#third eye blind lyrics meanings

[callsign-mayhem]

to the moon and back

Pairing: Bradley ‘Rooster’ Bradshaw x Mitchell!Reader Word Count: 5.2k

You are the daughter of Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell and the lifelong best friend of Bradley Bradshaw. Nothing has ever been able to get in between the two of you, not even the feelings you’ve been harbouring for him for as long as you can remember. But when you both get called to Top Gun for what seems to be a suicide mission, you realise that life is too short to keep your love for him a secret.

Y/CS - your call sign

Use of Y/N but no description of reader

You couldn’t remember the last time you laid eyes on Bradley Bradshaw, and if you’d known you would be this affected by the mere sight of him then you would have better prepared yourself. He was in his rightful place behind the piano at The Hard Deck, performing ‘Great Balls of Fire’ with all his usual enthusiasm, and then some. His infectious personality had every person in the bar gravitating towards him, belting out the lyrics along with him as though their lives depended on it. You had to draw from every reserve of strength you had so as not to march right up to him and kiss him senseless. You’d missed him so much.

Being deployed had been difficult for you and had felt like exactly the wrong thing at the time, but eventually you realised that it was what you needed. If you’d stayed, it would have only been a matter of time until you spilt your guts to Bradley about the feelings you’d been harbouring for him since you were teenagers.

The song was almost over and so was your time for composing yourself. It was ridiculously warm in the packed bar, so taking a deep breath was no good. You resigned yourself to a few shots of something strong - liquid courage if you will - and headed to the bar to speak to Penny.

‘Y/N!’ she exclaimed, ‘what are you doing here?’ ‘I have no idea,’ you told her, ‘an assignment of some sort. I find out more tomorrow,’ you gestured to Bradley and a few of your other friends from the academy, ‘and apparently I’m not the only one they called. I don’t know whether I should be worried or relieved.’ ‘Your dad was just in here. He know you’re back?’ ‘Yeah, I haven’t seen him yet though,’ you gestured to the bottle of Jack behind her, ‘can I get one of those, please? Or three?’ Penny reached for the bottle and a shot glass. ‘Not wasting any time, huh?’ You glanced behind you to where Phoenix was patting Bradley on the back and getting everyone to cheer for him, ‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen these guys.’ ‘You mean it’s been a while since you saw Rooster,’ she smiled knowingly. You downed your shot and slammed the tiny glass back down. Penny refilled it immediately, ‘That too,’ you admitted with a wince. ‘You already know what I’m going to say.’ ‘Yes, and you already know why I can’t tell him.’

You downed your second shot and just as you were about to do your third, someone covered your eyes with their hand. You knew who it was without having to hear him speak or look at his face because you’d know him deaf and blind. Hell, you’d know him in death.

The familiar rumble of his voice in your ear set your entire nervous system alight: ‘Guess who.’ ‘Hmm,’ you pretended to think, ‘I don’t know. Hangman?’ Rooster scoffed, ‘I haven’t seen you in two years and the first thing you do is insult me? Glad to know some things never change, Y/CS.’

You spun around and looped your arms around his neck, pressing your face into the side of his. He lifted you off the floor and spun you around with all the grace of a bull in a china shop, laughing like a little kid. It felt like no time at all had passed.

‘And you’re still shooting whiskey like it’s water,’ he noted, setting you down gently, ‘so you definitely haven’t changed.’

You drank him in hungrily, trying to act like you weren’t totally out of control on the inside. In one of his dad’s old Hawaiian shirts with his aviators perched on the tip of his nose, he wasn’t exactly a brand new man. Something about him was different, though, but you couldn’t quite put your finger on it. Even as the two of you had gotten older, you’d always seen him as the goofy kid in the cowboy hat that could make you laugh on the darkest days. Throughout high school and your time at the academy, he’d been the person you confided in about everything, and the only secret you’d ever kept from him was your ever-growing feelings for him. But now, after just over two years apart, he felt more like a stranger than ever before. Nothing had changed, but everything had changed, and you were struggling to figure out how that could be.

‘You want a beer?’ you asked. ‘Sure, but no more shots for you. We gotta be up early and I know if you carry on drinking like that you won’t get out of bed.’ ‘When you’re right, you’re right.’

You got Rooster a beer and a JD and coke for yourself before heading over to the rest of the group. There were a few people whose reputations preceded them but you’d never met in real life, and then there was Phoenix, one of your closest friends from the academy. When she saw you she practically jumped on you and Rooster had to take your drink from your hand so it didn’t spill everywhere.

‘Y/CS!’ ‘Hey,’ you giggled, ‘Phoenix, it’s great to see you too but I can’t breathe.’ ‘Sorry, sorry,’ she relented, ‘how’ve you been? I haven’t seen you since your deployment. When did you get back?’ ‘Couple of months ago,’ you told her, ‘I’ve been in South Carolina.’ ‘You’ve been back months?’ Rooster cut in, ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ ‘You know how it is, Roo,’ you said, ‘you get deployed, come home and your whole life is upside down for a while. By the time you’ve settled back in, weeks have gone by and you still haven’t had a chance to see anyone.’

He nodded, but his hurt was apparent. Hangman sidled up next to you and you’d never been more relieved by his incredibly annoying presence. He wrapped an arm around your shoulder, hugging you tight. He was a massive ass, but you’d somehow ended up friends while being stationed together a few years ago. A lot of his bravado was an act, and when he let his guard down he was actually a great person to talk to.

‘Y/N Mitchell,’ he said, ‘Long time no see.’ ‘Can’t say I’m mad about that.’ His usual shit-eating grin was plastered across his face, ‘You and I both know that’s a lie.’ ‘Whatever helps you sleep at night, Seresin.’

Everyone makes small talk for a while and those who have never met before are introduced. You pull a barstool over and sit next to Bob, Phoenix’s new back-seater. She’s the first one to point out the elephant in the room.

‘So anybody know what this ‘special detachment’s’ all about?’ ‘A mission’s a mission,’ Hangman replies, ‘They don’t confront me. What I wanna know is who’s team leader. And which’a ya’ll have what it takes to follow me?’ Hangman winks at Rooster, needling him, ‘Hangman, the only place you’ll ever lead anyone is an early grave.’ Hangman looks up from his next shot and walks over to Rooster until they’re standing face to face. ‘Anyone follows you is just gonna… run outta fuel. But then that’s you all over, ain’t it, Rooster? Snug on your perch, waitin’ for juuuuust the right moment. That never comes.’ Rooster tenses visibly and you grab his arm, ‘Hey, you wanna get another drink? Feel like we’ve got some catching up to do.’

You leave the rest of the group to their game and grab a couple more drinks before heading outside. The Bronco is parked out front looking prettier than ever, paintwork glinting in the late-evening sunlight. If you had a dollar for the amount of late-night drives you and Bradley had taken in that thing, you’d be a billionaire.

You intended to sit at one of the tables outside The Hard Deck, but Rooster had other ideas. You ignored the swarm of butterflies in your stomach when he took your hand and led you down towards the beach and reminded yourself that you had no reason to be nervous; he was your best friend, he didn’t know about your feelings and nothing had changed.

‘I still can’t believe you’ve been back months and you didn’t tell me.’ You cringed, ‘I’m sorry, Bradley. I should’ve called, I know.’ ‘Mav know you’re back?’ Yeah, he’s here too.’

Your father was a touchy conversation subject and you tried to avoid talking about him as much as possible. Once you’d eventually realised that there was no way of convincing Rooster that everything he’d done had come from a place of love and concern, you’d given up trying to keep the peace. It was difficult, letting him fester in his own anger, but it wasn’t your fight. However, you’d be lying if you said you weren’t still holding out hope that things would go back to the way they used to be someday.

‘How’ve you been, anyway?’ you asked, swiftly changing the subject, ‘What’s new in your life?’ ‘The usual. Getting called down here is the most exciting thing that’s happened to me in months.’ You laughed, ‘That can’t be true. What happened to the girl you were dating?’ ‘Molly? Jesus Christ, that was over as quickly as it started. I stopped seeing her not long after you left,’ he sipped his beer, ‘what about you? Meet your future husband while you were away?’ ‘Nope,’ you sighed, ‘starting to think I’m destined to be alone forever.’ ‘What about Hangman?’ Rooster asked, Jake’s callsign sounding like ashes in his mouth.

To call your brief fling with Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin a mistake would have been putting it lightly. You’d been stationed together in Alabama for a little while and he was the only familiar person there so, naturally, you’d gravitated towards him and him to you. After getting to know each other better, one thing had led to another and you’d ended up sleeping together after one too many JD and cokes. That one night had led to another and another until you were pretty much dating, although neither of you had ever mentioned putting any kind of label on whatever it was the two of you had going on. Rooster had been up in arms when he found out, yelling at you down the phone that Jake was a complete and total asshole and that you deserved so much better, leading to the worst - and only - fight you’d ever had.

While getting involved with Jake was definitely a mistake and you didn’t plan on walking down that particular path ever again, you still stood by what you said in his defence: you have to get to know him in order to understand him.

‘You already know that’s over.’

Rooster looked at you and you had to remind yourself to breathe. You’d never wanted to kiss him more in your entire life.

‘I’ve got no idea why we’re here,’ he said, ‘but I’m glad you’re with me, Y/N.’ ‘Me too, Bradley. Me too.’

-

The special detachment, as it turned out, was a suicide mission. There was no other way of putting it. Your dad was immensely proud of you and your accomplishments and had never once doubted your abilities as a pilot, but he wasn’t happy that you were on this particular mission. He wasn’t happy that Rooster was on it either. After your first day of training, you went to dinner with your old man so you could catch up and talk about what you’d be in for over the course of the next couple of weeks. You hadn’t realised just how much you’d missed him until you were sitting in front of him, but part of you wished it was under different circumstances.

‘Surely me being part of the team you’re training goes against some kind of rule,’ you said around a mouthful of steak. ‘The stakes are so high, I think mostly every rule has already gone out the window.’ ‘I haven’t been this scared since I climbed in a cockpit for the first time,’ you admitted, ‘but I’ve also never wanted to be on a mission more.’ Your dad smiled, but there was fear in his eyes, ‘I don’t like that look, Y/N.’ ‘It’s the only one I got, Dad, and I got it from you.’ ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m worried about.’

-

White hot rage blinded you like a fire poker between your eyes. The minute Rooster walked through the doors you were racing up to him. Jake had to grab both of your arms and pull you off him to prevent you from swinging at him.

‘What the fuck was that Bradshaw?!’ you roared, ‘You got a fucking death wish?!’

He ran a hand through his hair, face flushed from the heat and the adrenaline coursing through his veins. You weren’t just angry at him for endangering his life, or your dad’s, for that matter, you were angry because you understood why he’d done it. And you knew that if you were in his shoes and you were up there with something to prove, you’d have done the exact same thing.

‘Can we not do this here?’

You shrugged Jake off and straightened out your flight suit, leading Bradley out of the room. He followed you outside into the blazing heat of the San Diego sun where you preceded to turn around and punch him so hard in the shoulder that he took a step back.

‘Jesus, Y/N,’ he huffed, ‘was that really necessary?’ ‘I don’t know, was nearly killing yourself and my dad really necessary?’ ‘I had it under control!’ You laughed humourlessly,  ‘Yeah, it looked like it.’ ‘I’m not gonna have this fight with you,’ he said matter-of-factly, ‘I’m sorry for scaring you, but you have to understand-’ ‘I do understand!’ you screamed, ‘But just because I understand, doesn’t mean I can’t be pissed as hell!’

