a smirk.

"Oh, c'mon! A gorilla?," He turns to her, his bravado lessening a little, giving way to a slight embarrassed indignation. "You'll make your friend think I'm a Neanderthal or something!"

Tomori laughs a little, shaking her head. "Considering how long it took you to make an Instagram profile, that definition is appropriate."

He snorts, rolling his eyes. And then he smiled, looking sideways at Akane. "I had a nice incentive."

"Hahahahaha…," she laughs softly. "In that case I'm happy I helped you with leaving your cave. It strokes my ego, you know?," She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, showing the colored lower part; how many colors were there he didn't know, but he counted at least three. "But it'd be good to eat, you'll need energy for what's to come. I heard that the dance floor gets really busy at eleven. What do you think?," She looks at the other two too.

“Lady, I want to stroke much more than just your ego!” He hums in thought.

"In that case, I'll fill the whole tank. We don't want to lose steam for the night... but anyway!," He leans a little towards her, and Tomori and Okubo enter into a brief alert, which passes when he just rests an arm on the table next to hers. "Tomori told me a little about you. You've been friends since high school, right?"

"Yeah! Did she ever told you guys about how we met? It was very intense," she smiles at her friend, leaning a little on the table. Okubo gets a little embarrassed and discreetly looks at the menu, and then turns to call the waiter. Akane laughed a little and turned her body towards Rihito, out of respect for her friend, looking at her with a naughty little smile. "How can I describe it... once upon a time there was a peahen who liked a lion... except that the peahen was a wolf underneath all the feathers. She challenged a panther, who also liked this lion, and they fought. Then they saw that the lion was an asshole, so they got together and put the sucker in his place. They shook hands and have been friends ever since. The end," She waves the fingers of one hand theatrically. "But of course, the wolf went to college and now she makes delicious cakes with her Butch friend..."

Tomori laughs loudly, her shoulders shaking a little. "And on top of that, the butch friend  managed to get herself a 'stone' in the last few months!"

Rihito blinks, confusion written in every line of his face. And there was the stupid face she had seen in the photos Tomori had sent her. "Stone? Like... in 'stoner'? Tokita isn't a pothead, even if he looks like one... Hey, what's so funny?," He blushes a little when the girl laughs even louder, placing a hand over her mouth.. "Okubo, your girlfriend is parroting those bizarre slang words again!"

"Relax, 'stone' is what you call a lesbian's very masculine girlfriend. Or in that case, a bi chick's boyfriend," Akane looks at Tomori. "But, like, for real? I saw a hunk near her in the pics you sent me. It wasn't him? She's dating a girl?"

"No, it’s a real guy. Black hair, kinda stuck up...," Okubo says, now more relieved, as there is no cleavage in his field of vision.

"Oooh... oh honey, that's no 'stone', c'mon now," she makes a face, and then she looks at Okubo. "So you're all friends?"

"Sometimes he is, when Kanny decides to act like the 'man' in the relationship...," Tomori laughs again, while Rihito, still a little confused, responds, "Yes, we are! Okubo and I have known each other for almost five years and have been hanging out together ever since. It was actually thanks to me that these two met, hehe."

"Oh, you?"

"Yep! I was the one who invited him to stop by the bakery the day he met her. He kept bitching, but I convinced him. You're both welcome," He smiles smugly. "And like you girls, we kind of met because of fighting, right, man? We're both fighters. We were lucky to come across two hot-blooded fighters too. There's no better way to form a solid friendship, right?," He laughs at Akane.

"Actually there is, but some take longer," she laughs too. "In our case we had a common enemy, that's what brought us together and we saw that it wasn't worth fighting over him. So, are you a fighter too? Wow, now I'm interested in seeing you in action later, in a controlled environment, of course...," she smiles suggestively.

"Maybe one day...," He arches an eyebrow at her, also smiling suggestively. "Then you'll see that I also have a lot in common with panthers and leopards... I can even give you a quick demonstration, if you want."

"Oh yeah? Let me see," She gets excited and slowly holds his chin in her fingers. "C'mon, gimme a smile, I swear I saw little fangs in there..."

Okubo laughs at the Rihito's surprised face.

Tomori gives an absurdly devilish smile when she sees Rihito shuddering, becoming completely disconcerted for a second, his eyes widening.

“I warned you, you casanova wannabe. Now deal with it.”

