#which is not what is being sung by the band??? but there you go | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hiddenreamers · 1 month ago

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I was in your music video - f1 drivers x singer!reader

SUMMARY: They say that if a poet loves you, they will write you into immortality. But if you date a musician, they might write you into the Billboard 100. Which is exactly what happens to your driver boyfriend.

Featuring: Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz Jr, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, George Russell

Note: Yes, two songs are sung by male artists. Yes, I'm going to ignore that fact and you should, too.

Lewis Hamilton

He's been in the room maybe five times. The space always felt strangely sacred to him - this is where you write, compose and practice songs with your band; this is where the magic, so to speak, happens. Walls are absolutely covered with tour posters, polaroids and printed-out articles. There's a large mirror that seems to be a message board considering all the sticky notes and words written with a marker. The only somewhat de-cluttered space is surrounding the setup. It's an unspoken testament to being a musician in a band.

There's a certain tension inside the driver. You've never asked him to listen to a song before it's finished. Sure, he has listened through your albums before they were officially released but it was always just that - a recording, not a live version. So what's different this time? Why is it vital he hears this song early?

Walking through the room, Lewis has to carefully watch where he's going. He doesn't want to accidentally break something by stepping on a cable or kicking a box with unknown contents. Inside a garage, he knows what not to touch but a recording studio and instruments are pretty much an unknown world to him.

Lewis is standing around a tad awkwardly, hands in pockets, when the bassist pushes a big black box closer to the driver.

"Have a seat." The musician points to the chest.

Lewis frowns. "On the box?" he asks, unsure. "Is that okay?"

"It's the Lucky Chest, Hamilton," the bassist announces. The other band members snicker at the title. "You have to sit on it."

"What's lucky about it?" Lewis inquires. More than the seating choice, he's interested in the reason for laughter.

"The first time we played at a big festival," the guitarist begins, her story slightly interrupted by her tuning the guitar, "we were sitting on it and listening to Green Day's stage, wondering 'how the fuck are we supposed to play after them?'."

"We were doing like a punk-rock tribute thing," adds the drummer. He's adjusting his seat and judging by the constant up-and-down movement, he can't make up his mind. The process is finally over when he reaches to tap the high-hat and nods to himself, content.

"After we finished our set," you take over retelling the story, "Billy Joe Armstrong came up to us and said we did great."

"So now it's the Lucky Chest," concludes the bassist.

Perhaps it's another testament to being a musician in a band when multiple people together tell one story without cutting details or creating chaos. A true harmony, though a joke a little on the nose.

"Well, I'm honoured," Lewis says. An airy giggle escapes him as he's still thinking about how easily teamwork comes to you and your band.

"You should be." The guitarist points her finger at him in a joking but accusatory way. Then she looks over her shoulder. "Whenever you're ready, drummer boy."

Music fills the room and Lewis is instantly captivated by you. He noticed it the first time he saw you on stage, how something inside you changes the moment you hear the instruments playing. Intensity, fire - passion in its most primal form. But this time around, the look in your eyes is different. You're no longer looking at the audience but him specifically; instead of singing a song, you seem to be telling him something.

So he listens.

I'm a desert, you're an ocean It's your motion that I need Without you I am broken, left to thirst out in the heat

And how strange he suddenly feels: all of the sentiments he already knows but now that you've put them into words for the whole world to hear, he can't help but find some revelation in them. For a moment, there's only the two of you and your confession of desire. Every word resonates with him and Lewis feels like he could say all of those things about you, too.

The song is far from over but he has already decided - he will listen to it before every race.

Lando Norris

Nothing seemed different about that day.

Lando is streaming while you're still at the studio. In an hour or so, you will come back, he will end the stream and the two of you will sit down to eat something. You will talk about your day, he will say something silly and both of you will laugh. Just like you always did.

To his credit, Lando couldn't have known about the song because you never told him. Some part of you thought it would be a bit dramatic to announce that you've written a song about him but can't play it yet because it's not finished. It would spoil the fun, wouldn't it? Therefore, you decided to tell Lando only after he listened to the final product. Perhaps you also wanted to seem a lot more nonchalant about the whole thing, planning on giving him just an off-hand comment of "oh, by the way, this one's about you". Life, however, rarely turns out the way we plan and that's exactly what happened that night.

If it was just one or two people calling Lando "honeybee" on the stream, he probably wouldn't even notice. But even he will pay attention when the comments are going on hundreds if not thousands.

He can't help but grow flustered at the pet name born out of his visceral fear of insects.

"Who told you that?!" he yells in a comically angry tone, a poor attempt at hiding embarrassment.

The comments come flooding again, explaining the situation only in variations of your name and the title Espresso. And like a detective following a crime, Lando immediately searches the internet.

"I feel lied to," he speaks up. "She didn't tell me she has a new song coming out. Why am I the last one to know? When I literally live with her? This is so unfair, I'm obviously the biggest fan, I should know first!"

Lando plays the music video. From the first line of "he's thinking about me every night", his bashfulness only gets worse. What starts as an excited smile, grows into a flustered, giggly mess. Although his pride is on the line, he can't deny any of the claims you make in the song. Yes, he couldn't sleep one night thinking about you and texted you about that. Yes, he does call you often even though he hates making phone calls. And yes, Lando Norris is, in fact, wrapped around your finger. What a horse is everyone can see and similarly, everyone can see and define who Lando is when it comes to his girlfriend:

"Simp?" he reads one of the comments. "Look, maybe I am but at the end of the day I'm dating her and you're not so who's the real loser here?"

Lando can only laugh his heart out when the chat gets flooded with identical comments: You.

"Okay, I admit. I'm down bad for my girlfriend and I'm proud of that."

Tomorrow's headlines are bound to be interesting...

Oscar Piastri

Although Oscar has seen you in musicals countless times, this situation feels a lot weirder and more uncomfortable. When he comes to watch your show, he's in the audience and you're on the stage. Now you're sitting side by side on the couch in your shared apartment, about to see your first movie. You're both the audience and the creator, which leaves you unsure how to act.

Unfortunately, your discomfort only grows. Oscar seems to be enjoying the movie but joy is not granted to you on this day. With each minute, you know your big part is coming. Oh God, what is he going to think?

Then, you suddenly pause the film. Oscar looks at you confused.

"There's something you need to know before you watch this scene and listen to the song," you say before he can ask you about your strange actions.

Oscar's frown only deepens. "You're making it sound really serious."

"Because it is. The thing is... " you hang your voice, unsure how to put words together. How do you tell someone this without making things awkward? "This is more embarrassing than I thought it would be but the song you're about to hear, I wrote it thinking about you."

He's trying to smile but the shadow of embarrassment on his face doesn't go unnoticed. You can only hope it's good kind of nervous.

The movie is resumed. As your discomfort is barely tolerable, you're looking away from the TV, fidgeting ever-so-slightly. Once or twice, you glance at Oscar, trying to see his reaction. The problem is, he's sitting unbelievably still. True, Oscar Piastri tends to be on the calmer side but right now it feels off. As if lost deep in thought, he appears to be diligently contemplating the scene in the movie; picking apart the words that came to your mind while thinking about him.

When the song comes to an end, you pause the film once more. A tense silence falls between you and Oscar, both longing to say something and yet neither willing to.

"So?" you begin hesitantly. "What do you think?"

Oscar shifts awkwardly. "Erm... I don't really know what to say."

A nervous giggle escapes your lips. "It's really sappy, I know." You try to downplay the situation, fearing that his reaction is born out of something negative. Does he think you're clingy? Obsessive? Too dramatic to handle?

"It's not that," he quickly denies. "Well, okay, it is kind of sappy but it's good sappy?" Oscar's tone raises slightly, revealing that he's unsure whether it's the right choice of words.

"Good sappy?" you repeat.

It feels as though woe has weaved a nest inside your viscera. "Good sappy" sounds like a lovely, diplomatic euphemism used not to hurt someone's feelings.

"Yeah, it's just..." Oscar doesn't finish his sentence. He runs his hand through his hair, then rubs the back of his neck nervously. Finally, he looks at you but not in a way you're familiar with. There's something ethereal in his gaze, a glint of inexplicable emotion that would escape a less observant eye. "It's really beautiful," he says. "The fact that you feel this way about me?" You could swear there are tears in his eyes as he lets out a flustered giggle. "I can die happy now."

Carlos Sainz

As old tradition entails, the Thursdays before a race weekend are meant for golfing. And who is Carlos Sainz to not give in to the custom?

He's sitting in his car, impatiently ploughing through the traffic of the city centre. Why are people out and about at this time, anyway? Shouldn't they be at work? Wanting to get his mind off of the fact that he's going to be quite late to the game, Carlos turns on the radio. The man is mindlessly skipping through the stations until something catches his attention - the announcer introduces you as today's guest.

"Hello again, pretty girl," Carlos says to himself. A small smile enters his face.

"First of all, I'd like to thank you," the radio host begins. "Unfinished Business is just the album I've been waiting for this year. And not only me! Have you seen Billboard 100 lately?"

Your flustered giggle is just as adorable as always. "Yesterday evening, I think?"

The broadcaster sighs dramatically. "Then you have ancient news. I have the site pulled up now and check it every few minutes. Let me tell you, Unfinished Business has climbed twenty spots since morning."

"Oh, shoot."

"Indeed." The announcer laughs and Carlos does with him. It's such a familiar theme for the driver - you being more humble than you really should be, surprised by the success you entirely deserve.

"Now, to address the elephant in the room or rather on the music charts. Over and Over Again is like a love letter all of us have written but never sent. Tell me all about it!"

"I guess 'love letter' is a pretty good description," you explain. Curious, Carlos turns up the volume. "For some time, I was trying to put my thoughts together and tell someone how I felt but never could quite do it. I can write good songs but in real life, I'm pretty terrible at speaking my mind and talking about feelings. I just don't want people to misunderstand, you know?"

"What are you saying, hermosa?" Carlos asks aloud, although there's no one to answer him.

"At least you can write a song about it! We regular folk are stuck with memes and playlists."

"Thank God, I can!" You laugh and, as embarrassing as it may sound, Carlos feels a sudden warmth spreading through his chest. "I was struggling with saying what I wanted to say to him, so at some point, I just decided I could put those words and feelings into a song. He likes to listen to the radio when he's driving so he might even be listening right now."

Although nothing bad or negative is going on, Carlos feels himself growing tense, nervous. There's no doubt the "he" you keep mentioning is him but what exactly is it you've been trying to tell him? Is there something he's missing?

"Did you tell him you've written a song about him?" the radio host asks.

"It might have slipped my mind," you answer coyly.

The announcer only laughs. "Oh dear, what a way to find out! Without further ado, let's hear your love letter to the mysterious man. I really hope he's listening to us right now. Don't you dare change the station, you lucky guy."

To his own surprise, Carlos recognizes the melody - you've been humming it for weeks now. But as you begin singing, the words leave him in disbelief. Do you really... mean all of that?

Carlos is lost in the song, feeling as though the lyrics aren't just lyrics but your genuine confession; a true love letter, as you have said yourself. He's brought back to reality only when the car behind him honks and Carlos is a hair's breadth away from picking a fight with the other driver. Nothing requires more haste or attention than his girlfriend exclaiming to the whole world that he will always be the one for her and that she will love him over and over again.

Charles Leclerc

You don't hear Charles coming in - you're too lost in your own thing to remember there's an entire world outside of the song and the piano in front of you. On the other hand, Charles doesn't announce his arrival as he doesn't want to disturb you. To be perfectly honest, he's a little too curious to interrupt you. It happens very rarely that you practise outside of the studio and so Charles doesn't really get to hear your more casual singing, not an embellished performance for the audience.

As quietly as he can, he makes his way towards you. Charles casually leans against the doorframe, your back turned to him as you continue playing the piano. He barely bites back the smile that creeps onto his face whenever you effortlessly sing the high notes - they are difficult for professionals and yet you execute them so cleanly, they appear almost too easy.

The lyrics haunt him but in a truly delicious way. A particular note of sincerity in your voice makes the words stick to him like rain does to a reckless passerby. Sure, they will slip away, although not before drenching him; their vital piece will forever lie with him.

When the song comes to an end, Charles (without thinking twice) gives you a hefty applause. The surprise makes you almost fall off the chair.

"Shit, you scared me!" you yell at him. It takes a couple deep breaths and your boyfriend's apologies, to collect yourself. "How much did you hear?"

He shrugs, suddenly realizing that he wasn't supposed to hear even one note of the song. "Pretty much all of it."

Your expression must not be joyful as Charles resumes his apologies and poor attempts at excuses. Suddenly, you cut him off. "How'd you like it?"

For a moment, he only hums and mindlessly knocks at the doorframe, looking for the right words.

"I loved it," he confesses. A strange tension in his voice proves he's telling the truth. "It's a beautiful song."

"Good," you answer absentmindedly. Quietly, you nod to yourself before looking back at Charles, a mischievous glint in your eyes. "It would really suck if you hated a song about yourself, you know?"

His eyes grow wide and Charles seems to forget about blinking for a good minute. Judging by the changes in his expression, you can tell the exact thought process he's experiencing: realizing you've written a song about him, joy caused by that, remembering the lyrics and finally taking them personally.

The more observant fans might notice a new addition to his helmet: "Claire de Lune" written in elegant lettering.

George Russell

Common sense might tell you that a race car driver must have no fear. And that would be correct, although quite imprecise. They must have no fear on track, yes, but daily life is quite different from racing, isn't it? Or maybe George is discovering a range of emotions he has not known before.

Your relationship is fresh but that isn't to say it's not serious. The weight of the connection the two of you share is a major part of the reason why George has been dead set on taking things slow. The other part is him knowing what media circus will play out once the news breaks. It's hard to blame him for wanting to keep at least some aspect of his life private, especially one that means so much to him.

As understanding as you are, George's apprehensiveness is tiring. You perfectly understand his reasoning and to some degree share the sentiment but at the same time, you are just somebody in love - you itch to scream it to the whole world. Or, at the very least, share a picture of the two of you. Both of you haven't been middle-schoolers for quite some time now, so why act like ones?

George, like the supportive boyfriend he is, loves to see you in your element. He watches the music videos, yet, but he much prefers the dance practice videos, where you're visibly enjoying each second of the choreography. Therefore, when you upload a new dance video for your song, he's probably the first person to play it.

It's a catchy tune that makes even the most boring people want to dance a little. With his head moving to the rhythm, George doesn't focus much on the lyrics until something in the second verse catches his attention:

So used to hiding We built our kingdom around The right timing

The lines, understandably, hit a little too close to home to be a pure coincidence. Now suspicious, George replays the video - this time, he's actually listening to the words instead of focusing on your dancing. Any hesitation that he's the true recipient of the song is gone with the first line of "Say you want me". The desperation in your voice is simply too candid to be just an act for the sake of the performance.

With the song loudly playing on a loop, George is scrolling through his phone's gallery in search of the best pictures of the two of you. He can't help but mouth the lyrics along with your singing, only to randomly giggle as the thought once again settles - it's about him.

Your phone can't stop vibrating. The notifications are coming nonstop. What on Earth happened? Upon opening Instagram, the mystery is solved. The internet seemed to be set on fire when George posted a series of pictures of the two of you with a caption that earned a giddy chuckle from you: "Setting us in motion".

Max Verstappen

Max and you both understand how much support can change. Sometimes just knowing that this other person is out there, watching and cheering, can change everything. As such, the two of you try to attend each other's events as much as you can. Unfortunately, the universe isn't always kind and you end up on the opposite ends of the world. The only support you can offer then is watching the live-streamed event - just like Max is doing right now.

He's sitting in his driver's room in Singapore, while you're at an award show in the USA. Quite the distance. There's something unbearably humbling about having to watch your performance like most of the world, when Max is, without a doubt, not most of the world.

In the back of his mind, Max is still thinking about the conversation he had with you earlier. Although he never misses your performances, you made it a point to tell him to watch this one. In your own words, he's supposed to look out for something fun, like a detail that will make this show different from the others. So as though he is a hawk, or more of a vulture, Max is hyperanalizing everything that's happening on the screen. He's not about to miss your little surprise.

The song begins and as much as he wants to enjoy watching you in your element, Max is a missile on a mission. Nothing specific seems to catch his eye but that t-shirt you're wearing...

Max knows it all too well. Theoretically, it's his t-shirt but considering you wear it more often than he does, it's practically yours. Now it's styled to fit the concept and image of your bandmates but the colour, the logo, the number, are all unmistakeable. Considering how much you're touching the article of clothing, compared to other dancers, he's convinced he's found what he was meant to look for.

Before he can wonder why you've chosen to wear his t-shirt for your performance, it's you who gives him the answer through the lyrics:

I feel like for the first time I am not faking Fingers on my buttons and now you're playing Master of anticipation, don't you keep it all to yourself

Max Verstappen doesn't get flustered but if he did, he'd be beyond flustered right now. The realization hits him like a derailed train - the song that everyone has been obsessed with through the summer and that has pretty obvious sexual lyrics is actually about him.

And if he did get flustered, the emotion would be rather short-lived, giving way to pride. After all, the core meaning of the song is that he's a generous lover, right? Clearly, he's been taking good care of his girlfriend.

Now, each sung line of "Just the touch of your love" makes Max all the more frustrated that the two of you are so far apart. He's earned his title of "Master of anticipation" and he intends to keep it.

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chosocutegf · 8 months ago

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~ nothing the matter with a kiss ~

. band au!Choso x fem!reader

. summary: you go to a concert with your friend, not expecting the bass guitarist to kiss you in front of the whole arena

. cw: fingering (f!receiving), cunningulus, p in v, hand job (m!receiving), unprotected sex

. wc: 5.2k

. got inspired by Ross Lynch kissing his fan the other day while singing “A Kiss” (ˊ̥̥̥̥̥ ³ ˋ̥̥̥̥̥)

How long has it been since you last went to a concert? Too long and now, you weren’t no longer used to the sweaty and murky atmosphere all around you. After being forced by your friend to get in line since early in the morning to get the best view, now you found yourself pressed against the iron bars just under the stage while people all around you screamed and danced to the pre-songs.

You liked the band that was about to perform, but to stay under the stage? It was a firm no for you. Your friend next to you was hopping up and down, screaming, and talking to everyone around you about the songs they expected the band to perform. You groaned as you were forced against the bars for the nth time, and your friend turned to face you. “Aren’t you excited? You are finally gonna see them!,” she screamed, gripping your arm before starting to jump up and down and looking at you so excitedly. As if she wasn’t the one who couldn’t stop dancing around while talking about the songs.

You nodded at her, and thanked the heaven when the person who was opening the concert came on stage, and the entire arena went black, distracting your friend from annoying you. People started to cheer around you, but many of them were still distracted from what was coming next.

The space around you was big, the biggest you have ever seen, and it was packed of people. Some of them had headbands over their forehead who pictured the four members to the band: Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Shoko Ieiri, and Kamo Choso. Others had t-shirts about them and you couldn’t help yourself from searching Choso’s face on every merch.

When mayhem broke loose, you were soon drawn out of your thoughts. The individual on stage has just completed singing their songs and called the band to the stage. Everyone surrounding you began to shout at the top of their voices and bounce around you, holding their phones up in the air to capture the moment the four band members appeared on stage.

Someone you didn’t recognised silenced everyone from the stage and your breath hitched. You felt everyone around you do the same, while some of them tried to catch sight of who was on the black stage.

And hell broke free when the lights were turned on and the first note was sung.

Your friend began to scream, and you couldn't help but join in, raising your hands in the air and cheering for the four individuals on the platform. When you saw them all so close together, you couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were. How could they seem like Greek gods who just happened to be on stage with a few instruments?

On the left side of the stage, the one farthest from you and your friend, there was Shoko with his electric guitar. Her brown hair was unbound as she nodded her head to the rhythm of the song, her beautiful face serious while she glanced at the audience before bringing her gaze back on her guitar.

Satoru was the main vocalist, and you could see why everyone was on their feet for him: his white hair and blue eyes could captivate anyone, but what really made him stand out was his enticing attitude.