He pulled you flush against his chest and you softened immediately, unable to resist the comfort and security that came with one of Bradley’s bear hugs. If you had it your way, you’d stay in his arms like this for the rest of time.

‘You really need to have it out with Mav,’ you mumbled into his flight suit, ‘this is getting beyond ridiculous - it’s dangerous.’ He kissed the top of your head, ‘I know.’

-

You had to admit, dog fight football was a stroke of genius on your dad’s part. It was the perfect way to relieve any tensions between the team and also take everyone’s minds off the upcoming mission. Jake and Bradley - the two team captains - tossed a coin to decide who would pick first, and Jake ended up picking you. You suspected he did it just to get underneath Bradley’s skin, and judging by the set of his jaw as you marched over to Jake, his plan worked.

You also had Payback on your team, and between the two of you, you were carrying the whole game. You didn’t like to toot your own horn but… toot toot.

‘Come on Bradshaw!’ you yelled, smirking devilishly, ‘You really gonna let me kick your ass so spectacularly in front of everyone?!’ ‘You’ve got Payback! It ain’t fair!’ ‘Oh, so you don’t think we could win without him?!’

He was holding one of the balls and was preoccupied with insulting you, so when you ran at him at full force and snatched it right out of his hands, he was too stunned to try and stop you. Hangman and Payback both cheered, but as soon as Bradley refocused he was on your heels, and he had the advantage of extremely long legs.

Just before you could score, he came up behind you and wrapped both of his arms around your middle, lifting you off the ground and throwing you over his shoulder. You were so startled you dropped the ball and unluckily for you, Coyote was right there to pick it up and score another point for their team.

‘Put me down you cheat!’

Rooster was laughing so hard you could feel him shaking with it as he ran. He didn’t stop running until he reached the water and it was up to his waist, and then he dropped you in. It was freezing but actually quite a relief after running around in the sun all afternoon. You came up for air coughing and sputtering to find him doubled over with laughter, and you took the opportunity to drag him back down with you, pushing his head down further under the water. You knew you wouldn’t be able to overpower him long and before you could even comprehend what was happening he had a tight grip on both of your thighs, yanking you back under.

If not for the fact that it all happened so quickly, you would have spent more time revelling in the feeling of his big hands wrapped around the tops of your thighs. Your whole body broke out in goosebumps, and you knew it wasn’t from the chill of the water. When you both resurfaced you were smiling like fools and laughing like two lovesick teenagers, and you never wanted the moment to end.

‘Hey!’ Hangman called out, ‘Are you two still playing or what? I’ve got a game to win!’ With an eye roll, you yelled back: ‘Yeah we’re still playing, you couldn’t win without me anyway!’

Somehow, Rooster’s sunglasses had remained on his face throughout the entire fiasco, and you reached out and gently slid them off. He blinked against the sunlight and watched in awe as you put them on.

‘Did I say you could wear those?’ he asked. ‘Did I ask your permission?’

The two of you made your way back towards the rest of the squad, and it looked like your team was back in the lead. A sly remark about Rooster’s sabotage failing was on the tip of your tongue, but then he put his hand on your waist and pulled you into his side, ruffling the top of your head affectionately. The skin-on-skin contact was enough to drive you insane, and your words died on your lips.

‘Keep them,’ he murmured, ‘they look better on you anyway.’

-

When the mission got moved up, any calmness you felt dissipated like water on the hot asphalt of a runway. Your dad was now team leader and you had mixed feelings about it. You’d spent your whole life fearing for him, but knowing he was going on this mission really took the cake. And then there was the small issue of you being his kid, which would undoubtedly cloud his judgement when it came to selecting the rest of his team. For one, the chances of him even wanting you on the mission were slim to none, but then there was the worry that if he chose you, it would be seen as favouritism.

The final day of training was over and you’d been told to go and get some rest before tomorrow, and despite your exhaustion, you knew that if you were to lay down in your bunk now sleep wouldn’t come. It was one of those rare moments where the sky over Fightertown was empty and as a result, an eerie quiet had settled over the base. You were still in full flight gear - minus your helmet - sitting on the ground in the shade provided by the wing of your F/A-18. Before settling in for the night you still had to find time to shower, get something to eat and see your dad, but you were paralysed.

You dreaded to think how long you would’ve sat there if Rooster hadn’t suddenly materialised. He sat down opposite, stretching his long legs out so they were on either side of you.

‘What are you still doing out here?’ he asked gently, ‘You feeling okay?’

You were fiddling with your dog tags, a nervous tic you’d picked up in the academy, and Rooster never failed to notice. Looking into your eyes earnestly, he took both of your hands in his.

‘Talk to me, Y/CS.’ You sighed deeply, ‘I’ve never been this nervous about a mission before. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.’ ‘This is the highest-stakes mission either of us has ever gone on in our careers. I would be worrying if you weren’t nervous.’ ‘Yeah, but you know me, Roo. I don’t do nerves.’ ‘You think I’m not shitting my pants at the thought of having to fly tomorrow?’ You laughed despite the lump in the base of your throat, ‘You hide it better than me, then.’ ‘You can’t keep anything off your face, Y/N. I always know what you’re feeling.’ ‘You do?’

Your heart dropped at the thought of him being able to read you so well, but in hindsight, you should have known. You’d literally been destined to be best friends since before you were born, since your dads stayed up late one night talking about their futures, wondering if they’d have kids and how well they’d get along. As far as you knew, he’d never kept anything from you, and you’d only ever kept one thing from him. You lived your life at the same pace, shared the same moral compass and wanted all the same things. You finished each other’s sentences and could have secret conversations through facial expressions, without even having to speak. If he called, you answered. If he needed you, you ran to him, and vice versa.

You didn’t need him to confirm your worst fear: he knew you were in love with him. There was no doubt in your mind and you were a fool not to have seen it sooner.

As though he’d read your mind and sensed the worsening of your anxiety, he changed the subject.

‘What do you say we go and grab a bite to eat?’ ‘Like a last supper?’ Bradley laughed, ‘You can be really morbid sometimes, you know that?’

-

‘It’s been an honour flying with you,’ your dad said, ‘each one of you represents the best of the best. This is a very specific mission. My choice is a reflection of that, and nothing more.’ ‘Choose your two Foxtrot teams.’ Cyclone told him.

You fought the urge to vomit down your flight suit.

‘Phoenix and Bob. Y/CS and Payback.’

You didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

‘And your wingman.’

The tension in the air was palpable. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of your neck.

‘Rooster.’

You could feel Bradley’s eyes on you, but judging by the unpleasant feeling that had overcome you, turning around to face him wouldn’t be a smart idea. For one, he more than likely looked just as nauseous as you and seeing him like that would only cause your anxiety to skyrocket. Secondly, he was the one person you could be completely vulnerable in front of and since it was already taking every ounce of your strength not to cry, it was probably best not to engage.

For the next hour, the seconds passed you by like cars on a highway. You listened to Warlock explain the mission for the final time, but his words went in one ear and came out the other. You stayed at Payback’s side up until it was time to go, but just as you were heading out to the flight deck, your dad pulled you aside for the conversation you’d been anticipating since he said your name.

His expression was, as ever, unreadable and you decided that it was probably a good thing that you didn’t know exactly what he was feeling in that moment. If Maverick was nervous, then you really had something to worry about.

He pulled you close and squeezed you tight, and you let out a single, strangled sob.

‘I know you can do this.’ ‘Me too,’ you were clinging onto him for dear life, ‘but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t terrified.’ ‘If I didn’t believe in you completely, I wouldn’t have chosen you.’ ‘I know, Dad.’ ‘I love you, Y/N.’ ‘I love you too. I’ll see you when we get back.’

He kissed the top of your head before letting you go and you headed out to the flight deck together. Payback was already waiting for you, but it seemed as though there was one more conversation to be had. Maverick patted Rooster on the back as he passed, throwing one final glance back at the two of you. All you could do was remind yourself over and over again that you’d be seeing him later and that you’d be going for steaks at your favourite diner back in San Diego before you knew it.

You could tell Rooster didn’t know what to say but it didn’t matter. You already knew, because you were thinking all the same things.

‘When we get home, I have some things I wanna talk to you about.’

He reached out to touch your cheek and you leaned into his hand, almost nuzzling his palm with the side of your face. Hugging him, you decided, would be too final. It would feel like a goodbye, and this wasn’t a goodbye, it was simply ‘see you later.’

‘There are some things I want to talk to you about as well,’ you smiled sheepishly, ‘but if you can read me as well as you say, you already know that.’ ‘Yeah, I know.’ ‘Fly safe, Roo.’ ‘Give ‘em hell, Y/CS.’

-

It wasn’t humanely possible to count how many times you’d flown. It was as natural as breathing oxygen, almost a second thought at this point. Getting into the cockpit of a fighter plane felt more like coming home than walking through the front door of the house you grew up in with your dad.

But nothing could have prepared you for that mission.

And nothing could have prepared you for the immense feeling of sheer panic and terror when your dad was hit. It was as though the bottom of your plane had dropped out and you were in freefall. If that wasn’t horrific enough, Rooster had gone after him. This paired with the chaos of the dogfight was traumatising enough that you’d forgotten how to breathe and what you were supposed to be doing. You had absolutely no idea how Payback managed to talk you down from going after both of them, but he did, as well as calming you down enough so you could fly back to the aircraft carrier.

You weren’t in the habit of being overly emotional in front of anyone who wasn’t Bradley or your father, but when you climbed out of the cockpit and Phoenix was already waiting for you, arms open, you collapsed onto her and broke down. You’d been completely inconsolable up until you got word of Rooster’s signal in an unidentified F-14.

Surprisingly, the relief came after cursing yourself for ever believing that your father could be bested by anyone. At this point, you were almost entirely sure that he was immortal. And as for Bradley, he was much stronger than everyone else realised. He gave Maverick a run for his money, and that was saying something. Phoenix was the only reason you hadn’t collapsed onto the ground when you realised they were okay and coming home, with the help of Hangman, of course. In the back of your mind, you were wondering how long it was going to take to hear the end of it from Jake.

And there you were on the flight deck with Phoenix’s arm around your shoulder and Payback’s around your waist, watching your dad and your best friend make the rockiest landing you’d ever seen. It felt as though all your internal organs were in your throat as you watched the net get thrown out, ready to catch the incoming aircraft and stop it from going overboard. The sound was near-deafening but you hardly noticed with the rushing blood in your ears. As soon as that plane stopped moving, you tore away from Phoenix and Payback and made a beeline towards the F-14, safety concerns be damned.

Your dad climbed out first, somehow steady on his feet despite what he’d just been through. But that was Mav all over, wasn’t it? He didn’t so much as wobble until you threw yourself at him.

‘Dad!’ you shrieked, ‘Are you okay? Are you hurt?’

He held you with the strength of someone who had a newfound value for their own life. He cradled the back of your head with one hand and stroked your hair like he used to when you were small.

‘I’m okay, are you okay?’ ‘You’re seriously asking me that?’ He laughed breathlessly, ‘I’m okay now.’ You squeezed him tighter than ever before, ‘I love you, Dad. I love you so much.’ ‘I love you too,’ he replied, releasing you reluctantly, ‘and I want you to know how proud I am of you for pulling that off.’ ‘It’s in my blood.’ He put his hands on either side of your face and leaned in to kiss your forehead, ‘I think you should go and speak to Rooster,’ he whispered, ‘we’ll talk more afterwards, okay?’