Rihito, on the other hand, was trying to remember how to move his tongue to form cohesive sentences. He had been warned to behave more courteously and was trying to follow that to the letter, so the last thing he expected was for her to go the opposite way. Damn, no one had ever told him he had “fangs”… he felt the long, manicured nails brush against his chin, sending a shiver down his spine that reverberated through his muscles and bones, and he could only imagine them scratching on his shoulders and between his shoulder blades as he pounded into her. Wild as a big cat, a dangerous predator... the thought caused a brief lapse in his self-control, making him open a wide, sharp smile, his heart racing in a brief jolt of adrenaline.

"Lady, you can look as much as you want. But be careful, I don't warn you before I bite. Raaawn!," And he closes his teeth very close to her fingers.

Tomori and Okubo exchange tired looks. He had held on for about ten minutes. Must be a new record or something.

Akane, on the other hand, laughs out loud for half a second. "Hahahahhahaha, there you are…," she purs, withdrawing her hand, but smiling immensely. "And I was right, you have little fangs! So cute!"

Okubo looks at Tomori, whispering, "Okay, it wasn't his fault this time..."

"No, it wasn't. I told you she was terrible," Tomori whispers to him in response, arching an eyebrow. "Do you still doubt that they can get along, love?"

"I do, but at least now I'm hopeful," he smiles a little, and then he looks to the side. "Hey, our order's coming!"

The waiter arrives with some snacks and four colorful drinks in the Tropical style, leaving the plates on the table - curiously made of black clay - in front of the two couples - "Here it is! Please enjoy."

They saw a variety of cold cuts, French fries, salami and a small plate of what looked like dried meat accompanied by fried cabbage and a strange yellow sand-like flour. According to tthe waiter, it was called "Farofa”, cassava flour, typical of Brazil. And there were some yellow buns too, which looked warm and freshly made.

"Thanks! Finally, this looks delicious...," Tomori sighs contentedly, straightening up in the chair, while Rihito laughs too, his gaze now showing the hunger he feels more clearly. And not just because of the appetizing food that was placed on the table. He was still going to try to contain himself, he had promised, after all. But damn, it was so good to see that he seemed to have met his match in that woman. He couldn't wait until he was alone with her...

"It arrived just in time, I’m as hungry as a lion. Or a leopard," He smiles again. "And I don't have only fangs, miss. I have claws too."

"Ohhh… really?," she looks at his hands. "I don't see any... do you play the guitar or something?"

"He does, we even have a band. Nothing too serious 'cause our schedules won't allow it, but we had our moments of glory," Okubo adds happily.

"Oh my... tall, strong, green eyes, cute little fangs and now he even plays guitar? What a catch, eh...," she jokes, patting him on the shoulder as she laughs a little coquettishly. "All that's left is you being a good dancer, then I'll be a goner," she takes a salami and bites into it, still looking at him.

Tomori had to rest her forehead on her boyfriend's arm to stop herself from laughing when Rihito's chest ballooned, his face lighting up in an absolutely hilarious smug happiness. If he were a peacock, he would probably have opened his huge tail by now.

This was one of Akane's specialties. Grabbing men by their giant egos and making them dance to the beat of her tune, like trained dogs being led on leashes. Obviously that incorrigible womanizer would not be an exception to that rule.

"Then today is your lucky day, Miss Akane, 'cause I'm a hell of a dances! Hey, can I call you by your first name? It sounds too good not to be pronounced, haha..."

"Call me Sekihyo, it’s my nom de guerre. Then I call you by yours," she smiles more, her eyelashes falling slightly, only making her eyes look even more piercing. "And you are, eh? Then let's hit the floor at midnight. I want you to show me these moves."

Okubo tries not to laugh, and busies himself with the food, offering a bite to Tomori, as a cute gesture.

She accepts immediately, all happy as she bats her eyelashes at him. The next few hours would be a real show in itself, so it was good for them to enjoy it with a little cuteness while they still could.

Rihito doesn't even pay attention to the other couple, completely absorbed in his back-and-forth with Akane. It was the first time in a long time that he felt so encouraged to have a conversation with a woman, instead of rushing things so he could finally take her to the nearest bedroom. He decides he wanted to enjoy it more, seeing how far they could go before the attraction became unsustainable.

She wanted to play, didn't she? Oh, they could definitely play then.

"Haha, alright then. Sekihyo...," He lets the H click on his tongue. "Midnight then. Always that magic hour, right? Until then, I can show you other of my attributes…"

"If you want, I'll show you mine too. I have some," she continues eating the food, taking a sip of the juice; now it was in another glass, more alcoholic, but still not much. "You're being so generous with yours, I think it's only fair I show you too."