On the center of the stage, behind, Suguru was playing the drums and… wow. It should be illegal to be that handsome and be around freely. He had a smirk on his lips, which made you skip a heartbeat, wishing he could look at you that way. His dark hair was unbound while he held his drumsticks with his strong muscular arms and rolled them between his fingers. He sure seemed like he knew how to use them.

But your screaming stopped when you looked up to the right side of the stage, and you gaze met with the bass player, Choso. You felt as if you had been drawn into another dimension by his black eyes, which were looking directly at you. It only lasted a second, but as he looked away, you believe he winked at you and the corner of his lips were slightly tugged upwards. Your jaw opened, and you took him in completely: he had his normal ponytails, and purple makeup was on his eyes, emphasizing his aloof appearance. And you might have fainted when you saw that he was wearing a sleeveless jacket with nothing underneath. You caught a peek of his toned abs, and your eyes widened when you noticed his long, slender fingers leisurely playing the bass.

As the concert went on, you kept cheering for the band even if most of your enthusiasm was towards Choso, from which you couldn’t look away. And you couldn’t really understand if you were dreaming, or was just hallucination when you caught him glance at you too many times before he quickly looked away. And as they played, he started to get bolder and would go around the stage, playing with his band members and sometimes singing at the same microphone of Gojo, enjoying the loud screams that followed the act.

When they announced that their concert was coming to an end, you felt disappointed and joined the crowd when they started to cheer for the band to sing one last song, in particular their most famous one. You felt yourself head over heels to hear it and, of course, it wasn’t really because Choso had a bigger part in it, no.

You screamed and raised your arms over your head, holding your phone to film Choso as he sang, before he screamed just over the music, “who wants a kiss?”. You screamed again and raised your hand, just as everyone else did, because who could hurt to be a little delusional? You laughed as you observed him and, just like all the people around you, everyone was taking it as a joke. However, he pointed towards your direction, smirking, “you want one?,” he asked you, his voice reverberating all around the arena, and you nodded, thinking that he was surely referring to another person around you. You laughed with your friend, but your eyes widened when you saw him remove his bass from his shoulder and jump down the stage.

You looked around to see if someone was waiting for him, but you surely weren’t expecting to see him walking towards you with that sexy smirk and all sweaty. Everyone was screaming around you and reaching towards him with their hands when he stopped in front of you, and you looked up at him awestruck. He was smiling at you, and he nodded, asking for permission with a soft “yeah?”. And before both of you could change your mind, you nodded.

Time stopped when he held your face between his hands and leaned closer to you, placing his lips against yours. You couldn’t hear anything else, or see when the only thing you could focus on was him, and the softness of his lips against yours. He smelled of sandalwood and citrus, with a hint of sweat, and you thought that no one has never smelled better than him.

The kiss lasted a few seconds and when he pulled back, the world came around again and you heard everyone screaming around you, looking at you two with wide eyes. Choso was smiling at you before he let you go and went back to the stage, putting back his bass around his shoulders.

Gojo was joking about the kiss and the way Choso stole the attention of the audience from him, while Shoko and Suguru laughed. As they went on with the song, your friend was tugging you and telling you about how lucky you were, but your gaze was fixed only on Choso and the way he still kept glancing at you. There was a faint blush on his cheeks and he laughed to himself as he finished to sing the song.

When the concert ended, everyone came up to you to ask how was the kiss, but you couldn’t really put your head around what happened. Was it really possible for something like this to happen? And why Choso choose you in particular? Your head was full of question as your friend pulled you out of the arena.

When you were outside, you took a deep breath, finally having a breath of fresh air. “Let’s smoke before going home,” she told you before taking your hand and tugging you towards a more secluded spot where the smoke wouldn’t annoy anyone.

Both of you had cigarettes between your lips, when you realised you didn’t have a lighter. Your friend went to ask to people around if they had one, but no one seemed to smoke. You sweared under your breath and were currently discussing with your friend when you heard someone call you from behind. “Hey!,” you heard, and both you and your friend turned around to see a bodyguard standing just outside a door. You shared a glance with your friend before looking back at the man, and pointing at yourself, confused. “Yeah, you… you’re the one Choso kissed, right?,” he asked you at which you blushed slightly, before nodding, “yea,” you answered, looking around you and making sure no one was listening to you.

The bodyguard pointed with his thumb towards the iron door, “come,” he said briefly. Your eyes widened at his words and you looked at your friend, both of you thinking to run away from the creepy man. You removed your cigarette from your lips, the same Choso kissed, before smiling embarrassed at the bodyguard, “we were actually going away… sorry,” you said before taking a step back and tugging your friend with you. You saw the bodyguard getting annoyed from your act, and let out a sigh, “Choso asked for you, girl,” he explained, a hit of exasperation in his voice.

But luck kissed you once, and who could assure you that he was saying the truth? So you glanced at your friend again and you were ready to run away, when you saw a familiar head pop up from the iron door. All the breath was sucked away from your lungs when you met Choso’s eyes, and you almost dropped your cigarette at the sight of his grin. The bodyguard immediately got alarmed and tried to push Choso inside, scared that someone was gonna see him outside, “get inside, Choso,” the man told the musician. The latter laughed and nodded at you, “come inside to have a chat?,” he asked you before the bodyguard closed the door behind him, leaving you to wonder if it was real or just a mirage.

You realised it wasn’t a dream when you found yourself in the backstage, your friend next to you and the bodyguard guiding you to the sitting area, after searching you for any weapons. As if, you thought.

“Sit here,” the man said, pointing to the couch and waiting for you two to sit before he left. You heard people scurrying around, putting away stuff and screaming some orders when you felt the couch dip to your free side. When you turned to see who was, your eyes widened at the sight of Gojo. “So… I guess you really enjoyed the kiss? Didn’t know Cho had such courage in him,” he told you, chuckling at the sight of your shocked face. When you took too long to answer, Gojo leaned back against the couch and looked at you with a smirk, “guess you really bewitched him, mh? By the way, what is your name, pretty?”. You blushed at the pet name before your friend tended her hand towards the singer and smiled at him charmingly, introducing themselves.

Gojo was handsome and you were really happy to see him, but—

“You came,” a relieved voice said behind you, and you didn’t have to turn around to know that it was Choso. However, your head whipped towards him in a second and you felt your cheeks burn at the sight of him, his hair unbound and changed into comfier clothes. “Want to smoke?,” he asked you, nodding towards a door nearby while taking out a pack of cigarettes. The movement made your stomach tighten from both arousal and excitement, and you nodded at him before raising from the couch.

You followed him to the room and you felt your heart in your throat when he closed the door behind you two, and you realised you were finally alone with him. The room was small, with a couch on the left side and a large mirror in front of you, as well as a door on the right. His bass sat on the box next to the couch, with his clothes strewn on top of it. You turned around to look at him, and you realised how much taller he was than you, so you had to bend your head back to see him. His eyes, with their beauty, drew you in. Choso held a cigarette in front of you and lowered his head to the side, smirking. "Want a cigarette?" he murmured softly.

You sighed, attempting to relax as you nodded, chuckled softly, and took the cigarette from his palm. "Thank you," you muttered, and your breath hitched when Choso placed his cigarette to his lips before raising his lighter and holding it to yours. You took a drag from your cigarette and slowly blew the smoke out, mesmerised by the way he lit and drew from his.

You took a step back, having to put some space between you two, and looked around, the cigarette clasped between your fingers. "So we can smoke here?," you asked Choso, glancing at him before taking a seat on the sofa. He nodded and followed you, opening a nearby window and sitting close to you. If he was nervous like you, he didn't show it.

You noticed how close he sat next to you as he turned to gaze at you and the smoke from his lips lightly hit your face. "I'll make up an excuse," he said, smirking. You chuckled and shook your head, taking another drag from the cigarette before looking away. "I don't think it's fair that you know my name but I don't know yours," he said, a teasing tone in his voice. When you returned your gaze to him, you observed something else in his eyes, right above his nose tattoo: curiosity or... lust?

You smirked at his comments, running the cigarette filter across your lower lip and noting how Choso watched the movement. "Who said I know your name?," you questioned, lifting your brow in challenge before taking a drag. Choso's laugh was so deep you could feel it in your core. You couldn't help but assume that there was some tension between you two, which was getting you addicted.

"You don't?," he said, continuing with your joke and clicking his tongue in mock displeasure. He shrugged and said, "My apologies… My name is Choso." You chewed your lower lip silently as you watched him bring the cigarette to his lips and take a blow, and when he met your gaze, you murmured, "y/n".

He smiled at you and nodded before repeating your name, as if he was tasting how it sounded on his lips, “y/n… I really like that, it suits you,” he added. You chuckled and leaned back against the cushion, noticing how soon after Choso draped an arm behind the couch, just where your head was resting. Your breath hitched at the proximity between you two, and you felt your cheeks heat up when his thigh brushed against yours. You could feel his heat seeping through your clothes as if he was touching your bare skin, and in that moment, you found yourself wishing he really was caressing you that way. “Yeah? And how can you say that it suits me when you don’t even know me?,” you asked him, tilting your head to the side and blowing softly the smoke over his face.

He laughed again and shook his head, before playfully tugging your hair with the hand that was behind your head. You yelped before laughing, and tried to swat his hand away. “It just looks like it… it sounds like a fierce name,” he explained, taking a last drag from the cigarette before putting it out in the ashtray at the feet of the couch. “For a fiery person like you… who was about to run away from my bodyguard,” he continued, smiling and slightly tilting his head towards you.

You chuckled softly at his words and shrugged before putting out your cigarette, “wasn’t sure he was really inviting me because of you or because he wanted to harass me and my friend,” you answered him, raising your brows to him, waiting for him to answer back. He shook his head, letting out a breathy chuckle before raising his free hand up in the air, “fair point, guess it could’ve been easily misunderstood”.

You bit your bottom lip and glanced at him, your heart rate rising as he looked at you. The faint lights in the room reflected in his eyes, making them even more gorgeous. Your glance fell to his lips, and your thoughts returned to when he kissed you in front of everyone. In that instant, he was able to obliterate everything else with the simple touch of his lips on yours, and he appeared to have experience, so you wondered how things would be with him if you deepened them.

“Did you enjoy the kiss?,” he asked after a few moments, snapping you out of your trance. His gaze lingered on your lips with what looked like hunger in his eyes, before meeting yours. You nodded slightly and swallowed the lump in your throat. Was it you or the room was getting hotter? “Yeah… I did, even if it was a little bit unexpected,” you murmured, biting your bottom lip.

Choso watched the movement, and you could see his lips part before his Adam's apple moved and he returned your gaze. "Sorry about that, I couldn't hold myself back when you looked so beautiful in the middle of the audience," he stated, drawing closer to you till you could feel his breath gently hitting your lips, "It's like you were calling out for me to do that".

Your breath caught as he spoke; did he feel the tension in the room as well? Because you had to press your thighs together, your core becoming wetter as he hungrily looked at you. "So it's only fair that I repay the favor, no?" you muttered, looking up into his eyes, and when you saw your lust reflected in them, you leaned in and kissed him.

His lips tasted even better than before, and they felt like heaven against yours. You let out a soft hum before leaning even closer, and Choso pushed you towards him with his hand behind your shoulder, bringing you closer. His other hand sneaked over your thigh while his lips traced the seal of yours, asking for permission. When you opened your mouth, his tongue was quick to find yours and tasted like cigarettes and mint. You sighed softly as you laced a hand behind his neck, holding him tight while you explored his mouth as if it were your final act. The hand that was on your thigh quickly moved to your waist and your back, drawing you closer.

“Come here, baby,” he murmured against your lips, pulling back to let you both breathe while he guided you to straddle his lap. When you felt his muscular thighs under your core, you let out a soft whine and arched your back as Choso put his hands on your lower back, pushing you closer until your chest pressed against his. His lips instantly met yours in a devouring kiss, as your arms curled around his neck and your fingers played with his dark hair.

He slid a hand under your shirt, and hummed when he felt your soft skin under his touch, drawing little circles on the spot without going further. “Can I?,” he asked softly against your mouth, and when you nodded and arched your back against his hands, he groaned. “Yes, please,” you moaned just before he leaned down and attached his mouth to your neck, leaving wet kisses along the column of your throat. He slid both hands under your shirt, quickly pulling it over your head and throwing it in another spot in the room. "Oh, fuck, princess," he moaned, pulling back from your neck to glance down at your bra-clad breasts before cupping them with his hands. You whined and pleaded to him to go further. You could feel your pussy dripping into your panties, and you couldn't wait to feel Choso against you.

You lowered your hands to his chest and tugged on his t-shirt while looking at him, and when he nodded, you helped him in removing it. You licked your lips at the sight of his toned chest and stomach, tracing every muscle until you found his happy trail, which vanished beneath his pants. Your pussy throbbed at the sight, and you mewled before grinding your hips down on his thighs, causing him to smirk. He reached behind you and unclasped your bra, allowing it to fall down.

His breath faltered and you bit your lower lip when he reached to cup your breasts in his big hands and roll your nipples under his thumbs. “Such pretty tits, doll,” he murmured, before he tugged you closer and latched his mouth to your left nipple. “Need you, Cho,” you moaned at the feeling, pushing his head closer and threading your fingers through his hair. He swirled his tongue around your nipple while rubbing the other with his thumb and index finger, then reversed positions and placed his mouth on the other nipple.

You could feel his boner pushing right where you needed him, so you reached down with a hand and rubbed his shaft slowly over his pants. He groaned on your nipple, and you gazed down at him with a faint smirk, clenching around nothing as he looked up at you with hungry eyes, your nipple and his mouth connected by a line of saliva. "Let me take care of you first, baby," he said softly, changing your position so that your back was against the couch and he was kneeling between your legs.

He smirked at you when he noticed your flushed cheeks before beginning to unbutton your pants. He was fast to pull them away, leaving you only in your panties. You bit your bottom lip as you propped up on your elbows and stared at him, his attention fixated between your thighs. You were certain there was a damp area on them right above your hole.

He rubbed a thumb across your pussy lips and groaned when he felt your wetness seeping through the material, “fuck, baby… you’re so wet,” he murmured before rubbing circles just over your clit. You moaned and arched your back, trying to grind your hips against his hand. “Bet you got wet when you saw me on the stage, uh?,” he teased, letting out a breathless chuckle before looking at you. When you didn’t answer, he licked his lips and asked, “cat got your tongue, pretty girl? Tell me if this is okay for you, mh? Or I’ll stop”.

You shook your head at his words and pouted, “it’s okay, please… don’t stop,” you whined. He smirked at you, “good girl,” before he slowly tugged your panties down, and sweared under his breath at the sight of your bare glistening cunt. “Pretty face with a pretty pussy,” he said, leaning down and inhaling your scent with a groan. Before you could react, he sticked his tongue out and licked from your hole to your clit, where he stopped and left a kiss. “Oh, god… Choso, so good,” you whined, trying to grind your hips against his face even if he was holding you down with a hand. He smirked against your sensitive flesh and looked up at you, “yeah? You like this?,” he asked, and chuckled when he saw you nodding.

He went back to suck on your clit, before moving to your hole and sliding his tongue inside. You moaned at the feeling, and he reveled in the sound, pressing his tongue harder inside you and sucking all your juices in his mouth. Soon after, he added his calloused finger and rubbed your clit slowly before he switched his tongue and fingers, kissing your clit as he inserted a finger inside you, slowly pumping it inside of you. You threw your head back, mewling from the pleasure before you brought your hands to his hair, tugging his face closer to your cunt.

At the stimulation of another finger added inside you, you were fast to cum and clench around his finger. You moaned his name, and arched your back, your body stiffing as you ground your hips against his face. Choso stayed there until he felt the last waves of pleasure wear off, then he raised on top of you, smiling down at the sight of your glazed eyes. His mouth was glistening with your fluids as you placed your arms around his neck and leaned down, allowing you to taste yourself on his lips. You let out a whimper in his mouth before feeling his chest press against yours and bringing your hand down to scratch his toned back.

He groaned against your lips before he pulled back and rested his forehead against yours. “Let me make you feel good too,” feeling his breath against your lips, before moving your hand to clasp his cock over his pants. You noticed him closing his eyes and moaning, his hips involuntarily pressing against your hands. He shook his head and moved away from you, crouching between your legs and studying how your hand was rubbing him over his clothes, “don’t know how much I’m gonna last if you touch me,” he breathed, before he smirked and threaded a hand through his hair. “Then fuck me,” you said, his gaze darkening at your words before standing up from the couch and removing his pants. You propped yourself up on your elbows and gasped when you saw the size of him, before glancing between your legs wondering if it would fit.

“Don’t worry, baby, we will make it fit, mh?,” he told you, grinning as he placed himself back between your legs, and you saw his cock throb against his stomach as he observed you spread out on the couch, waiting for him. He positioned your legs over his thighs, and you brought your hand closer, wrapped it around his cock. Choso groaned at the feeling, looking down at how your fingers were stroking him so gently, a feeling so different from what he usually did to himself. “You like my cock, princess?,” he asked you, and you nodded humming, “yeah…”.

He let out a breathy chuckle and his cock throbbed in your hand before you guided him closer, “wait”. You looked up at him and Choso furrowed his brows, waiting for you to go on, “you have a condom?”. He loosed a breath and shook his head, biting his lower lip as he glance down at his cock between your legs and back up to meet your gaze. “I’ll make sure to come out,” he murmured, and you looked at his needy eyes then down at his throbbing cock under your hand, before nodding. He smiled at you and leaned down to peck your lips, before letting you guide his cock to your cunt.

Both your breath hitched when his tip brushed against your clit, and he felt your wetness against his bare length. “Fuck…” he moaned breathless and he wrapped a calloused hand around yours, guiding his cock to slap against your pussy lips before moving down to your hole. There, you removed your hand and moaned as he started to push inside, making you feel every inch of him. You felt your eyes get teary at his girth and you gripped his wrists, trying to hold yourself onto something. He glanced at you and started to rub your clit, “relax, princess,” he murmured, taking your hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing the back softly.

You started to breathe and relax, pain changing quickly into pleasure as you let your upper body fall back on the couch, moaning as he came to a hilt, his hips flushed against yours. “Baby, you’re so tight, you’re squeezing me,” he whined, biting his lower lip while he closed his eyes, trying to hold back from coming in that moment. After a few moments, he started to thrust inside of you, his pace increasing with the time after feeling your walls relaxing around him and taking him better.

He brought his hands to hold your hips while he filled you to the brim, his cock dragging against your walls perfectly, making you feel every inch of him. You looked up at him and moaned when you saw his fucked out face, looking down at you through half lidded eyes. He went faster, slamming within you with force and getting deeper as he went on. You reached up and pulled him down, connecting your lips in a sloppy kiss, moaning together in each other’s mouth.

“Turn around, pretty, let me take you from behind,” he said breathless against your lips, before pulling back and sliding out of you, guiding you to raise on your knees and hold to the couch, while Choso stood behind you. He caressed your asscheeks gently, “such a beautiful sight,” he said under his breath, before slapping a cheek and observing how the skin rippled under his touch. You gasped and arched your back, glancing back at him with needy eyes, “please, Cho”.

He smirked at your words, and held your hips tightly before guiding his cock back to your hole, “if you ask so nicely,” he answered, before thrusting back inside you with a single movement. You screamed at the feeling and arched your back, holding tightly on the couch while he set a punishing pace, filling you up and drilling inside you so hard that you could feel him to your stomach. Your head dropped down and you moaned, feeling yourself getting closer when his hand slipped under you and rubbed your clit. His cock throbbed inside of you when he felt your walls tightening around him, “I’m close, baby… fuck”. You gasped at his words and pulled your hips back, meeting his thrusts as he rubbed your clit harder, your eyes rolling back to your skull as your orgasm poured over you. Your body convulsed, and your walls drained his cock dry.

Choso remembered to pull back in the heat of the moment, swearing as he did so. He stroked his cock quickly, his gaze locked on your pussy and the gaping hole. He finished shortly after with a groan, spewing cum all over his palm and your ass. He groaned and embraced you as you collapsed on the couch before lying down next to you. You smiled at him as Choso wrapped his arms around you and kissed your forehead, then closed your eyes and leaned against him.