At the mention of Rooster, all the wind was knocked out of you. All you could do was nod at your father before he headed over to the rest of the squad, leaving you alone in front of the battered F-14. Rooster had jumped out right after your dad, but he’d given the two of you some space. You locked eyes like they do in the movies, but this wasn’t a movie. The world didn’t tilt on its axis or stop turning altogether; it was more like the two of you were the only ones in it that actually mattered. Everyone around you might as well have been frozen in time.

He was taking long strides towards you, but he couldn’t get to you quick enough so you ran to meet him halfway, not stopping until your face was mere millimetres away from his. He was filthy, covered in blood, and sweat and God only knew what else, but you were blinded by the light behind his eyes. You’d always been totally mesmerised by him, but this was something else entirely. It was suddenly very apparent to you that you would do anything this man asked of you, follow him down to the eye of any storm, love him until you took your final breath.

‘Y/N-’ ‘Don’t say anything,’ you interjected, ‘I already know what you’re gonna say, and I don’t wanna waste any more time.’

And before he could utter another word, you pressed your lips to his. The kiss started out soft but then he ran his fingers through your hair and somehow managed to pull your face even closer, deepening the kiss. He ran his tongue along your lips and you parted them for him, finally tasting him the way you’d wanted to for as long as you could remember. Your veins were thrumming with so much electricity you thought your head might explode. When you eventually parted, the space between you was too much for you to bear (you never wanted there to be any space between you and Bradley ever again) so you looped your arms around his neck just like you always did when you hugged him. His face was full of so much adoration, anyone would think you’d hung the bloody moon in the sky.

‘Do you know how long I’ve wanted to do that?’ he asked. ‘If it’s anywhere near as long as me, we’re going to be kicking ourselves.’ He kissed the tip of your nose and you damn-near melted, ‘I don’t want to go another day without kissing you like that.’ ‘Neither do I.’

You’d forgotten that the rest of your squad was standing a few feet away, waiting to celebrate with you. When you turned around, they were all cheering for you and Rooster and you could just about make out Phoenix’s ‘finally’ over the sound of Payback’s hoots. You knew you had to go over there and that there would be plenty of time to be alone when you got back to San Diego, but you couldn’t wait until then to tell Bradley how you felt about him. If he hadn’t already guessed.

You had to stand on tip toes to reach his ear, where you whispered: ‘I love you, Bradley Bradshaw. To the moon and back again.’ You felt him shiver beneath your touch. ‘I love you too, Y/N.’

[thetriplets3]

Hi I have a request! In Taylor's new song there's lyrics "in the world of boys, he's a gentleman" could you do something about matt or chris with it??

❝𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧❞

matt was the first person to show me what love looked like. i had only been in one relationship that lasted 5 months then he “got bored” and started seeing someone before he even broke up with me.

i had my fair share of blind dates my friends insisted on setting me up with but none of them left me feeling loved. i always felt like an afterthought on these dates. they walk in the restaurant and head to a table leaving me trailing behind like a lost puppy. they’d spend the whole night talking themselves and finding a way to make it about them barely letting me get a word in, and they’d always ask for separate bills. those were the better of the dates. some of them would text me all day telling me how excited they were to see me and as soon as it came time for our date i was met with radio silence. i sat at countless tables repeatedly telling the server “he should be here soon”. i was embarrassed to be in this situation, especially since it isn’t the first time it’s happened.

there were plenty of times guys showed they were really just boys.

the last date i was on the guy wanted to take me to a fancy restaurant, saying i deserved to be given the best treatment. that was a lie. i’d been waiting in this high end restaurant alone for nearly an hour waiting. all my texts to him asking where he was got left on read. i was feeling self conscious, suddenly aware of everyone giving me pitiful looks, i don’t belong here i stand out like a sore thumb and it’s very obvious i’ve been stood up. my phone buzzed, causing me to immediately pick up my phone hoping he’d finally texted me back. a sigh escapes my lips when i see it’s a text from nick checking in on me.

nick

sooo how’s mr fancy treating you??

me

he ain’t shit. i’ve been waiting for him for almost an hour i feel like an animal at the zoo being stared at this is fucking embarrassing

nick

wtfff that’s horrible i’m so sorry. men suck

me

correction boys suck

nick

i say give him 20 minutes, if he doesn’t show up by then, leave

✿

~third person pov~

what she didn’t know is that nick had mentioned her situation to his brothers and without hesitation, matt headed to his room and changed into nicer clothes. nick and chris weren’t shocked when they saw matt all dressed up and heading out the door without a word. they know their brother would do anything for that girl, which is why he told her to wait, knowing matt would be there in minutes.

she has been by their side since grade 4. her and matt have always been closer than she was with the other boys. they were the perfect pair, they were meant for each other, just too shy to say anything. they didn’t need to admit anything though, their feelings showed through their actions.

matt pulled up to the restaurant and quickly made his way in scanning the dimly lit room for her beautiful face. within seconds his eyes meet her heartbroken face. he practically sprinted towards her, out of breath and ready with a fake excuse as to why he’s late.

hearing heavy quick steps in her direction, the girl whips head up only to be met with the person she really wanted to show up. a smile replaces her frown as she gets up, shimmying the hem off her dress down, and meets matt’s open arms.

“i’m so sorry i’m late, chris hurt himself so i had to bring him to the hospital. i would have texted you but my phone died and i was too panicked to try and call you” he says loud enough for people around to hear, before pulling her chair back to let her sit and tucking it in before seating himself. “once they saw chris i left and came straight here. i really didn’t mean to leave you alone for so long. i’m sorry love” he says, eyes boring into hers with sincerity.

“that’s okay you’re here now. i’m glad you were there to help him” the girl said, playing along with his story.

after finally eating, he paid for their meals and led her to the exit of the building with a gentle hand on her lower back. before heading outside he took off his jacket and put it on the girl.

“it’s cold out” he softly started, before holding the door open for her as she walks out the door with a true smile and a growing blush on her cheeks.

“thank you matt you didn’t have to do that. i was perfectly okay with leaving and getting an uber” she said as she gave him a hug and placed a delicate kiss to his cheek.

“you might have been okay with doing that but i’m not. you don’t deserve to get stood up and you got all dolled up i’d be mad at myself if i didn’t come here and just let you sit there even longer looking all pretty with no one there to appreciate you. i’d do anything for you in a heart beat, you know that” he said before holding her warm face in his hands, his eyes searching hers for approval. with a subtle nod and a glimmer in her eyes he wastes no time placing a sweet and loving kiss to her lips.

✿

~reader’s pov~

it wasn’t long after that night when matt asked me to be his girlfriend. he makes sure to show me everyday what it’s like to truly be loved. it’s the little things; subtly switching sides with me if we’re about to pass a group of creepy men or drunk boys; he’ll reach his hand behind him if he’s in the middle of a conversation or busy with something to hold my hand, letting me know he hasn’t forgotten about me; he always has extras of things i use often with him either in his car, his room or his backpack he’s got it. if my hairs bothering me and i forgot a hair clip or hair tie, he’s got one clipped to his bag and a hair tie around his wrist. if i need lip balm he’s got about 3 with him at any point, and he gets a taste of the strawberry lip balm each kiss, he can’t complain; knowing how clumsy and spatially unaware i am, any time i bend down to get something his hand is right there to stop me from bumping my head on it. he’ll brush my hair and attempt to braid it which usually ends up with him just playing with my hair, knowing how relaxing i find it. he can read me like a book he knows me better than anyone else and he’s always one step ahead of me, going that extra mile.

he makes me feel seen like no one has done before. i am his never ending thought, never an afterthought, like every boy made me feel like i was. matt has shown me what it’s like to be loved, i don’t know why i put up with being treated poorly for so long.

he’s a gentleman in a world full of boys

(not the lyrics but close enough)

taglist:

@antisocialties @iluvmatt @dwntwn-strnlo @fake-coolbeans @opheliaofficial07 @angelcake-222 @oneirophobic @strniolo @lollibumblebee @ssturniolo @20nugs @abbie13sworld @strniolo @luvsturniolo

[thelunarfairy]

(Apologizes if an incomplete ask sent through, I was asking a question but the Internet cut off :<)

My question was though, how much can you analyze about the English lyrics of No. 7 (anime intro)? The lyrics supposedly explain some of the story and you're the best theorist I know who can put this in an organized post XD

(Sorry if you've been asked this before haha feel free to ignore if so and have a great day!)

I looked at the Japanese and English versions, and well, to better organize the meaning of the song, I'm going to write it here in a more objective way, it will be easy to understand the meaning as you read the lyrics.

This is because the Japanese version has a lot of wordplay and puns, the English version translated it literally and in the same way as the Japanese, which made some passages confusing.

Let's get started (this is the full version of the song)

So now let me tell you the story of number 7

1 Huh? Eh? Instantly happy and sad, even the past and the future 2 Two shadows appear within the rumors (the passion turned into nothing, it's just a story) 3 A sweet fruit mixed with the unreal 4 Yes, yes, even if I tell you repeatedly 5 Look, look, you're not listening properly (passion turned into nothing, an endless story) 6 After all, the boring thing is the ugly reality 7 Morning, day and night, like ten winds and five rains, rumors circulate 8 Without becoming pure in heart, turning my back against the unchanging mirror 9 I Want Some Magic, Say Seven Mysteries, That's Not Perfect 10 But We Are Struggling Because We Are Incomplete

11 Swinging the blade, words, too far 12 Wearing the smiling mask of lies (you in that place) 13 They Were Hurt Because Of Someone Else 14 Between sin and punishment, in that place where no one exists 15 Surely He Is There So now let me tell you the story of number 7

A secret history I heard from somewhere

16 It's a secret just between you and me 17 I will not lose to you, memory nor the brittle truth 18 Let's catch up, it's a reality like a rumor from some time ago 19 Every night and morning seems stupid 20 The dance of the second, the third morning, the fourth twilight 21 First, second, third, fourth 22 Mirai, Misaki, the mirror that doesn't see, the silent solitude 23 Is it the first? the eighth? Wait, there's no eighth 24 Until the four o'clock stands, if you repent, 25 It becomes four pains, eight pains 26 Trouble Towing in Seven Rounds 27 Hits, punishment 28 Come, come strange mystery 29 My body's habits, everything, are never perfect, so We are struggling because we are incomplete

Swinging the blade, words, far away 30 Please reach out, the laughter, the overlapping lies 31 (he is still there continuously) 32 I blurred the details while pretending to be fine 33 Between sin and punishment 34 Alone, placed in that place 35 Surely he exists

36 Hiding the past, blinding the eyes in front of the destiny that is coming to an end 37 I changed once, so I will change again The answer is clear

Swinging the blade, words, far away Wearing the smiling mask of lies (You alone) Were hurt because of someone else Between sin and punishment In that place where no one exists Today it also exists

So now let me tell you the story of number 7 Hey tell me about the continued story

ANALYSIS

Let's use numbers to better analyze the excerpts

1 = could mean that Hanako is happy now to be having fun with Nene and Kou, but at the same time sad about having to deal with the past and the future (Nene's future death)

2 = This excerpt is very emblematic, but "within the rumors two shadows appear" could refer to the twins "the passion turned into nothing, it's just a story" they would be in love with each other and what remained of that story would be murder. There is also the possibility that he is referring to Nene, since Hanako-san now has an assistant. Two shadows, and the passion that turned into nothing, an impossible love.

3 = A metaphor about the contrast between reality and a distant desire

4 and 5 = Hanako's story is being told little by little and someone (it could be Nene) is not realizing the details between the lines.

6 to 10 = Complaints about how reality is terrible and he wants to experience something unreal, not just him, but the other mysteries, everyone feels incomplete and is looking for something that reality cannot offer, something that they cannot achieve but they really want it. And specifically about the mirror, he says it is unchanging, confirming that no matter what he does, nothing will change.