"All in good time. Anyway, I was the one who asked to meet you first, right? I think it's fair that I first show you that I'm not wasting your time," He puts a salami in his mouth too, chewing slowly, insinuatingly... and then widens his eyes and says, amazed, "Wow, it's so salty! But it's actually good, you know? I-I mean...," He swallows quickly, a little red, and Tomori once again hides her laughter in Okubo's arm.

“Who knows, maybe she’ll go easier on him after she sees that, deep down, he’s just an idiot with the personality of a golden retriever?”

Akane, however, smiled even more; Tomori felt that she was enjoying this more and more with each minute. Oh boy, he was teasing the monster too much...

"It really is, right?," she eats another salami. "There's a spicy one here too, if you want," she takes a toothpick and offers it to him. "Be careful, Brazilian food tends to be very deceiving. This is one of them."

He swallows again, looking at the snack she offers him. Oh, damn, had they already reached that stage? He was really enjoying how she wasn't making a fuss, exactly as Tomori had described. He smiles sideways.

"And how can I say no to such an offer? And I don't mind. I like a little spice...," He closes his mouth on the snack, his lips close to her fingers, and he had to restrain the perverted impulse to stick his tongue out and lick them. He had already taken enough risks with that playful bite.

And the intense burning came straight to his tongue, after a few bites. She looks straight at him, a mischievous smile on her lips while she herself eats the same snack as if it were nothing.

"So? You like it?," she says as if she wants to laugh, looking at him seductively. Something about it reminded him a lot of a certain twink from a certain bakery, and that gave him goosebumps as much as the spiciness.

The snack went tearing down his throat; he had to hold back to keep from coughing and panting like a thirsty dog. Holy crap, that shit burned! He hadn't imagined it would burn so much! Did- Did she know that? Was that why she were smiling like that?

What a she-devil. Satan's spawn, like the scary twink from the bakery. But that only served to stir him up even more. Oh, he was going to give her a well-deserved retribuition later...

"It's- It's very spicy," ​​He nods, quickly pouring himself some water, trying to ignore how Okubo and Tomori seemed about to burst into laughter. "Strong flavor. Apparently you're quite used to this type of food... do you like a little heat?," He asks, the provocative tone becoming implied.

"I was baptized in Fire, honey," she raises her eyebrows. "I'm not perfect but I'm training to go to Hell, since there's no way I'm going to Heaven anymore," she throws her hair back, revealing the color underneath. He saw blue, purple, pink and red amidst the yellow, falling like silk ribbons on her shoulders, and now the leopard skin tattoo was completely visible.

"... Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go wherever they want," He was surprised how he managed to say that sentence clearly, considering that his tongue was a bit numb. It was probably that rainbow she had for a hair that made him regain his focus. Or the tattoo on her shoulder, which he was already fantasizing about kissing and biting later. "And they can drag someone with them. Not that said someone would complain."

"I'm almost asking for us to change tables, Naoh. Things are going faster than we expected," Tomori confides quietly to Okubo, with an air of laughter.

"Not yet, babe, this is getting funny as hell. I'm getting all the details for the guys, they'll want to know," He laughs softly and speaks in the same tone. "but, hey... we can hit the floor as a excuse to make ourselves more comfortable, what do you think? And honestly? These songs are putting me in the mood to rock with you, and I'm not even good at that..."

"I think it’s perfect. I want to let Akane do her magic," She laughs softly, placing her hand over his on the table "And don't worry about that. The important thing is to have fun, not to put on a show. We'll make our own show later, at your place or mine..."

"My place, please. My bed can handle it better," He jokes, laughing softly.

Akane noticed them, feeling  if she teased any more it would look awkward.

"Ohh, what time is it now?," she pretends to be surprised and raises her head, looking around, her hand on top of Rihito's, even running her nails a little over his skin. "Guess it's time for us to shake it up a little, right?"

"Yeah, I guess," Rihito looks at the clock on his phone. "It’s almost midnight. Time flew, damn..."

"Get ready, because this place is going to get heated pretty soon," Tomori assures, smiling excitedly. "If you're still not sure, boys, just follow Akane and me, and we'll know what to do. Right? War veterans and such..."

"Hey, I don't need guidance. I know my way around a dance floor like that. And I've always been the type who likes to coordinate...," Rihito smiles insinuatingly, straightening his shoulders and looking even broader and more imposing.

"Oh, so you like twerking too?!," she opens her eyes, pretending to be absurdly excited. "Nice! I wanna see!"

He didn't even have time to justify himself, when the lights suddenly went out and a bunch of neon lights and colored spotlights invaded the room along with the sound of a characteristic siren. A bunch of people suddenly cheered, clapping and howling at the sound, alerting the two fighters. An extremely seductive male announcer's voice speaks with a strong accent:

"Laaaaadies and gentlemen, from now on the most awaited moment of all begins, the Dance Floor is officially opeeeeen..."