“So… can I have your number, y/n?”

(m.list)

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applecherryandpears · 2 months ago

Text

That time Noel car chased Liam to stress that Wonderwall’s indeed about a girl

So... this was supposed to be Wonderwall's single cover:

The photographer (Michael Spencer Jones) had brought Liam to Primrose Hill in London to take that shot but both were interrupted by what he described as a "black cab that came to a screeching halt". From that said running cab, came out Noel, allegedly shouting that Liam - "our kid" - was not to be on that cover as Wonderwall is a love song, about a girl. According to Michael, Noel downward hated the thought of Liam being on the cover.

The girl on the actual cover was a Creation Records employee in the exact same pose:

So, being incredibly grateful for the mental image this article gifted me with, I decided to make a post summing up the many Wonderwall meanings according to Noel.

Disclaimer : I think Wonderwall's about Liam, just putting it out there.

My own thought is that Noel can't say this because, and to quote him "it would look bad" see this interview excerpt about the song dirty shirt in 1997:

"Meg is the girl in the dirty shirt. (...) Liam will read this and say, You fucking wanker! Because he thinks all the songs are about him. He even thinks Wonderwall is about him. So he'll be telling me it's a geezer in a dirty shirt really, except I couldn't say that because it would look bad."

Apart from the absolute chaotic reaction of having the lead singer star on the cover of the lead single, Noel, I think, obviously wanted Liam to sing it, initially.

Liam had been given a choice between this and Don't look back in anger by Noel, who stressed many, many, times throughout the years that Liam didn't like the song when he first heard it (I'd say covertly disappointed). Also he gave different versions of whatever Liam said about it :

But Liam, first time he heard "Wonderwall" he said, "That's puff's music, I'm not sing that." For weeks and weeks and weeks he wouldn't sing it, and then he heard me singing it and then he knew. in 1996 "(pissy voice) Wonderwall, it's fucking dance record, innit? All that hip hop drum beat - we're not a fucking dance group. Of course, once he's sung on it it was the best record ever made." "I said, ‘You’re singing one or the other, but not both.’ He hated Wonderwall. He said it was trip-hop. There speaks a man who’s never heard trip-hop." In a recent interview "Everyone in the band went, 'I'm sorry but I don't f*****g think so," "I remember Our Kid saying, and I'll never forget this, 'Why are you writing reggae songs?' And I was like, there speaks a man that has never heard reggae."

In 2023, Liam confirmed that as he first heard Wonderwall being played “I didn’t like it at first, I thought it was a little funky.” And Bonehead, added, “It sounded like a reggae song to me. The first time [Noel] came in, I was like, ‘What the hell’s that?”. (Far Out Magazine).

Which I get as Noel's acoustic version is very different from Oasis version with Liam on vocal. But anyway, Noel often mentioned that when Liam's reluctant to sing one of the songs he pretends he will sing it himself and this way Liam like clockwork jumps on it, and that's exactly what he said for Wonderwall + told Liam it will be a hit, and immediately, Liam wouldn't let go of it.

So my guess is that the 'choice' was just a snare to make Liam do what he wants, as Noel likes to do. And also a bit of power play at hand there in an attempt to ground 1995 firework Liam and as Noel said again in 2023 "to have a song on his own" as he was getting annoyed by Liam walking out on him.

"The only time I laid down the law was Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger. "I was so fucked off with him walking off stage and me having to take over and do the gig. I remember thinking, if I’m going to do this, I want a big fucking song to sing." + "I said, ‘You’re singing one or the other, but not both.’

Liam said between 1995-96 “When Our Kid went, ‘Right, you’ve got a choice, “Wonderwall” or “Don’t Look Back In Anger,” ’ it done me head in,” the singer told NME. “I said, ‘I wanna sing both, you dick.’ But I chose ‘Wonderwall’ ’cos it was right and it happened. But I don’t think I could have sung ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ the way he sung it. And when I hear it I think it’s great.”

Additionally in 2023, Noel kinda slipped and said "I'm glad I chose that one" after saying Liam chose it when a record label person said it would be their big hit.

But what is interesting is as their relation deteriorated Noel changed the Wonderwall story:

Around 1996-1997 "I wanted to sing Wonderwall because the guitars are accoustic but our kid insisted that he wanted to sing it. So I said Alright im going to do DLBIA"

In 1997, in the book Getting High: The Adventures of Oasis by Paolo Hewitt, he wrote "according to Owen Noel wanted to sing wonderwall which makes perfect sense, he had written the song with Meg in mind, it was the only way he knew how to properly express his love for her with the song detailing her struggle to find work but celebrating her ability to bounce back against the odds. So we finished Wonderwall, and Liam's Right I'm singing this one. And he did a blinding vocal a brilliant vocal."

in 1998 Noel went "I always wanted to sing "Wonderwall", but I'm glad he sang it 'cos he sings it better than I do."

or when asked on a TV show in 2000 'If I wrote wonderwall I wouldn't want to give that to my brother to sing', Noel said that he did not but they had a long heated debate on who will sing it and in the end, he didn't have a choice because Liam's 'bottom lip went too far down towards his kneecaps' 'he looked very very sad' and he said alright he will sing the other one don't look back in anger.

And only recently in 2021, he went back to the original story:

“He wanted to sing ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, but it became apparent during the recording that ‘Wonderwall’ was going to be the tune. If I’m being honest, I shouldn’t have sung either of them because I wasn’t really a singer then.”

I mean every critic agrees that Liam gave one of his most impressive vocals singing that song "both cuttingly sharp and heartbreakingly warm at the same time" Noel said he '"had no idea, even after the first album, that Liam could sing like he did on 'Wonderwall,'" and that he did " a sterling job (...) ‘Wonderwall, ‘Hey Now’ and ‘Cast No Shadow’ were literally one take. He delivers my songs spot-on. He knows." So it's a bit strange that he didn't just go on saying that like other songs such as Slide Away Liam's delivery gave it a special edge.

Personally I think it has to do with the meaning of the song for their relationship. There is a lot of hope and commitment in that song all while acknowledging the anger and difficulties of a relationship.

An other thing that struck me as important was, in an oasis book it was reported that while watching Wonderwall win some chart thing on TV Noel turned to the person writing and started going on about how high the wibbling rivalry was on the charts in comparison to the oasis tracks. So what came up to his mind was the 'Liam fight track' while listening to the song, weirdly enough.

And about the meaning --->

Originally, Noel attributed this song to his then girlfriend Meg Matthews as we know. She was compared to a schoolboy's wall to which posters of footballers and pop stars are attached, Noel told Select magazine

"It's about my girlfriend. She was out of work, and that, a bit down on her luck, so it's just saying, 'Cheer up and f---in get on with it.'" After Liam's and Noel's infamous interaction with their Father, he even told her directly as much albeit gave it a a more romantic meaning "Fucking hell Meg, you're meant to be my wonderwall and you were fast asleep when it all went off. What kind of Wonderwall are you?" or when a cover of the song came out and she thought Noel had plagiarized the song he wrote for her he told her " 'No, honestly, I did write about you...!"

Now, idk how reliable he is but their father said that the wall actually existed and it was Noel's and Liam's :

"both Noel and Liam's original ‘wonderwall’ was actually the wall of the bedroom they used to _ share as children in their — ex-council house. ‘They called it their wonderwall" "in 1983 they both started writing on the wall, bits of songs, poems, favourite bands, football teams. In one corder Noel wrote 'I love Diane Jones’ and underneath in the same writing, “Liam _ is a puff”. They'd fight terribly about who had the most writing space. | didn't touch it for years but | wallpapered - it before Christmas."

Meg has been written at the time as "The only girl he had met who came close to being as important as his music and the one who understood him better than almost everyone else."

But Noel then stuck to the following version about the song's name, that it came from Wonderwall Music the debut solo album by George Harrison and the soundtrack to the 1968 film Wonderwall, (She lives next door to a man who becomes fascinated with her, so he slowly makes holes in his wall so he can watch her through it. This is the "Wonderwall.").

Meg said that "George Harrison wrote the music to the film Wonderwall, so that's the reference, but to me it's about being his wall of strength. His solidity." She never asked him directly and found out the meaning in the papers months later. So idk if this is her interpretation or if Noel said something about the actual meaning.

Then in 2003, in Q magazine's 1001 Best Songs Ever, Noel backtracked, "The meaning of that song was taken away from me by the media who jumped on it. And how do you tell your Mrs. it's not about her once she's read it is? It's about an imaginary friend who's going to come and save you from yourself."

and In 2023 Noel pinned him saying the song was about Meg on this specific cover "We did the cover and there's a girl on the front, She had long blonde hair, she looked like my then-wife, Meg Matthews. Doing the interviews for the thing [later], and they say, 'Is this about your wife?', and what do you say? No? So you say yes but it's not about anyone in particular"

Yet Noel admitted it was a romantic song in 1998 : You don't write a song like Wonderwall if you're not romantic. I am. I'm a dreamer and a romantic. Liam is too.

and later

First of all, “Outside of England, it’s the one we’re famous for all over the world, and it annoys the fuck out of me,” Noel Gallagher once said. “It’s not a fucking rock and roll tune. There’s quite a vulnerable statement to it.”

So while I don't think this song is about Meg, it is definitely an emotional song that strips him bear.

More importantly, years later after hell broke loose in Oasis, Noel praised Ryan Adams's version and declared he is the only person who ever got the song “Wonderwall” right. Ryan Adams played it as part of his album "love is hell" and said that "It occurred to me that I was singing it from the perspective of someone in danger of committing suicide. (...) It's someone saying, you're my last hope. But in the second verse, that hope it's not happening, and I'm singing like that".

I don't think it's coincidence that after all the issues they had Noel was the one who mainly sung that song himself live in the late 90s and then gave it a tone of devastation and sorrow as he switched to playing it Ryan Adams way for a long time. The collapsing of their relationships brought out the frustration rather than the hope in the song.

As to Liam and Noel's thoughts on the songs, while around 95 they weren't critical of it, seemed quite proud of it, and Noel even said it was part of his favorite/best songs with Live forever, they changed their tunes years later, that said it could only be due to the reluctance and irritation of being seldom seen as 'that band that did Wonderwall'.

For example Noel claimed in 2006 "I don't much like 'Wonderwall,' but the effect that song has on people, I can't deny it," he said. "Great music is in the ear of the beholder." and that it's one of his least favourite Oasis songs because it's "unfinished". If I could somehow twist time and go back there, I’d probably pick a different song for our calling card. Probably Some Might Say."

But one comment from Liam struck me as extreme even for him, In 2008, Liam said during the press run for Dig Out Your Soul, “At least there’s no ‘Wonderwall’ on there. I can’t fucking stand that fucking song! Every time I have to sing it, I want to gag." So it could be its popularity or the fact Liam had lost his voice, but I've never heard him talk so critically about an Oasis song, it sounded personal. Just like when Noel recently said he's glad he's singing that one as it's a better song.

So I still think that while they're honest saying they don't want Oasis to be summed up to one tune, but their uneasiness playing the song live was due to its meaning. Noel even stressed the band couldn't find a way to play it right live, which is not exactly true, considering the famous live where Liam stares at Noel during the chorus.

So there's that.

#oasis #wonderwall #Noel and Liam

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huggybearhughes43 · 5 months ago

Note

Country singer reader that’s Canada’s sweetheart reconnecting with her childhood best friend Ethan Edwards after her performance at the Calgary Stampede (since he was there tonight) leading to fluff and smut please

Worth the wait

Ethan Edwards x Fem! Reader

Warnings- smut, raw dawgin, oral (fem receiving), semi public, creampie

Summary- in the ask

Word count- 2.2k

My jaw was slacked as I stared at the phone in my hand, looking at Ethan Edwards instagram story. Ethan was in the crowd that I was to preform to in less than half an hour. The fame was random, I had posted a song that I had written years and years ago on TikTok and it blew up. My heart ached remembering the song, it was one I wrote about Ethan, my little self was head over heels for him. We never had an argument or disagreement that was the end of the friendship. Really, it was him going off to college that ended it. I couldn’t be mad at him, never. Because he was following his dreams of making it big in hockey and who was I to be selfish and stop him? Ethan and I met when we were eight, I was the new kid to school and as Ethan is, he was the first to greet me. We were inseparable ever since, his family like mine and mine like his. Well until he got into college that is. We kept in contact for months until one message a day turned to none. I couldn’t be mad because I never built up the courage to text him either, I guess we both had the same idea.

My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I heard my name announced. I put my phone down and make my way to the stage, trying my ever most best to shut out the nerves. I waved at the crowd as they cheered, smiling as I walk up to the microphone. My breath was shaky and my eyes scanned over the part of the crowd where I knew Ethan was. I cleared my throat and began my introduction. “How are we doing tonight, Alberta?” The crowd cheers and I smile. I sigh into the microphone which is followed by a laugh. “Being on tour… it’s so great to be back in my home town.” I grab the microphone of the stand and hold it to myself, “let’s make this concert one to remember, hm?” The crowd cheers again and the lights dim as my band starts their instruments.

The concert was amazing to say the least. My eyes couldn’t break contact with the area he posted the photo from. My eyes scanned along the group, wanting so bad to find the face I missed the most. My singing came to a close and the crowd cheered. My breath was shaky knowing exactly what song was next. It was my last song of the night, the one that made me famous… the one I wrote about Ethan. I contemplated admitting the truth on who the songs about. I take a deep breath and make my decision. I step back and ask my band to play the rhythm of the song slowly as I spoke and they agreed. The crowd cheered at the realization of the song and I began to confess.

“Have any of you had a person in your childhood that no matter how hard you tried you can’t forget about?” I smile and shake my head, “being back in my hometown… made me want to share this story with you all. The story behind this very song. As you’ve all probably guessed, the songs about a boy I was in love with.” I tap my foot rhythmically to the beat of the song in the background. “This wasn’t a random boy, he was my best friend for ten years. Some of you may know him, kind of a town legend for making it big on hockey.” I smile, eyes still scanning the crowd. Until my eyes met with his. I took a deep breath, he was smiling the same smile I remembered from my childhood. “So you, my hometown, heard it here first. This song is about Ethan Edwards.” The sight of his huge smile and his friends drunkenly cheering him on next to him was a sight I never wanted to forget. I forced my eyes to recognize the rest of the crowd as I began the song.

The song was slow and emotion baring. The crowd sung along, staring a theme of putting their flashlights in the air, waving the phones to the song. This was a common thing for fans to do during this song but knowing that the very reason it existed was in the crowd as well, made my eyes swell with tears. My voice grew shaky and I take myself away from the mic to compose myself, the crowd continuing the song without me. My heart swelled harshly when my eyes were brought back to where Ethan was standing. His arms were crossed with a drink in his hand. He smiled hard, like it was the only expression he knew to make. I took a deep breath and sung the song to a closing. The crowd cheered louder than I’d heard before, the bright lights turning back on the help the crowd to leave.

I thanked everyone and made my way off stage. My band cheered me on and patted my back as they walked past me. I grabbed my phone and stared at it, my thumb hovering over it as I contemplated texting Ethan. I sighed and decided against it, placing the phone in my back pocket before making my way to the dressing room where my bag was. I walked in, closing the door behind me. I stared at myself in the mirror, contemplating my decisions. My thoughts are startled by a knock at the door, my bones practically jumping out of my skin at how hard I jumped. I shake my head and open the door, my eyes going wide and my mouth drying as I stare up at the tall man. I felt like I was going to faint.

“Ethan?!” I grasp at my heart. It was a habit I’d done since I was younger. “In the flesh.” He smiles and pulls me into a tight hug. So tight that in any other circumstances I’d be fighting my way out of his grasp. But instead I hug him back, nestling my head into his shoulder. I gain my composure and pull away with a huge smile on my face. “How’d you manage to get back here?” He laughs and rubs his jaw that I noticed he was growing stubble on. “Was trying to convince a security guy to let me in but he wouldn’t budge. I guess one of your band mates heard me say my name and he asked the guy to let me through.” He paused for a moment, “is the song really about me?” My face goes pale and I sigh with a nod, “yeah.” “I thought it was about Zach” he shoves his hands in his pockets at the mention of my ex.

I smile at his bleak words but follow with a shake of my head. “I made it in the treehouse.” I take a deep breath, remembering the designated hang out spot of ours. Everyday after school we’d go to that treehouse. One day his mom wanted him home before he met me there. Waiting, I wrote the famous song. That’s exactly what I told him as well. When I rushed to close that notebook as he climbed into the treehouse, he assumed I was just writing in a diary. In a way I was, but when I told him I didn’t want to talk about it he didn’t peep another word. It was a quality of his that I was very fond of.

He stepped into the room and closed the door before slumping on the couch on the back wall of the room. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He looks up with a defeated expression. I tilt my head and sit next to him. “Scared of rejection I guess.” He cracked I smile. “Y/n, I’ve been in love with you since our first conversation. My friends forced me to come today because I wouldn’t shut up about how my childhood best friend is famous now.” He pauses, “congratulations by the way.” I rub my neck and laugh, “congratulations for making it national.” We sit in silence for a moment. “Was the confession too late?” I manage to squeak out.

He stares at me silently before cupping my face. My heart was beating so fast I was scared it would pop out of my chest and land right on his lap. When he saw no sign of protest he leaned in and connected our lips. It was soft, too soft. He pulls away to say something but I pull him back in before he has a chance. The smirk I felt against my lips urged me to deepen the kiss. The wait of near fifteen years poured itself into the harsh kiss. What was a soft kiss was now sloppy and heated, hands wondering all over each other. His hands land on my waist, pulling me straight on top of his lap. I pull away to catch my breath and his lips find their way to my jaw and soon my neck.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.” He mumbles against my throat. “Ethan, the door doesn’t lock…” I warned him through breathy moans. He looks at the door, his lips still attached to my neck. His hands wandered under my denim skirt, his thumb brushing against my core which elicits a moan from my lips. “I’ll make sure if anyone walks in they won’t be able to see you.” He looks up at me for consent to continue. I think for a second then nod eagerly. He smiles then presses his lips to back to mine. His fingers pull my panties to the side, following up with running through my slit. I breathe out harshly against his lips, fueling his ego.

He moves to lay me down on the couch, crawling on top of me. He smiles down at me before pressing a soft kiss to my lips and moving himself at the end of the couch. He leans down to put a kiss on each of my thighs before bunching up the skirt at my waist. He pauses for a moment to look up at me, waiting for any protest. When he doesn’t hear one he loops his fingers in my panties and pulls them down my legs. I stare down at him with my mouth agape, one of my hands finding home in his soft hair. He kisses up my thighs softly before getting to my dripping core. His eyes don’t leave mine as he licks a stripe from my hole to my clit. I gnaw at my bottom lip in attempt to stay quiet.

He pulls away unexpectedly which forces a deep whine from my throat. “Don’t hide your noises from me. I’ve waited too long for this for you to hold back.” Before I can respond his mouth is back on my core. I throw my head back, moaning out his name repeatedly. His tongue plunges deep into my core before moving to tug my clit with his teeth. His tongue laps sloppily, savoring the taste of my cunt. Another whine falls from my lips when he pulls away. “Do you wanna have me in you?” He asks softly as he crawls back up to hover over me once again.

“Yes please” I cry out, my hands moving to his back. Ethan smiles down at me, reconnecting our lips as he unbuttons his pants. He lines himself up with my core, pushing in slowly. He doesn’t want to risk any chance of hurting me. He swallows down my moans with his kiss. He sits still for a moment to let me get used to his size. I pull away for a moment to ask him to move and he doesn’t hesitate. He pulls away almost fully before pushing back into me. My head is thrown back the second he finds a rhythm moving in and out of me. I was sure there would be crescent shapes in his back due to my nails puncturing.