11 to 15 = reference to Tsukasa's death, the murder. About how Hanako lied while creating a fake smile. He hurt Tsukasa, and he went to the place where nothing exists "Surely he is there" and the verses mention the sin and punishment that Hanako has to take responsibility for.

16 to 18 = Probably Hanako talking about his past with Nene. He says he will "reach him" that is, he will tell her the whole truth.

19 to 29 = references the other mysteries and how they are all fighting to create a better version of themselves, even though they are imperfect. In addition to, of course, mentioning a little about their feelings.

30 to 35 = reference to Tsukasa, he wants Hanako to show what he really feels, at the same time that Tsukasa "blurs" the way he feels "I blurred the details while pretending to be fine" "Alone, placed in that place" "he is still there continuously" reference that Tsukasa was left on Hanako's boundary and hides that he feels sad about it.

36 and 37 = it's a little difficult to know if the speaker is Hanako or Tsukasa, the excerpts fit for both, but it's probably more linked to Hanako, since he's the one hiding the past.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS

Place where nothing exists = boundary, Hanako says that when he enters a boundary, the person ceases to exist in the human world while there.

Swinging the blade = stabbing, direct reference to murder.

In that place where no one exists, he is certainly there = clear reference that Hanako believed that Tsukasa was on the boundary

In that place where no one exists, today he also exists = reference to Tsukasa's return.

Hey tell me about the continued story = about the story we are following now

CONCLUSION

Basically it's Hanako talking about himself, about the mysteries and about Tsukasa. We also see many parts where he talks about how he feels, but in short, that's it.

The lyrics of this song change subtly according to the translation you are looking for, but the general meaning is this.

That's the way I interpreted the opening lyrics, other people may have different ways of seeing how they work, but for me that's it.

[high-functioning-fang1rl]

The Ultimate Nica Pierce Playlist!

Nica is my favorite in the series and I couldn’t get the thought of creating a playlist of music that I think she would listen to/music I think represents her/reminds me of her out of my head!

So here is the Playlist with Songs/Artists/some explanations! Thanks to @barclaysangel for some input!!

What do you think Nica would listen to/what are your favorites?! Let’s nerd out over them!

*Dog Days Are Over (Florence and the Machine) - I mean come ON, this fits Nica’s vibe PERFECTLY (thanks to barclaysangel for the inspiration) and the lyrics to this song in particular are so perfect for Nica’s ultimate fighting spirit.

*Queen of Peace (Florence)

*Girl With One Eye (Florence)

*Shake It Out (Florence)

*Kiss With A Fist (Florence)

*Never Let Me Go (Florence)

*Free (Florence)

*Tag You’re It (Melanie Martinez) - This one gave me goosebumps when I connected it not only to what she faces with Chucky and Tiff messing her life up, but Chucky LITERALLY uses Nica to taunt Andy saying “Tag You’re It, Pal!” CHILLS. It works SO well I think!

*Training Wheels (Melanie Martinez) - Reminds me so much of the inner turmoil she’d face when falling for our very own Andy Barclay (they’re perfect for each other!)

*Milk and Cookies (Melanie Martinez) - The rest of the MM songs I put in because they fit so well within the context of the show/I feel like they relate to Nica very well!

*Teddy Bear (Melanie Martinez)

*Dollhouse (Melanie Martinez)

*Soap (Melanie Martinez)

*Lie In Our Graves (Dave Matthews) - I think when Nica is trying to relax/is smoking she may listen to music like this to help turn her brain off! Dave Matthews/ Glass Animals is perfect for that and I think she’d appreciate the vibe occasionally.

*Crush (Dave Matthews)

*Youth (Glass Animals)

*Ants Marching (Dave Matthews)

*Life Itself (Glass Animals)

*Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac) - For some reason I feel like Nica listened to a lot of Fleetwood Mac with her mother growing up, and she still has a fondness for it when she feels nostalgic

*Dreams (Fleetwood Mac)

*Go Your Own Way (Fleetwood Mac)

*Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow (Fleetwood Mac)

*I Write Sins (Not Tragedies) (Panic at the Disco) - Growing up with her family, I think she had a little emo phase and listened to quite a bit of Panic/Fall out Boy/Paramore/Greenday. I love imagining a young Nica getting her angst out to these songs

*The Phoenix (Fall Out Boy)

*Bring Me To Life (Evanescence)

*Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

*Boulevard of Broken Dreams (Green Day)

*Memories (Panic at the Disco)

*Ain’t It Fun (Paramore)

*Still Into You (Paramore)

*Ready To Go Get Me Outta My Mind (Panic at the Disco)

*Still Breathing (Green Day)

*This Ain’t A Scene (Fall Out Boy)

*A Little Less Sixteen Candles (FOB)

*Just One Yesterday (FOB)

*Young Volcanoes (FOB)

*Sugar Were Going Down (FOB)

*Holiday (Green Day)

*When I Come Around (Green Day)

*Semi-Charmed Life (Third Eye Blind) - One of the songs Nica grew up with that she still enjoys to this day (like the next few)

*Everything You Want (Vertical Horizon)

*Breakfast At Tiffany’s (Deep Blue Something) - Despite the name Tiffany being a sore subject, Nica likes this song

*Valerie (Amy Winehouse)

*Rehab (Amy Winehouse)

*Don’t Let Me Get Me (Pink) - Fits when Nica would’ve been young and I think she still loves listening to this song when she feels a bit angsty

*You and I (Lady Gaga)

*Bloody Mary (Lady Gaga)

*ScheiBe (Lady Gaga)

*Wicked World (Matt Jaffe)

*Still Alive (Demi Lovato) - I mean obviously, this is a Final Girl anthem and she’s the best Final Girl there is!!

*Too Sweet (Hozier) - Fits her so well! I know our girl enjoys her whiskey neat ;)

[mistresslrigtar]

Chapter Twenty-nine: Make a Wish! (written for @zelinktines24 day 29 prompt)

Well, we've reached the end of this journey. I hope you all have enjoyed it as much as I have sharing it with you. Most of my stories are inspired by music. Below is a link to the playlist for this story. I think you will especially appreciate the lyrics to the song She by Charles Aznavour and Herbert Kletzmer

Me, I’ll take her laughter and her tears

And make them all my souvenirs

For where she goes, I’ve got to be

The meaning of my life is she

Third Time's a Charm playlist

Read below or HERE

Zelda’s startled gasp when Mineru begins to fade from sight breaks Link’s heart. It’s clear she forged a deep bond with her ancestors, and if she deserves anything, she deserves to be loved and have someone besides him and Impa tell her how proud they are of her. He doesn’t have more time to reflect upon it, since it seems their friends must have had some meeting beforehand to recite a pledge of fealty to Zelda. Except, none of them seem to remember all of it and trail off one-by-one half-way through. It’s the thought that counts and if the way Zelda’s eyes are shimmering and she smiles the watery smile that always makes Link want to pull her into his arms and kiss the tears away is any indication, she’s been made verklempt by their effort.

A heavy crumbling sound behind Link draws his eye and he turns his head to see, with Mineru’s departure, the mechsuit has collapsed and lies in pieces. He’s surprised when his eyes burn at the sight, and he blinks several times. Even though Purah had successfully removed the secret stone, the machine had remained intact for the journey to the floating archipelago. It seems Mineru has truly passed on to the spirit realm. He catches Zelda’s eye and sees she’s come to the same conclusion–it’d been Mineru’s spirit, not the stone that held the machine together.

Nodding, Zelda steps to the altar, and Link does his best not to allow the vision of her standing in the exact same spot, wearing an ancient dress, holding her secret stone, while fear and determination play over her features as she debates what she’s about to do, consume him.

She catches his eyes and all he sees on her face is eager anticipation for what their future will bring. Today, she’s not alone, but flanked by Yunobo and Riju. Steadily holding her gaze, Link takes the Secret Stone from the construct Purah hands him and moves to stand between Tulin and Sidon. Once he’s in place Zelda places her stone in the center of the stone pedestal. They all follow suit until the six stones form a circle. 

“Today you made a vow to stand with me to bring forth an everlasting peace to the kingdom of Hyrule. I am honored to have you at my side, and together I know we can make a difference in the lives of our people.” Zelda takes a moment to look at each of them before resting her gaze upon Link. “This chapter is closing, and our final act will be to destroy the stones to ensure they can never be used for evil again, and to seal the Master Sword in this altar around which we stand.”

They’d spent many hours debating if this was the right choice, or if they should journey back to the Lost Woods to return the sword to its pedestal there. In the end, Zelda convinced Link the power emanating from the Temple of Time was just as sacred as that of the Great Deku Tree. It seemed fitting for the sword to be returned to a resting place that mirrors that of its origins described in the ancient texts that told of the first hero. 

Raising her hand, a soft golden light emanates from Zelda's fingertips and flows into the stones. As the stones begin to glow brighter, she sings the ancient melody Link had first heard her sing in the shrine. The light in the stones grows brighter and brighter and when it reaches the point that it's nearly blinding, Zelda nods to Link as she continues singing.

The Master Sword’s hum harmonizes with Zelda’s song when Link pulls it from his scabbard. Holding it aloft, the glowing blue blade pulses in time to the music. Even though he’s prepared for this moment and asked for it, Link hesitates. The sword has never spoken to him with words, but he has always had an innate sense of what it wanted him to do. He feels it’s power vibrating down his arm to his core, and he knows it’s ready to be laid to rest. A weight lifts from his shoulders as he grips the hilt with both hands and turns the blade to point toward the altar.

Locking eyes with Zelda he sees the same burden lifting from her as she pours her power into the stones and when she smiles he knows it’s time. Link plunges the blade between the glowing stones, fusing its power with Zelda’s. As the sword sinks into the pedestal, the stones shatter and absorb into the blade. 

They all shield their eyes from the blinding light that blooms around the sword as it seals itself in the stone. Zelda lowers her hands to her sides as her song comes to a close. The sword’s hum fades away along with the brilliant blue as it falls into a deep slumber. 

The sky has darkened to a deep indigo as the sun sank closer to the horizon during the ritual. Stars are appearing, dotting the heavens above with their twinkling light. Several streak through the atmosphere, blazing a trail. 

“Make a wish!” Purah’s chipper voice breaks the silence.

Link smiles. Zelda told him long ago falling stars aren’t stars at all, but pieces of debris from space, burning in the atmosphere. He knows Purah knows this, but she’s never been able to fully let her childlike wonder go.

He meets Zelda’s eyes, glowing brighter than any star, shooting or otherwise. The only wish he ever made over and over every time he chased a falling star has already come true.

Thank you everyone for liking and reblogging. I hope you all enjoyed!

Final shout out to @floraunderground. TYSM my friend!!

[noturvlentine]

If only you’d come back to me

matty healy x singer/reader

based on Mojo Pin by Jeff Buckley!!!

(The song has multiple meanings to look into but I thought it was fitting poetically, and since is just such a passionate song too- i wont mention the full song, just parts of the lyrics in order!)

Tell me if you like these song based stuff! I might write some more in the future if anyone has requests 🖤

Criticism is also welcome!!! This is my first fic posted and there’s more coming :)

Do not copy my stuff elsewhere but reblogs are ok!!!

this one is pretty angsty with mentions of a breakup and other stuff you would expect from a typical matty fic??

Summary- Matty finds himself lingering around your show at a music festival both you and the 1975 were attending. He catches your cover of Mojo Pin by Jeff Buckley as you both reminisce about the lost time together.