Akane howled a little along with the chorus that followed. Several people gathered in the middle of the dance floor, leaving the tables.

"Woohoo! Right in time!," she smiles a lot, getting up and leaving her coat on the table. "Tomori, how about we go first? So we can warm up a little, like we used to do?"

"Girl, that’s exactly what I was thinking!," Tomori throws her arms up with an excited exclamation, exchanging a high-five with Akane afterwards. "We'll be right back, Naoh, Lihito!"

"Wha- you two will go first?," Rihito blinks, surprised, immediately turning to his friend when they leave the table. "Are you cool with this, man?"

"Oh c'mon, don’t you wanna watch it first?," Okubo smiles, suggestively. When the girls were far alway enough, he adds, "Are you gonna waste your chance to look at her the way you've been wanting to since you saw her pics on Instagram? Now you can, and no one's gonna judge you…"

That made Rihito pause. Okay, when he put things like that, the perspective became very interesting…

"Damn, what’s worse is that you're right," He smiles, excited. "But in my case, I’m just in this to have fun. Aren't you worried that someone’s gonna grind against your girl in the middle of the dance floor or something?"

"Nah, not this time. Tomori said the girls always go first, and then the guys join. Hey, look," he pointed with his head, and there were only women in the dance floor. "Man, that's a really nice sight," he said, but he was looking directly at his girlfriend.

Okubo was grateful that Tomori told him beforehand that first only the girls will go for the first song, then the couples would mix.

Rihito immediately follows the direction of his gaze, and finds himself compelled to agree. Damn, apparently they had been incredibly lucky, because there were only hot girls on that dance floor! The thought of seeing them dancing close to each other left him almost on edge... and one of them already had his special attention, her incredibly tanned skin and multicolored hair making her stand out in that ocean of curves, legs and tempting breasts. Without the coat, he could clearly see all her curves, shamelessly displayed in that tight little dress.

"Hell yeah… it’s practically the best buffet in all of Tokyo… and I’m going to try the most exotic dish," He smiles hungrily.

"Heh, there’s an exclusive dish there, don't you fucking forget," Okubo warns, half seriously, half jokingly. "But they are giving us a hell of a gift, so enjoy it. Damn, Tomori," he practically groans, seeing his girlfriend swaying to the rhythm of the music along with her friend. "Fuck, she's such a tease…”

Rihito laughs out loud. "Looks like I'm not the only one getting lucky today, huh! Feast with gusto, pal... because I'm going to do the same..."

He watches the two girls dancing together, his eyes fixed on that scene that seemed like something out of one of his most erotic teenage fantasies. But Okubo could rest assured that he wasn't interested in Tomori, but in her dance partner. And what a partner, may God be fucking blessed... he watched attentively every movement, every sway of those hips, how her breasts swayed lightly under her dress, the sweat already dotting her golden skin like small pearls, or drops of dew that he wanted to catch them with his tongue, following their descent until they were lost in her folds, in her navel, between those wonderful legs...

What he wouldn't give for her to be wiggling like that in a hotel room, just for him, preferably without any clothes on...

The first song ended, which was the signal for the rest of the patrons to join in. Okubo gave his friend an encouraging slap on the shoulder. "Come on, Iron Fingers, let's have a feast!," he smiled very naughty, so much so that Rihito wondered which one of them was the single guy after all.

"Right behind you, Egghead!," He quickly follows him, restraining himself from running like a dog that was called to eat by its owner. He felt completely confident now, sure that he wouldn't be rejected and that now he could go all out. That dance was very physical, insinuating, so the prohibitions imposed by the sugary couple did not apply there. He doubted his illustrious company would want it any other way.

The two girls were laughing with each other, panting and sweating a little, but they didn't look tired. Great. The two men got closer, and Rihito takes advantage of his size to make Akane feel everything when he leans against her, not enough to make her feel cornered, but enough to make his intentions clear. It was a strategy that Okubo and he used frequently, even when they were both single. He found himself really appreciating how smaller than him she was, how delicate she seemed close to his impressive frame. That did a lot of good for his male ego.

"Excuse me... are the two ladies up for a different partner for the next song?"

"Oh? I was wondering how much longer I'd have to wait," Akane smiles, leaning against him and taking his hands with hers, facing away from him. "Let's dance..."

Okubo approaches Tomori and holds her hand, turning her a little before bringing her against his chest. "Hey, did you miss me?"