He sits up without a fault in his paste. His rough hands moving my legs to rest on his shoulders. His abuse on my cunt doesn’t stop as he presses soft kisses on my ankles. My hands anchor themselves onto the couch as I arch my back in pleasure. His thumb moves to rub circles on my clit, throwing me over the edge in pleasure. My orgasm ripples through me as I moan out loudly, not caring to keep quiet through my euphoria. The clenching of my cunt pushes him over the edge as well. “Where do you want it.” “In me” I whine, “please, I’m on the pill-“ the second I say the last word he spills his warm ropes deep into me. He snaps his hips into me a few more times before collapsing on top of me.

I laugh and wrap my arms around him. “The wait-“ I laugh “was worth it.” Ethan laughs and nods, “more than worth it.” He presses another kiss onto my lips before smiling at me. “Can’t believe it’s taken me this long to ask but… well, will you be my girlfriend?” I bite my lip and nod. “Yeah, I will.”

#smut #hockey smut #nhl #new jersey devils #umich hockey #ethan edwards smut #ethan edwards

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qwimblenorrisstan · 2 months ago

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Pumpernickel | König x Reader

Day 3: Favorite Scent w/ König

Summary: You wake up in the middle of the night to find your husband gone, only to discover him in the kitchen, baking…bread?

Word Count: ~1.1k

Warnings: allusions to family death, established relationship (married), nothing bad just a lotta bread

A/N: all I ever see is just smut and dark! content about könig, so I thought including some fluff about our big boy this october would be nice, hope you enjoy<3

Requests are open!

You’d slipped quietly into sleep, content with the large warmth of your husband lying next to you, his deep breathing a soothing rhythm to you.

That was, until, you slowly woke up in what must’ve been the middle of the night, judging by the lack of any sunlight coming through the window. And judging by the other obvious lack of the giant usually stealing the blankets, König was up already, in the middle of the night.

He had episodes before, some of which you had to calm him down from, or sometimes he’d simply take walks in the middle of the night after having nightmares or wanting time to think. But that usually meant the apartment was deathly silent, not the quiet clattering you were hearing from the kitchen.

The sound of a cloth being pulled, a rubber band snapping, and low hisses that sounded like German curses to you.

Familiar German curses.

Pushing the cover over to the side, you slid over, feet softly hitting the cold floor as you padded over to the doorframe, going down the hallway and passing through until you peeked into the kitchen where a smaller side light was on, the golden warmth illuminating the large figure of none other than König, standing at the counter, holding pans that he sprayed with some sort of oil, a large bowl emanating the smell of dough nearby.

He whirled when your quiet voice startled him out of the quiet silence of his mind.

“What’re you doing up so early?”

You asked in an almost teasing tone, the question behind it still lingering as you stepped closer, your figure melting into his as easily as you could breathe, strong arms encasing you in, warm, chapped lips pressing a kiss to your forehead.

You needed to start making him out on chapstick when he wasn’t on deployment. A task for later, you decided, as he smiled while one of his calloused thumbs gently swiped away the sleep in the corners of your eyes.

“Ah, my mother, she made much bread. I am—ah—missing her.”

He said quietly to you, the low timber of his voice reverberating with a bit of melancholy and longing. He’d told you about his mother before, about the stories she told and the songs she had sung, the food she’d make, and the blankets she’d knit. How much she would’ve loved you, even if you weren’t German like she would expect out of her son’s wife.

You let out a little hum of understanding, watching as he slowly slipped out of your embrace, gently placing one hand on your hip and guiding you in front of him, right in front of the counter, as he took his spot behind you, arms under yours.

“You wanna show me?”

You asked with a smile, and he nodded, lips tugging upwards as he reached for the bowl of what you could now see was dough, carefully guiding it into a pan that he’d already greased and whatnot.

The dough was almost a rich brown. He grabbed a silicone brush you’d gotten one year as a bad birthday gift from a coworker, using it to brush what you assumed was butter on top of the dough as it settled in the pan.

“Now, we add the Samen—seeds.”

He spoke softly, reaching up over your head to open a cabinet, grabbing a bag of black seeds that you weren’t exactly sure what they were, but figured that they looked like they tasted good enough. He opened it, holding the bag open as he reached his hand inside, grasping a handful, and sprinkling some on top of the bread.

His hand then nudged yours open, dropping the rest of the seeds inside, and his finger pushed lightly against your wrist, urging you to sprinkle the seeds as he had.

There was something special about being involved in a ritual like this, one he’d seen and witnessed so many times as a child from his mother, then went on his entire life keeping this little treasured piece of her he’d kept hidden away, now sharing it with you as both of your little secret recipes.

You felt him smile against your skin as he leaned into you, watching while you sprinkled the seeds onto the dough, probably too many at this point, but he didn’t seem to care much.

It was more about the act of doing it than the act of doing it right.

When the last dark seed had left your hand, he closed the bag, setting it back in the cabinet, before gently nudging you on the side of your hip, essentially telling you he needed a bit of space for something.

The oven beeped, probably having been preheated for a long while, and he opened it, grabbing the trays filled with dough and sliding them gently in with a tender care you saw little things experience from him. Other than yourself, of course.

As he closed the oven, other hand reaching into his pocket to set a timer on his phone, you closed back in, hand sliding around his arm.

“Does this mean we can go back to bed now?”

You whispered, raising an eyebrow, and he chuckled, the sound deep and rich and making butterflies break free from their cocoons in your stomach as you could’ve sworn you fell in love with him all over again in that moment.

“Yes, Schatz, we can go to bed.”

He murmured, one large hand settling on the small of your back in a gesture of casual, loving dominance as you both walked back to bed, eagerly slipping back under the blanket, excited simply for the opportunity to sleep, and also for the bread that would be there waiting for you in the morning.

König had set the alarm, but this time when it went off, he wouldn’t leave you in bed alone.

He’d take you with him, and let you breathe in the sweet, heavenly scent of his mother’s bread, and though you might complain about getting up so early, or about losing sleep, he knows you wouldn’t miss it for the world.

And maybe, just maybe, the scent of his mother’s bread would transition into the scent of your own bread over time, one you might make together with König, a bread with its own history, past, and tradition.

Tags:

@hawke1917

#writers on tumblr #cod #call of duty #könig #könig cod #könig x reader #könig call of duty #könig mw2 #könig x you #könig fanfiction #könig x y/n #kortac #cod fanfic #cod fandom #flufftober #flufftober2024 #könig fluff

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tossawary · 6 months ago

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So, the Jackson "The Hobbit" movies get rid of the dwarves having musical instruments, rather adding a very atmospheric humming to the "Over the Misty Mountains" song. And I like this adaptational choice just fine, I think it sounds good, and because the question of "What happens to the instruments? Are they taking clarinets and a harp and etc. on the quest?! Are the musical instruments magical?" has bugged me for years. And I do think this choice suits the general *waves hand vaguely* more "serious / grim / lower high fantasy" aesthetic cultivated by the previous Jackson "Lord of the Rings" films.

But I do like the mental image of the Company being a very literal band going on a quest, because I think it's funny and delightful and unique. If I was doing an animated movie in particular, I would not like to be rid of the musical instruments during that scene. The vibe is very magical. Very whimsical. And whimsy does not have to be wholly separate from very serious subject matters! I think it would be very cool if the dwarves had more casually magical tools generally, which would do some easy additional worldbuilding for the level of craftsmanship in this world, and could fit in perfectly well alongside hidden doors and invisibility rings and mithril shirts and glowing swords and jewelry that never comes accidentally undone.

If someone did a version where all the dwarves are carrying musical instruments throughout most of the quest in this way and the creator really leaned into the music generally and audio-visual relationship in film specifically, I would absolutely watch it. That sounds amazing. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a musical or an opera as well, though that would also be extremely cool. (Personally, I would even also watch a "Fantasia" version of "The Hobbit" FOR SURE. I am an artsy dork like that. Though it might not be my first choice in my ideal creative project.)

I think you could could do some great, whimsical scenes with the dwarves singing at various points on the road, the musical instruments breaking at certain emotional points, the dwarves trying to do little musical spells at various points, and so on. A lot of this stuff could even just be other members of the Company fussing around with these things in the background (trying to play a musical spell to light a fire) while Bilbo has a foreground conversation with Thorin or Gandalf or something. I LOVE in animated (and live) movies when you can see supporting characters bickering or getting into hijinks in the background of a scene. (Also, this world was sung into being in a way, wasn't it? Why not have more magical music?)

(OHHH, the way that Smaug could be done in a more audio- and music-focused version of "The Hobbit" would be SO COOL.)

Alternatively, generally, I've also imagined that there are other dwarves with wagons nearby to take the musical instruments away again (let's say the instruments are not magical in any way and taking them along would therefore largely just be impractical), and that the night at Bilbo's house was actually also a RITUAL meal/meeting for the members of a long journey. You're going on a quest? You seclude yourself with your company, eat, drink, talk, plan, and sing a little to bond as an exclusive group the night before heading off together. Normally, this would have been done back at their own home or something, but they had to get their burglar first.

I think this would be a cool way to slip in characters like Dis and Gimli even just in the background, as family members come to see everyone off, seen fixing Kili's hair or hugging Gloin as the Company prepares to leave Hobbiton that last morning. Thorin and Balin could be exchanging a couple quick lines about how Bilbo hasn't shown up yet, and in the background, we could see Dis hugging Fili (the true purpose of a well-done adaptation of "The Hobbit" is to break my fucking heart) and Gloin's wife drawing off with a wagon full of musical instruments while young Gimli waves tearfully! You wouldn't even have to have them say anything to slip them in!

Just... I'm listening to the Andy Serkis audiobook of "The Hobbit" right now and I want to see some gloriously artsy visual adaptations of this world.

#tossawary tolkien #tossawary reading #the hobbit #long post

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deakyjoe · 4 months ago

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Do you mind if I ask a question about the band Ghost please?

I’m (very confused) around the numbered what seems like lead singers? Are they all the same person but different times/phases? Not sure if it makes sense. I find it so interesting when you post about them but I just can’t figure it out!

Oh my god, my time has come… here is a guide to the Papas (lead singers) of Ghost:

So first off let me start by clarifying that the band members of Ghost (Papas as lead singers and Nameless Ghouls as instrumentalists and backing vocalists) are all characters. They’re a group of folks in masks and makeup. There’s a lot of lore and backstory around the band but we won’t touch on that too much here. I’ll just talk about the Papas - the anti-pope leads. (Also the following will contain Rite Here Rite Now/Ghovie spoilers!!)

Ok so the lead singers we’ve had in Ghost so far have been Papa Emeritus I (Primo), Papa Emeritus II (Secondo), Papa Emeritus III (Terzo) and Cardinal Copia who was eventually promoted to being Papa Emeritus IV. These lead singer characters are all half brothers (their father is Papa Nihil who we’ll discuss briefly later) and all pretty much have their own albums (few EPs and live albums in there too but I won’t bore you with those).

All the lead singers of Ghost, all Emeritus brothers, have been played by this guy - Tobias Forge!

He writes and sings all of the songs, does the majority of studio work too from what I understand. So whilst there have been several “different” lead singers of Ghost due to the role being taken over by new Papas, technically they’re all Tobias in masks.

First Papa we had in the early days (around 2010 - 2012) was Primo (Papa Emeritus I). He’s the hardest to find photos/footage of since it was the beginnings. I always affectionately refer to him as “The Old One” since he was supposed to be about 80. His album was Opus Eponymous.

Next up we had Secondo (Papa Emeritus II) for a couple years (around 2012 - 2015). His face is the one that makes an appearance on a lot of Ghost merch I find. I think of him as “The Bald One” (lovingly of course). His album was Infestissumam.

Then we had Terzo (Papa Emeritus III) for a while (around 2015 - 2017) before he was dramatically ripped off stage and (maybe) decapitated. He’s only supposed to be 3 months younger than Secondo. I call him “The Hot One” because he’s fine as hell. His album was Meliora.

Then there was a dramatic shift in the way things worked. We were out of Emeritus brothers as they kept “retiring” (supposedly according to the lore) but it’s okay because a lovely little Cardinal came along to save the day! Introducing: Cardinal Copia!! To me he’s “Just A Little Guy” which is the most accurate description of him you’ll ever hear I promise you. (Also when Copia took over it was revealed that the previous Papas had been “killed”.) His album was Prequelle.

Eventually Copia was promoted to being Papa Emeritus IV (it had been pretty heavily implied up until that point that he was also an Emeritus half brother) which meant he could wear the Papa paints now. Also Copia is my personal favourite. Copia got a second album with Impera.

We had Copia from 2018 - now (he’s just been promoted again to Frater Imperator so will probably no longer be frontman for the band). This means Papa Emeritus V will be introduced at some point (probably Copia’s twin which was a detail revealed in Rite Here Rite Now - the recent Ghost concert movie).

But going back to Papa Nihil (the father of all the Emeritus brothers). I would like to make it clear that Ghost formed in 2006 and released their first demos in 2010 but according to their lore they go back to at least the 1960s. Which is when Nihil was frontman for the group. Nihil is not played by Tobias Forge, he’s had different actors for both his old and young versions, but his songs are sung by him (e.g. the hit song Mary On A Cross). Nihil has not been lead singer for the band on stage at any point (though he does make appearances and play the sax at some of them). Nihil has an EP called Seven Inches of Satanic Panic (“originally” from 1969 and then “re-released” in 2019) which features Mary On A Cross and Kiss The Go-Goat. (Also has an additional song revealed recently - The Future Is A Foreign Land.)

So essentially all the Papas are different characters but all played by the same guy. They have different faces (masks) and makeup, different personalities, different mannerisms, and slightly different singing voices (Tobias switches up the way he sings songs slightly between Papas) as well as talking voices. There’s way more to it all (which you can read about on any fan website, or even Wikipedia,) as the lore is pretty extensive for a silly little satanic band. I’d recommend watching The Chapters on YouTube if you’re interested in more. Also Papaganda Parts 1 and 2 which are pretty funny. There’s also a few helpful videos on YouTube that discuss the Ghost timeline in way more depth.

Sorry if this was a little too much rambling but it’s difficult to be concise with Ghost. Hope this all makes sense. Thanks, anon, for the question as I love to talk about anything I’m interested in!!

#ghost #ghost band #the band ghost #ask #asks #anon #rite here right now spoilers #ghovie spoilers #primo #secondo #terzo #copia #papa emeritus iv #papa emeritus iii #papa emeritus ii #papa emeritus i #cardinal copia #tobias forge #shitghosting

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sun-of-4-gun · 24 days ago

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Stick, The Monkey King's Plot Device: An Analysis

a matter of Free Will, Creativity, Control, Ownership, Choice, and Consent of an animated inanimate character

aka chronological notes of what happens in the movie with interpretative thoughts

for 5,000 years, stick only ever stood in one place in silence

the crystal palace was either; built around him, or he was left there tho it's hard to believe the center pillar of dragon king's home just has a spot reserved for him. I believe it's the former however it was, he never had a choice

dragon had stick stuck in a machine that will force and use him and his power to create a storm and flood, which is the opposite of what his original purpose was that got him down there to begin with thousands of years ago. an overglorified water meter

monkey was in search of the ultimate weapon, but stick said the first word. he's been waiting and immediately calls him "the most powerful being". this is promptly followed by being complimented not once, but twice from the guy he just met (ie "you are incredible") it is important to note monkey had never any positive assurance in his entire life, yet he says these things to stick, he makes this about stick, rather than himself

stick jumps into action and carries the battle, but he prioritises monkey's safety

he is a go-getter, taking the lead to take his new friend forward. he is a driving force that enables monkey to do what he does. he is excitable, violent, eager to please. stick has never been used in so long, he has a lot of pent up energy just bursting to get out. he protects monkey, but he is obedient to the point of losing his self by taking things literally. this should teach monkey how he works, that he is dependent on his wielder, his master, and that's why he couldn't have left the palace or dragon himself. he is a tool, who's entire existence is in the hands of whoever possesses him. he wants to be used and be useful. he wants to serve a purpose

monkey tells stick what to do, he listens, monkey tells stick to stop, he does so. and stick will do the best possible thing for them to show monkey what they are capable of together, giving him the confidence to trust his weapon as much as stick's chosen to trust him, that no matter what happens as long they communication, they will have each other's back

stick shares monkey's joys and sorrows. he cheers along the troop for his new name and groans when it seemed monkey got sad. they share excitement and aggressive tendencies too

they are more like a single entity with two equal parts rather than a pair, but it's not wrong to call them that either. mind & body, heart & soul, in action they are one, as people they are two, but must be kept together in order to work perfectly. stick is an extension of monkey, and monkey is an extension of stick. they match each others freak save for minor differences in preference and personality. when not in use, stick stands on his own, he reacts similarly as monkey, turns to him, and provides emphasis for the occasional words. he is completely supportive and always by his side if only a foot apart or at arms length, never out of reach

monkey is the same in the way that he values stick's own desires that are seemingly separate from himself. he is considerate of his weapon's wants despite having no impact or benefit to his own except maybe boost his ego. they share an ambition, yet something so minor like playing the guitar is so important to him because it's something stick wants. he didn't even ask if stick wanted anything, he already has him in mind, it was a matter of what and absolute that he gets it

the theme song is sung by stick's voice actor, the singer "ultimate screaming master" aka nan li from voodoo kungfu, an outstanding "world heavy metal music" band. so you could say stick wrote and sang a song about monkey throughout their 99 demons together. I know the lyrics are from monkey himself, the words are his, stick is the music, together they create harmony

stick is bloodthirsty, and he is an artist. both actions are forms of self-expression after lying dormant for millenniums. the same can be said for monkey in that he created an imaginary family, paired with his and stick's signature head-bashing, skull-splitting move, except he does this in sought of attention for being deprived of it his entire childhood, stick has always been the center of, yet was never heard, and the only thought he wants and cares about is from monkey

it was his idea the way they defeat red girl, unpromptly suggested

stick left his "home", because he finally could. he was stolen from dragon, who housed him. he was found by monkey, who allows him to be. stick can't be on his own without his wielder's permission and even then they're in close proximity of each other. monkey allows for stick's autonomy and will to be as free as he can be. he treats stick like a person more than the actual people he interacts with, while dragon still treats stick as property even after discovering he could talk. he doesn't care that stick has feelings, he only wants to abuse his power

Monkey: “What's wrong, Stick? You know this chump?”

Dragon: “Stick? You never talked to me!”

when dragon showed up, this is the only time stick vocalised in a way that it aggravated monkey enough to close his ears. stick doesn't get to say anything else, and he doesn't have to because no one but monkey listens to him, he doesn't need an explanation to come to his friend's defence. the same way stick is in-between the demons and monkey, this time monkey is shielding stick from dragon. a former roommate, acts like a controlling parent or possessive ex

Monkey, to Dragon: “You love my Stick, everyone loves the stick, but no one appreciates Stick like I do.”