༺ ♰ ༻

It was the last festival you were listed to perform at this season, luckily with a warm day and pleasant weather you managed to wring in a crowd of both fans and music goers alike. Festival season was always circled in unforgiving red on your calendars- the pressure, massive crowds and other artists. No, him- him in particular. If there was one thing on your list of casualties it would’ve been Matty Healy. He was here too. Their set was all the way across the field almost 4 hours ago, not that you’d heard any of it. Everyone had decided it was a good decision to keep you away from anything related to The 1975 all together, though you still kept the boys’ numbers on your phone, never having the heart to remove them completely from your life. All except Matty- not that you wanted to push him away like that. Maybe a proper goodbye would’ve made it less painful every time you were reminded of him here and there- through the little things.

The crowd had stopped hustling as you approached the end of your set, everyone configuring their instruments one last time before the final song. It was quiet, the soft hum of the song begun in the background.

‘Um, I- I just wanted to say thanks for sticking around for my silly little tracks and thank you to my band for dealing with me- I hope you guys like some Jeff Buckley.’ You smiled at your own awkwardness, refusing to look up into the crowd as you adjusted your microphone.

I’m lying in my bed, the blanket is warm

This body will never be safe from harm

Still feel your hair, black ribbons of coal

Touch my skin to keep me whole

Those lyrics slipped off your tongue like a blanketed memory. And indeed they were. Even your fingers plucking at the pattern of the riff reminded you of how you’d first learnt the song- on the floor of Matty’s bedroom in his shared flat with George. His eyes trailing over your body as you played the song back a million times that night. Suddenly you found your eyes searching the crowd for a certain dark haired boy- probably with his mates somewhere along the sides of vip guests and artists. Your mind was in conflict. Stop searching- you can’t fuck up this song. How long could you keep running for?

Certainly not forever, but he was here- by the third barricade passing through to the other side of the field. He hadn’t noticed you yet- until the haunting second verse sent a familiar warmth down his back.

If only you’d come back to me

If you laid at my side

Wouldn’t need no mojo pin

To keep me satisfied

Then, an even more familiar chord followed by silence. The lyrics of the chorus came flooding into his head as if the burdens of heartbreak itself had wrapped it’s sickening grip around his mind. They were circling in him now, echoed by your reigning voice.

Don’t want to weep for you

I don’t want to know

I’m blind and tortured

The white horses flow

Matty stopped in his tracks, timidly shifting his gaze towards the stage far in the distance. His heart sank. Deeper into the depths of his memory. He could recognise every inch of you even from afar. Your hair hadn’t changed- neither had your stage presence, the way slung around the microphone stand, eyes closed and spilling your heart away into the song. The way your notes came from the depths of your lungs, burning with passion, haunting and delicate- exactly how you used to sing around him.

The memories fire

The rhythms fall slow

Black beauty, I love you so

Suddenly he was back in the warmth of the studio. His head resting on your lap and your hands curling in his hair as a guitar was propped up, his soft hums and strumming spreading across a comfortable silence in the room. How had he fucked this up? How had you fucked this up? Matty had stopped for long enough before Adam caught wind of him, nudging him forward towards where they were going. He froze behind Matty, a subsequent drop of expression at the inevitable situation infront of him. You were on stage, belting your heart out in the next verse- Matty was stuck in his thoughts. It was an avoidable situation until now. He noticed that Matty didn’t seem visibly distraught, a relief to his worried look.

Ageless, ageless, and I’m there in your arms

Oh how he wishes he was back under your touch again, sinking into the warmth of his past apartment, rambling on about his thoughts to you. He missed that- he still does. It was half expected that Matty was now in full panic mode- on the verge of some sort of guilty breakdown but to Adam’s surprise- he remained quite still, longing you quietly. You had stopped searching for him now, knowing if he was there he’d be long gone by now, because in your head you knew that you two were the same- unable remain peacefully without the thought of each other, hence you’d thought he’d probably left.

I don’t want to weep for you-

I don’t wanna know

I’m blind and tortured

The white horses flow

You’d flown too close to the sun once, to be fair one could’ve said you’d flown straight into the sun when you and Matty were together. And yeah, it burned like hell, but you don’t regret a second of it despite how scarred and broken it left you in the end. Matty too. By then both your second albums had dropped and neither of you expected tour to be easy. Matty’s habit of leaning on drugs wasn’t slowing down any time soon, and it didn’t help that the both of you were newly broken-up and everyone on the internet was constantly reminding him of it. You weren’t any better, smokes, alcohol and occasional drugs had numbed your mind enough for the past few years- but too much of it reminded you of your time with Matty where substances put you on the high for each others love.

Oh the welts of your scorn, my love, give me more

Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more

Well it’s you I’ve waited my life to see

It’s you I’ve searched so hard for

You hadn’t found anything quite like it. You and Matty. You had tried and briefly ‘tested the waters’ with one of your close friends, your producer and bassist, also a well known musician himself but it never felt right. You never felt the urge to ask if Matty was seeing anyone either, it wouldn’t have hurt for you to stay in the dark about it. But for some reason it did.

Don’t wanna weep for you

I don’t wanna know

I’m blind and tortured

The white horses flow

The memories fire, the rhythms fall slow

The song came to its final crescendo, as did the heart spewing rushes of memories inside of Matty. The more passionate your singing became, the more painful and broken you sounded- the more Matty found himself apologising internally for what happened, and what could’ve been. At that moment he wanted nothing more than to push his way through the crowd of thousands of people and stand before you. But his heels sank deeper into the grassy terrain the more his heart rushed. By then him and Adam were standing there far behind the rest of the band, watching the rest of your performance, even Adam had never heard you sing like that before. Your eyes closed, pulling away from the microphone for a breath before the last few lyrics came weeping with passion. Every part of it reminded Matty of how much he loved you, how much he still does and how hard he’s tried to confine his love into a mental prison- for the sake of his well-being. You didn’t know why you kept singing the cover in your sets- it reeked of your past relationship. Not in a bad way- more like a lingering perfume of a dead loved one- or just fairly distant and long forgotten, haunting you with their presence on the fabric of couch cushions, ghosting the halls and the closet. Approaching the end of the song, Adam had nudged Matty once again, signalling they had somewhere to be.

‘Mate cmon, songs over. Forget ‘bout it.’

Matty complied, turned his gaze away from the stage as his eyes followed his boots as they walked. Though the thought now clouded his mind like a virus, soon to be in control. Matty tried his best to push it away again, saving it for a day when he was ready to stand in front of you and swallow whatever you had to exchange with each other. A slap, screams, he had no hope for reconciliation- little did he know you both wanted it badly. He ran over the scenario a hundred times before reaching their trailer, the last lyrics of the song never leaving his head.

Black beauty, I love you so-

AN: OMG i hope that wasn’t too horrible for a first fic- no idea how to end it either. probably wont be turning this one into a series but we’ll see!!!

[groovesnjams]

13 / 50

"Red Wine Supernova" by Chappell Roan

MG:

There’s so much Shania Twain (I suppose, though if I’m being precise, I think there’s so much LeAnn Rimes on the Coyote Ugly soundtrack) in “Red Wine Supernova.” We’re in a boom period of re-examining, re-contextualizing, and re-appreciating late-90’s radio rock. It’s something Grooves N Jams never stopped doing; I remember where I was when I first listened to Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut like it’s my own personal national tragedy. So it’s a bit surreal and, honestly, kind of deadening to bob on these waves a second time. I can feel us all, in this moment, careening toward Evanescence, Linkin Park, eventually Puddle of Mudd and Staind, and then the total death of radio for a second time. I think there’s a wont to put all of that on streaming and pirating, as though the medium itself was flawed and the music can be salvaged. The medium was flawed, but also, this sound was extremely easy to replicate and the imitators were often nothing more than fridge magnet poetry cloaked under a couple production tricks.

Anyway, I feel like Shania caught some short shrift during this period, so, unlike the general 90’s ennui I’m starting to feel, the resurrection of “You’re Still the One” via boygenius and “Man! I Feel Like a Woman” via Chappell Roan is still fresh and delightful. Shania could be playful and camp in a way that our often serious, humorless pop culture really, really misses. Perhaps I’m missing the point and part of the joy of her quasi-drag and over-performed yelps is to bop along and not overthink it, but I’m here to overthink it. There are plenty of artists who could fit themselves inside of “Red Wine Supernova” (Rina Sawayama tried it with “This Hell,” for example) but Chappell is comfortable with performing in way that feels slightly waylaid by our current era of always on branding and universal blandness. She’s using her voice, flexing it and manipulating it, a commanding tour de force woman and a goofy, confessional girl by turns. It’s a stage show, for sure, but after years and years of single facet performers (professional mope boys like Drake and The Weeknd or Ariana Grande’s mumbled “yuh” or Charli XCX’s irony pop) it’s a delight to see someone prowl around like she does, fully owning her character, imperfections and all. In that way, she’s taken what Shania did – her kick your feet up and laugh friendliness – and added a layer of vulnerability on top by not trying to strangle every last drop of productivity from her margins. It’s possible to dislike Chappell Roan and that’s what makes her so loveable.

DV:

If I was a teen in 2023 I would be basing my entire personality around Chappell Roan right now, to the annoyance of everyone around me. Like others on this list, she has a way of encapsulating an entire world and attitude inside a single song and making you a part of it whenever you listen; unlike those others, at its most inviting Chappell's world is centered around getting drunk and naked in the most ostentatious way possible. MG and I didn't catch Chappell's tour this year due to "fuck LiveNation" reasons, but you don't need to see it live to realize that "Red Wine Supernova" is made for crowdwork, full of call-and-response moments and subtle punchlines. I say subtle; I mean, "Want me to fuck you" is tucked halfway through a verse rather than in a more obvious spot like the chorus. But in Chappell Roan's hands, everything seems obvious, belying the skill it takes to take a lyric this packed with obnoxious theater kid energy and make it irresistibly charming. "Red Wine Supernova" wears itself on its sleeve and demands you do the same. It's a dialogue between Chappell and the listener as much as between her and the girl biting her neck.

[cherrydrop-rambles]

Everytime I listen to "Ruthlessness" from Epic The Musical, it always reminds me of a scenario in Minus One where "Hey, what if Tachibana did NOT forgive/help Shikishima and continued to hold that grudge against him?"

Therefore, I am compelled to bring you...

My TED talk of why I think this song is basically the scenario of Tachibana if he never forgave Shikishima;

Disclaimer: I will not take from the musical itself, only the lyrics I see on screen

Blue ; Lyrics

Normal coloured text ; Analysis

Also HUGE Godzilla Minus One Spoilers and I am totally 100% sane making this

---

(I'm not counting the multiple "Poseidon"s at the start because you can't really analyse that </3)

" In all my years of living, it isn't very often that I get pissed off,

I try to chill with the waves, but damn you've crossed the line. "

The mention of the waves - I see as a direct reference to the fact that Shikishima is a minesweeper - sailing the waves on his boat. (This is assuming this is all being said to Shikishima after he becomes a minesweeper)

" I've been so gracious, but yet you hurt this son of mine "

Instead of the 'yet you hurt this son of mine' line making an accusation of hurting his son, I'd say Tachibana would instead make a direct reference to Shikishima letting his friends get injured(killed)

" That's right, the cyclops you made blind is mine. "

" No, "

[ N/A - Dont have analysis for these lines ]

" I'm left without a choice, and without a doubt

Guess the pack of wolves is swimming with the sharks now

I gotta make you bleed, I need to see you drown,

But before you go, I need to make you learn how "

Okay, so, for the first two lines, I took this as two meanings. My first idea is that the whole "sharks" mention is another little reference to Shikishima working on the ocean. But then, the pack of wolves swimming with the sharks could be a direct signal to the large group of corpses (Tachibana's allies) on Odo Island being washed into the sea after the Godzilla attack. And clearly the third line of harming Shikishima is Tachibana wanting to practically kill him due to him blaming Shikishima for his crew being gone.

" Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves "

First of all, such a banger line in general. Second, I think this would be Tachibana saying that you need to kill to be 'Ruthless' and execute certain actions sometimes to save those around you, which in a way saves ourselves because if he saved everyone around him, he wouldn't have to feel that guilt. He considers Shikishima to have had a choice when aiming at Godzilla, and Shikishima "actively" never took that choice. If he did kill Godzilla - In which perhaps the powerful guns could have in Tachibana's eyes - then he would have mercy on himself because he wouldn't live with the added guilt of being responsible for all those deaths caused by the lizard he "refused" to kill.

A Greek who reeks of false righteousness, that's what I hate!

" You are the worst kind of good 'cause you're not even great.

'Cause you fight to save lives but won't kill and don't get the job done,

I mean, you probably could have avoided all this had you just killed my son,

But no "

Alright so, the first two lines I feel like this is Tachibana criticising Shikishima for taking the role that's known for saving their people and being heroic (hence the false righteousness) but failing to protect those on the island because he couldn't do "one simple thing" per se, and pull the trigger on the guns aiming at Godzilla. And of course the worst kind of good not being great ties into what I talked about him seemingly taking up this role and not being able to save those Tachibana cares about.

The third line sort of ties into what I've just explained about with Shikishima being a pilot in WW2 but failing to kill Godzilla, and the last part is pretty self explanatory, replacing the 'my son' part with him talking about his crew again.

This whole verse could perhaps refer to him being a Kamikaze pilot too and taking a dig at him surviving the war, even if it does kind of make Tachibana a hypocrite by then.

" You are far too nice, mercy has a price

It's the final crack, we're bound to break the ice now

You reveal your name, then you let him live

Unlike you, I've got no mercy left to give 'cause "

I feel like the "you are far too nice" could perhaps be a hint of sarcasm, followed by mercy being mentioned, which solidifies the idea of Tachibana thinking it was Shikishima's choice not to kill Godzilla rather than the truth of his hands freezing up. I feel like he's too clouded by his frustration and anger of losing those he cared about to consider that Shikishima didn't choose this. Or maybe he's too filled with anger/hatred to care in this case. The more he thinks of such a thing, the angrier he gets, so he tends to push it out of his mind until this scene.

" And now it is finally time to say goodbye, today you die

Unless, of course, you apologize

For my son's pain and all his cries

Poseidon, we meant no harm

We only hurt him to disarm him

We took no pleasure in his pain

We only wanted to escape "

[ N/A - No analysis other than what I've already spoken about. Perhaps the part about him only wanting to escape but thats about it ]

" The line between naïveté and hopefulness is almost invisible

So close your heart, the world is dark and

Ruthlessness is mercy

Die. "

With the thought of Tachibana still thinking that Shikishima had a choice, the first line possibly could refer to it's niave to inflict mercy on ruthless creatures such as Godzilla, because it won't get him anywhere. The hope that Godzilla will take any mercy is naive. And of course, the second one is enforcing the first line, telling Shikishima that the world is a dark place that doesn't take kindly to mercy. I feel like in terms of the last line of "Die," Tachibana would actually want to kill Shikishima in that moment to avenge his friends. I mean, we see in that scene where he gives over the letter, and his anger surfaces how he attacks Shikishima. We also know how far people can go when placed in a stressful setting whilst filled with anger and hatred for a certain person who has wronged you as much.

What have you done?

When does a ripple become a tidal wave?

43 left under your command

When does man become a monster?

I am your darkest moment

The monster that always draws near

Any last words? "

Last but not least, the final verse I am going to analyse. (Yippee!!!)

Now I see a ripple becoming a tidal wave as Godzilla surviving Odo Island and then causing distruction another few times. One event which went wrong turned into a bunch of them occurring. Last but not least, I feel like for the 'when does a man become a monster?' Up to 'The monster that always draws near' instead of Tachibana saying these lines, it's Shikishima's survivor's guilt surfacing as he reflects on what he's done and how he believes he's handles everything. It makes him beg the question of does he even deserve to live at this point? Is he part of the problem and the true monster who has been a catalyst for these events, no matter how much he's tried to stop it - seeing as it follows HIM around?

Finally I feel like the final part is him getting ready to take his revenge.

For the last few lines thats left of the song, honestly doesnt fit in my humble opinion so I shall not include them :3

Extra;

Setting/Time: I think in my mind, this argument with Tachibana arguing with Shikishima during the scene when Shikishima finds Tachibana and Tachibana has seen the letters and is visibly furious about this. It would explain his anger filled explanation and his desire to just get rid of "the root of his problem". Plus he was intentions angering Shikishima in order for Shikishima to actually find him, which would fuel his rage even more!

A quite note that I am taking this from the perspective of Godzilla being a real, tangible creature. I know in the movie he's meant to represent survivor's guilt but I feel like this whole analysis above would make a tiny bit more sense if he really was a real creature. I dunno,

That's all for now! I'm just cramming my thoughts into this one post X3 They don't call it Cherrydrop rambles for nothing!! I've honestly had this concept in my head for a while now and as much as Id love to make this into an animatic, I dont have the time nor motivation for it. However, hope you've enjoyed reading through this chaotic post, and gold star if you did! :3

[wordstome]

@kneelingshadowsalome thank you for indulging me on the hozier songs xoxo.

Melody-wise, if you liked Take Me To Church and Work Song, you'll like these songs, they're rock with gospel and folk influences. I'm going to list the songs who have lyrics that remind me of our favorite nasty Austrian man, but I really do recommend listening to all of Hozier's discography. Long post ahead!

Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene - lol of course I start with this one. This one is mostly about an unhealthy dependency on a woman akin to a drug addiction, but these lines are so König. Also this song just rules.

Feeling more human and hooked on her flesh I lay my heart down with the rest at her feet Fresh from the fields, all fetor and fertile It's bloody and raw, but I swear it is sweet

It Will Come Back - feral man becomes obsessed the moment you show him scraps of affection

You know better babe, you know better babe Than to smile at me, smile at me like that Than to hold me just, hold me just like that Don't let me in with no intention to keep me Jesus Christ, don't be kind to me Honey, don't feed me, I will come back

Cherry Wine - required listening for Hozier fans, such a beautiful song. Again, this one is also about an unhealthy relationship that I don't really associate with König, but these lines do remind me of Fatum Nos Iungebit

Her fight and fury is fiery, oh, but she loves Like sleep to the freezing Sweet and right and merciful, I'm all but washed In the tide of her breathing And it's worth it It's divine The way she shows me I'm hers and she's mine Open hand or closed fist would be fine The blood is rare and sweet as cherry wine

Dinner & Diatribes - drawing comparisons between the act of eating and the act of loving, my beloved

Honey, this club here is stuck up Your friends are a fate that befell me I'd suffer Hell if you'd tell me What you'd do to me tonight

Sunlight -

A soul that's born in cold and rain Knows sunlight, sunlight, sunlight And at last can grant a name To a buried and burning flame As love and its decisive pain Oh, your love is sunlight

De Selby (Part 2) - this song just goes hard asf

What you're given, what you live in Darling, it finds a way to live in you And your heart, love, has such darkness I feel it in the corners of the room

Francesca - this song is really beautiful and longing, it's based on a story about a forbidden love where the couple was put to death. Also, "put me back in it" is most certainly referring to pussy.

My life was a storm since I was born How could I fear any hurricane? If someone asked me at the end I'd tell them, 'Put me back in it' Da-darlin', I would do it again If I could hold you for a minute

Special shoutout to the line "Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I"

Who We Are - hehe the third chapter of Shrike is titled after this song. Bit of a spoiler, but without context, which is the best kind of spoiler >:)

I just held it tight So someone with your eyes Might come in time To hold me like water Or Christ, hold me like a knife

Butchered Tongue - also reminds me of Fatum Nos Iungebit

So far from home to have a stranger call you 'Darling' And have your guarded heart be lifted like a child up by the hand In some town that just means 'Home' to them With no translator left to sound A butchered tongue still singin' here above the ground

Unknown/Nth - this is a really bittersweet song reminiscing on a relationship that ended because he didn't truly know his partner. Again, I don't really associate the whole song with König, but these lines do remind me of Just Friends

Where a blinding light shone on you every night And either side of my sleep Where you were held frozen like an angel to me

Hozier also sings the last verse of this song so beautifully, it's like he captured the sensation of being at a concert and having the artist's voice so powerful in your ear. Required listening tbh

There are so, so many more songs I would recommend listening to, but these are the König highlights :3 Enjoy

[faxxmodem]

absent flame // a bittersweet brit/mallick mixtape

merged spotify // merged youtube

SIDE A // spotify

never there - CAKE / cut me open - um, jennifer? / the bends - saint mela / do me a favour - the arctic monkeys / dilaudid - the mountain goats / black sun - death cab for cutie / codependency - orla gartland / the world's so small - sunfish / repeat - julien baker / hang on me - st vincent / lover i don't have to love - bright eyes / why can't you be - third eye blind

SIDE B // spotify

get gone - fiona apple / oh god - those darlins / dream state... - lucy dacus / the kids aren't alright - fall out boy / where does the good go - tegan and sara / something i can never have - nine inch nails / i want you - mitski / cherry wine - hozier / sour breath - julien baker / floodwaters - defiance, ohio / there will be no divorce - the mountain goats

selected lyrics + supplemental materials below the cut.

TAPE INFO: recorded 1/12/24 on a 90min type 1 sony HD cassette. tracklist condensed from 3hr+ writing mix.

THE TITLE: from rain in soho by the mountain goats. this track is actually on the jigsaw survivor support group mix and not this one.