"Always...," Tomori arches an eyebrow, smiling lasciviously, and damn, who would have thought that such a cute and petite girl could look sensual like that? Rihito now understood well why his friend had fallen head over heels for her. But he doesn't pay too much attention to it, because Akane's hands intertwined with his and her back pressed against his chest demanded all his attention, and he would give it with pleasure.

"Come on... I always thought of panthers as graceful animals, you know, Sekihyo? I want to see if its true," He says quietly in her ear.

"I thought you already knew, handsome," he feels a volume passing between his legs, and he notices that it was her buttocks passing right over that spot as she rolled her hips. "But it only gets better if you show me what you can do…"

She turns and faces him, starting to dance to the rhythm of the music, moving her feet and shoulders, snapping her fingers, looking him up and down, inquisitive and expectant.

... Holy. Fucking. Shit.

To hell with self-control. To hell with promises. She clearly wanted him to be direct and physical with her. The sugary couple could stay there, circling each other slowly as if this were the slowest foreplay in the history of humanity. That gourgeous woman and he weren't really interested in taking it slow. They had already played enough.

She wanted it fast and hard, didn't she? Then that was exactly what he would give her.

She feels that huge hand wrap around her waist with the speed of a snake's pounce, bringing her to him in a single pull. And she sees that Tomori hadn't exaggerated when she said that the blonde gorilla was strong. His hand was like an iron noose. He also had a lot of control over his own strength, because she didn't feel any pain or discomfort. She just found herself unable to escape those fingers.

"I'll show you... you'll see as much as you'll feel."

And he began to move his hips along with hers, rubbing himself against her without any shame. And damn, that unit of a man really know how to twerk!

Akane didn't expect that, panting lightly with his grip. Wow, that was a really nice surprise. Now things were getting really good.

"Wow, so you aren't all bark and no bite?," She smiles a lot, turning around to face him, one hand on his shoulder, placing it close to his neck, the other going on top of his butt, moving her hips along with his, following the rhythm. Her excitement was reaching the stratosphere, may Daddy Satan be blessed… "You'll make me fall harder and literally..."

"Not here on the dance flor, babe," He gasps at her, smiling that predatory smile, and once again showing off those little fangs. The way he was glued to her, leaning down so he could whisper in her ear, made her think he must have been dying to have those canines on her neck, like a male cat would do with a female when he wanted to mate. "Let's just dance for now. We can continue the show later, behind closed doors, if you want."

His hands held her tight around her hips, guiding her movements to coordinate with his. He then makes her turn around, again pressing his broad chest against her back, wanting her to feel all his muscles working in sync as they dance. Rihito was both proud and a little embarrassed of his resourcefulness. Many people considered dancing something only for women and fags... but damn, if he could stay like that with her for longer, he would continue twerking like there's no tomorrow!

And the woman in front of him seemed to fully agree with that, he was sure; even more so when she held his face while she moved, so there was no one calling him anything!

"Holy shit," Okubo commented when he took a look at his friend, seeing if they had the green light to do their thing. "Okay, love, I think we're free to go. Look...," he smiles while looking at the other couple. "From now on it's an adult film session and I want to do my own, not watch others do theirs."

Tomori laughs loudly, taking the opportunity to imitate Akane's movements, just to make the poor man behind her even more excited. "Fine be me! They can sort thing out themselves from now on. Come, I want to dance like this for you in your bed...," She takes his huge right hand, slowly biting the tip of his index finger.

"I swear, woman, you're begging me to carry you outta here," he laughs. "And I really liked it, you know? If it's going to always end like this, I want to come here often," he follows her as eagerly as she does, both of them disappearing into the crowd. "We can send Miss Agata a message saying that we left, so they won't look for us, just in case..."

"Take it from me, Naoh, there’s no need. She's quick-witted enough to figure it out on her own," Tomori guarantees with a chuckle. And then she confides in him, quietly, a little astonished, "But damn, babe, I didn't know Rihito could dance like that! Have you ever seen him make those moves?"

"Yeah, one time when we're playing Just Dance," he laughs. "Everyone ended up knowing about it later. We don't make fun of him only because Himuro ended up winning, the dude is a GoGo Boy to the fuckin' core.

She laughs loudly, pulling him by the hand with excitement. "​​There's something I want to see. But now I just want us dancing, preferably without clothes to get in the way."

"I love you so fuckin' much," He laughs in a very idiotic while leaving the bar with her, like two teenagers going to do something naughty.