Stick: “[incessant urgent warbling]”

Monkey: “Quiet Stick, the grown-ups are talking.”

of course monkey isn't perfect either, in the heat of the moment he ignores stick to protect him, and stick never holds a grudge or resentment towards monkey for his blunders, only dragon was met with initial hostility, but then none at all for the rest of the movie. stick is never really even annoyed with his partner, it just seems like he loves everything about him and wants the best for him, because that would mean what's best for himself too

dragon tries to talk to stick to come back, but monkey says he only listens to him. dragon responds with "I don't see a ring on it, honey" which is from the euphemism for a marriage proposal. dragon clearly doesn't approve of their relationship though this implies that in order for them to be together, they need to be wedded

without monkey, stick doesn't have a will. without a person, he is useless. he has no life, no will to life. it's meaningless without monkey, who he's waited for forever

he laughs at his jokes, they share a sense of humour

stick knows about hell. he knows about the scrolls of life and death

he could not have learned this during the 100 demons slaying because monkey would have known. the reason why stick never mentioned "crossing your name to cancel your death in order to become immortal" is that monkey was under the impression he would win the immortal ones' approval by conquering demons like the elder lead them to believe. why stick never corrected him, this wasn't the mission. stick is at his service, not looking specifically for the most efficient way to do things. he is able to have fun and live his best life with monkey and if the adventure ends, what is there left to do? he wouldn't want to be abandoned again. so he answers monkey's questions because monkey asked, not because stick has an obligation to be conscious or aware of how things play out, but because he's literal and needs to be direct with. whatever it is, he will enable monkey's desires, because what he wants, they both do

they argue about bringing lin along, in which stick advocates for her and scolds monkey because he knows her worth and neither of them can read. if monkey completely owns stick, why would he allow him to knock some sense into himself and fight about something like this? does stick actually have free will to be independent and has merely been sassily playing with monkey and dragons feelings because he enjoys the attention of those two competing for him, or does monkey allow stick to be his own person without the restraint of pleasing his ego in that he is cared for even if he doesn't like it because he subconsciously understands he can't do everything on his own and needs stick to be his conscience too, for both their sakes

their expressions often mirror each other, the way they move even apart is in sync, and they exchange glances, like you do with your best friend

stick also knows about cloning, which he also never told monkey that he knows they can both apparently do. the situation called for it so it's pretty reasonable, but why does stick know more about monkey's abilities than he himself does?

steroids, another song by voodoo kungfu, is used during the fight

although apparently stick didn't know enough as "cancelling your death date" only makes you half-immortal, but monkey immediately blames lin despite it being entirely stick's idea

stick is already immortal, he's an eternal object and looks good for above 5,000 years old. he just needs to keep his friend, who he's known for at least a couple years, alive. least he becomes alone again

stick finds monkey's prank on lin hilarious, monkey makes him laugh

stick sings along with monkey while they search for lin, he yells at her after too

monkey considers stick his best friend and family

stick doesn't care to say anything during the entire peach grove scene. not about benbo & babbo, not about dragon, even though he was used to jab at him. monkey is drugged, therefore his mind isn't intact, which seemingly affects stick's behaviour as well in that he isn't very conscious. they both get knocked ou

he jolts awake after monkey does

stick is empathetic, monkey is apathetic. there is a little bit of the other to them in a yin-yang sense, because stick only empathises with monkey, and maybe lin twice on-screen, while monkey has no consideration for anyone but himself, stick, and eventually lin to an extent. they only care for each other, as stick isn't concerned about anyone else, but monkey does in a way. both for selfish reasons

stick cannot be wielded by a baby monkey, he goes to sleep

monkey tells stick to help lin, he shrinks down for her to use

he sleeps again when monkey is kicked through the roof

despite being unconscious, stick extends himself towards monkey to give the elixir

stick is just as excited as monkey is, if not more, and is ready to fight, but when lin falls, he got worried for her too

lin teases monkey, talking to stick, and he laughs with her. he isn't above laughing at his friend's expense and with someone other than him no less, someone monkey handed him over to in the moment. he was trusted with to assist her and wasn't even aware of lin's attempt to steal him away. if monkey was a controlling master and stick the obedient weapon that he is, how is it that he's able to freely make fun of his own best friend? monkey shuts him up, and he complies, but the fact is while he is always supportive of monkey, he is capable of poking fun at and arguing with him too, usually provoked

stick is left alone with lin again, and is promptly sold out

"momentary fling" sir this is a family movie

stick is inactive throughout his entire hold in dragon's clutches. he is nothing but a prize to be won, a tool to be abused. monkey may need him in every battle to win, but stick has been a damsel-in-distress twice. he is handled by dragon, forced back into a machine that awakens and makes him grow. none of this he chose, none he wanted, he can't leave without help. while he is fulfilling a purpose, he isn't doing this out of his own will. he doesn't choose dragon and doesn't consent to being used this way, but it doesn't matter because dragon doesn't need his compliance, as long the machine works and he's useful

they are so happy to see each other, and missed one another so much,,,

stick is devoted to monkey. he enables him, needs him for his entire being and existence. if it were to be anyone in the universe he will always choose monkey. caught in the middle of the final battle, despite the brief grasp dragon has on him, he is able to fight for his self because monkey is there for him to return to and fall back on. to live in utter depravity under someone who only takes from and forces you into doing his bidding, it's not living at all. monkey gives him a life, stick lives for him and gets to be himself because he's allowed to be as much of a person any object is capable of

monkey is incredibly significant to stick. he is his entire world, and the same goes for him to monkey

they're separated again, the last thing he heard was monkey's desperate cry of his name after he couldn't handle buddha's clutch

lin found stick, either by chance or he called out to her. and he shrank for her once more so she could easily reunite him with his monkey. he doesn't even know she's the one who gave him away, but I don't think he'd hold it against her. he's a staff, not human or demon with complex thoughts and feelings. a simple stick who has a colourful personality, vibrant soul, and passion for music

he flies right into monkey's hold thanks to lin

monkey is stick's home, he is his best friend, his family, his life. they are symbiotic and co-dependent, for breaking them apart would leave them wrecked on their own, one completely helpless and the other out of his mind. there is a fear of abandonment within stick and separation anxiety in monkey, but only one of them has the ability to do something about it, and monkey allows for stick to be unbound by his own ego. they're a team, each others comfort

they meditate together, being one with each other, and stick is just as important as monkey because "the world needs us"

to summarise; stick is a deeply emotional, straight-forward, fun-loving, whimsical, thrill-seeking sentient weapon who's been deprived of activity for thousands of years, which affected the way he expresses himself through bloodthirsty violence and screaming, but he does have an ambition to learn and play the guitar, already being a singer himself. it is a creative outlet for him to release all that pent up energy when he lay dormant, and is allowed the freedom to live a life he wants alongside the one person who values and loves him for who he is

in conclusion... they are both crazy, and stick likes that about monkey

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cranberrv · 8 months ago

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Hey boo, I was wondering if u could do hcs or a short story of Darry dating a girl that sings at a bar/diner and going there with the gang, and she sings and maybe works the counter? Or just Darry hcs or a story in general.

be my baby

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ in which darry watches you sing (not proofread)

- the dingo was getting boring, so the gang decided to try out a local diner on the west-side

- darry was against it, there was a huge chance someone could get jumped and he didn’twant to deal with that

- but all that worry went away when he saw you

- you were on a small stage in the diner, singing “be my baby” by the ronnettes. the gang had conveniently come during a live music show

- the entire lunch, they all got weird looks, being greasers in a soc diner, but darry didn’t even care

- he never took himself as a “love at first sight” kind of guy, but there was just something about you..

- caring eyes and a calm aura was all he needed, and you had it

- maybe you recognized him from when he was friends with socs, because you gave him a small wave as you sung

- or maybe you were flirting.

- either way, he found himself unable to look away, like there was an invisible string connecting you two

- “ooohh, darry is down bad!” the gang teased when they noticed him

- “oh shut it, boys” he responded, adjusting himself to finally look away from you

- after you finished singing, you went back to your regular job working at the counter as another person began in the background

- they all finished eating and went to pay at the counter, where you were

- the boys shoved darry to the front to pay, and he glared, but did so

- “cash our credit?” you ask him

- “credit is fine,” he answers, scrambling for his wallet before tapping on the machine “um, you were really good, by the way” he adds

- you thank him and smile “do you like the ronnettes?” you ask him

- “they’re not bad.” he answers

- “i’ll tell you what,” you start. “i’ve got two tickets to the ronnettes for next month, and i’ve been looking for someone to go with. and i know who you are, you used to be friends with paul. you’re sweet. so do you want to come with me?”

- he’s not shocked you know him, a lot of people do. “i mean, i’ve got two kid-brothers i gotta look after…” he hesitates.

- sodapop groans. ”just go for it, darry!” he pats his back and turns to you. “he wants you bad, man, don’t start pitying him.”

- you smile at sodapop a bit then turn to darry. “it’s really fine if not, you’ve gotta take care of your family, i get it”

- oh my god, you’re patient too????? you’re perfect

- he’s silent, and ponyboy and sodapop are still insisting to darry that they’ll be fine without him for a night

- you speak again, “how about this: we don’t go to the concert, i’ll take a friend or somethin’, and we can hang out some other time. i think you’re cute, i don’t care what we do as long as we do something”

- gosh, you were confident. “yeah, alright, that sounds good.”

- he was tough to crack, a constant barrier is around him so he can protect himself in order to protect his brothers, and it may take a while to break

- but my god he is exciting to hang out with you!

- sodapop spends the next few days telling him how to treat a girl, and darry has just learned to tune him out

- long story short, you two spend some time at the park, just talking and bonding

- …and then you go out again

- and again

- and then he starts visiting you at the diner, especially on tuesdays, when it’s open-mic night

- he loves how you treat his brothers. you and sodapop bond over the fact that the ronnettes is both of your favourite band, and you’re so patient and kind and help him out with taking care of them

- darry loves his cute diner girlfriend!

#the outsiders #darry curtis #darrel curtis #darry curtis fluff #darry curtis headcanons #darrel curtis fluff #patrick swayze #the outsiders headcanons #the outsiders x reader #the outsiders darry

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wavesoutbeingtossed · 8 months ago

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TTPD Track Speculation/Prediction: @wavesoutbeingtossed Edition

Against my better judgment, I’m putting down my predictions before I am proven completely wrong on April 19.

on the other hand I did correctly attribute all of the 1989 TV vault track teaser lyrics to their songs before it was released so maybe I’m just that good jk.

I’m putting everything under a cut because it’s long and mostly just shooting the shit but it’s a long weekend so what the heck!

I started writing this the night the album was announced at the Grammys in February, so obviously things may have evolved in the meantime. It will be very interesting to see just how wrong I am!

Here be speculation, musings, jokes and more! Enter at your own risk!

SOUND:

I honestly have NO CLUE. I’ve said many, many times that I would be absolutely gagged for an Americana-folk type sound like Carolina/Safe and Sound/some of her acoustic performances on tour. I don’t really expect TTPD to sound quite that stripped back, though. (Prove me wrong, Taylor!)

I am kind of feeling pop-rock-y though, à la WCS, TTDS, based on absolutely nothing but that is also a genre/sound I love that I am begging to hear more on albums.

Completely off the wall guess: Something more jazzy-big band-y, based on nothing but her styling in recent months on the red carpet that harkens back to golden age of Hollywood vibes (especially the Grammys), the inclusion of Clara Bow (renowned flapper girl) on the track list, and the way she keeps talking about being grateful fans accept her bending and switching genres over the years and support her when she does “weird” things.

FORMAT (?)

OK this is just me spitballing, but I said awhile back that I am just getting vibes that there may be, like, a story within a story with this. As in, using some fictional settings as an allegory for the story about herself. The example I used then was The Lumineers, and how they wrote their album III about three generations of a fictional family dealing with addiction, which was an allegory for the lead singer’s own family’s experience with it (without directly calling out the family member in question at the time). There were characters in the album, but many of the songs were sung from an “I”/“you” perspective. I may not be explaining myself well, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are “fictional” stories in that they’re sung about characters (e.g. Clara Bow?), but it will be obvious to fans that she’s using the characters to speak about herself and her experiences. I’m just getting big “storytelling” energy from the hints. Which means I’m totally wrong!!!! Don’t listen to me!!! (I do think there will be some shades of this somehow, though.)

TRACK LIST SPECULATION

Fortnight: Think you are all on the money about it being the time between the start of tour and when Joever happened for good. Sort of a “two years of uncertainty coming to a head in two weeks” thing. Spending two weeks agonizing over what to do. Two weeks for your whole life to blow up. Finally being removed from the situation and grasping onto your dreams that have been on hold for years and realizing your mind’s made up because you won’t give this part of you up even if it means letting go of what you thought your future held. But another thing I’ve thought of: some common wisdom claims it takes two weeks for a new routine to become a habit, so… outside chance it’s like, two weeks go by and you’re finally used to/accepted whatever it is you’re trying to kick? Also had a thought that there could be many two-week periods that can mark your life and give pause.

The Tortured Poets Department: No idea really lol. For some reason I feel like this is going to be a little more experimental, “laying the groundwork for the defense” type of vibe, kinda like Mastermind, or using the investigative/academic metaphor to delve into it like, Mad Woman or Vigilante Shit. (Or: it could be super petty roasting the infamous group chat lol. In all seriousness though I would doubt that because I feel like this album is very much about Her… unless said group chat was so insufferable she needs to blast it on main.)

My Boy Only Breaks His Favourite Toys: I saw some talk on my dash about this giving renegade themes (you fire off missiles because you hate yourself but don’t you know you’re demolishing me), and I totally thought the same thing. Also those of you who pointed out the parallels to Cardigan are geniuses (when I was an old cardigan under someone’s bed you put me on and said I was your favorite). Again kinda think there might be some more metaphor in this but guessing it may be along the lines of “he’s only doing this because he knows I won’t leave” themes? It instantly gives dark and uneasy. It gives, the people you love are the ones you hurt the most. All signs point to Not Good.

(Or this is about Benji destroying his spin toys or is that just my cat that does that.)

Down Bad: Someone said (on Jaime’s blog I think*) that this is giving False God but icky and I can TOTALLY see that. (Then again I’ve always found False God sad in the sense that it’s like, “even when we fight so bad we can’t communicate we still have the sex holding us together.”) But, Taylor does like to take sayings with common meanings and twist them on their heads, so I also wouldn’t be surprised if “Down Bad,” isn’t referring to being down as in being horny for someone, but being down as in, feeling devastated/hopeless. (Or, even worse, mean both at the same time. 😵‍💫)

(*I wrote this post in February after the announcement, I don’t have a clue when any of this was said anymore sorry)

So Long, London: like a lot of people, I feel like this is her goodbye to the life they had and more importantly/poignantly, the dreams she had of their future. (I don’t know but, “remember looking at this room we loved cause of the light, now I just sit in the dark and wonder if it’s time” just feels like it’d be part of this story.) So because I’ve said that, watch it be an excoriation of London Boy lol. (You know I’m mad at a London Boy / who just really won’t leave Camden / Market in the afternoon / he hasn’t seen my American smile / in two months cause he won’t come to see me / when I have a show to do…) Feel like it’s going to gut us. BUT, also wonder if this is her “I’m getting the fuck out of dodge ROCK FLAG AND EAGLE” anthem haha. (Or: she ran away to London to escape the Bad Stuff but then got stuck in another kind of Bad Stuff living there for so long…)

But Daddy I Love Him: Pretty obviously the Little Mermaid reference. Very curious if the actual quote is in the song, or if it’s just named that to set the scene but the song instead is an expounding on the theme of giving up her voice for the sake of the relationship like Ariel. Also wonder if this is an overtly diaristic song or if she is going to use characters/figures/fiction to expand on the theme subtly, a little like Maisie Peters’ History of Man or Florence & The Machine’s Cassandra or even more pointedly like her own Last Great American Dynasty or The Lucky One. I do assume the overarching theme is going to be the push-pull between keeping her love and giving up things that are important to her to make that love work. (Watch this be about her arguing with her father about marrying *** lol.)

The theme of giving up your voice/what you hold dear for love is so loaded, and has some parallels to Clara Bow’s story, which is also on the track list so… Lots to chew on I’m sure.

Fresh Out The Slammer: Totally think the reference to her locking herself up for years at home because she was scared in the Time POTY interview is a likely link to this. Feeling free after the weight of this decision is off her shoulders, yet the sheer terror at now being on her own and rebuilding her future. It could be uplifting but I could also see it being like pure chaos. BUT, a thought I had earlier is that, if this is a song that was written pre-Joever, maybe it’s about the aftermath of a rough patch. Like, we just got our get out of jail free cards, we made it through the other side of this Big Thing that almost ended us (e.g. the final blow in YLM), where do we go from here?

Florida!!!: Emphasis on the “!!!”!!! Honestly it had me at FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE. I’m soooooo curious and sooooooooooooo pumped for this one. I don’t want to let myself hope it’s going to sound like a Florence song BUT I HOPE IT SOUNDS LIKE A FLORENCE SONG. I’m going to guess it may be a reference to the first stop on tour after the news broke. Wasn’t that also a show where a ton of things went wrong? I can see it going so many ways! Is it a hopeful “Florida I’m coming for you you’re a symbol of my great escape my prison break my entire life crumbling and rising again”? An introspective “I never thought I’d have to rebuild my whole world after it imploded, in Florida of all places?!”? Is it a sarcastic “fucking Florida always the scene of the crime I can’t believe my life is falling apart and I need to go to FUCKASS FLORIDA oh great every thing that can go wrong with my show is FLORIDA!!!!”? Is it a rant about the corporate mouse? Or a scathing takedown of Republican politics ahead of the 2024 elections? (lol) Who’s to say?!

Guilty as Sin?: Sooooooooooo curious about this. I’m a Carolina Stan and I know there is 0% chance there is a link between the two songs other than the lyric which is a common term, but it does make me happy. My first thought about this one is that it’s going to be biting or self-reflective — kinda like the bridge of Is It Over Now? Or the chorus of Anti-Hero. As in, “what is it exactly that you think I’m guilty of?” (E.g. ambition? Drive? Seeking attention? Being selfish? But could also be sad: Loving too hard? Caring too much? Being too needy? Hmmm.) I’m kind of feeling like it’s a “if it’s wrong to be guilty of these things I don’t want to be right.” Again if I had to guess I’d wonder if it would have the same vibes as the bridge of YLM. (For some reason, with the question mark, I don’t necessarily think it’s going to be accusing someone of something…)* I also had a thought about the seven deadly sins and this title and… THOUGHTS ARE THINKING**.

(*I may not have found it accusatory in February, but with the benefit of hindsight in March I… reserve the right to change my mind about this.)

(**Future Waves here: the thoughts may have been thinking for February Waves but March Waves has no idea what she was talking about.)

Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?: I don’t knooooooooooow. At first the title kinda gave me Blank Space vibes, like, you don’t know how much I could fuck this up if I wanted. Then some people mentioned the similarity to Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? And now that’s absolutely all I can think about. If you’ve ever seen the movie (or the play), it is rooooooooough. Watching George and Martha drunkenly eviscerate each other as their guests watch on in horror is… oof. (As someone who has seen this happen in real life and was trapped on a boat with a couple in full unhinged mode… OOF. Just OOF.) Of course there’s the Burton-Taylor of it all too so… (there’s also an interesting theme in Virginia Woolf about buying into illusion to avoid the messiness of reality… and Martha resenting George’s lack of ambition.) Is this song cheeky? Or a threat? Is this a Better Than Revenge/Vigilante Shit rebuke or is it Bejeweled owning her personhood?

(Like any of these songs, there’s also the chance that it’s heartbreaking and is really a reflection on how the things that make her her can be weaponized against her… Or how her struggles/vices alienate her to the person she loves a la Anti-Hero…)

I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can): My first thought is this is going to be one of her sarcastic/satirical/funnier ones, based on nothing except that this sounds like it could be an Olivia Rodrigo cheeky song lol. (Like, I immediately start singing this to the tune of “Get Him Back.”) Never beat those allegations, Taylor, we’ve all been there. It definitely feels like a stereotypical tale of “girl tries to fix a man who doesn’t want to change and refuses to give up.” Watch this actually be a sad ballad about the flip side of renegade and trying to help a partner through a crisis 😬

loml: the quiet menace in this list!!!! Obviously we’re all immediately thinking “love of my life,” but because this is Taylor, we should not rest easy. The fact that it’s all in small caps is curious to me and calls back to text speak, so is this a term of endearment that turns into a final parting sign off? Is it from an email ahem? Is it a sweet song about the good parts of being together? A wistful song about a lost love? BUT THEN, because it’s Taylor, I can totally see this being a bait and switch and it standing for something else as some of you pointed out, like loss of my life, or love OR my life. Or something entirely different. I’m pretty convinced that this one is going to be devastating in some fashion. I just feel it in my bones.

I Can Do It With a Broken Heart: Like many of you, I’m fairly certain this is going to be a bittersweet Long Live-esque ode to the Eras tour. The pick yourself up by the bootstraps, get out of bed, the show must go on and the show is saving my life story. Just thinking of the quote from the Time POTY interview where she said, “I know I’m going on that stage whether I’m sick, injured, heartbroken, uncomfortable, or stressed.” And in those early weeks, it seems like she might have been all of those things at once. Just trying to talk yourself into getting out of bed when all you want the earth’s core to swallow you whole and never come back. Kind of like, I can pick up the pieces of my life and carry on even when I am dying inside.