THE VIBE: at some point you can't just coast by on the high of having survived; at some point you have to ask yourself if trusting someone is worth the risk; at some point a choice must be made.

selected lyrics

never there - CAKE

take the time to get to know me if you want me why can't you just show me?

cut me open - um, jennifer?

darling, eat my insides / don't i make you insane? don't you want me closer / or are we playing a game?

the bends - saint mela

i can pop a cork, twist a tag / clutch my glass and reach way back but i don't always move as fast as you do, so sometimes i find you in the bottom of a bottle where you've gone is someplace i won't follow

do me a favour - the arctic monkeys

ask anyone they'll tell you that it's these times that it tends to start to break in half / to start to fall apart hold on to your heart

dilaudid - the mountain goats

cause you just can't do things your body wasn't meant to hike up your fishnets / i know you if we live to see the other side of this / i will remember your kiss so do it with your mouth open / and take your foot off of the brake

black sun - death cab for cutie

there is whiskey in the water / and there is death upon the vine and there is grace within forgiveness / but it's so hard for me to find

codependency - orla gartland

i'm not happy if you're not happy / and i swear that you're always sad you're not happy if i'm not happy / and i swear that i'm always sad

the world's so small - sunfish

so tell me lies for one more night tell me all the reasons you're right forget we ever spoke a word at all

repeat - julien baker

on and on and on i chase your form across the bed leave it up to me until you come to turn it in say i miss you like a mantra / 'til i forget what it means doesn't matter what you tell me / i just need to hear you speak

hang on me - st vincent

i cannot stop the taxi cab from crashin' and only lovers will survive 'cause you and me we're not meant for this world

lover i don't have to love - bright eyes

you write such pretty words / but life's no story book love's an excuse to get hurt / and to hurt

why can't you be - third eye blind

why can't you be the part of me that's missing instead of leaving me for some other say we're perfect for each other and i know we won't go spend this life alone

selected lyrics

get gone - fiona apple

i'll idealize and realize that it's no sacrifice because the price is paid and there's nothing left to grieve

oh god - those darlins

when i pressed it to my ear / i heard you whine oh god i heard you whine and moan... and in a frantic voice you asked what have i done / you said oh god what have i done

dream state... - lucy dacus

and then the water came / and washed it all away it left me with nothing to say could not believe my eyes / i could not recognize your face in the rubble without you, i am surely the last of our kindwithout you, i am surely the last of my kind

the kids aren't alright - fall out boy

empty your sadness / like you're dumping your purse on my bedroom floor we put your curse in reverse and it's our time now / if we want it to be maul the world like a carnival bear set free and your love is anemic / and i can't believe that you couldn't see it comin' from me

where does the good go - tegan and sara

look me in the eye / and tell me you don't find me attractive look me in the heart / and tell me you won't go look me in the eye / and promise no love is like our love

something i can never have - nine inch nails

everywhere i look, you're all i see just a fading fucking reminder of who i used to be come on and tell me

i want you - mitski

you're coming back / and it's the end of the world we're starting over and i love you darlin' and i am done, dear

cherry wine - hozier

her fight and fury's fiery / oh but she loves like sleep to the freezing sweet and right and merciful / i'm all but washed in the tide of her breathing

sour breath - julien baker

but i shouldn't have built a house in the middle of your chest plywood boards joined at your breast splinter in my arm where you rest your head checking my watch till you come to bed kiss me goodnight with your sour breath

floodwaters - defiance, ohio

i was wading through the floodwaters / and you were waiting out a drought do i have that kind of love? is that what it would take to see this out?

there will be no divorce - the mountain goats

and you were sleeping on the floor / breathing free and even if i ever want to drive myself insane / all i have to do is watch you breathing

P.S. idk what's going on with the formatting here but i apparently can't cast small my text on every letter so enjoy?

[according2thelore]

1, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 for "He Lives For Me, Says He Lives For Me"

Sorry for sending yet another ask lol, I'm just so curious about the creation of this fic. It's so good and is such an interesting concept/version of events that I want to know what went on in your yalls brains while making this!

hihihi!

EEK! i'm SO excited you asked about this one! this one is one of the fics i'm proudest of (+ some of my favourite charlotte art!), but it didn't get as much traction as my other fics. so i am so excited to yap about it now!!!

1: What inspired you to write the fic this way?

one of my favourite samdean AUs is normallife!AU because yeah!! they are really weird like that! "weird about each other" means weird about each other in EVERY TIMELINE BABEY! it's also fun to see their dysfunction in an average environment, and how people react to two brothers who are Just Like That.

5: What part was hardest to write?

the hardest part to write was definitely the resolution post-meltdown. for sam and dean normally, they take incest pretty hard, lol. so to get these two brothers that have not lived at the fringes of "normative" society and resolve their emotions in a satisfying way was difficult. the blow-up (post-blowjob, haha) was pretty easy to write, but i had a hard time making the resolution of the story feel emotionally satisfying. because they had to dust themselves off and walk home after something completely life-shattering.

they deal with most things with a kind of bitter humour in the show, so i chose a dash of that with more emotional transparency, because they haven't been raised as rough/life-or-death as show sam and dean.

6: What makes this fic special or different from all your other fics?

i think the AU is the most different part about it! and while they're both teenagers, it's also my only underage fic (as of this moment) so i knew that would automatically disqualify it for a lot of folks, which i can understand. it operates pretty differently from my other samdean fics, because they aren't supposed to behave 1:1 like they would in the show, as their entire environment is different.

7: Where did the title come from?

the title came from "semi-charmed life" by third eye blind, which was released earlier in the year that the party takes place (February vs October '97). so conceivably, and given the subject matter of the song (a drug bender), it would be played at a high school party that year! i did a STUPID amount of song research for this fic, and i will revisit all of that in #13!

i chose it specifically because it talks about being obsessed with someone when you're young--in a predominantly physical, but also emotional, way. this lyric was VERY much codependent and obsessed, which i thought was pretty spot-on for sam and dean. i thought it was fitting!

9: Were there any alternate versions of this fic?

no, actually! this didn't change much from the conception to the finished product. for the october challenge, i actually plotted this one first because i was so excited about it. (i even wrote the blowjob scene first in my notes app bc a few lines of dialogue stuck in my head and i wanted to write them down before i could forget.) it was intended to be a little more light-hearted than it ended up being, but there's not really a way to write two brothers in a completely normal social situation deciding to commit incest and deal with it normally afterwards, lmao.

11: What do you like best about this fic?

i was most happy with their dynamic in this fic. it was challenging to write an AU!sam&dean and keep their obsession with each other in a way that felt natural, but i thought their background was fun! i think dean would develop sam-centric if he had even an ounce of the hero worship/responsibility that he gets in the show. i liked their family dynamic/history and their own dynamic/history in this fic! i enjoyed writing that the most, as well as the lead-up to the kiss. it's frantic and it's devoted and it's messy! overall: the emotion of this fic. i think i did a good job!

i also think it has a pretty decent blowjob scene? i LOVE either boy in lingerie, so i hope i did them justice!

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

okay! this fic is very song-heavy, and i did a bit of research on songs that came out in the past 1-3 years before '97, because those songs would be the most popular at a high school party. so here are a few that i listened to or are mentioned in the fic:

around the world by daft punk

semi-charmed life by third eye blind

a significant portion of nimrod by green day, specifically worry rock (bc sam is a little alternative, and this song is VERY MUCH canon!samdean) (i even looked up the day of the week the album came out to make sure dean could take him on a school day)

tha crossroads by bone thugs-n-harmony (bc haha)

the monster mash by bobby "boris" pickett and the crypt-kickers & calling all the monsters by china anne mcclain (bc halloween, the latter of course being a more recent song and not in the fic)

wannabe by the spice girls

mmmbop by hanson

pony by genuwine (which was BIG summer '97)

15: What did you learn from writing this fic?

besides the billboard top-100 of '96-'97, i learned i need to work on interim action! i found myself really speeding through the party because i wanted dean in his eyeliner and skirt to walk in, and it felt very lop-sided and rushed while i was trying to establish characters/events at this party. i need to get better at pacing! i also learned i was way more into the way noise is muffled under a skirt/how emotionally intimate&vulnerable it is if you're under there than i thought. huh! i also really want to see sam with smeared lipstick. new things all over!

(send me one of my fics and i'll answer some questions!)

thank you for sending this one!!!!!! it's one of my faves for absolute sure. please send as many asks as you'd like! i always smile when i see you in our inbox! :)

-lizzy

[soulfullives]

Winter Winds - Mumford & Sons

not a character, but this song is very wolfstar, if you ask me, and it's mostly from remus' pov, although the chorus can be taken as either of them:

"As the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts / Oh, the warmth in your eyes swept me into your arms / Was it love or fear of the cold that led us through the night? / For every kiss, your beauty trumped my doubt" &lt;- the first lyric makes me think of what they felt like during the war; the winter can also be an emphasis of the world they lived in. i like the mention of the eyes' warmth (grey eyes are generally known to be cold, given the fact that grey is a mix of black and white).

the third lyric is the motives that pushed them through "the night" or the war, in this case. the last lyric is the love for sirius, almost blinding, that made remus get over his fear of being loved.

"We'll be washed and buried one day, my girl / And the time we were given will be left for the world" <- by washed and buried i think about the idea of "forgetting" who they had once been, loud and brash and human, actually.

"The flesh that lived and loved will be eaten by plague / So let the memories be good for those who stay" <- this is in regard to their death. by lived and loved, they mean the time when they felt like they were alive, and the last lyric symbolizes, of course, the memories of them that people will have when they are gone.

sirius' pov:

"But if your strife strikes at your sleep / Remember spring swaps snow for leaves / You'll be happy and wholesome again / When the city clears and sun ascends, heh" <- this feels like sirius, but post his death. despite loving remus for his whole life, he still wants remus to be happy, even if without him. the heh is bitter for the love that they didn't get to have. by the second lyric, it means that the sun always comes out after the storm, and remus' sadness and grief will be changed with happiness. (lol no)

and the chorus can be taken from either pov:

"And my head told my heart / "Let love grow" / But my heart told my head / "This time no" / "This time no"" <- i'm leaning on remus, who is known to not be good with love and having a tendency to try and run away from it, feeling unlovable fue to his condition. at the same time, sirius knows that, at some point, he will hurt remus (it is in his blood, after all, isn't it?) and he wants to shelter him. he's hurt him once (the prank) and he doesn't intend to do it again

we know that the relationship between remus and sirius was not the best during the war, especially when it neared its end, and this song feels like the few good days that the two of them had during the war, when, even if for a moment, they saw a glimpse of the person the other used to love.

[afamineinyourheart]

What are some albums that you would consider no skips albums?

Wow this is the best question that I could have been asked. Music is my #1 interest so allow me to geek out about certifiable no skip records (in my opinion)

Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge by My Chemical Romance. This album has it all, a great story, action, guitar solos that will have you think Brian May is recording something for Iron Maiden, perfect drums, and rage that’s been calmed a tad since their first record. I know Danger Days is a “comic book” record but I think that this one is the same vibe just darker themed. Its like listening to a movie really. I can never get enough of this album and even almost two decades later I find new stuff out of the mix.

Third Eye Blind- Third Eye Blind. Once you look past the hits like semi-charmed kind of life & jumper this album is actually really kind of dark. At least thats the way I take it. I mean obviously those hits are dark themed but- this album is like a transition-in-your-life record. It was the theme to my summer of 2021. Every single song is built up, has relatable lyrics, and just hits everybody different. Every song is undeniably catchy and I think everybody needs to listen to it.

(What’s the Story?) Morning Glory- Oasis. This album has been constantly spinning for me this year. I can. Not. Get. Enough. I think every Oasis record is great but this one has zero skippability. Every other record of their’s has at least one song where I’m like “yeah this blows/is silly”. From front to back this record oozes self confidence (perfect for my ‘fake-it-til-you-make-it’ god complex) & it is so catchy/vague that anyone can find meaning in any and all of the songs. Its has highs, it has lows, the sound/mix is a little dense so I usually listen to a remastered version- but regardless the songs are meant to be ear-worms and they are. Whether you’re on the metro, on the bus, walking through a park or a city- this record is perfect to walk to and jam out to.

Honourable mentions: The Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails, Violator by Depeche Mode, any record by Brand New, Take This To Your Grave & From Under The Cork Tree by Fall Out Boy, The Used’s self titled, and probly a few more that i’m missing/can’t remember right now.

[pennyngram]

51/52 flavours: All my stories are about being left; all of yours are about leaving. We should have known.

(my masterlist)

[ prev // 51 // next ]

To make it brief, Dante Perez’ latest hit was cheerily playing in the coffee shop for the third time that morning and one underpaid barista in his almost empty cafe was mad about it.

“I hate this stupid song.”

“Jess, you’ve been repeating that for two weeks.”

“Yes, because they won’t put anything else on the radio and the manager will not allow us to turn the radio off. I’ve listened to this song more times in the last two weeks than I’ve prepared iced americanos in my whole life. If they play it another time, I will claw my eyes out.”

“Not your ears?”

“I don’t want to mess with my sense of balance.”

Vivian half scoffed, half laughed. “At least it’s catchy.”