Akane, all the while, had seen a glimpse of the couple disappearing. She smiled to herself; her cue was right there. She turned to him, moving a little away to look at him dancing, with the excuse of twirling to show herself, and she was loving what she was seeing too. Under the lights, with his eyes half closed and biting his lip, he became sexy... she approached him and pulled him a little, bringing his lips closer to his, and moving away, just to see if he would follow, trying to complete the distance. And she felt like she had won when he did exactly what she had predicted.

Big, dumb and hot. Exactly the way she liked it.

The current music ended, and she smiled, looking at him. They didn't really need any more games, he was wrapped around her little finger.

"So... let's get going?," She indicates the exit with her head, in case he didn't hear because of the loud music.

"Show me the way," He says in a breath, and yes, she no longer saw any bravado or presumption there. He would probably grab her right then and there if it was socially appropriate. His arm immediately circles her waist, bringing her close, almost possessively, as if he were afraid she would change her mind midway. "I'll follow you wherever you want."

"Come on, I’ll just get my coat, pay my share and we can leave…," she pulls him by the hand, languidly leaving his embrace. "Then we can talk more in private… I know a nice place."

"I can pay if you want, no problem," He says quickly as he follows her. "It’s the bare minimum. I said there could be more where that juice glass came from, didn't I?" He jokes, smiling sideways.

"Alright... just this time, handsome," She smiles sharply. "'Cause this time I really wanto to."

She grabs her coat from the back of her chair, and they prepare to pay the check and leave.

Damn, that could only be the universe recognizing how unfair it had been to him all those years and deciding to make it up to him in one fell swoop! He really wanted to kiss her again, but no, there would be a much better place for it. He could wait a little longer. He had waited all that time after all.

It's then that he receives a text message. Okubo had transferred him some money, saying, 

EggHead: sorry bro, I forgot to pay our tab 

sort this out for us LOL

He rolls his eyes with a laugh. That pervert who was almost as helpless as he was... he was so eager to get home fuck his own girl that he almost turned into a deadbeat. Not that he blamed him. He understood it perfectly. He himself was almost running with the tabs in hand, wanting to end this as quickly as possible so he could go with Akane to a place much more appropriate for what they wanted to do. If he hadn't been determined to preserve a modicum of dignity, he would already be jumping and punching the air like an idiot.

NEXT PART HERE

[sleeplessgreaser]

The Music of Chapter 7

To begin with, I want to give full disclosure: I didn't know shit about vinyl records until like 2 days ago, and there was a lot I had to learn about records and stereos so I could be as accurate as possible. In this post I'll go over the music that Johnny and Dally buy at the record store in chapter 7 of my fic, "I Don't Think He's Ever Seen a Sunset".

Before I could start writing, I did a thorough search on the musical artists greasers listened to in the 50s and 60s. Of course, Elvis Presley was an obvious answer, but I wanted more than that. According to what I found, greasers' taste in music had a good variety; mostly depending on where they were located in the United States and what circles they ran in. An important note to remember is that greasers are just a "genre" of people, and their taste in music is decided on a communal as well as personal scale. So I tried to stick with a few artists whose names just kept popping up. Those artists were: Eddie Cochran, Johnny Burnette, and Chuck Berry.

The first song mentioned in chapter 7 is "The Train Kept A-Rollin'", specifically the cover done by Johnny Burnette and the Rock and Roll Trio in 1956. In the chapter, Johnny hears Dally mention Tiny Bradshaw to the store clerk. Tiny Bradshaw was the original artist of the song, however Johnny Burnette's version is a rockabilly rendition of it. A fun fact about Johnny Burnette's version is that it's believed to have been the first use of an intentionally distorted guitar in the rock music genre. (Of course, let's not forget that the use of an intentionally distorted guitar had already been present in blues music! Remember: Rockabilly was heavily inspired by black music, and we should always remember to give credit to the original creators, especially when those creators aren't well credited in the first place.)

I truly believe that "The Train Kept A-Rollin'" by Johnny Burnette would be one of Dally's favorite songs. It reminds me of him in so many ways, and I just think it fits his entire persona.

On the flip side of that single was "Honey Hush" and I won't lie to you, this song is very problematic. This song was also a rockabilly rendition of a previous blues song, this one being written by Big Joe Turner. The lyrics to this one are heavily sexist and even involve implications of domestic violence. I'll say this once, and then just put an asterisk next to any other songs that this applies to: I only included this song because my autist brain would never allow me to be untrue to these original pieces of history.

The next songs to be mentioned are from Elvis's second studio album, also from 1956. This album is absolutely beautiful and I love every song on it; excluding Old Shep, because that song is Depressing As Hell. I won't go through every song on this album, but I'll talk about the ones I mentioned in my fic.