The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived: Obviously this is about one Benjamin Button, please. OK, in all seriousness, it’s giving, well… *shots fired*. It’s giving “your integrity makes me seem small.” It’s giving “I’m a monster on the hill, too big to hang out.” It’s giving “all you are is mean.” So, part of me thinks it’s going to be turned on its head a little bit, just because… it seems to point to something directly and sometimes Taylor enjoys a bit of misdirection. So is this about someone who takes shots at someone else and in so doing, displays their own insecurity? Another thought I had is: Is this about someone who retreats into their own world so much that they’ve shut out everything and everyone else? Their whole world gets shrunken down to the four walls around them? I have a strong feeling this is an allegory-type song, using a fictionalized and possibly fantastical story to tell the real life one, but obviously I could be wrong.

The Alchemy: gonna be real with you all: I didn’t know that alchemy was the practice of turning base metals into something that looks like gold. I think I was mixing it up with apothecary or something, lol. I thought it was the practice of making potions and whatnot. #TheMoreYouKnow ANYWAY, I think the idea of “turning nothing into something that shines” is going to be important. Is it about using her best colours for a portrait to hide the cracks underneath? Is it about trying your best to make something work and thrive but ultimately coming up empty because the foundation is gone? Is it about turning these base experiences into art that fuels her? There are so many possibilities! (@taylortruther’s post about The Alchemy and other comments got me thinking too about the magician/illusionist scenario in So It Goes and now my brain is on fire.)

Clara Bow: Soooooooooo intrigued by this one too. People have pointed out so many of the interesting coincidences and parallels in their lives. Clara Bow was a silent film star who found her voice in the talkies — that right there is one metaphor about finding your voice in your art and your life. But it’s also an interesting parallel that she managed to parlay her success in silent film into talkies, at a time where few actors enjoyed a successful transition, which mirrors Taylor’s transition from country to pop. There’s the way Clara’s private life was splashed all over the press, driven by salacious rumours about her sex life and her perceived revolving door of lovers, which seems like something Taylor would empathize with. There’s the way she had a breakdown and left Hollywood, which may have some shades of 2016. Or that she got married and started a family, but insisted on keeping it a secret for many years to maintain privacy, which is interesting because in this case it seems like *Clara* was the one driving the need for secrecy, not her husband. (At least I read that in one article somewhere, sorry if that’s wrong!) Ultimately though, she died relatively young and was forgotten by mainstream Hollywood, a relic of a past uninteresting to all but the most diehard of film buffs. I’m getting vibes of “The Lucky One,” (and “Nothing New”) both in themes and in storytelling. So, watch it be completely different and not a story about Clara Bow but instead just have it be an off-hand line lol.

BONUS TRACKS

The Manuscript: I’m veeeeeery intrigued by this one. (I know I say that about all of them. That’s because they all intrigue me.) I love the idea that this wraps up the “standard” album; the chair(wo)man of the Tortured Poets Department has submitted her thesis for review, and it’s up to the board to draw their conclusion. OR: the idea that this is the unfiltered submission to a publisher, before the editor’s review that will cut and tighten and ultimately make it better, but loses the author’s initial vision in the process. (Like self-editing to share the most palatable story to your reader. Which… Also gives Dear Reader/Midnights in general vibes.) OR EVEN: this is the author’s story, submitted to the audience for their review, leaving it up to them to draw their conclusions and annotate. There are sooooooo many ways I can see this going.

The Bolter: A curious one indeed! I feel like of all of the bonus tracks at least, this is the one I have the least idea about. My immediate guess is that it refers to a person who runs, which would have all kinds of implications. Running from the law (unlikely lol), running from commitment, running from conflict… running for your life. Like running from commitment because you’re scared of being tied down (single girl version) to running from commitment because you’re scared of being tied down (bitter wife* version). (*NOT saying there was a secret wedding lol. I mean as in, that’s the future that was in store if one stayed.) I saw other takes saying bolter is also slang for jailer, which is also interesting with the Ready For It of it all.

The Albatross: So much has been said about this one, so I don’t think I have much to ado about this one! The famous poem is rife with all kinds of allusions: the bird soaring on its own for up to six years, but being brought down by man’s cruelty. The bird looking majestic in the skies, but the burden of its wings dragging it down on land, slowly killing it. The story being a metaphor for how the very thing poets are exalted for in society are the things they are punished for personally. I think it’s safe to say this one is going to hurt regardless, whether it’s a reference to herself, to ***, or something else entirely.

The Black Dog: Also another one I’m not sure I have many thoughts on yet. The black dog being a metaphor for depression is likely the inspiration, and I’m assuming this has the potential to be one of the most vulnerable songs yet. I have a feeling most of this album will be, but the imagery of this — the black dog being a constant companion, wanted or not, casting a pall over its master’s every move — points in a pretty obvious direction. And one that is probably going to gut us.

Well there you have it folks! I am ready to be completely wrong!

#the tortured poets department #Happy Good Friday this post has risen from the dead #(oops was that uncouth of me)#three weeks!!!!!!#i need this album now #my brain is on fire #Writing letters addressed to the fire

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tinygarbage · 11 months ago

Text

Do I Wanna Know?

part one

pairing: simon “ghost” riley x f!reader (Cheese)

word count: 4.4k

summary: december is passing and you start to wonder what you mean to your lieutenant.

warnings: 18+, MINORS DNI, alcohol consumption (reader and ghost have 3 drinks), no use of y/n, reader is mentioned to have hair (no specific length), readers call name is “Cheese”, American reader, mutual pining, fluff, implication of severe anxiety, swearing, military inaccuracies, drunk soap and gaz, not really edited lol (let me know if i missed any)

au: this chapter is inspired by hozier’s cover of “do I wanna know” by the arctic monkeys 😚 i linked it in the title just in case y’all wanted to give it a listen! im thinking about one more part for this bad boy :)

༝̩̩̥͙ ༓༝̩̩̥͙ ⊹

The pub is busy when you step in. Loud music and noisy chatter smacks you in the face as you shove your hands into your pockets. You feel your heart beating faster as your eyes search for the team's faces. The painfully familiar feeling of anxiety crawls through your brain as you walk through the crowded space. People are dressed in all sort of attire, a mix of casual and fancy outfits scatter across the dark pub. Party hats and sunglasses work of people heads. Cheap, plastic necklaces around peoples necks. They all chatter, drinks in their hands as they watch TV at the bar or cheer of the people on the karaoke machine. You recognize a Bon Jovi song being sung horribly by a middle aged woman. Her friends crowding the stage with their phones in hand, drunkenly recording her screeching performance.

Your heart races and your breathing quickens as your eyes continue to dart between the overwhelming amount of people. You were already late. Dreading coming since Simon gave you the invitation during training one day. Quietly mumbling about how the guys were carrying their tradition of going to Price's favorite pub. Inviting you to come along. Which you immediately accepted. Not stopping to think about the fact that crowded pubs make your head spin and stomach flip like the worlds most dangerous amusement park.

"Cheese!" You hear Soap's thick accent call out through the crowd. His voice immediately sending a soothing blanket over your jittery nerves.

Your head snaps in the direction you heard it from to see your team grouped up together at a large booth in the corner. They all sit tight together. Gaz and Soap clearly having indulged in their alcohol quickly. Soap's cheeks are rosy and his faux-hawk is tossled slightly. He's wearing a dark grey hoodie with some band graphic fading on it. Next to him sits Gaz. Who's wearing his worn baseball cap backwards. A navy hoodie with a grey and blue flannel over it. His eyes droop as he seems to be searching for where soap spots you. Across from them sits Simon and Price. Price wearing his typical beanie and a flannel. He's in the process of taking off his brown leather jacket. Next to him is Simon. Wearing a black hoodie. You cant see anything but his broad frame and the hood pulled up. But you can guess he's wearing his "civilian" balaclava or a black surgical mask.

As you approach, Soap is still waving his arm like a maniac and Simon slides out of the booth. Turning slowly to watch you approach. You don't even try to bite back a smile as you get closer. He's in his black surgical mask and a pair of dark denim. Thick leather boots on his feet. Jeans cuffed to reveal the lighter denim on the inside. Hiding the very top of his boot. His pale hand reveals itself, gesturing for you to slide into the booth. To sit right between him Price's broad frames.

You slip right in. Sitting close to Price. Your cardigan brushes against his flannel and he looks down at you. Giving you a sweet, genuine tight-lipped smile. "Hey, Cheese." He rasps, nudging your shoulder lightly.

You smile back in response. Glancing back over the busy pub as Simon squeezes in next to you. Both of your arms pressed against each other. "It's packed." You observe, adjusting between the two large men.

"Well, you did show up at 22:00." Gaz chuckled.

"How long have y'all been here?" You ask. Your American accent standing out in the pub full of Brits and Soap.

"Y'all!" Soap repeats in a southern accent. Surprisingly nailing it despite the fact that he's completely tossed.

The group ignores it, Gaz answers. "Soap and I got here around 19:00. Price and Ghost got here about an hour ago."

Before you can respond to Gaz, Simon speaks up from beside you. His gaze darting from you to the glass of whiskey sitting on the table in front of him. Pale fingers fidgeting with the wrapper of a straw. The straw from Price's coke. "How come you came so late?" His voice is quiet. Only being heard by you and maybe Price.

"Oh, I was calling my parents. And i got a little distracted."

It wasn't a lie. Not entirely. Just withholding the full truth. Not wanting to explain the fact that you had been doing every single chore and calling every single family member instead of getting ready to meet them at the pub. So you just wear a baggy, knitted cardigan over a grey cami. The lavender color of your cardigan and it's marble white buttons standing out amongst the men you were with. Who were wearing rather dull colors. A pair of light wash jeans on your bottom half and your trusty converse. The pair you've had since senior year. The fraying canvas and scuffed soles giving them character. And a sense of nostalgia. A birthday gift from your older brother. Who saved up all of his tips that he got working as a barista while attending college.

You shift awkwardly under his intense stare, waiting for any sort of response from him. Nothing comes. Instead, Soap leans over the table and speaks loudly. His accent thicker with the more he drinks, "Gaz and I have bets going on some pool games, you want to join?"

"I'll pass, I'm not very good at pool." You chuckle, speaking up so they could hear you over the crowded bar.

"That's better for us, means you'll lose!" Gaz chimes in, leaning against Soap.

"Maybe next time. What are you getting anyways?"

"Loser sings karaoke. Winner chooses which song." Soap answers with a drunken giggle, Gaz joking in. You've never seen either of them this drunk before.

"You're going to force an entire bar full of people to listen to your awful singing?" You laugh, shaking your head in disbelief.

"Cant be as bad as the Cougar screaming on stage." Gaz nudges Soap as they laugh loudly. God, they were obliterated already.

Time passes and eventually Price has moved to the bar, leaving you and Simon to watch as Soap and Gaz play pool together. You cant tell who's winning, so Simon updates you with each play. You now had a vodka cranberry sitting in front of you. After Price begged you to let loose for once and stop being a "block of cheddar." Whatever that meant. But when he said it was on Shepherd, you couldn't refuse ordering a few drinks on the dreadful man's pocket. Price giving a big belly laugh as you make a remark about Shepherd's bald head.

With the drink and Simon's calming presence, you feel your anxiety starting to rinse away. A second drink comes and you and Simon are still pressed together despite having more room in the booth now that Price disappeared. The two of you watching Soap lose brutally in a game of pool. Most likely due to the fact that he can't even stand straight. You watch as him and Gaz stumble to the karaoke machine, which is vacant now that people are more focused on midnight approaching. Typing in the song Gaz had chosen as the pair giggle and try to read the screen. Their vision most likely blurred and spinning. The song starts playing once everything is set up, the microphone in Soap's hand as he leans on Gaz for support. Probably needing a glass of water more than a song. You cant help but giggle as Come on Eileen starts playing. Typical karaoke song.

You're still sat in the booth with Simon, watching as Soap curls his arm around Gaz. His singing getting louder and increasingly incoherent as he attempted to read the words on the screen. His accent thick with each word. You wish your hearing was non existent as you watch the shit show in front of you. Simon sitting silently at your side.

"We're going to have to roll that man out," You say with a grin. Soap's an idiot but he's the team's idiot.

"I say we leave him to Price." Ghost replies, glancing at you while you take a chug of your drink.

You glance over to Price, who has his arm loosely around a blonde. A charismatic smile as he leans against the bar, the pint of dark beer half empty and her flashy margarita with nothing but the salt around the rim and the flimsy umbrella laying. It's place as a decoration looking rather sad in the empty glass.

"It seems like Price is on his own mission," you say with a raised brow.

"At least the old man is getting out there," he grumbles. You watch subtly as he lifts his mask to finish off his whiskey. Catching a glimpse of a scar down his pink lips. The sight bringing a familiar pool of heat to your stomach. Your ribs squeezing from the desire building.

You swallow your alcohol infused thoughts, turning back to your drink when you notice his brown eyes shifting under your gaze. You weren't being nearly as subtle as you thought. He had felt the tension build between the two of you the moment your eyes landed on his lips. Clearing your throat you speak up, "Yeah, he's been getting irritable lately. Maybe some stress relief outta do him some good."

You hear a small huff of laughter next to you, watching as his shoulders shook slightly under his black hoodie. A small smile creeps on your lips. Not able to hide the giddiness you feel every time you manage to break his shell. Even if it was something as subtle as a huff of laughter or a sheepish expression.

"Can't remember the last time I've seen the poor bastard do anything for himself." He responds, a hint of a smile in his voice. It was light, airy. But it was everything to you. A moment worth a mental picture in your brain.

"Good for him," you conclude with a proud nod. Watching as the blonde places a hand on Price's bicep. Which looked like it was screaming to be let out of the flannel he wore.

Your eyes flick back to Simon, admiring the curve of his nose. The very top of it peaking out from the surgical mask. The mere sight of him drowns out Soap's awful singing. Drawing you in and letting your mind wander to all the places you wanted the talk, blonde man to take you. You couldn't help but imagine how his nose would feel against your skin. His breath fanning on the open landscape as his lips trace every inch of you. Breathing you in with each peck. You imagine how it's feel as he leaves a trail of kisses down your stomach. Or pressed against your sensitive bud as he buries his face in your dripping cunt. Jesus, Cheese. Slow down.

With that last thought in mind, you stare down at your drink. It's your third. And probably your last. Given the fact that midnight was approaching minute by minute and you needed to be sober to try and get Gaz and Soap out. Simon was on his fourth and final glass as well. Announcing he was cutting himself off before he would have to endure a nasty hangover the next morning. Soap was finished singing, gesturing to you and Simon that they were going for one more round. A round that would probably tie them over to midnight.

And it did. Leaving you and Simon to drag him and Gaz out of the bar and to the Uber you had ordered. Price having left swiftly after midnight with the blonde he was chatting up. Her dragging him out as they laughed like a couple of teenagers. Price giving you and Simon a smug smile and a wink as he passed. You waving goodbye and Simon glaring at him. Pissed at the fact you two were left to taking care of the drunken babies screaming in the karaoke machine. Especially when Soap turned into a runner after 3 pints.

You and Simon wrangle the drunken toddlers into the Escalade. Gaz sobering up quick once you had buckled him in and gave him a bottle of water that the bartenders were handing out. On the other hand, Soap was being a straight menace. Making Simon's life ten times more difficult than it needed to be. Acting like a toddler in the middle of a bloody, screaming tantrum. Trying to slip out if Simon's tight grasp to take off through the streets. You and Simon having to resort to scaring him into sitting still in the Uber. Leaving you in the middle of him and Gaz, holding onto Soap's hand as he babbles. His thick, slurring accent completely impossible to understand. He even asks you a question. One that Ghost has to translate for you.

"Why do they call ye Cheese?" He slurs, head turning to look at you.

"Grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin." You explain with a shrug. You had gotten used to people asking by now. But internally you were certain you had told him already.

"Oh," he pauses, his lips pressed into a small pout as he thought more about it. "Well, that's silly."

"Your name is Soap. What if I think that's stupid?" You say flatly, watching his pout grow.

Eventually, you're back to base. Gaz walking up on his own, but you stay next to him. Ready to catch him if he takes the wrong step or needs to puke. Simon practically carrying Soap behind him. Who's now singing old Scottish folk songs while Simon grumbles profanities. Your favorite being a threat to make him sleep in the bushes. Which causes infectious laughter from the Scot. Which you are quick to quiet as there's other people on base.

Once you're in the confines of your groups own little sector. You and Simon get Gaz into the respective rooms. Propping them on their sides in case there were any accidents. Leaving a water bottle and a couple tablets of Advil for their heads in the morning. Simon was partial to dumping them and heading to bed. But you made sure they were out of their jackets, in their beds, converse with blankets, and had water for the morning.

Soon, you find yourself in Simon’s room. Listening to him grumble endlessly about the behavior from the other three men you live with. You watch in the corner as he lazily unties his leather boots. Body hunched over completely as he sits at the edge of the bed. Kicking them off with a bit of a tipsy struggle. Letting them plop at the end of his bed with a large thunk!

Awkwardly, you shift in your place by the door. He had invited you to come in. But this side of him was so foreign to you that it still felt wrong. Like you were in forbidden territory. But you bury the anxiety. Reminding yourself that the flipping of your stomach could be blamed on the three mixed drinks you had indulged in.

He’s sat up now, stretching his back. A loud crack sounding through the room as his spine arches like a cat. You watch as his hand reaches for his surgical mask. You don’t think twice of the motion. You’re occupied with a fuzzy brain. Crossing the room with a shy stride, blinking a few times as your vision adjust to the dim lighting in his dorm. Your eyes flicking back up to catch his movements. And it isn’t until the mask is pulled completely off that you realize what is happening.

“Simon?” You ask quickly.

His eyes snap to you, head turning towards you ever so slightly. Revealing the rest of his face to you. And god, he’s fucking gorgeous. The curved bridge of his nose that you always noticed is paired with a straight, and narrow length. Slightly tipped downwards. The pale scar you noticed earlier seeming to glow in the dim lighting. Crossing through his pale pink lips. His jawline strong and the shape of his face a little longer than you’d ever noticed when he was wearing the mask.

“You take that thing off?” You ask without thinking. Voice laced in disbelief and shock.

He lets out a huff of laughter. A small, boyish grin tugging at his lip. “Of course I do.”

You stare at him for a moment longer, taking in his strong, prominent features. Trying to drink in every centimeter to engrave in the back of your brain. “Why are you taking it off now? I thought you were hell bent on hiding your face.” You question, frowning slightly.

“You’re the only one who hasn’t seen my face.” He says bluntly.

“What? That’s no fair!”

“Perfectly fair.” He responds. You find yourself speechless. Now you got to put a face to the snappy, dry comments he had an endless supply of. Seeing the full expression of his face when he’s giving an unimpressed stare. You adore it.

“Why haven’t I seen it?” You ask, faking offense with a dramatic gasp.

“Because you’re insufferable.” He answers dryly. But the crooked smile on his lips give his intentions away. You grin, moving your body from its place on the edge of the bed with him. Leaving over to snatch the balaclava that rests on the nightstand where he had tossed the surgical mask. His “civilian” balaclava. The one with the skull print. “What are you doing?”

“Trying it on.” You giggle.

“Don’t touch it.” He says sharply, moving to reach for it.

Your reflexes are heightened. Holding his mask out to the side with a giggle, trying to push his massive body back. But he's too big and overpowering. Not to mention the three drinks you had were still buzzing through your system. He grabs your hand on his chest, pulling you into him as the other arm snatches the skull mask. He tosses it to his nightstand before using both hands to pick you up from the edge and throw you down gently on the middle of his bed. The wooden bed frame creaking with age. "You're a brat," he says in deep voice. His dark, playful glare making your heart spike as you're pressed against the mattress.

"Am not!" You argue, laughing as you realize he's about to tickle you. Picking up the lower half of your body as he inserts his larger frame between your denim covered legs. You wonder if it's third grade again as his hands move from holding you down to your sides.