“That is exactly the problem! Not only do I have to listen to it at work, I go home and—”

“—and it’s stuck in your head because it’s too damn catchy. Your complaints are becoming more repetitive than the song.”

He shrugged. “I don’t know how you manage to stay sane.”

“Maybe I’m just better at masking the insanity.”

After that last quip, a customer entered the cafe, putting an end to the bitching and moaning. They managed to maintain a professional faced for the time it took to take the man’s order and start working on it, but as Jess threw the ice in the blender, the low notes of a bass started playing from the loudspeakers again.

“Oh my God, I can’t believe it.” Jess whispered.

“Looking forward to your eyeballs.”

“What do the lyrics even mean? All my stories are about being left / all of yours are about leaving / We should have known, we should have known what? What?Why not just go to therapy? Why not never write another song again?”

“I agree.” Chimed in the customer.

Jess threw him a glance, embarrassed that his tone of voice had been loud enough to be heard by the customer, only to become exponentially more embarrassed when he realized that behind a blinding smile and large sunglasses hid Dante Perez himself.

Vivian started laughing maniacally as Jess finished the order. He sheepishly handed the vanilla latte over as his brain screamed in a panic and wondered if he was going to be fired by the end of the day and why the hell, of all the coffee shops of the city, Dante Perez had chosen that one specifically. But the singer didn’t add anything else, just gave a big tip and left.

Jess never said a word against the song again, but inwardly cringed whenever it came on the radio. Unfortunately for him, the song stayed at the top of the charts for another month.

xxx

If you like this concept you should maybe check out The History of Wrong Guys sung by Andrew Keenan-Bolger.

[ prev // 51 // next ]

(my masterlist)

[cryptidsurveys]

Monday, August 5th, 2024.

What song reminds you of being in middle school? There aren't any songs that remind me of being in middle school (as in the lyrics relate to what I was experiencing at that time in my life), but a song that I was obsessed with around that time period was Jumper by Third Eye Blind.

What was the first thing you learned how to cook? Probably eggs and bacon.

What does your hair currently look like? It's short, brown, and currently somewhat damp from a shower. I got home from the animal shelter not long ago and took one before making lunch.

Who's the worst driver you know? I don't know anyone who's an especially bad driver.

What are some wild animals commonly found where you live? Various birds (turkeys, hawks, doves, robins, crows, grackles, etc), deer, skunks, raccoons, porcupines, coyotes…and lots of feral cats (they've practically taken over the neighborhood).

Does it take a lot to make you cry? I guess I'm somewhat of an average crier. It doesn't take a whole lot, but I don't really cry all that often.

If the last dream you had came true, would that be a good or bad thing? BAD, lmao. The main portion of it involved a spider infestation in our family room. And there was lettuce all over the floor for some weird reason…? I was racing to clean everything up, thinking, "I really need to get to bed; I need to sleep because I have to be at the animal shelter in the morning."

Have you ever had a lucid dream? I've had quite a few of them.

How long did your last car ride last? Maybe 20-25 minutes. There was some construction on my usual way home, so I had to take a bit of a detour.

Isn't it disgusting when people chew with their mouth open? Yeah.

What's your most prominent memory from 2009? I had a partner at the time and his father died (possibly due to suicide) at the end of December. I remember going over to his mom's place - I believe it was the next day - as well as the funeral…which I think was also in December, but it could have been at the beginning of January.

Do you think there will ever be world peace? Naw.

What's your biggest problem at the moment? I don't really have any big problems at the moment. I mean, the animal shelter was a bit chaotic today, but as a volunteer, I'm kind of on the fringe of it all. I guess I could use this question as an opportunity to talk about it, though. I showed up at 7am and waited for Diane to arrive. I said "good morning" to her like I usually do, and she didn't respond…which is a sure sign that she's in a mood. I did my prep stuff - got laundry going, set up the kennels, started a fresh pot of coffee - then went back to cattery. When Diane came back, she was muttering about how there were "five people in cattery this morning, blah blah blah," and she was sort of slamming things around. I mean, it's typical of her when she's aggravated, but it was still somewhat uncomfortable.

Cassie, Kristen, and the brand-new hire Erika showed up around 8am. Diane got called back to the office to work there instead (I wasn't clear whether she didn't want to be back there because there were so many people or if she was mad because she had to go to the office, but anyway). Cassie was telling us that she might have to leave a week earlier than expected because of her cheer schedule, which upset management. They were like, "You're really putting us in a bad spot, Alex is going to have to work seven days a week, we don't want to burn her out, etc," and I was just like…no…? Minus Cassie, there would still be the three of us, plus Diane in cattery - so that's at least one day accounted for. Tuesdays would leave just me…but I'm sure they could find someone besides Alex to come in. It just seems like they aren't willing to delegate or rely on any other staff aside from her. Yes, Kristen and Erika are new. Yes, I'm just a volunteer. But we could figure things out. The whole place isn't going to go up in flames just because Alex isn't there for a mere two days. But it's not up to me, so…

Basically, tension was just running high today. Couple that with some cat Tetris… There are two kittens in ISO who need to go to the main room so they can be socialized, and there's a kitty with newly discovered pre-diabetes who needs a private kennel (or to be somehow housed with another one of our diabetic cats). We were trying to figure out where to put everyone and it was quite the puzzle because there are weight limits on some of the kennels, certain cats don't get along well with others, etc. They were still trying to work it out when I left. So yeah - it'll be interesting to see what they came up with when I go in tomorrow. But as far as problems go…I'm just going with the flow, I guess, lmao.

Has anyone ever told you you're too emotionally needy? Yeah.

Has an ex ever told you that they want you back? Yeah.

Have you ever turned down a job offer? Apparently, Leslie (manager) sent a text to Alex the other day, asking if I would work at the shelter again. Veronica (board member) came in yesterday afternoon and hung out in cattery for a while, and at one point, she was like, "You should work here, you should get paid for all of this." And Darrel, last night while we were in the back hosing things down, said that everyone is saying I should just work there. I'm like, "Oh, one day…one day…" My health just isn't quite up to the demands of the job and I'm afraid I wouldn't be as reliable as I would want to be. If I can get certain things figured out, then it would be no problem, but until then…volunteering it is! I'm still there like 40 hours a week, though. Y'all get me for free! What more do you want? Do you want me to carry a radio? Lead some cat adoption tours? Clock in and out? Carry a key? Etc…? Like, my dudes and doodlies, why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free? ;D

What's the longest hospital stay you've had? For what? 2-3 months. Eating disorder.

Do you know anyone who doesn't know the basics of using a computer? My mom isn't very computer savvy, but I think she at least knows the bare basics.

What was the last snack you ate? A granola bar.

What's something really basic that you're terrible at? Small talk. <- Same. I'm getting better at it, but it still doesn't come naturally.

Is it just me, or are tv shows/movies getting to be really dumbed down? Idk. I don't watch TV these days.

Do you know any same-sex married couples? Yeah.

What was the last appointment you scheduled? I guess it would have been with that resource center back in late May (regarding apartment voucher stuff).

Are you happy with the person you have become? Not completely, but I'm happy with the progress I've made and I'm excited to see where I go from here.

What year were you born? 1989.

What does your favorite watch look like? N/a.

Did you have one of those Tamagotchi things as a kid? Yeah.

What's your favorite kind of wine? I don't have a favorite kind, but I tend to prefer red wines.

When was the last time you felt lonely? Hmm.

Are your parents still together? No. They separated when I was a teen.

Have you ever been so broke you didn't know how you'd keep a roof over your head? No.

Do you know anyone who believes that vaccines cause autism? Idk.

What was the last piece of furniture you bought? I'm not sure.

What's a new skill you'd like to learn? Various things at the animal shelter. Not so much new skills as just more details of the actual job.

How did you celebrate your last birthday? I went out to lunch with my parents.

Do you have any great housecleaning tips? No. However, now that I'm a lot busier than I used to be, I could really use some tips for keeping up with cleaning. It was easy when I was a part time volunteer, but now that I'm full time, things are starting to slip a bit. I need some HACKS.

What's your favorite cocktail? Idk.

Did your favorite movie come out before or after you were born? Some came out before; some came out after.

Is there anything you need to do before the end of the day? C H O R E S. I'm so tempted to shrug them off and catch up on all the recent Amberlynn drama. God give me strength, lmao.

[existentialmagazine]

Review: The Rocket Summer’s newest single ‘Don’t Be Yourself’ carries acoustic softness and a fierce, building sound in unison for something epic

Multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer, Bryce Avary, or better known as The Rocket Summer, has been a musical force since his teens. With several album releases, charting hits and worldwide performances, he’s made it known he has what it takes to create music alike no other. Sharing stages with artists such as Paramore, Goo Goo Dolls, Onerepublic, Switchfoot, Third Eye Blind, All Time Low and more, it’s no surprise his work has connected with audiences spanning genres left and right.

Reminiscent of artists like Never Shout Never, The Rocket Summer’s newest single ‘Don’t Be Yourself’ is a paired-back anthem intended to pick you up and engrain some of life’s most important messages inside of you when you need them the most. While the title might have you believing otherwise, the finger-picked acoustic guitar that leads things is sure to set you up with the knowledge that ‘Don’t Be Yourself’ is about nothing other than sincerity and introspection. As every string rings out with such strength and vibrancy behind it, you can’t help but feel the infectious confidence behind the performance, even when the sound is held back for an emotive introduction of sorts. Paired just with rich vocals in a soundscape so vast and yet empty, you can’t ignore what it is that Rocket Summer has to say, carrying emotion through every raspy line and fluctuating high and low that embraces staying true to yourself.

The lyrics are just as thoughtfully crafted to match, delivering a reminder we all often need: ‘don’t be yourself in a million years, be yourself right here.’ As we all often make decisions to hide parts of ourselves, determined to wait to find those that accept us for our true selves, The Rocket Summer preaches that you don’t have time to wait with falsities and facades when you should be living your life authentically for you. While the sound carries a tenderness to it, the words are nothing but radiant in contrast, showcasing the power that intimacy and truthfulness can bring even if it means bringing down your walls and becoming vulnerable. How could you possibly feel anything other than filled with joy as The Rocket Summer sings that ‘mistakes you might make, contemplate, but do not stay there’, allowing you the grace to feel but the much-needed push to strive forward with the changes you can make moving on. Through further lines like ‘you’re just gonna let your fears take all of your years’ , it’s like The Rocket Summer nudges you from your bubble “safety” and reinstates the finite nature of life, your limited days that you need to grab at full force and live to the fullest as yourself.

The sound slowly but surely grows in intensity, akin to the experience of building your confidence and accepting who you are as all that matters. With the riffs developing to be more strong-handed, and a more prominent echo to their every vigorous pluck, ‘Don’t Be Yourself’ slowly starts to consume you and there’s really no desire to make it stop. The following chorus erupts into the most mesmerising peak of all though, glowing with drums and cymbals that begin to seep through the sound with a dominance that’s loud and booming, but a brightness you always hold near and dear. Cello and mandolin also simmer throughout, littering an orchestral touch that adds an aching to the most poignant of lines like: ‘it strikes me what it’s seen, the beauty and the screams, the weddings and the funerals, new life, the best, the worst.’

By the time it’s coming to a close, ‘Don’t Be Yourself’ will have you covered in goosebumps, taking in a deep breath to process it all. From the beginning’s softness, to the absolute in-your-face volume that thrusts the narrative unavoidably your way by the end, there’s not a single second you won’t be completely enthralled by how this song will develop, what you’ll learn, and the unbeatable sense of strength and empowerment you’ll carry forever more. Just listen for yourself here, once you’ve heard it, you’ll know why nothing else can ever come close.

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.