"Rip It Up" is the first song on the A side of the record, and to me it is the epitome of a young adult's life in the 50s and 60s. This song, as well as "Paralyzed" and "So Glad You're Mine" just feel like Johnny's kind of music to me. Upbeat with a hint of dramatics, paired with romanticism as well as the idea of living a happy life despite having pretty blatant problems. (Also, "I'm gay every morning, and at night I'm still the same" just kills me every time I hear it.)

The second single the boys find is Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" from 1958, which I feel is just an absolutely perfect song for The Outsiders as a whole. It's an example of a song that both greasers and socs could enjoy and find understanding in, though I think a greaser would definitely find more enjoyment in it than a soc would given that it's a rockabilly song about struggling with money issues. Now, in chapter 7 I remarked that the boys would most likely not enjoy the flipside of this single, "Love Again", but I need you to understand: I am in love with this song. The lyrics are very clearly aimed towards Cochran's female audience, which explains why the boys wouldn't like it, but (as a man) I have to say that the melody is just so nice.

After that they found another one of Eddie Cochran's singles, "Twenty Flight Rock" from 1957, and I tell a short story about Dally, Johnny, Steve, and Two-Bit going to see the movie "The Girl Can't Help It". I mention the actress known as Jayne Mansfield, who was apparently quite the sexual icon back then! It would make sense that Two-Bit would be obsessed with this platinum blonde woman, who was featured in Playboy magazines and starred in some very spicy movies. Also, here's a fun fact that I just learned while writing this: She's Mariska Hargitay's mom?? You know, as in the actress of Olivia Benson from Law & Order: SVU???? I'm absolutely stunned by this because I found this woman under very different circumstances, but Mariska Hargitay is my QUEEN.

Okay, sorry for that tangent, back to the music…

"Twenty Flight Rock" was first featured in the movie "The Girl Can't Help It" and was later released as a single a year later, with a flipside of "Cradle Baby". Once again, the B side song is problematic, but hey: *

Last but not least we have Chuck Berry's album Chuck Berry is on Top, released in 1959. Again, I won't talk about every song on this album, just the few I mentioned. "Sweet Little Rock and Roller" is a good greaser-esque song about, well, a sweet little rock and roller dame. Then there's "Roll Over Beethoven" which is about someone wanting to hear a certain song on the radio. And finally, "Johnny B. Goode". This is a classic song that everybody knows, and when I had the idea of the guys using it to poke fun at Johnny I just had to include it. Besides, let's be honest, with that guitar riff?? That's a greaser magnet! Disclaimer, though: Chuck Berry is actually a pretty shitty person apparently, so…

Now, as you might have noticed, all of the songs and albums I listed were released after 1955 and before 1960. I'll be honest, I didn't do this on purpose - but, I will say it sort of makes sense! Not every song is going to be a greaser hit, and I imagine when groups find songs they like they hold on to them for years. I also believe that, based on their upbringing, the gang is likely a little "behind" when it comes to music. From my own experiences growing up, I always managed to find songs well after they were released, but I'd fall in love with them nonetheless. Also, during this time, music from Britain had begun creeping into the US, and I don't think our All American Boys would enjoy that very much. True American rockabilly was starting to get drowned out by British rock and roll, and that would make it hard to find new music a greaser would proudly enjoy.

So, this has been my deep-dive on the music I included in chapter 7! My personal favorite songs are: The Train Kept A-Rollin' by Johnny Burnette (and the Rock and Roll Trio), and Love Again by Eddie Cochran. If you have any songs from this time period that you want to bring to light, please tell me about them!!

Finally: Here's the playlist, please enjoy :)

[justarandompersonxd]

All things for the ask game!!!!!

🎶 The Ultimate Music Ask Game! 🎶

1. Are you an albums person or a singles person?

Singles!

2. Do you still buy CDs (or other physical media)?

Sometimes, not always

3. Do you listen to more oldies or more current stuff?

Mix of both, but more current stuff

4. Is there a song you love but don't like its music video?

Ready for combat by icon for hire

5. Is there a song you don't like but like its music video?

Not just yet, though i like familair taste of poison by halestorm beyter with its music video then without. Same for 11 minutes by Yungblud