He then laughs and tickles your ribs, causing you to gasp out into a fit of giggles. Your hands shooting up to his wrists to stop him as you try and speak through the laughter erupting from your chest. He laughs mischievously. His hand moving down to your stomach and up your sides again. The action making you laugh even harder while begging him to stop. Words broken and squealed as you giggle. He finally stops the tickling but he keeps his hands on your sides, looking at you with a crooked grin on his face.

You try not to dwell on the fact that you've never seen him smile before. And have never ever imagined it would look this good. Or boyish. This felt completely out of character. And it was. All you could think to do was blame it on the glasses of whiskey he had downed just before midnight. But that wouldn't stop you from memorizing each inch of his face without the mask on. Taking in the sight of his blonde lashes that are just a little bit lighter than his thick eyebrows. Or the scar running down his cheek to his jaw. The line dark and uneven, a contrast to his pale skin. The other scar just below his nose and through the pale pink lips that spread thin with his smile. He was everything.

The veins in his pale hand popping against your hips as he keeps your ass in place on this thick thighs. "You are and you know it." He finally says, a bit breathless from laughing at you.

"You're so mean." You say breathlessly, giving him a playful pout.

"I know, that's why you love me...right?" He asks you, with that charming smile and a smug voice to match. His hands on your sides, leaning down towards your face.

You just giggle again, nodding slightly as you admire how he looks above you. Your breathing starts to calm as you two sit in the warming silence between each other. Your back is against his sheets, hair spread on his pillow. He's sitting between your legs. Your thighs pressed over his hips as his large body leans over you. As your giggling ceases, you notice him getting closer and closer. Your heart beats faster as his face leans a couple inches forward. Stopping for a second to look over your features. His breath was warm. The scent of a heavy mint mixed with a bit of whiskey. The slow exhales fanning your jaw slightly as his eyes flicker to your lips. His hands on your sides started to get lower the closer he got. Thumbs digging into your hips lightly. Like he was trying to imagine how your flesh would feel gripped beneath his bony fingers.

Suddenly, you realize what's happening. It hits you like a train coming full speed ahead. You feel your heart lurch as a fire erupts through your hips. His thumbs brush over the skin that is exposed. The cardigan you're wearing rides up to reveal more of your skin peeking between its hem and your jeans. Wires in your brain start to connect when you realize the severity of your situation and your rising feelings. This was Ghost. Simon fucking Riley. These thoughts weren't allowed. These feelings are forbidden. This isn't real. This isn't him.

You sit up, scooting back as you come to your senses."I...I should probably get back to my room." You clear your throat. Trying to even your breathing.

He moves back, sitting up completely as your close proximity starts to sink in to his senses. You hear him swallow slightly, shifting back more to allow you to move. Sitting up, you shift towards the edge of the bed. Your feet dangle as you try and calm down the screaming arousal pumping through your veins. As you sit there, you wonder what thoughts run through his brain. Was this all good fun? Was this something he wanted or thought about? Were you something he thought about?

"Right," his voice deepens and his dark eyes run cold, "you should probably go."

Fuckin' hell. The tension in the room grows thick. It's painfully obvious the affects of the alcohol have taken over their senses. Creating a false perception of each other in a close proximity. You internally calm yourself. Reminding yourself that you're human and a very large, brutally attractive man was hovering over you just second ago. Of course you'd be turned on. But he's your lieutenant. The second in command. The man who'd take over if Price left or retired. Your superior.

"Right." You repeat. Your voice just above a whisper.

Another consequence of drinking rears it's ugly head when you feel tears start to burn at the corners of your eyes. Why were you so upset? You scold yourself, repeating the fact that you were the one to stop things from progressing. And he's your superior. Not like it should happen anyways.

But your scolding only goes so far. Instead, a dark shadow of guilt and shame starts to crawl over your skin. You pull your cardigan tighter against yourself as you stand up from his bunk. Your converse tapping on the floor as you start to step away. Glancing at the way her shifts to sit on the bed. Long, large legs planted on the floor. His pale, striking face observing you.

This type of look wasn't different from the look he always gave you. But this time, you could see his entire face. You can see his thick brow knitting together as his dark eyes scan over you. His eyes stained with dark circles. You could see all of the flaws he so desperately wanted to hide from everyone. But you. The face he allowed you to see. The one with a crooked smile. The sheepish smile that he'd try to bite back. Or the way his nose was a little crooked at the end. And it scrunched up when he lets out a boisterous laugh.

But all you see is the dark wall that began to rebuild itself. The glaring eyes and the shadow from his thick brow. The rest of his face void of expression as the hand on his leg squeezes his thumb a few times. A nervous tic you had noticed. Something he does when he has so much more to say. When he has an overwhelming amount of feelings bubbling up in his throat. Threatening to spill out like when a toddler spills their milk. Accidental. Inevitable.

Slowly, you make your move. Spinning around and walking towards the door with your arms wrapped around your torso. Feeling the overwhelming urge to crawl into yourself like a little shell. Hiding from the reality of you being completely enamored by him. Hiding from all of the pining you shamelessly embraced. Shielding yourself from the fact that you want him to pull you back into his bed. Knowing that if he did, it would ruin this. All of the effort you made to get this close to him knocked over like Jenga blocks. Leaving him to be nothing but a stranger. This is for the better. You know it's for the better.

A choked breath stops you in your tracks. Your footsteps halt and you turn your head over you shoulder. His large frame still sat on the bed with hunched shoulders. His voice monotonous, speaking out your name into the dimmed room. "Happy New Year."

Your words come out fragile, on the verge of tears. "Happy New Year, Simon."

༝̩̩̥͙ ༓༝̩̩̥͙ ⊹

moot tags: @annasinterests @pertinentpostmortem

#simon riley x you #simon riley x reader #simon ghost x reader #simon ghost riley #cod x reader #ghost cod #ghost x reader

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sethsclearwater · 1 year ago

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request: “can I request where embry and reader go to a bonfire with the boys and reader ends up getting a little too tipsy? and of course, shenanigans ensue 😉”

warnings: reader gets tipsy

word count: 1.29k

…

the whole reason you’d gotten into this situation in the first place is because you had an inability to admit you were wrong. you’d (unfortunately) made a bold claim to paul and jared that you weren’t a lightweight like they claimed you were. so here you found yourself, 3 shots of tequila in, quickly realizing that you were in fact the lightweight they’d anticipated you being.

“embryyyyyy,” you sung your boyfriend’s name as you skipped over to him, giggling when he opened his arms for you, quickly pulling you close to his chest and sliding one of his hands down to your hip to steady you.

“babe,” embry chuckled, “what happened?” he asked softly, gently cupping your jaw with his other hand so he could scan your face to try and figure out what was up with you.

you giggled, hiccupping before you responded, “jus’ missed you.” you whispered, stepping up onto your tip-toes and pressing a quick kiss to his lips which he gladly returned, letting out a chuckle when you slid your hands across the band of his sweatpants.

“not right now babe,” he chuckled, “how much did you have to drink?” he asked softly as he spun you around to head back over to the main bonfire where paul and jared were muffling their laughter at how drunk you’d managed to get off of just 3 shots.

“like 3,” you giggled as he sat down in one of the lawn chairs, pulling you into his lap.

“3 what?” he asked softly, chuckling when you hiccuped again and curled into his chest.

“3 tequilas.” you whispered, taking his hand and fiddling around with his fingers to distract yourself.

embry let out a low groan, “you had 3 shots of tequila?” he asked softly, patiently waiting for you to respond as you continued to fiddle with his fingers for a moment before looking back up at him.

you smiled, nodding, “3 tequilas with paul and jared.” you giggled and embry rolled his eyes, looking over to where jared and paul were sitting, both laughing at your conversation with him.

“listen-” jared started, bursting into laughter as you hiccuped again, “she said she wasn’t a lightweight.” he argued, laughing as he attempted to explain himself to your boyfriend.

“she’s like half your size you moron of course she’s a lightweight.” embry countered, rolling his eyes again, “did you drink some water?” he asked you, his tone softening as he spoke to you.

you shook your head, giggling, “jus’ tequila.” you whispered, hiccuping again as you sat up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before bursting into another fit of giggles.

embry chuckled softly, “let’s get you some water then, yea?” he suggested and you nodded, smiling at him as he caught the water bottle and bag of bread paul and jared had tossed over to him. he made quick work of unscrewing the water bottle cap before handing it to you, holding the bottom of the bottle to make sure you didn’t drop it, “there ya go babe,” he cooed as you took a few sips.

you beamed at the praise, “have you eaten anything today yet?” he asked softly as he set the water bottle back down, already anticipating your response as he grabbed a slice of bread when you shook your head, “okay then let’s get some food in you, yea?” he suggested and you giggled, nodding as you took the piece of bread from him, slowly nibbling on it as you looked around at the rest of the pack members who seemed to be doing another round of shots.

when you noticed, you looked back over to embry who shook his head, already knowing what you were going to ask him, “not a chance babe,” he chuckled, “keep eating your bread.” he encouraged, rolling his eyes when you hiccuped again, curling further into his lap as you worked at eating your piece of bread.

paul and jared came over a few moments later, crouching down in front of the two of you and laughing when they saw you disheveled state, “not a lightweight, huh?” paul teased when he saw you and your eyes widened, immediately sitting up to argue with him but embry quickly shushed you, pulling you back into his chest.

“we brought you a lime.” jared said after a moment, paul and him laughing as they presented you a lime slice coated with salt.

you beamed at the two of them, smiling as you quickly took it from them and took a bite out of it, absolutely loving the sour taste in your mouth, “oh you guys are the best-” you mumbled around the lime, all three boys laughing at your muffled words.

“i know,” jared teased, chuckling as you wrapped your free arm around his neck, pulling him into an awkward hug, “god you really are fucked up,” he laughed as you pressed a kiss to his head, embry rolling his eyes at your drunk actions.

“alright babe,” embry chuckled, “you ready to go home and get some sleep?” he asked softly, smiling down at you as you settled back into his lap.

“sleep?” you asked incredulously, “need you tonight.” you murmured, jared and paul letting out loud laughs when you tugged at the band of embry’s sweatpants.

the two boys quickly got up, brushing the sand off their pants, “guess we’ll leave you to it embryo!” paul called teasingly as the two of them headed back over to the rest of the pack, leaving you and embry alone for a moment.

“babe,” embry chuckled, “how about tomorrow when you’re feeling better, yea?” he suggested as he got up, picking you up in the process and carrying you back to the car.

you thought about it for a moment, chewing on your slice of bread as you contemplated his suggestion, “you promise tomorrow?” you asked softly, peeking up at him as he set you down in the passenger seat, buckling you in.

“pinky promise.” he teased, hooking your pinkies together and pressing a soft kiss to your intertwined fingers before getting into the driver’s seat.

you giggled, happy with that compromise as he drove back to your apartment, quickly helping you out of the car and up to your apartment, “okay you wanna get your pajamas on?” he asked as he got you situated on your shared bed, chuckling when he noticed you zoned out, staring at one of the paintings emily had gifted the two of you when you first got your apartment.

“babe,” embry chuckled, coming over to step in between your thighs and hook his finger under your jaw, prompting you to look up at him, “pajamas?” he asked you softly, patiently waiting for your response.

you giggled, nodding, smiling up at him as he helped you out of your clothes, “want your shirt-” you murmured after a moment and his eyes softened at your words, smiling softly at you.

“course you can have my shirt,” he chuckled, getting one of his shirts for you before helping you into that and your favorite pair of sleep shorts.

“alright let’s get you into bed, yea? we can put on a movie.” he cooed, helping you under the sheets, chuckling when you immediately curled into his chest as he grabbed the remote a got a movie on for the two of you.

he handed you your bottle of water, encouraging you to drink while the movie started, both of you content with laying with each other for the rest of the night.

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unbidden-yidden-deactivated20240 · 10 months ago

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Jewish Song of the Day #12: Bellida

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Comments:

Okay so at one point I went spelunking for more female Jewish singers singing in classical styles, and I stumbled upon this song, which is sung in Haketia, a Moroccan dialect of Ladino that also incorporates some Arabic.

It's a secular(ish) song, but very much culturally Jewish.

I'm not going to explain it well, so instead I'll simply quote from this article about it:

On October 25, 2019, Bloch and Zaaluk released their newest hit single Bellida. The song is sung in the traditional Haketia, an endangered Jewish Romance language also known as Djudeo Spañol, Ladino Occidental, or Western Judaeo-Spanish. Tamar is part of a new generation of young artists from Arab and Islamic countries who sing in their mother tongues. Her mother was born in Morocco. “I’m not involved in a preservation project and the social narrative isn’t what’s important to me. In my music I have found, after much searching, a real place for intimate expression – a language that’s a home, ” said the singer in her interview with Haaretz Magazine. Bellida is “definitely a pop album. It’s not world music from a distant and inaccessible culture, which is being preserved. I bring the songs in modern arrangements in the understanding of how relevant this music is.” The song was arranged with the help of Roee Fadida. It is a humoristic women’s song that represents the tradition of women singing in everyday life. “It tells the story about a Jewish-Moroccan girl (Bellida) who falls in love and marries Pepe, a Christian man. The ladies in her village make jokes about it but comfort her with local food.” Although Bloch and primarily sings with the goal of inspiring audiences to sing and dance, she understands her creation bears social obligation. Specifically, it is the female responsibility aspect of Bellida that Bloch warmly embraces. “It is something that I really yearn for,” she says. “Jews assimilation is a very serious prohibition, yet Bellida is not ostracized. She is cared for by means of tradition and food.” Bellida is Bloch’s interpretation of secular feminine folklore. “I imagine these women dancing together. Music brings people together. In Morocco, you see everyone sitting and singing, and being familiar with the words,” she says. “In Israel music reflects the various cultural homes from which we came. The real challenge is to try to create a new sound from within every such home.” In sharing her story of how the heritage songs came into her life, Bloch explained that in 2014, Roee Fadida, a role model, invited her to join a band that plays contemporary Moroccan music. She described having a physical reaction to that music. It felt like I was “smelling a roll outside a bakery and I had to take a bite.” Bellida is performed alongside Bloch’s band Zaaluk, a trans-Mediterranean and North African ensemble that revive lost Haketiya women’s songs. Their age-old melodies are performed to inspire people to sing and dance together and embrace the heritage of the ancient Jewish community of Spanish Morocco. Their sounds are inspired by Andalusian, North African, and Balkan musical traditions. Their music is a combination of electric guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussion, and powerful vocals, performed in Israel and abroad. The name of the band refers to a local Moroccan salad and captures the group’s multi-cultural essence.

#jumblr #jewish music #Jewish Song of the Day

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Joker Out interview with magazine Mladina, published on 30th of June 2023

Interviewed by Vanja Pirc

Photos by Borut Kranjc

This year's Slovenian representatives at Eurovision, the five-member band Joker Out, attracted an unusually large amount of attention with their accessibility and playfulness, especially with the song "Carpe Diem." In the days and weeks that followed, it became clear that their Eurovision entry, which only placed 21st, had indeed opened the door for them to go abroad. They started adding new concerts in Ireland, Croatia, the UK, Scotland, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Serbia, and others to the ones they had already arranged in Slovenia and the former Yugoslav republics. They sold out all of them, some in just a few minutes. Well over eight thousand people will see them on the UK and Nordic tour alone. For musicians working in Slovene, that's an incredible statistic.

It's a remarkable milestone to see how they've come from "Špil liga," where they first came to the limelight by winning in 2013 when they were still a high school band, to today, being greeted by masses of enthusiastic fans below the stage, and being selected by the Scottish band Franz Ferdinand to be their opening act at Croatia's Špancirfest festival. We spoke to lead singer Bojan Cvjetićanin, guitarists Kris Guštin and Jan Peteh, and bassist Nace Jordan. Unfortunately, drummer Jure Maček was missing, but we could see that he is a man of many talents by looking at the huge wooden structure with a platform that added another floor to the band's rehearsal space in Šiška, Ljubljana.

After Eurovision, you made no secret of your disappointment at finishing 21st, but your Eurovision song "Carpe Diem," sung in Slovenian, is now one of the most listened-to songs of this year's Eurovision event. It's being played all over Europe, most notably in Finland, Poland, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain... Did you expect this turn of events?

Bojan: The result we achieved at the Eurovision Song Contest was really not the greatest. Not even close. But, as you can see, in the end, it doesn't even matter. What is more important for us is that we managed to achieve the rest of the goals we had set for ourselves. We approached Eurovision in a very organic way, aiming to translate our stage and concert experience from real life to the Eurovision stage. It was clear to us that this is the biggest show stage in Europe, maybe even in the world. We were aware that this is a competition of one song, one comprehensive performance to be presented in three minutes. Our goal was to ensure that the audience would remember Slovenia's performance in 2023, and we have achieved that. We also aimed to connect with other performers, and we succeeded in doing so. But most importantly, we wanted both our Eurovision song and our other songs to be well-received in the real world. The data from radio stations, online streaming platforms, and concert offers confirm that apparently, we have achieved that as well.

Before, you were known mainly in Slovenia, and to a lesser extent in the Balkans. However, your Eurovision song has temporarily climbed to the top 50 most viral songs in the world chart on the streaming platform Spotify. You even briefly surpassed Sweden's Loreen, the winner of this year's Eurovision, in terms of popularity.

Bojan: Just to clarify, we only surpassed her for a day or two. But it's really nice that it happened on Spotify's list of the most listened-to songs in the world.

Kris: Well, she did get a billboard in New York's Times Square as the winner at the time, so it's a matter of who surpassed whom, I suppose (gesturing with his hands).

Well, who did?

Bojan: I believe that what we will gain from this performance will surpass what many other performers will achieve. Eurovision has introduced us to a very large audience in a very short time, and they have really connected with our music. They are now translating our lyrics into their own languages and even learning Slovenian. We were surprised to see how many of them bought dictionaries to learn Slovenian - we know this because we were asked to sign them. Others are learning Slovenian through online platforms, and there are even dictionaries being created on TikTok. These listeners are not bothered at all that we are not creating in English at this point; on the contrary, they would like us to keep it that way. However, we have to be realistic. To truly expand our listener base, it's important to be accessible to people.

That's why you have already prepared an album a few months ago, featuring songs from both your previous albums rearranged in English. The album is now awaiting release. One of your main goals was to be able to translate your concert experience onto the stage.

Bojan: The first real international test after Eurovision was in Zagreb, where we performed as the opening act for the most popular young Serbian band at the moment, "Buč Kesidi", at a previously arranged concert. We performed outdoors in the middle of the day, with the sun still high up in the sky. However, we were greeted by a crowd of 2,500 people and received a phenomenal response. They sang along with us, and later we read in the Serbian media that we probably have the most Croatian fans among Slovenian bands. After this show, when we announced a solo concert in Zagreb's Tvornica for November, which is comparable in size to Ljubljana's Cvetličarna, the tickets sold out in five hours. So, we arranged another concert in the same venue, and that one sold out as well. The response in Croatia has been truly amazing, and they have set a very high bar for the future.

You have been intentionally engaging with the countries of the former Yugoslavia lately. Through songs like "Demoni" ("Demons"), you have approached them language-wise. In addition to Croatia, you have also been booked for concerts in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Your Eurovision song also reminds me a little of Plavi orkestar, which was once the most popular Yugoslav pop band, or Đorđe Balašević. It is probably not a coincidence that the line "The game of hatred is your thing, thank you, don't count on us" is reminiscent of his hit "Računajte na nas" ("Count on us")?

Bojan: No, no, it's not a coincidence.

Is it nevertheless more difficult to plan a breakthrough to the rest of Europe? After Eurovision, the Irish were the first to sign you up, did the audience there also know your songs by heart?

Bojan: Yeah, we haven't really gotten used to that yet (laughs). In Ireland, we managed to sell out our first show in 12 minutes. It's true that it was a small venue, comparable to Ljubljana's Orto bar, and it wasn't a solo concert, but a joint performance with this year's Irish Eurovision representatives. However, due to the high level of interest, we arranged another concert in a club twice as big, which is also their most iconic venue. Soon after, other venues started to show interest. We announced a UK tour, with over five thousand tickets on sale for four shows in major cities, and they sold out. We announced a Nordic tour, with around 2,500 tickets available, and it sold out in half an hour, along with three Finnish concerts in just ten minutes. Later, we released an additional 770 tickets, which were gone in five minutes. Offers are also coming in from many other countries, and it is impossible to predict what will happen in the upcoming months.

A number of Slovenian music artists have successfully reached international audiences, from Senidah to Laibach, from Gramatik to Umek, and you were the first ones to consider using Eurovision as a springboard. Would it make sense for our country to continue using this event to promote established musicians who are eager to make an international breakthrough? You were internally selected for this competition.

Kris: It all depends on what we as a country want to achieve from this competition in the future. We have to decide whether EMA is a competition where we find the most suitable representative and expect them to make the most of their opportunity while promoting our country along the way, or whether it is a competition where Slovenian musicians present themselves to Slovenian audiences. Personally, I believe that it is definitely better to choose a performer who already has an established infrastructure in place and a certain support base, because this can enable him to use his potential to the fullest.

Jan: I think that would be the best approach as well. However, since many musicians see EMA as one of the few opportunities to showcase their work to a wide audience through public broadcasting, it would make sense to maintain that aspect too, perhaps as a prelude to EMA, transforming it into a grand finale for carefully selected artists, similar to Sanremo.

Bojan: The main issue with the previous selections was that Slovenia didn't approach it with the intention of winning. Of course, success in such a significant event is not guaranteed. But why not approach it strategically nonetheless? For example, I believe we should send Senidah to Eurovision in 2024!

Senidah is the biggest star in the Balkans, the most listened-to musician. Is she also your role model in that sense?

Bojan: Absolutely. Senidah is the first Slovenian artist, after Mr. Predin and "Lačni Franz", to truly break through in the Balkans. She does write music in Serbian, but that's irrelevant; what's important is that she's made a remarkable breakthrough in a market that has so far been very closed off to Slovenians. And not only has she broken through, but she is topping the charts. However, I would understand if Senidah refused to participate in EMA, at least as long as the current rules are in place. EMA is too close in time to Eurovision. The winner has only one month to submit material. Imagine having to put together the most important performance of your life in just 15 days? We, on the other hand, had more time since we were internally selected—three months—and we utilized this extra time to design our pre-Eurovision campaign, which ultimately played a key role in our success. That's what left the biggest impression.

You managed to invest between ten and fifteen thousand euros of your own funds in this promotion. You have an extensive domestic touring career behind you. In October, you will fill our biggest venue, Stožice, for the first time, where you expect 12,000 people.

Kris: I've always considered it a privilege to have established a music career at such an early stage in our lives and to have quickly reached the point of financial self-sufficiency.

Bojan: It really worked out for us that right after we finished university, we began our professional lives as musicians.

Those who know you say that you are very disciplined, very organized. Bojan, your fellow classmates from Poljane Gymnasium in Ljubljana also say that even back then, you were absolutely convinced that you were going to make a breakthrough. Many people rolled their eyes at the thought, but you had a clear objective. You were networking with the right people, educating yourself, and Pavle Kavec taught you guitar...

Bojan: Yes, Pavle the legend. I knew during my time at Poljane Gymnasium that I wanted to be an artist. I hadn't fully decided whether it would be music or something else because I was also considering studying acting. But my thoughts were always centered around creating. I suppose that's more or less true for all of us. When Jure and Nace joined us, the first question was whether we were fully committed at 1000%, or if there was another one percent pulling us towards a "plan B," such as the directions we were trained in. No, there is no "Plan B" anymore. At some point, we made the decision to cut it off.

So, the high school students at Poljane Gymnasium may very well forget that you were once planning to be their sociology professor? We've also seen you in a few episodes of the series "Gospod profesor" ("Mr. Professor").

Bojan: I've given up on the professorship, but I still find acting very interesting. For once in my life, I would like to be in a film, playing a totally negative character. I would be mean as a snake. And it doesn't even have to be a Slovenian film; it can be from the Balkans.

Kris: I have to admit that I never thought of making a living from music, although I certainly saw it as an ideal. Even when I was deciding on my studies, I wavered between sociology and chemistry, and then preferred the latter because of its greater potential for employability. Well, later on, I did go into social sciences, for a master's degree in international relations.

Yet Kris, you were the one who had the ideal conditions to become a musician. You grew up playing guitar, because your father, Miha Guštin - Gušti, is the co-founder of "Big Foot Mama", one of the most popular Slovenian bands. Today, you are considered to be their successors.

Kris: I really had the ideal conditions to become a musician who does this for a living. Not only because of my dad, but my mum also worked for record labels for many years and has recently embarked on this path again, so I've been in touch with both sides of the music world, creatively and business-wise, since I was a little kid. But I didn't really start playing guitar until I was 14, 15. And nobody else among us is a trained musician either, except our drummer, Jure Maček.

Bojan: Yes, our Maček finished elementary music school, and he also played a lot, mostly with the "Logatec brass band".

Jan: Let's not forget his performances with the "Golaž brass band", and with the Cantabile Symphony Orchestra...

Jan, you are a mathematician. The link between music and mathematics was explored by Pythagoras after he listened to a blacksmith striking a hammer, and from that he developed the study of harmony.

Jan: Yeah, at the moment it's kind of like, if you have an out-of-tune guitar, you can just say you have a Pythagorean tuning (everyone bursts out laughing). To me, maths is relevant because it's the only thing in the existence of human understanding that you can really count on. It can be used to get definitive answers to at least some questions. I see it as something that gives you structure in your life.

Nace: I would have chosen to study veterinary medicine if I had gone to university, but I discovered very quickly that music was my passion. After high school I went out into the world, I played in a band on a cruise ship that more or less sailed the Baltic, somewhere between Russia, Finland and Sweden. You could say I've got a lot of musical mileage from playing abroad. But it's limited to German schlager and German rock. Our audiences were mostly German families (laughs).

You also have the most experience of performing in front of TV cameras, especially as a member of the in-house band of the TV show "V petek zvečer" ("Friday Night"), which gives airtime to more folk-music genres on TV Slovenia. Have you scrapped this "plan B" now as well?

Nace: Officially, I'm still a member of that band; maybe the managers are expecting me to come back to the show in the autumn. But it remains to be seen whether that will be possible. Most probably not.

Today, together with MRFY, you are considered the successors of our most popular rock or pop-rock guitar bands who managed to appeal to the masses, not only of "Big Foot Mama", but also, for example, "Siddharta" and "Dan D". Why hasn't there been a real breakthrough of new bands of this kind in the last few years? Were guitars considered to be outdated, were young people closer to electronica, trap, hip-hop, mixtures of genres?

Bojan: The music of "Siddharta" and "Big Foot Mama" was a kind of basic building block for me from the very beginning. These people have influenced me more than any other world-renowned musicians. So having them support us really means a lot to me. And the Špil Liga, where student bands have been entering for the last decade, has definitely been a very strong factor in the revival of the scene. MRFY are also from Novo mesto, which is considered a mini Slovenian capital of rock'n'roll, as many of the bands that have developed under the patronage of Tokac, the music producer and frontman of "Dan D", originate from there. At the same time, in last few years the Slovenian youth has become hungry for home-produced music of all genres, and this has stirred up a strong wave of creativity, which is being held in the hands of our own generation, as well as those a little younger and older than us. At this point, the whole spectrum of what we need, from clothes to design to photography, is being created by people our age, as well as those a little younger and older than us. Well, with one exception, of course, being our producer Žare Pak, but he's young at heart.

As you reach out to a wider audience, do you also feel the pressure to meet the ever-increasing expectations of both listeners and the music industry?

Jan: I feel that right now, more than ever, we can be confident and sure of what we are doing. We didn't even enter Eurovision with some deliberately made hit-like song to suit Eurovision ears, but we did a Joker Out song that could easily have been on our album last year. Our achievements so far prove that we are doing something right because people at home and abroad like it.

Kris: I also feel like we have more freedom to create now but also fewer inhibitions to go into more experimental waters in terms of music, outfits, visuals, or anything else.

Do you think that's what some people expect from you now?

Bojan: Musicians are often criticized for their style, genre, or sound. But such criticisms are absurd.

In particular, Slovenian rock or pop-rock has always been attacked in this respect for relying too often on tried-and-tested forms and less often, for example, on boldness, innovation.

Bojan: We've been on the scene long enough, and we know that the very concept of what Jokers do bothers some people. And that's why they keep pushing their idea that we don't make authentic music but rather some crap that we invented just to exist. So, they feel it would be good if we would stop doing that. These people want, or even demand, that Joker Out should stop being Joker Out. And we're happy that on the first and second album we were able to make music completely unburdened by expectations of how people would react to it. I think the second album is quite challenging in both its sonic elements and the overall meaning of the lyrics in certain songs. I'm sorry that not one of the critics mentioned "Plastika" ("Plastics") in their reviews. None of these intellectuals who have so much to say against our love songs thought that this could be a harbinger of a different, new direction.

This song was written in response to a study showing that the vast majority of teenage girls today want plastic surgery and other body modifications to meet their perverse beauty ideals.

Bojan: There's a lot of content that people don't want to see. On the other hand, I also don't understand why songs about love, which are in the vast majority in this culture at the moment, should be inferior to those about society. In fact, I hope to be able to sing about love for the rest of my life.

Kris: You will, you will sing "Umazane misli" ("Dirty Thoughts") for the rest of your life (laughs).

You addressed Europe with the words "We'll be dancing all night long, we'll love and play with each other as if there was no tomorrow." You have stated several times that you are not a political band, but isn't that actually very political? What is more political than being able to smile and rejoice even in the worst of situations?

Bojan: I very much agree. I even think that if Tokac had sung our song, the message would have gotten through to a lot more people. But because we sang it, a lot of people didn't take it seriously.

The current Prime Minister, Robert Golob, after learning that the future coalition had brought down the government of Janez Janša, said, "Today people are dancing, I am waiting for you to start dancing too." Do you think that if we had had your song then, he would have said instead, "We'll be dancing all night long"? As some employees of RTV Slovenia did when the depoliticisation of their institution could begin?

Bojan: The song "Carpe Diem" is largely written with the idea of fighting back against the things that are happening today. The fact that we had Eurovision in a country that was not last year's winner, because the event could not be held there due to the war, is quite an indication of the troubled times we live in. On the other hand, our only defense as musicians is to spread positive energy among the people and send socially relevant messages. We cannot do more than that. We do not want to take up arms, and we won't. Our only weapons can be our songs.

Culture and art can certainly be weapons too, especially in situations where people are suffering. Do you think that's why Ukrainians supported you at Eurovision, both the audience and the jury? The country is in ruins because of the war, people are displaced, and there is no end in sight to the conflict. But your dancing until dawn has been noticed.

Bojan: I am a child of refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina. My parents had to leave their home in Banja Luka because of the war. They came to Slovenia as refugees and stayed here. They had to rebuild their lives. In light of today's events, I can only conclude that the saying 'Historia magistra vitae est' (“History is the teacher of life”) is clearly not true. Because one day, when all the problems of this world are solved, I too will be able to afford the attitude of being opposed to all that is positive. But at the moment, that is not a possibility.

Your parents, Bojan, had to move because of the war, and your mother, Kris, moved from the Netherlands to Slovenia for love.

Bojan: That's a much nicer reason, isn't it?

Kris: Well, I also have a grandfather who fled Indonesia because of the civil war.

Migration flows have been huge in recent years, with thousands of people pouring into Europe, but they are often met with contempt and harsh treatment. Do you feel that your intimate experience of all this migration has also shaped your attitude towards all those who are seeking a better life?

Kris: Absolutely. In my home, this has always been a topic we have talked about. When I was still living with my parents, we often watched the TV program "Dnevnik" together, and whenever they showed a piece on migration, my mother would get very emotionally involved in the scenes on the screen. And that sticks with you. When you see a parent who can understand someone who had to leave home for completely different reasons and on the other side of the world, it naturally rubs off on you.

Bojan: Most of all, you feel the spectrum of pain associated with having to leave your home is much more than just having to leave a place. Only then do you realize that home is really a tangle of space, of people, of smells, of tastes, of everything surrounding you. Leaving all that behind is not the easiest thing to do. It is even harder to leave under duress, and the hardest to leave knowing that your home is in the process of being destroyed and that when and if you return one day, it will not feel like home anymore. The same people will not be there, the same smells will not be there. What has shaped your life will no longer exist.

Alongside wars and conflicts, another key reason why people from other parts of the world are moving to Europe in large numbers is climate change. Your generation is leading the fight to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, to live more sustainably. How important is this cause to you?

Kris: The fight for climate fairness is one of our few very clear common political positions. Here we are completely united and support all political choices towards sustainability. It is also very clear that this is an important issue not only for us but also for a large part of our audience. It was interesting to note that two years ago, at a rally for climate justice in Ljubljana, we saw a poster with the lyrics of one of our songs. We've summed up our own thoughts on the subject in the song "Novi val" ("New Wave)," which was written last year and is currently one of our most successful and important songs.

In that song, you say "The radio only plays lightnings and strikes', the newspaper says that we' ve lost our way. Today we'll sing and raise our glasses, we were born yesterday and have already been blamed for everything." And what are you guilty of? Probably not the fact that your generation faces precarious employment, that loans are hard to come by, and so are real estate, even rental properties?

Bojan: These are the facts of life lived by the "born yesterday" generation. They are the result of the accumulation of bad decisions over decades. These facts manifest themselves in reality as obstacles that reduce our ability to build the pillars of our independence and, as a consequence, are the reason for our failure to live up to societal expectations. In a world where laws have been written for decades in favor of a mega-massive littering of the planet, we are guilty of standing up for environmental justice instead of "doing something smarter and more serious with our lives," even though previous generations have themselves turned the (labour) market into a war zone of precarious employment. We fight day in and day out with the uncertainty of whether or not we will be employed tomorrow...

But even in this song, you sing and you raise your glasses.

Kris: This song and the Eurovision song "Carpe Diem" are actually very similar in spirit and message, except the second one addresses the listener in a dance guise and this one in a much more serious manner.

The song "Novi val" ("New Wave") has received a lot of attention because of the English version you released before the Eurovision, which you performed with the renowned British musician Elvis Costello. Your now ex-member Martin has a godfather who is a friend of Costello's, and in 2013 you sent him the song "Gola" ("Naked") to listen to. He did listen to it and suggested that you send him more songs. So last year you sent him "Novi val" ("New Wave").

Bojan: Yes, that was true, and when I sent him that song, I also asked him if he would be willing to re-arrange it in English. And he wrote back that he was up for it. Shortly after that, only about a week later, he sent me another email saying if we all agreed, he was ready to sing the song with us. Interestingly enough, he felt the song even before he understood what it was about. His first reaction after hearing the Slovenian version was that it was "a charming song that transcends the understanding of language". He recorded his vocals in New York, and we recorded them in Ljubljana. At the end of the song, we kept the chorus in Slovenian, at his request.

Costello has two Grammys, two Brit Awards, and was named one of the 100 greatest rock'n'roll musicians of all time by Rolling Stone magazine. What does his support mean to you?

Bojan: I can say without any reservation that even if I never wrote another song after this, I would forever be proud of what I have achieved. But it was this collaboration that gave us an indescribable amount of new energy to create. I am very proud of it. However, I must add that I felt the same pride when Tomi Meglič or Grega Skočir gave us words of encouragement. The moment when I first felt their sincere appreciation was a turning point for me, and since then I have existed quite differently as a musician. But of course, it is clear that Elvis Costello's encouraging words carry international weight. And that is something completely new for us. It's just a pity that we haven't been able to meet up yet because he was on tour in the US at the time of the recording of the song and later the video.

He will be touring Europe in the autumn, including Hamburg. You recorded the Eurovision song there in December.

Bojan: He honored us greatly then. He sent us the song "Hamburg Postcard", which he wrote especially for us.

Kris: Let's not forget something else. Our band has always described our music as "shagadelic rock'n'roll" (the Oxford English Dictionary defines shagadelic as "sexy, but in a psychedelic or retro way", A/N). We borrowed this term from "Austin Powers", but it was actually spoken by Elvis Costello, who played himself in that film. When we sent him our song "Gola" ("Naked") in 2019, we thought it would be a good idea to let him know that we also use the term "shagadelic rock'n'roll". And then he personally gave his permission to use it because he felt that that was what it was. To complete the circle, Elvis Costello is one of the original protagonists of the English New Wave, and we are now singing together about the New Wave. He is also from Liverpool, which hosted this year's Eurovision. Our collaboration was clearly written in the stars.

Costello, as a Liverpudlian, knew the most famous local musicians, The Beatles, very well and had worked with Paul McCartney. The Beatles are also among your role models, and this year you also visited the place where the Beatles began their musical journey for the first time. Do you now understand better why they remain the greatest?

Kris: For me, visiting Liverpool and the places that influenced the Beatles and their music gave me some perspective. We knew them through songs, like Penny Lane, for example, but in reality, it's much smaller and more 'plain' than we imagined. Liverpool is a beautiful city, but the suburbs where the Beatles lived are very ordinary working-class housing estates. One could say quite bland. Now I walk around Ljubljana with different eyes. I can imagine that one of our future songs could also feature an insignificant, less exposed street that made its mark on us...

Bojan: And this is where you can see very clearly why the Beatles are the Beatles. Because everybody has a Penny Lane in their life, an ordinary street where you meet a friend. Penny Lane is the most universal thing in the world

The English song "Novi val" ("New Wave") was covered by the BBC and ITV, and the British voted for you at Eurovision. Your music and performances have always been influenced by British pop. Is that one of the key places for you, besides the Balkans?

Bojan: I think our focus is on any place that is willing to accept us, but England has a special charm because we ourselves have been heavily influenced by British music. I'm not the ultimate "nomad," I dislike long flights and exotic destinations that can be unpredictable, so Europe is very dear to my heart. I would be very happy if we could establish ourselves as a European band that could travel a little bit around Scandinavia in the summer and then Dalmatia in the winter...

Kris: Or Spain, where we would eat tapas.

Is the interest in your band in the country also related to the fact that Bojan speaks Spanish?

Bojan: Yes, I ended up doing more interviews in Spanish than in English. The Spanish have also been very active because of our links with their Eurovision representative Blanca Paloma.

Kris: It's really amazing how you can charm a foreign audience by speaking their language. I understand it with the Spanish, as they are mostly less proficient in English, but I was surprised by the Dutch. Dutch is my mother tongue, of course, but I didn't expect that it would matter because in the last few years I have noticed that in Amsterdam, almost only English is spoken on the street. Even the oldest market vendor speaks perfect English. But they were very enthusiastic. On streaming platforms, the Netherlands is one of our top 10 countries.

You mentioned earlier that your fans are now learning Slovenian. What about your future - will it be written in English?

Bojan: The next album will almost certainly have songs in English, Slovenian, and Serbian, but it's very possible that there will also be some in French or Spanish.

What about Finnish? At Eurovision, the most talked-about thing was your friendship with the Finnish representative Käärijä, who came in second place. When you, Bojan, sang his song, he praised you, saying it was "better than the original".

Bojan: We haven't talked about a musical collaboration yet, but I was a guest at his concert in Helsinki in June, and we would be very happy to have him at our concerts. Unfortunately, that won't happen in Stožice because he has a big concert on the same day.

Now that it is clear that your international ambitions are growing exponentially, what is the ultimate goal where you would say, well, now we have made it?

Kris: Even before we had international ambitions on the level we have today, we often talked about how performing on the main stage of the Hungarian festival "Sziget" would be a testament to the fact that we have achieved something in our lives. Do you remember?

Bojan: How European of us, right? (laughs)

And - have they called you yet?

Jan: Not yet, but we are already learning Hungarian just in case (laughs).

Kris: And we were just wondering why we shouldn't just announce a concert at Wembley Stadium in London in 2030.

Bojan: Yeah, because if we started selling tickets now, we might even be able to sell them by then. (Everyone bursts out laughing because the stadium seats 90,000).

#joker out #bojan cvjeticanin #nace jordan #jan peteh #kris gustin #jure macek

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