6. Who's an artist you really like but it's embarrassed to admit it?

NF

7. Would you wear a t-shirt of a band you're not into?

Nope

8. Is there an artist or song that you like, despite being of a genre you don't usually like?

Cha cha cha and queen of kings

9. Do you have a favorite band?

Smash into pieces

10. Favorite solo artist?

NF and Cavetown

11. Favorite songwriter?

Ariel

12. Who’s the most obscure artist you listen to?

Im thinking Jason Waterfalls or OMD

13. Who’s the most popular/mainstream artist you listen to?

AJR

14. A song or album from the 50s or earlier:

No idea

15. A song or album from the 60s:

No id3a

16. A song or album from the 70s:

Organisation by OMD

17. A song or album from the 80s:

Electircitiy by OMD

18. A song or album from the 90s:

Enola Gay

19. A song or album from the 2000s:

The punishment of luxury

20. A song or album from the 2010s:

Locomotion

21. A song or album from this year or last year:

Bauhaus staircase

22. What’s your favorite song or album from the year you where born?

The OMD singles

23. Do you and your partner/best friend share a special song? One you’d call “our song”?

We have a whole playlist together :)

24. Do you play any instruments?

No :(

25. Is there a song you used to like but can’t listen to anymore because you associate it with someone you don’t like?

Yeah, empty by BoyInABand

26. Have you ever pretended to like an artist/song just to fit in or please somebody?

Nit exavtly

27. Do you enjoy making playlists? If so, are there any you’re proud of and would like to share?

I do, i make them for specific moods or instances

28. Have you ever made/got a mixtape as gift to/from a friend?

No

29. Songs you love to dance to:

Locomotion, Paracetamol and two trucks

30. Songs you love to sing along to:

Fishy love, paracetamol, locomotion, the search

31. Who’s your favorite fictional band or artist?

??

32. When was the last time you cried when listening to a song, if ever?

All of icon for hire at some point or another

33. Your favorite artist from your city/state/country?

Blackbriar

34. Your favorite song in your native language (if it isn’t English) OR in your second language (if English is your first):

Paracetamol and Dat heb jij gedaan (You did that)

35. A song you like in a language you don’t speak:

Sorale li luna

36. A song you like with lyrics in two or more languages:

Fokul Fen Mah

37. If you could travel in time and go to a concert of an artist who’s no longer alive or a band that’s no longer together, who would you choose?

Abba

38. Which was the first concert you went to?

Jeroen van der boom, when i was really young. He called me on stage too :))

39. Which was the last concert you went to?

Smash into pieces ^^

40. Which was the best concert you’ve ever been to?

Omd and Lord of The lost

41. Have you ever been to a music festival? If not, would you like to go?

I have, Dutch Valley and im not sure

42. Your favorite(s) “no skips” album(s):

You still cant kill us by icon for hire

43. Do you enjoy musicals? If so, what’s your favorite?

Not so much

44. Have you watched any musician’s biopics? Do you have a favorite?

No clue

45. A non-musical movie or show with a soundtrack you love:

Supernatural, every season finale thsy llay carry in wayward son and i lovs it

46. Do you like comedy songs? If so, do you have a favorite?

The entirwty of Lemon Demon. I lobe his music

47. Is there an artist you used to dislike but learned to like because of a friend’s influence?

Not dislike ler se. But i gained a new found allriciation for Rap music

48. Who’s an artist you think it’s criminally underrated and deserves more recognition?

Jason Waterfalls and Toehider

49. Is there a cover you like more than the original version?

Bad Romance, Halestorm

50. Is there an artist you used to love as a child/teenager but now is embarrassed to have ever liked?

Jeroen van der boom? I still like his music. But a lot of it is very cheesy to me now

51. Is there an artist you used to love as a child/teenager and still likes, even if you don’t listen to them as much?

Jerone van der boom!

52. Do you make playlists to be listened to in a specific order or in shuffle? Or both?

Shuffleeee

53. Is there a song you hated the first time you listened to but then loved after listening to it more times?

Ive leanrwd to love curse or cure by icon for hire

54. An album you loved since the first time you listened to:

New horizons by smahs intk pieces

55. An album you learned to love after listening to it again and again:

Smash into pieces by smash into pieces

56. A song/album/artist you wish you could forget so you could have the experience of hearing it for the first time again:

Bauhaus staircase. First tine i listened to was live and i wish i could go back and do it again

59. Do you listen to music when it's raining or do you stop to hear the sound of the rain?

Both

62. Artists/bands you think have an impeccable discography, with no bad albums:

Smash intk pieces

63. Do you prefer live recordings or studio recordings?

Live

65. Are there any songs you know the entire lyrics by heart?

A lot kf the songs by yungblud, smahs into pieces and icon for hire

66. Share your favorite playlists that you or someone else has made!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1qR1PUJ4nmodioLvCkPWZU?si=0jwFloo7TWyOu5dHMTb8Ug&pi=7s6jZgzqTGKij

Thank you for thw ask! @stephlastname . And im sorry ir took so lkng fjdjdn